Why World Champion Max Euwe Played the Slav Defense

I've posted previously here Why I Play the Slav, but it's also worth reading GM Bryan Smith's article on Chess.com on why World Champion Max Euwe played it in his matches against Alexander Alekhine.  It's not a completely one-sided tale, as Euwe did not fully rely on it as Black and also played against it (with success) as White.  This fact helps reinforce the idea that true opening mastery is about deep understanding of positions, not an emotional commitment to your chosen side.  It's also worth noting that Slav players (like myself) doing their own research into the opening with today's databases will undoubtedly run across games from Euwe in still-critical lines.  It's nice to see lessons from the 20th century still applicable to today's games.

Tournament prep is less about the chess, more about you

I've had a rather busy summer with a lot of travel and limited chess study time, but still managed to do reasonably well at my latest tournament this month - I played interesting games in all rounds, didn't blunder (which always makes for more interesting games), gained some rating points and won some money.  In the past, I've been apprehensive going into tournaments with what I felt was too little prep time - in particular, not enough time to review all of my openings.  This time I tried to put that feeling aside and focus more on having a good mental attitude and taking care of myself physically both before heading into the competition and during it.

Going back to the Tournament Preparation: Chess Skills and Mental Toughness posts, your skills practice over time should boost your strength (and it's good to put extra focus on some things pre-tournament).  However, it's your ability to maximize your chances in each individual game that determines your actual performance.  "Cramming" for a chess tournament like it's an exam is not helpful, since there's simply too much information to deal with; an exam has a finite boundary (even if it seems like a lot), while chess does not.  That's why optimizing your own mental and physical state - being as relaxed, energetic and confident as possible - will do more for you in the short term when going into a tournament.  Because chess is also a creative and engaging activity, I think this is even more important, since purely rote memorization and application of ideas generally leads to failure.

A recent post over at the Chess Improver ("Tournament Prep for Older Players") contains some similar themes.  The author (Hugh Patterson) has some more specific suggestions for pre-tournament activities, which you may or may not follow - IM Josh Waitzkin and others have also focused on Tai Chi practice as a blend of mental and physical training - but the main point is that getting your mind and body in a good place is the best way to set yourself up for success in both the long and short term.

IM Josh Waitzkin

Commentary: 2015 U.S. Championship, Round 8 (Abrahamyan - Paikidze)

This next game also features Nazi Paikidze, who this time as Black plays an interesting and relatively new idea in the Classical Caro-Kann (11...a5!?).  One of the benefits of doing these commentary game analyses is getting exposure to current master-level ideas, in the process obtaining a deeper understanding of how they vary from the standard plans.  Most important to understand is why the idea is different and what it means for the position.  This also provides further insight into more familiar plans, by contrasting the different evolutions of the position.

Here the main idea is to get a head start on Black's queenside expansion and also to provide a weakening pawn move (13. c3) - although analysis shows that this response is not necessarily automatic or best on White's part.  The trade-off is slightly slower development for Black and a somewhat scary-looking (albeit manageable) kingside attack for White.  Caro-Kann players need to look hard at the White ideas and Black defensive responses in these position types, for example the variations around move 21.  The rest of the game also provides some useful lessons, including from Black's perspective on the importance of centralized queen activity and why it's important not to give up when down material, instead posing as many problems as possible for your opponent.

Contemporary commentary on the game can be seen here on the ChessBase news site, with analysis by GM Josh Freidel.

