The Enigma of Chess Intuition.pdf

The Enigma of Chess Intuition Valeri Beim The Enigma of Chess Intuition Can You Mobilize Hidden Forces in Your Chess? New In Chess 2012 © 2 0 1 2 New In Chess Published by New In Chess, Alkmaar, The Netherlands www.newinchess.com All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior written permission from the publisher. Cover design: Volken Beck Translation: Steve Giddins Supervisor: Peter Boel Proofreading: Rene Olthof Production: Anton Schermer Have you found any errors in this book? Please send your remarks to editors @newinchess.com. We will collect all relevant corrections on the Errata page of our website www.newinchess.com and implement them in a possible next edition. ISBN: 97 8-90-5 69 1 -3 79-3 Contents Foreword . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Chapter 1 - First Explorations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Chapter 2- Successful Use oflntuition Chapter 3 - . 9 45 The Elements of Chess Intuition . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . I 59 . Index of Players Bibliography Game List . 7 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 263 265 267 5 . since we are dealing with the most mysterious of all aspects of chess. but I try to explain how it comes into ef­ fect and where it takes us. regardless of their age. all the same. albeit in as much detail as possible. or is it partly taken from the subconscious world? I will try to find answers to these ques­ tions. Praise and criticism will be received with equal gratitude. and not bearing on the matter in hand. I have followed a principle which is well-known to my regular readers. As always. but only in relation to chess itself I have not attempted to show exactly how intuition is constructed or how it works. things are a little more complicated. how does it work. March 2 012 7 . showing all its possible sides.net Valeri Beim. In this way. but also to learn how to exploit them themselves. and after this. V ienna. in my books. The subject I am attempting to tackle in this book is not the most specific and concrete of subjects. then I formulate it in the most general way. want not only to learn about the existence of the various different chess principles. albeit not as well as a great master. I tell about the fact of the existence of a certain principle or method of play. I present examples.Foreword To the person without whom this manuscript would hardly have seen the light of day. Since we are concerned only with questions of intuition. as in all my previous ones. articles and training sessions. . is it something concrete. In this book. This is because of the rather mysterious essence of intuition it­ self Where does it come from. It is as follows : that the majority of chess play­ ers. I ask my readers not to be shy of telling me their opinion of my work. although here. My e-mail address is: valeribeim@gmx. ! I will use the same method in this book. I work as follows : first. playing strength or ambitions. Therefore. I try to show as clearly as possi­ ble how one can use this principle or method in one's own games. I have often left out variations which seem to me to be superfluous. but use it. On the basis of this mysterious. are quite often seen in game commentaries. so far. namely intuition. it can be manifested in any area of life. hard to identify quality. although such phrases as 'this decision was taken intuitively' . I would point out that a description of the mechanism of how exactly intuition functions is of not merely theoretical in­ terest to those who play the game regu­ larly. such as tactical skill. but in those books which I have had cause to pick up. the ability to calcu­ late variations.First Explorations Almost everyone has heard about the ex­ istence of intuition in daily life. let us continue our dis­ cussion in a logical. based on the specific as­ pects of the subject which have inter­ ested the author. in addition to well-known weapons. and many adults (I cannot say anything definite about intuition amongst children) have felt its influence in their own lives. and does indeed. without jumping ahead. I have only on a few occasions found interesting material about the mechanism of intuition in a game of chess or about the specific char­ acteristics of those situations where a player should rely on intuition more than other methods. and it was necessary to trust to in­ tuition' . intuition ought to. plus specific theoretical knowledge of openings and endings. we encounter a wall of silence. But no matter. and we can come across the names of great players who are regarded as belonging to the so-called intuitive group of players. This means that in chess. the treatment was not very systematic. This means that I will have to rely on only a small amount of helpful auxil­ iary material. But as a rule. be they professionals or merely am­ ateurs who play for pleasure. But if such a thing exists. The question of its role and place has not often been discussed in a serious way in chess literature. First of all. we can see exam­ ples which in varying degrees accord with the topic of this book. step-by-step way. 9 . there is also a quality that. the technique of positional play. as soon as one gets to the point where it is time to discuss pre­ cisely what the mechanism of intuition is in the taking of decisions at the board. and other similar versions. Almost everywhere. I will try to deal with the issue myself. In the meantime. However. here the discussion about intuition ends.Chapter 1. has not been given any clear con­ tours. and has only dealt with the issue partially. Nobody can doubt that in a chess player's arsenal. And even in these few cases. adjusted only for the specifics of the area of application. 'there was practically no time left to think. occupy its own niche. the technique of realising a material or positional advantage. Its display will look similar in all cases. I do not pretend to be fa­ miliar with all of the world's chess litera­ ture. This is essential. a man of wide knowl­ edge. Epicurus consolidated the phenomenon of direct knowledge in the word Em(3oA. 1) http: //ru. The beginning of this can be found in Plato's doctrine of ideas. it is not a simple matter. But I like still more a passage from the 'old-fashioned' . Wasserman. which should be one of the most inter­ esting and important results of working with a book. in which there is a concept of their arising without reasoning. It seems to me that I have succeeded in getting to grips with it. without exception.org/wikiMHTYIU\Hll .T h e Enigma o f C hess I n t u i t i on a player can sometimes take a decision. immedi­ either as the result of long thought about the answer to the question. meaning to peer. 10 An intuitive decision is one taken which we must never forget. subconsciously compare them. already disappeared years ago. in a complicated situ­ ation. all of the sources quoted agree that: ately ·take the correct decision. to gaze penetratingly. and can say what has hitherto not been said. ' Intuition' comes from the Latin intuitio . or without it. but is also readable. and without reason ­ ing or logical analysis. The translation of this term into the Latin «intuitus» (from the verb intueri. A. because a successful definition of the term can help those who were not pre­ viously familiar with the subject.contemplation: situation. but my favourite writer. Intuition is the ability to assess a The wish to identify two contrasting methods of reaching a decision. This is the most important thing. characterised intuition in the most general form: 'Intuition is the ability to draw conclusions subconsciously. An intuitive decision can arise without a reasoning process. with­ out sufficient data'. And secondly. In order to deal correctly with the im­ portant matter of definition. or to comprehend immedi­ ately) was done in the fifth century by Boethius.11. as you can see from the refer­ ence to 'Intuitija' on the Russian Wikipedia site1• But here is a more practi­ cal definition: the famous intellectual A. Right on the money. we will be­ gin by looking at what others have said on this topic in which we are interested. to eliminate all kinds of misun­ derstandings which can arise from dif­ ferent people using a certain term to mean different things. firstly. to use their new knowledge in their own activities. both for its speed and quality. Agatha Christie: 'Women subcon­ sciously notice thousands of small de­ tails. and call it intuition' (Agatha Christie. The Murder of Roger Ackroyd) . This definition is very close to various others I have seen in dif­ ferent languages and sources. but even so this is the subject I have decided to tackle. the intu­ itive and the logical.wikipedia. is to define it as precisely as possible. The subject of research The first essential step in looking into or discussing any subject. Thus. As we will see. I think! But the ability described is not only possessed by women. and that what I have to say not only describes the objective reality. which later surprises him. In order to complete this transition. (see next page) 11 . showing the afore­ mentioned basic components of the game . The best order to examine these is to start with a case of calculation. In both cases. playing chess is a continual pro­ cess of choice between different options. which I ask you for the time being simply to accept .the operation of judgement and calculation. with which we will become famil­ iar in the course of this book. I will suggest a formulation. in a somewhat uncon­ scious way. Thus: In chess. without any special preparation! However. since any of us can easily - F i r s t E xplora ti ons make bad choices. to choose be­ tween different lines ofplay. First of all. . A high degree of accuracy is an important condition. we will look at some examples. and we will see that it is proved right over and over again in relation to chess. just like other. I am concerned only with intuition in chess. and mis­ takes also occur with the use of intu­ ition. intuition has other areas of use. Immediately after this. It is just another human talent. we can move on to my exposition of my own ideas about how intuition manifests itself in chess. since the requisite proof and justification will become apparent in the later discus­ sion. we must make an important point: the factor of intuition should not be either deified. At the same time. and with a high de­ gree of accuracy.. intuition manifests it­ self first and . We all make mistakes in using different methods of reaching decisions. but none­ theless important truths: a) Playing mess consists in a permanent process . I must emphasise that my book is not about intuition in its general form. what is important is the percentage success rate! Thus. The basic introductory matters have been dealt with.sense. we have set up a theoretical base. It is no more than a means to assist one in making a successful choice in compli­ cated circumstances. b) In the most general. Now. To begin with. the task which we will set our­ selves in this book can be formulated as follows: We will look seriously at the is­ sue of making use in chess of subconscious methods of fore­ seeing the probable future course ofevents. finally. foremost in the ability. and now it is time to turn to con­ crete matters: the chequered board. and this choice can be made in different ways. more widely-recognised attributes. pieces and pawns. of judge­ ment and calculation. waving which can solve all problems.Chapter 1 Let us remember this at all the key mo­ ments. we must recall two well-known. nor de­ monised! Intuition is not a magic wand. such as the ability to draw logical conclusions. ii. ii.c6) 29.d7 29. .Mikhail Donner.l:Xe8 2 8. there was never at any point any doubt as to the assessment of the position. his position is indis­ putably hopeless. The main difficulty in the search for the right continuation is understanding the char­ acteristics of the position and its re­ quirements. . matters are a little more complicated.ii. We therefore have before us a crystal­ clear example of calculation in its pur­ est form.fxe7 .Jacek Giorgadze. f6xe7+ 28. l:!.l:lb8xb7 29.TaEnaz Tbilisi Goglidze Memorial. Here. tbd5-e7+! tbc6xe7 26. 1 9 7 1 0 It is easy to see that at no point was Black able to change the course of af­ fairs in any real way. 1 963 Or 26 .xb7 l:. Jhf8 2 7 .U.}an Hein Amsterdam GAK.xe7 3 2. in other words. . in a rapid and convincing manner. In other words. 1-0 12 The further course of this game involves looking at a relatively small number of simple variations.l:!xe6 fxe6 3 I . Mikhail Moiseevich .d6 (28 .T h e Enigma o f Chess I n t u i t i on Bednarski. as follows: 25. �h6xf8+ �g8xf8 Botvinnik.c41:f. . here we are dealing with a situation in which judgement factors will for some time be more important than the calculation of variations. Now we will look at how assessment of the position works.f3xb7 'iit>f8-e8 .!:f.ii. One of the strongest aspects of the sixth world champion.e6 30 . 27. . White seized the chance to end the game in his favour.ii.1If6 .a6 .f1 xf7! Now the pawn on e7 will cost Black a rook and so he had to resign. Here. In all of the fairly simple variations. Even so. it was wrong to avoid the exchange of queens.f1 -c1 1 8. . and the endgame is in his favour' . . l:i. b4-b5! White gives his opponent the c5 -square. quoting his notes (in inverted commas) to those moments of the game that are most important for us. 1 6. e2-e4 tt:Jd5-f6 �b7xg2 'ifd8-c7 20. Even so.tLl2xf3 \t>f8 20 . . 'iVd1 -b3! 'An important manoeuvre. 1 9. In reply to 'ti'c7-b 7 + . I will make full use of these.First Explorati ons Botvinnik. The middlegame turns out to be lost.�ac 1 'with strong pressure' .c7 2 1 . which he will­ ingly shared with others.tLlc6 l:i. prin­ cipally because of the highly unfortunate position of the black queen. . Black would have had significant defensive chances.Chapter 1 . 14. in order to seize the square c6. tt:Jf3-d4! 'The exchange of light-squared bish­ ops . White will always have the reply 'ti'b3-f3 . assessing this as a more important 13 . turns out in White's favour.l:rc2 . \t>g1 xg2 �f8-c8 'i/c7-b7+ tt:Jf6-d5 In the event of the queen exchange. 1 7. 'ilb3-f3 Mikhail Botvinnik 14. Botvinnik gives the vanatwn 1 8 . since the square c6 is weakened and will be more easily seized' . 1 6. was his colossal depth of po­ sitional understanding. 1 5.l:!. since there. 'iVxf3 + 1 9. the course of the game leads one to think that Black should have gone into this ending.ac8 2 2 . through his annotations of his games. .e7-f8 Botvinnik recommended bringing the bishop to cS . sometimes several times.a8-c8 2 7 . and think very deeply about it. tt:Jc6xa7 31 . . 30. tt:Jd2-c4 27. Therefore. . . .:rxa8 'i¥xa8 3 0 . 29. 26. 22. . 14 Black is killed by the opposition of the queens : 2 8 .d1 -a1 ! . will play the main role.The Enigma of C hess I n t u i t i on factor.ti:Jxb6. I want to make a small digression. the whole essence of the position is summarised. e4-e5 tt:Jf6-e8 tt:Jd7-c5 .tLle7+. . 1 -0 It is already clear from this example that playing with the emphasis on assessing the position correctly. and advise all those who wish to improve their positional play to work more with Botvinnik's games. tt:Jc4xb6 .a8 2 9 . a4xb5 24. J:.l::rc8-c7 25. The small extract just quoted excellently illustrates the correctness of this advice. . it is more difficult than playing positions where the essence of everything is based on a limited number of varia­ tions.l:i. . One must read very attentively.l:i. whilst on the d-file. we will look at another instructive example.a1 -d1 ! 'The decisive move of the game. But the benefits of such work can be enormous.d 7 tLlxd7 29. a6xb5 . 20. As a rule. with his own notes. the white rook.!::!. and in the following he will be proved correct. In two short sentences. in contact with his other pieces. a3-a4 23.:raaxa1 l::tc8-a8 28.l::i. 21 . ti:Jc7? loses at once: 2 8 .l:i. just one reading of his comments is not enough. J:ra1 -a7 'i¥b7xa7 Also hopeless is 29 . . True. tt:Jd4-c6 a7-a6 il.' Here. �c1 xa1 25.tLle7+.c 7xa7 There is no hope. and thus cor­ rectly understanding the future course of events. 'iVc8 3 0 . . The lone rook on the a-file is not dangerous. is far from simple. l::re 8-e5?! In Botvinnik's opinion. 31 . 34. . . White's decision can be considered forced. £le3-d4! Excellently played. . The exchange of a pair of rooks is forced. tt:lxfS 3 3 .' I would draw your attention to the fact that we have before us. £le7 . and 3 0.a8-e8 15 . . Therefore.£lxc5 ! . £lxf5 ? loses after 3 5 . 1 9 6 1 D Attempting to break Botvinnik's posi­ tional chains. The disharmony among his pieces and open position of his king render Black's posi­ tion critical. Even so. suggesting that Black instead try the simple 3 2 .£lxd4 £lxf5. in a higher sense. The result of the game now depends on ex­ actly the correctness of this far from im­ mediately obvious assessment.Ludek Oberhausen Ech-tt. Thus. . when considering how to 33. . tt:ld4xf5! Other continuations gave Black good play. which Black desperately needs in this position. Botvinnik played 30. Botvinnik had aimed for this position at move 3 0 . posing his opponent a choice. e4xf5 32. after both 3 0 . g3-g4 g6xf5 ti:Je6-g7 - F i rs t Explora t i ons meet the typical King's Indian advance of the black pawn to fS . 30. a very short. Botvinnik convincingly shows that he is right. it was better to go in for the variation 3 2 .l::!.e5xe1 + I:i.tt:lxe6 £lxe6. I have left in the dubious mark against the text. in pure form. .exf5 tt:lxd4 3 1 . But the silicon friend cor­ rects this: 34. f5. 33. tt:lxe4 dxcS 3 7 . in the sense of the number of pieces on the board and the non-standard out­ ward appearance of the position.Mikhail Pachman. re­ ducing his chances of creating counter­ play.f6 with an indisputable advantage.Chapter 1 Botvinnik.l::!. 32 . Botvinnik writes: 'The white pawns are very strong.. . but precise summary of a position which is quite complicated..tt:lf6+ �h8 3 8 Jhe5) 3 S .l:Id1 xe1 . Black's last move was 2 9 . the latter being currently Black's most active piece. .x cS (34 .£le4! £lxe4 3 6 . .gxf5 l:leS . 1 -0 So.e8xe4 Necessary.Vladimir Anand. a3xb4 . Jid8 loses quickly: 3 9. tt:lc3-e4! ti. 39.tt:lxh7 and so on.illxd5 + ! cxdS 43 . the game was ad­ journed and Pachman sealed his move.ill d 7-c8 a5xb4 tt:Jc5-a6 In this position.'i¥d8 ! Vi'f3 47 .e1 -d1 ! It is interesting that this very strong de­ cision. c4xd5 16 tt:la6xb4 d6-d5 c6xd5 Here too. thereby giving him­ self and his opponent an extra free day. 1 99 7 • 38. b3-b4 37. we give the microphone to the winner: .ille4-f3 35. he resigned without resuming. I will give a simple example of how intuition shows itsel£ Kramnik. Vi'c2-d2 41 . seeing that his position was hopeless. . and knowing of Botvinnik's fantastic analytical ability. tt:lxdS White has a nice forced win: 42 .. . based more on assessment than calculation (the importance to White of retaining one rook soon becomes clear) .Viswanathan Belgrade Investbanka. is not only not commented on by Botvinnik.'i!Yd2 'i!Y£7 4 l . . . However.ill e 7 42. what is interesting for our purposes in what we have seen so far? We can al­ ready claim with some confidence that the degree of proof (we could also call it the degree of convincingness) is greater when variations predominate over positional considerations.T h e Enigma o f Ch ess I n t u i t i on After 4 1 . but for now. but he does not even punctuate the move! 35.f6 ! 'i!Yxf6 46.. . We will speak more of this later.illg 2xe4 40. .illx g7 Vi'xg7 44. . 36. 3 8 .l:[d3 .tt:lf6+ �h8 40.'i¥xd5+ �h8 45 . 42.l:!. .ill e4! . . but I be­ lieve there is much in it that is useful for our subject. In fact 3 6 . 'iVb5-c4 41 .!hf3 loses even more quickly: 3 9 .b 7?? loses to 3 7 . . c4-c3! 'I considered playing 3 6 . . his words are few. My Best Games of Chess. 39. . .. 200 1 ) 38. We will compare them in terms of the parameters of proof (convincingness) . And if this ending had arisen.' 37. Let us try to extract this. What I mean by this will become clear. without the slightest explana­ tion of what made him 'switch on' the intuition at this moment. the winner's whole play was predicated on the expectation that the likely end­ game would be in his favour.�xe6+ ! .!::i. Let us for the moment just make a note of these two important points. After all. Thus. . given that the winner was correct. the play was forced. c2 40. . . . . �h3xe6!? 'I thanked my intuition for choosing 3 6 . In this case. But now let us compare the examples we have looked at... .. winning it would 17 . and defer a more de­ tailed discussion until later on.f7xf3 3 9 . d4-d5 39. Gambit Publications Ltd.l:f. It is also interesting that he mentions intuition. .b7 ? ? and contin­ ued . 40. I particularly like the first phrase: 'I smelt a rat'. . Now the game Botvinnik-Donner. e5-e6 �e6-h3 �h3xf1 �g8-h7 tt::lf8-g6 0-1 - F i rs t Explorati ons The sense of what Anand says is easily understood.!:i. was high. proving that the winner's actions were fully correct is less easy. c3 . . In this. ' 37. For now. and so the degree of convincingness. the first example: Bednarski­ Giorgadze. Jlb7 ?? but smelt a rat and decided to stick with 3 6 . . . 'iVc4-g4+ 42. I will just point out that such a high au­ thority as the world champion should confirm the operation of intuition in his own games. White's actions were based on calculation and the argu­ ment over the degree of convincingness is also easy to answer in such cases: there are either mistakes in the calcula­ tion or there are not.'iVfl 'iYxf3 ! etc. Here.Chapter 1 Viswanathan Anand 36 . �d5xe6 (Vishy Anand. c3 over 3 6 . g2xf3 . on the basis of his assessment of the results of calculating a few.The Enigma of Chess I n t u i t i on have been a long process. should be understood as follows: no matter who assesses a position. then the game in question. decisions must be made on the basis of judgement. this is not so: Intuition comes into play in situ­ ations where there are insuffi­ cient concrete factors by which the player can orientate himself. and he can even suggest what those varia­ tions were. there were more variations. it is hard to get a grip on. I mean that. if it is not possible to prove the assessment by concrete variations. to begin with. Decisions taken on the basis of positional considerations should also be considered to be based on firm and tangible foundations. even if it meant sac­ rificing material and playing with mate­ rial down for some time thereafter. It is pre­ cisely in this that the most important and difficult part of the choice consisted. Botvinnik-Pachman. can always say: in this fragment of the game. But with intuition. especially in our computer days. it is not possible to calculate a great deal. and his an­ notations. the principal difference between intuition and other compo­ nents of chess skill is that it is more formless. A high de­ gree of proof is only possible with vari­ ations. 'The most beautiful woman cannot give more than she has '. . simple variations. The terms 'degree of convincingness' or simply 'proof of a choice made on the basis of positional considerations' . and in such a position. by contrast. unlike in Bednarski-Giorgadze. and one can­ not be sure that Black would not have found a defence. be those factors calculation or positional considerations. the following con­ clusion is important for our purposes: 18 other to many well-known positional principles and typical positional assessments. was sharper. But does it follow from this that Botvinnik's play deserves criticism? I do not think it does. because positional matter ofsubstance. which we introduced earlier. only a few short lines. looking at a game played by someone else. A positional judge­ ment can be tested by reference considerations are a real The 'judgement' game. and slips through one's fingers! What I have in mind is this: a strong player. That is. there was no forcing play to be foreseen. He tried to extract from the position the maximum that it contained. But at the same time. even the greatest player ever. and. Botvinnik came to the conclusion that he was obliged to fol­ low a different path. will always remain subject to a certain amount of doubt. in this po­ sition. but most of the variations were subject to assessment. despite their lesser degree of proof com­ pared with decisions reached on the ba­ sis of the calculation ofvariations. Unlike calculation and assess­ ment. For this reason. he had to sacrifice material for no more than positional advantages. the player took his decision based on calculation of variations. I believe that there is no simple answer at all! But a long and diverse answer is possible. In espe­ cially complicated positions. we will take a posi­ tion from a classical game.F i rs t Explor a t i ons But how can one determine and demonstrate that the decision was made on the basis of intuition? A difficult question.i i. 19 .. it is sometimes not possible to calculate lines out to a posi- Johannes Zukertort It is Zukertort's move. And now it is time to turn to this sub­ j ect.8. whilst the latter has a clear advantage on the queenside. and I now wish to bring this to your at­ tention. this he indeed did with 24. and the clear prospect of seizing the centre. He already has an extra pawn and can take another.Adolf Zukertort. However. To begin with. it is always a battle of speed.t � i �i � � i liL tbbi: � 'if � � a: � tv _ _ This game is widely known.� i i . Anderssen.. it is always extremely important who first manages to exploit his advantage. This will mean that the number of possible variations will grow sharply and will require continual calculation. in fact even the decisive mistake of the game! What is wrong with it. and what should he play instead? As we will soon see.Chapter I . 'ifd8xd5 And this seemingly reasonable decision I consider to be a serious mistake. And the sooner the slower side realises that he is losing this foot-race. It is easy to see that in the very near fu­ ture. tion which is clearly satisfactory or clearly not satisfactory. Kongress. it looks like this: White is looking with all his forces at the black kingside. thanks to its striking finish.Johannes Barmen WSB. it is not easy to find the correct an­ swer. I consider that another moment in the game is far more interesting and full of content. of which this is perhaps one. let us look in more detail at the diagram position.i � . One of my tasks in this book is to pro­ vide the reader with such an answer. 1 8 69 • . To begin with. the two sides' forces are going to get into hand-to-hand combat. . In such situations. In general terms. leaving only the two that seem the most sensi­ ble and promising. The best reply White has is 25. But not in our case. then the most appropriate reply seems to be 25 .gxf6 'iYxf6 2 8 . and after 2 5 . �c5 2 6. . The fact of the matter is that with such a large number of de­ tails. In simple positions. if we accept that Black's last move leads to inevitable defeat..a general look at the situation. but believe me. Incidentally. And now about calculation in this posi­ tion. But first. 26. 24. the work took a number of hours. we have completed the first stage of our examination of the po­ sition . I have not worked alone. This aim is best met by the move I. but have also used the program Fritz 1 0. I have omitted below not only part of the variations. . . Black loses a tempo. in order to reach the truth. where Black has a clear predominance. So. Even with this. a small observation: our first impression of the position is only part of the assessment of it. the slightest inaccuracy can prove to be the decisive mistake.c3 After 25 . . or . where we have to identify a mass of dif­ ferent details. an accurate assessment of the position also requires the calcu­ lation ofvariations.g6! gives White a decisive attack.. What this 'or' means will become clear from what follows. Below.c7 2 6. One must either calculate everything to the end. there follows an absolutely huge number of variations. as always arises when it is a race to exploit one's trumps. two of which turn out to be insufficient: A) 26 4Jb7 Returning this knight from the edge of the board to the centre is an important defensive idea for Black.'ti'e2 In situatiom of great complex­ ity. and with such extreme tension in the position. general considerations alone are not enough. c4.T h e Enigma of C hess In t u i t i on the better his chances of defending suc­ cessfully. . l:i. Thus. which could have been used to speed up his own play on the queenside and in the centre. .l:lcg l his attack is also unstoppable.�e4!. it represents only a small part of the whole forest that we have to go through. ••• . and we both had to sweat blood! 20 And now Black has a choice between three continuations. but certain whole lines out of those that are possible. this is sometimes sufficient to determine the further course of the play. In such situations.d6 l:!.. How and where should we look? Our attention should first of all be on the fact that in taking the d5 pawn.c5 2 7 . . and my computer has a very fast proces­ sor.. then this means we have to test other possibili­ ties. 'i¥e2! 3 0 .g4 ti:Jxe4 3 3 .ti:JgS I would remind you that we are looking only at a small part of the possi­ ble variations..fxe6 winning.ti:Je6+ 'it>h8 (after 3 1 . . 'iVh6 ? 3 0. but it is clear that only White can play for a win..l:i.cgl and White's attack decides. .idS + 'iit>h 8 3 0 . after 26 .. as is clear from the following variations: 3 S . once again. Jhfs 3 6J:I:g 1 . .l:!.ti:Jxe5! ti:Jd6 3 0. A3) But 2 7 .J::!. .ixc7 3 3.ixcS 44.ie4! 2 7 .ti:Je6 tt:lb7 29.ti:Je6 b2 30 . .. l:!. 'i!Vxb4 ti:Jd6 3 1 .f6 ! .l:!. . J:!.d6! tLlxd6 3 3 Jhf6 l:Ixf6 34 . . J:!:d8 3 6 . in this position.Rxd6 c1 'iV + 4 2 . .ib6 36.gxf6 ! • 'i¥xf6 2 8.'iVg4.l::r x g7 tLlcS ! 3 2 . It appears that in fact it should be played here.h 3 'iVxe6 34. 'ti'xd6 lose s : 2 9 . .. . C) Better chances of resistance are of­ fered by 26 .ti:Jxh 7 'i!Vh6 3 1 .l:!..idS + 'it>h8 3 0. .Ucgl 'it>h8 3 0.J:!. ..g6 ! l:!. Best for It seems to me that. .ti:Jxh7 ! 'it>xh7 (29 .ic2 e4 3S .l:hd7 ) . c 3 ? is also insufficient: 2 8.'i¥xb4 J::!..d 7 3 1 .ic2 'iVe8 3 2. Now.bb7 3 2 . But it does not work in all cases.tLle4? does not work: 2 7 . Jlc7 2 7. .ti:Jxc7 .g 1 . 'iVh6 loses after 3 1J hg 7 + !) 3 1 .gxh7+ 'it>xh7 29.ixf2 3 7 .J::!. . ti:Jb7? is bad because of 2 8 .c7 2 8. . B) Also.ixf6 3 3 . 3 1 .ti:Jgs ti:Jb7 29.'ti'xh6 gxh6 3 S .ll dd6 3 7 . c4! ? 2 7. Jk7 ! .f6 J:!.. 30 .cg 1 ti:Jd6 3 1 .'i¥hs 'i¥h6 ! 3 0.l::!. c2 3 7 . Black faces a difficult choice: A 1 ) 2 7 .gxf6 'iVxf6 26.'ti'xfS 2 8 .f6 ti:Jd6 34 ..d 1 + 'iV cS 4 3 . Black even has two reasonable continu­ ations: A) 26 .idS + ti:Jf7 3 S .ixf7 llxf7 3 9 . J::!. My suggestion is the move II.l:lf7 .II:h3 ti:Jh4 3 4.ti:Jd6 3 1 ..f6! 'i¥xf6 3 3 .d 7 40.ic2 ti:Jd6 the assess­ ment of the position is as follows: the result of the game remains unclear. 24.'ti'f7 ? loses immediately to 3 2 .d 7.ti:Jgs c3 3 2 ..ib 1 with a small advantage to White.l:rxc4 .. Then after 2 7.. but it is worth considering 3 0.tt:Jgs ti:Jb7 29.gxf6 'iVxf6 2s.g7+ etc..l:rxg 7 ? does not work here : 3 0 .Jid7! looks very good: • 28. and 3 1 .'i¥e2 b3 29.g7 ."iVg3 .d6 ! ti:Jxd6 ( 2 8 . .'ifhs 'i'Vh6 3 4. 'i!fd3) 29 ..ti:Jg6 'it>g8 - F i rs t Explo rati ons White then appears to be 2S.f7 ? loses after 3 2 .Chapter 1 and runs like a thread through all of the variations. . . White has a significant advantage) 3 2.g6 Black sacrifices his queen by means of 3 1 .'iVe2 tt:JxfS 3 3 .'it>f7 3 2 .id8 ! (3 l . .f8 3 S .l:Ixh4. .llg6 c2 4 1 . .'iVh4! and the result­ ing position is winning for White.d6 ... though! 2 7. .'i¥xe5 .llh4 h6 3 2 . Jhg7 3 1 .'iih 5 + 'it>g8 (30 .l:rxe4 'i'VxfS and wins.l:.tLlgS ! 'ifxf6 3 3 . . A2) 2 7 ..'i¥xh6 gxh6 3 1 .ie6 'iit>f8 3 8 . for example: 3 6 . After 32Jhf6 .1:Ih3 After 3 1 Jhg7 21 .l:!. or 3 S . .'iVe6 + ! ti:Jfl 3 3 . We have already seen how this move cropped up a number of times in the previous variations.ti:Je6+ winning) 30. .ix£'2 36JHI! and here White wins. . 1WxcS + .Rd7 White has every chance of winning.. l:lxc4 3 7 .cg l l::!..tt:le6 tt:lc4 34.tt:lb7!? which should lead to the same result. tbxg 7 tbxf2 +-+ . 34 ..'iVg4+ Wh8 Black has the advantage.!:lxg 7 + lhg 7 3 6.cd7 3 1 .itxf6 3 7.itd8! 36 . .. .ltc2 ! ? l:!.. after 2 7. after 2S . . In this case..l:hg 7 ! 3 5 .. B) There is also 26 . .llh 5 lte7 ! ? the ad­ vantage is with Black. .l::!. 32. .I:l.itd8 2 9 . <. .tt:lxd2 fxgS ! 2 8 .llg6 tt:lxe4 •• 34.l:!h4! •. • In the game.l::tg 6 tbxg6 3 6 ..f6 tt:le4! 3 4.e8? loses after 2 8. For ex­ ample. tt:lxf2+ 3 5 . .l:le8 3 1 ... .l:lh3 ! Black is also unable to hold: 29 . ... by playing Thus: B l ) 2 7 ..itxh7+ �h8 3 7 ..T h e Enigma of C hess I n t u i t i on l:Ixg7 3 2 .itxh7+ <. 36 .ltxf7 + Wxf7 2 7 .ith7 + with a repeti­ tion) 3S .l::!.Wxf2 ? is bad because of 3 7 ..tbxg7 + .'iVhS h6 3 3..l:!..g8 3 3 Jhg8+ �xg8 34.g8 29 . 3 1 .tt:le6+-.�g2 'ifxf6 3 6 .ee 7 29.l:i.l:i.!::l.e8 + .tt:lxf2+ 3S..x g5 .itc4! etc. . .fxg7 tt:lx£'2+-+) 34 .lhg7 l:!.l:l.h4! (34.'ifb2 3 3. .'ifxh6? 'ifxg6+ 3 7 .tt:lgs h6 3 3 . cc8 does not help either: 3 2 .t>h7 ! 39.d6! tt:lxd6 30 .itfS+ <.ltg6+ '>t>g8 4 1 . Then af­ ter 2 8 . .. also bad is 3 4.i.l:lh6 (if 3 2 . B 3 ) Only 2 7. .I:l.l:lf7 and Black wins.e l ! cxd2 3 9. 3 0 ..'ifa4 ..itbl . But all this would have happened only if Black had not erred by taking on dS.tt:lg5 c3 forces White to seek a draw in the variation 3 8 . 'ifxb4 'iVeS Black develops consid­ erable activity) 32 . .llf8 40 .t>h8? 2 8.!::!.'iVxg6 .'ifxh6 ? loses after 3 4 .axb3 cxb3 40.t>hs 36 . . .ltc4?.I:l..xf6 3 6 . ti:lxd2 (here there is another trick: 3 4 . .. B 2 ) Whilst after 2 7 . g5xf6! Adolf Anderssen turned down the chance to win the exchange by 2 5 .t>g2 .cgl I:!.. l:i..lth7+ White is again saved by per­ petual check.<.>gS 3 7.'iVf4? 'i¥xc2 3 5 .itxe4 tt:ld6 3 1 . �g8 ! 3 2. 3 4.itxe4 ti:ld6 29.'>t>gl ti:lf4 and White cannot break through.tt:lgs h6 • 3 3 ..e4! i s correct.itxh4+ 3 8 . Draw. .\t>g2 tt:lxh3 3 6. 22 25. l::!.itxh4.bb7 3 1 Jlh3 c4 3 2 ... Black must balance on a narrow path along the precipice.g4 <.xh6+. tbxf2 + 3 S .f7 ! 3 0.fxg7 ? fails to 34 .cgl l:!.itd8 ! etc. 'iVxd2 2 6 .. .tt:le6 we are confronted with what we have already seen many times: in the search for salvation. . Perhaps this naive variation was one of the things which dissuaded Zukertort from looking more deeply into the position? I suspect that . 'iVxh4 b3 3 9 .'iVf4 tt:les 3 S. But here too.'iVxh3 .e4 30 . 3 7 ti:ld3 38. 26.. .fxg7 + �g8 2 9.fxe3 .b 7 30.. . . �xd3 2 9. .. Anderssen never missed such chances) 29 . h 3 + c.!:f. 25 . . the end­ game after 26. . say.ikxf7 + Wx£ 7 2 8 . �h6 .. such a queen sacrifice is a well-known idea.f6+! �g8 3 1 . h6 3 l . .l:!. f6xg7+ 28.xg8 3 l . . although by contem­ porary standards. 2 8 .l:rh8 mate will now be met by 3 0 . �h6xh7+! 26 .�e3! c4 (28 . but. . .h8#. . .fxe3 is cur- tains. .. - F i rs t Explora tions 3 l. 28Jhg7+ rJolhs 29.'iYxfS 2 7 .'i¥xd3 .l:[g8#) 29. .t>xh 7 3 2 . g 8'i¥+ . �g 8 ! ) 3 1 . . . �g8-h8 It turns out that the bishop is immune: 26 . .. 'i¥d6 3 0 .itxd5 . It was possible to try 26 . �xh7 there is the decisive 3 0 .�xh 7 + ! (this queen sacrifice is a major motif in White's at­ tack.£7. �f8 2 8 . which consisted in 25 . 27.!::l.. 30 . The idea is that the blow which would occur after.g6 (30 . . 'i¥xh7 + Wxh7 3 0 . For this rea­ son. .. �g8 3 l .h 8 mate. from which we started our examination.tt::lg s .l::!. and based his hopes on the possibility we will see later. l:i.t>g 8 3 3 .tt::lxd2 �xf6 2 9 .�h6 and there is no averting disaster: 2 7 . As we have already seen. he missed his last chance. . . . 1 -0 It is this final episode which has made the game famous.fxg6 Wxg7 32. llh 3 #) 3 0 .ite4+ Wh6 34. Wxh7 3 0 J:th3 + (also possible was 3 0 . turns out to be surpris­ ingly richly saturated with possibilities..gxh7+ Wxh7 33. h5 Even so! Only now did Zukertort see what was coming..xd3 3 0 . �xd3 2 9 . ith 7 + c. Jlxf6 ! ? but here too 2 7Jhg7+ Wh8 2 8. 'ti'd2-h6 �h8-g8 �d5-d6 This is perhaps what Zukertort had in mind.:C:h3 + Wg8 3 l . . But the critical position. :C:b8-d8? But maybe Zukertort saw significantly more than the line with the exchange sacrifice. .�xd3 2 7.l:!.�g5) 30. . l:rc1 -g1 29.ite4! itxe3 (29 .l::!.Chapter 1 Anderssen did not even look at this line seriously. c4! ?. .. the number of possible variations easily exceeds the quantity that any human could calcu23 . Even so. After 29 . ...1:rf3 is clearly in White's favour.itxc4 �xd2 2 7 . .. there is something else which is more impor­ tant. and trust to luck? The an­ swer is as follows: In such rich and complicated positions. by means of 24 . is so very great. But I am not sorry about such a possible outcome. which he failed to find. . Zukertort was forced to seek the most stubborn line of resistance. fully mobilised. but is first and foremost a battle of two human personalities. but I have not even presented it for your attention. managing without intu­ ition is extremely diffic ult. assessment by itself can tell us very little. I would not be surprised if somebody more patient and thorough than myself. This is the following: everything depends on a huge number of different details. in all the circumstances arising on the board. but in such po­ sitions. It is essential that it be supported by our judgement and calculation. then as well as the text move. Incidentally.this is the first question. one would have to consider one of the princi­ pal candidate moves to be the transfer of the knight from aS to d6. Furthermore. I did analyse this move. and how much it depends on numerous little de­ tails. I would repeat: 24 In very rich and complicated positious. because a game of chess is not an exercise in proving a theorem. As I have already said. But in terms of our subject. were to show that Black cannot save the position and is already lost in the first diagram. For example.t2:Jb7. all this work was carried out by me with the help of an analysis engine and a quite fast processor. and to delve into the recesses of the complicated positions resulting is not easy even for the silicon monster itself So what can help us here? . because it turned out to be weaker than both the moves consid­ ered above. the full calculation of which would be beyond the capacity of any human. and in such a bat­ tle. or does one just have to pick a move more or less at random in such cases. it is possible. a great role is played by intuition.T h e E n i gma o f Chess I n t u i t i on late. if in the position of the first diagram one were to proceed solely on the basis of general positional consider­ ations. by placing myself in his shoes. the most important thing is the abil­ ity to set the opponent the greatest pos­ sible problems. and even the Silicon Monster had to sweat a fair bit over the job! Taking all this into account. and better equipped in terms of engine capacity. It is interesting that in order to establish this fact. Therefore. . albeit . and maybesimply impossible. And is there anything that can help. That is how complicated the position is. the computer needed a lot of time. and at first it likes this continuation very much. Nor could the most sophisti­ cated positional assessment point one to the correct path. on the basis of what we have already seen. This is so because the power of the white forces. and I have tried to do so. and ready to spring into action in the im­ mediate future. even though I have quoted far from all the possible lines. we have the following picture: in a complicated position. I have seen a number of books on intuition in chess. even the com- puter struggles) . to construct some kind of scheme. this search is carried out by means of calculating variations. in our last example.. And this is the pri­ mary function of intuition in chess. but not the only function! There are also others . But now we must speak of another im­ portant matter.that intuition replaces calculation and only that. in complicated positions. Subse­ quently. It should show us the best way forward towards the desired aim. I disagree with such an approach! I 25 . This is it: Whatever the situation.. This is where intuition must take over. Thus. the most important. so I will speak only of those I have seen. Intuition does not consider everything. This conclusion is what we usually term the assessment of the position. in other words . one plays on the basis of the specific characteristics of the position. the assessment identifies the priorities of the position and suggests the direction of play. followed by the drawing of conclusions about the appropriateness or otherwise of specific lines of play. others only partially so. The initial calculation (which is certainly there. we saw a case where the calculation of variations is possible only to a definite limit. we would have to perform calculations of such complexity as to be beyond any human player (as I have already pointed out. some de­ voted entirely to the subject.F i rs t Explorati ons rather approximately.Chapter I . in or­ der to reach a position about which it is possible to draw a definite conclusion. at which point the human player hits a wall. and if it becomes clear that calculation is insuffi­ cient. Or. Usu­ ally. we must search for a concrete means of action. The weak point of all of them (although the degree of weakness varies in size and extent) appears to me to be the fact that they treat as intuitive only decisions made where the player cannot calculate right to the end to some clear conclu­ sion or other. we can draw a conclusion as to the properties of the position. concerning situations when it is difficult or impossible to rely on 'conventional methods' of reaching a decision. we shall discuss further below) identifies certain important parameters. Beyond that.of which more later. So. then this is when intuition is needed. Then. I am probably not fa­ miliar with all those that exist. although what it consists of. But in our last example. the assessment only provides an indica­ tion of the general direction of the goal we should be striving for. on the ba­ sis of that survey. the ap­ proach to it begins with a survey of the position. using them to indicate the direction of one's further play and possible future aims. it simply advises the player about what he cannot cal­ culate. the aim of which is to help us make the correct choice between the various possibilities. !:i. We will examine a fragment from the analysis of the game Taimanov. and ends with the words 'with excellent play (for Black .tt:lc7 ? ! 'ilff7 2 6. . from amongst which I will pres­ ent only the main part: 2 S .tt:lc7 ?! does not deserve a question mark. Ji. 'i!fe3 tt:l 6h5 ! 29 .VB) . I would emphasise to the reader .l::!.a6 . I will present a very graphic and typical example.eS ! .t.i . I 97 I . taken from a very substantial piece of work the fourth volume.Robert Vancouver Candidates m -I . Black.VB) is very great (once again.'il'e3 ! tt:ld3 . tt:lc7. Ji. (Incidentally. the position before us is a very complicated one. the move 2 S . which he later spoiled.tt:lxa8 tt:lxf4 2 7 . the probability of a mistake in calculation (my italics . If we are not greedy.we are talking here about an assess­ ment via calculation! .d8 2 7 . followed his intu­ ition and . . tt:lb5-d4 and obtained excellent play.The Enigma of Chess I n t u i t i on am convinced. Taimanov played: 25. Ji. White. In order to make my meaning clear. the intuitive as­ sessment of both players was correct' .tt:lc7. then we can continue 2 6 . see­ ing 2 S . 'The Best of the West' . And as the com­ puter's analysis shows.c6 Jl.xb 7 ! tt:lxf4 2 8 . In the book. that is by comparing not so much variations as different details of the position and forming a judgement of their relative importance. in Garry Kasparov's My Great Pre­ decessors. This is what is written about it: 'Over the board. trusted to luck.VB) ' . it is very difficult to as­ sess the consequences of the win of the exchange. in en­ tering the position. that a chess player is very used to choosing between different continuations not only on the basis of calculation.d 7 2 8 . but very often on the basis of positional assessment. was led first of all by his feeling for danger.i 0 Without any doubt.a6 ! ? l:l. And then the author gives some varia­ tions. as I have said before and will do again. naturally an important place is occupied by the win of the exchange by 26 Mark Taimanov 2 5 . Among the variations examined in the book. .Mark Fischer. . this line is continued some way further. his bishop pair. based on perfectly clear. the light-squared of which. White's prospects do not look great. obvious positional factors.these changes are obviously not in White's fa­ vour. the plusses of the white position are obvious. because positional considerations are a real matter of sub­ stance. not having an opponent. What does it consist in? This is his well-placed rooks. as a consequence of all this. It is obvious that Black's extra pawn does not play even the smallest role. And if this happens. and secondly. ready to jump into various dark squares in the enemy position.) However. whilst the dark­ squared bishop successfully blockades the enemy central pawn trio.able to choose which! So.Chapter 1 . They managed perfectly well. And if this is so. so his bishop pair has gone. this is a case such as I described earlier: 'decisions taken on the basis of positional considerations should also be considered to be based on firm and tan­ gible foundations.'ffxd3 l:rd7 3 1 . an accurate assess­ ment is possible. and. calcu­ lating as far as move 2 7 is perfectly easy. A positional judgement can be tested by reference to many well-known positional principles and typical posi­ tional assessments'.xd3 exd3 3 0 . is it actually necessary to calculate to the end? Let us think about the position in the diagram. B) His important dark-squared bishop has disappeared from the board.F i rs t E xplora ti ons 2 9 . The white knight is also a good piece. C) Black's pieces have seized the dark squares in the centre. could become ex­ tremely dangerous. and was not in fact necessary at all! Why do I think this? The point is that.'i¥c2 with equality. D) The previously solidly blockaded pawn on dS has obtained real prospects of advancing in the very near future. although it is true that it would be extremely difficult to calculate everything to the end in such a complicated game. but this is not of great significance for our further discussion. And all this means that: firstly. with some simple calculation and a fully rou­ tine. insofar as it played a role. And now let us compare the position after Black's 2 7 th move in the variation given above: What are the results of this compari­ son? White has won the exchange and now himself has a small material advan­ tage. and even more importantly. The general conclusion is clear . but look at what he has given up: A) The white knight is stuck in the far corner of the board and has at present very doubtful prospects. did so only in a small way. what is most important for us: in this position. and White has more than enough compensation. what I think must be said is that I am convinced that in this episode intuition. precise positional assessment. 27 . I believe. most of all . then Taimanov and Fischer did not need in this case to switch on their intuition. And finally. l:i. In other words. 2. The immediate ll . It is interesting historically. tt:ld4 is a popular alternative. The game is also interesting from the psychological point of view. 7. tt:lg8-f6 e7-e5 tt:lb8-c6 d7-d5 tt:lf6xd5 tt:ld5-b6 1ilf8-e7 0-0 1llc8-e6 f7-f6 a7-a5 c2-c4 tt:lb1 -c3 tt:lg 1 -f3 g2-g3 c4xd5 1ilf1 -g2 0-0 a2-a3 b2-b4 . 