The title of this article might surprise you. Indeed it sounds like an oxymoron. How can such a noble, royal game be barbaric? Well, the tr...
The title of this article might surprise you. Indeed it sounds like an oxymoron. How can such a noble, royal game be barbaric?
Well, the traditional definition of chess is a trifecta of art, science and sport. If you are mostly oriented toward the element of sport, then you probably know what I am talking about. Bobby Fischer always emphasized the killer instinct a chess player must have in order to reach the top. His historic opponent, Boris Spassky, agrees: "To be a world champion you have to be something of a barbarian. You must have a well-developed killer instinct."
This cruel aspect of professional chess is something most people are unaware about. When my student WIM Naomi Bashkansky won the World School Chess Championship Under 13 last year, the local TV station King 5 News invited us for an interview. We were talking for about 40 minutes, discussing the long road it took us from the moment we started working together when Naomi was just six years old till winning the title.
Guess what they published on their website?
When Naomi Bashkansky is on the verge of striking, her opponent won’t see it coming. “She’s a ‘Terminator’ – no emotions. She just kills people,” chess grandmaster and Bashkansky’s longtime coach Greg Serper said. The 13-year-old Bellevue girl doesn’t disagree. “I squeezed them,” Bashkansky said of her actions
When you read it, this part sounds more like the world of WWE! But I guess this is what the TV folks thought was the most interesting part of the interview.
So, how do you play barbaric chess? Well, the definition of the world "barbaric" is savagely cruel, exceedingly brutal. This is how you play your chess; you don't give your opponent an easy life, you torture him whenever possible. If you don't do that, he will!
Here is an episode that can give you a glimpse into the mind of super-GMs.
Garry Kasparov vs. Anatoly Karpov
Karpov - Kasparov World Championship Rematch | Wch33-KK3 ENG\URS London ;MAINB | Round 10 | 22 Aug 1986 | ECO: D55 | 1/2-1/2
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1. d4 d5 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Be7 4. Nf3 Nf65. Bg5 h6 6. Bxf6 Bxf6 7. e3 O-O 8. Rc1 c69. Bd3 Nd7 10. O-O dxc4 11. Bxc4 e5 12. h3exd4 13. exd4 c5 14. Bb3 cxd4 15. Nd5 b616. Nxd4 Bxd4 17. Qxd4 Nc5 18. Bc4 Bb719. Rfd1 Rc8 20. Qg4 Bxd5 21. Rxd5 Qe722. Rcd1 Qe4 23. Qxe4 Nxe4 24. Ba6 Nf625. Bxc8 Nxd5 26. Ba6 Nf6 27. f4 Re8 28. Kf2Kf8 29. Kf3 Re7 30. Rd8+ Re8 31. Rxe8+Nxe8 32. Ke4 Ke7 33. Bc4 Nc7 34. Ke5 f635. Kf5 Ne8 36. Ke4 Nc7 37. h4 Kd6 38. Kf5Ke7 39. Kg6 Kf8 40. Kf5 Ke7 41. Ke4 Kd642. g4 Ke7 43. b4 Kd6
¥
fJ#,.@
In the position on the diagram above, Kasparov sealed his move 44.Kf5 but since home analysis showed that Black can survive in all the variations, he offered a draw without resuming the game. In his book about the match Kasparov severely criticized this decision, calling it a huge psychological mistake. He explains that even though the position is drawish, the defense still required precise moves. So, Karpov would have drained his energy, which is very important in a match. According to Kasparov, after such a long defense the opponent is tired and therefore, in the next game, he lacks energy. In conclusion Kasparov mentions that as a punishment for his premature draw offer, he had to suffer in the very next game.