[Event "ch-USA w 2015"] [Site "Saint Louis USA"] [Date "2015.04.09"] [Round "8.3"] [White "Abrahamyan, Tatev"] [Black "Paikidze, Nazi"] [Result "1/2-1/2"] [ECO "B19"] [WhiteElo "2322"] [BlackElo "2333"] [Annotator "ChessAdmin/Komodo 8"] [PlyCount "133"] [EventDate "2015.04.01"] [SourceDate "2015.02.07"] 1. e4 c6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 {entering the "Main Line" Caro-Kann, although these days it's the Advance Variation (3. e5) that is most played at the professional level.} dxe4 4. Nxe4 Bf5 {the Classical Caro-Kann.} 5. Ng3 Bg6 6. h4 h6 7. Nf3 Nd7 8. h5 Bh7 9. Bd3 Bxd3 10. Qxd3 e6 11. Bd2 {the standard position in this line. Now Black varies, however.} a5 $5 {this appears to be a new idea. Very little played, but with some recent high-level games where Black scores well.} (11... Ngf6 {is normally played here.}) 12. O-O-O {this seems to be an almost reflexive choice by White and scores 40 percent in the database (the alternative c4 scores 0 percent). The logic is that Black no longer can castle queenside safely, so by default must have the king stay in the center or castle kingside. White therefore castles queenside and keeps the rook on the h-file, for future attacking possibilities. This does in part play into Black's main idea, however, which is to gain space on the queenside and play there.} Bb4 {this provokes White's next move, which however is not forced. The move is universally played in the database, an indication that it is considered the obvious follow-up idea and the reason for playing ...a5 in the first place.} 13. c3 (13. Ne4 $5 {ignoring the bishop sortie and spending the tempo on mobilizing the knight is another option.}) 13... Be7 {having done its job, the bishop returns to its standard square. Now White's king is less secure, since the c3 pawn is a possible target for a future pawn lever.} 14. Qe2 Ngf6 {at this point we have a standard position, but with c3 and a5 thrown in. Structurally this has to favor Black a little, but this may be offset by the tempo invested in the pawn move, unless it is put to further good use.} 15. Ne5 {a standard attacking formation by White, seizing the central square and freeing up the space in front of the f-pawn.} O-O {while it will take good defensive (or counter-offensive) skills to protect the Black king, it's still far better off castled than sitting on the e-file.} 16. f4 Re8 {this is a standard defensive rook move in this line. While at first glance it may seem unnecessary, the e6 pawn can become a serious weak point and tactical focus for White, so the Re8 will help with that, as well as leaving the f8 square potentially open for a bishop retreat.} 17. Kb1 {this proactively gets the king off the c-file and protects the a2 pawn.} (17. f5 {is played in the only other game in the database, but Black is able to neutralize this more aggressive approach.} Bd6 18. fxe6 Rxe6 19. Nf5 Bxe5 20. dxe5 Rxe5 21. Qf3 Qf8 22. g4 Qc5 23. Be3 Qc4 24. Bd4 Qe2 25. Qxe2 Rxe2 26. g5 Ng4 27. Rdg1 c5 28. Rxg4 cxd4 29. Rxd4 Nc5 30. gxh6 gxh6 31. Nxh6+ Kh7 32. Ng4 a4 33. Rf1 Kg8 34. Nf6+ Kh8 35. Rd2 Re6 36. Kc2 b5 37. Rf5 Rc8 38. h6 Rec6 39. h7 Ne6 40. Rxb5 a3 41. Rf5 axb2 42. Kxb2 Rxc3 43. Rg2 Ng7 44. a4 R3c6 45. Rf3 Rb6+ 46. Ka3 Rc1 47. Rb2 Ra1+ 48. Ra2 Rab1 49. Rc2 Ra1+ 50. Ra2 Rab1 {1/2-1/2 (50) Bobras,P (2535) -Socko,B (2611) Germany 2015}) 17... a4 {Black normally would be looking to play the ...c5 break around this time, and this would still be a viable way to play. However, with the advanced a-pawn and White's king on the queenside, the text move is natural.} 18. Nf1 {this seems like it just wastes time. Although it frees up the space in front of the g-pawn, so would the alternative Ne4. Perhaps White was reluctant to let Black exchange a pair of minor pieces on e4, fearing it would harm her attacking possibilities.} (18. Ne4 Nxe4 19. Qxe4 Nxe5 20. fxe5 a3 21. b3 Bg5 $11 {does look OK for Black, for example.}) 18... a3 19. b3 c5 $15 {in contrast with the variation above, White's pieces are uncoordinated and Black's look well placed to follow up on the ...c5 break.} 20. g4 cxd4 21. g5 {the point of White's very aggressive play. Black now chooses the wrong path.} dxc3 $6 (21... hxg5 {this is a difficult move to play at the board, since it seems that White can now crash through on the kingside in a typical attack. However, this is not the case.} 22. h6 {for example is a typical move that normally threatens to break everything open.} (22. Nxd7 Nxd7 23. h6 g6 24. fxg5 Bxg5 $15 {is the best the engine can come up with, but Black is fine.