4. opening up a new aspect of our subject. Number two: Intuition is needed in those cases where a decisio n has to be taken in conditions where there is too little formal (an ex­ tremely important word. 11. the 3 3-year-old ex-world champion meets with what is undoubtedly the most promising of the younger players. Even more than that . In the period when work on this book was in its infancy. b4-b5 1 3. 1 2. tt:lf3-d2 14. which is interesting from a number of viewpoints. on the basis of conventional means.T h e Enigma of Chess I n t u i t i on And now the time has come for a cou­ ple of further formulations. who at that moment was just 1 9 years old. In such cases. 9. somewhat different from that revealed in the previous example.a 1 -b1 d2-d3 This position is well known to theory. We will become acquainted with another function of in­ tuition. but also positional assessment. Most important of all is that it could 28 Carlsen. . Vladimir London Chess Classic. 1 0. and had already achieved the very high­ est results. although I will not dwell on this point especially.it excellently continues on from the previous example. .l::. Number one: A player can manage without in­ tuition completely. 5. e2-e3 tt:lc6-d4 �d8-c8 ttJd4-f5 . 2009 1. the following game was played.Magnus Kramnik. 6. it does the job ofreplacing not only the cal­ culation of variations. because in it. And both I and the whole chess world wanted to see his enor­ mous natural talent realised to the full. if it is possi­ ble to make the choice between different continuations solely have been played especially for the pur­ poses of this book. 3. such as calculation and/ or assessment. which will be explained later) infor­ mation. 8. 20.�fl lt:Je7 3 0 .li:Jxd 1 .�d4 is clearly better for White) 2 8 .dxc5 �xb 1 2 6 . 'ti'd1 -c2 �c1 -b2 �f1 -c1 li:Jd2-e4 l:rf8-d8 a5-a4 lt:Jf5-d6 li:Jd6-e8 1 9. c7-c6!? Kramnik chooses active counterplay. . White's position is noticeably more ac­ tive. 1 7.�e4 to a position in which White has more than sufficient compensation for his material losses. 1 9. d4xc5 �f8xc5 24. which is a static advantage. a dynamic advantage. 23. - F i rs t Explorati ons For now.l::t d 1 WI e 7 (the vanatwn 2 7 .lt:Jc5 and Black is in a bad way) 24. everything we have seen so far is quite simple to calculate and assess. .lt:Jc5 ! �xeS 2 5 . He had two main lines to choose between. Black has the more compact pawn formation. But it will be a long time before the latter can be exploited. 1 6.. .lt:Jxb5 ! 'ti'xb5 2 5 . . lt:Jc4?? is impossible because of 2 3 . For players of the level of those involved here. all is simple. �c4 (22 .l:!. . and not allow White's activity to grow un­ challenged.�xb7 l:lb8 3 0. 1 8. g3xf4 22..xb 1 li:Jc8 (26 . . and by way of compensation. .�xd8 'ti'xd8 2 9. . .xd l + 29. 'iYc2-e2 A novelty at that moment. So far.d5) which leads after 2 3 . Black must be on the alert. �xb5? fails because of 24. tt:Je4-c5!? 24. ..Chapter 1 15.l:!. li:Jc4 2 7 . li:Jb6-c4!? But here Black had a wider choice and it is not just a matter of different varia29 . . .�d5 +) 2 7 ..'ti'c2 l:rad8 3 1 . 22 . f2-f4 21 . . The second of these was 2 2 . 'ti'xd 1 + 2 8 . d3-d4 �e7-f8 e5xf4 'li'c8-d7 We have before us a position which is difficult both to assess and to play. .'ti'f2 �d3 (23 . tt:ld5 �f7 3 l . �xg2 Black is OK. after Black's choice at move 24 in the game. . which was perhaps a little better than the game continuation. The resulting position can hardly appeal to Black. .'�'h8 2 7 . . .The Enigma o f Ch ess I n t u i t i on tions. .i i� � i l3:.tud5 ! ?.�a5 and now.xd8 . . The quiet line arises after 24 ..txdS 30 Vladimir Kramnik he can obtain a defensible position the point is that after 3 5 . .�xa4 tUxeS 3 3 . . jk t::. White's position has the follow­ ing plusses: two bishops..now he has to choose what character to give the game: a quieter or a sharper one.i � i i l3:. tt:lxc6 with 2 8 .. after 2 6 .ll x d8 2 9. i lLJ l3:. For example. �bS ! . And if this . In that context. since White does not have 3 6 .e4 tt:lb3 3 2 . sooner or later.exd5 . White would probably meet the alternative 2 7 .e4 �e7 ! ? we obtain a position with roughly equal chances. 'iY J!I !k J!I 27. 25 . b5xc6 . Consequently. and to play 2 9 . Thus. tt:la5 3 0 . but of more than that .c1 -d1 26 . . .l:f. I would also like to draw to your attention that. • .b2 with advantage to White) 3 5 . as they had been planned when he made his 24th move.ld. Then after 2 5 . � b7xc6!? Here too. But the point is that such a development of events was not what Kramnik was striving for in this game. his sub­ sequent decisions were practically forced and the most likely choices.tb2-c1 �d7-c7 tt:Jc4-a5! This knight jump to the edge looks forced. .bxc6 bxc6 29 .i.txdS 26.tt:lxd5 . by means of 3 3 .I:t. . But the further course of the game shows that on this day. . Jhd5 ! 34. . Kramnik had a choice be­ tween two possibilities.l:Ixd8 Uxd8 2 8 .l:rb4 White has a significant advantage. we must examine the resulting position more carefully and reflect on it. . which have real prospects of being able to work well together.\t>xg2? �g6+ . l3:.. Kramnik consciously chose to play for complications. In addition.�xc5 ? (stron­ ger is 3 5 . his decision in the game can also be considered obliga­ tory. . It is already quite clear that he wanted complica­ tions and was actively striving after them. l3:. 27. although the computer advises him not to panic. 31 . In this position. And if we accept the truth of these con­ siderations. Now Black's plusses. Black's prospects will not be very rosy. as we have already said. and his weaker pawn structure around his king. Black's main one is the seri­ ous issue with the coordination of his minor pieces. I have to continue it further. the a4 pawn is quite weak and will quite prob­ ably be lost eventually. And this is why: despite all his other problems. OK. Furthermore. was intuition. to say the least. (Even if my discussion of this issue already seems rather exten­ sive. Kramnik had to foresee not only his 2 6th and 2 7 th moves. he also had to decide that they could be solved. but the whole long black diagonal (don't forget the white bishop pair!) . and gives Black a strong­ point on b 3 . Please have patience!) So. which are of great interest to Black. And that means he had to see all of its problems. these squares are by no means an unimportant factor. there are the squares c4 and b3 .F i rs t Explora ti ons happens. and if he saw them all (about which I do not have the slightest doubt) . it was scarcely within a player's power to see this in a more or less concrete form at move 24. enough. the variations which help to answer this question are not as numerous as those in the game Anderssen-Zukertort. which are. and the attempt to bring it back into play by means of . . In addition. when playing his 24th move. So. But on the other hand. and we should also men­ tion White's lag in development. f6-f5 weakens not only the square e 5 . But we will soon see that this conclusion is not. now let us return to the game.Chapter 1 . And for two of these in particular. White's minuses. One we have just pointed out. to be taken for granted. and if the solution to these problems exists. but also the resulting position. what is the greatest problem in as­ sessing this position? It is answering the question: how likely is it that the black minor pieces will succeed in occupying the squares b3 and c4. Only on that basis was it possible to feel (and believe!) that Black has enough resources to fulfil the task (seizing the squares c4 and b3) that we have identified as the most important. The pawn on a4 on the one hand cramps the white queenside. But calculating them is difficult (for the reasons given below) . which is already a serious plus. the route to coordination lies via the squares b3 and c4. and are sufficiently great in number for us to be able to say that as­ sessing the position purely on the basis of calculation is also virtually unrealistic. . the black knight on e8 is far from an adornment to his position. the knight on aS and the bishop on e6. in turn. then we have to conclude that amongst the resources used by Kramnik in deciding on his 24th move. especially given that it is clear that the a4 pawn will fall? As we will soon see. .lhc I fS Black obtains definite com­ pensation for the pawn.tt::lxc4 'i¥xc4 32 Thus we reach a position in which even at first glance it is clear that Black has real compensation for the pawn. .xc4 3 7 .tLlb6 .l!{xc l 3 3 J id3 ! 'iYxcS 34. . You have probably already noticed that in every variation.l:lxd8 �xd8 3 0 . .The Enigma of Chess Intuition 28. In calculating such lines from a distance. Black's pieces get to c4 or b3.'i¥f7) and the ending arising after 3 5 . 'it>h8 loses after 3 5 . The main problem is that they are not forcing and there is a wide choice of other possibilities. . In addition.tt::lb 3 ! 3 2 . but in a clearer form: better devel­ opment and hopes of exploiting the weakened white kingside. . . tt::l b 3 ! ? 2 9 . in the shape of all those factors considered be­ fore. however. 30. although admittedly.tt::l b 6 . 34 . 29.d l + 3 I . tt::lc3xa4 Carlsen criticised this move in his anno­ tations and pointed out the stronger op­ tion 2 8 Jib4 ! ? suggesting as the only move for Black 2 8 .tt::lb 6 J::!.�a2 + ! tt::l c4 (the only move. tt::la4-c3 �c7-f7 Now it was Carlsen's turn to choose. more often to the latter. . . The problem.. .l:.l!{d7 ! is extremely unpleasant for Black. �d1 -c2 �a8-d8 After 3 0. 28.. 'iV xc4+ . .l:i. . after 2 9 . . many of which are not at first glance so different from the best continuation. it is ex­ tremely hard to see the differences between such lines. Such short variations are very hard to calculate.e4 tt::ld4 3 3 .l:!. since then there is 3 I .�f2 ! �h5 34.l:!.�e3 tt::lb S ! 3 5 . especially to calculate from afar. Carlsen now sug­ gests for Black 2 8 .aS ! with counterplay.�fl ! with a large advantage for White) . I prefer his choice to the tempting 3 I .'it>f2 �e7 and here White has a wonderful opportunity: 3 2 . tt::lb 3 (28 .tt::lxa4 tt::lxc l 3 0 . 'i¥e2xd1 30. .�f3 tt::l b 3 Black would have full compensation.e l �h3 ! ? and Black is perfectly OK. 31 . .xd8 3 0 .�h3 ! 'it>f8 3 8 . �b3 29 .l:!. lhb3 ! . . is that he needs to find a pre- . This is much stronger than 2 8 . Even so.a4 tt::l c 3 36 . The same will be true later. �b3 is noticeably weaker: 2 9 Jh d 8 .d8xd1 + 3 6 . tt:lc7 .klxc4! (36 .1ilfl (weaker is 3 5 Jlb4? tt:lc4) 3 5 .exd4 lilfs 3 5 . .• •..'ti'e5 lile6 ! 3 5 . . 32 11lc4! 33. whilst if 3 2 .�f2 lilxb i 3 7 .d4 tLlc7 with a small advantage to Black..'ik'xb3 'i¥xe2 3 6.�f2 tLld2 3 8 . For example. tt:Jc3-e2! which closes the two important squares c4 and d I against entry by Black (the latter will not now be with check) . Jid i +. tt:lxd i 'ik'xd l + 40. However.'ifh5 and Black's activity decides: 3 8 . Wf8 ! ? . .Wg3 'iYe l + ! mating) 34 .1txd2 'ik'h4+ ! etc.l::I b 6 On 3 3 . Undoubtedly.'1Wc2!? (if 34. playing uncertainly at this point. C) Carlsen.!::f. .!:le6 kld i + 3 9 . . .'ik'xb i tLlb3 3 8 .''i¥e4 If 3 2.�f2 'ik'b3 3 9 . because it seems to me that there is the very strong reply 33.lilh3 strong is 3 3 . . 'ti'c4 and Black seizes the initiative.. as we have already said.'ilfxb3 'i\Vxf4 with equal play. better chances were of­ fered by 32 . Carlsen considered Black's decisive mistake to be his 3 2nd move.1ilf5 the com­ puter recommends 3 4. . 'ti'f7-h5? Instead of this .Wf2 lixb8 3 9 . 32. 3 7 Jhc6? (cor­ rect is 3 7 Jlb8 'i1Vg6+ 3 8 .11lxc4 lilxc4 Black has full compensation for the pawn. And here after 33 f5 ! 34. .1ilxh3 'ifxh3 3 6. 33 'ik'g4+ After 3 3 . the idea of which is to avoid a check in various possible lines.) 3 6 .l:Ib4 11ld3 34. . For example. A) 33.!:f.1ilfl ? loses after 3 6 . . the continuation 3 1 . 'ik'e7 3SJ:[b4!? tt:Jc7! In this complicated position. •. Black has full compensation for the pawn. it seems that the main mistake occurred here. 32 .. .. .'iif3 'iie 7 Black is also fine.'ti'e2 'ti'e7 3 3 .Wf2 'ik'fl + 4 l .tLlg3 'ik'd7 3 7 . but it seems that it was al­ ready quite problematic for Black to survive.'ilfb2 tt:lc4 ! ? 3 5 . considered Black's last move the deci­ sive mistake.e4 lilh3 3 5 . .i1H3 'ilfxc l 3 9. .•• 33 . 'ti'xb8 h6 with roughly equal chances) 3 7 . •. .Chapter I cise line of play. 11lb3 ! 34. 11lb3! looks strong ('The bishop is in its place again! ') with the following likely continuation : 3 2.'ik'a2 'ik'd i + 3 6 . . B) 33Jlb4?! allows the thematic 33 . tt:lc4 3 6 ..xd4! 34. l:Id i + 3 7 . 'ifxd i 'iYxd i + 3 8 . .tt:lf5 ! . . in his annotations.tt:Jd4?! . - F i rs t E xp l o ra t i ons lile6-f5?! Kramnik had either missed White's last move or underestimated its strength.'ti'f2 ? ! then 3 2 . 'ik'g4+ 3 7 . .1ilfl ! .. .tt:le4? does not work due to 3 3 . but even so. 31 . and Kramnik failed to do so. and after 3 3 . ihS 3 8 .h3 .'ifh5 'i¥xh5 3 8 .xa2 tt::lxc l 3 8 .tt::l g3 'i¥e6 35 .ixd l 'ifxh 2 + 3 8 . . tt::l b 3 loses after 3 7 . Wic2-c3 l::!. e3-e4 . The game was played between players of the highest level.ig8 ! 3 7 .. .�f2 . tt::l b 7 40. .'i¥xd l �xd l + 3 9 .ie2 "i¥h3 3 7 .ih3 but this could hardly change the result : 34. . .'ti'f2. .ie3 ! ? .The Enigma of Chess I n t u i t i on and then shows a decisive advantage for White. J:i:d l + 3 5 . . tt::l b 3 and Black has sufficient counterplay.�f2 etc. 38. 34. of which more below. l:!.if3 3 7 . .tt::l g 3 tt::lb 3) 3 7 ..ia2 ! 3 6. .. tt:Je2-g3 Now it is all over.ia2 36 .ie2-c4 'iYd1 -b1 �a8xa3 43. b 1 -b4 f4-f5 .ie6-f7 'iYd7-d1 Nor does Black save himself after 3 9 . .tt::lxh5 �dl 39.�b2 .a4 Wid l + 3 8 .Wf2 . .. 34.ids 3 6 .l::!. 35 . .a4 with good winning chances. We l 'ifxg3+ 3 9. is quite fresh.l:!. and is attractive for the fact that it well illus­ trates a certain important aspect of our subject. �d8 4 l .l:!. which was probably not the strongest...'ifxd4 l:i:xd4 44 . 37.Wxg2 with a large advantage. . . 'iVg4 loses after 3 6 . 41 .!lal . tt:Jg3-e2! 1 -0 iYh5-f7 Or 3 4 .ixh3 Also interesting is 3 4 .ie2 'i¥d7 42.if5-g4 More tenacious was 33..'i¥xd l ?? 'ifxc5 +) 3 5 . .l:!:bl g6 40.. tt::l e 2 ! ? (bad i s 3 7 . 39.a6 any help. 36.'ti'e4! 3 5 . 3S.:c!. .d l does not bring any benefit: 3 5 . . 34 35 . . 34.idb8 and Black is help­ less. .b6 'iYd4+ 43 . .'i¥h8+ .if1 -e2 42 . . 'iYd7 3 7 .Wixd l ) 3 6 . . 'iYh3 3 6 . .ids 3 6 . al­ though perfectly reasonable. .b4 The resulting po­ sition is extremely unpleasant for Black. the game is useful for our investigations. . . . for example: 3 6 .Wf2 .. even so.tt::lg3 "iYdl 34 .'i¥xh3 3S.ig4-e6 . 36.ifl ! (but not 3 5 .. 40. .ixg2 3 5 .ixd3 tt::lb3 39. but he lost all the same! However. .id2 . wg1 -f2 tt:Ja5-b3 Neither is 40 . . . 33.ig2-f1 ! Thus. 35 .l:[d8-a8 'iYf7-d7 ."i¥d3 Wixd3 38 . . ..ic1 -f4 . iYf7 ( 3 5 . 37.:c!. .'iYxh7 turns out to be weaker because of the surprising 35 . . Kramnik took an interesting and quite good intuitive decision. . .. the game became another part in an ongoing chess thriller. Vladimir Wijk aan Zee Corus A. but even so. so time was marching on as well. but it is easier to understand the relation between the elements if we examine the play of the two giants. deliberately choosing a line which led to great com­ plications. that intuition is a powerful weapon in the hands of those who know how to use it. or something else besides? In fact. but it is in no way the only weapon. we need to move forward. which in a practical game cannot realistically be worked out by other means. And this forecasting the chances of a certain turn of events is the second function of intuition! As work on this book was proceeding. because the nature of the ma­ terial we are discussing is too elusive. 3. Carlsen played White and again. and the traditional tournament at Wijk aan Zee came around. That is. and to do so. but it seems highly likely) . 2. Kramnik wanted to complicate the game. and is not all­ powerful! So what role did intuition play in this example? Was it merely that of helping the player choose between a range of possibilities. but also partly on the basis of psychological consider­ ations (this is impossible to prove. Kramnik was in an extremely un­ compromising mood. and again they had to battle for first place. In this way. Carlsen.F i rs t E xplora t i ons You will see that I try as far as possible to avoid formulating things too cate­ gorically. 4. Once again. even after the disappearance of the a4 pawn from the board.Magnus Kramnik. intu­ ition allows us to correctly fore­ cast the turn of events. 6. 5.because in this in­ stance. 20 1 0 1. and the time has come for another for­ mulation: In its most general form. Intuition played less of a role in this game than in the previous one. the second . he had to forecast the likelihood of the bishop and knights reaching b3 and c4. the choice was made not only on the basis of the motto 'the best is the enemy of the good'.Chapter 1 . The two heroes of the previous game took part. d2-d4 c2-c4 tt:lg1 -f3 g2 -g3 �f1 -g2 �c1 -d2 tt:Jg8-f6 e7 e6 d7 d5 d5xc4 �f8-b4+ a7-a5 - - 35 . Magnus Carlsen But for now I repeat. as I will not hesi­ tate to do again later. "iff6 ! ? Black has full compensation for the pawn.lic 1 lte7 1 6. it is hard to criticise him for this move. Then after 1 8 . not only seeing chances for Black later on. giving in­ stead the natural 1 3 . So it appears that it is this move.itxf6 ( 1 3 t:Llxf6? 1 4.tLle5) 1 4. . 9. Vladimir Kramnik gave the move a question mark in his notes. 11.itc8-a6 t:Llb8-d7 1 7. all is not totally clear. 13 . 1 5."ifxd4 exd4 2 5 . 1 6. this unex­ pected decision is based on a degree of psychology and courage.dxe6 fxe6 20. al­ though in this case too. which deserves censure.itd2-g5 . g 7xf6 As in the previous game. However.tLlxe5 fxe5 1 9.'iV'e3 ltgS ! 2 3 .itb4-e7 c7-c6 b7-b5 . but I am refraining from giving the move any punctuation.itxe2) 2 3 o o .gxf6 the same way.. .tLle4 .."it'xe5 ( 2 3 . 'f9e3 ! with a very small advantage to White and excellent chances for Black to equalise.The Enigma of Chess In t u i tion 7. e6xd5?! It is very hard to punctuate this move.itg2-h3? .itc4 ! ? 2 2 ...U. But objectively a stronger continuation was 1 7 . . Almost all other commenta­ tors assess 1 3 o o . but also cer­ tain circumstances that are useful for our topic.itg5xf6 0-0 . tLleS ! ? . not the previous.'fib3 . 36 'fib3-c2 t:Llc3-a4 0-0 d4-d5! 0 0 .tLlb6 . 8. b5-b4 .itf6 or even 2 3 o o .c8 1 5 . it is hard not to say 'b' ."it'e4 'ifd4 24. 1 2. t:Llb1 -c3 a2-a3 "iYd1 -a4 'ifa4xc4 "iYc4-b3 . 13 . Having said 'a' .axb4 cxb4 2 I . and especially if one takes into account the fact that Kramnik was aiming at complications. 1 0.l::ta8-c8 c6-c5 1 8. . . 1 7.. 0 0 • 14. 'les 25.. the only. But other continuations must also be examined.. He should have played 1 SJ:t:fd 1 ! .'lg6 22.UaS d2 Worse is 2 9 .�e4 and White wins.tt. Commenta­ tors always love variations with sacri­ fices.axb4!? axb4.�g2 �xb6 3 1 . Now. . �h7-f5 25..�xd8 . but maybe slightly more winning chances were 37 .'lh4 tt::le s 20.tt::lfs .'lxd4! cxd4 2 1 Jixd4 Uc7 (on 2 I ..ll eS 23. •.axb4 axb4! 2 1 .'ii xe2 'iix b6 + A very interesting decision.l:rxd8 3 2 .>g8-g7 f6xe5 .l:rf1 -d1 �h3-f5 �f5xh7+ a5xb4 d5-d4 tt.c8-c6 25 .�xd5 �xdS 2 2. 1 9 . a3xb4 ..'le l ! tt.!lc7 26..tt.�b3 and White has a lasting advantage. although it is hard to say if it is stronger than II.!:I e 1 d3 29. �b7 1 9.Chapter 1 But here Carlsen commits a real error.i. White is better. there is the inter­ esting reply I. 22.'lf3xe5 24. 1 S .'les 2 1 .'iif5 ! and Black faces a diffi­ cult choice. d3?! 20. . . �d4+ 3 0.•.'le3 �b3! Worse is 2 2 .l:.tt.�xc 8 ? 'i¥xc8 23 . .f4 . . l:rf8-h8!? The main line is 2 0 .tt. 'iid 7 2 3 . 30..�e4 tt.e5 �xeS 2 7.fx. �a6-b5! Kramnik seized the initiative. .'iixb3 'iic 7 24.tt. We should also look at: I.�e4 . 21 . but it is hard to say how serious his winning chances are. maybe not all of them so easy Black is also doing badly after lib. 1 S d4 1 9.'iix h7+ �f8 24.'lb6 ! ? �xe2 2 S . 19 .'lxd3..'ld7-e5! Much weaker is 2 2 . tt.'lxd4 cxd4 22.�d5 ! tt. The battle proceeded in very sharp fashion and soon both players were short of time.. Then there follows the the­ matic sacrifice 20.!:Ies 2 1 . .. by means of 1 8. 23. 'ifc2-e4 <.tbds 'iic6 25 . missing an excellent. chance to pose the opponent seri­ ous problems. 2 2 .lhd7 ! decides) 2 2.'lbxdS and White has a long-lasting advantage. Thus. .�d6 !? - F i rs t Explora ti ons 34.�h1 and White hardly has many winning chances. �b7 . 1 9.tt. .tbh4 �e8 ! with a powerful initiative.'i!Yc7 ..'iih 6+ �e7 3 1 ..tt. 1 S . In this case. many commentators happily give variations after IIa.tieS?. .. 23. 1 9 . but Kramnik suggested a re­ ply which deserves very serious consid­ eration: IIc.'lb6! 'iih 3 24. 22. 20. and indeed.'iix d2 'ii d6 32Jhe S + �xeS 33.tt.tt. 'tWxc4 36. Jhe2 3 7 .l:te6 34. �e4xc6 31 .'it'c5 'tWe8 36. . At first sight.'iYg4+ l:!. 30.xd4 cxb2 3 8 . . play now proceeds largely on intuition. As a result... . 'iYh5-h6+ 38 �b5xc6 l:re8-e5 Played in serious time-trouble. 'iYe4xe5+ 'iYe5-e4 'iYe4-g4+ �f5-e4 �e7-f6 l:lh8-e8 'itg7-f8 32 . .l::!. both players were short of time. Analysis shows that 32 . the move looks very strong.'it'xd4 'ifxd4+ 3 7 .The Enigma o f C hess I n t u i tion promised by 2 S . .tLlcS . Here is a likely variation: 33. . . .llxd4! �xd4 38. 'itg8 was no less attractive. After 3 6 . 33. . how­ ever..'Yid2 ! . 'iYdS 34.xe2 3 9 .�xg6 fxg6 and the two bish­ ops and powerful centre more than compensate for the material. .l:rxb4 with equality. al­ though Carlsen had about half as much as his opponent.'i¥f4 ..l:.'it'f5 �g7 35. The variations have many branches.l:k7 White equalises by 3 0 . Black will have excellent compen­ sation for the exchange.. Now. Wf8-e7 There was little time in which to make this choice.. By now.a 7 + We6 40.tLlxd3 (forced) 4 l .�xa4 3 7.'i¥xd4 �c2 ! 39.lhf2 ! 3 8 . so I will show only the main line: 3 3 . stronger was 3 3 . 'Yig4-h5 32. 'it'h6-e3 d4-d3 �c6xe4 .e3 b3 It is hard to say how real Black's winning chances are here. 29. . and it was hard to come to terms with all the subtleties of this non-standard position.l::!.'ifd3 ! �bs 3 6.f3 ! c3 3 S . 27. .Wxf2 'iYe3 + 3 9 . After 29 .tLlxb2 . 28. 33. 26. Wfl 'iff3 + 40 .. 34.. e2-e4 29. 36 .b3. c5-c4! An important move.'iYxb4? is much weaker..g6D 2 7 .lhd3 'tWxd3 White stands badly.cxd3 42. In this case. We l d3 4 1 . White would have to defend accurately. but as analysis shows (analysis that is very dif­ ficult even with the help of the com­ puter) . 'iYc 7 ! ? 2 6. What mat­ ters is that the move can only be found intuitively. move 37 .. More stubborn.b3 If 3 7 .�b3 'iVd4! 40.g4+ J::l.Wh3 .iib 7 ! .'1Wd2 then 35 '1Wd6 36.1id4 White re­ signed.f3 'lWcS + 43.'ifh6+ 3 8. This line would be harder to find that that in the game. Wg8 39. was 3 S Jie l . Then Black has the following win: 3 5 .l:tf4 .iif4! ! . tt:la4-b6? But this is a terrible blunder.iif3 4 1 . . do not change the essence of what I am saying.iid4+ 47.dl . 'iVf4xc4 38. �f8 ! ! 38.'iVc2 . the best move is the hard. things ended simply: 35.'iVxc4 d2 3 9 .tl.d1 -f1 Now I will only give the main line. had Carlsen guessed at the correct move. but it would be child's play compared to what he would have had to find.l:!.el Black must find the reply 3 7 . . . .Wg2 . .iic 6! 3 6 . . virtually impossible to find in time-trouble.Wxf3 iYdS + ! 45.. . For this reason. . . in serious time-trouble. this is a method I often resort to.. I do so to avoid unnecessary distractions for the reader.Wg2 "i¥xb2. 'i¥e3-f4 37.. As you have seen.lhc4 iYds 4 1 . .Wf2 'iYfS + 46 . made in serious time-trouble. In this game. . Wf8 ! and after 3 8 .iixd l 42 .bxc4 is even worse : 3 8 . . which might deflect him from the main theme.iixf3+ ! 44. I say 'guessed' .'i¥c5 + 'i¥d6 3 7 Jhe5+ lixeS 3 8 .l:te l + .Wg2 iYxf4 48Jhd3 'tWe4+ 49.ttlb l �c2 4S.llacl lids 37. And now again. I just ask you to trust that I always deliber­ ately check my analysis very thoroughly and am confident that it is generally of high quality.xe5 lixeS 3 9 .ttlb2 and now a series of effective blows follows: 39 .b3 spot the crushing 3 9 .iib 7 3 9 .•. F i rs t E xplora ti ons to take my word for it. if you prefer. but one could also say 'felt' . trying to obtain a position with atypical 39 . 38 . Kramnik again tried to take the game into non-standard lines.Wg2 iYe2+ 5 1 . Thus. . 40. 36.gS ! 42. I ask you - lie4-b7 'iVd8xb6 l:l:e5-e2 And in view of 38 . which I have not shown. when I say that this line or that is the main line and that other variations."i¥xd l b 3 ! 43 .iVd2 .'ifxd2 'iYxb l + 46.Chapter I 35.t!. The correct move is 35 . . .'ifxd3 .!::th S+ In the game...tt:lc3 �d3 44. .!:. . no other resource is available to the player in such a position..tl.. although still insufficient. if 35.Wh3 'i¥g4+ SO. . 1 2. Geller had . 4. 2. As a result.Robert Geller. but it is also quite possible that the latter was prepared for such a turn of events. Playing such posi­ tions. at which both Fischer and Carlsen operate. 6. Therefore. and confirma­ tion of this. Now is the time to discuss something I referred to earlier. as well as the ability to calculate well. by 'insufficiently'. But there was an­ other aspect of the game. This is insufficiently certain play in po­ sitions of an irrational character. But they also share a basic weakness. at the second at­ tempt. e2-e4 tt:lg 1 -f3 d2-d4 tt:lf3xd4 tt:lb1 -c3 �c1 -g5 f2-f4 'ifd1 -d2 r. The similarity is especially noticeable in one fundamen­ tal area. many of us would love to play with their level of 'insufficiency' ! By way of comparison. I am not the first ob­ server to consider that Carlsen's play re­ minds one of Fischer's.ta1 -b1 f4-f5 f5xe6 tt:ld4xc6 e4-e5 c7-c5 d7-d6 c5xd4 tt:lg8-f6 a7-a6 e7-e6 'ifd8-b6 'ifb6xb2 'ifb2-a3 tLlb8-c6 f7xe6 b7xc6 tt:lf6-d5 At this time. Positions of this type are usually de­ scribed as irrational. Black only once ever risked entering (see below) . 1 3. Of course. about which we will speak. 7. 5. Fischer emerged from the opening with a position which. Now we can say that this is intuition. 11. Kramnik considered that it was this as­ pect that was one of Carlsen's weakest. 1 967 Both players in this game were amongst the greatest theoretical experts of their 40 day. Evidently. 3. and orientate oneself in positions with more or less standard features. we mean only when judged by the very highest standards in the world. and hard to play by exact cal­ culation on account of its extreme com­ plexity. 8. we will examine the fol­ lowing legendary game. after this game.The Enigma of Chess In t u i ti o n characteristics (and this means. the continuation 1 3 . Fischer. dxe5 was considered obligatory. he managed to exploit it. 9. At lower levels. difficult to assess) . 1 0. they confidently went down a head-spinning variation. namely extreme accuracy of play in positions with a clear strategical line. and as we have seen. also requires another quality.Efim Monte Carlo. .. But here is some­ thing else interesting: this whole line was one of Fischer's own favourites for Black! On the other hand. It is highly likely that Geller took Fischer away from known lines. 1. all those later games in which it appeared ended in defeat for Black.Chapter 1 . the strongest move is considered to be 1 6 . �f8-c5+? It is surprising. 0-0 d6xe5 Bobby Fischer great tension remains in the position.l::!... the bishop sometimes comes to d3 . also against opponents who were greatly below his class. and against a not very seri­ ous opponent. �f1 -e2! c6xd5 A strong reply. Black committed a mistake. 14. Several moves ago. Nowadays . However. without calculating varia­ tions. 1 6 .t . which has led to this position. Nowadays. but also later in the game. c2-c4 1 9.l • 1 6 . 1 7. and afterwards. Considering that the position is so sharp. Consequently. This is because both sides have obvious trumps. . . 1 5.F i rs t Exp l o r a t i o ns only played the black side of the line once before. . although a great deal of 41 . �g1 -h1 1 8. l:lb1 xf1 :i l:lh8-f8 l:lf8xf1 + �c8-b7 . It is very hard to assess at first (and even at second!) glance. tt::l c3xd5 1 5. but this tempting move appears to be a serious mistake. which for many years af­ ter this game was the only move played in this position.a 7 . it is not surprising that the first mistake turns out to be fatal. This turns out to be the case not only with the dia­ gram position.. In any event. choosing it here against Fischer clearly owed a great deal to psychological considerations. he only played it three times more. We have before us a very interesting parallel to the preceding example. because despite this mistake. and it is im­ possible to assess whose are the more important. txe6 . . although I cannot vouch for the truth of the story.'iVf3 ! hS 2S .l:if7 . .'iVf2 ! 0-0-0 20.thS+ g6 Also losing is 2 1 . 2 3 . . possibly decisive advantage in all varia­ tions . .te7 2 I .�b l 'iVd6 .dxc4 22 .'iVd2 ! e3 2 3 . .ic6 2 3 . that Fischer goes wrong! 20.ics Weaker is 2 1 .. �d7 2 2 .tc8 Tal gives 2 2 . 22 .. White could obtain a large. when normal methods do not suffice.. We need intuition! And it is at precisely this moment. calculation is im­ possible.ig4! . .'iVg7+ �d6 26. .ie7 If 2 1 .'iVxb 7 .'iVf6 and it is very • difficult to hold such a position.. this move loses the game. whilst after 2 l .ih3 'iVxa2 26..The Eni gma of C hess I n t u i tion calculation work is possible in analysis. and very quickly suggested the move Two other interesting possibilities also need to be examined: A) 20 .'iVb6 �xf4 26. The game went on (I give only the min­ imum of commentary..'iVxg6+ �d7 2 3 . �d8 24 .ixe7 winning.�xe6 + �bs 2 S ...'iVc2 g6 2 4.'iVc2 ! .ic l ! 'iVas 2 3. and assessment alone is im­ possible. .'iVxc4.. he immediately drew attention to this moment. there is much to say!) : 2 I .'iVe6 'iVd6 D 2 8 . .�d8 2 2 . 42 23 . It so happened that later the same year. and 2 l . . 'iVxh7 dxc4 2 4. . His oppo­ nent replied 20 . We have seen this picture before.. .lif7 + . . .we are reminded again of the value of a single move in very sharp positions.l:lf7 . he had the chance to prove the correct­ ness of his suggestion (and very proba­ bly... . . 'iVxg4 .te2-g4? In essence.'iVb 3 ! �a7 24. 22. So. �d6 24. .txe 7 + ! 'iVxe7 2 3 . .tel 2 7 . As far as I remember. his analysis) in practice. . .ixg6 + hxg6 2 3 ..txe6 'iVd3 23 . Anal­ ysis shows that Black is defenceless.'iVxd8+ �a7 2 7.tf7 + �d7 there is the deadly 24. Instead. .if4! Tal conducts the attack in his own inimitable style.ixg4 2 6 . I once heard that when Tal was shown the score of this game in the company of several other players.txe7 �xe7 2 3 .ixe7 �xe7 2 S. B) The most tenacious seems to be: 2 I . g6 ! 22 ..'iVd l ! . e4.cxd5 exdS 2 5 . but believe me.'iVf7 + �d7 2 9 .ig4! . 20 . exploiting all the hidden resources of the position. during the game this is beyond even so great a master of calculating variations as Robert Fischer.[d l .I. . 24..dxc4 2 2 . xe4+ Wf7 ! 2 8 ..xf8 �xf8 2 6.�f7 + <. We will discuss this further below.f8+ Wxf8 26.U. this did not interest Fischer. d5xc4 20.f8 25 . . .t>d ? 2 5 .!:i.�xd2 ..Wh2 J. .�xf6 gxf6 2 6 .�f7 + <.'i?Val ! �d4 2 3 . . 'i?Ve4 there is 2 3 .. . I cannot exclude the possibility that Fischer went in for this position expecting the 'obvious' reply 2 2 .. .Wg2 <. ..U.U.and all games were lost by Black! For now.'i?Vxd3 cxd3 2 3 .'i?Vxd3 +.lixd2 �xd2 34.'i?Vc2 ! e4. �f6 ! and then in the variation 2 5 . .d1 . al­ though he has to find several strong moves.l:rb2) 28 .'i?Ve 1 .lhf7 2 8 . I will just draw your attention to one point . J:[b2 29 .'i?Vxc3 .Chapter 1 2 8 . a4 �b4 �b7-e4! This is the crux of the matter.<.l:Id7 + . . whilst 2 3 . 24. . Then every­ thing turns out in White's favour. play contin­ ued 22 .l::re 2 ! 3 1 .Ihb7+ �a8 30 .e4?..U.. 'i?Vxd8 2 9 .cxdS 1-0 Tal-Bogdanovic.ld. Budva YUG-URS 1 96 7 .the only difference be­ tween this line and the main game is the inclusion of the moves 20 .t>e s 2 7. .�xd5 ! �xdS 2 8 . �cS + ? has only been played three times . . .t>f3 <. 2 9 Ji'xd6 �xd6 30. . �g4xe6 'i?Va3 d3! 22.f8+.d 1 l:lf8 2 6 . And after 2 2 .e 1 3 3 . 21 .l:i.'i?Ve7 mate. .. 'i?Vd2-e1 - There is not a lot of choice.:l.h4 d2 3 2 .�f5 e4 24.t>e 6 3 2 .ld. . . 'i?Vd4 loses at once to 24.e 1 ..�xdS 'i?VxdS 2 8 .'i?Vf4! �dS 2 7 . . Since this game.'i?Vc l ! c3 The same re­ sults from 24 . - Fi rs t E xplora t i ons 3 0 . It is either the text.g4 l:ra3 3 1 . A typical line is 23.1:i. Geller's reply is in­ comparably stronger and now White is in trouble. The most tenacious is 24 . 2 S .xd3+ exd3 2 7 .b8 2 7 .t>d s and the ending is winning.�e3 �b4.�xd2 l:le4 White can resign) 2 9 . . B) and 2 2 . 43 .'i?Va3+ <. . . .l:i.laxa2 3 0 . the move 1 6 .h4 .�xe4 �xe4 26 . .�f7 + <.'i¥g3 and Black has nothing better than 2 3 . ac­ cording to my database.. In the Fischer-Geller game.d 1 . .. .t> d ? 2 5 .ld. . . . �c3 2 5 .t>d ? 2 3 .d1 (if 2 9 . . .e 1 (Black wins easily after 2 8 .'f!Vd3 and then again 24.'iVxf6 White has a large advantage..�xc4 'i?Vxd2 24. c3 does so more slowly: 24. But clearly.ld.l:i. . or go into one of two lost endgames: A) 2 2.�xh 7 ! �dS ! 2 5 . . 23. �e6-g4 Geller points out the variation: 2 3 .l:rb8 ! ? (also good is 28 . The difference was in two little details: the white queen leaves the d-file. In fact. . as they say!) . . 0-1 And now let us sum up what we have seen and draw conclusions.'ifxfS 'ifxfS and assesses the position as winning. . the inclu­ sion of the moves 20.l:!. l:if1 -f7+ �d7-e6! After 2 6 . �e7 ? 44 25.l:rfl �b2 2 7 . as I have already pointed out. Let us remember for the future that the differ­ ence lay in tiny details ('the Devil is in the detail' .g3 . �e8-d7!! A brilliant climax to Black's short but active defence.'ifc2 ! e4. whilst the other black pieces stand ready to invade White's position. and it also takes the two white diagonals from his pieces.'ifxg7 + (af­ ter 2 5 . 'ti'd3 ! .'ti'f6+ �d6 2 7 . it becomes clear how important this is.�a4+ Wd8 2 6 .�g4+ WdS 2 8 . 23. A great mistake would be 24 . The result is striking! That is all we need to say for now... .Ua8-b8 24. The king defends itself. �g4-d1 . 24. The correctness of this assessment becomes clear after 2 8 Jhf5 . �c6 2 6.!:lbs .l:hf3 'ife2 everything is clear. . When we look at the text of the Tal game. . it is decisive. .'ti'xa6+ with perpetual check. . 'ifa5 + ! �c8 27 . and later we will need to discuss such details more thoroughly. .�f3 �xf3 29 . which removes Black's re­ source .C:f8 ! ?) 2 9 . .xfs �f8 Black wins the ending) 2 5 .'ti'xe5+ �d7 2 5 . I would say that the most interesting as­ pect of the topic we are examining is this: the difference between Fischer's losing line and Tal's winning one was.�f5 �xfS 24.. 'iYxfS + 'iYxfS 2 6 . .The Eni gma of C hess I n t u i t i on 2 5 . and one who has devoted a great deal of time to the study of his games.Paul Paris m-4. 1 8 5 8 As I have already said. and within a few seconds said that White was winning. It is time to become acquainted with some ex­ amples of effective. and very much wish to show how these de­ cisions were the result of the exercise of intuition. We will start looking at examples in chronological order. although some­ times. it is clear that the greatest part of his huge talent was intu­ ition.Chapter 2 . we have seen more examples which show the effects of insufficiently good use of intuition (Zukertort. I am concerned with con­ crete games and concrete decisions. Kramnik in one case) .Adolf Morphy. But let us agree ­ such exercise of intuition needs to be shown and explained as far as possible. How Serious People Do It This is important partly because 1t IS significantly harder to describe the op­ eration of intuition than other weapons within the player's armoury. we may depart from this principle. and Fischer) than of its successful use (Anand.Successful U se of Intuition So far. The first name on our list in Paul Morphy. I say this as the author of a book on Morphy. I am not thinking about stories. To my mind. Capablanca looked at such-and-such a position. but they vary in proportion from case to case) . the fact that a cer­ tain decision was made on the basis of intuition is much more difficult to demonstrate than the fact that it was based on calculation or positional judgement (these two factors almost al­ ways occur together. Carlsen in one case. even though proving such things is very difficult. preferably in the games of the greatest players. I will try to do this in as convincing a manner as possible. Even so. Anderssen. in order to enhance the effective­ ness of our material. successful use of intuition in the games of great masters. Let us see. such as how in the year 1 9-whatever. 45 . thanks to the appalling position of the black king. and not just one of them. ac 1 give him an easily winning position. . in anal­ ysis.either he is a mediocre player.�.�a2 'iYe8 2 3 . But then the question arises . which is cer­ tainly not true of Paul Morphy. already pointed out. White can force 2 6 .dxe5 . but there are also other continuations which offer a decisive advantage. and only because he relaxed in completely winning positions. tt:Jxe5 2 0 .d8 24 . we have terrible mis­ takes. xb6 cxb6 2 2.xeS 2 1. by playing 2 6 .f4 and thereby win a piece. . In actual play.'iVf4+. with equality. but in his commentaries (very brief. . . . So what was going on? Maybe he overlooked the move 2 6 .. 'it>e6 and then both 2 7 . lt:Jxd5 lt:JxdS Paul Morphy 2 L�xd5 . Thus.l:re 1 lt:JxdS 2 5 Jhe5 'iVxeS 2 6J�d 1 which is also winning for White. . And secondly. this is perfectly possible. but they are commentaries nonetheless) .!::!. Morphy played this. .e 1 + in the above variation? Maybe.!:!.. instead of 24. the real mis­ take is the 'obvious' capture of the rook: 2 6 . he claimed that he could have taken the pawn without being punished. .!:!.f4. How can this be explained? It is quite possible that Morphy simply did not concentrate properly. he very rarely commit­ ted such mistakes (he only did so 46 twice! ) .�xf7 + 'it>xf7 2 6.. on the other hand.d8 2 S . 'iYd8-d6 In the game. What can one say about a player who overlooks so much during a game? There are two possible answers .e 1 + etc. But alas. committed by a player whose ge­ nius nobody doubts.The Enigma of C hess In t u i t i on 1 9.surely he must have considered the capture of the pawn during the game? Yet he did not take it. Yes. 'iYf3 and 2 7 . . and he gave several variations. Instead of this. because the result was no longer at stake.l:f. when ana­ lysing a game he had already played. This contains two completely elemen­ tary mistakes. Firstly. .!:i. .�xdS . 'iVxd8 . such as the move 24. or the . not worthy of Morphy's level of play.�xd5 one can play simply 24.l:f. . and the vari­ ation 2 3 .'iYxd8 . his analysis was wrong! Here is his varia­ tion : 1 9 . let us make an important ob­ servation: similar mistakes in analysis. I would risk drawing this conclusion: in­ tuition was involved in Morphy's play. Here.�xd5 ! ? 'iVxdS 2 5 . White has other possi­ bilities as well.S u c cessful Use of I n t u i tion player simply did not examine these variations seriously. It is obvious that the second explanation is the more probable. But why would a great player..'iVh8+ �e7 2 7 . this variation is not simple. which. It is extremely difficult to calculate all this at the board.'iVc2 (if 2 I .�a2 'iVe4 2 6 . and there is no doubt that in this case. which is one of the most im­ portant factors connected with the functioning of intuition. For now. tt:Jxd5 (the only move) . is unlikely to have let him down.C hapter 2 . In this position Anderssen. as we have seen. 88 � 8 2 I . As we see. . since his king is permanently under fire.'iVd3 lt:Jf6 2 2 . It is a characteristic of all the great exponents of chess intuition. he should have played 2 0 . In fact. I would go further: to me it is obvious that intuition was one of the most im­ portant components of the American's chess strength. ltJxdS and then events could have developed as follows: 2 0 .dxe5 'iVxeS 2 3 . especially playing Black. playing one of the most important games of his life. not even consider the possibility of winning a pawn? I do not see any other explanation than the fact that he simply felt that this direction of play did not promise him anything at­ tractive. can be seen in the games of other great players of the past. In addition. A • i i i .'iYh8+ with perpet­ ual check. by playing 20.Y �.i i £ . committed an oversight. tt:Jxe5 (this too is practically forced) 2 2 . But now let us return to the game. . and 'di­ rection' .'iYe5+ �f8 2 9 . . Morphy would have had to be guided by his intuition. which means intuition.lt:Jg4 l:rad8 Black's chances are superior) 2 l . 'iYd2-c2? 47 . there are two important words 'felt' . I think it played a far greater role in his play than it did in that of the other great American cham­ pion.'iVxg 7 'iVg6 2 8 . Bobby Fischer. From this. Smyslov and Tal..'iYh 7 + �f8 and now 24. i. combined with clock-like precision in play. We will say more about the percentage of different com­ ponents later. Instead.i . . such as Capablanca. We will encounter such mistakes in commentaries later in this book. ttJ 8 •iV � ji. d8xd1 + �f6xf2 Even weaker is 2 9 .itxd4 2 2.. When Morphy played his 20th move.The Enigma of Chess I n t u i tion But now there is scope for direct calcu­ lation.itd4xb2 tt:Jc6xd4! Black is clearly better in the variation 2 1 . 32. 26.Ii.t>e7 2 6...xd4 l::rx e5 2 3 . but also very strong con­ tinuation. �e3xd4 25. �d6xe5 23. this was with one of the greatest mas­ ters of attack that have ever lived. . . But first. ... among other variations. 21 . . tt:Jd5xf6+ �e5xf6 24.itb7 ! (it is also possible to take the knight at once) 2 3 . At the same time..itb2-e5 �f2-g3 . sitting opposite him! 25 . . . �c2-h7+ <. 20. 31 .d7? 'liVe 1 + 3 0 .. 30. l:!. 21 .�h2 . both now and in the further play.. . 22.e l + �d7. 'iYh8-h7 .b1 xd1 29. l::ra 1 -b1 28. .l:!.l::!. Morphy takes a pawn and then exchanges queens. tt:Jc3xd5 �b6xd4 Black also has a clear advantage after 2 2 .itb1 -e4 The attempt to manage with checks loses at once: 2 5 . �h7-h8+ l:!.l:IxeS. he had. but also to fore­ see that his king would be safe.xd4 . not only to see this position.�h8+ <.a8-d8 26 .t>g8-f8 A very simple.ih2 . 48 29.xd4 .ita2 �cS .iteS + .l:!.ite4-f3 �h1 -g1 �f8-e7 . �g1 -h 1 l:!..�. Anyone would do the same. he had to bring about the conditions for such a simple decision! 27. 22. but without in any way di­ verting our attention from our main subject. . 49 .l:. A Modern Perspective. could do all this from birth! But if his opponent had been outplayed. "i¥h7xg6 �f3-b7 �b7xa6 �g1 -f2 36. .e8-b8 c7-c6 �e5-d6! �e7-d7 .l::ra 2-f2+ .b8-a8 l::ta8xa3 �d7-c7 . But he simply did not bother looking.. . 50.l:l'.e l +) 34 .'ii'xf7 .d1 -d3 �f2-e2 �a6-b7 l:rd3-d1 �b7-c8 f7xg6 J:!.f6 c2 5 3 . 48. and he was also a great tactician. If Morphy had paused for a moment.!:. . Fritz immediately points out a forced win by 3 2 . �g3-g6 Just so! I am convinced that Morphy did not even consider other possibilities. 44.'ti'xh6 (34. since the game was won. Subsequently. Psychologically.�d5 �d6 3 5 . . by correcting some errors in my book Paul Morphy. and could do so wonderfully.f2-f6 �c7-b6 �c5-d6+ c6-c5 c5-c4 . 47. Morphy preferred to attack energetically. Here. Black had no more difficulties in the game. - S u cc essful Use of I n t u i t i on �e2-f3 �c8-e6 �f3-g3 . 43.f6-f4+ c4-c3 Or 5 1 Jhg6 l:td4 5 2 . g6 3 4. 40. 46.�h l (33 .!:i. 36. but no simple decision was lying on front of his eyes.!:i. l::tf4xg4+ 0-1 A simple and at the same time powerful game. �d4+ ! 3 3 . Morphy. .. l::th 8 3 5 . 39. 37. We will look now at a clas­ sic example. .g3 �d6-c5 .t:rd1 -d7+ �e6-g4 �g3-h4 �g4-f3 . we have found several answers to the question of what made Morphy su­ perior to the great attacking master Anderssen. . 45. 51 .Ufl �f4. 34.d7xg7 �f3-g4 g2. I will also seek to kill two birds with one stone.'ii'd 2 and now Black can finish the job a la Morphy with 3 5 . J:!. Jhh3+ etc.r!xd4 'ii' e l + 3 4. he could easily have found this variation. 49.!:i. this is very noteworthy! However. The latter only learned much later not to be afraid of having to defend. 35. when the position demanded it. Capablanca was also able to play in such a style. . 38. 41 . It is interesting that one can find similar occurrences in several of Lasker's games.Chapter 2 32 .l:. 33. And he would only take a purely technical decision if there was dire ne­ cessity. on the other hand. which is intuition! In this section. Russell Enterprises. . 51 .�h2 �e5+) 3 3 .a3-a2+ 42. then double rooks on the f-file. . when the book had already appeared in print and it was too late to . then we must start our analysis one move earlier than the point at which most commentators usually start taking an interest. if his opponent had not commit­ ted an obvious mistake on move 2 2 . he did not resist its charms in favour of a guaranteed technical method of play. .The Enigma of Chess I n t u i t i on Inc.' But later. and that Morphy turned out to have pene­ trated the position more deeply than several (four of five?) generations of analysts. it should have cost him half a point. it should be played now. �g4! with a simple positional idea: to exchange light­ squared bishops (White has many holes on the light squares) . Bird. because the main alternative is 1 6 . ca­ sual match.s 0 ' ' 1 6 . correct anything. and in this case. when he spotted a striking idea. USA. Henry Morphy. namely that one of the most im­ portant components of the phenomenal natural talent of the tragic American champion was the strength of his intu­ ition. I discovered that the truth was quite different. in the following po­ sition. hav­ ing obtained an overwhelming position from the opening. In my book.Paul London match. supported by the authority of modern computer analysis taken from Kasparov's multi-volume work. As a result. 50 .. . i''El'i¥ 8 � • J::!... 1 85 8 . but I did not manage to shake off the impression created by a century and a half of commentators. 1 7. after experiencing a long feeling that something was wrong (is this intuition?) .. I gave a long version of what re­ duces to the following: 'the match with Bird did not have great sporting signifi­ cance in Morphy's eyes. a 8-b8 Analysis starts here. But everything has its price. Milford. . and this is really the case. And if I am right. London. then exchange the other bishops (the pawn on f2 !) and the rest is quite easy.. 1 8 5 8 • "' � '. since then the a8 rook can go to f8 in one move. As a re­ sult. . as well as con­ firming what to me is obviously the case. 0-0-0 . If this plan is to be played. I analysed the following fa­ mous game Bird-Morphy. 2 0 0 5 . the most impor­ tant of these are summarised in Kasparov's first volume. it is with him that we will be debating. 20. I will make use of the past analyses. 1 9. 1 9. For example.. �e3xf2 'ifh3-a3! But now let us turn to the analysis.'ii'd 8+ �f8 2 l . inso­ far as it is justified. because the assessment of its strength depends entirely on the strength of the sacrifice just played. . . which one has to say is grandi­ ose.�d2 e3 Black wins. I have deliber­ ately left that move without punctua­ tion.Cha p t e r 2 .Su c cessful Use of I n t u i t i on deed been considered incorrect. 21 .. l::f8xf2(!!) This is what Morphy had seen and the reason he moved the rook on the previ­ ous move! Incidentally. . �g4. b2-b4 "ii!Ya3xa2 This too is forced After 2 0. as I said above. Effectively. 1 9 . should be devoted to Black's previous move or to the whole concept. lhb 2 ! 2 0 . it has in- This move is forced. 'if g S loses thus: 1 9 . c2-c3 I have only given Black's last move one exclamation mark. even if not fully correct at the end of the day For 1 5 0 years or so.�xe3 'ifb4+ 2 3. 1 7.'iYc2 �f4+ 2 1 . because he simply does not have any other move. . The main question is this: was the sacri­ fice simply the whim of a genius. We 1 l::b 1 mate. In doing so. . All the astonishment. 