This is actually a very common occurence in chess: when you refuse to press forward in a favorable situation at least trying to torture your opponent, you get punished in the next game. The first example that comes to mind is this one:
Vladimir Kramnik vs. Peter Leko
Kramnik - Leko World Championship Match | Brissago SUI | Round 12 | 14 Oct 2004 | ECO: B19 | 1/2-1/2
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1. e4 c6 2. d4 d5 3. Nd2 dxe4 4. Nxe4 Bf55. Ng3 Bg6 6. h4 h6 7. Nf3 Nd7 8. h5 Bh79. Bd3 Bxd3 10. Qxd3 e6 11. Bf4 Qa5+12. Bd2 Qc7 13. O-O-O Ngf6 14. Ne4 O-O-O15. g3 Nxe4 16. Qxe4 Bd6 17. Kb1 Rhe818. Qh7 Rg8 19. c4 c5 20. d5 Nf6 21. Qc2exd5 22. cxd5 Qd7 23. Bc3 Rde8 24. Bxf6gxf6 25. Qd3 f5 26. Nd2 b5 27. Rhe1 Kb828. Qc3 Rxe1 29. Rxe1 c4 30. Nf3 f4 31. g4Bc7 32. Qd4 Qxg4 33. Qe4 Qxh5 34. Nd4 Qg6
¥
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In this clearly favorable situation, having more time than his opponent, GM Leko offered a draw. Why? Well, he was leading in the match and after this draw he needed just one point out of two games to become the new world champion. We all know what happened next: Kramnik won the last game of the match and successfully defended his title. I am absolutely sure that had Leko kept playing in the final position of the game above he would have won the match. It is not even about the result of that particular game! By letting your opponent go so easily you just give him psychological initiative and rightfully get punished afterwards.
Here is a more recent example:
Muhammad Khusenkhojaev (2455) vs. Maxime Vachier-Lagrave (2789)
World Cup | Tbilisi GEO | Round 1.1 | 3 Sep 2017 | ECO: E60 | 1/2-1/2
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1. d4 Nf6 2. Nf3 g6 3. c4 Bg7 4. g3 c5 5. Bg2O-O 6. O-O cxd4 7. Nxd4 d5 8. cxd5 Nxd59. Nb5 e6 10. N1c3 a6 11. Nxd5 axb5 12. Nb4Qe7 13. Qb3 Ra4 14. Nd3 Nc6 15. Qxb5 Ra516. Qb6 Bd4 17. Qb3 Rd8 18. Bd2 Ra6 19. e3Rb6 20. Qc2 Bg7 21. Bc3 e5 22. a3 Bf5
¥
fJ#,.@
This is the first round game of the World Cup 2017. White offered a draw, which was promptly accepted. It is a big question if Black's initiative compensated for the pawn. But I have a simple question: did Muhammad Khusenkhojaev hope to get a better position to play for a win in the next game, while playing Black against an opponent 330 rating points higher than him? You shouldn't be surprised by the outcome of the second game:
Maxime Vachier-Lagrave (2789) vs. Muhammad Khusenkhojaev (2455)
World Cup | Tbilisi GEO | Round 1.2 | 4 Sep 2017 | ECO: C50 | 1-0
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1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. O-O Nf65. d3 a6 6. c3 d6 7. a4 h6 8. Re1 O-O 9. h3Ba7 10. Nbd2 Ne7 11. Bb3 Ng6 12. d4 Re813. a5 c6 14. Bc2 Be6 15. Nf1 Qc7 16. Ng3Rad8 17. Be3 Qb8 18. Qc1 Qc8 19. Bxh6 Bxh320. Bg5 Bg4 21. Bxf6 Bxf3 22. Nf5 Nf423. dxe5 dxe5 24. Bxe5 Ne2+ 25. Rxe2 Rxe526. gxf3 Qxf5 27. exf5 Rxe2 28. Qg5 Rd529. Be4 Bxf2+ 30. Kf1 Be3 31. Kxe2 Bxg532. Bxd5 cxd5 33. Rd1
¥
fJ#,.@
A similar mistake caused GM Svidler's elimination from the World Cup:
Maxime Vachier-Lagrave (2789) vs. Peter Svidler (2751)