}) 22... Nxe5 23. h7+ {looks most threatening} (23. fxe5 Qd5 $17) 23... Kh8 24. fxe5 d3 $19 {and White has nowhere to go on the h-file, thanks to his own h7 pawn.}) 22. gxf6 c2+ (22... cxd2 {is similar:} 23. fxe7 Qxe7 24. Nxd2 $16) 23. Kxc2 Nxf6 $16 {Black has sacrificed a piece for two pawns and an attack - which is always tempting, but only profitable if the attack lasts. Here, White's king appears open, but after a few moves she is able to consolidate her position.} 24. Kb1 {playing it safe, which allows Black the chance for compensation.} (24. Ng3 Rc8+ (24... Qc7+ 25. Kb1 Rac8 26. Rc1 $16) 25. Kb1 Nd5 26. Qb5 $16) 24... Rc8 $6 {this looks like an obvious follow-up, but is not threatening enough.} (24... Qd4 {threatening mate on b2 appears to be Black's best chance for compensation. It's well worth remembering that Black often needs to have a centrally-placed queen in order to do well (or even sometimes survive) in the Classical Caro-Kann.} 25. Bc1 Ne4 $1 {a hard move to spot, since it leaves the queen hanging. Black will regain the material after forking on c3.} 26. Rxd4 Nc3+ 27. Ka1 Nxe2 28. Rc4 b5 29. Rc6 Rac8 {looks close to equal.}) 25. Ng3 {White has the time to redevelop the knight, heading for e4.} Nd5 26. Rhe1 {this is too slow.} (26. Ne4) 26... Qb6 27. Ne4 f5 28. Nf2 {now Black can equalize, but she instead goes for a tactic on e3 that does not fully work.} Rc3 $6 {here the rook cannot be captured, but the maneuver Nf2-d3 gives White the advantage, unlike in the ...Bh4 variation where Black would get the exchange in compensation.} (28... Bh4 29. Nfd3 Bxe1 30. Rxe1 Rc3 $11) (28... Qd4 {remains a good idea as well.}) 29. Nfd3 Rec8 30. Rc1 Rxc1+ 31. Rxc1 Rxc1+ 32. Kxc1 {the exchanges can only benefit White, due to the material balance.} Qg1+ 33. Kc2 (33. Qe1 $5) 33... Qa1 34. Nc1 $14 { although White's king is more exposed, this is not sufficient compensation for the material, since Black cannot put together sufficient threats against it.} Bf6 $2 {overlooking White's threat on the e-file, although White immediately returns the favor.} (34... Qb2+ 35. Kd1 Qd4 $16 {would keep the queen active and centralized, while making the most of White's king in the center.}) 35. Ned3 $6 (35. Ng6 Qb2+ 36. Kd1 $18 {and either the e6 or b7 pawn will fall to White's queen.}) 35... Nc7 (35... Kf7 {would protect e6 less awkwardly and keep the centralized Nd5.}) 36. Bb4 Bb2 37. Bd6 Bxc1 38. Nxc1 Qb2+ 39. Kd1 $16 {White has covered all her bases and the reduced material makes her advantage more clear.} Qd4+ {exchanging on e2 would of course just give Black an obviously lost endgame.} 40. Qd2 Qg1+ 41. Kc2 Nd5 42. Bxa3 {an obvious move, but threatening the e6 pawn again with the queen (Qe2) might be more advantageous, as the a3 pawn isn't going anywhere.} Qh1 43. Nd3 Qxh5 {Black is still fighting hard and looking for imbalances - in this case kingside pawns to match White's queenside pawn threat - that can give her drawing chances.} 44. Bb2 Qf3 45. a4 h5 46. Bd4 h4 47. Qf2 Qh5 48. Qg1 Qf7 $6 {Black gives up the queen's activity, which has served her so well up to this point.} (48... Qe2+) (48... Qh6 {would alternatively maintain support for the h-pawn while pressuring f4.}) 49. Kb2 Nf6 50. Qg5 {White in contrast now muscles in with her queen.} h3 {it's looking desperate for Black now.} 51. Nf2 $19 (51. Qg3 { is simpler and better, guaranteeing the loss of the h-pawn.}) 51... h2 52. Qh4 {this allows Black to start making threats again.} (52. Qg2 {interestingly is the only move that retains White's significant advantage, again due to forcing the issue with the h-pawn. Black unlike in the game cannot play ...Qf7 in response, as then the response would simply be Bxf6, with the g-pawn pinned.}) 52... Qd7 53. Bxf6 $6 {White (perhaps in time trouble) seems to want to simplify, even at the cost of material.} (53. Bc3 $5) 53... Qd2+ $1 {this intermediate move equalizes, as opposes to simply recapturing on f6 immediately.} 54. Ka3 Qd6+ $2 {unfortunately, the recapture was now necessary for Black to get back in the game.} (54... gxf6 {and now whatever White does, Black will be able to get a perpetual after playing ...Qc1+}) 55. b4 gxf6 56. Qxh2 $18 {in contrast with the above variation, Black's queen is now out of position and has to spend a tempo, giving White time to act.} Qd4 57. Qg3+ Kh8 58. Nd3 (58. a5 $5 {passed pawns must be pushed!}) 58... Qc3+ 59. Ka2 b6 60. Qe3 Kh7 61. Qe2 Kg6 62. Qd1 e5 {to Black's credit, she continues to fight, taking whatever space White will give her.} 63. Qg1+ Kf7 64. Qd1 Kg6 65. Qg1+ Kf7 66. Qd1 Kg6 67. Qg1+ {and White takes the draw, evidently not seeing a way to make progress.} 1/2-1/2