1 8. So why did he choose an incalculable line with a sacrifice? Or did he in fact feel with his intuition (we will soon realise that the number of possible variations makes it beyond hu­ man capacity to have calculated it out) . since there can be no doubt that it would have been a simple matter for Morphy to see the technical route beginning with 1 6 . that he had great chances of conducting the attack to a successful conclusion? I am inclined towards the latter answer. �c1 -c2 "ii!Ya 2-a 1 + "ii!Ya 1 -a4+ 51 . to which he has added his own analysis and that of the computer. but only analysis can show the effec­ tiveness of the American genius' intuition.�d2 e3 + ! 2 2 . 20. Fortunately. Moving the bishop to this square is incompara­ bly weaker. White loses two important tempi. by the way..�gS axb4 ! 2 7 .'iYa2+ 2 7.ixe2 (after 2 8 Jld2 . l::rxb4. because there are too many non-forcing lines here. but I ask you to believe me .axe 1 l:txe 1 2 9Jhe 1 . 2 7 . e3 + 2 S . aS ! with a winning attack.if4+ ! 2 8 . 26 . bS the advantage is already on his side. . .f3 axb4! 3 I ... . .l:ld3 Worse is 2 6 . .ie4 3 l . White's defensive lines have been worked out..White is in a bad way. .ig6 Black has a serious. although it seems that Black should hold) 2 7 ..�c2 �a4+ 2 7 .ie4 30 . however. we have reached a po­ sition in which.U.�e3 �a2 ! 2 4Jlhg 1 aS ! 2 S Jld2 (2S .cxb4 .tlaxe 1 l::rxe 1 2 9 Jhe 1 . 2S .'iVc2 'iYa3 29 . I cannot prove this by variations. . as shown by the variations: A) 2 3 .f.fl .'iVxf4 bxc3 winning) 2 S . . whereas after 2 7 . dxe 1 'iV 2 8 .ie l ! Kasparov awards this move an exclama­ tion mark.ixh2 3 0 . despite his extra rook (for which. believe that White's defences can be breached even in this case.�b2 e2 ! 2 8 . .ixh2 3 0 . 2 2.U. . It is indeed the most tenacious.. �c2-b2? Without any doubt. .�h6 is no better: 2 S .e 8 ! 2 7 . which I think is very likely) corrected and refined. and in the opinion of several gen­ erations of commentators.t!. let us look at the main variation. .ixc6 �f7 ' .ixb4! 24..�c 1 axb4 with a de­ cisive attack.�c l was oblig­ atory.ia6 (I would mention in passing that this move is bad. .xe3 . Through the efforts of all these commentators. aS ! 2 8. However. I. . First.ib7 .l::!. should have saved the draw.�c2 'i¥a3 + 2 6. . . which Kasparov (or whoever helped him with his book. Black has three pawns already and will soon have an­ other!) White has serious trouble sur•• . This is the main line of what I have found: 2 2 .ie3 .�b3 exd2 2 6 . a terrible move. . 'iVa l + 2 6.xb4 2 S . e3+ 26. . .xa 1 ..llfl . .l:i. 2 S .l::!.'i¥xfS .'i!iid l If 2 7 . . which loses quickly.if3 ! dxe 1 � 2 8 . as men­ tioned earlier. prob­ ably even decisive advantage.�d2 l::r b 2 winning. considering that it saves White.'i¥b3 aS ! 29 .ifs 2 3..The Enigma of Chess In t u i t i on 22. . 23 'iVal + 24.'iVcl 2 S . which is given in Kasparov's book: ••• 52 2 4..'iVa3! then White's prospects look much less rosy. if we refrain from the natural check and play instead 24 . ."iVe3 ? loses at once to 2 S . g6 2 6 .id3 'i¥a4+ 2 7 . B) 23 . .�b2 'ifc4 2 8 .ixb4! Black wins) 2 8 . . gave Black a minimal advantage' . .r. .ie4! As a result.�c2 The greatest in­ trigue starts with this move. and chess literature is rife with stories such as the following : 'During the Second Moscow Interna­ tional tournament in 1 9 3 5 . tit>a2 decisive is 2 S .S u c cessful Use o f I n t u i t i on viving. But even so. 28. Wb2-c2 �d6xb4 l:. of course.�xd4 �e6+ 2 8 . c5 ! 2 6. c3xb4 24. just for clarity: 2 7 . 23.Wbl 'iYa2+ 3 0 . Ragozin and I were showing him our analysis of the adjourned game Ragozin-Lasker. the next player we come to is one who is universally ac­ knowledged as a chess genius.b8xb4+ 'iYa4xb4+ 'On 2 S .Chapter 2 .dxc5 d4! ' . played for pleasure. Morphy won with a direct attack. .Kasparov. Once again. Chronologically. very nice that his intuition did not de­ ceive him! But one cannot help noticing that the game.�b l AfS + . was his enormous natural intuition. like others of his. �d2xb4 25. was powerful. and the reason why he remained ahead of his time by several decades.tit>c l 'li'xe2) 2 9 J:£d2 e3 3 0. .�xe3 'ii a 3+ 3 l . practically by force: 22. 27. and Black will then have every grounds for winning. This. �f2xe3 l:rd1 -d3 �c2-d2 tit>d2-d1 e4-e3! �c8-f5+ 'tWb4-c4+ 'tWc4-a2+ 'tWa2-b1 + 0-1 This game was not very important in a sporting sense. 29. Morphy. I will add a couple of lines. showing any further lines makes no sense.�al 'iYb3 (also good is 2 8 . . and I simply ask you to believe me when I say that White will not be able to escape from the pin without major material losses. we have to say. 26. 'iVa3 + 2 9 . In the game. it is Legends abound of his intuition. is Jose Raul Capablanca. Watching the complicated variations 53 . Jose Raul Capablanca 25. and par­ ticularly unrivalled for the strength of his chess intuition. . I am convinced that the most important part of the gigantic superiority that Morphy had over his contemporaries. T h e E n i g m a o f C hess I n t u i t i on played out, Capa just nodded his head each time, as a mark of agreement. But no sooner had we reached one varia­ tion, finishing in an endgame, than he instantly (italics mine - VB) rejected my superficial summary, and expressed the view that the ending was lost for White; and as the result of joint analysis, Ragozin and I were unable to prove him wrong' (Mikhail Botvinnik, 2004) . I would point out that here we are deal­ ing with a case of analysis by Botvinnik, a great master in this sphere. But that is just words, whereas concrete demonstrations (and this is a very tough requirement!) showing the working of the intuition of one or other player are more important and easy to understand than any number of stories. So let us look. We start with a fragment from a very well-known game. Bernstein,Ossip Capablanca,Jose Moscow, 1 9 1 4 • This was not a tournament game, but an exhibition game, and so it may be that the players did not achieve a full level of concentration during the en­ counter. So firstly, we should not criti54 cise Capablanca's opponent too severely for his mistakes, and secondly, one can­ not but be amazed at the grace and depth of Capablanca's play. In this posi­ tion, he played 1 5 . ... c5-c411 This decision could be considered one of genius, had not the idea been seen before. I have in mind Lasker's move f4-f5 , which he had played some five years before, in an Exchange Spanish against Janowski. In this position, how­ ever, Capablanca had to consider much more serious counter-measures from the opponent, than was the case in the aforementioned predecessor game. But what is really remarkable is that later in this same year of 1 9 1 4, Lasker beat Capablanca in one of the most famous games in chess history, again employ­ ing the advance f4-fS in the Spanish Ex­ change variation! Fate loves to smile ironically on us! But why does a quiet advance of a pawn one square, without any sacrifice or at­ tack, excite such a response as to be considered virtually a move of genius? The fact is that it runs wholly counter to the accepted canons of positional play, as they were understood at that time. Now the pawn on dS becomes back­ ward, and one can forget about any hope of advancing it. At the same time, it becomes even weaker than it was. In addition, the white knight is presented with a splendid outpost on d4. All against the accepted rules! Even so, the decision is fully appropriate, and even more than that. 'The idea, which has been passed down from game to game over the course of sixty years, is that by Cha pt e r 2 - S uc cessful Use of I n t u i t i o n attacking the pawn on b2, Black relieves himself of the need to defend dS . In the event of b2-b3 , Black obtains an active passed pawn.' (Botvinnik, writing in Uchebnik Shakhmatnoy Igri Kapablanki), FIS Publishers, Moscow 1 9 7 5 ) . What is important here for our topic? It is that whilst all the factors listed by Botvinnik are perfectly correct, that was not how things were viewed at the time this game was played! Capablanca easily managed to see beyond the stereotypes of his time. The reason was his genius, of course, but the important thing for us was that the main component of his genius was intuition. In this case, it def­ initely showed itself In what are its ef­ fects seen? Mainly in the fact that it was necessary to feel (there is virtually no other word for the taking of such a de­ cision) , that play ' against all the rules' , that is, without relying o n standard posi­ tional principles for that time, is here fully justified. Such a decision is also very difficult to take without belief in one's correctness, which can be based either on intuition or concrete calculation. Which, as we will see, was not simple here. 16. l:lf1 -d1 1 7. ti:Jf3-d4 l:rf8-d8 1 7. .te7-b41 Another surprise. The bishop, which seems so active and is not obstructed by anything, comes over to exchange itself for the enemy knight. Once again, this was a strange operation for those days. It is justified by one thing - securing the pawn on dS . Here, we must say something obvious, but essential - the fact that Capablanca correctly makes an excellent positional decision, does not mean that his position is superior as a result. No, the position was, and re­ mains, equal. The result of the game is caused by Bernstein's subsequent mis­ takes. The strength and importance of what Capablanca has done lies in the fact that, firstly, by solving the problem of the dS pawn, he has equalised com­ pletely, and has even created some small pressure on White's position. Secondly, he has done so by means that were rev­ olutionary for their time, thereby ope­ ning up for his contemporaries and fu­ ture generations further weapons in the arsenal of positional play and assess­ ment (and all with a modest pawn move and the exchange of a bishop for a knight! ) . Such long-lasting ideas are usually either worked out in home anal­ ysis (such an approach was typical in those days of Akiba Rubinstein) , which was certainly not the case here, or born at the board, in which case the proba­ bility of intuition having played a part in it is very high. This is even more the case here, where forcing play, though possible, as we shall soon see, is not mandatory. And for this reason, there was nothing much to calculate here. The game continued: 55 T h e Enigma o f C hess I n t u i tion 22 . .l:!.c3-c2 Taking the pawn is bad: 2 2 . .l:i.xc4? tt:lc3 . 22. 23. .l:ld1 -c1 24. tt:ld4-b3 c4-c3 .!:i.c8-c5 24. ... l:.c5-c6 1 8. b2-b3 This decision was widely criticised, but I think wrongly. Now Black will obtain a passed pawn, but with accurate play by White it will not be dangerous. As so often happens, the commentators' view has been influenced by the striking out­ come of the game. However, more pas­ sive methods of play are also perfectly reasonable, for instance: 1 8 .'ifc2 ! ? �xc3 (if 1 8 . . . .l:i.ab8, then 1 9 .tt:lce2 with equal play. This is why the white queen moved on the previous move) 1 9. bxc3 .l:i.ab8 2 0 . .l:i.b 1 'ifd6. Here Black has only a small initiative, which can subse­ quently be neutralised. 1 8. 1 9. b3xc4 20. .l:!.c1 -c2 21 . .l:!.c2xc3 l:.a8-c8 d5xc4 �b4xc3 tt:lf6-d5 At first sight insignificant, but an inter­ esting detail. Capablanca no doubt saw that Black has no real advantage, as his opponent's position is pretty solid. Therefore, Capablanca sets him a trap. I suspect that all these moves were played quite quickly, giving White an extra chance to fall into the snare! It was pos­ sible to retreat the rook to c7, but then the opponent would have fewer chances to go wrong! 25. tt:lb3-d4 26. tt:ld4-b5?! .Uc6-c7 Bernstein takes the first step in the wrong direction. As often happens in chess, taken in isolation, this move does not spoil anything, but it was played with mistaken intentions. Had White seen his opponent's idea, he could have found one of several ways gradually to equalise, with the simplest perhaps be­ ing 2 6.a3 'ifas 2 7 .'iff3 .l:!.c4 2 8 .tt:le2 56 C h a p t e r 2 - S u c cessful Use o f I n t u i t i on �xa3 2 9 .e4 tLlf6 3 I .tLlg3 ! . 26. ... 3 0 ..lhc3 �a4 �c7-c5 27. tt:Jb5xc3? Even now, after several inaccuracies by White, his position would only be a lit­ de worse after 2 7 . tLld4 �e8 2 8 .a3 . Does this mean that the effect of Capablanca's intuitive idea was minimal and it should not be taken too seriously? I be­ lieve it would be wrong to think this way. I would remind you of what I said earlier: 'Intuition should not be deified, nor demonised! It is not a magic wand, waving which solves all problems. Intuition is not more than a means to assist a player in mak­ ing a successful choice in difficult situa­ tions'. And this means that if there is ob­ jectively no advantage in the position, then even the grandest intuition cannot change this fact. However, having made a successful choice thanks to intuition, the player sets his opponent a more difficult task than would be the case in other possible vari­ ations, and in doing so, he increases the chances of a mistake by the opponent. We see that here too, and the same thing happens in thousands of games, although not all have such a wonderful finish as this one. 27. 28. �c2xc3 29. l:tc1 xc3 tt:Jd5xc3 �c5xc3 Capablanca ended this small pearl in the most spectacular fashion: 29. ... �b6-b2! And it turns out that White must lose a rook: 3 0.�e l ( 3 0.�xb2 l:r.d l mate; 3 0 . .l:!.c2 �b l +; 3 0.�c8 �b l + ; 3 0 . .l:!.d3 'iYb l + ; 3 0 .'1Wd3 �a l + !) 30 . . . 'ihc3 . I often use the position of the above di­ agram as a training exercise on the sub­ ject of candidate moves. I am sure that when he played his cunning 24th move, Capablanca had already seen 2 9 . . . �b2 ! . But you know, I am not sure that he bothered checking all the oppo­ nent's possible moves, apart from a couple of the main ones - he just knew that everything would 'come together' ! And one more thing - even the beauti­ ful final blow is not just a triumph of Capablanca's superiority in calculating variations. It is obvious that when, con­ trary to all the positional rules of his time, he advanced his pawn from cS to c4, he did not even try to calculate to the end of the game. But at the same time, he knew (was sure, intuitively) 57 The Enigma of Chess I n t u i tion that the resulting position with an iso­ lated pawn would not contain any seri­ ous danger, and that the resources of his position would at least be sufficient to maintain counterchances. This is intuition in the purest sense! 0-1 The following even more famous game has some things in common with what we have just seen. other hand, i t makes possible the fol­ lowing small miracle. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 1 0. 'iYb3xb6 c4xd5 tt:Jc3xd5 e2-e3 .tc1 -d2 'iYd8-b6 a7xb6 tt:Jf6xd5 c6xd5 ti:Jb8-c6 Janowski,David Capablanca,Jose New York Rice, 1 9 1 6 1. 2. 3. 4. d2-d4 ti:Jg1 -f3 c2-c4 ti:Jb1 -c3 ti:Jg8-f6 d7-d5 c7-c6 .tc8-f5?! This move is not good, as was known even before this game. 5. 'iYd1 -b3?! This is also a well-known inaccuracy. Black's last, over-optimistic move should be met by the preliminary ex­ change 5 .cxdS , and only after 5 . . . cxdS should the queen come out. This slightly spoils the game, but on the 58 David Janowski was a great master of at­ tack, and in general, of playing with the initiative. But here, he has emerged from the opening with an equal positi­ on, without queens. He did not like such 'boring' positions! His opponent, on the other hand, was a great master of such positions, as we will see. There­ fore, one should not be so surprised at the result of the game, but we should pay careful attention to how Capablanca won it! And the most important moment of the entire game occurred now. 1 0. ... .tf5-d7!! 'Capablanca was the first player (my italics - VB) to be able to play such moves. Although the bishop stands "ac­ tively" on fS , Black transfers it to a more modest position, from where it defends the knight on c6 and assists in despite this wonderful idea. we have a very obvi­ ous case where the king should stay in the centre.Cha p t e r 2 .I:!. but in those days . . and I have highlighted them in italics.Bot­ vinnik. And just as in the previ­ ous example. Today. to a definite fu­ ture position. So once again. It shows that Janowski has not yet foreseen very clearly the fu­ ture course of events.. . this is ele­ mentary. f2-f3?! But this mistake is more serious than l l .itd3 . Capablanca plays a move which the great majority of players would not even consider. the position remains only equal. as in the previous example..itd2-c3 a2-a3 tt::lf 3-d2 g2-g3 e7-e6 . to do so. as it was then under­ stood. my italics . Botvinnik has already said the most im­ portant things about this move. and against all established posi­ tional principles. which was several decades ahead of its time. whilst White still has This move is imprecise. e7 -e6. which means it was the product of intuition.itf8-d6 �e8-e7 . But here. 1 2. 0-0 . and this was an area where Janowski lagged behind his opponent in ability. 1 3. And there is another similarity with the previous example . And like the earlier ex­ ample.VB) ' . since this is not the kind of position where it is possible to calculate concrete lines. . But let us talk about this in more detail.f1 -c1 .ite2 . because it 59 .h8-c8 tt::lc 6-a5 f7-f5 b6-b5 1 8. he commits his king to castling.it loses a tempo.S u c cessful Use o f I n t u i t i on the activation of the pawn on b6. And yet the move is brilliant. the move can only be felt. . he will shut it in with . correct was l l . He has also gone against all common sense. It is bad in principle. it is a remarkably deep and strong idea. voluntarily retreats the Slav bishop from the diagonal it usually dreams of occu­ pying.l:i. he had even played a world championship match against Emanuel Lasker! ! 1 1 . and obvious to all. Capablanca's pieces always cooperated to­ gether (again. Once again. on the square e2. The move has a whole range of objections . 1 7. although it is still not a blun­ der. . 16. Therefore. Once again. And Janowski was not only one of the strongest players of the day.itf1 -e2?! 11.here too. 1 5. and next move. By continuing in such a fashion. nor of calculation. it cannot possibly have resulted from calculation. but not yet an outright mistake. 1 4. The only difference is that Black has already worked out his plan of campaign. we have a decision by Black for which there is no supporting base of positional reasons (by the stan­ dards of that time) . . 1 9.Jf3-e1 cJ. however.>g1 -f2 Wf2-e3 �a1 -b1 .f4 followed by the transfer of the knight to eS . .The Enigma o f C hess I n t u i tion does not prevent the opponent's plan.. he creates the threat of a breakthrough on the queenside. 30.ile2xc4 A sensible decision.l:!. by transferring his rook there. Many commentators have even claimed that White would then stand perfectly satisfactorily. 26. with the prospect of gradually increasing the pressure. although lasting advantage.Je1 -g2 . 1 9. which White cannot prevent.h6 23 . 24. . tt. 28.a8-a4 .exf5 exfS 2 2 . but this is how White should have played! Now.Jf3 �f6 24 . .. It was necessary to take the knight.a8-g8 g5xf4 J:Ia4-a8 l::rg 8-g4 .c1 -g1 . In such positions. White cannot pre­ vent this.l:!. whilst Black will become very active when he opens the position. . 20. which is striving for a splendid square on c4: 1 8 .l:. After 2 2 . 29. the knight has more prospects than the bishop. e4-e5? Surprising! With his own hands. 27. 23.l:!.ti.Jd2-f3 ti. First.ilb4 . Now Capablanca gives a classic example of play on both flanks. I still think 60 Now he turns to opening the game on the kingside. e3-e4 b5xc4 �e7-f7 there is a good chance that Capablanca would have won. . Janowski smothers his own minor pieces! It was still not too late to put up lasting and strong resistance by means of the obvious decision 2 l . 31 . 21 . the game enters a new stage. f3-f4 cJ.>e3-f3 g3xf4 tt.l:rc8-a8 21 . 25.Ja5-c4 Now he will have permanent pressure. White's pieces remain passive for a long time to come.ild6-e7 b7-b5 . With his pieces tied down on the other wing.ilc3-e1 h7-h6! g 7-g5 . If this had happened in the game. ti. 32.ilc7 ! Black retains the better chances. 25. but I can­ not agree with this.a8-g8 . 1 8.ilxa5 and Black would have only a small. 22. Chapter 2 - S u c c essful Use of I n t u i t i o n With great difficulty, White manages to hold back the enemy rooks. Now the bishops must enter the game! 32 . ... b5-b4! Of course! So far, the light-squared bishop has been Black's most passive piece. Yet it is the bishop which has no opposite number, and if it succeeds in coming into play, it will be impossible for White to resist the pressure. It was these considerations which gave birth to the idea of the pawn break. But here, we must again look at the resulting variations. And the fact that they are not simple is shown by the experience of numerous commentators on this game. 33. a3xb4?! Now everything turns out to be quite simple, whereas the alternative 3 3 .1[xb4! ? has not found a proper refu­ tation from the various commentators, as far as I can see. I have tried to do this myself, and I believe that I now have quite a clear picture of what is happen­ ing in the game and at this point. First of all, I believe Black should start with the move 33 ... 1[a4! All the commenta­ tors I have seen consider only the more natural 3 3 . . . 1[xb4? ! , but this is worse. The reason, as we will soon see, is that it opens the a-file too early and so gives White good counterchances. Here are the variations: 34.axb4 1[a4 (if 34 . . . hS , then 3 S .\tlf2 ! h4 36.h3) 3 S . .l:.a l 1[c2 3 6.l:ra7+ \tlf8 3 7 . .l:tga l 1[e4+ 3 8 .\tle3 and it is already very clear that White is surviving, because the knight cannot be taken: 3 8 .. Jhg 2 ?? 3 9 . .l::i. c 7 (b 7 ) . 34J:tbcl 34.1[xe7 loses to 3 4... 1[c2 ! 3 S . .i:tbe l 1[e4+ 3 6.Wf2 cJ;xe7 3 7 .tt:le3 .l:txf4+ 3 8 .cJ;e2 1[f3 + 3 9 . <�d2 lhd4+ . 34 ...1[xb4 35.axb4 .l:!.b8 and White's position is very difficult. 33 . ... 1[d7-a4 34. t!.b1 -a 1 ?! This moment is also very interesting for us. In a note that is typical of him, for its few variations, Capablanca gives as best for White 34.l:tc1 and does not point out the simple blow 34..Jlxf4+ , which other commentators were quick to point out as winning. But in fact, this move brings Black nothing, as shown by the following variations: 34 .llxf4+ 35.tt:lxf4 .l:Ixgl 36.tt:le2 l:tg4 37.h3! and Black has nothing better than the retreat by 3 7 ... l1g8 (the aggressive try 3 7 . . . .l:te4? only leads to trouble after 3 8 . .l:ta l 1[c2 3 9 .bS 1[d8 40 .1[f2 1[b6 4 1 .tt:lc3 .l:i.xd4 (4 1 . ..1[xd4 42 .1[xd4 ••. 61 The E n i gma o f Chess I n t u i t i on llxd4 43 .b6 winning) 42.<>t>e 2 ! �d3 + 43.<>t>d2 �e4+ 44.<>t>e l ! �d3 45 Jh6 winning) , and then we reach a draw, as follows: 38Jbl �c2 39.l::ta 7 �e4+ 40.We3 We8 4 1 ..l:i.a8+ 'it;f7 42.lla7 'it;es 43.Ua8+ 'it;f7 44. .l:!.a7 In fact, the correct reply to 34 .l::!.c 1 is 34.. ..llb 8 with the advantage, and I have no doubt that, had 34 . .l:tcl been played in the game, Capablanca would have found the right reply. As we have already said, one sees more oversights in the notes of players with great intuition than with other players. Maybe the reason is that during the game, they usually calculate less than other players, and still take the right de­ cision! In writing commentaries, they do the same, but their intuition is not functioning quite as strongly, hence the lapses. But in this case, Capablanca was right anyway. After 34.J:!.cl .t:!.b8 35.�c3 �xb4 36.tt::le3 Black's winning path would have been much more difficult than in the game. It is not original of me to repeat what many others have said, but in our day, analysis engines are an enormous help in pointing out mistakes in people's home analysis, even in the case of great masters. But they can also be useful in demonstrating, in their own concrete way with variations, the correctness of the intuitive decisions taken by those great masters! 3 5. l::!.a 7 , although even then after 3 5 . . . �e4+ 3 6 .We3 <>t>e8 ! 3 7 .b5 �d8 ! 3 8 .�g3 h 5 Black has all he needs for victory. 35. 36. 'it;f3-f2 �c2-e4+ h6-h5 • 34. 35. �e1 -g3 �a4-c2 White's posltlon is extremely un­ pleasant in all lines, but the best chance of confusing matters was 62 37. .l:!.a1 -a7 If 3 7 .tt::le 3 h4 3 8 .tt::lxg4 the capture 3 8 . . . fxg4! is very strong, and after 3 9.l:ta7 hxg3 + 40Jhg3 l::rb 8 4 1 ..!:l.ga3 llxb4 42 .l:Ic7 l:lxb2+ 43 .<>t>g l .llb 8 (another very strong continuation is 43 . . . �f3 ! 44 . .!:l.aa7 'it>g6 45 .l::!.x e7 'it>f5 with an easy and safe win) 44 . .!:l.aa7 lle8 4 5 . 'it>f2 'it>f8 Black will soon begin to realise his material advantage. 37. 38. .llg 1 xg2 39. �g3xh4 �e4xg2 h5-h4 Nor does the following try help : 3 9 . lhe 7 + ! ? Wxe7 40.�xh4+ 'it>f7 4 l . .ll x g4 fxg4! winning (but not 4 I . . Jhg4?? 42 .�g5) . 39. 40. 'it>f2-f3 41 . �h4xe7 �g4xg2+ J:!.g2xh2 If 4 1 .lhe7+ <>t>f8 42.�f6 (42 . .llh 7 .!:!.gg 2 ! ) then 42 . . . J:!.gh8 ! . Chapter 2 - S u c c essful Use o f I n t u i t i on 41 . 42. 43. 44. 45. 46. wf3-f2 �e7-g5+ .l:!.a7-e7 wf2-f3 l:re7xe6+ .l:!.h2-h3+ l::l: h 3-b3 wf7-g6 l:l.b3xb2+ llg8-a8 'it>g6-h7 0-1 Another widely-known game is the fol­ lowing, in which Capablanca once again shone with a deep and non-stan­ dard decision, all the consequences of which were practically impossible to foresee. Capablanca,Jose Bogoljubow,Efim London BCF Congress, 1 92 2 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. e2-e4 tt:lg1 -f3 �f1 -b5 �b5-a4 0-0 l:tf1 -e1 �a4-b3 c2-c3 e7-e5 tt:lb8-c6 a7-a6 tt:lg8-f6 �f8-e7 b7-b5 d7-d6 0-0 9. ... e5xd4 Nowadays it is known that the immedi­ ate 9 . . . �g4! is stronger. 1 0. 11. 12. 1 3. 14. 1 5. c3xd4 �c1 -e3 �b3-c2 �e3-c1 b2-b3 �c1 -b2?! �c8-g4 tt:lc6-a5 tt:la5-c4 c7-c5 tt:lc4-a5 Forty years later, Fischer showed how one should play in this position: 1 5 .dS ! tt:ld7 1 6.tt:lbd2 �f6 1 7 . .l:rb l with a small advantage, Fischer-Kortchnoi, Saltsjobaden Interzonal l 9 62. Now Black equalises - but no more than that! 1 5. 1 6. d4-d5 1 7. tt:lb1 -d2 1 8. "ifd1 xc2 tt:la5-c6! tt:lc6-b4 tt:lb4xc2 .l![f8-e8 .! 1 9. �c2-d3 With this move, Capablanca begins a re­ grouping of his pieces. 9. d2-d4 Probably for the sake of variety, Capablanca forsakes the usual 9 .h3 in favour of a rarer continuation. 1 9. ... h7-h6 Bogoljubow prepares a retreat for his bishop, remembering the rule of the two bishops. But in this position, the 63 The Enigma of Chess In t u i tion bishop pair is not so valuable. After the normal 1 9 . . . tt:ld7 the game is equal. 20. tt:ld2-f1 21 . h2-h3 tt:lf6-d7 itg4-h5 As intended, he preserves the bishop. After 2 l . . .itxf3 2 2 .'iYxf3 itf6 the posi­ tion would be roughly equal. 22. tt:lf3-d2! 23. itb2xf6 ite7-f6 'iYd8xf6 25. b3xc4 26. 'iYd3-e3 tt:ld7-c5 b5xa4 2 6 . . . bxc4 was insufficient for equality, of course. After 2 7 Jh3 ! itg6 2 8 .f3 ti:ld3 2 9 . l:rd l ! White has the advantage, although Black has reasonable counter­ chances. 27. f2-f4 �f6-e7 Kasparov also offers a suggestion here: 2 7 . . . itg6 ! ? 2 8 .tt:lg3 .l:i.ab8, considering Black's chances in the resulting position to be perfectly good. However, after 29.I!a3 ! ? l:rb7 3 0.e5 'iYd8 3 1 .ti:lde4 White has a stable advantage . 28. g2-g4 29. f4-f5 30. tt:lf1 -g3 .ith5-g6 itg6-h7 'iYe7-e5 24. a2-a4!? This moment of the game is the most interesting for our researches. Capablanca invites his opponent to un­ dertake a tempting operation. 24. ... c5-c4!? Bogoljubow agrees. Kasparov points out the alternative 24 . . . tt:le5 ! ? 2 5 .'iYe3 g 5, considering the chances roughly equal. But the equality here would have a different character, as play would be sharper. Bogoljubow's deci­ sion looks tempting and positionally well-founded - he obtains an excel­ lent square for his knight, and later for his queen too. In addition, he gets a passed pawn with prospects of ad­ vancing it. 64 This position has arisen, if not by force, then as a very likely consequence of Capablanca's decision at move 24. It is obvious that it is far from one-dimen­ sional and is impossible to assess accu­ rately at the moment. Therefore, let us delve into it more deeply and try to un­ derstand Capablanca's idea. As we have already said, as a result of Capablanca's decision, the black knight and queen both occupy magnificent Chapter 2 - Su c cessful Use of I n t u i t i o n positions in the centre of the board, and he has obtained a quite promising passed pawn. Black will have the better prospects on the only open file, the b-file, because he has a potential pene­ tration square on b2, whilst it is much harder for White to find a similar entry point. White's advanced kingside pawns could potentially become weak, as could the white king, which stands be­ hind them, although he does stand better than his opposite number for the ending. So, Black has many plusses here. And what are the trumps of White's po­ sition? Firstly, they are not very many ­ if he manages to exchange the black knight, the pawn on c4 can perhaps ad­ vance, followed by the dS pawn. Sec­ ondly, we have already mentioned his king's better prospects in the ending. But all this is not much. The main ad­ vantage White has is the blocked-in en­ emy bishop on h 7 . The big question here is: whose trumps are the more im­ portant? This is a very difficult question to answer, principally because it is hard to identify the means to compare such diverse factors. The point is that in chess, the only general means, which can measure any factor, is calculation. But here, the position is of such a type that there is not much to calculate, al­ though White had to see a few varia­ tions. These are the ones involving a breakthrough by Black on the b-file, to­ gether with the march of his a-pawn. In an ideal world, Capablanca would have clearly pictured the situation in that part of the board when choosing his 24th move. As we will soon see, White is in­ deed able to hold the situation there, al­ though not without a few problems. Beyond that, as in the two previous ex­ amples, there is very little information one can bring to the assessment of the position, certainly using the known po­ sitional patterns of those years. But one cannot manage without coming to some judgement of a position, where both players have such differing trumps. One must either calculate ev­ erything, or else feel which side's ad­ vantages are the more important, that is, rely on intuition. In this component of play, there was a big difference in class between Capablanca and Bogoljubow, and as the analysis shows, Capablanca's intuition did not deceive him, although it did not save him from some inaccuracies in what follows. 31 . Wg1 -g2 32. ri.a1 -b1 33. tt:ld2-f3 .l:ra8-b8 f7-f6 .l:tb8-b2+ 34. l:ib1 xb2? This is the aforementioned mistake, based on an oversight. It is interesting that this moment is not discussed in a single one of the commentaries on this game that I am aware of But it appears that the move 34.l:ie2 ! is much stron­ ger. In this case, after the very plausible sequence: 65 we certainly have a classic example of a crude blunder in annotations.xeS 3 6 .e8 he begins the assault with 3 7 .l:!. but the trouble is.'iYe3 he should be doing extremely well.g5 fxgS (38 . 38. tt:lf3-d4 'iYe5xb2+ 'iYb2-b3 queen retreats. there comes 3 8. In this case. 40. 37.lla2 'lt>f8 4 1 . . Because of this. Now all the advantages of the white position. Probably Bogoljubow thought that in the end­ game. of which we spoke earlier. Here.l:!. . 42.l:!. . and he was mistaken in his judgement. but it is clear anyway.l:rb8-b2 .l:ha4 tt:lcS 40.'iff4) 39. It was Bogoljubow's turn to err.T h e Enigma of C h ess I n t u i t i on A) 34 .'iYxd5 .h4 with the idea of opening lines for his queen. as I have al­ ready said. . . again. Capablanca shows that then there would follow 3 7 . however. 'ifb3xe3? He should bravely have taken the pawn with 3 6 . 'ifxe2 'ii' c 3 3 6.ttld4 White has a significant advan­ tage.hxg5 hxgS 40.lle 1 -e2 36. and worse still. 'ifxc4. . B) Maybe Capablanca did not wish to undertake the at first sight more com­ plicated task of realising his advantage after 34 . . I will not show the varia­ tions. after: 34. He ex­ changed queens by 36 . and after 3 7 . White would certainly have a significant advantage.�c3 . but White is fine here too. he has overlooked the elementary 3 7 . White seems to have nothing better than 3 7 . After 3 5 .l:Ie3-c3 'lt>g2-f3 tt:lg3-e2 tt:ld4-e6 c4-c5 l:re8-b8 Wg8-f7 .. . . . . Jhb 1 .�d2 'ifxc4 3 7 . Now we again have cause to speak about a theme we have already discussed. . ttlxe5 ..eb8 3 8 .�b4 �d3 3 8 .�xd3 tt:lxd3 3 9 . come to fruition. Now. I ask you to take my word for it.l:!.ith7-g8 tt:lc5-b3 Now the time has come for this pawn to advance. 43.. 41 . .. his passed pawn would be more dangerous than in the middlegame. much more typical of players of an intuitive type.llc 2 and after the 66 42. tt:le6xc5 d6xc5 tt:lb3-d2+ .b l 40. Jhe 2+ 3 S . 35 .'ifc l . but this brings him no more than equality. In his notes.lle2xe3 .tt:le6 . . l b3 3 9 . with the prospect of a quick draw.l:!. 39. tt:le6. . It ap­ pears that the best line begins with the move 48 . . .�xdS S 2.d6 �dS S 3 . .d6! a2 White wins by force: 47 .l:[c6+ �eS ! 49. . .d6 �dS S4.. it has been established that the best line then is the following (I give only the main line) : 4S .�xa6.l:ic3 ! . and partly from the previous one.�xdS S 2 . tLlb l 4S . b l 'if S4 .S u c c essful U s e of I n t u i t i o n 44. . �f2-e1 46 . d5-d6+ 48. .tLl2d4+ �b7 S l .c l a3 46.tLlb4 aS S S . The strongest was 44. but col­ lected.c l ) S 2. . �c4 S6. .C h a p t e r 2 .l:!.t>xe4 And now it is possible to win. �f4! and after 44 .fxe6. . S l .tLle6! �e8 48 . . . we can make the follow­ ing very important observation: intu­ ition works well when a player is calm and collected . tLlb I ! ? White would have to work hard to overcome all the obstacles. Bogoljubow missed his chance and played the weaker 44.l:!. From this oversight. . and not relaxed.tLla4) S 6.d7 . 45.tLla4+ �aS S4. after 44.tLlxa4 . it does not throw away the win (thankfully! ) . .c7 + �d6 48 . and also by S I . .l:!.l:id8 S3 . a4-a3? Much more tenacious was 46 . Admittedly. .c8 + ! �d7 49 . By the combined efforts of various generations of commentators.l:!.tLlxb2 axb2 (S I . But now. .l:ixb l tLlxb l S S . . Such a thing is also to be seen in some of the games of Morphy. .d8+ �c6 S O . which turned out not to be best. understanding that his position is winning.l:ie6 + ! ! �xe6 S6. �f3-f2?! This is Capablanca's second inaccuracy in this game. . But Capablanca. .I:l:c4! a3 46. .not tense. another player of the intu­ itive type.d7) S4.tLlc3 + ! WeS ( S S .�e3 tLlxd6 S S . tt:Je2-d4 �e7-d8 l:Ib2-b6 67 .l:!.tLlxb2. �b6 tLle4+ (S3 . ..tLle6 �e7 47 . �d6 47 . ..l:!. tLld3+ <.tLlcS + �a7 S 2 Jld7+ �b6 S 3 .l:id4!.�c2 tLle4+ S 3 . relaxed and took the most obvious decision. but it could have seriously complicated it. But his opponent de­ cided not to tire him out. and not under too much internal ten­ sion.l:[c3-d3 �f7-e7 tt:Jd2-b1 46 .d6 �b8 S 2 .!:[b4 and White still has a good deal of work to do to win. .tLlf4 tLld2 S O . as shown by Kasparov: S l .�e3 a2 S4 . and the game ended quickly: 47. to a new class of position. 8. 2. 7. . 51 . is 8 . It still works in our day. Capablanca showed the great power of his intuition in solving a complex problem. Another circumstance is more interest­ ing : when did Capablanca think up his idea. but to a new type of position that was unknown be­ fore the present game! Again we see Capablanca coping successfully in a po­ sition unknown to him and not in ac­ cordance with the standard positional means typical of his time! This is what is meant by genius. 5. this is fairly obvious. The subsequent statistics of the variation are also depressing for Black. And once again. the whole variation is not very good. Black should exchange on d4. although reached via a different opening system. However.. and in this game does indeed lead. and still considered to be so. �d7 . e2-e4 tt:Jg1 -f3 tt:Jb1 -c3 �f1 -b5 d2-d4 �b5xc6 �d1 -d3 tt:Jf3xd4 e7-e5 tLlb8-c6 tt:Jg8-f6 d7-d6 �c8-d7 �d7xc6 e5xd4 8. Nowadays. So it is not without good reason that Capablanca decided to seek new paths. Not just to a new position. the main instrument used was definitely intuition. Nimzowitsch. there is no doubt that this remarkable discov­ ery was found to a significant extent by the use of intuition. 6. 9. The following game of his gave the chess world a more general strategical idea of great depth.Aaron Capablanca. 3. at home (this would be untypical for him. in a very non-stan­ dard situation. ChessBase gives only two games. But it is not actually so important.Jose St Petersburg preliminary. and instead at move S . Both saw Black played by none other than Steinitz. it is still not great for Black. 52. 4. 1 9 1 4 1. tt:Jd4-e6+ f5xe6 e6-e7+ tt:Jc5xa6 �g8xe6 . And in this instance. but why not?) or at the board itself? I do not know the answer to this question. going into the normal variation. 50. The 'normal' continuation at the time. Probably. played before the present one. tLld4xc6?! 68 g7-g6 . and so his decision should not be criti­ cised. with a huge percentage of losses.. . and unless someone else knows.l::r b 6-b8 Wd8-e8 1 -0 In this game. and he lost both. . we will never be able to find out. What is important is that the move played can lead.The Enigma o f Chess Intu i ti on 49. we can say that it was Capablanca who was right! 1 5. a2-a4?1 lic8-a8! 69 . . f2-f3 1 7. . playing 9 .0-0-0 ! . 1 2. we can say that this position was probably foreseen by both players. .S u c c essful Use of I n tu i t i on Nimzowitsch.i[gS ! . a subject we will discuss in more detail later. 'iV d2 Then after 1 8 . 'ifd3-e2 ti:Jd7-e5 tt:Je5-c4 'Having g1vmg up the pawn . 1 3. is that the effectiveness of these manoeuvres had to be foreseen (felt) in advance. and he successfully showed that White retains a strong ini­ tiative. My Great Prede­ cessors. Capablanca plays as if nothing was amiss. 11. 9.i[f4 tbcS ! ? 1 8 . But looking ahead only a short time. 1 5. in my view. His "simple" manoeuvres 'ifd7 -e6 and ti:Jd7 -e5-c4 followed by putting his rooks on the a. 1 9.Chapter 2 . 1 8. 14. l:la1 -b1 Firstly. There is no doubt about the fact that this novelty was the result of home preparation. b7xc6 YWd3-a6 YWd8-d7 YWa6-b7 . . astonishing for the time' (Garry Kasparov. Alekhine significantly strengthened White's play in 1 92 7 . 1 0. He undoubtedly be­ lieved that his queen would not get stuck in the enemy camp and would be able to return home safely.and b-files are. but they had different opinions about it. 20. Volume 1 ) . . 'iVc4 Black 'only' has good compensation.i[g7 1 0 . And he un­ doubtedly failed to realise that the queen returning home would only be the start of things! From the positional knowledge of his time. strengthening his position to the maximum.U. goes after the pawn. 1 7.i[c1 -d2?1 'iVd7-e61 ti:Jf6-d7 Stronger was 1 7 . in choosing his eighth move! And even if the move itself was not strongest. I would add to this that what is even more amazing. .a8-c8 'iVb7xa7 . whose intuition was not the strongest aspect of his talent.i[f8-g7 0-0 0-0 'ifa7-a6 l:tf8-e8 YWa6-d3 Secondly. what an idea was concealed behind it! 1 9. 1 6. . it is hard to criticise him. In such circumstances. CapabUnca commits an inaccuracy.�d3 �cS + 24.tb8-b4! Again. · . a degree of un­ certainty in his play is understandable.-e a familiar turn of events. then Black should not be able to obtain more than the comfortable play already demon­ strated. ds ! 2 1 .x b2 .l::f.a4 fS with comfortable and active play. in the aforementioned book.ilxb2 2 7 . Yes.<Jolh l . as also af­ ter 24. points out the best defence 2 0 . In their first seven meet­ ings.Wh l . you may ask. However.l:l. I cannot explain what made him give this check:..b4! 2 5 . Kasparov. 23.ab8. Having fully implemented his great idea. .e. Simpler and stron­ ger was the immediate 24 :. 23. White would still have plenty of prob­ lems. the seriousness of mistakes has a tendency to grow. �d2-e3? 70 25. Capablanca found an extremely deep. �e2xd2 22.. .. he always found it very difficult to play against Capablanca. �g7-d4+ And here we ha.ile 1 ! ? and then himself suggests the following for Black: 2 0 . writes Kasparov. �1-h1 26.te8-b8! 24. Jhb2 2 6 . those played before Capablanca lost his world title to Alekhine.ab8 Black would have a great advantage. I agree with Kasparov. As a rule. . 24. from small in­ accuracies to outright mistakes. that after 24. Certainly. positively genius idea. 1 _1 • tt:Jc4xd2 �e6-c4! l'. i..'i. . 'And no more than that?' . if the starting posi­ tion of this idea was objectively per­ fectly good for his opponent. that is all.ili8 ! . Nimzowitsch managed only two draws. In general.� : 1 . b3 tLld6 2 2 . and conducted the game to a winning position.tf1 -d1 Another bad decision by Nimzowitsch.. although this time only a small one.The Enigma of Chess I n t u i tion Nimzowitsch plays the game in far from the best way. 21 .. �e3-g5 l'.l:. White's last move is not good and only helps Black realise his plan.�c2 �f2 his position would not be nice. tLle2 retains chances of holding ' . . .l:.�b3 .c3 �e3 2 9 . ' 2 3 . but for all that.'ifd3 �cS + 2 5 . 20. even in this case.t>hl . :d1 xd4 :a8-b8 . After the probable continuation 2 5 . l'.ilf6 2 8 .1. and if he had continued to play well. xb2 itxb2 2 8 .S uc cessful Use o f I n t u i ti o n He could have tried 2 6. such as judgement and calculation. 29.) Capablanca will forever have a place in chess history as the archetypal general genius of the game.l:td1 -e1 . . In other words. 26 . And if this is the case.a4-h4 42.llxa7 �xa7 42 .b8-a8 'ii' h 5-c5+ 'ii'c5-c4 �c4-c5 'ii'c5xe5 'ii' e 5-h5+ 'ii' h 5-c5+ d6-d5! Even simpler than 40 .I:Ie1 -a1 'ii' d4-c4 . l:!. 39. and also for the strength of his intuition. 30. A typical intuitive product of genius! ' (Kasparov.ll b4xb2 'ii'c4-c5 'ii'c5-h5! If 3 I .'i:ff2 then 3 1 . and we should not be surprised by such dif­ ferences. . 38.. cit. even by the standards of the elite. similar.l:tb1 -d1 h2-h4 'i:fg5-d2 . 0-1 'We can hardly reprove Nimzowitsch for underestimating his opponent's deep positional idea.tt:lxc7 �xc2 2 9 J:!: e l �xa4 Black has every chance of winning. . so surprising for the start of the 2Oth century. 35. 37.. l:!. there can be dif­ ferences in intuitive ability. 34. tt:lc3-d1 I:!. 'it>h1 -g1 a4-a5 a5-a6 �g1 -h1 a6-a7 e4-e5 lla1 -a4 'it>h1 -g 1 'it>g1 -h2 40.tt:ld l �xc2. 33. 31 . Nimzowitsch could have resigned with a clear conscience at any moment. Jhb 2 ! 2 7 . 'ii'c4xd4 Now Black has no difficulty realising his advantage and no further commen­ tary is necessary. just as they may differ in their ability to calculate and make positional judgements. are distinguished for the power of their intuition. But chess also knows other greats who.a8xa7 42. . We will now examine in more detail this aspect of the play of some of this group.. op.. 'i:fh5xh4+ 'ii' h 4-h5 l:!. to other 'means of production' ..tt:le4.Cha pt e r 2 . then we can and must talk about differences in the level of use of this tool in the play of different players. 32. . Jha7 4 1 .l:Ixc2 ! . amongst different play­ ers of the same class. 27. 28.. 36. 31 . 40. 71 . but not identical. But first a few words about this: one of the leitmotifs of this book is the postu­ late that intuition is one of the tools of a chess player. 41 .tt:lb5 ! ? but then after 2 6 . he almost al­ ways reacted badly ! ' (Garry Kasparov. intuition was one of the most powerful components of his natural chess talents. at exactly the moment when intuition was required more than other qualities. Vasily Smyslov. the heroine of our book steps forward . for all his colossal chess talent and enormous strength.. if not an impossible amount.and would find the refutation! ' I suggest that the ability to react well to an opponent's prepared novelty is to a large extent a function of intuition. And in addition. his cheeks resting on his fists and his ears red with the strain . And here is another confirmation of this. most players can only dream of having his level of intuition) . Vol. Mikhail Botvinnik. 4) . In other words. said 'When Fischer was faced with a surprise in the opening. it is a task which is often extremely difficult and virtually impossible to achieve by the 'normal' means of calculation and assessment. . . But this is what Botvinnik wrote about another champion. . arising at the end of the lines calculated. And now it is time to speak about this in more detail. My Great Predecessors. if the player man­ ages to get that far. To begin with. And then. then for another giant of the game. to which he be­ longed. Vasily Vasilievich Smyslov. his greatest strength in chess was his astuteness.T h e Enigma of Chess I n t u i tion Let us compare two world champions. as we know. a couple of examples to illustrate Botvinnik's words. amongst other things he mentioned as characterising Fischer.. of calculation work. who has long been considered one of the greatest intuitive players of all time: ' . from a source of such authority that a greater one can hardly be imagined. it re­ quires correct assessments of very com- 72 Vasily Smyslov plicated positions. And if intuition was far from being the strong side of the undoubtedly great player Robert Fischer (and I repeat this is only when judged by the very highest standards. intuition somewhat lagged behind other components of his mas­ tery. I have already given one example and said that with Robert Fischer.in­ tuition. he would then sit at the board for an hour. Smyslov's strength showed itself especially when he fell into a prepared variation. We can recall the previously-seen example against Geller and the mistake committed by Fischer. Why? Because to reply well to a strong prepared novelty often requires a great deal. 1 2 . 1 95 6 1. Thus far.'iVxeS ? 1 2 .�xd4 ifxd4? 1 4.. 73 .�xh7+.. 8. And this is what ensued. which will un­ doubtedly have been studied at home by the opponent. because of the loss of the knight: l l . 5. 'i¥c7 is weaker because of 1 3 . 9. play has been forced. . other­ wise White will get everything he has ever dreamed of in this variation. Even in our day. . c5xd4 Thus. 3. White usu­ ally prefers 1 2 . .Chapter 2 . c3xd4 1 0. starting at move eight..Laszlo Smyslov. c2-c4 d2-d4 tt:lb1 -c3 e2-e3 �f1 -d3 a2-a3 b2xc3 e3-e4 tt:lg8-f6 e7-e6 �f8-b4 0-0 c7-c5 �b4xc3+ tt:lb8-c6 So there was plenty to think about.�b2 ifcs 1 3 .�b2 here. and a very important decision to be taken. the exceptions being rare. Szabo's novelty. At the same time. �e1 -f1 tt:lc6xd4 ifd8-a5+ tt:lf6-e8 The pawn cannot be taken. . e4-e5 1 1 .... 4. one could ar­ gue that there was not a great deal to think about at this point.S u c cessfu l Use o f I n t u i t i o n Szabo.�b4 'iVxeS ? 1 4. mainly be­ cause there is also the move 8 . All this con­ vincingly confirms the correctness of Smyslov's decision at move eight. . taking the pawn leads to many complications. it is extremely difficult to work out all the ramifications and it is hardly possible to get by without rely­ ing on intuition. 2. But things are not so simple.tt:le2 . Smyslov is faced with a novelty and has to think. 1 2 . with a complicated and unclear position.Vasily Moscow Alekhine mem. and al­ most always unsuccessful. Actually. Black almost always follows in Smyslov's foot­ steps. . 6. 7. As we will soon see. in fact. ifa5-d8! 1 2 . at no cost. since taking the pawn appears to be forced. The usual continuation was 8 . �c1 -d2 8. d5 . this variation is still oc­ casionally the subject of debate.�c3 . �d2-b4 14. 1 8 . and he is punished. Instead of going into the ending.l2Jf3 If 1 8 . The as­ sessment of the endgames was espe­ cially difficult.exd6 . �b4-c3? Szabo flinches! Maybe events had taken a turn that he had not anticipated. 18 .llxd4 f6 2 1 .