ODT080422

=**Sutton gives chess lesson**=


 * Problem:** Black to play and mate in 3.

Fide Master Richard Sutton showed he is a force to reckoned with in taking out the one of the early Otago Chess Club tournaments of the year with 4/4. Richard has annotated today's game, where he played White against Hamish Gold, making it an object-lesson in opening strategy.

In this game Black, a very experienced player, neglects the essentials of opening play. There are three things one has to look out for in the opening (1) maintaining equality in material; (2) developing one's pieces quckly; (3) gaining or contesting control of the four key central squares (e4, d4, e5, d5). In the present game, Black had conceded White space in the centre, and needed to mobilise his forces swiftly so as to put pressure on White's centre. But Black's faulty 6th, 7th and 8th move lost him the battle in all three respects. media type="custom" key="26601428" More usual is 4... Bg4 pinning an important defender of the pawn on e5. A cautious response. White is worried that if he chases the Knight away with 5 c4 Nb4 6 Na3 he misplaces the Queen's Knight, which belongs on the c3 square. But with 6 Qa4+ N8c6 7 Na3 the threat of 8 d5, winning a piece is unanswerable. So Black would instead have to retreat the Knight to b6 anyway, as has happened in a number of games. Both 5... Nc6 or 5... e6 were better plans than this. The first move puts immediate pressure on White's pawn on e5, since after exchanges on that square the advanced pawn can become weak in the long term, and in the meantime Black can get the rest of his pieces out quite comfortably. The second is a little more flexible, but has the same general intent. Black's last two moves were part of a faulty plan. White will now have control over at least three of the four central squares. He is now unworried by 7...Nb4 since he can reply 8. Nc3 and if 8...Nc2, then 9. Rb1 and Black has no useful threats. More importantly, Black's demonstration on the K-side has wasted time, which was better spent trying to undermine White's central control. Or 9... h5 10. Qxf4 e6 11. d5 Bh6 12. Qd4 gives White a hugely dominating central position, while Black's two bishops threaten nothing and he has absolutely no chance of making anything of threats to the White King, along the g-file. Generally, any attack on a flank is, if possible, countered by vigorous play in the centre. **10. Nxe5 c5** At last Black tries to do something about White's centre. But it is much too late. Now that While has an advantage in development too, any opening up of the centre will turn to his advantage. A critical point for the assessment of the two positions. (1) Space: White still has control of three of the four central squares, and vigorously contests the fourth (d5). (2) Time: White's pieces are all developed (or will be, when the rooks get to the d-file and e-file), while Black has only one piece off its original square. (3) Material: Black is already a pawn down. This means that, in theory, White should win. But he cannot "sleepwalk" through the next stage of the game. When ahead in development, it is often a good idea to threaten things first, and pay attention to defence later. Here, if Black takes the Knight, a "big gun" confines the squares open to the Black King and Queen. Immediately fatal. 15 ... Rh7 was necessary, which meets with 15 Rfe1 continuing with the strategy of threatening first and defending later. The following sample line appears to be the best play for both sides, as Black tries desperately to get his pieces out while avoiding various nasties to his King. 15 ...dxc3 16 Nxf7 Be7 17 Nd8+ Kf8 18 Nxe6+ Kg8 19 Qxf5 Nc6 (See now how the game has progressed. White's central pawn phalanx has all but dissolved. But the two rooks are coming through the central squares, and the focus now is on the huge knight at e6, the weaknesses around the Black King, and the inability of the Black Queen to come back in defence. White's King, on the other hand, is well protected by his extra two pawns.) 20 Bf7+ Kh8 (20...Rxf7 21 Qg6+ Kh8 22 Qxf7 Rg8 23 Rd7 Qb4 24 a3) 21 Rd7 cxb2 22 Rxe7 Rg8 23 Qf6+ Rhg7 24 Bxg8 Nxe7 25 Qxh6+ Kxg8 26 Qxg7#. How do I know if I have lost the race in development? Simply count the moves as they appear on the board. Go back to the position at the 12th move. White can show three moves with his two Knights; two with his queen; one with his bishop, and castling (9 moves in all). Black on the other hand can show only one move with his bishop. Pawn moves are even at two aside, if one doesn't count Black's useless 5...h6 move. So that gives White a lead of eight developing moves, which is huge. Just to give you some idea, one can sacrifice a pawn to gain a lead of two or three developing moves - so White has the time and material equivalent of 4 pawns up!
 * 1. e4 Nf6**
 * 2. e5 Nd5**
 * 3. d4 d6**
 * 4. Nf3 Bf5!?**
 * 5. Be2 ---**
 * 5. --- h6**
 * 6. O-O g5?!**
 * 7. c4 ---**
 * 7. --- Nf4?!**
 * 8. Bxf4 gxf4**
 * 9. Qd2 dxe5**
 * 11. Qxf4 e6**
 * 12. Nc3 ---**
 * 12. --- cxd4**
 * 13. Rad1 Qb6**
 * 14. Bh5 ---**
 * 14 --- dxc3??**
 * 15. Bxf7+ Ke7**
 * 16. Qh4 mate**


 * 1-0**


 * Solution:** 1 ... Bxc3+ 2 bxc3 (2 Bd2 Qxd2#) Qf2+ 3 Kd1 Nxc3#.