Expectations for improvement

The "Unrealistic Expectations" blog over at The Chess Improver is a recent helpful reality check on our general expectations for improvement.  Pessimists often say adult chess improvement is impossible, due to our failing brains as we age, while the opposing legion of optimists believe they'll make master level after a couple years.  And as for the rest of us?  Perhaps it's best just to be happy playing the game, although I do think seeing improvement over time is an integral part of my enjoyment of chess as a pastime.  Time, I believe, is the hardest factor for fully-employed adults to control and is the primary constraint on our progress.  In any case, for those who can devote effort each week to serious chess study, I say continue doing it - while being objective about your results and how far you have to go (see the Alekhine quote above).

For a more detailed look at this topic, it's also worth checking out IM Silman's "The Curse of Unrealistic Expectations" at Chess.com.

Commentary: 2015 U.S. Championship, Round 7 (Paikidze-Melekhina)

IM Nazi Paikidze

The following game is from round 7 of the 2015 U.S. Championship (women's section).  IM Nazi Paikidze as White plays what starts out (via an unusual move-order) as a rather quiet Symmetrical English, but then develops into a war of positional ideas that becomes quite tactical.  Black (FM Alisa Melekhina) missed her best shot to consolidate her position on the queenside with the idea of ...a4 in the early middlegame, leaving her pawn structure shattered afterwards.  White, although a pawn down, never worried about her material deficit, due to Black's long-term inability to cover her weaknesses, and chose a more aggressive plan of play on the kingside.  White's initiative lasts most of the rest of the game, with only a temporary flare-up of activity by Black that only serves to clarify White's advantage.  The ending sequence becomes tactical, through a combination of back-rank threats and the diversion of Black's last defender.  Key themes that occur throughout the game, including the tactics swirling around the e6 pawn, make it worth close study, as well as observing how quiet positional maneuvering can evolve into tactical play.