�xd6 After 1 6 .l:Ia6 20J:lcl . As we will soon see.'Yixf6 gxf6 1 9.dl !? �d7 1 8. This is shown by the fact that.l2Jf3 1!fxd4 20.d8 20.l2Jb5 lla6 2 l . or else he saw that his prepared judgement was not correct and this came as an un­ pleasant surprise to him.c5 . 1 6. B) Slightly more interesting is 1 7.\t>e2 e5 2 2.I:I.'Yixd6 then 1 8 .tL:lxd6 there are two variations: A) 1 7.exd6 �f6 1 8.. But for us the interesting thing is how great a role did intuition play in Smyslov's decision. but an even more difficult aspect of the work was the assessment of the different positions. which could arise in the various lines. If 1 8 .hb l l:rc6. In making his choice it was extremely im­ portant to evaluate correctly various endgames.We2 �d7 74 2 2. the computer pronounces them all to be virtually winning for .l::!. 'Yid1 xd4 d7-d6 'it>g8xh7 a7-a5 This move is a key part of the plan initi­ ated by Smyslov on his 8th move. .b6 and here White has no real advantage. 20 .d2 . .I:I. especially when one takes into account that it all had to be foreseen in advance..The Enigma o f C hess I n t u i t i on 1 3. and could he have taken it without using intuition at all? We have already seen many of the tasks he had to solve.c5 This is the move given by Smyslov. Ji'f6 1 9.ac8 Here Black also has fully adequate play and the chances of both sides must be assessed as roughly equal.l2Jf3 b6 Black easily equalises. Ji'xd4 1 9... the choice of which in most cases lay with White. The correct and most principled line was to take the pawn: 1 6. Szabo takes a highly optimistic decision. in amongst many other possible continua­ tions for the opponent. in all of which Black would have a material deficit. at first. this was far from easy. which does not accord with the reality of the position on the board. .l:i. �a4 with compensation..l2Jxd4 l:. It is quite obvious that he had to calculate a great deal. in deciding on how to react to the novelty. �d3xh7+ 1 5. . The game is also equal after 20 .l:Ic6 2 I . then his position would not have been worse and a draw would have been the most likely outcome. 'ifxd6 1 8. 1 8. 20.'iVxd6 tt::lx d6 Black has a clearly better ending.exd6.an un­ justified attack on the wing is met by a counter in the centre. . But this attack is a chi­ mera. It should not be sur­ prising that such is the objective truth. 1 8.?h7-g8 Black also has a significant advantage af­ ter 1 8 . worsening White's position further.S u c c essful Use of I n t u i t i o n White. White probably did not consider enter­ ing an inferior one now! 1 7. 1 9.exf6 tt::lxf6 2 0 . 1 7. and will break up on the rocks of the defences around the black king. although after 1 7 .l::rd 3-h3 d6xe5 20. Incidentally. J::rd 1 -d3 'iVd8-c7 Szabo continues the attack. had Szabo taken the right decision on his last move. His position is also dif­ ficult after 1 7 .. we can say with a great deal of certainty that intu­ ition played a major role in the deci­ sion. Smyslov had to perform a great deal of work in different direc­ tions.exf6 ?! tt::lxf6 1 8 .tt::lf3 e5 . ignoring ev­ erything else. 1 9. Thus. White went against the requirements of the posi­ tion. and yet he still took the right decision.exf6 tt::lxf6. . but it just means that Black could not have done any better and seized the ad­ vantage. .tt::l f3 e5 or 1 9. 'iVd4-h4+?! 75 . Iia1 -d1 IJ. and only gradually does it see that Black's position is in fact satisfac­ tory.. But with his last move.. . However. And since it was impossible to achieve complete certainty with either calculation or assessment. Of course.C hapter 2 . The best chance was the exchange 1 7 . . b7-b6! f7-f6! Strictly according to principles .exd6 'iYxd6 and also after 1 8 . White is in a bad way anyway after 1 9. having turned down an equal ending the move before.exd6 tt::lxd6. and this is what followed: 1 6 .. which made his task much more difficult. Another mistake. 26.l:!. 30..Efim Smyslov. 6. Further commentary is not really needed. 2.. . but it was not known to Smyslov.. 23. and will soon lose even more. but even so. . and he had to solve the problems at the board. 5. 25. d2-d4 c2-c4 ti:Jb1 -c3 e2-e3 �f1 -d3 a2-a3 b2xc3 ti:Jg1 -e2 0-0 e3-e4 Wk'd1 -a4 ti:Jg8-f6 e7-e6 �f8-b4 c7-c5 0-0 �b4xc3+ ti:J b8-c6 b7-b6 �c8-a6 ti:Jf6-e8 This continuation had been seen once before this game. is down on material.Vasily Zurich Candidates Tournament. ti:Jg1 -f3 There is no real attack. Geller. 11.f7 0 0 27.a8-c8 'it>g8-f7 �a6xc4+ 'fic7-d6 'fid6xa3 b6-b5 b5-b4 'ifa2-c4 'ifc4-e4+ 0-1 In the following game.gxf6+ gxf6 2 9 'ifh7 + J:. 31 . 27.h6 'ti'xc4+ and 2 S . 3. 29. 9.T h e Enigma of C hess I n t u i tion The black pieces come into play in the simplest way possible. 22.d 2-c2 21 .h1 -g1 ti:Jd2-b1 g5-g6+ 'ifc2-c1 . . 76 .l:!.'ifh7+ tLlg7 24 .g1 -g3 .. 32. 'fid8-c8! . 'ti'h7-c2 Or 2 7 . . 36 .. 7. 8. 4. 21 .. 24. .l:!. 33 . 2 I .. too.l:lg3-d3 .'ifhS + g6 2 3 . ti:Jf3-d2 'ti'h4-h7+ g2-g4 'it>f1 -e1 g4-g5 �c8-a6 . It was already possible to resign.'ti'h5 + 'it>e7 2 8 . White has no at­ tack. For example.. the decision about how to meet a novelty has to be taken in extremely complicated circum­ stances. 1 0.h3-h7 �c4-d5 'ifa3-a1 +! 'ifa1 -a2! 'it>f7-e7 tt:Je8-d6 ti:Jd6-f5 1 1 . 28. it is worth seeing how Smyslov finishes things off He always did this in the most artistic style. 'ifd3 .l:ld3-d2 .l:!.l::!.l:!.'ifh7+ �f7 2 2 . I 9 5 3 1. 34. 35 . In this case. But this is all simple. . so it cannot be ruled out that what has occurred in the game was ex­ actly what he had been aiming for. when he prepared his new move. but I also think that White should have played I 4.d5 . who was certainly not lacking a deep understanding of the game. but fully playable position. who even gives it a question mark. d5 . choose such a positionally dubi­ ous undertaking? Maybe something had gone not quite as he had planned.ti:lg3 ! ? tt:Jas I 4. �c1 -e3 The first variation is clear enough . If this is so. . wrote Smyslov. then Smyslov had penetrated 77 .. l:ra1 -d1 d7-d6 Efim Geller Smyslov's recommendation I 3 .�gS ti:lg4 1 6. d4xc5?! This decision of Geller's is criticised by both Smyslov and Kasparov. So where did all the time go? 1 2. 1 3. .lbc6-a5 . and what might have happened. tt:Jc6-a5 was So why did Geller.in the event of the dubious I 2 .Chapter 2 .fxe8 I 8 .l:Id I bxcS Black would be doing very well. It is well-known that Efim Petrovich was a great master of home analysis and that he prepared his novelties very thor­ oughly.�xd6 �xc4. 1 3 .dxc S ? ! ti:leS (this is why the knight did not go to aS at once. c) that means playing either I I . it will help us under­ stand why this choice was so difficult. or the move in the game. I am not so categorical. which requires Black to pressurise c4.. 1 2.S u c c essful Use of I n t u i tion 'I thought for about an hour'. its apparently natural post) I 3 .'iVxe8 l:!. ti:lf6 I S . . b) retreating it would be against the spirit of the position.�e7 'i¥e8 I 7 .. and ask ourselves: what was he thinking about for so long? It may seem that everything is clear enough: a) the bishop is attacked. we would reach a roughly equal. 14. Can the choice between them really take an hour? If we look at what hap­ pened in the game. Then Smyslov gives the following likely vari­ ation: I 4 . Now we too must pause for a moment. during his long think. . exposing his queen to the threat of . and would also depend to a large extent on intuition. was not forced. . it was important to drive the enemy queen from the square a4. . 14. as it se78 Another notable moment in the game.itxa2 . But ide­ ally. but the pros­ pects in the variation 1 7 .The Enigma of Chess I n t u i t i o n to the heart of the position better than his opponent. f7-f5! This is the principled and concrete re­ ply that Smyslov had to see in advance. one should combine the two crite­ ria. Such a decision could easily take a lot of time. the choice is made ac­ cording to one of two possible criteria: either objectively.itxc4 1 9 . 1 8.itg5 .itxf6 ..itxa4 .itd3-c2 �c6-a4 tt:le8-c7 Exchanging queens was unfavourable. for our purposes. In such situations. And this is what is interesting here: Smyslov. . . But what should Black do now. turned down both chances to reach an ending with an extra pawn: A) After 1 9 . Of course. �c2-a2 Geller would hardly have wanted to leave the f5 pawn on the board. . 1 5.l:!. as the threats are very unpleasant? 1 6 . as all other moves are weaker. . together with his other problems on the queen­ side. The move is practically forced. e4-e5 1 6. along with its consequences.itxd3 were even worse. But from the positional point of view. . So it is quite likely that this important re­ source in the position was foreseen by Smyslov. 1 7. and not what White was planning. according to which continuation leads to the type of position the player likes best. Here Black also has a number of attractive continuations. based on which line the player thinks offers the best chances. one could argue that Black's previous move..exf6 tt:lxf6 1 8 . 1 7. Smyslov was evidently not wishing to give White the chance of counterplay with 2 l . 1txc4 2 0 .d6 . tt:le2-f4 1 9. �a4-c2 d6xc5 �c8-c6 verely restricts his pieces.itd3-e4. But now it is clear that White has no real compensation for the catastrophically weak c4 pawn. a great master of the endgame. or subjectively. I have had all too few conversations with great masters! ) . f2-f3! 23. as I have said before) that intuition was at work here. ifa4-e8!? would venture to suggest (offering strict proof of the operation of intuition is very difficult. . assuming Black shows a proper quality of play in real­ ising his advantage. 25. From here onwards. 1 9. tt::lf 2-d3 h7-h6 �e8-e7 l::ra 8-d8 24.Su c cessful Use of I n t u i tion B) Black would have been offered more winning chances with the line pointed out by Smyslov: 1 9 . f3-f4 tt::l d 3-c1 l:rd1 xd7 'i¥a2-e2 lld8-d7 �rf8-d8 l::rd8xd7 tt::l c 7-d5! The last inactive Black piece comes into play. 28. and with Smyslov playing Black. The numerous pawn weak­ nesses in White's position tie his pieces down to lasting passivity.tt::ld 3 unpleasant is 2 l . tt::lf4-h3 g7-g5 After 2 1 . because it is unrealistic to work out all the con­ sequences exactly. �c2-b3 21 . . 20. I rarely let it slip ' . �d2xf4 31 ... the prospect of later time-trouble is already a realistic one for Black. For this reason. but h e also declined this. these weaknesses are not going to go away. preferring the more com­ plicated and sharper play in the middle­ game. l:rf1 xf4 tt::l d 5xf4 g5xf4 �g7-g5 79 ..�c l f3 . At the same time. 21 . . 'ti'xc4 ! ? 2 0. 27. 22. 'In my day. This is especially so if one takes into account that after his pre­ vious expenditure of time.fe 1 'iVe8. �e3-d2 30. �e7-g7! Now we can clearly see what attracted Smyslov when he played his 1 9th move. 'tW a 1 'ti'bs 2 I . . 26. I re­ member he once said to me (alas . White's posi­ tion goes steadily downhill. if I obtained a winning advantage. the question becomes: how much longer can White hold his position? There is already no great question about the outcome of the game.l:t. 29. . tt::l h3-f2 24.Cha p t e r 2 .f4 2 2 . this is guaranteed. he cannot hold the position. Consequently. because it deprives White of his last hope of counterplay. �d7xe7 The endgame is hopeless for White. Fritz only as­ sesses it as slightly better for Black! I suspect the reason (although I am far from being a specialist in computer chess) is because it cannot calculate to a clear result.'ife8 (39. g3-g4 43.'ifhs �g7 39.The Enigma of C hess I n t u i tion There is no doubt that both players were short of time. 36.�d8 ti:Jc6 he loses mate­ rial. or shortly after. but he does not for one moment let it slip. J:[e7 40.ri. �b3-a2 40. for which there is no compensa­ tion. 41 . 34. It is interesting that in the course of the next few moves. 32. The great analyst Geller finds a way to con­ tinue putting up a stubborn resistance. 37. �f2 ti:Jc6-+) 3 9 . which favours Black. 'ife8xe7+ Smyslov points out the reason why White must exchange.�e l l::t d 8 4 1 . �f2-e2 l:re7-d7 �a6-b7 It is possible that the game was ad­ journed either here. whilst the latter has even more weaknesses than at move 24. �e3 �a6 and the pawns fall one after another. 38. g 2-g 3 wg1 -f2 �e2-h5 'ifh5-e2 'ife2-h5 �h5-e8 wg8-h7 'ifg5-d8 . 44.lih4 l:rd2+ 40. 35. In the variation 3 8 . �b1 -d3 . 38. �e2-d2 46.l::txg7 + �xg7 4S . 33.l::t d 7-g7 .l:tg7-g1 �g8-g7 . 39..�a2 �g6 46.l:ld7-g7 Smyslov has managed to 'trap' his op­ ponent into exchanging queens. �a2-b1 �h7-g8 f5xg4 42. 45. . Black's realisation of his advantage is dragged out a little. but in the end.ti:Jd3 �fS 4 7 . on account of his numerous pawn weak80 44.f4xg4+ . l:rg4-h4 Exchanging rooks does not help White: 44.l::t g 7-d7 'ifd8-g5 'ifg5-e7 nesses. Black's plans involve the ad­ vance . prevents this by means of a4-a5 .a2 ltJcS 1 9. l:rh4-f4 48.g4. he decided to follow a less standard.. 50. as a rule. tLlf4 exd3 + 5 6. . White is ready to play in the centre (the square d4 and then c6) and on the kingside. To any experienced player. 1 7. a4xb5 b7-b5 a6xb5 81 .e 5-e3 e6-e5 e5-e4 After 5 5 . winning. 1 6.. more compli­ cated and sharper path. In this case. Instead. He played: 1 6 . h2-h4 . The black pieces all co­ operate and the white weaknesses can­ not be held. 53.axb6 l:txb6 1 8 .'ifxc4 'ii'b 7 ! with approxi­ mately equal chances and likely rapid simplification.g5xe5+ tt:Ja5-b3+ . .t!.l:Ig2-g5 Nor does S O J:te4 tLlc6 5 1 . �e3-d2 �d2-d1 �d1 -c2 . .a5 bS 1 7 . it is clear that we have a standard pawn structure from the Modern Benoni.g 1 -g2 Here is another variation given by Smyslov: 49.!::rf4-f2 l::!. 52. .Chapter 2 . play develops more or less by force.!::!. until move 2 1 . although with a slightly atypical piece layout. intuition shows itself in a complicated middle­ game.Alexander Leningrad Chi gorin mem.�xb3 ite2 there is nothing more to be done.t!. 54.e 3 . This could have been played here too.l::!. In such situations. 49. �d2-e3 itf3-h5 .h4 tLlc6 S O J:te4 itg6 5 1 . 0-1 In the following example.Vasily Tolush. itb7-f3! This magnificent bishop transfer de­ cides the game. 1 9 5 I 0 46 . 47. h2-h3!? which allows Black to unite his queenside pawns into a single unit. .tLlf4 it£7 help. 50.Su c cessful Use of Intui t i on Smyslov. Smyslov gives the possible varia­ tion 1 6. 51 .!::!. From this moment. tt:Jc1 -e2 49. which will try to break into the oppo­ nent's ranks on the queenside. whilst White. b7-b5 . and the fact that it can come about does a lot to justify Smyslov's strategic choice at that move. .ifxg5 tbxc6 24.xe7 2 S .xd6 White has an obvious advantage.c4xc6! But not in any circumstances 2 3 . But he also had a good alternative in 2 1 . as Smyslov shows: 2 2 .. d5xc6 'i¥c7xc6 ii. Now White has a choice.ii.f4 Black is in trouble.T h e E n i gma o f C h ess I n t u i tion 1 8.gS ii. . fxg3 �b6 + 24.tbxe2 l:Ixe2 2 6. .'i¥xg5 'i¥d8 and Black keeps an extra piece.�xc4 tbxg3 ! 2 3 .h8-f6! The strongest.xgS 2 3 . starting with White's 2 1 st move. play has been largely forced. begun at move 1 6.tLle3 ii.ii. 23.l::!.a7 tbxd4 24Jhc7 tbxe2+ 2 S .a8 2 8 . l:!.ii.f6 2 2 . but after 2 3 .. . after 2 6 .l:!.ii. And certainly. which are hard 82 tt:Je5xc6 ii.<.xe2 2 5 Jhc4 ii.ii. 20.h4!. As we have already said.f6 2 0 . Another possibility is 2 1 .eS l:!.�xe7 l:i. where White has a serious initiative. af­ ter which there begins a prolonged pe­ riod of complications. ti:Jd7-e5 22 . .. 21 .c1 xc4! Exactly! The other capture is signifi­ cantly weaker.e6 2 6 .gS ii.e2 3 0.l:!. We should note that to calculate such a variation fully is far from easy.ii.xd4 2 1 .gS ?? hgS 24.e7 White develops a dangerous initiative.g4 tbg7 29 . 21 .'i¥xd4 ti:JcS 2 2 J�d 1 ti:Jb3 Black could win material. ti:Jf3-d4 1 9.gs ii. ti:Jc3-d1 to fathom out. .xd6 .l:!.f6 2 2 . .l:i. .f6xh4 Thus far.g7 2 3 . ti:Jd4-c6! The most important moment of the game.xb 2 2 7 .l:!. 23. g4 f6 . Jhe2 2 3 Jhc6 �e7 24.ii.t>h2 tbes . .d6 l:tb8 3 1 . 24.ii. ..l:!. . this knight jump is an important part of White's plan... . After 22 . and it seems that Smyslov erred slightly. 22 .ii. 'i¥f4-h4 ti:Jf6-h5 b5-b4 Smyslov gives a variation which very well illustrates the sharpness and com­ plexity of the position: by playing 1 9 .dxc6 . even with the help of Fritz 1 0. here White retains his re­ maining rook. .l:.we can recall the similar occurrence with Capablanca.Jd5 lieS 3 0. . which should have saved the game. or in his subsequent home analysis (this last point is only a little surprising . . . .l:.C h a p t er 2 .Jd5 with a winning position) . . .llc 1 l:!.a7 2 9.g5 White retains a large advantage. 25.a8 l::te 8 2 8 .ti. .l:.ti. 83 . c 1 .�f3 ! i:Ixb2 3 0 .gxh4! ? and after 2 5 . and he awards it an exclamation mark.c7 l::tb 6 27 . to exchange the last enemy rook. All things considered. with whom Smyslov has much in common) . Jhe2? 2 6.b8 l::ta 6 2 9 . 26.�g5 ! �g7 2 9. . either in the game.ti. Unlike the variation in the game. c6-c7 Smyslov considers this move to be an important intermediate blow. White also wins after 2 6 . .Jd5 (Smyslov's variation. but even stronger is 2 9 .S u c c essful Use o f I n t u i t i on extremely large. Black utilises the tempo given to him by White's 2 5 th move. although the choice of variations is considerable. A more stubborn try is 2 6 . �b7 ? 2 7 . which significantly en­ hances his activity.Je3 l:ra6 2 8. All other moves are no­ ticeably worse.ti. . although it cannot be called Undoubtedly the strongest reply.�f4 llc6 3 2.tLle3 �e6 2 8. . �e6 (if 2 5 . he should have captured immediately: 2 5 . Jie7 ? 2 7 . . Jhe2? 2 7 . .. In this way.l:rc l l:ra7 2 9 . tLle3 l:ra6 2 8 .Jf6?! but even then.tLle3 �xg2 2 8 . Black is also in a bad way after 2 6 .tLld5 and White wins.�xg2 l:ic6 2 9. Thus. g3xh4 l:!b8-b6 26 .Je 7 + ! �h8 3 1 . my joint analysis with Fritz 1 0 shows that here Vasily Vasilievich was not right.tLlg4! tLlxg4 3 0.tLle3 l:Ia8 2 7 . ti. after 2 7 . Black had such possibilities as (this is just a part of the variations given by Smyslov) : 2 6 .l:rd 1 White would have an undoubted advantage. J::[ b 6-a6! 25. How­ ever..ti.tLle3 White should gradually win) 2 6.hxg4 dS 3 1 . . because the white knight will soon be attacked and it will be difficult for the bishop to come to the aid of the c7 pawn.itc4 33 ..ilf4 tLlfS the chances are roughly equal. No less im­ portant is the fact that a preliminary as­ sessment of the consequences of those decisions is also extremely hard.T h e Enigma of Chess I n t u i tion I could have left out all these variations (although they are only a part of those possible) .. .tLle6 3 2 .tLle7 . after the obvious 2 8 . . which means it is practically impossible to assess them by analogy with standard patterns.. .ile3 tLlg7 32 . 'iit>h 8 and to force oneself to continue looking for a defence in such a variation. . From all this. And if one realises that the latter move was a direct consequence of the decision taken by White at move 1 6.. .itd4 .. as he faces a technical task of realising an advantage. But it is only then that one can find 3 0 . . Psycholog­ ically.tLlxb4? . J::ta2 2 8 ..ilb7 and Black has the advantage. • • . ..ilxe2 and White is losing. 27. but my aim is to show the reader the amount of calculation work involved here.!::f. l:ra1 xa6 He could avoid the exchange of rooks by 2 7 J:k 1 . it is clear intuition must have played a significant role in White's decision. f6 ! . tbh5-f6? After this.ilg5 (bad is 3 0.ile3 tLlg7 3 I .ilc4) 3 I .itxd5 :ctxc7.ilf3 tbg7 2 9 . so that the reader can un­ derstand how unrealistic it would have been to calculate out all these lines at move 2 1 . . whilst after 3 0 .itxf6 . Before this. J::k s ! 29. f6 ! 3 1 .. .ild2? .tLld5 �h8 his chances would not have been worse.ilb6 (if 3 I . 27. he has had to cal­ culate an awful lot. Smyslov now finds himself in his ele­ ment.ilxd5 34. Black's game goes rapidly downhill. af­ ter which White has no advantage..ild4 then 3 1 . tLld1 -e3 84 ilc8xa6 28. . also bad is 3 0. The cause of Tolush's mistake is easy to un­ derstand. Instead. which can cause tiredness and time shortage. then it is obvious that calculation alone is not enough here. . Here are the variations: 30. be­ cause of the highly original nature of the resulting positions. Whatever the cause.x c7 the position is equal) and here Black has the excellent resource 30 . . . it is hard to believe in a move such as 2 9 . 28. but after 2 7 . l:!. . . which can be trusted implicitly. but then I decided it would be better in this case to do a parallel portrait (almost in the style of Plutarch) of Tigran Vartanovich and his 85 . in his Foreword to the book Vasily Smyslov.S u c c essful Use o f Intui t i on 29.l:lcS 3 8 .�d7.Chapter 2 . There is no strain or effort . . .4::lx c8 . . �g5xf6+ 31 . . �b5-d7?! Tolush misses his last chance to make his opponent's life difficult: 3 3 .e3 . . . 4Jd5xb4 '>t>g7xf6 'Ot>f6-e6 �a6-b5 3 2 .e3 h6 3 6.!:Ih8 3 S . . .4::l b 6 and now the b-pawn decides the game.tt::l d 5 + We6 3 6. not only a great player. �xe2 loses to 3 3 . �g2-b7 33 . even then after 34.�g2 .4::l b 6+ r:Jitc7 3 9 .4::lx c8) 3 S ..e8-g8 g6-g5 g5-g4 �c8-a6 �a6-c8 Or 39 . However.tt::l f6+ Wxc7 3 6. everything is so sim­ ple. you look at his games and there is an impression of such ease.�d8 with an advantage suffi­ cient for victory.f8 3 7 . without the man behind the hand hav­ ing to exert himself at all! .i. . whilst in reply to 32 . as if his hand itself was making the moves. 33.4::l b 6 .4::lxb4! �b7 3 2 . is what was said by Kramnik. .�xc8 c.>e6 3 7 . but also a highly intelligent man (which one does not often find amongst chess players.1:!.>xc8 3 7 ...l:!. . . 36. 4::l e 4 then 3 0. . .�xb5 40.�c6 .. 39. but brilliant' . based on the examples we have seen from the games of Smyslov.. .4Jds fS 3 1 . wrote: 'Smyslov is . 30. You have an infallible hand.f4 White's advantage should suffice for victory.c8'if+ l:rxc8 3 8 . .b4) 34. 34.l:!.i. . The Art of Winning: The ex-world champion.�dS + ! Wf6 (White also wins after 3 3 .>xdS 4 1 . �c8 there is the strong move 3 3 . 35.4::l d 5 + c. . . .l:le7 3 S . Kramnik's words about this impression of surprising ease are backed up by the observation of Smyslov's long-time opponent and col­ league Mark Taimanov: 'Vasya! .e4 hS 3 8. Wherever it places a piece. tt::lb 4-d5 �b7-c6 b2-b4 h4-h5 h3-h4 b4-b5 �d7-c8 .4::l d 5 ! l:rc8 ! (this is more stubborn than 34 . even great ones!) ..�c6+. 38.. . We7 34.l:hc7 3 9 . that is the right square for it! ' I had planned now to go on and look at some intuitive decisions in the games of Tigran Petrosian.eS 3 6. .�b 7 Wd7 34. �h6-g5 'Ot>g8-g7 If 29 . Wd7 .b4 .i. 40. 4Je3-d5+ 32.h8 3 S .�xb5 c. b5-b6 1 -0 g4-g3 It seems to me that the best conclusion. 37. truth in chess . 11.. outclassing all his contemporaries in this respect. 4. ac­ cording to ChessBase. 1 964 1. 3. because I think this point in the book is the right one at which to discuss in detail a very significant matter for our researches. Boris Vasilievich Spassky. and this sometimes made its presence felt. 1 0. d6-d5!? This move was played in this position in the game Medina Garcia-Bisguier.Efim Spassky. and it was gener­ ally acknowledged that he felt the ini­ tiative 'to the tips of his fingers' .Boris Moscow Zonal. Spassky was often spoken of as 'the best middlegame player' in the world. One can add to this the fact that he played astonishingly well in positions with non-standard material. and to show two games of Boris Spassky. Gothenburg Interzonal. regarding decisions taken on the basis of intuition. but even more so. in­ cluding perhaps even Tal himself! But one can also find in his play quite fre­ quent errors in calculating the details of the position. . even 86 11. This decision seemed the right one because I want to show two games from their matches. 6.The Enigma of C hess In t u i t i on opponent in two world championship matches. but chess is far from being purely about objective factors. But before that. I will allow myself to interrupt the chronological narrative of this chapter. 1 9 5 5 . Subjective ones also play their role. e2-e4 tt:lg1 -f3 �f1 -b5 �b5-a4 0-0 h2-h3 c2-c3 d2-d4 �a4-b3 �c1 -e3 tt:Jb1 -d2 e7-e5 tt:Jb8-c6 a7-a6 d7-d6 �c8-g4 �g4-h5 tt:Jg8-f6 b7-b5 �f8-e7 0-0 Boris Spassky In his best period. As we will see. 5. 8. 9. . 2. . 7. one example of this brings to mind a number of the features we have already noted. Geller. Its objective as­ sessment is not entirely good for Black. and quite a serious one. and ap­ parently had not been seen since. and at the board. a great player. at the cost of a somewhat tatty pawn structure.S u c c essful Use o f I n t u i t i o n even if not the main role. g2-g4! decision can have a great effect in changing the character and assessment of the position. But he would not have a clear and concrete object of attack. Firstly. this is not easy to calculate out to full clarity.dxe5 tt::l xe4 1 5 . Secondly. it fits well against the style of the opponent. any poor White. here Geller has to make a decision which will have a key influence on the course of events. And from the subjective viewpoint. Thirdly. and his strength and capabili­ ties are limited. But more on this later. and who could be very stubborn. enjoys a lasting initia­ tive. something which suits Spassky's style. Geller 87 . and considered that any 'sin' by the op­ ponent should always be convincingly punished. and even if he had. but one who was not always entirely stable and unruffled psychologically. there is no direct refutation. And. last but not least. for a lasting period. In such positions. There are several reasons for this. this decision could well have seemed attractive to Spassky. 1 2. where truth can always be proved inexorably. d4xe5 Maybe it was better to take with the knight: 1 3. often after just one or two moves! Thus. In this context. diagrams il­ lustrating the most important moments of the battle can follow one after an­ other. As a result.Chapter 2 . In re­ fusing to accept this reality. there was a good chance that Geller had not ana­ lysed the move at home. one must bear in mind that a chess player is only human. The truth is that he was a chess maximalist. which may have seemed insufficient to Geller. the move leads to a quite complicated and sharp position..tt::lxe5 ! ? and then after 1 3 .tt::l xe4 dxe4 1 6. whilst chess itself is not a mathematical theorem. and he may well have forgotten much of his analysis. tt::l xeS 1 4. He played: 1 3. play moves now into a very sharp phase. only a pos­ sibility by which to obtain slightly better play. in which Black is fighting to take over the initiative. it would probably have been a fair time ago (it was nine years since it had been played! ) ..'ifxf3 �h5-g6 It is clear that after the sharp turn of events Black gave the game with his 1 1 th move.f4!? exf3 1 7. d8 1 6..4Jbd2 tt:Jc5 1 9.. 1 4.. Here is a striking and quite convincing variation: the tempting reply 22 .!:f.b 6 can be met with the thunderclap 2 3. more likely. this was what Geller planned at move 1 3 . Having said 'a' .txf6 ! Black seizes the initiative. Geller committed the decisive mistake further on. l::!. non-standard and rather confused position.a3 In this position. JldS continue with 1 6 .'i\Vb l fS 1 7 . after un­ derestimating his opponent's reaction.. Everything else is worse trust me! Then after 1 6 Jlxd 1 •.. 1 4. and sec­ ondly. 1 7 Jhd1 l:f.txd5 ! ? and then after 1 5 . but then sud­ denly drops its evaluation.The Enigma o f Chess I n t u i t i on would often consume huge quantities of time and strength. neither from the pure chess viewpoint. tt:Jd2-b1 1? tt:Jf6xe4 I have seen this move criticised (alas. tt:Jf3-d4 (?) 88 'ifd8-c81 I don't like this move.'i\Ve6 2 1 . or. after the con­ tinuation 1 4 . White has nothing better. I can no longer remember where) .txc6 ! . Here is a characteristic and perfectly possible variation: 20 .. After meeting with a surprise. through tiredness and time-trouble.exf6 .bS 1 8. 1 5. he could suffer later in the game.. and at no material cost. in the position reached. he becomes upset and goes over to an in-depth defence. Thus.4Jb3 tLld3 20. In addition. he had to say 'b' . . in choosing how to play in this game. 1 3.tc2 'i\Ve8 ! ? l S J:le l . on ac­ count of the irreparable weakness of his kingside pawns. It is highly likely that Spassky took this characteristic into account. because now White wins the oppo­ nent's central pawn on dS . and it does indeed look dubious..4Jbd4 'i!Yc4 2 2.l:td2 we reach a very interest­ ing. when the latter did not always really exist. he would sometimes place ex­ cessive demands on his position and try to extract more from it than was really there. . searching for a 'strict proof of the theorem'. We have before us an example of the aforementioned psychological weakness of my great compatriot Efim Geller. Fritz 1 0 claims for a long time that Black has the advantage. and grab the pawn with 1 5 . but firstly.lhd3! ! and then Fritz gives the . As a re­ sult. nor from the subjective point of view. which is going to be extremely unpleasant for White.. �f6 ? 2 S . .tLld2 'iVa4 26. but after 2 0 . using the same metaphor. . �e3-f4? This is already the decisive mistake.. charming line 2 3 . 1 6.C ha p t e r 2 1 7. 2 1 ..e6 f6 (24 ..tt::l fl aS 3 1 . and suggest that this is all that stopped this tremendous player from becoming world champion! - 1 7.�xa8 'iWxa8 2 1 . . 20 . �xd3 (23 . 'ifxd3 ? 24. . 21 . and one can­ not manage without intuition.fxe5 cxd4 1 9 . when he played his 1 4th move. l:la1 -c1 ?I · White's position is unpleasant. c3xd4 1 9. After 1 7 .�dS �c2 29.tt::lexc2 and here. hxg4 'iYxg4+ 1 9 . . .l::[b 8 30. is the answer to another ques­ tion: how clearly did Spassky envisage 21 . I would go even fur­ ther... But Geller. His position is also gloomy after 1 7 .�d5 �e4 2 S .tLleS) advantage is already with White..b3 'tWaS 2 7. I have quoted these far from forced but very instructive variations with the aim of il­ lustrating the resources which are con­ cealed in the position.'iVxfl f6! . it is another illustration of a situation where it is impossible to calculate fully all the possibilities on the board. and could not put up any resistance (inci­ dentally..�xdS tt::l g 3 1 8.tLle3 axb4 32.tLle2 ? tt::l x g4 1 8 .�f4 .tLle l ) 24.he knew his man's weaknesses very well!) . tt::l f3 ! was forced. Even more interesting. 1 6 . . Spassky once described his opponent as akin to 'a boxer with a glass chin' . f6xe51 89 . Spassky saw this posi­ tion and assessed its prospects clearly and accurately. tt::l b 1 -d2 20. .dS ! ??. the 1 5.�xd4 tt::lxfl 20. f4xe5 2S. f2-f4 tt::l c6xe51 S u c c essful Use o f I n t u i t i on the developments of the game when he played l l . beginning from move 1 5 . In addition.tt::lf3 he could continue to resist stubbornly. .'�h2 �fS he loses. has been 'punch-drunk'. 1 8.b4 'iVa4 White cannot be too materialistic. however. 2 8. c5xd4 Wi'c8-d7 f7-f61 �g8-h8 c7-c51 There is no doubt that.. I would also point out that I am convinced that Geller lacked the intuition to cope with such a position.e 7 �xe7 2 6 . tt:lxe4 �xc l 24. created the threat of 2 3 J:lc7 .. 2. and the truth is very different! 22 . 26..The Enigma o f Chess I n t u i t i on 22.. 23.l:ta8xf8 . was colossal. . Spassky. al­ though the interzonal and candidates' events were still to come. 25.!:!. �e7-g5 ! Spassky sacrifices his queen and wins beautifully. �e5xc7 'i¥d7xc7 tt:le4xd2 . in those remarkable days for chess. 29. . 5. 8. 24.f8-f2+ tt:ld2-f1 + h7-h6 l:rf2-f8 0-1 The following game attracted huge at­ tention in the chess world at the time. �g5-e3+! Now the king comes under fire and perishes quickly. Fischer made a triumphant return to top-level chess. 9.Boris Fischer. At first glance. It was highly likely that he would become the chal­ lenger for the world championship. The psychological significance of the game. . was meeting Fischer for the first time as world champion. after a two-year absence. 30. in great style. 23 . White seems to be fine. That year. 27. winning all the events he played in. 90 <. 2 3 . �f4xe5 24.l:tc1 -c7 Alas. 7. He has completed his development. 6. and the gen­ eral interest in it. �e3+. 28.tt:lc5 does not work because of 24 . 1 9 7 0 1.Robert Siegen ol. .t>g1 -g2 l:lf1 xf8+ �b3xd5 �g2-g3 �g3-h4 �c7-d8 d2-d4 c2-c4 tt:lb1 -c3 c4xd5 e2-e4 b2xc3 �f1 -c4 tt:lg1 -e2 �c1 -e3 tt:lg8-f6 g7-g6 d7-d5 tt:lf6xd5 tt:ld5xc3 �f8-g7 c7-c5 tt:lb8-c6 0-0 . 4.. But it turns out that this is all an illusion. and the weakness of his kingside does not ap­ pear vulnerable to the opponent at the moment. . Spassky. 3. who had won the title the year before. 1 6. The second will become more apparent if Black wins the d4 pawn. Since the best piece to exploit these weaknesses is the knight. 11. and there is no doubt that Fischer knew about it. Even so.�f2 ! ? �xe4 2 0 . g2-g4 Apart from anything else. White also has his trumps. 23. and the square g 7 can also become a problem for Black. two of them and both related to the black king. he took the most resolute decision. this was a novelty at the time. Spassky brings it closer to the key squares. But I do not know if Spassky was prepared for it. tt::l e 2-g3 1 9. 1 6 . both from a chess and a psychological viewpoint. Then the square f6 will be no­ ticeably weakened. and the bishops are ex­ changed. 'iVc7xb7 20. c3xd4 b6-b5 This strong move had been played sev­ eral times before the present game. and usually followed 91 . 1 3. l:!. White needs to play ener­ getically. Either way. and this position needs to be examined in more detail. The first is obvious the weak pawn on e6. Later. llfd l leaves him with many problems after 2 3 . 1 4. �e4xb7 f5xe4 �c8-b7 tt::la 5-c4 It was more accurate to play the line in­ dicated by Spassky's long-time trainer. 1 7. although he did not say whether he found it in home preparation or at the board. However. tt::lg 3-e4! He was always happy to sacrifice pawns for such benefits. 1 9. from here on. �d3xe4 1 8.Cha pt e r 2 . The most dramatic moments of this game start from here. Black's position looks attractive.tt::lxe4. . 0-0 I:ra1 -c1 h2-h3 f2-f4 'iYd1 -e1 �c4-d3 'iVd8-c7 l:lf8-d8 b7-b6 e7-e6 tt::lc 6-a5 f7-f5 Igor Zakharevich Bondarevsky : 1 9 . �e3-f2 'iVb7-c6 21 . 1 2.S uc cessful Use o f I n t u i t i on 1 0. Spassky said that he considered the move virtually forced. 1 5. thanks to his pressure on d4 and the excellent knight on c4. the game assumes an open character and the crisis builds. . 'iVe1 -e2 c5xd4 22.f8 . Passive defence by 2 3 . tbe4-g5 �g7xd4 �d4xf2+ Bondarevsky suggested that Fischer would have done better to have retained his bishop (the positional basis for which we know) .'ifxe6+ �xe6 26. intuition only shows itself in one definite interval.f1 xf2 sis is difficult.tbe4 White has compensation for the pawn.llfd 1 ! . . subsequent analysis showed that in this case. l:.l:lb8 29 . in this game. l:lc1 -e1 25 . However. . and so I will not give it here. The latter sought the reason for Fischer's defeat from the nice position he obtained from the opening. tbg5-e4!? . . In other words. . It can be found in Kasparov's volume. . The analy92 'i¥c6-b6 Now we reach the stage of the game where intuition reveals itself. up to here. and there is no doubt that only a small part of them could realistically be calculated over the board.d3 there is an important improvement on the line given by Bondarevsky: 2 7 .l:!. with many possible lines. the varia­ tions show that after 2 4 . Here. was also widely discussed by vari­ ous commentators. Jhh3 2 8 .e8 .xe 3 . after 2 6. when discussing the position before White's 2 3 rd move. 26. which attracted so much attention.. Spassky did not need to draw much on his intuition. . Spassky played 27. devoted to Petrosian and Spassky. lld8-d6!? It should be said that this game. he suggested for Black 25 . as we saw.T h e Enigma of C hess I n t u i t i on up such sacrifices by playing with great ingenuity and energy. the number of vari­ ations is such that they are hard to ana­ lyse. However. However. 25 . The variations hidden in this game are huge in num­ ber.. as I have said. because.tbxb5 tbe3 3 0 J:ld3 �xbS 3 l . but this does not mean that the whole game is not still of inter­ est for our researches. �f6 2 5 . 23.l:!. Spassky also said his piece. For this reason.l:. as we will soon see.tbc7 . . Here. 24. There. for ex­ ample. Fischer no doubt wanted more.tbxe6 . . the play has proceeded on the basis of fairly accurate assessments. which leads to complete equality: 2 7 . even with the help of a computer. the resulting position is fairly clear from the strategical (if not the tactical!) view­ point. . .�hl 'it'xh 3 + 3 5 .'iVf3 . the attack 32.. but will not give the variations here) 28 Wh8! 29.'iYb7. not all variations should be cal­ culated at the board.xa2 ! 3 0JHI (the endgame after 3 0 . and at the same time opening the path for his kingside pawns to advance.'iVxf2 .fxg6 l::t. . This opinion is supported by the fact that the assessment of Black's reply 27. Jhg6?? because of 29 .£5 ! ? .'iVe 3 ! (all other moves are simply bad!) .t.xf2 Black has the strong blow 3 1 . Thus.l::!.Chapter 2 declining to take the pawn.f6 .l:tfl In the variation 3 3 .'it>f3 'iVh l + White loses his queen. Spassky thought it was dubious.a 6 it is a draw. 3 3 .bxe6 . as was their physical strength.!ld2 29.t.. 'it>g2 t.'iVf3) 2 8. How should one limit one's 'analytical horizon' (a term I have taken from Botvinnik. 'iVd4 93 .t.. The result­ ing positions lend themselves to calcu­ lation of variations.xf2 3 2 . x£'2 3 1 .JH8 ! (probably also good is 2 7 .�xf2 t. .'iVf3 'iYxfl+ 30.be3 + 34... and this view was shared by Kasparov. I have confirmed this.Wgl 'iYe7.'iVe l + 3 3.fS .l::!. Spassky did not get by without intuition! Thus. e5 2 8 ..!lxf2 3 1 . At this moment. I am convinced.!lf6 3 2 . but it must be re­ membered that the players' thinking time was limited. but not 2 8 .•.l:!. But even so. quite of­ ten..g5 aS is bad for White) 3 0 . . .gxfS �fl 34. .bd4 gxfS 3 3.l::!. although he probably did not invent it) when the position is overflowing with possible variations? Which variations to calcu­ late and which to ignore is something dictated by a player's judgement of the position.Wxf2 . by his intuition. his experience and.bf6 + ! (other moves are worse..bd6 3 3 .�g3 'iYg l + 3 S .bd7 .t. quite tempting possibility: 2 7.�h l However.f6 'i¥xf2 + 3 l .'iVxf2 .l::!. 'iVg3+ 34. 3 6 . We come to the conclusion that Spassky's decision was sufficient to re­ tain all the tension in the position.Wgl 'iVxg4+ 'iYh4+ 3 7.d2 29. c6 !? (his punc­ tuation) and after the strongest reply 2 8.. White has at his disposal another.t.•• - bring him any benefits: 3 2 . who suggested instead 2 7 . if 2 7. after 2 7.l:!. does not S u c c essful Use of I n t u i t i o n J:ld6-d4 turns out not to be so obvious. it must be under­ stood that out of practical consider­ ations..l:!. Therefore.�g3 . And it turns out that White's main chance.bxe6? l:re8 2 8. .l:!. .Ud7 Iih2+ 3 9.l::!. 3 3 .xh3 4 1 .. from afar.'i!ithS .fl + 3 7 . Fischer could hardly 'ii'h l + 36.Wf2 suggesting that White has good chances of saving himself.We l . Wg2 tt:Je3 + He also loses after 3 1 .l:!.tLlxg4 .. tt:JfS + .. fe2 . �e2xe6! l:!. As we see.tLlf6 ! e 5 3 2.tt:Jxh7+ Wg7 3 6 . there is the powerful counterblow 30.l:!. Fischer had intended 29 . . 29.. and the resulting positions are non-stan­ dard.l:!.Wxh3 'ii'h l + 3 S J:!h2 �f3 + 3 6.gS aS 3 2.'lt>f3 ! Only this..The En igma of Chess I n t u i tion have managed without intuition here.Udd7 94 tt:Jg4+ 43 .e.e7 + l'lf7 3 3 .hxg4 lems. .'i!ith4 gS+ 3 7 . i. .d7 �c l + etc.l:rf8 ! 3 1 . tt:Jfl + or 3 2 ..c7 This is not the best reply. .xg4+ 35 .U.xe l + 3 1 .l:!.c l + 36.xh3+ 34.d l �e3 is just mentioned in passing) 30 . The variations are far from obvious.. 28. .Wg3 l:!.Wg3 . .'ii'xe3 tt:Jxe3 34. tt:JxeS 3 1 .'lt>f2 Il.d4-d6! One cannot rule out the possibility that. it is a draw. 'i!itg8-h8 After the alternative 2 8 .xg4 But here. But in fact. in­ tuition.g5 ! h e has full compensation for the pawn and even hopes of the initia­ tive. tLleS (30 .fd2 ! Il.Wh4 . tt:Je4-f6+ He only looks at 3 0 .d3 exf4 3 5 .'�W g 3 + and after 3 3 . .�xeS+ �xeS 3 2 JheS a6 3 3 .'lt>f2 ! Il.Wh2 ! l:!. 3 2 . Il.'ii'f7 ! and then (I only give the main line) : 3 0 .�xe6 'ii'xe6 3 0 Jhe6 . Il.d l ! 'ife3 is good for White here. . 'i!itg7 Kasparov gives the following variation: 2 9 . l:!. because then after 3 1 . 'lt>g 3 ? even loses after 3 2 .tLlf6 b4 with equal­ ity.h4 42.xf8 'i!itxf8 3 S . the line 3 0. One must rely on feeling. .g2 �xf4 34 . Correct is 3 2 . e 8 l'lf8 34.We2 l:t.llc7 Il. 3 2 . 'ii'c6+ 44.xh7+ and only Black has prob­ 3 3 . such that positional assessments cannot easily be made with great confi­ dence.l:!.hl 3 8. .e3 + 3 3 .dl ?. . . . Il. ..l::!.e8 34.l:t. 32.'ii'c 6+ 3 2 .U.l:!. Here is an example of the possibilities suggested by Fritz: 3 2 .l:..!:lhl + 40.Wg5 tt:Jxg4! The only move. l:f.g l + 34. . Jhd8 3 I .l::re 2 'tWg i + 44.l:!. . . These variations are the results of ana­ lytical work carried out in the pre-com­ puter era. 40.. l2Jd6.l:i. l:la8-f8?! This is the first decision by Black in this game which can really be called an in­ accuracy.S u c c essful Use o f In t u i t i on 3 7. small inaccuracy is followed by another. 'tl:Vb l + 47. According to eye-witnesses.l2Jd7! 'tl:Vgl + 4 1 . .l2Jd5 'tW g I + 4 1 . . .Wf3 �hl + 39. because it makes Black's task much more difficult. .'iVxe3 l2Jxe3 34.'iVe2 to reply 34 .g2 3 3 . c 8 loses after 40 . 31 .We4! and Black must go into a lost endgame. 'ife4-d4! tt:Jc4xd2 95 .'iVe5 lLlf7 ( 3 3 .'iYe7 + . . 3 9 . .l:!. it is a significant inaccuracy.Wg4! 'tl:Vgl + 45.fl 'iYe3 ! 3 3 .Cha p t e r 2 .l:ie5+-. however. . and after 32 . as a first.'i¥e4 .l::!. 'tl:Vb6-c7? 'tl:Ve l + 42. both after 3 2 ..xe l + 36Jhe i l:f.. . 'iYe6-e4 30. W g 7 . .l:re i l:idi 3 5 . After 3 0 . g4-g5 32 . 33.l:ig2 �e l + 4 I . Now.Wxg4 'tl:Vg l + 38.. with the idea after 34.f7 3 6. The best reply to this is regarded as being Bondarevsky's 3 3 .Wf3 �fl + 46.l2Jg4 �c5+ 45 .l:If2xd2! 34.. e 2 . J:id2 ! 3 5 . But regardless. The situation is very typical. � g I + after 40.l:[e1 -f1 J:id6-d2 32. Black is in a much worse way.h4.Wg4 'ifd i + 42 . . It is no wonder that Fischer fell into time-trouble when faced with a position of such complexity.We6 30. . 'i¥d4 34.g5 �d2 the game is equal. more serious one.. Wf3 .. and ended up making a fatal mistake.�e 7 ) 34.. But then the line 3 3 .d4 and nothing special is apparent for White. .l::!.l::!. but I am not certain that this is definitely the case.Wg3 l:td8 3 9 .Wg5 'tWh i 43 .. then checked with the com­ puter.We5 'tl:Va l + 48. . which is probably explained by the fact that he relied less on calculation and more on intuition. l::!. Better would have been 3 2 .d l .'i¥c3 .l:l.e 2 l:ixe 2 This is considered the decisive mistake by everyone. l::rd4 looks fine.Wh3 'ifh l + 43J:Ih2 'tl:Vfl + 44. Spassky suggested 3 2 .'tl:Vxe2 l2Je3 . but this loses quickly : 3 3 . . . Spassky played signifi­ cantly quicker than his opponent. llf5 45Jlb8 + �e7 46.l::[ d l + 48. ..tt::l e5 44. . .h4 tt::lc4! 49. 'lt>e7 Black replies 43 .tld8 Kasparov 3 7. But how does one win if instead of 43 .l::r a4 46.tt::l f6 + �f8 43.t>g8-f7 1 -0 After 3 9 . 'lt>f8 48.t>e7 44.l:l. Now the game ends by force. .l:!.t>h8-g8 tt:ld2-c4 Or 3 6 .l:. 'lt>xf8 40. . Vi'd6 3 8 J:i:e7 ! Vi'b6 3 9 .xa2 47 .l:!...d2 4 7 . 3 7.g6 winning. I believe Black's 34th move was the decisive mistake. . 50 Jk8 (50.l:l.l:l. . .tt:lxg6 ..tt:lxb6 tt:le4 45 .f2-e2! further: 38 .b 7 ! 1hf4 4 1 .'lt>g l . l:i.'ifxb6..tLld5 .'il'b6 loses to 3 8 . .. Therefore. Ji'b6.g6 .f1-f2! <..e2-e8+ 39.d4 35.h7 + 'lt>g8 58 .�g2 ! went l:!..'lt>e8 !? Then: 44.l:l..g7+ �h8 !=.e8+. .'lt>g4 tt::le 3 + 5 3 . . ..tlc5 5 l .'lt>g4 tt:le3 + 5 l .tt::l d 7+ 43 .tt:lxg6+ Wfl 47.l:!.T h e Enigma o f C hess I n t u i ti on how White wins..l:l.:ad8-d6 3 7 .Wg2 . 37.tt::l e 5+ 'lt>d6 45 ..�g3 b4! and it is not clear 96 We have before us a typical picture of domination.xe4 llxd5 is inadequate for a win. . Black is help­ less against the centralisation of the op­ ponent's army. e 7 + 'lt>xh8 5 6 .tl e l ! .'il'c l + 3 7 .. .h5 b3 54...f2+ ! 46.Vi'h8+ White wins the queen. 44 . �g7 3 9.!:lxa2 5 3 .a5 5 2 . .l:i. After this Spassky gave the variation 3 5.l::[f8-d8? 34. 38. tt:lf6-d5+ 36 .Wg2 Vi'c6 3 8 Jhd2 .h6+ 'lt>h7 5 5 . It was es­ sential to play 34.<. I do not see a confirmation of the cate­ gorical opinion of the two world cham­ pions. with only a small amount of material on the board.l:l.l:!.l::[ d 2+ 49 .'lt>f3 tt:lxg5+ draws) 47 . . Similar is 3 7 .e7+ �f8 40.tt:lf8 .l:l.l:l.a8 5 7 . . <. .tt::l xh 7 + �g8 42. � e 7 + (4 7 . .tt::lh 8+ �g7 48. .. Alas. .l:!.l:!.'lt>h5 tt::ld 5 ! 5 2.e8-f8+! <.l::i. .e8 . . For example.�f4 . . ..xb5 .Vi'xb6 axb6 3 6J:td l 3 8 .t>g3 tt:lc4) 50 .e8 + ! 'lt>f7 3 9.l:!... S u c cessful Use of In t u i t i on Now let us summarise the results of our look at these two games of Spassky's. he lost his ability to assess the position realistically and to feel the danger. We will say more about this later. As far as the Fischer game is concerned. Now that we have seen at first hand how Spassky played in such situations. It makes sense to discuss them together. who in the main were players of the highest class. in po­ sitions where it was impossible to cal- culate everything out to the end. .a draw was a perfectly satisfac­ tory result. play was balanced for a long time. First of all. such mastery in these situations was his calling-card.Chapter 2 . . . but even so. it was impossible to manage without intuition. As I have already said. probably only Rubinstein. with astonishing ease and accuracy. We have already seen and spoken a lot about this subject. A short classification of types of chess intuition We will start this discussion with an­ other reference to the Kasparov series. Fischer. and in so doing. despite the complicated position. which fits ideally into this stage of our research. Thus: 'It seems that great masters can be di­ vided into three groups: I . this is the ideal moment to deal with an­ other very important matter. But in this game. who put extra pressure on him by expecting him to win all the time. I should say that psychologi­ cal factors played a great role in both. the factor we are most inter­ ested in. Petrosian. To put it briefly. Players with a strong. Smyslov. because they have a lot in common. Everything we have said here is also true of the game against Geller. . Botvinnik. with the players showing a very high stan­ dard of play. This also explains the difficul­ ties faced by commentators on the game. it is time to move on to our comparison of Spassky and Petrosian. Spassky. Fischer backed himself into a corner. Players with a weak intuition (of course. Karpov. he did not re­ frain from taking very principled deci­ sions. this time the Kortchnoi-Karpov volume. i f not phe­ nomenal intmtwn: strategic Capablanca. for it to be clear without fur­ ther explanations that it would have been impossible to play in such a style without very good intuition. This contains a discussion of the topic of intuition. 2 . The latter is a very fragile thing. the text of which is repro­ duced in abbreviated form below. who was under less pres­ sure . 