World Cup | Tbilisi GEO | Round 5.2 | 16 Sep 2017 | ECO: C53 | 1/2-1/2
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1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. c3 Nf6 5. d3d6 6. O-O a6 7. a4 h6 8. Re1 O-O 9. h3 a510. Nbd2 Be6 11. Bb5 Ne7 12. d4 exd413. Nxd4 Bd7 14. Nf1 Re8 15. Ng3 Ng6 16. f4Bxb5 17. axb5 Qd7 18. Kh2 Re7 19. Ndf5 Re620. Nd4 Re7 21. b4 Bxd4 22. cxd4 Qxb523. f5 Nf8 24. Rxa5 Rxa5 25. bxa5 Qxa526. Bb2 N8d7 27. Qc1 Re8
¥
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Black's draw offer here surprised everyone. Why not try to convert the extra pawn or at least to torture the opponent? Now compare it to the very next game the opponents played:
Maxime Vachier-Lagrave (2804) vs. Peter Svidler (2756)
World Cup | Tbilisi GEO | Round 5.3 | 17 Sep 2017 | ECO: C53 | 1/2-1/2
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1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. c3 Nf65. d3 d6 6. O-O a6 7. a4 h6 8. Re1 O-O9. h3 a5 10. Nbd2 Be6 11. Bb5 Na7 12. d4exd4 13. cxd4 Bb4 14. Bd3 d5 15. e5 Nd716. Re2 c5 17. Nf1 cxd4 18. Bc2 Nc519. Nxd4 Nc6 20. Ng3 Nxd4 21. Qxd4 f522. exf6 Qxf6 23. Be3 Qxd4 24. Bxd4 Bd725. Rd1 Rae8 26. Rxe8 Bxe8 27. b3 b528. axb5 Bxb5 29. Be3 Bc6 30. Nf5 Ne431. Nd4 Bd7 32. Bd3 Rb8 33. f3 Nc334. Rc1 a4 35. bxa4 Bxa4 36. Kh2 Bd6+37. f4 Nd1 38. Bd2 Nf2 39. Bf5 Ne440. Be6+ Kh7 41. Be3 Nf6 42. Nf5 Re843. Bf7 Rxe3 44. Nxd6 Re7 45. f5 Be846. Be6 g6 47. Nxe8 Nxe8 48. fxg6+ Kxg649. Bxd5 Nf6 50. Bf3 Re5 51. Kg3 Rg5+52. Kf2 Ra5 53. Rc4 Kg5 54. h4+ Kg655. g4 Ra7 56. Kg3 Kg7 57. Rc6 Re758. Bd1 Rd7 59. Bc2 Re7 60. Bf5 Re3+61. Kf2 Re7 62. Kf3 Ra7 63. Be6 Ra3+64. Kf4 Ra4+ 65. Bc4 Ra7 66. h5 Ra567. Rc7+ Kh8 68. Kf3 Re5 69. Rf7 Nxg470. Rf8+ Kh7 71. Rf7+ Kh8 72. Kxg4 Re4+73. Rf4 Rxf4+ 74. Kxf4 Kg7 75. Kf5 Kh876. Kg6
¥
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While the position after 35 moves is pretty much drawish, MVL tortured his opponent for over 40 moves! Even in a dead-drawn theoretical position with a bishop of the wrong color he didn't offer a draw, but stalemated his opponent. This was his way to say: I am in charge!
As Kasparov explained in his book, such a long defense drains a chess player's energy, so it is not surprising that the last game of the match Svidler played below his usual level. But of course, MVL deserves the full credit for it!
Peter Svidler (2756) vs. Maxime Vachier-Lagrave (2804)
World Cup | Tbilisi GEO | Round 5.4 | 17 Sep 2017 | ECO: A34 | 0-1
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1. c4 c5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. Nc3 d5 4. cxd5 Nxd55. e4 Nb4 6. Bc4 Nd3+ 7. Ke2 Nf4+ 8. Kf1Ne6 9. h4 Nd4 10. d3 e6 11. Bf4 a6 12. Nxd4cxd4 13. Ne2 Nc6 14. a3 Bd6 15. Bxd6 Qxd616. Qd2 Bd7 17. f4 e5 18. f5 g6 19. Ng3 Ne720. Qh6 O-O-O 21. h5 Kc7 22. Bxf7 gxf523. Qxd6+ Kxd6 24. exf5 Nxf5 25. Ne4+ Ke726. Bb3 Ne3+ 27. Ke2 Bc6 28. Rac1 Rhf829. Rh3 Nxg2 30. Rxc6 bxc6 31. Rg3 Nf4+32. Ke1 Rb8 33. Rg7+ Kd8 34. Bf7 Rb7
¥
fJ#,.@
The lesson here is simple: If you want to achieve the highest chess results you have to have the killer instinct! Use any opportunity to strike and torture your opponent whenever possible!
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