[Event "ch-USA w 2015"] [Site "Saint Louis USA"] [Date "2015.04.08"] [Round "7"] [White "Paikidze, N."] [Black "Melekhina, A."] [Result "1-0"] [ECO "A37"] [WhiteElo "2333"] [BlackElo "2235"] [Annotator "ChessAdmin/Komodo 8"] [PlyCount "91"] [EventDate "2015.03.31"] [SourceDate "2015.02.07"] 1. Nf3 g6 2. g3 c5 3. Bg2 Bg7 4. c4 Nc6 5. Nc3 {via a somewhat unusual move-order we have arrived at a Symmetrical English. Black will follow the plan of using ...e5 to challenge for control of the center and break symmetry, while White pursues a queenside strategy.} d6 6. O-O e5 {this advance gives Black a lock on d4 and greater central presence/control via her pawns. On the other hand, it blocks the Bg7 and creates a hole on d5.} 7. d3 {this opens up the c1-g5 diagonal for the bishop and also helps restrain a potential future .. .e4 advance.} Nge7 {the standard place for the knight in this variation. The knight, if placed instead on f6, would get in the way of both the Bg7 and the f-pawn, which Black may play to f5 at some point.} 8. a3 O-O 9. Rb1 a5 10. Bd2 {White's dark-square bishop development in this line is somewhat problematic, in that there is no obviously good square for it that does not also get in the way of other pieces. Keeping it on c1 makes no sense, however, so placing it on d2 is fine and the most common option. There it may also help control b4 when the time comes to make a pawn break there.} Rb8 11. Ne1 {initiating the standard plan of repositioning the knight to c2, from where it is able to help White force through the b4 break. This looks awkward at first glance, but in reality the knight is doing little on f3 and moving it also opens up the Bg2 to good effect on the long diagonal.} Be6 {Black similarly has little scope initially for her non-fianchettoed bishop, but there is a more obvious choice of where to place it. From e6, it can help cover the hole on d5 in tandem with the Ne7. Black's subsequent push of the d-pawn is also consistent with the central strategy originally initiated by playing ...e5.} 12. Nc2 d5 13. cxd5 Nxd5 {this recapture is always done with the knight, otherwise White would gain the advantage of the two bishops after exchanging with the Nc3.} 14. Ne4 { an uncommon move. Exchanging on d5 with the knight is more common, as is the alternative Ne3.} b6 {the obvious way to protect the c5 pawn.} 15. Ng5 Bc8 { naturally Black wants to preserve the bishop and avoid giving White the two bishops.} 16. Ne3 {a move that necessarily reflects an understanding of what is happening on the squares g5 and b4. The game is still in the database, which interestingly shows White scoring over 70 percent in the dozen games available, although the position seems quite equal (including to the engine).} Nxe3 (16... Qxg5 17. Nxd5 Qd8 18. b4 $11) 17. Bxe3 Nd4 {here Black diverges from previous games, which continued ...Bb7. The most recent example:} (17... Bb7 18. Nf3 Kh8 19. Qd2 Re8 20. Rfe1 Qe7 21. Qc2 h6 22. Qc4 f5 23. Qh4 Qxh4 24. Nxh4 Kh7 25. Rec1 Rbc8 26. Kf1 Ba8 27. Rc2 Rf8 28. Nf3 f4 29. Bd2 g5 30. Bc3 b5 31. gxf4 gxf4 32. Rbc1 Rg8 33. Be1 {1/2-1/2 (33) Lehmann,C (2100)-Borulya,E (2293) Germany 2008}) 18. b4 {White finally gets in the break with the b-pawn.} cxb4 19. axb4 Bg4 (19... a4 $5 {is preferred by the engine. The pawn is tactically defended, as Qxa4 would be followed by ...Nxe2.} 20. b5 Bg4 21. Nf3) 20. f3 {this is a committal and seemingly antipositional move by White, who temporarily shuts off the Bg2 and cuts off the f3 square from the Ng5. However, it's more dynamic than an alternative like Re1.} (20. Nf3 $5) 20... Bd7 21. Ne4 axb4 $6 {although Black still has a passed pawn after this trade, having an outside passed pawn on the a-file would be a greater advantage.} (21... a4 { is now an even stronger idea than before, since the passed pawn is protected by the Bd7.}) 22. Bxd4 exd4 23. Qb3 {White correctly is not in a rush to recapture the pawn, choosing to develop her queen first in an effective manner. } Re8 {lining up against the undefended e2 pawn and pinning the knight. This also frees up the f8 square for a bishop retreat.} 24. f4 {interestingly this appears to be White's only good move. It frees up the Bg2, most obviously, and her other pieces are already optimally placed.} (24. Qxb4 $2 {this would lift the pin on the f-pawn, to White's detriment.