97 . Euwe. They were all able to find the best squares for their pieces. It manifested itself first and foremost in the brilliant way in which Spassky developed his initiative. It is said that his situation was not helped by his sup­ porters. So. since this was a game in which it was impos­ sible to manage without intuition. and tension can prevent it operating properly. Amongst the candidates. Fischer was the one who first failed to withstand the psy­ chological pressure. However. in the two games we have just seen. only by championship stan­ dards) : Steinitz. he was not for one moment close to winning! It was easier for Spassky. ' Later there follows the noteworthy phrase: 'incidentally. . and was especially surprised to see Rubinstein's name included in the second group. who were less gifted with intuition. in sharp positions this is of­ ten the case. Alekhine. and I still think so. I noticed that many of the classics' intuitive decisions were correct and more mistakes were made in the later analyses' . it is very general and could do with further additions and amplifica­ tions. . when analysing old games with the computer. and I have nothing to add to it. I also wonder whether the phrase about unbalanced material needs to be added. Tal. and also Chigorin.The Enigma o f Chess I n t u i tion 3. although I would not insist on this point. but even in the absence of such imbalance. More importantly. these players were better able to play sharp positions than their opponents. . Tigran Petrosian Let us look in more detail at their simi­ larities and differences. those with 'phenom­ enal strategic intuition' . who are able 'with astonishing ease and accuracy find the best squares for their pieces' . But such a colossal talent as that of the tenth world champion also has many . We have already looked at Spassky and have. Bronstein. Obviously. and present two games from the 1 969 match between Petrosian and Spassky. Kasparov. to some definite extent. followed by great energy and precision in develop­ ing it. I do not intend to deal with the whole of the previous list. Both are assigned to the second group. Stein and Kortchnoi. 98 Finally. . I have some doubts about the names. This showed itself in the ability to pounce on the slightest chance to seize or take over the initiative. but want to do what I can to fit this small section within the overall subject of serious play­ ers' intuitions. We have already spoken about the last observation. on the basis of which I hope to show the difference in the working of the in­ tuition of these two players. whom Kasparov allocates to the same group in his classification. seen that the most strik­ ing characteristic of his positional mas­ tery was his gift of feeling for the initia­ tive. which works in sharp positions and positions with unbalanced mate­ rial: Lasker. But the issue of the classification is more difficult. whilst I am prepared to accept the classification types identi­ fled. Players with a strong specific intu­ ition. In the first place. I can now do as promised. I have always considered him as belong­ ing to the first group. just like his great opponent.Cha pt e r 2 . then it is understandable that the result is a great deal of material for comparison and discussion. Black is forced to take a decision.tc1 -b2 f2-f4 d7-d5 tt:lg8-f6 . . as to which direction he will take play along.tf1 -d3 tt:ld4xc6 e7-e6 c5xd4 a7-a6 tt:lb8-c6 When two players with many stylistic differences meet in a long match for the highest title. 6. I would venture to suggest that on this day. in a new situa­ tion. for some time to come. in speaking of Petrosian. Spassky would not expect such an ap­ proach from his opponent. The alternative 6 . dxc6 is perfectly playable. 6. and perfectly logical. 5. e2-e4 c7-c5 This move is already noteworthy. In other words. this approach by Petrosian fully justified itself 2. one can say that one of the most important components of his talent was what one can call an intuition for safety and defensive resources. Before this game. 1 2. 1 969 1 . Knowing how events later developed here. and so the chal­ lenger might not himself be in the mood for a full-fledged sharp struggle. 4. and al­ ways in special circumstances. it makes perfect sense to speak of opposing intuitive tenden­ cies! Thus. Petrosian had played the Si­ cilian many times. b7xc6 Further confirmation of Petrosian's fighting mood. he felt like 'coming out of his shell' and heading for a sharp position. and the belief that in the first game of a world championship match. it is quite reason­ able to assume that the different mani­ festations of this intuition will be quite noticeable between them. As we will see. and. 8. 7.tf8-e7 0-0 a6-a5 A novelty.Tigran Moscow Wch m. but only on a few occasions in top-level events. 11.1 . I have chosen two games for examination.Boris Petrosian. another player of enormous natural tal­ ent. tt:lg1 -f3 d2-d4 tt:lf3xd4 . who was noted for his solid play.S u c c essful Use of I n t u i t i o n other sides. 9. Prob­ ably this was dictated by psychological factors. 3. But the main features of Petrosian's ability were to a large extent the oppo­ site of those of Spassky. with great success. . for example. 0-0 tt:lb1 -d2 �d1 -e2 b2-b3 . Spassky. 1 0. And because both possessed a widely-acknowledged powerful intuition. was often played in later years. 99 . by Tony Miles. without this decision being supported either by concrete calcula­ tion or standard positionalfactors. How can we explain this? There are no concrete variations.d3 il. I have referred above to what it involves. and. .'iit>h 1 a3 1 6. a4.xd3 1 9. .The Enigma of Chess I n t u i tion Petrosian chose a move which still sur­ prises even now: 1 2 . Petrosian's intuition was dealing with the level of danger he faced in the two situations with the pawn on g7 or g6.cS + 1 S . but a special type thereof. Yet we are dealing here with a game between the two best players in the world. Petrosian foresaw lon­ ger-term problems with the move f4-f5 and decided to prevent it. l:Ia1 -d1 White has a wide range of options. both from the purely chess. namely the ability to accu­ rately perceive the strength of the op­ ponent's long-term threats and the po­ tential defensive resources of one's own position. but it is hard to agree with this assess­ ment. A player whose cautious style of play had be­ come a byword in those times. on which the opponent's bishop already stands. no punishment ensued from this decision. as we will see. and from the positional viewpoint.ii.a6 ! 1 8. In this case. g 7-g6!? The most natural alternative is 1 2 . 1 3.. This moment is very interesting for our subject. "ti'xd3 White would have a small advantage.. the decision looks very unusual. and con­ trary to the accepted canons. but despite this game having been studied by many top-class players and first-rate analysts. and from other points of view.ii.f5 il. here weakens the long diagonal in front of 1 00 his king.xfS il. So what prompted Tigran Petrosian to play this move? I do not see any other explanation than the now-familiar an­ swer: intuition. and he does so despite a total absence of any apparent threats. either now or in the foreseeable future! And let's not forget that he does this against an opponent who is a great master of attack. Probably. which we have not come across before. no means have been found to punish Black for the weakening created . To a very great extent. Bondarevsky suggests that in this case.ii. this type of intuitive gift is shared by Anatoly Karpov. after 1 3 .c3 exfS 1 7 . . be­ cause Petrosian's decision is very no­ ticeable.e5 tt::ld 7 1 4. exd3 1 5 . clearly not at his best. We have al­ ready seen such decisions before. J:k8 .xf7 1 9Jhf7 .fxg6 1it.fxg6 does not bring anything real. which demonstrates the cor­ rectness of Petrosian and Boleslavsky's decision to provoke sharp play in this The correct decision. 1 3 . 1it.f6) 2 3 .�g4+ 11t.e7-f6 ttJf6-d7 1 7... .exd5 ! ? cxdS 1 4. 1 8. . c2-c4 But here. .t>g 7 ! ? 24.gs 1 7 .t>h 1 �e7 1 7 .es 2 5 . 14.!:.-..C h a p t er 2 by his last move.'ifd6+ (23 .'iYhS + does not breach the black position. Igor Bondarevsky (Spassky) and Isaak Boleslavsky (Petrosian) are unanimous in their opinion that the most serious attention should have been given to the line 1 4 .cxd5 cxdS 2 1 . In this in­ stance. The dashing at­ tack 1 7 .�xd5 l:raS ! 2 3 . 1 5.a6 1 S J!f3 1it. We will soon see that it also fully justifies the risky strategical decision taken by Petrosian at move twelve.�f3 it is clear that the opening oflines favours White) 1 S . iVe2-f2 1 9. Spassky conducts the whole game insufficiently confidently.xeS White faces a tough struggle to survive . .!:!. f4-f5 1 6. Thus. . Another attempt to clar­ ify the position.�e5 ! 1it.tLlxeS . is slightly more promising: 1 3 .yet another demonstration of the strength of Petrosian's strategical foresight.. it makes sense to speak of an in­ tuitive strategical decision. after 2 l . .gxf7+ .fl + 1it. it is similar to the tactical example we saw in Kramnik-Anand. e4xf5 a5-a4 e6xf5 11t..cxd3 .f6 e S ! 1 8 . .xb2 1 8 . 1 7.l:. - S u c c essful Use o f Intui t i on opening game of the match.<.-. suggested by many commentators as the way to punish Black's last move.gxh7+ tLlxh7 1 6.t>xf7 2 0.xd3 1 6.1it..exfS 1it. according to Bondarevsky...tLlf3 with the initia­ tive.cS + 1 6. al­ though here. f5xg6 ttJd7xf6 a4xb3 . after 1 4 .b2xf6! 14. but even here.�g3 �d4+ 1 9 . as in the game Capablanca-Bogoljubow.exfS 1 5 .�f8 2 2 .tLlc4 11t. a2xb3 20. the attempt to storm the black fortress by 1 3 .a8-a2 101 .t>h 1 "i'Yg4.fxg6 hxg6 1 6..fS ! ? eS (if 1 4 .U. .fS ? ! dxe4 1 4. Bondarevsky does not see any­ thing serious for White after 1 6 . the trainers of both players. �d5 + Wg7 is significantly weaker.cxd5 .6e5 d3 (it is also equal after 3 0 .d7 3 2 .xe l ? tt::l g 4! 3 0 .xd2 29. and here the break 34. however.tt::l e4 �xe4 3 2 . White misses his last chance to equalise reliably. 'ifd4-f4 24. . 2 2 . Nothing too terrible has happened yet. 25.c5 .'i¥g5 ! ? c:J.�xe4 tt::ld 6 3 3 .'ifxf7 + Wxf7 3 l ... Here too.f2 ! ? was interest­ ing.l:!. .l:i. the game has still not de­ parted from the range of approximate equality. . 20.d l ! ) 3 l . . 'iff4-e3 26.l:!. lla6. 3 1 . However. 'ife2-f2 29. 'iYxe6 2 8 . 21 .The Enigma of Chess I n t u i tion It was probably better to prod the active enemy rook by 20 .ll5e3 l:!. but the psychological and the actual initiative has passed to Black. �d3-e4! Excellently played! The continuation 3 1 . . h2-h3 f7xg6 'iYd8-e7 27.l:i.e8xe1 The ending is very unpleasant for White after 29 . . 'il'f2xe1 llf8-e8 J::l. White has to fight. 'il'e1 xeS+ tt::lf6xe8 31 . or just overlooked it altogether. .xf6 and after 2 7 .1:i.l:i. cxb4 3 5 . . 'ife3-e6+ 'ife7-g7 d5-d4 'iYg7-f7! It is very probable that Spassky underes­ timated the strength of this reply.l:. moreover.I:i. 'ife6-e2 22.�fl .cS . l:!. which only brings him problems. lldf2 3 l .�b l ! ? keeping a small advantage after 2 0 . However. in conditions of time-short­ age. and.l:.fxe6 .l:!. . 23.b4 fails to 34 . as shown by Bondarevsky.e 7 ! the game is equal.c l tt::lb S 3 7 . 28. which was hidden in the exchange of queens: 2 7 . .f7 30 . 27. Now.l:!.c6 tt::lc 3 3 8 .�b l was better.�e4 tt::le 3 . .c7 . 'iYf2-d4 White begins an unsuccessful opera­ tion.aS ! 3 6. 30. .g 7 25 . 22. l::r d 1 -e1 c6-c5 �c8-b7 Equality could have been achieved more simply by 24. iVf7-e8! 29. . 1 02 This is the confirmation of what we said above. 24. . Wc4 tba7 5 l . this decision too was taken without great calculation.l:. Such is the case here.�£'2 tbd l + 45. 37. �e4xb7 tbe8-d6 33.c3 +! 46 . c4-c5 c5xb4 tbd6-f5 37.�e4 . it seems that 3 7 .l:rxd4 �h4 42 .Cha pt e r 2 . the player. llf4-d4 d4-d3 d3-d2 1 03 . counter-attacking at the first opportunity. . c5-c6? This is what happens so often! Having taken a perfectly correct decision. in time-trouble.llf7+ Wh6 3 9. 35.xc3 tbxc3 47 . .Wc5 WeS 5 3 .dS . .l:. as he breaks the Gordian Knot. �d3 Wxg4 5 0 .l:. . and I just show from amongst them the main line: 3 8.l:!. As we will soon realise. tbe3 ! .a2xd2 32..l:!.Wb6 tbc8+ 54. .We3 Wxh3 49.c7 Wf4 5 2. �b7-d5+ Wg8-g7 36. b3-b4! Now this is necessary. .. 34. and missed the win 3 7 . fails to follow it up correctly by using calculation.l:rb3 .c4 3 8 .c2 3 7 .�d3 . but on the basis of a common-sense assessment of the position.Wb7 tbd6+ 5 5 .l:ld3 b2 43 .xcS 3 9 Jhb4 .l:!.l:!. 34.Wf3 .Wc6 hS.b I ! ? was stronger.f1 -f4 39. 38 .l:. g2-g4 . . since Black lacks the important resource from the varia­ tion given above! Spassky did not like passive defence.�e4 b3 40.l:.l:.�c2 tbbs 48. based on intuition. .lld7 WgS ! 4 I . White could obtain excel­ lent chances of saving the game by means of 3 6 .l::l d 2-c2 Here too.l:f.b I ! . tbf5-d6 Petrosian was also in time-trouble. The varia­ tions which follow are quite long. 36. but he was magnificent at defending actively. winning.c l + 44. .S u c c essful Use o f I n t u i t i on 31 . after at least 40 moves of the hardest struggle. . . one could scarcely exhibit such a remarkable abil­ ity.'\tlg3 ! (42 .. .l:ld3 + costs White a piece) 40 .then it becomes obvious that without great natural intuitive talent.'\tle2 . in that he always seals the strongest move (my italics . 47. . Petrosian sunk into thought. 46.l:f. 1H3 ! ? (40.Wf6. . 46. It turned out .l:!. g4-g5+! b4-b3 This is White's idea.�xd l . A famous moment.l:f.l:ldS ! gives White excellent counterplay.l:lc4 d2 42 .'\tlf2 tt:lbS 4 l ..c7 tt:les 44.. . '\tlf2 l:!. �b3-f7! This unexpected reply (it is not immedi­ ately obvious why the bishop goes here) was found by Spassky's team in home analysis. Thus: 41 . If we remember what this entails . Witnesses testify that at this moment.!:!.T h e E n i gma o f C hess I n t u i t ion Fritz shows that a stronger line is 3 9 . �g1 -g2 I:tc6-c1 + tt:le4-c5 l:i. It is important for him to exchange the black g-pawn. and five hours of play .'\tle2 dl 'ii + 43 .l:ld2-d7+ 1 04 �g7-f6 45. d2 43. tt:ld6-e4! Analysis shows that after 4 l .c2 + 42 . whilst he intends to give his bishop for the other pawn. 42 .c2xc6 45. J:rc3 ! 4 0 . Bondarevsky: 'The game was adjourned in this position and Black sealed his move. �e l b 3 -+) 42 . . . but interestingly. �d5-b3 41 . tt:lc4 4 1 . l:[d7xh7 44. . . . 4 2 . . 40.d4xd2 43. It must be said that Petrosian has a remarkable quality. h4-h5 �f6xg5 '\tlg5-f6 .d3) 4 l .d2 42 . was either overlooked or underestimated by his op­ ponent's. to be the strongest.xb4 (4 1 .xd2 l:rxc7 with excellent winning chances.VB) ' . h3-h4+ 48. b4 .t>xg6 5 4 .l::!.h7 . .e7 + (if 5 2 .. �b 1 lL:la4 5 6..l::!. . . . nor in the varia­ tion S O . and the nervous tension is incomparable with any other event.l::.t>e2 tbc3 + 5 7 ...t>g s s s . in the days when it was at its greatest. . But he played something else: 48.-. f5 + ! .h2+ 5 9 . .�d3 = does not help) 5 3 . but the op­ ponent comes to the rescue! This is the world championship.h 2 lL:la4 5 3 .f7 + We6 5 1 .. further.-. . lLla4 5 3 . l::!.f7 l::r e 1 5 9..c 2-c1 52.c 1 -c2+ Why? His trainer Boleslavsky gives as a j ustification the variation 48 .llh4 lLlc3 54.t>g4 58 .. J::r h 6-b6 54. -. . Black's main focus here would normally be the move 48 . without explain­ ing how.£7 + .. .l::i.-. .t>g4 5 4. g 5 .l:tg7 and says that this is a draw.l::!.-. Bondarevsky wrote that this posi­ tion had stood on their board during home analysis. .t>d2 l:. and they had found the drawing line: 5 2 . . .t>f4 5 3 .�xb 1 .l::rh4 lL:lc3 (53 . . . . g 5 49.t>g2-f3 50. WeS 52 .l:f.l::l.1:i.h7 l::lg 1 + 5 5 . b 6-e6+ lL:lc5-a4 1 05 .h6 lL:le4 5 3 .t>gs 5 3 .l:txb 1 5 7 .�f5 + '>ith4 s s ..�c4. �d3 lL:lc3 5 7 . l::r c 3 + ! ? 5 1 . .1::!. ..l:!'.t>gs 6 l . .. �f7-a2 b3-b2 g6xh5 Now there is no win anywhere. . .l::l. . .l:l.l::!..1::!.h 7xh5 l::i.b7 lLld1 60.llb 8 and again Black wins! Perhaps this means that the adjourned position was objec­ tively lost and..xa4 l:rxa2 S S . e 7+ Wf6 54. I tried to look further. . I might venture to suggest that Petrosian's famed intu­ ition showed itself again in his choice of sealed move? ! 49. �f6-e5 But now there is! 53.t>d2 and there is no win. .Wf3 l:tg3 + 5 6 .l:I.�g6 b2 S O . .t>xc3 �xg6 Black wins) 5 2 .Chapter 2 Given his opponent's intentions. .g7) 52 .t>g2 ! l:tc l 5 2 .We3 ! .£7 + . .hxg6 . With the help of Fritz.h6 b 1 iV 5 6. and found this: 5 1 .l:te3 .l:ra1 - S u c c essful U s e o f Intu i t i o n 5 2 .h3 58 .b 4=) 54J:[b4 l:i. .a 1 54. 52.l::!. . neither after S O .. ..�h7 and there is no win. and there is no doubt that Petrosian will have examined that move.l::rb4+ . .l:lfl .l:ic 1 S l .t>xg6 (5 1 .a 1 S S . l:..hxg6 . 51 . .l:tc4 ( 5 2 .c2 5 5 . l:Ih5-h6+? There is no objective win. t>c5 58 .a:e6-e4+ c. . �c4+ both 5 7 .l::!. . �a1 -d1 ! A very important novelty. .tf8-b4+ . ..t>d4-c5! The shortest way to win. he had al­ ways played 6.b 8 c. . J::te4xa4 6.l::tc 1 -a1 An interesting position. e6xd5 6. b2xc3 c3xd4 .t>c4 and the white king does not get back! 54. After 5 7 .t>e5-d4 c.tb4xd2+ 0-0 tt::l b8-c6 b7-b6 .. 1 3 . it had been considered cor­ rect to place the other rook on this square: 1 3 .e3.. c. 55. c. 11. 14.. 1 2. d4-d5 .tf1 -c4 0-0 tt:Jd5xc3 c5xd4 . Other moves are weaker..l::i. e2-e4! The first time Spassky played this move in this position. a8-c8 1 5 .t>b5 win. . .t>d5 5 7 . Previously. 4. 9.tc1 -d2 '1Wd1 xd2 .l:!... Tigran Moscow Wch m-5 . Previously.Boris Petrosian.l::!. 1 0. 2. 1 9 69 1..The Enigma of Chess I n t u i t i o n He also loses after 5 4 J:[b4 �a I 5 5 . . 56.xa2 5 6 . 1 06 . 5. . c2-c4 tt::l b 1 -c3 tt::l g 1 -f3 d2-d4 c4xd5 tt::l g8-f6 e7-e6 d7-d5 c7-c5 tt::lf6xd5 1 3.c.l:Hd l .f1 -e1 1 5.l:ha4 .b 4 c. .. . 7. 8. .t>e3 c. White is help­ less. 3. and 5 7 . 0-1 Spassky. undoubtedly prepared for the match and which later became the main line of the variation.tc8-b7 J::!.t>d5 . he walked into a blow that had been aimed at Tigran Petrosian. the whole world saw the huge white attacking potential after 1 5 . According to Kasparov. e4xd5 �d8-c7 ltb7xd5 'ti'c7-c2 The results of the try 1 9 . The most convincing demon­ stration of the problems facing Black af­ ter Spassky's novelty was the famous game Polugaevsky-Tal.but he still managed to intuit his way to the lesser evil. . Black's decision was perfectly valid. This also gives the chance to confirm something we suggested earlier about the different types of intuition. tba5 . but a defensive radar system was not part of his weaponry! As a result. Inciden­ tally. but this took a very long time. . 'iff4-f5 1 9. tbf5 (things are no easier after 24 . . His serious mistake came on the next move. Polugaevsky himself later said that he had prepared the whole variation with Spassky and they had agreed that whoever was the first to be lucky enough to reach the position after 1 5 . tL:l e 4 ! tb d 6 2 3 . after which Black's position is very difficult. because there was plenty to think about. 'ti'xc7 l:lxc7 2 6 . . tba5 .White is strength­ ened significantly in the centre . � e 3 + � g 7 2 6 . There can be no doubt that he was fully aware of the downsides of the move he played . tbxh5 + ! etc. . In Kasparov's opinion. .ltd3 exd5 1 7 . . Tal's intuition was brilliant when he had the initiative. . as we will soon see.e5 ! . 'ifd2-f4! 1 8. tbc4 are also unhappy for Black. The choice was between the text and 1 5 . crushing Tal spectacularly. tba5 would be free to use the anal­ ysis. . . This seems to me quite a quick decision. There. tba5 1 6. this is a real mistake. �h6 2 5 . he spent 2 0 minutes and played 1 07 . 1 6.) 2 5 . Jlc7 ! ? and 1 6 . and played one of his best games. . . Polugaevsky was the lucky one. . we can see he was right.Su c cessful Use o f I n t u i t i on Kasparov analysed this game in the rele­ vant volume of his series. tb e 8 + .Cha p t e r 2 . . Continuing the variation with 24 . There he points out that Petrosian thought about this decision for 1 3 minutes. tL:lf6 + � g 7 24. both Boleslavsky's suggestion 1 6 . Much later. Now Spassky faced a moment of choice. who himself side-stepped it with his last move. having felt (it would hardly have been possible to calculate it all) that some very hard blows awaited him in the line.�g3 ! with a winning attack.�h3 h5 2 2 . satisfactory lines were found for Black after 1 5 . ltc4xd5 tbc6-a5? Alas. 1 7. . In the circum­ stances.'ifc7 ! ? offered Black reasonable prospects of gradually equalising the game. but it was a very difficult de­ cision. . Bondarevsky gives the variation 2 0 .tbg5 g6 2 1 . played later the same year. . l:Id3 'ifc6 2 6 . who was much better in attack than defence) 2 0 . .l:Ixa7 llc2 2 3 . tt:lb7 24.'iVxb7 'iYxd4 2 7 .l:t. because it is not possible to calculate everything out.'ti'e4! .r:i. . h6 ! ? 24.c8-d8 'iYa2-c4 h7-h6 The continuation 23 .d S ! ? �c3 2 S .. But Spassky 's remarkable feeling for the initiative did not deceive him here either. 24.d6. .h4! Black can resign.the rook prepares to penetrate to the 7 th or 8th rank. 'ifc2xa2!? Petrosian. 'i¥f4-f5! l:!.d6 l:rxe I + 22 Jhe I 'ifd3 does not pass muster analytically. like Tal.tt:lc6 �d2 2 7 .l:!. 'iff5-f4!? I would not exclude the possibility that this decision deserves a full exclamation mark. tt:leS . Geller's sug­ gestion (Efim Petrovich was another player. .l:Id1 -c1 The most obvious and natural decision . One should also not forget that the decision was driven also by the need to assess the probability of White winning and of Black putting up the strongest possible resistance. it was impossible to cal­ culate everything out or to assess the position normally. . . Both Spassky and Petrosian had to take decisions here largely intuitively. be­ cause. I 08 After 2 3 . 20.h3 !) 24. Black has hopes of putting up a stiff resistance after 2 3 .'iYe8 g6 2 8 .'ifxe6 fxe 6 2 8 . 21 .cl White has a significant advan­ tage. and the positional assessment is not simple either. in his turn. chooses the most tenacious line of defence. although even so.T h e E n i g ma o f C hess I n t u i ti on 20. d6-d7 23. .'iYb 8 ! g6 26.d7 �f8 2 S . �cS is hardly any better.�e7 J::!. I repeat. . The difficulty of the choice con­ sists in the fact that White also gets a significant advantage in the endgame arising after 2 0 . After 24.i::rf8 2 S .x a2 2 2 . . d5-d6 22. .tt:leS 'i¥e6 2 7 . .d7 tt:lb7 2 6 .. .fc8 ! . . Spassky's task therefore consisted in estimating the winning chances in this ending and in the more compli­ cated middlegame battle. . It is highly likely that this decision cannot be made without using intuition.tt:ld4! 'i¥c3 (also hopeless is 2 3 .'i¥xc2 ! ? �xc2 2 1 . in view of the large number of different and not clearly de­ fined positional factors.fe8 2 I .1::i. however: 'although after 2 S J:[c7 ! the essence of things remains un­ changed. .tt::l g 6 i t becomes clear that the king move was made to keep the rook on the e-file.. but also a very characteristic part of the mass of possible variations: 25 .'iVc4+ 'iit> h 7 3 S .'iYd3 + 'iit> g 8 Here the most interesting part is reached: it turns out that the only win­ ning move is 3 3 . the difficulty of the calcula­ tion tasks before the players can become so great as to be beyond human scope. I will only show the most inter­ esting. and for a time it thinks everything is OK for Black here. the help of intuition becomes invaluable.'iYc3 + wins. we found a lot of interesting things. the players have to spend a lot of time and effort in calculating variations..d8'i¥+ 'iit>h 7 3 2 .'iYc8+ �f8 3 7 .'iit>fl ! ! . we have just such a mo­ ment before us. And more than that. 2 7. . White's play is much eas­ ier after 2 7 . whilst the complexity and importance of the decisions taken remains high for some time.l:hd8+ �h7 3 0 . Black must choose a retreat square for his queen. tt::lc 6 !? 26. . . But there is no lessening in the complexity and the importance of concrete actions. and Black cannot avoid decisive material losses.1lc8 g6 Fritz spends a long time wanting to play 2 6 . Here. 1 09 . 'iYa4 ! ?. tt::lb 8. Wh7! . . add­ ing. but then it realises that after 2 7 . and thereby the value of each move. and Black is trying to contain his oppo­ nent's activity. at- tacking the dreaded white passed pawn.S u c c essful Use o f Intui t i o n The strategic content of the play so far is clear . . indeed. After 3 3 .tt::l e l llxd7 and the check 3 0.. fic4-a6 The alternative was 24 .C h apter 2 . In such situations. l:r. it is even growing.' I wanted to check this opin­ ion more seriously.'iVxf7 + ! .e8 'iYd l + 2 9 .White has broken through in the centre and is looking at the enemy king. .l:i:h8 + 'iit> x h8 3 I . and we know that in such situations. ..'iYc2+ �g8 3 6 . given what happens in the near future) . Petrosian played: 24.tt::le s 'iYaS 2 8 .l::txf7 2 9 . This leads to shortages of both time and energy. 'iVc4+ ! 'iit> h 7 3 8 . which Kasparov considers more tenacious (which was not hard to conclude.'iYd3 + 'iit> g 8 3 9 . All this means that the chances of mistakes grow. . J �f6 3 4 . 'iit> g 7 2 8 . and with the help of Fritz I 0 .'iVh3 and now the toughest defence is 2 7 ... As we now see. . . . assesses the position as perfectly defensible for Black.tt:le l tt:lb7 29 .'ifb5 Wg7 3 3 . I would draw your attention to the main thing: in order to win.llfl tt:lb3 ! 2 9 Jha7 tt:ld4 3 0 .g3 ! ! . . . . llcxd8 tt:lxd8 3 1.. tt:ld8-c6 tt:lb7-d6 tt:ld6xf5 1 -0 . tt:lc6xd8! 30. And now let us sum up what we have seen in this unrealised episode from the game. tt:lf3-d4? 1 10 28. x d8 l:i.'iYd6 2 7 Jk8! 'iYd l + 2 8 .tt:l e l and White wins. Spassky does not find a much easier line than those looked at above. .. . llc7-c8 tt:la5-b7 Now there follows a striking finish: 25.l::i. 2 8 . .l:!.c 7 g6 3 2 .tt:lxb5 'i¥d2 2 8. 'i¥d6 ! and after 2 7 .e l .intuition must be supported by calculation. here Petrosian also errs: 26.'i¥g4! and the rest is easier: 3 1 ...'it>g7 29Jles 'iYdl + 30. unable to see these in advance. with 2 8 .b5 32. This pattern of mutual mistakes is quite common and very interesting psycho­ logically.tt:lxd4 'i¥xd4 3 1. White twice had to find obligatory and com­ pletely unexpected moves.b8 ! . tt:ld4-c6! 29.c8 ! 'iVa i + 2 8 . However. Only these moves prove that the line chosen by White is strongest. Not 2 8 Jie8 ? when after 2 8 .lle8! tt:lb7 (much the same thing happens after 2 6 . .'i¥xe8 ttld8 3 2 . Here is the confirmation of what we said above. could not hope to deal with such a task of calculation. He has to rely on feeling.'i¥xf7 + 'it>h8 34. He could have won without a problem by 2 6.:i. his chances of saving the game would have been very high (this varia­ tion was pointed out by Kasparov) .The E n i gma o f Chess In t u i tion And here Fritz shows that the only cor­ rect move is 28. The computer.ttlh4 and Black cannot hold on much longer. 'i¥fl ) 2 7 .xd8 3 3 .l:!. 27.l:!.tt:le l l:rxd7 it is White who must find only moves to survive: 3 0 .'iff6 + with perpetual check.'iYd l + 2 9.l::!. .c1 -c7 b6-b5 26. and commits a serious mistake.'i¥e3 ! l:lxe8 3 1 .l:!.xf8 'ifxe l + 3 2 . at the board. A human player.'i¥xb5 Wh7 3 0 . 'i¥a6-b6? Had he chosen another square with 2 6 . . but not intuition alone .Wg2 'i¥d6 Now one more obligatory move : 3 1 .g3 ! ! being especially hard to find. Tal's intuition was based on fantastically striking and effec­ tive use in situations which were pri­ marily dynamic and involve the initia­ tive. there are gra­ dations. we come to Mikhail Nekhemievich Tal.Cha p te r 2 . Mikhail Tal There have never been any other players in chess history whose intuition was so obvious and indisputable as Capablanca and Tal. I would also point out that Tal calculated variations brilliantly. Undoubtedly an excellent assessment.S u c cessful Use o f I n t u i t i o n Conclusions: both games undoubtedly underline the fact that within the greater category of 'strategically di­ rected intuition' . Tal was able to penetrate more deeply into the 111 . he was not so bothered if he was objectively worse. that were practically impossible to exhaust by calculation alone. sharp posi­ tions. as we have already seen. some of his opponents did so even better! So we have to address another factor. In Botvinnik's opinion: 'From the point of view of cybernetics and computing capabilities. providing his pieces were active. as many consider in­ tuition to be! But Tal's genius came to the fore in complicated. . If Capablanca's intu­ ition showed itself first and foremost in strategical and technical elements. To­ day. They are without doubt the two pinnacles of chess intuition. . in continuing our discussion of the different manifestations of intu­ ition. The young Tal was less interested in the objective assessment of the position . . . However. Mikhail Tal had a great memory and very fast reac­ tions when it came to processing infor­ mation. then the forest of variations was so great . And now. . . . . although Tal did indeed calculate variations brilliantly. and also by their mistakes at difficult moments. when it is impossible to choose solely by calculation. and also to resume our chrono­ logical order. The fact that they both belong to this category is shown by their re­ markable strategic-intuitive decisions. the re­ markable thing is their intuitions were almost exactly opposite and contrasting in their directions. whilst Tal's speed of thought and mem­ ory would have its say'. But it seems that even so realistic and strictly-disciplined a thinker as Botvinnik was not lacking in the 'dark arts'. much more so than other grandmasters . unmentioned by Botvinnik. . to which both Spassky and Petrosian belonged. Tal's intuition is well-known and widely-acknowledged. insufficient! As we will later have to acknowledge. and I can­ not imagine anyone ever excelling them in this area. but it is . . that his oppo­ nent would find it impossible to cope. At the same time. 9. . 7.Anatoly Kortchnoi. 1 8. 11.c5xg5 . 8.!:!. 1 7. 1 12 e2-e4 tt:Jg1 -f3 d2-d4 tt:Jf3xd4 tt:Jb1 -c3 c7-c5 d7-d6 c5xd4 tt:Jg8-f6 g 7-g 6 21 . I will quote Kasparov's remarkable words about Tal. but also illustrates it. 1 3. 12. 1 9 74 1. i.e8 ! . 1 5. So what was it that he had. l:f. 5. It was told to me by friends at the chess club in the city of Dnepropetrovsk. .Viktor Moscow Candidates final m-2. 1 9. from his multi-volume work: 'Tal is the only player I know who did not calculate long variations. which distinguished him from others? I once heard a story. 2. l:f. 1 0. 20.The Enigma o f Chess I n t u i t i on secrets of such positions than almost anyone else.c1 -e3 f2-f3 �d1 -d2 �f1 -c4 h2-h4 �c4-b3 0-0-0 �b3xc4 h4-h5 g2-g4 �f8-g7 tt:Jb8-c6 0-0 �c8-d7 :a8-c8 tt:Jc6-e5 tt:Je5-c4 l:f. �e3-h6 �d2xh6 . 3. 1 4.d3-d51 �g7xh6 nt8-c8 l:.d1 -d31? g4-g51 Anatoly Karpov Karpov. and concerns the fol­ lowing famous and spectacular game: 6.c8xc4 tt:Jf6xh5 tt:Jh5-f6 1 6. Here once again. 4.c4-c5 l:f. tt:Jd4-e21? 'iYd8-a5 1 6 . which not only confirms what Kasparov said. but could simply see through them ! ' . d2-d4 2. .tt:Jxf6+ exf6 2 S . tt:Je2-f4! . from one 'only square' to an­ other.g5xd5 . 22. . Mikhail Tal visited the city.Cha p te r 2 . We will start with a game that is well­ known and has been commented on many times. Naturally. e5xf6 26. provided he chose the right sequence of 'only squares' . . 1 96 2 1 . in those far-off pre-computer days.ttJde2 ! . Evgeny Chumak. The route­ march was supported by many compli­ cated variations.xdS ! 2 2 . but which I have neverthe­ less chosen.exd5 �xa2 and it is Black who wins! 21 .tLlhS . �h7-h8+ 1 -0 White's key 1 6th move in this game was suggested and analysed in detail by my friend.. tt:Jc3xd5 23.Hans Joachim Varna ol. In all. a whole exercise book was filled with the analysis of the move 1 6. and Chumak seized the opportunity to show him his analysis. �c6xd5 24 .tLlhS �gS + 24. the Candidate Master from Dnepropetrovsk..tLldS ?? . �xa2 24. by run­ ning from the square c 1 all the way to the h-file.l::!. Zhenya Chumak drew Tal's attention to the particular importance of this mo­ ment.c8-e8 �d7-c6 Or 23 .S uccessful Use o f I n t u i t i o n But not in any circumstances 2 1 . it was shown that the white king could successfully escape the black counterattack. as it opens up some very interesting aspects of the issue with which we are concerned.tt:Jxf6+ exf6 2 6 . And at that point.tLlxf6 + ? exf6 2 S . . many hours had been spent working out and correcting the numerous variations. 24.U. �h6xh7+ Wg8-f8 27. . Be­ fore Chumak published his analysis in 1 9 7 2 .Mikhail Hecht. dxe5 2 S . mating e7xf6 25. which was especially important for the assess­ ment of the whole idea. c2-c4 tt:Jg8-f6 e7-e6 1 13 . Tal instantly (as the people who witnessed the story emphasised) drew with his finger on the board the exact line of the king march. But here what is most interesting: Tal sat quietly watching the analysis being demonstrated. e4-e5!! Avoiding 24. But when the analysis reached the criti­ cal position for the white king's march.tt:Jds . which Chumak had spent hours working out! The time has come to examine some games by the eighth world champion.f:. In one of the possible variations. occasionally nodding his head by way of agreement. Tal. . tbg6 1 7 .s: � 4l �� � .cxd6 cxd6 1 5 . 1 3 . However. . 7. 6. Tal often substitutes what he wishes were the case for what actually is...�g3 tbf4 and asserts that Black is fine. 8 �" 'i! \it 8 . 4. .�c2 White has the initiative. .The Enigma o f Chess Intui tion 3. bxcS ? ! is bad. c7-c6 Tal described this as a mistake.l:!..s: Black has played the opening rather passively. . 9. in his commentar­ ies.. 11.I � .tbfl ! ? and 1 3 . tb g 6 ? 1 4. As a result. 1 2. his opponent reciprocates. In both cases. . al­ though never with the aim of deceiving the reader.t � � 8 . White does not have full compensation for the pawn. after 1 6 . Rather. After 1 4 . I also suspect that during the game. he himself would be mesmerised by striking variations. 8. tb6d7. For the moment. Kasparov continues this line with 1 6 . . All three possibil­ ities pointed out by Kasparov would leave White with slightly better pros­ pects : I L �. but point­ ing out that even then.f2 ! ? . d4xe5 1 5. But this day.. But now Tal starts to 'turn the screws' .I � �· �· � 8 8 8 8 �. c4-c5?! This decision is typical of him. But the text gives Black a good game. striving most of all for a solid position. Even worse is 1 3 . but is positionally dubious. It must be said that. b7-b6 �f8-b4 �c8-b7 h 7-h6 �b4xc3+ d7-d6 e6-e5 �d8-e7 tbb8-d7 tbd7-f8 tbg1 -f3 tbb1 -c3 �c1 -g5 e2-e3 �g5-h4 b2xc3 tbf3-d2 f2-f3 e3-e4 �f1 -d3 . 5. 1 0. pro­ viding the play took on the right sort of . 114 d6xc5 It is immediately clear that 1 3 . I believe that blocking the check with the other knight is in no way worse. choosing to al­ low the complications. 1 3 . �d1 -a4+ �e7xe5 1 5 . the youngest world champion was after a real fight. recom­ mending instead 1 5 . 1 3 . White has a space advantage and the bishop pair.�bS +. he would be aware that the correctness of his sacrifices was often in doubt. . but he did not let such trifles bother him. 1 4. . . b 1 White has the ini­ tiative. but Black's position is very solid.�a4+ ! ? �d7 1 4.�c2. tLla5 ? c4) 20 .gS ! and a draw should result from best play. b5xa4?! Objectively. . . after 1 9 . but seri­ ous attention should have been given to 1 9 .ael very strong (Kasparov rightly disagrees and suggests instead 20 . . 0-0. .fxg7 �xg7 a position is reached with a small advantage to White. practically forced? 'Practically' . be­ cause it was not yet too late to slam on the brakes with 1 9 . . Probably from this point on. Much stronger is the line he ignores. 1 8. according to Tal. . but 23 . White is not prepared to re­ treat. Tal wrote that this reply came immediately. . Tal considered the reply 20 . 1 6. I suspect that Tal did not spend more than a minute looking at this! 1 9.tLle3 with compensation for the pawn) . .!::l.. if. is correct. . 20. this capture is not a mis­ take. tLlxh4.tLld6.S u c c essful Use of I n t u i t i on character. b6-b5 This too. .txg6 fxg6 2 3 . Clearly.ld:h8-g8 1 15 . After 1 9 . Rather weaker is 1 8 . 0-0 20 . .Chapter 2 .!le7 Black should play not 23 . it makes Black's task much more difficult. l:Iae 1 ! White has a large advantage. �xc4 The possibilities here are very interest­ ing.fxg7 �xg7 nJ:rae 1 �f6 23 . �b3 .. e4-e5! tLlf8-g6 �e5-e6 2 l . .�c2 ! ? tLlxh4 2 1 ..l:l:f7 ? because of 24. although a draw will almost inevitably result.llxel bxa4 22 . because otherwise he will lose the initiative. Tal continues 20 . tLld2-c4 1 8..txg6 (20 . Black plays correctly. f6xg7 . .exf6 fxg6 23 . It follows from this that the consequences of the subse­ quent queen sacrifice were already obligatory for White. .. White is forced to burn his bridges. nonethe­ less.. 0-0 1 7. e5xf6!! It is the eternal question: how many ex­ clamation marks should one award a very striking sacrifice that is. but this is not the strongest.tLld6 + ! �f8 2 0 . 1 9. but subjectively..�xc4 bxc4 2 2 . . this is not the only interesting aspect. 20 . which to Tal was unac­ ceptable in principle.. However.. �d5 .�xe l ! and after 2 1 . as happens. in how much detail. Black's problems are much harder to solve than in the lines we have just looked at. �a6 2 2 .tg3 + Wb6 2 7 .tLle5 + Wc7 26 .txa2 2 7 .tbxh6 jt. and made his choice ac­ cordingly. .'ifxc4 ? 2 2 .e2 2S .b I + mating.. .Id2 'f:VxfS 26.U. .The Enigma o f Chess I n t u i tion Wd7 24 . . B) But the second continuation looks good: 2 1 . C) Also unattractive is 2 l . 2 5 . . B) and 2 I .xe6+ fxe6 24.U. D) Black must play 2 1 .xe6 24.tf6 .tbxg8 . .lbxg6 fxg6 2 5 . In his commentary..lbe5+ Wc8 24. for example.!::l. . It is obvi­ ously bad to take the knight: A) 2 I .ge8 21 .!:!. The fearless Fritz shows even more possibilities! 28.Ie7 + . .�xg6 !? • :i 8 . .tLlxg6 .'ti'xg6? 2 2 JHe l + Wd7 2 3 .. ..�f5 �xfl 24 ..xe6+ jt. tt:Jg6xh4 As we have said. n� Here. Black had a choice. It is a shame that Tal did not say whether he saw this line. .f4 .l:.U.'f:Vxc4? 2 2. and also how confused play now becomes! But this is not the only surprising thing.el • 116 8 .c4 2 8 .l 8 � t � ·1 � Now the following replies lose at once: A) 2 I .tb3 and this re­ markable position should probably end in a draw. He stands before a large choice.fxg6 and now: 2 2 . . felt that it would lead to simplification. although it it perfectly reasonable..fe l + 'f:Ve6 2 3 . . 2 1 .tLld6+ 'f:Vxd6 (White also has a sig­ nificant advantage after 2 2 . f:::.U. I would not rule out the possibility that he looked at it. Wd7 2 3 .x g8 29 .�xg 6 + Wd7 2 5 .l:!e7 .U. . and if so.U. in­ cluding the difficulties facing the opponent over the board. . .tbxf5 + We6 2 7 . .f2 ) . . and also felt the game possibilities.�e5 + 'it>d7 29.jt.. 'f:Vxf5 ! ?. �d3-f5! Look what a magnificently rich picture now arises. . �fe l + Wd7 2 3 .tLld6+. Wf7 ? 2 S . l:ld l + W c 7 2 6 . . 21 .fe l �c8! 23 .U. . And it may be that it was here than he chose a continuation that was not the best. and we must look at his options.l:.dl ! jt. . . . 23. but Fritz points out that there follows 2 5 �c8 ! 2 6 . but which all share one factor.�g3 + eS 2 7. From this.Chapter 2 . This is the same pawn structure. and played a big role in his choice of continuation at move 2 1 (and probably even earlier.tDxg8 . (and also mine. The remaining play seems bor­ ing by comparison with the fireworks 1 17 . White also had to foresee their likely influence on the future course of events. we have a situation and a conclusion that is already familiar: here. C) Andre Lilienthal suggested another good possibility for Black: 2 l . at move 1 9) .lbxb7 Ihg7 2 5 . . this longest-lasting of the various factors in the position was noticed by Tal. one only has to look at the differing assessments of Tal and Kasparov and other commentators.. this was not easy to do.'�c7 2 5 . Without exception. ttJc4-d6+ �e8-e7 24. .f4 ( 2 6 JHe l �e6 ! ) 2 6. it was not enough just to see this combination of factors. it was impossible to calculate all this at the board. Naturally. �e6-c4 llg8xg7 25. �f5xe6 �b7-a6 Plausible is 2 2 . the most im­ portant aspect of which is the poor po­ sition of the four black queenside pawns. But here. whilst at the same time the white pawns on the kingside can become a se­ rious strength in the right circum­ stances. 1 . in all the lines we have examined.I 1 .fS .tt:Je4! .g3 . as is the number of mis­ takes in Tal's commentary. The quantity and variety of varia­ tions is great. .�xfl . .lt:Jd6+ �d7 24. because only a small percentage of the variations end with a situation that is fully clear.ixfl 2 S ...fxe6 2 3 .Jhg7 2 7..ttJ:xh4.g4 28. And certainly. g2-g3 . both indi­ vidually and combined.1:: \tl 1 � b we7xd6?! As a result of the choice Black has to make. 1 t2J 1 � b .2.1 b b .Uxg8 28.�xe6 f:xe6 2 3 .tt:Jxh4 �e6! 2 S .tDd6+ �e7 24. . The two white pawns hold them up easily and securely for a long time to come. .t 1 b :g 25 . 22. 24.S u c c essful Use of I n t u i t i on Tal claims this leads to a lost ending and continues 2 2 .• 22. which shows the somewhat rough-and-ready nature of his calculation work during the game. As we have al­ ready partly seen. it is impossible to manage without intuition .lt:Jd6 + Wd7 2 3 .tDf6+ �c7 2 6 ..l:hd 1 with some ad­ vantage to White.g3 with a small ad­ vantage to White.lt:JxfS lt:J:xh4 24Jbdl + Probably stronger is 24.lhg7 with a roughly equal game. we reach endings which differ from one another in terms of material relations and piece placing..d7 with equality. if you excuse my lack of modesty!) to see how difficult it is to assess conclusively this complicated and non-standard situ­ ation.!::!.�a6 !? •. a better endgame arises for White. whilst his kingside pawn majority offers good prospects for the future. �xc4 2 6 .. which were probably the result of tired­ ness from the preceding short but fierce battle. 28. 'it>d6-e7 'it>e7-d6 c5-c4 35 . Evi­ dently. � 8 8 � <J.�xc4 his advantage would have re­ mained significant.l:hg4 a3 (pointed out by Kasparov) should have led to a draw. which is stronger than the black knight. . starting from this moment. and this decides the outcome. 32. hS ! 3 6 . .l:!.l:f. . It was better to exchange bishops: 2 S . 8 8. 31 . 35.fxg4 fxg4 3 9 . .fe 1 with good winning chances. After the simple 3 l .a8-g8 �a6xc4 tt:Je7-d5 �c4xd5 c6xd5 �b7-b4 8.U. Kasparov continues 3 1 J. whilst White has such advantages as a bishop. 31 .'it>g3 hxg4 3 8 . �c4xa6 tt::l h4-f5 Now Hecht returns the favour.'it>f2 tt::l g 6 and White's advantage is not great. Hecht is the last to go wrong. The resulting endgame must be as­ sessed in White's favour. . �g8-c8? Hecht is the last to make a mistake. �d1 -e1 + 30. everything works according to the re­ sult.The Enigma of Ch ess I n t u i tion that have gone before.h3 fS ! 3 7 . Stronger was 2 7 Jhd 1 + ! 'it>c7 2 8 .. But in chess.. �a1 -b1 ?! But here it is Tal who makes a poor de­ cision. The obvious and standard counter-operation 3 S . .. �f1 -d1 + 29. Black's position should be defensible. and better-placed rooks. . Tal errs again.. 34. . 27. 'it>g1 -f2 After Tal's recommendation of 3 0 . tiredness and time-trouble came together. g3-g4? Alas. Thus.�b7 and White should win. Black's extra pawn does not play the slightest role.tt::lxc4 �d8 2 7 . He should have centralised the knight: 2 7 . the oppo­ nents exchange a series of inaccuracies. . hS . 33. viewed objectively.fe 1 ti:JdS and Black holds. tt::l e 3 ! 2 8 . . 26. . However. 118 f7-f6? tt::lf5-e7 �b1 -b7 . . He made his first step to defeat in this ending here.Ied 1 + 'it>e7 3 2 .? 27. :!.�d3 + <. the following game is less well-known. 48.t>c5-c4 d5-d4 .l:l:b4xa4 . but even so.d3 White's advantage is indisput­ able. <. 43 . and in the fact that. and not entirely an­ swering the questions arising in our re­ searches. .t>xh7 1 6 .xd7 �c6 1 8 . but his calculations turn out to be faulty.tt:lxd7 tt:lxd7 1 6 . 1 4.�xh 7 + <. By contrast. 42. Ihd7 ! <.Mikhail Miles. after 1 5 . assessments.l:[ h 1 -g1 well-known efforts. . 37. 49. but even so.ad8 and thanks 1 19 .t>xh7 1 7 . tt:lf3-e5! �d8-b6? Miles had probably planned this queen move earlier. In this area. Tal. or could have arisen. 47. but meets our needs more fully. the main thing was the tak­ ing of intuitive decisions amongst the various promising-looking choices. in the depths of the game. and Tal comes forward. �d3xh7+! Exactly. calculation was possible.t>c4-d3 Wd3xc2 .Anthony Porz.t>g8 1 9 . � c8 . it follows in turn that during play itself. but only in very few cases does it lead to a clear outcome. it seems to be more outwardly striking than anything else. It is typical Tal in all respects.f3 :!. 44.S u c c essful Use of I n t u i t i on 36.a 6xf6 h2-h3 h3xg4 g4-g5 .g8� d1 � 5 3 . 45. 41 . .g7 d2 5 2 .J:!.l::l.trh5-h1 <. But now Tal puts everything in its place: 1 5. We will soon see what he had counted on. From this. al­ most half the board was under attack.t>g3-f4 .l::r e 1 -e5! g5-g6! . although even then. at times. . 39. . what is especially important for us is that the majority of the potential po­ sitions give rise to anything but stan­ dard. And here. which instead lies in the variety of positions which arose. There.l:Ic3-c2+ <.t>g8 1 7 .l::r e5-c5+ l:rc5xc2 <. 1 -0 The queen sacrifice is extremely strik­ ing. The essence of the game lies here. Better was 1 4 .t>xg5 d3 5 1 .lac8xc3 <. 40.Chapter 2 . . 46. White is fully mobilised and central­ ised. it is not the main con­ tent of the game. Significantly weaker is 1 5 .l::!:x g5 5 0 .laa4-a6+ . Tal was hard to compete with! The previous game is one of Tal's most Miles has played the opening badly. and hence reliable. 1 98 2 D After 49 .l:rf5-g5 .t>d6-c5 h6-h5 h5xg4 l::tg 7-h7 l::t h 7-h5 .�b3 + no hope re­ mains. The real difficulty lay in assessing the positions arising.t>f2-g3 . 38.�xh7 + <.l:rt6-f5 <. defending the b2 pawn for the future and freeing the b2-square for the queen to come to the long diagonal.l:txe7 l:txe7 1 9 .Ag5) 1 8 . . B) Also good is 1 7.ltJf8 (bad is 1 7 . and 1 7 . White has proceeded entirely by calculation and assessment. . White has about the same size advantage as in the previous variation.. . ltJf8 ? 1 8..ltJxg6. Tal had at his disposal several good. ttJxd7 1 7 .t>h8 1 9 . This is what Miles had reckoned on. this is stronger than taking with the knight.f6 is bad because of 1 7 .t>g8 1 8. Jhd8 (the replies 1 7 ..ltJxf6+ gxf6 20. but after the text. l:td1 xd71 Here too. Black obtains definite compensa­ tion for the pawn.ltJxd7 or 1 8 .l:he 7 ! l:txe7 1 9 . 1 20 Thus far. . b2-b411 It is not hard to understand why Tal was drawn to look at this move .t>xf6 2 1 . Recapturing loses : 1 6 . . "iYc6? the move 1 8.'�xh 7 . . .l:txd 7 ! . things are bad for him. . . .ltJg4+ c. g5 1 9 .it opens a ..ltJxe7 and Black is defenceless..The Enigma of C h ess I n t u i tion to his bishop pair and good develop­ ment.. was a brilliant example of Tal's intuition. But Tal understood. But what happened now. .. On 1 6 .Ad8 well illustrate the strength of White's posi­ tion) 1 8. ltJf6 Tal pointed out the re­ markable winning blow 1 7 . iL. .l:txe7 ! l:txe7 1 9 . ltJf6. ltJhS ! decides.Ags l:tc7 20.l:td3 (l:tdd 1 ) . ."ifxf7+ c. .'ti'g4! g6 (it is no easier after 1 8 .Af6 ltJh7 2 I . .�gS 'it>g7 20. standard continuations.ltJxd7 'iVxb2 2 0 .ltJg6. 1 5 . ttJxd7 ( 1 7 .f6 1 9 ."iYg4+) 1 8 . l:tad8 leads to mate: 1 8 . . and the search for it brought him to the move 1 7.l:txb7 de­ cides. that the position should offer more. without a doubt. . White takes with the rook: 1 6 . .l:txe7 l:txe7 1 9.. Then after 1 7 .l:t7d3 with a solid advantage. After 1 7 . b3 ! ? . g7-g6 1 6 . 2 1. and sim­ ply felt. Two of the most obvious and enticing are these: A) 1 7 .. ltJf6? 1 8 . ltJf6 ? 1 8."iYeS+ win­ ning. ttJf6xh7 The whole point is that after 1 5 . . .b3 ttJf8 1 9. . .�xf6+ c.�e5) White wins with 1 9. . .ltJg6+ c. 1 6.t>h7 20. After 2 0 .l:tfd 1 ! ? and then the best is 1 7 . .ltJhS ! ! and in reply to 1 7 ."iYh5 + c. . The trumps ofWhite's position are obvious.t>g7 22 . 1 6 . and that. b4.fd 1 ? No! Analysing with Fritz 1 0 . �b7-c8 The most convincing demonstration of the intuitive nature of Tal's decision comes from his notes in the book by Tal & Damsky.�e3 ! 'iVa6 1 9.bxa8'iY . maintaining the initiative.ad8 (20 .c6 �xe2 2 0 .. Tal was the embodi­ ment of the initiative! But it is rather more difficult. . which he has to meet. � i i (fj � (fj 'iY 8 8 8 .lLJh6+ Wh8 2 S . i i i 8 8 • (fj 'iV � (fj 888 .g _t j. such as 1 7 . White only retains a very insignificant initia­ tive here. But in fact.lLJhS ! ! . frees b2 for the queen.g � the only move to win is 2 0 . to justify why he took this decision. and the game would be objec- Correct here is not 1 8 . and hence it hesitates to regard 1 7 . but then saw that he did not have more than a draw here.c5. lLJf8. tively equal.lLJxf7 gxf4 24. after which he wanted to meet with 1 8 .. .lLJxg6 we 121 . b4! ! as the strongest. would play 1 9 . where he writes that the most unpleasant reply seemed to him to be 1 7. it is hard to see that after this: I �� . and here is the proof: I � . does this mean that he should not have played 1 7 . l:!. as well as being a direct blow at the enemy position.'iYc2 . a move that is not seen by the silicon monster for quite some time. His 1 7th move was the strongest... although very striking. . Tal does not mention any other possibilities. .S uc cessful Use of I n t u i t i o n second front.lLJe4.c5 'iYa6 1 9 . rather than one of the alternatives. . . and it would have been better to play one of the alterna­ tives. So.l:f.cxb4. but 1 8. includes the c-pawn in the battle.cxb7 'iYbS 2 1 .!:. thereby using a tempo! All this taken together amounts to what we mean by the initia­ tive. and in­ deed. Then the variations run: 20 .'iVg4! lLJf6 Fritz itself at first sticks stubbornly to 1 9 . . . the move is not terribly effective. lLJxd7 2 I .g _t j.xa8 2 2 Jhe7 gS 2 3 . as we will soon see.g � 1 7. And in chess. but at move 1 9 . Attack with Mikhail Tal. I found (although not at once) that the Rigan's intuition had not deceived him.Cha p te r 2 . Then he decided to go down this continuation. �xd7 2 2 . ifb6xc5 'i¥c5-b6 24. �g7 2 1 .�e S . �d7-c7! �g8-h8 Also possible is 23 .. as it does now too. resulting in numerous striking variations appearing like lightning in the sky: 2 3 . .llxe7 etc. we see the correctness of what Kasparov said. .'�g4 1 8. 1 7 . and it ap­ pears that the move 1 8 . Now 20. . saw noth­ ing of these lines at the board.�eS 'ir'xa2 2 3 .'iVh6+ �g8 22..il'g3. but very often confirm the correctness of their in­ tuitive decisions. . . �xd7 2 l . . 2 3 .tLlxf6) 2 S . . that modern analysis engines often show up mistakes in the analysis (and calculation ­ VB) of even the greatest masters. then the demise fol­ lows in the way with which we are al­ ready familiar: 1 8/uxg6! �f6 1 8 .�e3 . . gS 24.. This move is the only one that does not lose for White. . b4xc5 1 9. it is Black who is helpless..'i¥h4 and this soon ends in mate.!he7 .�e S .�e3 ! did not even enter the group of moves that he consid­ ered seriously. or 20 . distracted by these fascinating intricacies. if at move 1 7 . 'i¥b6-b2 It all ends rapidly after 20 . . but with the queen. .l:!:xe7 2 2 . ..tLlf6+ �g7 23 . Tal only ever went forward! 1 22 The reason is obvious: 2 4 .tLlxg6 and mate is not far off 2 1 . . 'i¥e2-f3! And all the variations come together easily.'i¥hS ! �c6 2 0 Jhf7 .tLlxf6 ifxf6 2 S . �ad8 20 .!:!.xg7 �xf3 2 6 . fS 2 1 .�e5 . .. 21 .tLlh6 mate. 20 . �gS 1 9 . . Finally. . Once again. tt:Jf7-h6+ 23.. .'i¥f4 is necessary.l::tc 7xe7! Time to resign! 1 -0 Once glance at the diagram shows how much White has achieved. 1 9. . �e8-f8 Black's position is wrecked.. ifxe7 2 S . Black takes the pawn not with the c-pawn. 23 . tt:Jg3-e4 20. . In such situ­ ations.l::t g 8 mate.�e5+ tLlf6 2 6 . I must remind you that Tal. 4Jf6 24.'ihb4. �xf4 (24 .The Enigma o f Ch ess I n t u i tion have already seen) 2 l . tt:Je5xf7! 'ifb2-g7 There is also a nice finish by 2 l . . 22. . . 20. Instead. so as to meet the threat of Another inaccuracy.0 ! with good play for White.�xf6 llxf6 1 3 . 0 . . The game is complicated. �h4xf6?! This exchange is questionable. c4! ?. and analysing it is not easy. b5xa6 a7-a6 Black has achieved several obvious ad­ vantages: a lead in development. i ·� i 1 2. . Spassky plays the opening imprecisely. 6. .S u c cessful Use of I n t u i t i o n The following game also belongs to the list of Tal's intuitive masterpieces. there will be many diagrams! Spassky. 1 3 .i * 8 i i A t2J 8 8 1 1 . . .a3 ! ? or 1 0 . .'ifc2 and now 1 1 .Cha p te r 2 . . More is promised by 1 0 . 'iVd1 -d2?! i :s Possibly not the strongest. 5..'ti'c 1 a6! 1 3 .. 9. tb e4. 14.�e2 ! ? axbS 1 4. 4.Boris Tal. .tbe4 will be met by 1 Lid3 ! <i:lxc3 1 3 . . 8. �f1 -e2 <i:lb8-c6! 1 23 . it could have been dispensed with: 1 1 . 'ifd8-a5! This natural queen move was a novelty at this time and a very good one. It looks forced. 2. 1 0.a3 .�e2 with equal chances. but for the moment. 1 1 . Correct was 1 2 .2.bxc3 tbc6 1 6.Mikhail Tallinn. l1f8xf6 tbg8-f6 e7-e6 �f8-b4 h7-h6 c7-c5 b7-b5!? f7xe6 d7-d5 0-0 .0-0 . lbxb5 1 4. but then there follows 1 2 . a strong pawn centre and the bishop pair. Tal did not need to be asked twice in such situations! 1 3.e4 and White's advantage is not all that great.. 7. . for example : 1 3 . Better is 1 1 . and for this reason. more significant this time. .�d3 . 1 9 7 3 d2-d4 c2-c4 lbb1 -c3 �c1 -g5 �g5-h4 d4-d5 d5xe6 c4xb5 e2-e3 tbg1 -f3 1. 10 . All of these factors are usually exploited by active play. 3. 1 1 . 1 2.xc3 ! ? I S . l:r.0-0! dxc3 1 7 . Why was this? Was he carried away by a beautiful idea and unable to restrain his emotions? It is more likely that after 1 8 .a3 ! �xa3 2 2 . . �d2-d6 20.'iYxd4 �c5 . e3xd4 1 5 . . cxd4! ? 1 6 . Even so.�e4 jLd3 and Black wins. But it only works in this move­ order. d5-d4! In these circumstances. . b2xc3 1 9. �c3-b4! .a8xa6 20. .l:tf6xf3! But now it is a different matter! In this move-order. But this is not the most interesting thing. The other: 1 4 . This de­ cision conceals a good deal of intrigu1 24 ing stuff The main thing is that Black had at his disposal the automatic con­ tinuation 1 5 . .l:f. 1 6. Tal does not even mention this possibility in his notes! ! As we will see.'ti'c2 dxc3 2 0.'ifd6 ! lha6 1 9 . where Black has many open lines.ltJxd4 tt::\xd4 1 7 .d8 ! 1 9 .c l because of 1 7 . Bad is 1 7 . .'ife7 ! ! and Black loses. �f3xc6 d4xc3 �b4xc3 l:r.bxc3 �xc3 1 8 .xf3 ? 1 5 .\t>d l tlb8 2 0 . 'ifb6 White saves himself and wins by a se­ ries of only moves: 20Jhc l �b4 2 l .bxc3 'fVeS+ 2 1 . 0-0 c5xd4 The play proceeds in forcing fashion. jLxa6 1 8 . �e2xf3 1 7. he took a different decision. . 1la l ) 20. . . the tactics work... and Tal was after more. 1 8.�xc6 jLxa l (if 1 9 .�c2 �xa6 2 Ltxa6 'ifxa6 2 2 Jhd l White's position is perfectly defensible. 1 5.."il¥e4 ! ? �xf2+ 1 9. .The Enigma of Chess I n t u i t i on 1 4...jLxc6 ld.�xf3 d4 leads Black into great problems after 1 6 . . 1 7. which looks extremely promising: the white king will be driven to the queenside. this break­ through is quite standard and easily found. strategi­ cally (and tactically!) much less clear.. . since the exchange of rooks is both strategically and tactically unfavourable for Black and would seri­ ously reduce his winning chances. pointing in the near future at the white kingside. and could have chosen another line.S:c1 -c2 24. . then his attack will be hard to resist. But these words do not encapsulate what is most interesting and hardest to foresee (be­ cause it is impossible to calculate to the end. which is obvious at first glance. . not obstructed by pawn barri­ ers. Other factors are the main thing. .l:f. I repeat that the most difficult thing in this game is only just starting. and that his intuition did not let him down! 23.l:!. 'ti'd6-b8 . .S u c c essful Use of Intui t i on Only not 2 0 .fc 1 ? loses at once after 24 . but to calculate everything in advance is simply an unrealistic task. 'ti'b8-b3 'ti'a5-a4 24 . there is no hope of assessing such a position. Everything here is built on dynamics: who will be the first to exploit his trumps? Without calcula­ tion. And if one bears in mind that Tal did not have to go in for this position. . . So how can we resolve this issue and whose chances are better? There are no reliable positional indicators.!:!. but this is just the formal part. if Black succeeds in coordinating all his forces. the combination ends only with this move. White loses the bishop on c6 ' . and the position is extremely tense. where they have the prospect of being supported by the queen and rook. which guaranteed him an advantage without great risk. then the conclusion has to be that he was convinced by the prospects of this position. We have a familiar problem before us: calculation does not give a clear picture. �xf2+ ! . writes Tal.a1 -c1 �b4-c5! In reality. unless you are a modern analysis engine. The difficulty consists in the assessment of the posi­ tion. It is clear that. White's rooks are ready to double on the c-file in the near future. this blow will hang over the white position like the Sword ofDamo­ cles. running on a powerful proces­ sor) .a6xc6 22 . be­ cause the position has a very open char­ acter and lasting factors do not play the slightest role. and will become more so with every move. Secondly. as we will soon see. �e5 ? ? 2 1 . These are the two black bishops. This is the first thing. What do we see? Black has a very small material advantage.Chapter 2 . 1 25 .'ti'e7 and it is White who wins! 'The concluding move of the combination. But there is a very serious counter-factor. . namely the way his pieces are 'hanging' by a thread on the c-file. which is only just beginning! 21 . including his 2 2nd move. reliable positional indicators are lacking. This means that he had to calculate these variations. Starting from this mo­ ment. as being either a win or a draw.t>d4 'tWa l + 3 2 . I have tried to 'solve' this position with the help of Fritz. Kasparov tells how he tried to re­ fute Tal's idea. many different possibilities are hidden. �a4-f4 explaining that the endgame arising af­ ter 24 . but in accor­ dance with the theme of this book.. and would very much like to establish how effective that intuition was.. a seri­ ous sign! Let us try. and I have not found a reliable drawing line for White. in this position.. these possibilities can hardly be calcu1 26 lated out to full clarity even with the help of an engine..<. if White tries to attack the e6 pawn di­ rectly with his king: 3 I . One has the impression that such positions can. but the context suggests that he agrees. usually be as­ sessed fairly accurately. than either of the world champions. . and very hard to assess by the use of stan­ dard analogies. I am not only commenting on the game after them. the assessment of the consequences of which is difficult.t>e3 �xa2 'represents a very small achievement' .T h e Enigma o f Ch ess I n t u i tion It seems to me that this is the most in­ teresting moment of the game. the intermediate positions are too often unusual and non-standard.t>fl D �d3 + 2 8 .<. But at this moment. .. quotes this opin­ ion and passes no comment.<.xc2+ 2 9 . alas. Kasparov.<.�f3 'tWeS 2 7 . . to look in more de­ tail at the queen ending which could have arisen in the line quoted above.t>h7 3 3 . . however. and therefore should.'ifc6 �b l + 34. <.�xb7 (26.. �e4 2 S JHc l �b7 2 6 . the position is heavily sim­ plified.t>es .'tWg3 �fS leads to a position reached later in the game) 2 6 . with few pawns left. on the other hand. On the one hand. Here it is: As we see..We4 <. Thus. Here is only one of the possible variations. trying to show that the hanging black pieces on the c-file should count for something. A commentator has no right to settle for the minimum. My position as commentator is more difficult. and the most important in terms of proving the correctness or otherwise of Tal's intu­ itive decision on move 1 5 . �xf2 + 2 7 .l:hc2 �xc2+ 30 . and. in his turn. He played 24. This means he was not prepared to accept Tal's assessment of the position. I have taken on myself the responsibility for proving (insofar as this is possible!) the fact that intuition has been used.t>xf2 l:f. .. In the position on the board.!d.!d... J:tb6.ia6 2 7.'i:Vg3 .t 32 . But I have not been able to find a con­ vincing answer (at least not convincing to myself) to the question of what Black should do after 25 .!d. The alternative is the continuation adopted in the game.l:Ib l �c4 'if ��� :g � Now Spassky had to make a choice. The reason for this assessment is that Black has managed to avoid the exchange of his rook.l:i.Cha p te r 2 . 2 7. claiming that Black retains the advan­ tage. and even simply the out1 27 ..fc l ? .'it>h l �b7 -+) and this is definitely so: 2 7 .. together with the great number of variations.'it>xf2 'ff f4+ . 'i!fc7 . There­ fore. .�b5 and gives this vari­ ation: 25 . and effectively. the exchange of rooks is even more important for White than the exchange of queens: 28. I have doubts whether it is sufficient for victory. �b7 2 8 . and why Kasparov stayed silent.'i:Vf3 .'ti'b3 2 7 . 'ffxf3 2 6 . .\t>h l ! ( 2 7 .h3 ! and there is no sign of how Black can win here. However.d2 3 1 . both Kasparov and Tal recommend avoiding the exchange with 25 . No.gxf3 e5 (other moves even lose) 2 7 .!d.t White wants to exchange heavy pieces.'ff a 5 ? �xf2 + ! 2 8 . .. �b3-g3 Tal looks at 25 ..\t>d6 e5 3 6 . 'i:Vd6 26JUcl .t • .al • . everything revolves around the possibility or otherwise of this exchange.g6+ 2 8 . 25. . by bringing his king to g2.t 'iV � :g 29. And Black can gradually win this posi­ tion. It is not hard to understand why Tal was not satisfied with this prospect. . .!d.'it>hl �xf2 35 . . . although the win is also not guaranteed. Neither Tal nor Kasparov believe Black is winning after 2 5 .S uc cessful Use of I n t u i t i o n 'fff5 + 3 5 ..'fff3 \t>g6. This is easily ex­ plained . K . a draw is not obvious here.. assessing the position as win­ ning for Black.c6 . . Kasparov agrees with this. As we see if we continue the variation given by Tal.ia3 ! �b2 ! .'ffxd6 llxd6 3 0 . and it was not simple.the further course of the game.el �b5 3 3 J�cxe6 �d4 34. . either at move 1 5 .The Enigma o f Chess I n t u i tion ward appearance of the position shows that Black does not have such great prospects of attacking the enemy king. all this is only true if one accepts my assessment and rejects the more authoritative view of the two world champions.a third world cham­ pion. 25.. where exactly? I see two possibilities . And more than that .'iYxb7 and now the thematic blow 2 8 . The remainder of the game is already much clearer strategi­ cally. . iYfS-gS! But not 27 . . which I am not able to believe. in which case it is more of a question of an error of judge­ ment. It is what happens when two world champions state something. .. I find myself experiencing a case of cognitive dissonance. or at move 2 4. iYf3-b3 . And if so. also did not utilise this chance! And this is where the main problem arises: if White can obtain real chances of saving the game with this move.'iYb8+ �h7 2 8 . 26J:!:fcl �b7 2 7. 28. and if Spassky played the open­ ing stage of the game poorly. 'iYg3-f3 'lW 1'3:. and its retreat significantly re­ duces Black's activity. and may very well be capable of being strengthened. which are not forced. as he un­ doubtedly did. And here.'iYb6 and I do not see how Black can strengthen his position here.. which is generally defined as ·a feeling of dis­ comfort.'ii' b 3 lhc2 3 0. . I have looked at some of the variations. caused by the contradiction between the established view and fresh information and new facts coming to light' . which was strengthened by his desire to avoid a boring and insuffi­ ciently convincing endgame. 26. .'iYg3 'iYd7 must have gone wrong somewhere since. The queen is a very powerful piece here. Its character is determined by the calculation of variations. !:!: !:!: 26. 1'3:.ic8-b7! The bishop cannot be taken: 2 7 . iYxf3 ? 2 8 .h3 �d6 29.�fl .gxf3 eS 2 9 Jhc5 l:[g6+ 3 0. 27. but the character of the play is clear. � .ixf2+ wins. 27.lhc2 �dS 3 1 . But I repeat. and it turns out to be a stable advantage for Black. Spassky. �f1 -c1 'iYf4-f5 2 8. 1'3:. . then this means that Tal 1 28 1'3:. when we have to question Tal's intu­ ition. that we will see later.Wh3 l:l:xc2 3 5 . �xf2 + ? does not work: 2 9 ..We2 'iYeS + ! 3 2 .'�'e4+ 34.l::!. 'i:Yf5 + 3 3 .S u c c essful Use of Intu i t i on Pursuing the black queen further does not work.Wg l loses after 3 l . Simpler was 3 2 .. . .'iVxc l + ! etcetera. . . . . but does not actually throw away the win. Not surprisingly. After 2 8 .'iWg3 . .Wg l 'iWe4. �c5xf2+! It has finally happened! Now this works. '>t>g2 ? is bad: 3 3 . . whilst 2 9. . whilst after 3 l . Tal's move greatly compli­ cates his task. . �c6-c7! 31 .'iVd4+ 3 2 . �b7 .'iWg3 �xf2 + ! -+ .xc2 + 3 0 J:I:xc2 'iWfS +) 29 . . 30.l::l:b 6 is weak because of 2 9 . .'iWxf2 (29. �xf2 + ! 2 9 .'iVxc2 �fl +) 34 . . we1 -f1 'i:Yf6-e5+ 32 .Cha p te r 2 .We3 'iWf3 + 3 2 . 29.Wxf2 l:l:xc2+ 3 0 ..'iWxe6+ is met by 29 . whereas 3 3 .. whilst 28 .Wg l 'iWe4 play again transposes into the game.Wfl 'iVbS + 3 2 .'iWc4 �b6+ etc. 28. 29. . �b7-a6+? Exactly! This time. 32. l:l:xc2 'iVxg2 + 3 l . '>t>f2-e1 3 l . again Black has 2 8 . . l:l:f7 ! 3 0. 1 29 .'iWg3 . 31 . . after the amount of cal­ culation work they have had to perform in this game.. . '>t>f1 -g1 Correct. . . Wd2 and Black has nothing more than perpetual check. 'iWf5 + ! 3 l .Wg l 'iWe4 going into a winning position. . the traditional deci­ sion 2 8 . both players were now in time-trouble. . g2-g3 Again 2 9 . .Wg l (3 4.g3 �xf2 + 3 l ..Wxf2 . '>t>g1 xf2 'iWg5-f6+ It was simpler immediately to play 3 0 .Wfl 'iWfS + 3 3 . . 33..l:l:f7 + .Wfl . . . 45 . . JH7 + 3 6 .The Enigma of Chess I n t u i t i on 33.. .�g l �d3 ! 3 6 .'iVc8+ llf8 41 ..'iVd7 'iYf2 47. 0-1 So.�b6 �e2 .'iVxe6+ �h7 44. time-trouble now being over. �g1 -f2 38.�h3 130 36.�h3 ? �xc2 3 6 . fall into time-trouble and make mistakes. even if Tal's intuition did let him down at move 1 5 .d2 �h l + 4 l .h4! The end comes at once after 3 7 Jk 8 + �h7 3 8 . However. And here.l 35.�d l �d7 + 40. l:!. Ji'f3 ! guarantees the win.l:!.�c8+ �xc8 38 . although I have no doubt that Tal would have found this in home analysis.ta6+ 40. isn't it? Two great players.xc8+ �h7 3 9 . h2-h4 37.l:ld7 + . �g2-g1 ? Spassky was also short of time! As we know. 3 7 .� f2 ! Tal would have had to win the game all over again. or 3 9 .txc2 39. 3 5 . White now needs to find the only reply: 3 7. �f2-e2 �e4-h1 + �c7-f7+ 'iYh1 -e4+ Here Spassky resigned.�e3 . g4.e2 46. with a series of checks: 3 9 .'iVc4 llf2+ 42.tfl + was losing. 43 . Uf3 38.. h5 ! ! 44 .'iYb3 'iVfS + 4 6 . 34. because he loses by force.e2 ? 45 . . about which I am far .ta6-b7 Now we have the position pointed out earlier. suffer.�xc2 .�h2 . only 42 . .�d7+ �h6 Sickening.1lgl and now again a difficult moment: 44 .. two world champions. �g1 g2 - �e5-d4+ �d4-e4+ • .�c2 llc7 +. but after 3S..tb 7 ? fails : 3 7 . . ..a4 l:!. White is helpless.. whilst the wretched silicon machine shows the right line in a matter of seconds! It is humiliating for us all! 35 .�d2 . Fritz quickly shows the correct winning line: 3 S .�xc2 'iVe3 40. it is not only Black's task that is difficult.'iVd3 + g6 48..�c2 .l:. cx d S �x d S ? (better is l l . it was nonetheless unques­ tionably an intuitive decision! In addi­ tion. even at some risk.Chap ter 2 . but Bronstein's choice is also sensible. 4. either in terms of calculation or assessment. . Ue8) 1 2 . Bronstein. 2. and his recommendation is stronger.'tWxdS . He is partly right. It was not possible to pun­ ish White for his opening transgres­ sions without including intuition in the process. 7. 5. he aims from the start for an irrational position.�xh 7 + 'lt>xh7 1 3 . tt::l a6 or l l . with incalcu­ lable consequences. Now let us look at some more games. . in which the presence of intuition in the decision-making process can be as­ serted with greater certainty. exd 5 ? ! I O . Kasparov is sceptically in­ clined towards this decision and recom­ mends as stronger the continuation 1 O. 3. Such an ap­ proach was to a large extent in accor131 .Successful Use of I n t u i t i o n from sure.a3 �e7 l l . tt::lxd S tt::l x d S l l . It seems to me that in this game. �d3-c2 In his book. and made a great im­ pression.David Keres. David Bronstein 9. crowned with a striking piece sacrifice. . and Bronstein now seizes the chance to grab some space. The first of these was played in the period before Tal came along. and have several times seen that the position is not fully clear. Paul Go then burg Interzonal. 1 0. and the earliest possible seizure of the initiative. d2-d4 c2-c4 tt::l b 1 -c3 e2-e3 �f1 -d3 tt::lg 1 -e2 0-0 e3xd4 tt:Jg8-f6 e7-e6 �f8-b4 c7-c5 b7-b6 �c8-b7 c5xd4 0-0 Keres has not played the initial stage of the game in the best possible way.tt::l f4. we have looked at the game in quite some detail. 1 9 5 5 1. . 8. d4-d5!? h7-h6 Black prevents the unpleasant bishop move to gS. 6. thanks to White's amazingly brave play for those days. . . It is obvious that taking twice on dS is bad: 9 . In this case. . All the later striking moves were. Here.tb4-e7 • • tt::l b8-a6 Kasparov also sharply criticised this move. 'iVd3 l:!. in the situation that had arisen. tt:Jc3-b5!? Strictly speaking. 1 3. 'if c7 ! 1 1 . real intuitive decision was taken around here. Bronstein's main. . 132 Paul Keres Kasparov criticised this decision of Keres and even gave it a question mark. after 1 2. . 1 3 . d5xc4 1 1 . suggesting instead 1 0 . White had little choice. Natu- .tes looks interesting.c8 . a good alter­ native was 1 1 . with mutual chances. since 1 3 .tt::l c 3 . We will soon see that Bronstein's approach worked wonderfully in this game. 1 2 . . . but was less confident in situations where his opponent held a lasting initiative. it also fitted in well with the psychologi­ cal background to the game against Keres. striking.�d6 ! ? 1 2 . a2-a3 e6xd5 ..l:!:fe8 is not very nice for him. here too. but in this case.tt::l b 5 ..a3 ! ?. on the other hand.T h e Enigma of C hess I n t u i t i on dance with his style. 1 0. but to a large extent already necessary. However. even if the latter had paid a large positional or material cost for it. forced..tt::l x c7 �xc7 1 S . 11.�b 3 the position remains compli­ cated. with a complicated game.. tt:Je2-g3! Strong. to a considerable extent. the manoeuvre 1 l ..cxdS tt::l c 7 ! 1 4. who was a virtuoso at playing with the initiative and very strong at fighting for it. and consequently. but here its correct­ ness is questionable at first. jlc1 xh6! Striking.'iffs ! 'ifxfS 1 9 . Wh8 strong is 1 8 .ti:Jf5 dS (also good is 1 4 .l::!.ti:Jbd6 tt:Jcs 2 l . such as 1 4. although this sacrifice is a quite routine idea. although as we will soon see.ti:Jxd6 .Chapter 2 . my analysis of the complications shows somewhat different results..l::!..cxd5 jlxdS 1 5 . ti:Jf6-h7? We have before us the most important position of this game.ti:Jhf5 + Wh8 23 .h3 ! .l:f.e 1 with the assessment 'with lasting compensa­ tion for the pawn' . in a higher chess sense it is necessary. second and even third glance! However. He did not feel (our topic!) that the approaching storm would be so se­ rious and that it would prove impossi­ ble to calculate its consequences. . .'ifxg4+ Wigs 1 8 . jlh4 1 7 . 1 7. .ti:Jfd6 jlxd6 1 6.tt:JxfS jlf6 20. ..S u c c essful Use o f In t u i t i on rally. and the number of variations in all the possible lines is very great. As well as the move in the game.l:i. 1 5 .ti:Jxf5 h5 (on 1 7 . Uab 1 jla 6 24 . 1 6. . I re­ gard this decision of Keres as objectively perfectly good. the moment of truth! Keres had to find the right deci­ sion.fe 1 Black has to suf­ fer to save the game. there are two other candidate moves. he suggested 1 3 . Instead. 'ifd1 -d2 . . g7xh6 1 33 . this assessment was made on the basis of his analysis of the great compli­ cations that follow. and it turned out to be practically impossible to calculate everything out to more or less clarity. ti:Jc5 (with an exclamation mark) . .•• 14.'iff4 fs If 1 6 . The alterna­ tives. . continuing 1 4..e6 1 7 _jlfs jlds !) are all clearly good for Black.ti:Jxh6+ �g7 2 2 .e 8 1 5 . 1 5.ael ! . . However. 1 4.l:i. subjectively Keres went wrong here. as I said earlier. Black loses the h6 pawn and then the game) and here very strong is 1 8 . . I will show the most important: A) 1 5 tt:Jg4 This reply does not ap­ pear to promise a reliable defence. I did not analyse further. .tLldfS We8 24. and on the basis of numerous analyses.tLle7 + winning. Then White's strongest is 1 6.t2Jfs .<1Jge3 ! d4 3 9 . Here is the main line.de6 3 8 .t e 7 2 6 .l:!..Wxe 1 dxe3 4 1 . .e3 ! "t!!Yf4 2 3 .�xh 5 + Wg7 2 2 .txd3 ! cxd3 . but it is clear that White's winning chances here are quite good.. looking fur­ ther. The move 1 6 . tt:Jd3 .tLlxf6 l:!e6 we reach an ending. ."t!!Y g4 f6 2 S ..�d4+ �f6 (22 . .xe7 �xe7 ( 1 9 . However.xe 1 dxe 1 VW+ 40..txd6 2 0 . there is still no greater clarity.'i¥xg4++.d8 3 6. we see that these hopes are illu1 34 Here I do not see anything better for White than a repetition of moves: 22.l:le8 1 9 ."t!!Yh 3 tbg7 20. it is obvious how the calculation of variations goes in this very confusing position. . whilst at .�d3 VWg7 24.tLlxb7 with a decisive advantage to White) 1 9 .b4 . Jhf5 ? 2 0 . Wrong is 2 l . B) Even at the time this game was first analysed. .VWxf6 ! �xf6 3 0. Here is the main line : 1 7 J!Yxh6 t2Jd3 1 8 . around which an ocean of diversions exists 1 7 . . VWxf7 + �d8 27 .tLld 1 ! l:i.Wf2 . which previous commentators.llae 1 ! .�h5 l:l.<1Jbd6 tLlxfS 2 1 . <1Jhg4 d2 3 3 . after 1 6 .xe4! . followed by Kasparov. I repeat that I have shown here only a very small part of the possible varia­ tions.!:i.<1Jxf4 the ending is clearly in White's favour.'i¥f8+ �c7 29. 'lt>g8 2 3 . �e 2 .t!. .<1Jxe7 Uxf4 2 1 .tLlg4 . .g 3 ! �c7 24. . Its assessment is not immediately clear. this: 3 2 .e 1 34. it was realised that the best defensive chances were offered by the continuation 1 S .d6 3 7 . Or. brings Black se­ rious difficulties..te4 2 0 . but even after looking at this por­ tion.l:f. writes Kasparov. �xf5 �xe7 2 l .VWd3) 2 3 .l:!. Thus every 2-3 moves leads to a new position in which. .tcs 2 2 ..<1Jxh6 + ! Wf8 2 1 . with a high degree of probability. <1Je8 !? I have not found a win for White.'iig 7 'i¥ c 7 2 S .'ihc4+ Wh8 2 1 .T h e Enigma o f C hess I n t u i t i on After the best reply 1 8 . it finally turns out to result in a bad.) 20. After the virtually forced 2 8 .tLlcS ! .VWg5 ! .tLlfS ! .tLle7+ . sory.tLlg6+ Wg7 2 2. .tLldS + �b7 3 l .l:!.xe4 2 3 . VWc7 ? 2 2 . However. to put it another way: Black's game is difficult.f3 . Wh8 ! (weaker is 1 8 . however. but subsequent analysis shows. maybe even lost endgame. have given as strongest.<1Jbd4 ! 1 8 .tLlfS+ �g8 24.l:!.tt:Jf2 dS 3 S . assisted by Fritz 1 0.f7 2 6. .<1Jbd 6 ! .l:i'.tcs 1 9 .tgs 1 9. .<1Jxd6 �h4 2 2 . .tt:Jxe7 �f4! 'with hopes of defence' .tLlxfS 'i¥f6 ! Only move.tLle7+ Wg7 2 3 .h3 'iif6 24. �c2xf5 1 9 . tbg3xf5 .f4.l:!. Keres did not cope with this difficult. which again lead only to very little extra clarity.tbxh6 �xh6 2 8 .tbh6+. And is such a level of calculation within the capacity of any human player. And these series of short lines roll up into one another like waves. .ifxd6 2 2 . .Iiae 1 ! .. �h5-g4 23. .it'g6+ �f8 1 9 . retaining a strong initiative.f4 �h6 2 5 . . as was the case here. . . d5 loses after 2 1 . �h6-h5 tbh7-f8 �e7-g5 20.fe 1 �g7 2 3 .fe 1 Wiff6 2 4. After his mistake.f8xf5 1 7 .a1 -d1 20. �f6 loses after 1 8.ifhS + �g7 2 5 Jle3 . But it is in this type of position that intuition is king! As we will see.ifxg 5 W!fxg S 24.b4 tbb7 2 6. tbb5-d6 22. and psychologically ex­ tremely unpleasant. .Wiff6 2 2 .tbf7 + Wg7 2 7 .tbxb7 tbc7 2 3 .l:tf7 1 9.tbc8) 22 .�xg5+ �f7 2 3 .tbd6 �f4 24. In such situations. . If 2 3 .Wifxc4! ? tbcs 24. even if it does not always work perfectly. The only way out of this maze is by intuition..tbbd6 �f8 2 0 . of whatever level of genius? But without calculation it is impossible to assess such a position. as does 1 7 .S u c c essful U s e o f I n t u i t i on the same time new possibilities are thrown up.tbd6 ! W!fe7 (Black also has a hopeless position after 2 1 .tbf7 + Wg7 2 S . .g4.�h5 ! �gs 2 1 .White plays against the enemy king. 1 6. task.l:!.l:i.l:!. �d2xh6 f7-f5 1 7.tbxb 7 . 1 8. . Jlf7 after 1 8 . tbbd6 �xd6 2 0 .C h a p t e r 2 . 1 35 . David Bronstein could play beautifully. �xd6 + �g8 2 1 . ifd8-f6 20 . . . . 21 . Also interesting was 2 3 . White re-established material equality. �f5-e4!? �b7-c6 �g8-h8 A decision that is fully in keeping with the position . and also after 2 1 .tbxg5 �f6 Black re­ tains some hope. and the game becomes one-way traffic. . 25. 'iYd5-f3 39. the play has resulted in a dif­ ficult and sharp position. . �g5-h6 A beautiful blow could follow after 23 . . Maybe this is true. Paul Keres.e5 ! llxeS 4 I . �f4: 24J:ld5 ! ! and after 24 .'iYc 7 ! .'f:fh3 + '1t>g8 3 I .Paul Oberhausen Ech-tt. .!:td1 -d6 d7xc6 tt:Ja6-c5 tt:Jc5-e6 .'iVb8+.T h e Enigma o f C hess I n t u i tion 23 . tLlf5 +.a8-b8 'iYf6-g6 �h6-g7 Losing at once.'1t>h l tt:le6 2 7 .'iVxf4) 26. f2-f4! h2-h3 tt:Je4-g3 '1t>g1 -h2 'iYg6-g4 'f:fg4-e2 'ti'e2-e3+ tt:Je6-d4 • Bronstein pointed out that White wins after 3 3 .'iYh3 + ! '1t>g8 2 7 . 28. 38. 36.U. to my knowledge. But any great player (and Keres was not just a top player. in which both sides' passed pawns play an important . . .'iYg4+ 'f:fg7 3 2 .lld5 ! tt:lh7 (3 9 .l:t. he was unquestionably a great one) has in his arsenal a full range of weapons. �e4xc6 'iVg4xc4 b2-b4 'f:fc4xc6 tt:Jd6-e4 . 33. 26.tLlf5 + �f8 29.. . 34. and it is just a question of which he makes the most use of So. White i s winning: 3 8 . 27. .l::rxf8 + �xf8 42 . 32. such a player can be seen using a weapon that he does not gener­ ally make great use of Hort.. sometimes. .�xa8 White should win. .'f:fb 8 + '1t>g7 4 3 . . . 37.!:tfs .'�xg 7 . either through necessity or when the mood strikes him. been regarded as a player of the intuitive type.!:te7 4 I. l:td6-h6+ tt:lf4-e2 1 -0 The loser of this game. 1 9 6 1 30.'f:fh3+ '1t>g7 2 8 . tt:lxf4 40 . 31 . . 35. 29.�xd5 �xh2+ (White also wins af­ ter 2 5 . The only way to compli­ cate the opponent's task was 3 7 . . has never.!:te8 3 S . tt:lxf4 : 34.'iYb 7 + ! �g8 3 9 .'iVxe6+ '1t>h8 3 0 .Vlastimil Keres.�xe6+ dxe6 29. 24.'f:fxg7 + ! �xg7 3 6.'iYxf4) 40 . �xd5 2 5 . tt:le6 26.tt:le4 'f:fxb2 2 8. .b8-e8 tt:ld4-e2 'iYe3-g3+ tt:Je2xf4 ?! As we see. 136 'f:fc6-d5 tt:lg3-h5 tt:Jh5xg7 �h2-h1 . .U. but here too. Probably Black was in time-trouble. C ha p t e r 2 . there is a sacrifice and the expectation that in the end it will bring some divi­ dend. l:!.e2 'ifc3 3 8 . The variations confirm this last observation. but White's passed pawn. he had to do so in conditions of time shortage.e2 'ifd4+ 4 l . with this move. As he explained in his own notes to the game.ita3 but then too. In this case.f1 -c1 The pawns are exchanged and a draw results. it is not a matter of accurate calcu­ lation.. . In the strict sense of the term. But if it is not supported by cal­ culation. . only quite approximate working out of the exact variations.l:i. . which usu­ ally constitute a great strength. and one whose consequences were ex­ tremely hard to evaluate. and where does the promised sacrifice come in? 35. a combination is usually taken to be a 'well-calculated operation.. it is hard to tell which side has the better chances.xb2 c3 40 . Stronger is 34 .l:rbe l l:.�h l .d7 b2 3 6 . taking the pawn at once is bad: 34 . So what is so difficult about the choice. White's passed pawn gives him sufficient counterplay: 3 S . 'ifc2xc1 +!! Here is the answer to the last question. Even so. Black has a pair of passed pawns.d7 l:!.'ifxc4 and White is winning. starting 35 .g8 38 . even with plenty of time in hand.l:.l:i. he took a very strong decision.itb2-f6! This move is natural and even quite ob­ vious . covers the square d8 and keeps control of d4..'ifb3 . leading by force to a favourable position.l:i:af8 42 . At first glance. But as we will see. Analysis shows that this sacrifice is 1 37 . Here.the bishop gets out of the way of its own pawns. then on what can Black's hopes have been based? In seeking an answer to this. Keres had to decide whether to be satisfied with a draw or to seek a way to use his trumps more effectively. Thus. 34 . we can conclude with a large degree of certainty that it must have in­ volved intuition. . and the sacrifice is not just a joke. we need to ex­ plain something. can also give Black many problems. . Keres says that he ' thought up an interesting combination' .. it is extremely difficult to calculate everything here. In his notes.itd4! 'ifxa4 3 7 . .S u c c essful Use o f In t u i t i o n role.dl 'iff6 3 9. However.'iff7 l:!.itxb2 . combined with the potential weakness of the square e8..g8 3 7 .aa8 3 6. . Jha4? 3 S .. .!:i.itxb2 3 9 . usu­ ally embodying a sacrifice' . d4! (all other moves are significantly worse) 44.'iiie 8+) 4 1 . Therefore. . this or move 34? 1 38 36. .i. .i. 3 8 .'iii e 7 + . whilst she is being dislodged. they are stopped. . is not the ideal blockading piece.�£'2 .llxa8 �b4D (40 .�xf5 . b 1 �? 3 9 . .b1 xc1 37.i. Jha8 4 l .�xe 1 . .xc3 . .<Jifxf2 �xd8 46 .d7 .i. The queen. . .l:ra 1 . .e 1 (the only reply) 3 9 . .l:!. He played 38. but maybe.l:hc4 �d3 3 7 .l:re 1 ! b2 3 8 . of course. In the game.T h e Enigma o f C hess I n t u i t i on practically essential. something similar occurs. . <Jiffl ! ? �xd8 48 . .a6 .�xb 1 .d8'iii . because Keres had lit­ tle time left and the variation is ex­ tremely complicated. .l:!.) 3 9 .c1 -b1 b3-b2 c4-c3 Keres had intended to reach this posi­ tion when he played his 34th (not his 3 5 th!) move. but it would have been im­ possible to calculate the above variation during the game.l:!. leads to defeat after 3 8 . .a5 <Jifh7 43 .g 7 . . I am convinced of two things: 1 . once again. yet he has a large advantage.�e4+ g6 4 7 . White has two queen moves. I would draw your attention to this po­ sition. this sacrifice was planned on the pre­ vious move.xc3 4 1 .l:!.l:rxa4 3 9 . .l:rf8 ( 3 8 .l:[xb 1 42 .�d3 h6! 44. it is clear that one can­ not assess this position without calcu­ lation. . Naturally.i. Jh 1 40 . But then a new question arises: which of Black's moves deserves the two exclamation marks.xf2+ 45. by using his own passed pawns? Yes. as is shown by the vari­ ation: 4 1 .l:rxa8 42 .�e8+.l:!. What can one say about it? The black pawns are far advanced. . .l:rc8+ +. but with colours reversed! It should be said that it is hard to prove conclusively that Keres' decision was intuitive. White has only a rook and two passed pawns for the queen.h6 42 . 'iiie 6-e2 And now it looks as though he is in quite good shape. �xe l + 4 l . After 3 5 . White will manage to create some counterplay.'ifg6 lhd6 45.d8 43 . 39. the decision was without any doubt an intuitive one 2 .e8! we reach a very interesting situation. .l:rc8 b 1 'iii 40. . d6-d7 lla8xa4 . . 38.�e8+ <Jifh7 46 .i. �d2 3 6. The first.xd8 �h4+ 4 7 . such an out­ come could not seduce Hort. 40 . but for the moment. Here. but here everything is clear: 5 3 . .'i¥b6 jLe5 5 8 .'i¥b7=. but after 40. so it is hard to criticise them. which we have not given here) . However.Wf3 (50.c8 48 .Wf3 and Black cannot break through. s t . h7-h6 Keres regards this move as a bad solu­ tion to the back rank problem. he indicates as strongest 39 . �c6 ! k.g5 ! llxb 1 45 . because of 44.�e8+ �h7 48. Keres says that he could very well have played 3 9 . Rg8! 40 ..fxg4 43.h6 jLe5 . . l:Ig8 ! (which turns out to be a good move in a number of other varia­ tions.l:lxb l 43 . jLc3 5 4 .d8 4 l .xd7 47 . .�d3 ?? . g6 Fritz likes the line 5 0 .�g4 ..'i¥d3 Ral 4I . In such a position. namely re­ lieving the blockade and preserving his king from perpetual check. both players were in serious time-trou­ ble. however.jLxc3 ! jLxc3 49 . by en­ suring his king avoids perpetual check. but with White having no counterplay.'iYe6! White achieves equality with accurate play.�xb l . but White's counterplay saves the game: 42 .jLe 1 l:td8 White has the reply 42.l:Id8 S4.l:!..'i¥d3 jLg7 n.g4 ! . .l:lxd7 4S.gS jLes 46..�f2 l:!. we reach similar posi­ tions. For example: SO . 1 39 .l:!. h6 does not help. Black gradually wins.C h apter 2 .fxg4 .U.Wg4 jLf6 5 7 . bishop and pawn b2. and Fritz eventually catches him up.�h5+. 44.. I found with his help that after 3 9 .� e4 jLf6 ( 5 3 .. 'i¥xb l hxg 5 46 .l:I£'8+ S3.l:le8+ S O. .:rf8 5 5 ..jLxc3 jLxc3 42 . Although Fritz continues for some time to believe that Black is winning.. with the assistance of our tireless friend Fritz 1 0.. for the human a glance is enough to convey the truth.�e2 l:!.h4 . But the problem is definitely not a simple one. Now.�b5 jLxg5 + 5 6.h5 g6 5 2 . All other moves lead to a position where Black has rook..�g6 .jLe 1 ! .'iVbs . . We have to work it out for ourselves.S u c c essful Use o f I n t u i t i on 39 . llaa 8 .d8 47. . However. l'lb8 5 l . Keres does not give any variations. . .e 1 ) And it becomes clear that Black cannot achieve two tasks at once. 'i¥b l ) 5 4 . Alas. Let's assume that Keres' wonderful idea does not lead to a forced win. often closely bound up with the creative side.The E n i g m a o f Chess I n t u i tion I cannot guarantee that everything here is correct. 41 . we were able to see a very rare and attractive spectacle. cl 'flY+ 47. .b8xd8! Exactly ! Much worse is 4 1 .'it>f2 �f6 48 .c2 42. .c 2 4 2 . the reserves of which ran out be­ fore the end of the game. d7-d8'f!Y? A tired Hort goes wrong. if the sides play correctly. Keres does not indicate at precisely which move the game was adjourned. Thus.'ifxb2 �xb2 43.'t!Vg8+ with perpetual check.xa l �xa l 46. l:i. I could not find anything real for Black.e l l:i. This is the sporting side of chess. . 't!Ve2-e8+ 'it>h8-h7 Vlastimil Hort missed a draw. But it is not so important for us whether White can save himself with 1 00% certainty or not. 42. His oppo­ nent coped with the defensive task for a while. The same is true after other 47th moves. but in return. There followed: 40. 'f!Yg8+ 'it>g6 43 . 't!Ve8xa4 41 . .�b6 l:i.l:i.�e3 ?? �d4-+) 46 . but whatever the answer. Opponents can be beaten by setting them sufficiently difficult problems. He should have taken the rook: 4 l .l:i. the main part of what follows was the product of home analysis. Hort 1 40 . .!::t d 8-d2 .a8 44. .'t!Vd6! no matter how much I tried. but it cost him great energy and time. as here.'ti'ge 8 + 'it> h 7 44.'t!Vxb8! and then after 4 l .d8't!V (46. A draw is the most likely re­ sult in chess.a l 45 . This is what Keres did here. thanks to his brilliant idea at move 34. 49.a8 47 . .g4 l::ra l + 49 .'ifc8+ 'it>h7 . Now too.'tWb l �a8. . 45. 52.. g2-g4 'it>g1 -g2 'iVb1 -c2 'iVc2-c7+ .'ifb5 c2 44. 43 .Chapter 2 . There is some­ thing else.l:[b1 xb2 In the variation 43 . it is quite a logical conse­ quence of the earlier play! What I mean is that Keres deliberately went in for such play when he sacrificed his queen.'iVfl (44. but also psychological. which is rather more inter­ esting.'iVxf5 + then 46 .'iVxf5 + g6) the only winning re­ ply is 44 . . g7-g6!? Also good is 46 . 48..tf2-d4 'it>g2-g3 l::r b8-a8 l::r a8-a1 b2-b1 'iV .. 44.. the defending side was not able to cope with the oppo­ nent's pressure. g6! 47. 51 .'iVxf5 + 'it>h8 48 . This happens. and quite often. .. 53.'iVxb l the move 46 . 46. after 45 . it is not such an unusual idea. The point is that the pawn on f5 is defended and White is deprived of the possibility of perpet­ ual check. iYa4-b3 52 . . But to an experienced player. 44. Although this position did not arise by force.. . J:!. 50.'it>h4 g5+ 54. with the aim of getting the maximum activ­ ity from his two passed pawns. J�d5 ! ! .. 53. . . 46. . as we see before us here. 'i�Vf1 -c1 + 0-1 The last two games have several things in common. 47.'it>g2 b l 'iV 50 . The reason is not only chess-based. although a defence ob­ jectively existed.'it>h5 'ti'h3 mate.tf6-g7 'tWb1 -f1 + c3xb2 43.ld:d2-d8! The rook heads for the square a 1 . 141 .!::f.. In both. . 'it>g3xf4 f5-f4+! Or 5 3 . The back rank is defended and there is no perpetual check.te3 cxb l 'iY 46.Su c cessful Use of I n t u i t i on This is a sight one does not often see two pawns prove stronger than a queen. 'iVb3-c2 'iVc2-b1 l::r d 8-b8 If 46. .a5 decides. axb3 lhe4 3 S . both sides had little time left.l::i: bfl ti:leS Black wins the end­ ing. I would remind you that one of intuition's most important tasks is to help the player make a choice. in situa- . as is his first move: 32 .Krishnan Kamsky. • 33 . the initiative plays an en­ hanced role in chess. a) I am not sure if Kamsky had seen all the possible consequences of the operation just began. . He has 1 42 . From this..a:b8-b4!! But intuition shows itself at this mo­ ment. . al­ though on one important point.The Enigma o f Ch ess In t u i tion Therefore. having seized it. he had no real choice here anyway. not subject to exact calcu­ lation. or accurate positional assessment. White has several long-lasting advantages: first and foremost. and b) whether he had or not. 33 . in both cases of an active character. Sasikiran.. 2008 the idea of eliminating the pawn on c3 . Therefore. and he needed to employ at this point just ordinary positional assessment and relatively shallow calculation..Gata Dresden ol. by means of courageous and reso­ lute actions. and his knight on c4 is also good. Black needs to act quickly and decisively. And this means that the player had to trust his intuition. and. I was not convinced until the very end.�b3 �xb3 34. The nature of the position is clearly de­ fined. That is why an especially interesting feature of the examples we have looked at is how the active side showed such re­ markable artistry in seizing the initia­ tive. Black's play is clear enough. . of being able to develop it effectively.. �d7-a4! watched this game live. his pair of passed pawns in the centre. and if my memory does not deceive me. not giving his opponent time to exchange rooks or make luft for his king with h2-h3. Black's actions in the next example were based on these considerations. and has both an objective and a subjective effect.l:!:b1 -b3 In the case of 3 3 . . there follows in turn the extreme importance of being able to fight for the initiative. Therefore. Then he had to see and calculate (which would have been difficult. . .l::!. Gata Kamsky immediately obvious..axb3 tt:leS 3 5 .!Ue7.but not.S u c c essful Use of I n t u i tion tions when it is difficult to do so just on the basis of assessment and/ or calcula­ tion. of course.a move very hard to see at a distance.cl �d3 4 1 . all other moves being sim­ ply bad for Black! Then there follows 3 6 . winning .'>t>f2 We6 43 . Black's choice was between the text move and the alternative 3 3 .l:. 3 8 . .!lb 1 (if 3 8 . . Here we have just such a case. After 38 .'>t>g l '>t>f7 42.l::!. �xe4! .x h7 + '>t>g8 40. it must be noted that 34 . . �xc2 ! ! .l:!. l:. it is possible to calculate and assess such a variation. Jhe7 3 8 .tt:lxe5 . the only correct move is 3 7 .xe4 3 6 . l:rf6xf7 Now everything is simple.xeS 3 6. . But was it possible in such time-trouble to work out all the conse­ quences of the move played.l::r e l �xc4 40.�b3 gives White fully­ fledged counterplay. the point of which is not Here..xe7 c2 39 . It is hidden in the variation 3S.Wd2 WdS 45 .!:!..l:!. First of all. '>t>f8 ! is correct.xc4 3 7 .. For a player of Kamsky's class. J:td8 ! (if 37 .'>t>g l gives White real chances of a draw.l::r g 7+ only 3 8 . . sufficient for equality (I will not bother showing this with variations. which after 34. �xb3. even in conditions of time shortage. .!:(b7 and now forced is 3S . .. cxb4 after 3 5 .We3 c4 44. .fl .fxf7 �xdS 3 7. l:!. even if he had sufficient time on the clock) the move 34 .!lxb4...Chapter 2 . The diffi­ culty of Black's task was in understand­ ing what to do after 34.e l Black has no grounds to hope for a win) .l:lbg7+ 1 43 . and at the same time correctly assess the result of the various lines? 34. . .ti.�xa4 .<�>h8?? 3 9 . although we can as­ sume that Kamsky did so) . The Enigma of C h ess I n t u i tion 'it>f8 4 1 .tt::l e S .l:[d6 42.tt::l d 7 + .l:f.xd7 43 . .l:i.xd7 and Black has to resign) 38 ..ixc4 Black wins easily. and vague a subject, belonging to a human's psyche, like many other things. ... And now another example along the same lines, this time by a player who is not yet a superstar, but who promises to become one. When this game was played , Illya Nyzhnyk was not yet 1 3 years old . 34. ... ..ia4xb3! Also good is 34 . . . 'it>xf7 3 5 Jhb4 ..ixc2 ! . But the text is clearly stronger still. 35. a2xb3 36. 'it>h1 -g1 'it>g8xf7 �b4xc4! Energetically and strongly played to the end. After 36 .. Jhc4 3 7 .bxc4 J:l:b8 White loses his last hope. 0-1 As we saw, it was not easy to calculate the main line (which did not appear on the board) , even in home analysis, with the computer's help, and to do so at the board, in conditions of time shortage, was practically impossible. The conclu­ sion seems obvious, but all the same I will say only this: I see no way either to prove or to refute the claim that Kamsky's choice at move 3 3 was guided by intuition, other than to ask the man himself. The reason I am so unsure arises out of the very nature of the sub­ ject under discussion: it is too unclear 1 44 lllya Nyzhnyk Nyzhnyk,Illya Itkis,Boris Kiev V Nabokov Memorial, 2009 0 .t :if *'0""11 �J d From this posltlon, we immediately find ourselves in the heart of our sub- Chapter 2 - S u c c essful Use o f I n t u i t i on ject. Ilya found the following very strik­ ing move: 24. tt::lf5-h6!! (however, I could also append the mark ? ! , the point of which will be revealed later) . At first, this is a surprising decision, be­ cause no direct threats are immediately visible. It also poses a number of ques­ tions about the game, specifically three. The first is: what possible alternatives were there, and especially, what about the much more typical sacrifice 24.tt::lxg7 ! ? Analysis shows that it is highly promising. After 24 . . . �xg7 2 5 .�h5 h6 26.'it'e5 and now: The second question is: how many of the possible variations, and how deeply, did Nyzhnyk see? And the third is: did he take his decision solely on the basis of calculation, or did he, even without himself realising it (he is so young that he may not have even thought about it!) rely partly on intuition? As far as is pos­ sible, we will seek to answer these ques­ tions. Firstly, let us look at the variations. 24. ... A) 26 . . . .td7 2 7 . .ld.c7 �g6 28.�xf6+ 'i¥xf6 2 9 ..txf6 �xf6 3 0 Jhd7 �e6 3 1. .!:.f.b 7 ! b5 3 2 .d7 J::i.d 8 3 3 .g4 f5 34 . .l:!.b6+ �d5 3 5 .gxf5 �xd7 3 6.f6 e3 3 7 .�g2 �e4 38 .�g3 White has good winning chances. All alternatives are even worse: B) 2 6 . . . .l:f.e8 2 7 . .l:f.xc8 ; C) 2 6 . . . �g6 2 7 . .ld.xc8 ; D) 2 6 . . . .2.g4 2 7 . .l:f.c7 �g6 28 .h3 �f5 (28 . . . .2.e6 2 9 . .l:f.e7 tt::l e 8 30 . .l:f.xe8 .l:f.xe8 3 I .'it'g7+ �h5 3 2 .g4+ �h4 3 3 .�h2) 29 . .l:f.e7 tt::lh 5 3 0.g4 'it'c8 3 I .'i¥xf5 + 'iVxf5 3 2 .gxf5 + �xf5 3 3 .d7. tt::lf6-e8! A) It is immediately clear that weak is 24 . . . 'it'xd6 ? ! 2 5 .tt::l xf7 + �xf7 26 . .l:f.xc8+ tt::l g 8 2 7 . .2.e5 'iYd5 28 . .l:.c4 ! ? with a large advantage; B) Even worse is the capture 24 . . . gxh6 ? 25 . .l:f.xc8 'iYxc8 2 6.�xf6+ �g8 2 7 .'it'e3 �g4 and now the sim­ plest of all is 28 .'it'g3 ! 'i¥xg3 29.hxg3 e3 3 0 .d7; C) If 24 . . ..2.e6 then 2 5 .f5 ! 'i¥xd6 26.�xf6 .2.d7 2 7 . .tg5 gxh6 28 . .l:f.d l �e5 2 9 .�e3 .2.b5 30 .'iYf2 and, despite the opposite-coloured bishops, Black has serious problems; D) White wins in the variation 24 . . . �b7 ? 2 5 .�e5 ! gxh6 2 6 .'it'h5 ! �g7 (26 . . . .l:f.g8 2 7 .'ifxf7 l:[g6 2 8 .l::rc 7) 2 7 .'iVg4+ �h8 28.'i!Vf5 �g7 29.�c3 ; 1 45 The Enigma of Chess I n t u i tion E) and finally, preparing an exit for the queen with 24 . . . b5 ! ? allows White to obtain the advantage by means of 2 5 .�e3 ! . Here is one possible variation: 2 S . . . �e6 (White wins beautifully after 2 5 . . . lt:Je8 : 2 6 .d7 ! ! �xd? 2 7 .�c5 lt:Jf6 28 .f5 ! gxh6 29.�xh6) 2 6.�e5 lt:Jd? 2 7 .�xe4 �b6+ 2 8 .�d4 f6 29 .f5 ! �ds 3 0 .�xb6 lt:Jxb6 3 l .�d4 lt:Jc4 3 2 . .l::r d l ! gxh6 3 3 .d7 �g7 34.�c5 �d8 3 S ..I:hd5 tt:Jes 3 6 .�f2 �xd7 3 7 . .l:f.xd7+ lt:Jxd? 3 8 .�d4 lUb8 3 9 .�e3 lt:Jc6 40 .'it'e4. The resulting position looks winning for White. Comparing these variations with what happened in the game, it seems that the young tal­ ent's opponent chose the best defence, and had it not been for a later mistake . . . 