} f5 25. Nd2 Rxe2 $17) 24... Bf8 ( 24... h6 {would be a prophylactic move, taking away the g5 square from the knight.}) 25. Ng5 {another example of a patient master-level move. While Black has protected the b4 pawn, her pawn structure in the center and queenside is shattered and too vulnerable to protect in the long term. This means that White need not worry about the material deficit. Instead, she now starts a threat of her own against the weak f7 square. This threat trumps the previous pin of the knight against the e2 pawn, which we therefore can say has been tactically broken.} Be6 {an inaccuracy which allows White to gain some traction.} (25... Qf6 {or ...Qe7 defends the f7 pawn without allowing the minor piece exchange as in the game.} 26. Bd5 Rxe2 27. Nxf7 Kg7 $11) (25... Re7 {is also possible.} 26. Bd5 Be8 27. f5 Rxe2 28. Nxf7 Bxf7 29. Bxf7+ Kh8 $11) 26. Nxe6 fxe6 {in contrast with the above variations, Black no longer has the threat of ...Rxe2 because of the pawn on e6.} 27. f5 (27. Bc6 $5 Re7 28. Qxb4 { might be a simpler approach, regaining the pawn with the idea of pursuing play on the queenside. In the game, White instead prefers to increase pressure on the kingside.}) 27... gxf5 28. Rxf5 {taking advantage of the pin on the a2-g8 diagonal.} Rc8 {the best way to improve Black's position. She can't do anything about all of the air in front of her king, but she can activate the rook on the open file.} 29. Bd5 {an excellent, master-level move. White increases the pressure on the diagonal in the most effective way, while the bishop cannot be taken for tactical reasons.} Qd6 {Black appears to be trying to hold onto the extra material, in this case the b4 pawn, rather than placing her pieces on the most effective squares.} (29... exd5 $2 30. Rxd5 {and Black will lose material, due to the discovered double check threat.}) (29... Qd7 $5) 30. Rg5+ Kh8 31. Be4 {the bishop now needs to be moved, with the tactical threat of discovered check no longer there.} Rc5 32. Rg4 {exchanging on c5 would just help Black get her pawn structure in order.} b5 {I'm not sure of the point of this, which may simply be a waiting move. If so, bringing the rook back to c7 would create fewer potential problems, as we'll see shortly.} 33. Rf1 {bringing another major piece into the kingside attack.} Rc3 34. Rf7 { threatening mate on h7.} Rc7 {now we see why this would have been better played earlier, as Black is simply a tempo down.} 35. Rf5 {again using tactical themes involving the e6 pawn. The pawn remains pinned, but this time against the mating square g8 rather than the Black king.} Bh6 $6 {under pressure, Black finally cracks. She was probably focused on getting rid of the mate threat on g8, which is now covered by the Re8. She also probably saw the threats she could make after placing the bishop on e3, but White is able to easily parry them.} (35... Rc5) 36. Rxb5 $16 {now we see another drawback of Black's move 32. She now has no material compensation for her positional difficulties.} Be3+ 37. Kg2 Qf8 38. Bf3 {shutting down any threats on the f-file.} Rc1 39. Qxb4 {ignoring the check on g1. This is also a characteristic of master-level play, as amateurs too often are afraid of checks.} Rg1+ 40. Kh3 {emotionally these kind of moves can feel awkward and scary, as the king has very limited squares. However, calculation shows that Black has run out of threats.} Qf7 $2 {it's not obvious at first glance why this is bad, although White is able to quickly achieve a won position. Black does not realize that she has effectively given up control over the 8th rank.} (40... Qxb4 {is judged best by the engine, although it will likely result in a winning endgame for White.}) 41. Qd6 $18 {and there is nothing Black can do to avoid mate or major material losses. The immediate threat is Qe5+, while the queen can also support exchanging off the Re8.} (41. Rb8 {is probably the easiest winning continuation to spot, although the text move is more elegant and decisive. The problem for Black is that her back rank is under-defended, given the control of the Rg4 over the g-file and Black's king in the corner.} Qh5+ 42. Rh4 Qf5+ 43. g4 Qf7 44. Qb7 Qxb7 45. Rxe8+ Kg7 46. Bxb7 $18) 41... Qf6 (41... Bh6 42. Qxd4+ Bg7 43. Qxg1 $18) 42. Rb8 Qh6+ 43. Rh4 Qg6 44. Rxe8+ Qxe8 {unfortunately for Black, getting rid of the 8th rank threat has now left her vulnerable again on the a1-h8 diagonal.} 45. Qe5+ Kg8 46. Rg4+ 1-0