25. �e2xe4 lt:Je8xd6 26. �e4-c6! A very important resource, which Nyzhnyk undoubtedly saw when play­ ing his 24th move. 26 . ... �c8-b7! This is again the strongest, even though it allows a nice combination. Some players are afraid to allow a combi­ native blow, but sometimes it is right not to be frightened of ghosts! Signifi1 46 cantly weaker is 2 6 . . .f6 2 7 .�xb6 �e7 2 8 .�cS gxh6 2 9 . 'il'xd 6 ! 'iYxd6 3 0.�xd6 :le8 3 I .l:tc7 and Black can hardly survive. 27. �c6xd6! Fritz 1 0 insists at length that the re­ markable move 2 7 .�c7! is stronger. The computer believes that Black can­ not survive after this. I found it hard to accept that this verdict was conclusive, and after much searching, I finally de­ cided that after 2 7 . . . �dS ! 2 8 . �xd8 I:rxd8 29 .�xb6 l:rc8 3 0 . .l:ldl lt:Je4! Black could hope to save his skin. For example, after 3 I .lt:Jf5 �b3 3 2 J:re l �e6 3 3 .lt:Je7 l:rc4 34.f5 �d7 3 S .�dl hS 3 6.g4 �a4 (believe me, this is the tip of the iceberg) . The important thing for our topic is that it is quite beyond any human to calculate all the conse­ quences of 24.lUh6 . At the same time, the analysis shows that in all variations, Black has extremely difficult problems to solve, ones that are practically impos­ sible in the conditions of a normal game. In other words, the decision taken was tactically justified, although the variations involved are impossible to calculate, whilst the assessment of the position is impossible without cal- Chapter 2 - S u c c essful Use o f I n t u i t i on culating the variations. By contrast, the other sacrifice 2 4. tt::lxg 7 ! is susceptible to calculation at the board, and the as­ sessment of the resulting positions as very good for White is also perfectly possible over the board. We will draw our conclusions from this a little later. 27. 28. 29. 30. 31 . 32. �d4xg7+ tt::l h6-f5+ tt::lf5xd6 J::!.c 1 -d1 tt::l d6-f5 �d8xd6 'it>h8xg7 'it>g7-f6 �b7-d5 'it>f6-e6 34. 'it>g1 -f2?! Alas, an inaccuracy. After 34.g4! lld8 (if 34 . . . .l:i: c 8 , then 3 5 .tt::l f5 ! ) 3 5 .�f2 White's position would have been close to winning. 34. 35. 36. 37. 38. 32 . ... �d5-b7? This decision looks very dubious. The rook ending gives Black reasonable drawing chances, as is typical of such endings. After 3 2 . . . 'it>xfS ! ? 3 3 . .l::i:xdS + Wxf4 34 . .!ld6 .ll c 8 I do not see a clear winning path for White. I would ven­ ture to suggest that both players were in time-trouble, which also explains the following inaccuracies. 33. tt::lf5-d4+ 'it>e6-f6 The brave king raid was also possible with 3 3 . . . 'it>dS ! ? , although then too, the variation 34.tt::lf3 + 'it>c4 3 S .tt::l e 5 + 'it>b3 3 6J:i:d3 + 'it>a2 3 7 .a4 would give White good winning chances. tt::ld 4-e2 .l:rd1 -d2 g2-g3 .l:id2-b2 l:rf8-c8 'it>f6-e7 �c8-c4 a6-a5 a5xb4? This proves to be the decisive mistake. Significantly more tenacious was 3 8 . . . �c8 3 9 .bxa5 bxaS 40 . .l:lb5 lia4 4 1 Jlb3 Wd6 and it is extremely diffi­ cult for White to demonstrate his ad­ vantage. 39. .l:rb2xb4! The whole point. After the exchange of rooks, Black is left without counterplay, and cannot hold the position. Begin­ ning from this moment, the 1 3 -year old demonstrates flawless technique, which one does not often see at that age, and which betokens great future prospects. 39. 40. a3xb4 41 . tt::l e 2-c3 .l:ic4xb4 'it>e7-d6 f7-f5 1 47 The E n i g m a of Chess In t u i t i on Nothing much changes after 4 1 . . . �c8 42.'it>f3 h5 43.'it>e4. 42. 'it>f2-e3 43. 'it>e3-d4 �b7-c6 h7-h6 White has achieved almost everything, but still has to find a plan for the final assault. Nyzhnyk begins a splendid knight manoeuvre, which is supported by flawless calculation. 44. 45. 46. 47. tt:Jc3-d1 ! tt:Jd1 -e3 tt:Je3-c4+ tt:Jc4-e5+ �c6-d7 �d7-e6 'it>d6-c6 'it>c6-d6 No better is 47 . . . 'it>b5 48.'it>c3 'it>a4 49.<iJf3 ! �d7 5 0.tt:Jd4 �c8 5 l .'it>c4 h5 5 2 .b5! �d7 5 3 .'it>d5. 48. h2-h3 h6-h5 Now there follows a beautiful and forc­ ing finish. 49. tt:Je5-c4+! 'it>d6-c6 50. tt:Jc4-a3! 'it>c6-d6 51 . tt:Ja3-b5+ 'it>d6-c6 52. 'it>d4-e5! 'it>c6xb5 53. 'it>e5xe6 'it>b5xb4 54. 'it>e6xf5 'it>b4-c4 54 . . . 'it>c3 loses thus: 5 5 .'it>e5 ! b5 5 6.f5 b4 5 7 .f6 b3 5 8 .f7 b2 5 9.f8� b 1 � 60.�f3+ 'it>d2 6 l .�f2+, soon ex­ changing queens. 55. 'it>f5-e5! White wins along the same lines as in the previous variation: 5 5 . . . b5 56.f5 b4 5 7 .f6 b3 5 8 .f7 b2 5 9 .f8� b 1 � 60.�c8+ etc. 1 -0 Despite a few lapses, this represents a fine piece of chess art, which creates a great impression and leaves one hop­ ing that the winner will grow into a great master. Even so, a strictly objec­ tive comparison of the possibilities open to White at move 24 does not speak in favour of the move chosen (which is the reason for the dubious 1 48 6. and White did not actually throw away his advan­ tage. . We cannot rule out that he made a mistake. Thus. .S uc cessful Use of I n t u i t i o n mark. when this book was already vir­ tually finished. since I do not believe it was possible to calcu­ late all the lines. it is developed in a different way to others) as a chess player's other weapons. but unfamiliar position (although one cannot be entirely certain of the latter. 7. 8. d2-d4 c2-c4 tt:Jb1 -c3 e2-e4 i. . either in his calculation or in his assessment of the alternative sacrifice on g 7 . the 1 49 . much more original and required a greater amount of calculation than the trivial sacrifice on g 7 . . was there. calculation and judgement.f1 -e2 tt:Jg1 -f3 0-0 tt:Jf3xd4 f2-f3 Wg1 -h 1 �c1 -e3 1 1 . given his talent for home preparation) . And this means that he must (I say again. 4. even though the move did not greatly change the assessment of the position. 11. but. 2. And here we see the mistake in the op­ eration of his intuition. The mis­ take. 1 0. 3. However. 20 I I 1. which gives rise to concrete play. I had intended to end this section with the last example. which does not change the charac­ ter of the position. of which I spoke at the time) . since it means that for one of the players (in this case. and so intuition had to be the basis for the choice. . So it is no surprise. that every new tournament should throw up fresh material on any possible subject.Ruslan Dortmund. chess life in our day is non-stop. as we will see later.. tt:Jg8-f6 g7-g6 �f8-g7 d7-d6 0-0 e7-e5 e5xd4 l:tf8-e8 c7-c6 tt:Jb8-d7 a7-a6 This move is new. dS . he did fail to make the most of his position. 5. For us.. What we have said leads to the conclu­ sion that intuition is just another tool. almost the same (but only almost the same. Kramnik. and even entirely natural. however. Kramnik) . the use of a nov­ elty. the usual continua­ tion being 1 1 . possibly!) solve complicated strategical and tactical problems. in assessing the consequences of 24.Vladimir Ponomariov.Cha p te r 2 . al­ though it is possible that the decision to reject this move was also based on intuition. even though it was very striking. and just begs to be included here. the following game was played at the Dortmund tourna­ ment. 9.t2lh6. is interesting. the time comes when he is faced with a complicated. needed a lot of thinking about. �e3-g1 1 5.. which is especially Ruslan Ponomariov 1 50 1 5. tt::lx e4! and after 1 6. tt::l e 5-g4!? Ponomariov goes for complications. which. in addition to the move . which lacks clear criteria for calculation or positional judgement. after 1 5 . tt::le d7 1 4. b2-b3 �c8-e6 A natural reply. the players have to make their choices in a confused position.tt::lxe4 �xe4 1 7 . in just two moves the tension on the board has increased fun­ damentally. .�f3 we reach a position with a small. 1 6.�h2 hxg4! ? 1 9 . . �d8-a5 The most difficult and important part of the game starts here. 1 4. however.h3 ?! Black can land the thematic blow 1 5 .as well as an objective one: after 1 3 . �e2-f3 h7-h5! As we shall see. Thus.. . which in turn means that the game moves into the territory we are interested in. f3-f4!? tt::l d 7-e5 unpleasant against a player who can ex­ ploit such things as well as Kramnik.g3 �e7 he obtains good compensation for the material.. An interesting alternative was 1 6. 1 6 . tt::l d 4-c2!? 1 3.hxg4 �h4+ 1 8 . but lasting. Lightning is in the sky and the rumble of thunder can be heard ap­ proaching. From this mo­ ment.it is quite likely that he was familiar with the resulting positions from home anal­ ysis . There is a subjective reason for this .�d3 ! ?. . 1 2. as we will see. . 1 3 .. and 'free' ad­ vantage for White.The Enigma o f Chess In t u i t i on full difficulty of which we will see later in the game. . Thus. . .h3 tt:lf6 2S . when the ten­ sion reached its peak and which was the most important phase for the outcome of the game.txc3 1 9. if one looks through the score of the game without notes. cxd5 2 0 ...e S! Black is not losing in a slightly worse ending.f5 ! White has a dangerous initiative. although not a serious one. c4-c5 Here it must be said that.. .. It seems that stronger was 1 7 .f7 29 . which looks dubious because of 1 7 .. as suggested by several commentators.txa 1 If 1 9 .cxdS . Now Kramnik must choose. ..exf7+ 'lt>xf7 2V{ja3 ! White has very good compensation for the exchange although the game is un­ clear. Possibly an inaccuracy. .l:!. . and then after 1 8 . missing out many addi­ tional sidelines) . There is also 1 7 Ji'd3 !? . 'iVd1 -e1 !? White had to consider at least two other moves (as I have already done many times. .e5 . b7-b5 ..ld. dS ! .'iVxbS axbS 22.. . .tt:lxe8 . at first sight.i � i .'iVd2 tt:le4 n .b8 eS 3 0Jhb 7+ <J.'iVd2 !? with the following main line: 1 7 . .tt:ld4! 'iVd8 ! ? 1 9 .S u c cessful Use of In t u i t i o n possibilities.tt:ldS ! 1 8. However. which requires from both sides a lot of hard work to penetrate the secrets of the numerous double-edged 1 8... i b b� � b b 'iY � � � Now the tension grows even more...t ·� · j. analysis engines do not have such refer151 . 1 7. but the play re­ mains complicated.l:. 20. for which he was criticised by all the commentators that I have seen. . and he went for what seems at first sight to be the most natural move. then each of Kramnik's choices looks.Ch a p te r 2 . .txe4! dxe4 2 3 . then in the crucial period be­ tween moves 1 6 and 20.ll d 8+ <J.tfs ! ?.tuxdS ! ? .txa 1 2 o ..d1 White would have a very small advantage. .h3 !) 1 9 .tb6 'iVbs 2 1 .. ..tg7 2 1 .tfs 2 1 . After 1 8 .iJ. to be the most natural.tt:ld4! • llxa2 2 7..'iVcl ! .ac8 2Q . but which in reality is perfectly plausible. cxd5 1 9 . One is 1 7..cxdS tt:lxdS ! (weaker is 1 8 .. I will only give the most impor­ tant variations.lla8 26.td4 . .. which are difficult to cal­ culate and assess.llxe8 24.!ld1 . Kramnik settled on a more fighting continuation. It is obvious that such continuations are the ones an experi­ enced player examines first.t2lc7 .dxe6 .tc3 23.tt:lxe6 fxe6 28 . 17 . calcu­ lating all the consequences of which at the board would be impossible. . for human readers! Now.lLJbc l lLJc3 3 0 .. in this case. The great majority of commentators follow the engines. . because of the absence of reliable analogies.d l a3 3 9. it seems that the central pawn pre­ ponderance and prospects down the h-file can represent sufficient compen­ sation for Black's material deficit.f.fxe5 lLldS ! 2 6 .xe4 29 .�xf6 (White is worse after 24.fxe6? l::rxe6 2 5 .�b3 g3) 24 .e5 dxeS 2 5 . But at the same time.>gt cs 25 . and we are searching for the most con­ vincing demonstration of our subject. be­ cause without silicon help it is hard to avoid obvious blunders.l:raxe l lLlgf6 22.bxc4 1 9. . . for a draw.lLlb5 tt:Jxf4 it is clear that only White can have problems here. non-standard ones. Since this is the most critical part of the game.tcs a4 3 1 .lLla5 (2 6 .�b4 l:Iac8 3 2 . .lLJce2 'ifxe l 2 1 .�f2 �hS! 26. �xf2 �b2 3 8 .lLJd3 l:rc2 3 6 ..fxe6 'i¥e7 ! 2 6 . . . but also a number of definite.tt:Jf2 lLlxf2 3 7 . giving preference to the most forcing lines. which makes it very hard to assess. B) 22.l:rxf6 - . Thus.�d4!? axb4 23.l:f. . to return to the game. Even so.The E n i g m a o f Chess I n t u i tion ence points and examine the possible moves in order. f5 could easily end in a draw thus: 23 .h3 ! ? . . bxc3 ! 24.'i¥f2 .'i¥xf6 'i¥xf6 3 0 . lLJd7 ! 2 0 . .lLJxb4! The line 2 3 .llbl tt:Jhs Then play would probably develop along the lines of 1 9 . I will give a number of possible variations for play to continue. without much verbal com­ mentary: A) 2 2 ..�d8+ �h7 40 .exd5 'i¥f4! 29 .�xg4 dS ! 28 .l:!. As an illustration of this. It is not easy to criticise them for this.�e2 ! a5 ! the position contains a number of stan­ dard elements. . I will give rather more variations here than I usually do in this book. tt:Jxe5 ! 2 7 . after 1 8 .bxa5 'li'xaS 23 .�g l l:re4 and Black's compensation should probably suffice 152 2 7.'i¥c7 2 0 . . for example: 3 3 . a5 2 9 .axb3 �xb3 ! 24.exf7 + 'i¥xf7 2 7 .td4 'il'hS + 24..gxf3 ? ! aS with good play for Black) 2 8 .<.�xc4 dS ! 28 .lLld4!? is also attractive.�xf6 l:rxf6 2 6Jhf6 �xf6 2 7 ..l:ra8 a2 4 1 .l:rf4 gS 34Jhe4 lLlxe4 3 5 . White had another natural con­ tinuation at his disposal: 1 8. .txf6 2 5 . .b4!? (the alternative 1 9 .l:rxf3 ! (28.lLlcd4? �c4) 26 .hxg4 hxg4 2 1 .. .lLlxb3 lLlxf3 28 .lLlxc6 cxb3 2 3 .l:rxa2 �d4+) 1 9 . one should remember that we are commentating on human games. a4 . tbbd5 'iVd8 2 7 .tfs Black can continue the battle with quite reasonable pros­ pects. B2) 2 7. which means that one can only rely on intuition .l:Id2 g 3 .l:!:h 1 +-+) 38 . including the tactical and also the computer viewpoint.lah2 4 l . . and also that in the present game. .txg7 24.exd5? .a6 �h4+ 3 7 . 24.tJfl <.tbh5 ! 24 . .l:!.tbc2! 2 6 .a5 c2 3 5 . The human. .ttJd4 .!::f.g3 ! d5 ! 26. the players at the board are two ex-world champions.xd4 cS 2 6 .la3 . B4) 2 7.tbe 1 . . .tbxd5 cxd5 29.<. C) And finally.¥tg2 tbf6 3 2.¥tg 1 .¥tg7 40 .. B3) 2 7. not a couple of dozy old fools! 1 9..l::r gxg2 + 3 9 .ll gxg2+=.. however.xa7 2 8 ..S u c c essful Use of I n t u i tion l:rxg4 3 1 .<. a 3 29 . even though the commenta­ tors.l:Id 1 ? .l::!. operating in condi­ tions of serious time-shortage.es? c5 + .ac 1 d4. 2 3 ..¥tg2 d4 2 8 .Chapter 2 .l::r f6? . including Ponomariov himself in New In Chess 2 0 1 1 1 6. h 8 2 7 .xc2 3 6.'iVc3 + <.1lff1 J.e 2 3 3 .. e 5 ? l::!.¥txg7 25.<.b5 !? tt:Jxe4! 23. 26 .¥tg2 ! f:xe4 28. . and it seems that Black's chances are quite good in this very unusual position. 1 8. £'5 ! and now: board is not susceptible to full clarity by any normal means. and some 1 53 .U.txd4 2 5 . b5-b4 • 1 9.a? .¥tg2 J::i.<.tJfl .!::!.. there is no more obvious square for the knight from all points of view.£2 'iVa7 3 I ..'iVf2 ? ! 'iVa? ! 2 7 . .l:f.lle 3 . ttJc3-a4 B 1 ) 2 7 . both live and subsequently. do not rate it highly.l::rd4 3 4.txdS+ 28.'iYd2 l:rad8 .l::r e 8 3 2 .'it>g 1 �cg2+ 42.<.a7 ( 3 8 .<. should always be independent and remember the difference between the human and the computer player.. �xc6 .<.exf5 ? ..te6-c4 I could not bring myself to mark this move as dubious.tbxc2 .tbe4 c S -+ . However.tbxe4 . the choice be­ tween the two main candidate moves was far from easy and also very impor­ tant. although some other commentators. in the event of 22. 2 6 .tJfl 3 0 . con­ sider it a serious mistake. <. . The difficulty is one with which we are familiar . As one can easily see.l:!.txfS 28. .'iVd4 'iVxd4 3 3.tbxd4 tbe4 34.'iVxa7 .the position on the Of course! I am sure this move was planned when Kramnik made his previ­ ous move.g4 3 8 . even if he be a real­ time commentator. tta 1 xf1 t2Ja4-b6 'iVa5xb4 �c4xf1 tLlf6xe4 Here it is already clear that White has more than enough compensation for the exchange.tLlb6 �c3 ! ? 2 7. pounces on the move 2 0 .. and my intuition. most importantly.axb3 . . Black faced a difficult choice. . . 'iYxb4 ? ! 'iVxb4 2 1 . t2Jxe4!?.'it>h2 tLlfS . which is indeed a good move. Therefore. J::ta8-a7!? After 2 3 .�xe4 dS 23 . . d S ) 22 . C) Only Ponomariov himself gives serious attention to the natural continu­ ation 20. 'iYe1 xb4 t2Jc2xb4 .tLlxc6 White not only regains the exchange. This is strange.tLlb6 lLlf2+ 2 6. A) Here everyone. although I am not fully sure about this assessment. ..�xf2 l:hf2 with a winning advantage for Black) 24 . 23 . After 2 1 . All the commentators. where the plusses of the black position are more than obvi­ ous.xal 'iVbS 2 S .cxd6 (24.'iYxe4! . but will in­ evitably win another pawn as well..tLlxa8 'iVd3 2 7.tLlb6 axb4 2 S . 1 54 But later he concluded that in this posi­ tion ' . 'iVd8 2 S . B) Black is also doing well after 2 0.l:i.e2 h4 28. . . possibly because it in­ volves a queen sacrifice after 20 . 22. �xa l 2 3 . tLlxe4 because of the line (instead of 2 2 . maybe his 1 9th move should be considered less good than the alter­ native we have examined.tLlxb4 tLlxc S . although nothing like as all-powerful as is claimed.!he4 22. 24.h3 tLlh6 29. . . .�xc6 �e6 ! 'with an excellent game' . 21 . both the variations we have seen. White has more problems' . . because the analysis here is not all that complicated. . J:te8 ! 24.�xdS ! cxdS 26. the computer.l::( e2 2 S .l:i. 23. tell me that Kramnik's decisions in the crucial mo­ ments of the game on moves 1 8 and 1 9 were good! 20. Ponomariov confirmed that he rejected 1 9 .!d. 'iYxb4 'iVxb4 22. . ..tLld4 Black faces a fight for a draw.tLlxa8 dS ! 2 6 .lha l . give the tactical blow 1 9 .tLlb6 �xal 24. dxcS 24.The Enigma of Ch ess I n t u i t i on even as the decisive mistake. c5xd6 t2Je4xd6 . without exception.. But either way. because of his bad king position.tLlxb4 �xe4 23 . He contin­ ues the analysis with 2 3 .�xc6 ..�xe4? ! �dS 2 1 . including.ael aS 24. . �xb 3 . 27.: !'!:.. after which Black's game goes inexorably downhill.. . !'!:.xa7 tLlxa7 3 1 .I:i.tLlxc6 hxg4! 3 2 ..l:rc l �b2 3 0 . tt:Jb6-d5 .�xa7 tLlce3 Black's activity gives him excellent chances of saving the game. 26. .Axa7 tLld2 2 7 .Ji.£la4 tt:Jfs Black is fine) 28 . White was again faced with quite a difficult choice. tLlc4 1 ? tLlxc4 26 . ttJ !'!:. tLlxb4 tLlxc 6 ! 3 1 .. . . tt:Jh6-f5 28 .d2 2 7 . Taking with the knight is even worse : 2 5 . I do not see anything real for White: 2 8 . given his bad king posi­ tion and the excellent piece coordina­ tion of his opponent. 25. The obvi­ ous complexity of many of the earlier decisions in this game had undoubtedly cost both players a great deal of time and effort. .. At the same time.tLlxc6? �c7 with advantage to Black. also suggested by Ponomariov. 25 .. . the posi­ tion is still far from clear..c5 l:re6 2 9 . h2-h3 tt:Jg4-h6? 27.l::t e8-e2 It appears that only this move was a real mistake. After 2 6 .xc6 riel 2 8 . the danger of which Ruslan appears to have under-esti­ mated .. ..Ji. 28.Ji.hxg4 ! ? (after 2 8 . aS ! ... � i !'!:.tLlc l llc2 3 0 .Ji. Ji. And it seems to me that Kramnik's choice here.!d:f1 -c1 ! A powerful move.�J3 ! tLlxf3 3 2 . �f3xc6 is weaker than the alternatives.gxf3 and White retains good chances to fight for a win. f3 .a4 l:ic2 and it is hardly possible to realise White's two passed pawns. On the other hand. 26..tLld3 tLlh6 2 9 .tLlc4 tLlxc4 2 8 .!:!.S uccessful Use of I n t u i t i o n In this position. jL i tt:Jd6-c8 Now Ponomariov missed an excellent chance. jL � 155 . axb4 2 9 . after 2 7 .trd8+ 'it'g7 3 3 . x a7 tLlxa7 3 0 . .C h a p t e r 2 .d l �a3 3 l. But it seems to me that the strongest continuation is 2 5 . ttJ i . . tLlb6 4 1 . . 36. we have seen from these examples that intuition is not a .xg2 40. tLld5 �e l 46. . 40. he has once again regained his power. h5xg6 39. 31 . we have seen not so much intuition it­ self.tLlc4+ WcS 49. . 37. ...tLlxf8 . Thus.�xg2 gives White a winning end­ game. tt:Jf5-g3+ The nice try 2 9 . we have become acquainted with various examples of intuitive decisions from the games of the greatest masters (and one who promises to become such) ..lhc7 ? tt::l g 3+ 3 l .tLlxb5 tt::l c e7 3 2 . At the same time. 35. . .. 'i!t>h1 -h2 . in this section. played in the very first round of the tournament.�e4 Wd6 48 .�c5 ! ? and White should win. . .tLle6+ Wf7 4 1 .tt::l e 5 . playing with the joy of an ama­ teur. 30.tLlxg6. tt:Jc8-d6 After 3 7 . 38.Wf3 1 56 1 -0 This game. fighting chess. for example: 40 . After a number of years. but its applica­ tion in chess.bxa4 Wg6 44. . the true face of which remains something of a mystery. Kramnik was in wonderful form at Dortmund 2 0 1 1 . �c6-b51 This blow is the point. tt:Jb4-d31 The finishing touch. axb5 3 1 .g 1 + �h6 the exchange of rooks 3 9 .g2 ! ? l:. . . . worthy of his best days.�g8 42. but Black the more so. gxh5 3 8 . In this way.a4 bxa4 43 . set the tone for the remainder of the event..Wh2 tLlfl +=) 30 . 41 . 29. tt:Je5-d7+ 37. 29 . 42. Both players were now in time-trouble.tt::lxc7 ! (3 0. . . 34. 32. real. tt:Jf5 40 . tt:Jd5-c71 f7xg6 'i!t>g7-f7 White also wins after the slightly more tenacious 3 9 . ..l:Ic7 ! ? fails to 3 0 .l:l'. .T h e Enigma o f C hess I n t u i t i on �fs 4 5 . 33..l:l'. . tt:Jd3-e5+ l::r b 2xa2 'i!t>f7-f6 4 1 .tLle3+ �e6 47 .l:Ic1 xf1 �g1 xa7 �h2-g31 J::[f1 -d1 1? 'i!t>g3-f3 g2-g41? g4xh5 tt:Jg3-f1 + a6xb5 tt:Jc8xa7 tt:Ja7-c8 �g7-f8 Ue2-b2 �g8-g7 40.tLlxb6 �xb4 42 . whereas the underlying nature of the phenome- - S u c c essful Use o f In t u i t i on non. because it is important: we have seen only the effects of intuition. in the next section. remains unknown to us. where it originates from. and what it consists of. as they appear on the surface. and will try to shed some light on it. just as people themselves vary! But. Even so. but that it varies from person to person and has different manifestations. I repeat. And getting to the latter is extremely difficult.C ha p t e r 2 one-dimensional thing that always shows itself in the same way. I will offer various thoughts and observations on this matter. 157 . beeause the matter is deeply hidden and very elusive. and consequently the least stud­ ied of subjects relating to chess. ERRARE HUMANUM EST! So. It would be nice to find out what the nature of intuition is. the variations always seemed to 'work out' for the strong player.Chapter 3 . how this mechanism works and what detailed components it con­ sists of. unexpectedly. in which case I must apologise to the reader in advance. whilst sitting at my desk. what have we done so far? We have seen various examples. it has passed me by. we have only become ac­ quainted with the outward signs of the phenomenon. demonstrating the application of intu­ ition at the chessboard. That is. when the two sides' forces came into close combat. let us get on with the j ob in hand. However. depending on the differing char­ acteristics of a player's natural talent. And if my conclu­ sions seem to my readers to be flawed. such material may exist. intuition is not a single. etc. But all of this only goes to show that in­ tuition exists and shows itself in chess. It is quite likely that this infor­ mation could be very useful to those who wish to develop this wonder­ weapon in their own arsenal. where­ abouts it is located within us. at the decisive moment of the game. 'suddenly. In other words. if we are de­ voting a whole book to the subject of intuition in chess. the possibility of mistakes in our discussions is higher that with other chess topics. When I was only beginning to study chess seriously. I will reveal in this chapter. we have to think about these matters for ourselves. After all. I ask you not to criticise me too harshly. when the real battle started. con­ vincing to a greater or lesser degree. but if so. I will repeat for the 1 OOth time: the subject we are dis­ cussing is the vaguest. or suggested principles of how it works. the outcome of a long cal159 . I discovered after a while the following fact: with great players. we should try to do more than just rejoice at various excel­ lent examples of achievements in this sphere. What I have thought about.The Elements of Chess Intuition So. it should be said that I have never before come across material which discusses the internals of chess intuition. Be that as it may. by chance' . Nonetheless. and hardest to grasp. What I have in mind will soon become clear. This I have done. walking. or offering any worth- while considerations on these subjects. For this reason. I do not think this is sufficient. whether wholly or in part. However. travelling around town. all-encompassing charac­ teristic. and in particular. but shows itself in different ways. We have also learned that in chess at least. it would always turn out that their pieces and pawns were on just the right squares! I thought a great deal about what was happening here. and not to rely on commentators. he looks without exception at all the accumulated mate­ rial. and a decisive influence would be had by such a minor. and not their opponents! This happened with such regularity. And this would al­ most always work out in favour of Kortchnoi. and when previous attempts have been unsuccessful. please do not criticise me too harshly if you think my claims here are nonsense. at the start of the planned operation. and maybe that is what it is ('if something looks like a cat. But this was just the first step. thanks to a greater ability to foresee the possible and most likely future developments of the battle. These considerations proved useful for improving my general understanding of chess. Then. it was all the result of their having penetrated more deeply than their opponents into the se­ crets of the position. bearing in mind the medical metaphor. Gradually. Why? There are some doctors who are re­ garded as especially talented diagnosti­ cians. and other information up to that time.the exami­ nation of the position. Not everyone is able to do this we all have eyes. in order to answer many of my questions. No. and also con­ vinced me that. seem­ ingly chance detail. data. a universal instrument of great importance. moves like a cat and smells like a cat. even in situations where it was clear that. but I have chosen the word 'examination' deliberately. if he believes that the material he has is sufficient on which to . The next stage was to try to understand the means by which they achieved this abil­ ity to divine the future course of the game. So what does such a doctor do (Dear professionals. at the end of the day. even for a really great player. it was essential to learn to think for myself. I came to realise that these examples from the games of the great players were not by chance. it seems! Thus: the examination. and that the fact that their pieces always turned out to be on the right squares was not just a 'happy coincidence' . It seems to me that this gift is as­ sociated with a mechanism that is very similar to intuition. then it most probably is a cat') .T h e Enigma o f C hess I n t u i t i on culated variation would turn on some minor detail. I will say in brief: one of the most im­ portant means of doing this. even so. and in ad1 60 clition. Yet. things are far from being as simple as they may appear to the inex­ perienced player. is that most self-evident piece of work . Such doctors are called in when it is particu­ larly difficult to diagnose a patient's problem. The examination of the position But no.it is about seeing what it con­ tains. even if they were leading authorities. but we do not all have vision. The examination is not simply about looking at the posi­ tion . it was impossible to calculate all the variations in the required detail. There are different ways of naming this highly important chess function. without which it is impos­ sible to play chess properly. Tal or Fischer. I am going only on what I have seen as a patient and an observer from the side) ? First and foremost. In medicine. or the rook not on d8 . In my book How to Play Dynamic Chess I spoke of the existence in chess of a small number of the most important. to give the mate. there are rather fewer such methods. Now we need to speak - The E l ements o f C hess In t u i t i on about another absolute truth. feel) that he does not have enough in­ formation to form a clear picture. of course. perhaps. his feeling as to the signifi­ cance of this particular. such a gathering of infor­ mation is performed by various means. 161 . in the case of a position one has studied before. since the white queen and light-squared bishop need to stay. concentrating in this chapter only on the gathering of in­ formation by examination of the posi­ tion on the board. which I am only now pointing out for the first time: just as piece coordination is an essential element in all the stages of a chess game. but also the most impor­ tant function of the conduct of a player at the board! To understand this better.knowl­ edge. Conclu­ sion: A) We need to draw away the black defenders. But on the other hand.most of all. as we say in other circumstances. This operation must be done in a quality fashion. almost absolute principles. in which case he will carry out further examinations. B) This needs to be done by some other force from the side. Translating what we have just said into the language of chess. effectively just two . else the intuition is liable to be led astray. us­ ing his experience (which in some cases may not be greater than that of previous specialists. the white queen and bishop could give mate in one. for yourself! So: if the queen were not on c7. he draws them. who have failed to make the right diagnosis) .Chapter 3 draw conclusions. he may also consider (or. individual com­ bination of common elements. 0 Examine the position and describe what you see . which in­ clude the principle of coordination of one's forces. we will ex­ amine a couple of very simple examples. but in chess. so the ex­ amination of the position is not only an essential playing func­ tion. and examination of the po­ sition in all other cases! We will not discuss the question of knowledge just now. we can say: Th e most important initial stage in taking a decision is the accu­ mulation ofdata. and also. or (which is more reliable) by driving them by force. either by luring them away with some sort of bait. Even so. depending on the player's strength. Following this or that accu­ rate scheme of working helps to disci1 62 It is clear that one could sub-divide each of these elements into additional parts. I do not say it is the only method. by which the examination of the position leads to the conclusions. and the complexity of the data to be gathered.The Enigma of Chess I n t u i tion C) What do we have to perform this role? The answer is obvious.te3-c5+! . pline one's thinking in the process of carrying out the examination. Here there are more elements. but it works as a starter. etc. tacking what.material. it is a more confused position than the previous one. and of activ­ ity in the endgame. Of course. 2) the king: its degree of safety in the middlegame. but it is still fairly simple. the quality of the pawn structures. Applying it to the present position: . It is also obvious that the abil­ ity to identify these factors correctly varies with the player's standard. because the scheme. but this is better done at the indi­ vidual level. which significantly improves its quality. and with them the essence of the position. over which we need to think longer.tc5xd6+ . which my long experience as a trainer has proved. this example is fairly primi­ tive. 3) the coordination between Here is another example to emphasise the point: which means: a full note of what is at­ the forces of the sides. are clearly defined. as is the solution: 1 .te5-d6 2 . The only thing that changes is the level of detail which need to be discerned. in other words . because the main de­ tails. which I suggest to my pupils. but it is very useful to learn such a method as early as possible. and what is de­ 0 fendingwhat. This is the sequence by which to exam­ ine a position. . but it has certain advantages. 4) an assessment of the coor­ dination of the forces and the development ofthe pieces. 5) long-lasting factors. is always the same in principle. such as various sorts of weaknesses and strong points. and so this is the ideal time to discuss the examination of the position. and here to the reader: 1) the quantity and quality of the forces on each side. the main difficulty of which lies in carrying out a high-quality examination ofthe position. Regular practice will soon help develop the necessary abilities and will make the process automatic. The answer is given by the third point. c) From this it follows that: the black knight should be taken by the rook. b) But it is already attacked by the rook and although defended by its pawn. I would also reassure those who are discouraged by this seemingly long­ winded process. 2) Kings . since nothing is more impor­ tant than mate. what we have described is the deci­ sion-making process. any check by another white piece will be mate.here it is immediately ap­ parent that things here are very nice for White . However. this does not matter. if one thinks about it. yet the considerations that led to it were quite long. so we will not think further about this now. I would draw your attention to the fact that both of the examples we have seen are fairly primitive from the viewpoint of calculating variations and to call these investigations 'tactics' or 'calcula­ tion' sounds a little too grand. It is not hard to identify the likely mat­ ing piece. and the execution of which follows more or less automatically from that examination. af­ ter which such an approach will become a habit and prove very effective. oper­ ating on the h-file. So now we have identified the desired aim. But we also see several other highly important factors: a) White's main enemy at the mo­ ment is the black knight. if we are talking about mating the black king. All this comes out in the variation 1 .slightly in Black's fa­ vour. It would take him very little time to carry out this process and execute it on the board. I:l:d1 xd4! 2. But I have described it all in detail. but I thought it was important to give an ex­ ample of how the scheme should be fol­ lowed. we will not bother looking at the other elements of the examination scheme. From that. should cor­ reedy be regarded as a type ofcalculation work. I:l:c1 -h1 c5xd4 - The E l ements of Chess I n t u i t i o n The variation is very short and simple. I do not intend to give such a detailed explanation in every case. but the deficit can easily be recti­ fied. which is a white rook. we need to work out the correct method of achiev­ ing it. we see one of the pre­ cious white knights is attacked. special 1 63 . This is exactly how any experienced player operates. So to what department do they belong? I consider that investigations. much less than the time it took to de­ scribe the process.his knights hover dangerously over the black king position. although not quite as scrupu­ lously as I could have done . with the possible recent exception of a mobile phone ringing! For now.Chapter 3 1) Material . We will note the great impor­ tance of this and look further in this di­ rection. and all the while they remain where they are.the explana­ tion could have been even longer! Naturally. and there is another rook to go to the h-file. defi­ nite benefit comes out of it? Partly. the simple examination of the po­ sition. with Black to move. 3. The fact that the first stage of the pro­ cess. where everything was done merely on the basis of an examination. albeit very simple ones. is one I always give to my pupils for solv­ ing. This is the first stage of the ex­ amination. 4. but what clear. the fourth. 'ltig3-g2 . does the time come to identify the candidate moves. • This position. but is nice.'ltih4 'iff4 mate. but because it will be useful to us in our later work. examination of the position is an interesting subject. This is the second stage. is not quite the elementary for­ mality it may seem. 3 . which begins with a striking combinational blow. Its mechanism works as fol­ lows: by carrying out an examination of the position on the board (preferably in some definite order. and which reflect the reality of the position on the board. 2. The whole of the previous stages of the process allow one now to devote all of one's time and en­ ergy to calculating only a limited num­ ber of variations. and draw conclu­ sions about the strengths and weak­ nesses of the two sides' positions. 'ltig2-h1 5. But the examination can also fulfil other functions.l:td3xg3+! �d8-h4+ 3. sooner or later: 1. the calculation of the variations then being a simple matter.The E n i g ma o f C hess I n t u i t i o n Believe me. in which all that was needed for the solution of all the problems was a quality examination of the position. In the third stage. Then he must think about what he has found. OK. And only at the next stage. '1tie4 'ife2 +.'1tixh4 'ifxf2 + 4. based on the results of the first two stages. the player gathers information about the details of the po­ sition. 'iif f3 'i¥xf2 + 4. it will be obvious that these are the moves which one can expect to lead to the goals es­ tablished by the previous stages of the thought process. And it is only stage five that involves the actual direct calcu1 64 lation of variations. The solution is not difficult. 'ltig2xg3 3. the answer can be seen in these first two ex­ amples.'1tigS 'iffS + S . From what we have just said. the player sets himself goals. 'it>g1 -f1 'ifa2xf2+ 'iff2-f3+! �h4-f2+ �f2-g3+ . this formulation is not given just for the sake of it. we have seen examples. is shown by the fol­ lowing very interesting example. such as that rec­ ommended above) . Most of my pupils find the solu­ tion. 'ltih1 -g1 6. and the influence of this circumstance on the quality of one's play is very great. In other words. in effect just a simple formality. ''f!Ya8 + . In chess. the attacked white . the main part of the combina­ tion does not really interest us. failing to pay atten­ tion to what seems an insignificant de­ tail to the inexperienced. which often fails to bring the best results. Because once the main line has been found. 2. as in life. can often bring one great misfortune. And this is what is interesting . one often reads of how a sailor on a ship spots a tiny cloud in the distance. and is given only for the sake of starting the conversation. Here we see the phenomenon of the 'long move' . but the expe­ rienced seaman can tell from a glance that it is the approach of a violent storm. trying not to miss any details of it. which involve the calculation of variations. see and draw conclusions from what one sees.itg2 is de1 65 . It attacks the white bishop and knight. And indeed. but retreats with - The Elements of C h ess I n t u i t i on tice can later often play a highly impor­ tant role. What follows from this? The conclusion is simple: one must reg­ ularly train the ability to look and at the same time to see. However. mating. and we must speak in more detail about this. the detail that is currently furthest from our no. Those who have not been trained first to take in the whole board. described above.many pupils do not immediately find the sim­ ple move 2 . �f1 -g1 8. Material is equal. and only then to turn on their calculat­ ing power. �g1 -h1 'iff3-f2+ 'iff2-h2 mate However. We will speak in detail here only about the first three stages. I then ask the pupil to find a precise win. The main thing one notices is the posi­ tion of the black bishop in the centre. In its turn. .Chapter 3 7. have a tendency to start seeking a solution only in one specific direction. But how does someone generally look at something interesting? One exam­ ines the object.�h l . if White does not take the rook (which does not enter one's head at once) . Neither side's king position causes any concern. In fiction and in memoirs. Out of the scheme for decision-making. Let us first look at several examples of aspects of the subject 'examination' . we will leave on one side the last two stages. there are plenty of pieces attacking and defending one another. about the ability to look. and attacks the black bishop. The black queen on a8 . in its turn. I would like you to look at through to the end. the main task of finding a winning continuation takes place dur­ ing the examination phase. which also involves combining el­ ements in a favourable way. I would point out that I have only listed the main active pieces in this po­ sition. tt:lf3xd4 . but creates a battery with it. From the description of the position. . if you will please bear with me. but it is par­ ried by 3. But this example. also pinning it along the long diagonal h l -a8.xdS 'llfxdS we have a case of the double attack. the strength of which is opposed only by the aforementioned white knight on h4. it follows that the main action is taking place along the h 1 -a8 diagonal. it is clear that the answer is that we have to drive away the tt:lh4: 1 . It is not hard to see that in this case. The last slim chance is 2. this may sound like a normal combina­ tion. and try to remember the method of work we use. but he would like to force White to exchange. so that you can regularly employ it yourself on any chess problem. In par­ ticular. But now it is simple: 2. And the final thing .. 3. and the job of calculating the variations was very simple. the game is over. tt:lh4-f3 If L �.there is no benefit in Black exchanging on g2. to the left and to the right. . not only defends its bishop. else you are liable to close the book for­ ever and not read another of my books ever again. There are also other attacks and defences in the position. What follows from what we have seen is that we now know all of the most im­ portant details of the position. But here we are doing something a little different. In future. its place is taken by the black queen. Now we have to pull them together. Incidentally. . I will not even give such detailed descriptions as this of such positional examinations.tb3-d5 and Black wins. g7-g5! After this. 1 66 which also operates on both diagonals.. and combine them. and to list ev­ ery one formally would result in quite a few lines being written.The Enigma of Chess I n t u i ti o n fended by its tt:lh4. since it is the meeting point of two lines of attack. if the bishop is ex­ changed off by the white bishop. All of the examples we have seen so far have been simple. the square dS draws our atten­ tion. or even very simple. How can he do so? Having finally posed this question.td5xb3 This is also a double attack. Furthermore. in the right order. "iVg7 ! it is zugzwang. But what do we do after the obvious 2. as we have seen.. Without a clear picture of these. That only leaves: 1 . . the white king cannot es­ cape from the eighth rank without of­ fering a queen exchange.'iff8 ? Black meets with a similar method of defence to the initial posi­ tion: l . but now we can play 2. . Examining it tells us that White can only hope to win it by exploiting the eighth rank! This means that White must choose a queen move to either g8. but is much less help in finding the far from simple and very attractive solu­ tion. 1 . it is impossible either to form a sensible plan of future action. . Sometimes. �a3 and there is no win. We start with: A) I . namely that an exami­ nation of the position is essential. to identify its priorities. in that the examination of the position accurately identifies the area of interest for the stronger side.Chapter 3 but they still allow us to confirm our first generalisation. although most of the time. it is impossible to get by with­ out an examination."iVe8 ? but after l . - The E l ements o f C hess I n t u i t i on the heart of the composition is con­ tained in this position. an examination of the position is virtually sufficient on its own to deal with the task of choosing a move. B) I . f8 or e8. or to select from amongst the many moves in the posi­ tion those that are genuine candidate moves. 0 �a1 -a2 'ifa2-a4 ? Joseph 1922 The introductory play was quite prolonged. because This is what: 1 67 . But in any circum­ stances. 'ti'h8-g8! Again the only move is The following ending of a study is in­ teresting. but I have omitted it. we need to employ other means as well.. which we have for­ mulated before. . . "iYg8-e8! because the black queen can no longer get to g 7 . T h e Enigma o f C hess I n t u i t i on 3. "iie8-e5+ 4. 'iYe5-h8! 'it>b8-a8 By driving the black king onto the a-file, White has deprived his opponent of his main defensive idea, and no other idea remains: 4. 5. 'it>d8-d7+ 6. "ii h 8-a1 + 'ifa4-f4 'iVf4-b8 1 -0 What was the main role of the exami­ nation here? It was that it made White's job much easier, since it saved him hav­ ing to waste time looking at unneces­ sary variations. Good use of the exami­ nation function often helps to identify the main direction of play, thus en­ abling all our efforts to be concentrated on the search for a solution in precisely that area. As a result, we are able to pen­ etrate more deeply into the secrets of the position, and economise on time and energy, which can become impor­ tant later in the game. This is what happens in this example. 0 As promised, I will not give a detailed description of the examination process (but I strongly advise the reader himself to carry out this full process, so as to 1 68 develop the habit of examining posi­ tions automatically) , but will just sum­ marise things in brief and emphasise the key factors, which define the es­ sence of the position. So: I ) Material is equal. 2) The king positions are very unequal, however, because here the third point comes in: 3) the white queen and bishop are at­ tacking h7, with only the black knight holding them off The latter is already attacked by the white rook. It is clear that White must strike at once, else the exchange of light-squared bishops will remove the possibility forever. The con­ clusion is obvious: candidate move number one for White has to be the capture on f8. Even more than that, with the requirements of the position being so clear, White can temporarily forget about the strict rules of calculat­ ing variations (see my book How to Cal­ culate Chess Tactics! ) as there are obvi­ ously no other candidate moves here. But what if things do not work out? An experienced player sees at a glance that things cannot possible not work out here, since the readiness of the white pieces for the attack is so great, and the enemy pieces so far away from the de­ fence. Once again, the calculation phase itself is very simple. 1 . l:tf1 xf8+! 2. l:tb1 -f1 + 3. 'ifh4xh7 and here the simple 4. c2xd3! 'it>g8xf8 'it>f8-e8 �a6xd3 C hapter 3 after which Black can calmly resign, since he will lose at least queen for rook. I leave you to check the variations yourself. The next example, although it looks quite different, is in essence largely the same as the previous one. Stein,Leonid Hartoch,Robert Amsterdam IBM, 1 9 69 0 Here, we will also have a situation where the positional problems are solved by tactical/calculation means. Again, though, the investigation carried out by White is pretty much forced, for concrete tac­ tical reasons. This imperative is dictated by the es­ sence of the position, which quickly becomes clear, if the examination is - The E l ements o f C h ess I n t u i t i on carried out properly. Admittedly, the ex­ planation of the results will be longer, because the position contains more fac­ tors and is much more confused by the presence of so many. 1 ) Material is equal. 2) In the assessment of the king posi­ tions, things are less one-sided than the previous example. We will defer our conclusions in this respect, until we have dealt with the third point, con­ cerning attacks and defences. 3) First, let us speak about the black pieces. They are obviously passively placed, the only exception being the queen + bishop battery, which only at­ tacks the easily -defended pawn on g 3 . Conclusion: Black faces a passive de­ fence. On the other hand, the activity of the white pieces is evident at a glance. The rook battery against the c6 pawn strikes one at once. The bishop on e6 seriously restricts the actions of the black pieces, and among them, his king, which requires special attention. Leonid Stein 1 69 The Enigma o f C hess I n t u i t i on If one takes the next step, and asks whether the pieces are already able to go over to an outright assault on the black position, then the answer would appear to be in the negative. The reason is obvious: the white forces, despite their superior positions, do not yet have sufficient coordination. In seeking a solution to this problem, we notice that the white queen and dark-squared bishop are currently not doing anything much. Then the ques­ tion arises: in what direction should we look for a possibility of bringing them into the game? We cannot do anything via the c-file, so where should we look? And then our glance falls on the g5-square. If the white queen were able to give a check on this square, it would be extremely unpleasant for the black king. This is only stopped by the pawn on f6 . Is there any way of removing it? Nothing except the advance e4-e5, which is stopped by the bishop on e5. The latter, incidentally, also defends the d4 pawn, which in its turn blocks the white bishop on b2. Now everything is clear and the further course of the game becomes simpler. Without any doubt, candidate move number one is the capture of the �e5 , followed by a breakthrough on that square. 36 . .l:!.c5xe5! 'ifd6xe5 The game ends even sooner after 3 6 . . . fxe5 3 7 .'i¥g5 + 'it>f8 3 8 .'i¥f6+. 37. 1:rc1 -c5 38. e4-e5 'ife5-d6 Black cannot save the game and could already resign. 1 70 38. ... 'ifd6-d8 The same happens after either 38 . . . 'i!Wf8 or 3 8 . . . 'i!We7 . 39. e5xf6+ 'it>g7-f8 On 3 9 . . . 'i¥xf6, 40.'i!Wf4 decides. 40. 'i¥d2-f4 41 . �b2xd4! tt:lb8-a6 It is very useful to compare this posi­ tion with the previous one. Only six moves have been played, and the pas­ sive though seemingly solid black posi­ tion has been shattered. This happened because White found a way to achieve a full, practically ideal coordination of his forces. And what is important for our subject matter is that the main part of the work was done by considerations emerging from a well-carried out ex­ amination of the position. There were hardly any variations, except the break e4-e5 and the queen check on g5 , which can hardly be called variations anyway! As I have already explained earlier, such 'variations' should be re­ garded as part of the examination. The real calculation was only performed on the basis of the results of these consid­ erations, and although effective, was short and simple. Chapter 3 41 . 42. �d4xc5+ 43. "iVf4-e5! tt:Ja6xc5 r;t>f8-e8 This position perfectly illustrates what is called domination. 43. .l::r h8-h7 44. �e6-d7+! 1 -0 The following, nice example is from my database, having presumably got there some years ago, from a book or maga­ zine of some kind I do not remember which. The previous moves, and even the players' first names, have not been preserved, but we have the crucial and most interesting part of the game, which I now offer for your attention. - Liberman Ioffe USSR, 1 9 62 0 .i - The E l ements of C h ess Intui tion Before going on to an ordered exami­ nation of the position, I would invite you to imagine someone you know, who is not a professional player, ap­ proaching this position and looking at it for the first time. What candidate moves would they consider, after a more or less brief examination of the position? On my side, I think there are at least three or four, and I would not exclude the possibility that this number includes the move played in the game. It is very striking, but not actually so difficult to find. My aim in choosing this example, how­ ever, is to show how a really well-car­ ried out examination, as opposed to a superficial enumeration of a few obvi­ ous points about the position, can improve the process of selecting candidate moves. So now let us set about the aforemen­ tioned careful examination. Material is equal, but Black has two bishops against his opponent's bishop and knight. Both kings are still in the centre; the white king's pawn cover looks the more vul­ nerable, but no attacks on his king are currently on the horizon. This means that the question of king positions can only become clear after we have consid­ ered the matter of the interactions be­ tween the two sides' pieces. The white queen is taking aim at f7 , but is currently not supported in this. It is also on the same rank as the enemy queen, with only the white bishop sep­ arating them. And if it were not for the black bishop on d7, this white bishop could take on c6 with check, winning the black queen! 171 The Enigma of C hess I n t u i t i on For the moment, I only mention this as one part of the piece interactions on the board, but it is already clear that for a start, White should think about tactical ideas to win the black queen. And from this in turn, it is clear that the idea of moves such as I .tLlb3 or l .b4 as 'obvi­ ous candidate moves' is very doubtful. But let us put this main idea aside for a moment, which will help us to explain some other, highly useful things. I will not point out all details, by the way, but will only draw the reader's attention to one thing - the white knight on a4, which neither now, nor in the foresee­ able future, seems to have any possibil­ ity of relocating, and which could at any moment become the object of at­ tack. In other words, for this reason, White runs the risk of falling into an unpleasant position, if play develops along quiet lines. What we have said means that it is very desirable for White, maybe even obligatory (even though hard to prove with variations, because we are talking about longer­ term prospects) , to sharpen the play. This is what is called in chess the re­ quirements of the position, whether it be a direct threat, or the relative need to act in a definite way, to prevent a deteriora­ tion of one's position, etc. Fortunately (or, more probably, thanks to the white player's foresight) such a possibility exists here. How can we find it with the help of an examination of the position? We have already noted a number of the relevant elements of the position: the uncastled black king, the white queen on h5 x-raying it via the f7 pawn, and the fact that this pawn is pinned. From the other direction, the 1 72 white bishop dreams of giving check, which the black bishop currently pre­ vents. Thus, we have picked out the most im­ portant factor: White's chances to create trouble only exist all the while the black king remains in the centre. But how can we keep it there? And there is one other detail. When I mentioned the moves which might come to mind at a super­ ficial first glance, I mentioned 1 . b4, and immediately dismissed it and did not look at it further. Black's only replies would be to retreat the queen to c7 or d8. Thinking about this, and the desire to keep the black king in the centre, leads us to the only candidate move which meets all conditions. This was indeed played: 1. tt.Jd4-e6!! Now this move has appeared on the board, let us look at the position - care­ fully! The first thing we note is that we have managed to bring about the sharp change in the position that our exami­ nation indicated was desirable for White. As well as the bishop on g 7 hanging, there i s now a terrible threat of 2 .b4, winning the queen. Obviously, t2Ja4xc3 t2Jc6xb4 If 3 .t2lc7+ Wd8 5 . In this case. . then 4. White now has to work a bit to find the best winning chance. . So. it is nec­ essary.�c4! tLldS 6 . The best try. is the move played in the game: 1 . and creates some counterplay.tLlg5 ? �xb5 5 .t2lxg 7 + Wd8 4. . . no more than 20-30 seconds. one can recall Emanuel Lasker's precept. quoted by Bobby Fischer in My 60 Memorable Games (game 49) 'When you see a good move.a6 2 . undoubtedly. It is entirely natural that in such a position. the examination should be controlled and brief.C h apter 3 .there simply isn't one. .�xd5 e6 8 . but now let us return to the game. . �xb4. As can easily be seen.. 4. Now.b6 is one idea. after 1 .b4 �xb5 3 . f6-f5! It closes the fifth rank.�f8 2 . 4. the examina­ tion of the position is of absolute value! This should be understood thus: no matter what is happening on the board. t2Je6-g7+! And he does so! A rather weaker contin­ uation was 4.'ifxf7 and the extra piece will soon decide the game. How can he try to escape from it? The reply l . . t2lxb4 3 . 3. b2-b4 �g7xc3+ After 2 . 2. White must make the correct choice.The E l emen ts o f Chess I n t u i t i o n the knight is invulnerable: 1 . �xe6 2. . For example. sit on your hands . tLlxg 7 + Wd8 3 . .�xa5 .�xc6+ bxc6 3 .tLlxh8 Wg7 . .t2lxf7 Wf8 6.�g5 + 1 73 . the most serious threat is 2 .. . 0-0-0 White not only has an extra piece. We will con­ tinue this discussion later.�xd7 White wins easily. however. . This is because in chess. But this by no means im­ plies that examination of the position should be abandoned. with both sides' forces in close direct contact with one another and threats and counter-threats filling the board. but even then.. we8-d8!? In the event of 4 . l . but also good attacking chances.b4. . ..tLlc7 +. . Black's main problem is the opposition of the queens. l ..b4. And one can only find this better move by looking.there may be a better one'. the player's first action should be an ex­ amination of the position. l:rc l ! Wxg 7 7 . Wf8 5 . whilst Black cannot be blamed for the fact that he has not found a satisfactory saving move . . So what can Black do? Maybe he should immediately start looking for candidate moves? Such an approach seems appro­ priate in this situation. strategical con­ siderations go on one side and give way to calculation.. even when one is faced with a forcing variation! In the latter case.tLld5 �c5 6 . In this respect. b6 2 . 0 ! White re­ gains the piece and wins with a direct attack. Black re­ signed. This means first of all the square h7 . this is not enough for success. The following fragment is no less impressive. /iJdS 6. concerning the king positions. 5 . As well as a small material ad­ vantage. After 9 . White has a great positional superiority. It is easy to see that the white rooks can join the .�f2! tt::l g4+ (9 .<. 1 962 The main features of this position strike one right in the eyes. . However. if not completely. �xd7 8 .tb5xd7 'i¥a5-c5! After 5 . the dark-squared. However. . 0 . one of which. .i .t>e8 1 0 . It may be that this unopposed bishop will be able. White has good chances of a breakthrough on the light squares. �f2 tt::lc 2 1 0 . tt::l b4-c2+ tt:Jc2xa1 After 7 .l!:!. then sub­ stantially to reduce the danger lurking over its monarch's head. .�g 1 'tWd4+ 9.. 1 74 0 . We need to see how White found the following magnificent combinative at­ tack.t>h3 it is all clear.Boris Schmid. the white knights are also pointing (element number three in our scheme! ) at the squares f7 and e6.<.b 1 ! tt::l e 3+ 9 . answering the second point of our adopted scheme.�g 2 ! White wins. will be able to attack g6 as well. . 1 -0 The finish of the game was convincing and clear.'i¥xf7) 1 0 . has no opponent. since White is not able to fight effectively on the dark squares. On the other hand.'Ot>h3 .t'!.t>g2 'iYb2 + 1 O. . 6. tt:Jc3-e2 7. . but by itself.td7xf5 Spassky. .hg8 1 0. �e1 -f1 'i¥c5-c4 After making this move.�f2 'tWd2 + 8. But the pair of black bishops stand out (I would re­ mind you that the element of material includes the composition of both ar­ mies) .�g2 tt::l e 3 + 1 2 .l'lc 1 'ifcS + 1 1 . and after them. It is obvious that White's extra pawn does not play the slightest serious role.. is slightly more difficult.The E n i g m a o f C hess I n t u i t i on �f8 9 . 8.Lothar Varna ol.exd5 'tWxc3+ the white king escapes from the checks: 7 .'i¥h6+ <. . . They all confirm our preliminary con­ clusion: an examination of the position should precede any operation carried out on the chessboard. . The concluding blow is not difficult.e2-d3!! worth looking at first. The same blow decides after the reply 2 2 .f5-e6! 24. There are two such means: either attack it with the pawn. 22 .xd3 . What defensive resources does Black have? These are the pawn on f7 . but beautiful: 24. ii. at least one of them. .. the final stage 1 75 . . �d6xc5 But he did so. I would draw your attention to the fact that the most likely route for them to do this is the third rank. tt::l c e6 ! fxe6 24. . after 2 2 .Chapter 3 party.�h 7 + �f8 2 5 . .c8 : 2 3 .e I . leaving aside for a moment the issue of the fate of the knight on c5. The scheme by which the search for a move is carried out was described above.l::!.�h 7 + �f8 2 5 . . we have seen the white attacking potential. also d 7 .. not so much because this continuation is better than the rest. This all means that the attack must start with some measures being taken against this bishop. but would point those who wish to know more to my book How to Play Dynamic Chess. In the exam­ ples we have looked at. ii.d3xf5 tt::lc 7xd5 If 23 . So. Schmid took the knight. but - The E l ements of C hess I n t u i t i on just because the others are bad. It only remains to add that the consider­ ations we have discussed are enough to make the move 22. We only need to come back to the fate of this knight if the vari­ ations show that the immediate sacri­ flee of the knight fails. whilst Black also loses after 2 3 . 2 3 . I will not speak more about this subject here.e 3 . . ii. in some lines. Black suffers fatal material losses.l::!.�xg6 �f4 26 . or offer the exchange of bishops. the knight on c7 and the bishop on f5 . In both cases. . since it also brings into play the .l::!. Without this. ed8 24. The reason for this approach can be summed up in one. ii. ii. We can quickly and easily see that the last is the key to Black's defences.�h5 . tt::l ce6 ! fxe6 24. The second seems the more promising.xg6!.xd3 White wins by 2 3 .xg6 ! is no worse.ii. 1 -0 Now let us draw some conclusions from the examples we have discussed. . it is only possible to take the correct deci­ sion in chance cases.ii. gxf5 ?? 24. .l::!.�h7+ �f8 2 5 . It defends the square e6 and. much like picking red or black at roulette. Thus. very important term: the initiative. and prevents the white rook coming to d3 . it is always possible to manage with a short examination. They are necessary at moments following a serious change in the character of the position. both in taking decisions of a strategical nature. from the author Rex Stout: 'My eye is professionally trained. and especially well-anno­ tated games by strong players. I will not go into what is meant by such words as 'serious' or 'important' or 'significant' . but it must still be done. the examination was es­ sential. Playing experience and. on the chessboard. from a complex outdoor scene to a small stain on a man's collar' (and it is often the case that the latter detail is the more im­ portant! . such as I went through in the examples above. when the player is fa­ miliar with the position as the result of a thorough earlier examination. Finally. irreplaceable part of the deci­ sion-making mechanism. It is the essential first stage in under­ taking anything. and can quickly pick up everything. is impossible and unnecessary at every move. and only then to turn to those parts of it that attract particular attention. Here is an apt quote on this subject. It is always essential to pro­ ceed in that way. And 1 76 In chess. the analysis of games. such as time shortage. or such piece exchanges which bring signifi­ cant changes in the character of the play. The ability to examine a position cor­ rectly and effectively depends most of all on being able first to look at the whole position. This includes the analysis of both our own games. An obvious recommendation flows from this: the ability to look and to see should be trained as regularly and thor­ oughly as the ability to see tactical blows and calculate variations. However. Such exami­ nations are only carried out in special circumstances.VB) . A serious. This is mainly because it would take up too much space and would take us too far away from our main subject. so as to see what needs to be seen.such high-quality commentaries will always identify critical moments. but the length of that process varies. especially. in certain circumstances. without exception. fundamental and thorough examination. the general survey can be done much more quickly. There is one subject about which I promised to speak in more detail. The key word here is 'well-annotated' . be it tactical or strategical. without excep­ tion. . The time has come to suggest a general formulation for the subject under dis­ cussion: In other cases. helps us learn to identify such key moments. or change the material relations. and of any other sort. the examination of the position is the most important. I will end this section with a few observations on how to look better at positions.The Enigma of C h ess I n t u i t i on was often the calculation of variations. but in all cases. This is that it is always necessary to make an examination. aimed mainly at checking the main di­ rection of play. Such changes include important and lasting changes in the pawn structure. But I always reply as follows: Time and energy spent on an ex­ amination of the position should never be considered wasted. in a fairly general way. But it is much harder to take a correct decision when the number of factors to be considered is much greater and the player has to control a much wider sphere of action. the player will be able to concentrate immediately on the calculation and evaluation of those continuations and plans. which causes the weaker player to make mistakes. This is partly explained by the psychological factor that the threat of imminent loss concentrates the mind better. as is often the case. the fact that he is already famil­ iar with the key features of the position. or in the analysis of one's own games. My intention is only to acquaint the reader with this ex­ tremely important aspect of chess play. It is much easier to find only moves when. I do not propose to go into it fur­ ther. because I believe that what we have said so far is sufficient for the main purpose of our book. he will avoid the many other possibilities which are not relevant to the choice of move. always and everywhere. and by which a player who has not carried out a proper examination of the position is liable to be distracted. when he has to find a whole se­ ries of only moves to save a game. yet when he has to make a choice in a situ­ ation with many reasonable possibili­ ties. when you look at a chessboard. in a word. whilst a stronger player will manage better. A player who is not trained in such things finds it much harder to cope with such a situation. whether looking at games by other players. I should point out that this. and that this would be better devoted to calculating variations. and the closely-connected following section of the book. It is quite typical to see a fairly weak player cope well with a situ­ ation. teach yourself always to start with an examination of the position. 1 77 . I have often seen the opinion expressed that too much en­ ergy and time can be spent on an exces­ sively deep examination of the position.C h a p t er 3 even more: no matter what the situa­ tion. It will always repay it­ self. annotated by them or not. which are most appropriate to the situation on the board. And although I am surprised that such extremely important matters have received so little attention in chess liter­ ature. or training of any type. one only has to con­ centrate one's attention on one sector of the board. Experience shows that the second player will waste far more time than the first! Anticipating various critical observa­ tions. does not pretend to have exhausted this subject. without a de­ tailed exploration of all its different as­ pects. But there is also another reason. thanks to - The E l em e n ts o f Chess I n t u i t i o n I would also like to add this useful con­ sideration. later in the game. Furthermore. the same player will go wrong. At the same time. and even with profit! The return will come in the way that. 1ile7xb4 f7-f6 . 1 2.. 2.1ilb4 or 1 S . . 1 9 3 1 1. 1 6. b2-b4! It is interesting that four years later. . t2Jc4xe5 0-0 t2Jc3-e4 �d1 -c2 t2Jd7xe5 "WHc7-a5 l:ra8-d8 . 7. . in an only slightly dif­ ferent position! 1 6. 5. . 1 5.1ilf5-e6 The players have played one of the best-known old variations of the Slav. 9. in the same opening. t2Jg6. 1 7.1ilc8-f5 t2Jb8-d7 �d8-c7 e7-e5 t2Jd7xe5 t2Jf6-d7 Now there follows a blow which is typ­ ical for this line.Max Amsterdam m-9 .1ilc1 -f4 . g5 . we should look at one important aspect.The Enigma o f Chess I n t u i t i on The contents of the next section are closely connected with those of the pre­ vious one. . . 1 78 . . . 1 3. This line has again become topical in our day. 4. in the opening game of his first world championship match against Alekhine..1ilf1 -g2 t2Jg8-f6 d7-d5 c7-c6 d5xc4 . and which brings White a significant advantage. which appears in the following game.1ilf8-e7? This move is a significant inaccuracy. 11. Capablanca. in order to explain the essence of what I mean. 6. 1 0. Euwe overlooked the same idea. "WHc2-b2 1 1 ..Jose Euwe. he should have played 1 5 . but now the main move is 1 1 . d2-d4 t2Jg1 -f3 c2-c4 t2Jb1 -c3 a2-a4 t2Jf3-e5 t2Je5xc4 g2-g3 d4xe5 . Short tactics But first. 8. 14. 3. tb4 c3? 21 . . t2Je4-g5 20.txa 1 2 7 . 1 79 .. Wh8 2 5 . which Capablanca never made in his golden years. .l:tdl +. . . . . . He should have played the other rook 1 8 Jlab 1 ! with a large advantage for White. Kapablanka .txh 7 + ! Wh8 2 5 .l:l:f1 -b1 ? 'A serious mistake. . - g7-g6? And this is already final capitulation.txa 1 ! 2 3 . . . Wh8 24 . .txe4 2 3 . Black is also doing badly after 2 2 .'YWxb4?? .'YWc4+ . 1 9. . But he could still have complicated his adversary's task by 2 2 .te6-f5 hxgS 2 7 .e4 f6xe5 . . . tLJf7 + l:rxf7 26. . 23. although even here.l:Ixb7) 2 5 Jh 2 ! h6 26. - Euwe reprieves his opponent I After 2 0 .Chapter 3 - The E l em e n ts of Chess I n t u i tion And now there followed the strange move . 'YWc2-a2+! <>t>g8-g7 Things are no easier after 2 3 ..tLJe6 ! White retains winning chances.tf7 ! ? he would have had a serious and lasting advan­ tage. .. 'YWb2-c2 22 .txfS e4! . . .l:txfS 2 5 .'YWf6+. .. .l:tc2 ! . Moscow 1 9 70) . . 1 8.i 1 8. after 24 .'YWxf7 . . when he played like a machine in winning posi­ tions ' (Panov.'YWxe4 g6 24. .tfs ! ? or 2 0 .i:tdS (24 . .tg2 e4 22 . .txfS ! . 0-0 It turns out that Capablanca has over­ looked the elementary trap which even children learn in the earliest years of playing chess: 1 9. .tf4xe5 20. l:lb1 xb7+ 25.a1 -b1 l:ld8-d7 'iYa5-a6 35.xc8 . But now I want to draw attention to the changes which have _taken place in the play of Anatoly Karpov (and please for­ give me for this.xc8 3 0 . after looking at some more examples. and is two pawns down. as a rule. 26. He was usually the first to finish.l::!.l:!. 1 80 'ifb3xb7+ l:lb1 xb7+ �e4xc6 J:rb7xa7 �c6-e4 h2-h4 l:la7-a8+ e2-e3 l:ld7xb7 'iYa6xb7 �g7-g8 l:lf8-d8 l:ld8-d6 �f5-d7 �c3-d4 �g8-g7 �d4-c3 The most interesting thing here for us is Capablanca's crude mistake at move 1 8. on those rare occasions he plays in compe­ titions. forcing method : 2 6 Jhd7 + ! �xd7 2 7 . However. Karpov's phe­ nomenal ability to assess and play non- . 33.'iYf7 + �h6 3 1 . Anatoly Evgenievich! ) . .VB] the ease and elegance of his play made a great impression. 'In Puerto Rico [at the 1 9 7 1 Student Olympiad .l:i. 29. using less than an hour on his clock' (Anatoly Bykhovsky. Black has no counterplay.'ifh4 mate.U. 30.�d3 'iYaS 29 . 'ifa2-b3!? A good human decision. 27. I am prepared to suggest an alternative explanation.b8 ! �c8 2 8 . There are several possible reasons for this. . In Karpov's play in his best years one could see a powerful intuition. protecting the back rank against the enemy rook's incursion and freeing the e4-square for the knight. 31 . faultlessly. 34. Karpov coped with such tasks quickly and. The computer shows its own. after landing such a serious blow two moves earlier. . he relaxed and lost concentra­ tion.The Enigma o f Chess In t u i t i o n 24. which I will give later. 32. This was especially obvious in situations requir­ ing the correct assessment of non-stan­ dard positions.'iYxh7 + �xgS 3 2 . 28. and especially at normal time controls. �e4-f3! A simple trick. We will look at his play these days. The most probable is that. 1 -0 26. which is quite good enough to win. for many years the trainer of the USSR's youth team) . Sergey Donostia. .�a 1 ! 'if a3 + 3 9 .ikfS ! ? tt::l e4 34. But if one does so.ikb 1 . b2xc3?! 181 . 34.e8-h8 Probably stronger was 3 4 .tt::l g 3 ! ? �bs 34. .axb4 . "ifg2-h2 It is obvious that the h7 pawn gives White excellent prospects. This variation is not forced.axb4 36.b3 ! . .h3 ! ? ( 3 S . A good line was 3 1. It was this factor that proved decisive..�b 1 c3 3 S .Chap ter 3 standard positions was well-known in his heyday. Now White could also have played more strongly: 3 S . it becomes clear that White had a close to winning position.f1 xf6 b5-b4 .!::rd 1 -f1 Karpov wants to limit the activity of the black pieces. and in many games. no longer young. .l:tg6! ? c3 3 6.l:!. stronger was 3 3 . obviously. 31 . The same is true after 3 1 . .ikc7 3 3 . .. .�b 1 c3 3 4. there are many occurrences such as the follow­ ing: Karpov. a3xb4 33 .tt::lfs tt::l f7 3 S . There was already no time to calculate variations. 33. but is perfectly possible. or 3 3 . it comes from Fritz.tt::lc 3+-) 3 2 . ..l:rxd2 b4 3 3 .tt::l g 3 ! b4 3 2 .ikxd2 (3 1 .�b 1 "ifb7 . "ifa6+ 3 S . .bxc3 "ifxc3 3 7 . �d2 ! .'ti'xg 3 .l:. in both cases with a clear advantage.a2 'ifc 1 + 40 .b3 and White has all he needs for victory. .Anatoly Movsesian. but for the moment he has nothing concrete there. c4-c3 31 . even losses on time. And even when it does not come to that. 2009 0 - The E l ements of C h ess I n t u i t i on tt::lb S 3 4.ikfs "ifb3 + 3 8.ika5xb4 White had prepared this sacrifice with his 3 1 st move. Even so. l:lh6xf6 tt::ld 7xf6 :t.axb4 . but still by no means old. 32. . But nowadays.l:ig6 ! ?) .tt::l g 3 tt::lx g3 3 S . the play of the ex-cham­ pion.l:!. But there is also a very important sub­ jective factor to consider: White was al­ ready seriously short of time. Black has his trumps on the queenside. .b4 3 2 . presents a sharp contrast: extreme time-trouble. 35 .ikxb4 3 3 .tt::lxc3 ! tt::lxc3 + 3 6. but it seems he was down to just seconds. 35. . c3-b4! �c6xc2+ 0-1 The same transformation occurred at a certain point in the play of Capablanca.ta1 lLJxfS 4 l . . It may be that Movsesian decided not to inter­ fere with his opponent's planned blun­ der. which completely destroys White's plans.. but it prepares a decisive oversight.l2Jxc3 ! ? 'ifxc3 3 8 .gxf5 '>i.. �a6+ 3 7 .c1 -a3? Yes. and 3 7 . but maybe he now missed the next move as well.ili. In support of this fact. .ili.. and are probably symptom­ atic of a tendency that could interest us.tb 1 .ili. l:f. . . this move is wrong. He follows the strategical line adopted at move 3 1 ! But now the opponent finds an elementary combinative blow.ili. . Obj ectively stronger was 3 6 .The E n i g m a o f C hess I n t u i ti on This is still not a mistake. . .fS + '>i. After the correct 3 6. the tragic side of chess of­ ten shows itself.11i.. it is useful to quote from Taimanov's memoirs: 'Vasily Vasilievich Smyslov recently complained to me that he was getting . but note that Karpov plays logically and consistently.lLJxc3 �xc3 3 9 . another colossal natural genius with a phenomenal intuition . White was fine after both 3 7 . . .a3 l2Jc4 4 l.b4xc3? It is possible that Black was also in time-trouble. but also fell into time-trouble.c� 38.ta8) 3 9 . .ili. Objectively. after 3 8 . '>i..b2 .we saw an ex­ ample earlier. Having in his youth out­ stripped all of his rivals not only by the accuracy of his play.tc7 3 8 . missed due to time shortage.. 36 .ili. 37. . sometimes very serious. with roughly equal chances.ili. It is understandable that Karpov had missed this reply in advance.ili.a3xb4?? No comment.'>i. However.f7 + '>i. . he not only started to commit mistakes of a sort that he had never previously done. 1 82 . .ili. But that is not the point! " ' : :t� �. when an excellent idea is destroyed by details. but this is not clear.ili.b3 ! ? White retains slightly the better chances.ta8 White is lost anyway.tb7 3 9 .fS + '>i.ili.b2 (3 9 . In such cases. 37.. . but also by its speed.aS ! 38. But he had no time left.xb4 �a4+ 40 . .. Similar changes happened not only to these two.a3 ! . 'i¥c4+ 40. we see a weakening of whatever abilities it is that are absolutely necessary for the ef­ fective functioning of intuition (or at least. and with them are contained. we are witnessing the operation of a law: - The E l ements of C h ess I n t u i t i o n take on board. D With age. lose it over the course of years? Is it just the well-known effect of the weakening of calculation ability. it is attacked from behind and cannot advance. White's hopes are bound up with his only surviving pawn. that is the right square for it. We will start with a very simple case. I will show you. we discussed the proposition that one of the most important ele­ ments in chess intuition is the ability to Clearly. The first is elemen­ tary and well-known. But to continue our discussion. but also those changes in the positions of both sides' pieces and pawns. if not. It is time to give some examples. the most likely results of those clashes.Chapter 3 old and found it hard to calculate long variations. chess intuition). At the same time. which you can believe in. 1 83 . and the only ap­ parent defence. by a rook check. in a short time. all (ide­ ally) of the details in a position. one must ask the question: what causes the transformation described above? How does a player." And this was not just a joke'. which we all suffer from as we get older? Or. Mark Evgenievich described very clearly and simply how intuitive deci­ sions appear to the observer. three textbook positions. there are already contained. Wher­ ever it places a piece. with­ out which this discussion may remain nothing more than an abstract thought. one after the other. Virtually the same words were used by Vladimir Kramnik (see earlier) . in a hidden form. drives the enemy king towards the pawn. that is not your thing! You have a trustworthy hand. added Taimanov. I replied "Vasya. But it is no less impor­ tant to be able to see not only all those details which are in the position at the moment. we can say that. What I mean is that in any of the positions which arise on the board. I would add that Smyslov said in his time that he had to a considerable extent lost this most valu­ able quality of his. Let us try to get to grips with what this unknown function is. which may arise in the very near future. without doubt. Earlier. then what happens when this magical gift of the gods dis­ appears? First of all. having so great and pre­ cious a gift. even the most minor. also hidden for the moment. various possible clashes between the pieces and pawns. �e2 and only now is it clear that Black has the . Summing up what we have found.l::i. albeit a very simple calculation. it is easy to find the only move. The second example is also simple. from which it is obvious that the white king cannot defend its pawn. so he must seek salvation with king versus king and pawn. we will again discuss the whole thing in some detail. the white king is too far away and cannot have any influence on proceedings. which creates a threat to promote the pawn at once: 1 . It is clear that the main factor here is the difference in the activity of the kings. Note that there is noth­ ing else that needs to be considered. but not quite! We have still not noticed one small detail. by the exami­ nation of the position. the game will be drawn.'it>d2 'it>xe4 3 . and this job has been done. For an experienced player. It is that the rook cannot currently take the pawn I .. Unless he can force Black to capture the pawn at once. Thus: I ) How can we see that the black king will be able to win the white pawn? Isn't this obvious at once? Yes. or whether he can still save the game by the standard method of taking the opposition? Here too. it is impossible to manage without calcula­ tion. the explanations will be more la­ conic. . but in the interests of understanding our theme. this detail is easy to see. as we know. It is not yet on the board directly. we know where to look for candidate moves. whilst the black king has an open road to the pawn. the relevant principles are quite elementary. h 7 +. 1 84 0 Grigoriev This is quite a simple example.T h e Enigma o f C hess I n t u i tion Meanwhile. but we can agree that it is not possible without cal­ culation.he just needs to move to d6. In this simple situation. It is the question of whether the loss of the pawn is danger­ ous for White.'it>c2 'it>d4 2 . Having observed this extremely important factor. and is based on an idea taken from the end of a study by Grigoriev. Circumstance 2) is already more diffi­ cult to explain. albeit a short and very simple one: I . l::r h 1 -h8! and it is all clear: Black must lose his rook. does the examination con­ clude that the position is a draw? Al­ most. but is already inher­ ent in the relative positions of the two sides' forces. This means that White has no time to manoeuvre. So. In the later exam­ ples. but we will look at the process step by step. is that it. In other words. Jha7 be­ cause of 2 . we also soon notice that the black king can easily eliminate this issue by ap­ proaching the pawn with his king along the sixth rank . in the very nearfuture. We mean. 2 . . to see the possibilities for the sides' forces to attack one an­ other. The examina­ tion of the position. and the possibilities of defend­ ing against those attacks. a cor­ rect understanding of the essence of which requires more than merely an at­ tentive examination of all the character­ istics of the position at the present mo­ ment. including the variation given above. that is. e4-e5! Incidentally. ..Wd2) . So: the variation shown is only an explanation of the essence of the position. in any position. about what might happen in a po­ sition over the very near future. . shows that there is no other hope of saving the position.. it is worth noting that White has no need to calculate the con­ sequences of the last move. and how. since Black has the opposition on the fourth rank after Vit'c2 Wc4 and wins (this too. . I am always concerned.. since he has the reserve tempo 3 . and so we can draw the conclusion that White can live with the loss of the pawn. . it fulfils the role ofthe examination.The E lements o f Chess I n t u i t i on opposition. d5 ! and White loses.Wc2 .Chap ter 3 . They also require that the player look at the changes in the relative posi­ tions of the two sides' forces. 1 . but it is calcula­ tion! ) . It i s obvious that we can only see such possibilities and their prospects by calculation. And this means: we must do what we have to do. everything turns out fine. what we have learned is there are many positions. it is clear that the whole secret of the position lies in Black's reserve tempo. rain may suddenly appear from a cloudless sky. . will be! However.. and what will be. even a majority. d6xe5 Now again there is no choice. That means the move 2. I would 1 85 . wc1 -d1 leads to a draw. And only now. Wd4 3 . So. wc5-d5 (2 . Wc4 3 . with good rea­ son. does it become obvious where White must seek salvation. once this work has been carried out. Let us consider in more detail what we mean by ' the relative positions of the two sides' forces' . And we are talking about such prospects in the very near future. ' the here and now ' . the obvious 3. but must fight for the tempo! How? The answer is obvious: 1 . . and after 2 . wb1 -c1 is forced. . Hav­ ing seen the above variation. is simple and short. putt­ ing it crudely. and this is where short-range tactics come in. is not deep and is quite sim­ ple.t2ld2) But here Black can play l . The white rook is at­ tacked. although we have taken the first step towards it. and picking up that factor which is often referred to in chess literature as 'short-range tac­ tics'. . cut off in en­ emy territory. I have never seen an explana­ tion of this term.T h e Enigma of C hess I n t u i t i on underline that the calculation which should anticipate such sudden changes of fortune. . as a complex of calculation and tactics. and to which we should pay attention. Now let us move on and look at the last of the three examples promised earlier. we can draw our first and most important conclusion: Short-range tactics and the ex­ amination of the position are not just closely connected with one another. From this. we should be thinking in terms of something wider. so we need to do the job ourselves. we can quickly see that the black queen is trapped after I . Both the white rook on b7 and the black queen are rather strangely placed. 1 86 D As always.. and itself attacks a defended knight. We have not yet realised the degree of dan­ ger. but in essence. a4 (and if I . One might think that with this. we begin with the examination. not yet! We have still not done the most important thing..l::!. but in identifying all the possible paths during the examination. tt:lxa4 t2lxb7 and is holding . It may take time. The black queen attacks the un­ defended pawn on c4.'i¥xa4! 2 . short-range tactics are a part of the process of examination itself and belongs much more to the stage of examination than to that ofcalculation. and is aimed at players taking their first steps in developing vi­ sian in chess. Material is equal and both kings are ab­ solutely safe. hanging over the pieces cut off in enemy territory. Until now."i¥b3 . . A quick glance does not make this clear. With its help. Maybe here there is a hid­ den secret to the position? Is this now the end of the examination? No. compared with other cases of cal­ culation. But the question of inter­ relationships between the pieces is more interesting. With this simple form of calculation/ tactical investigations. the main diffi­ culty lies not in the calculation itself. we have completed this stage of the examina­ tion. without exception. then 2 . It also belongs to the category of text­ book positions. but I hope it will be intelligible! The reader should not be misled by the word 'tactics' . In this case. but there are a few more details we have not noticed. but realised that it fails to a counter-blow. At first glance. but the realisation of this proved extremely difficult. Everything here is simple and under­ standable. and where does ordinary tactics (calculation) start? The answer to this is also quite clear. But the consequences are rather inter­ esting. tt:Jf3-d2 - The El ements of Chess In t u i t i o n Shirov. White divines the pre-exist­ ing. as part of the examination. end. l:rb7xd7! The rook does not die in vain! 1. Short-range tactics was the part where White tried immediately to exploit the cut-off position of the black queen. he in­ vited his opponent to enter a variation 1 87 . that is what it is. Here we face an interesting phenome­ non.Alexei A. Next. in the immediate future.kopian. But this points us to the correct line: 1 . and in general. I want to show a fragment that I like very much. independent tac­ tics. Alexei Shirov In search for winning chances.Chapter 3 satisfactorily. but is a highly important part of the calculation of the variations.a1 -a4 3. real possibilities of the two sides. 1 99 2 D . we have on the board a typical case of calculation in its pure form. 2 .d8xd7 'li'b4-b3 gaining a material advantage. Summarising what has happened: Alexei Shirov obtained an ending with an extra knight.l:!. The fact that it turns out to be very simple does not affect the dis­ tinction between tactics as part of the exami­ nation and the following.Vladimir Oakham YM (U2 6) . In addition. l:i. In it. In doing so. it is very in­ structive. But it would be interesting to pose the following question: Where does 'short-range tac­ tics'. a nice short-range tactic is only very short. And only once he has appreciated these possibilities is it possible to go on to calculation of the variations. �xh2 'it>b4 5 8 . and secondly. 'it>f3-g2! 56. However. one of them overlooked it..tt:lc8 with a draw. c4-c5 'it>e5xe4 This breakthrough is White's only chance. although the fact that Black has a c-pawn means it is not simple. as I have no definite infor­ mation) . .'it>g3 'it>c5 6 1 . but what is so interesting about this for us? The answers to both questions are con­ nected. 2002) ? 5 6 . especially when short of time. he would have needed to find some very accurate moves to draw. well-known to any player with a decent chess education. because the diagram position looks very prom­ ising for him.b6 we reach an ending with queen against several pawns. which gives up the c6-square too early. It is also highly likely that Akopian had seen this possibility some moves ago.tt:le4 �xa4 5 9 . . OK. but first with 5 8. does not save the game. the trap into which Akopian fell is very nice. This is firstly. So. Shirov chose a different path. elementary. bxc5 On a quick glance at the position. 'it>b4 60. However. but did not fear it. It is clear that White can only choose between a king move or a knight move.a6! and the pawn cannot be stopped. he missed it. De­ spite this. alas. one can well imagine that he realised the problem and found himself having to choose a different move: 56 .T h e E n i g m a o f C hess I n t u i t i on which led to the diagram position. .. far from obvi­ ous and difficult to see in advance. why did this happen.tt:lf2 �d4 5 6. which he had undoubtedly seen earlier: 55. But once it appeared on the board. what is wrong with the obvious 1 88 5 7 . I have already said that Akopian took the decision earlier to enter a vari- . and sec­ ondly. which is certainly the case with both of the players here.. The former loses the knight and leaves his king hopelessly far from the queen­ side. and even if he had chosen the correct path. . as happens. It is perhaps more correct to say that Black was lured into this variation. White is winning here. the knight could also reach here from g3) 59 . tt:ld6 (as we see.�g2 �xc4 5 7 . but believe me.a5 �dS (after 5 7 . which gives rise to two obvious ques­ tions. The breakthrough must start not with the advance of the b-pawn. calculation shows that both knight moves lead to the same re­ sult.. . Gambit Publications Ltd. and Black is not risking anything: 5 5 . Firstly. I will not side­ track us with the details. rather against his expectations (this is all speculation on my part. c4 5 8 . I sus­ pect that the majority of players would miss the tactical chance here. �e4-d5 Which. You can find a detailed anal­ ysis of the whole of this ending in my first book Chess Recipes from the Grand­ master's Kitchen. he also had to see a number of other. Right now. and in accordance with my larger theory. ordinary calculation went as far as move 5 7 . In such circumstances. The first part of my mini-theory is well-known and generally accepted: the further the end position of the calcula­ tion is from the start position. here is the paradox: In the course of a complicated calculation. the greater the fog which surrounds the player's mind. I will only say what concerns the ques­ tion we are currently interested in. and then the re­ sulting position had to be assessed by stopping and looking more closely. Because of this. ending his main calculation at the right time. So. In other words. which might be an acceptable explanation for this paradox. difficult variations. and so on. at least occasionally there comes a point where a par­ ticular sub-species of calcula­ tion is called for! Vladimir Akopian I have a suggestion.Chapter 3 ation which led by force to the diagram position. or how one can teach oneself to recognise them. al­ though I am far from certain that I will manage to convince everybody else that I am right. on the other hand. That is what inevitably has to hap­ pen in cases of complex calculation. it is the point of the last diagram that requires examination. to return to our example: Shirov did all that he had to do. examining the resulting position and realising what would follow. and even a very strong player misses an elementary idea! - The E l ements o f C hess I n t u i t i on have just seen. it required an examina­ tion. Admittedly. there was quite a bit of calculation to do. The second part is far from obvious and quite vulnerable to critical shots: my suggestion is that in the example we I am convinced of this conclusion. slipped up at this point. but at the same time. Akopian. Yes. one can miss something essential. here we cannot manage without 'short­ range tactics' . and that the out­ come of the game depended on a tactic 1 89 . cases where nothing is too obvi­ ous to be missed. Here. it was only about four moves earlier. I do not intend to discuss what factors indicate when that stage has been reached. I am convinced that in this case we have identified the key point where exami­ nation was required. and overall. we often get events similar to those in which we are inter­ ested. Firstly.the only open file is controlled by Black's rook. since I have no right to skip the stages that I advise everyone else to follow! This is even more the case. which should not escape notice . But am I correct to focus at once on this issue? A conscientious reader would be justified in criticising me for this.axb5 'it>c7 6 5 . 1 90 The first glance at the position brings to one's eyes the mutual attacks on the pawns.The Eni gma o f Chess I n t u i t i on that was elementary for any profes­ sional player. 57. Marshall. 1 -0 In the following classic example. 61 . if he was looking at the position on the board. I have acted in this 'anti-pedagogical' way.'it>e7 etc. 1 9 1 8 • The game ended quickly. although his prospects too. at this mo­ ment. Secondly. although material is equal. we should note the existence of a knight versus a bishop. if he examined the position! However.We6! 'it>c8 66. not in the least prematurely. 59.c7 ! Wxc7 6 7 . 'it>f6 axbS 64. Wf5 a6 6 3 . to remind the reader once again of the value of systematically training one's technique of examining positions. without short-range calculation. do not look very serious at present. 58. Black had to take a decision in a situation in which it was impossible to get to grips with the problems of the position. since both of the stages we have skipped have something worth saying about them. as well as the queen. c5-c6 'it>g2xh2 'it>h2-g3 'it>g3-f4 'it>f4-e4 'it>d5-d6 'it>d6-c7 'it>c7-d6 'it>d6-e6 'it>e6-d6 Here Akopian resigned. . 60. just for educational purposes.Frank Capablanca.Jose New York. with White attacking the pawn on c6. In other words. White seems to have the more re­ alistic prospects of playing against the enemy king. There is also one other factor. I repeat that I cannot rule out the possi­ bility that Black simply did not have enough time on the clock to deal with everything in the right way. and Black attacking pawn a2. The position is well­ known to endgame theory and the win­ ning path is instructive: 6 2 . . In our day. the pawn is defended! It cannot be taken because of the pin. I have adopted the methods of the typical club player. And now he would start analysing variations. "lWd7 . This understanding results in the con­ clusion that in this position. . no player who had read 191 . after 1 8 . I am sure that the average club player would home in at once on the mutual attacks on the pawns. Once one thinks more about the prospects offered to Black by these short but convincing variations. a quick glance at only some of the features contained in the position is mistaken. That is the first thing. The most important part of this pressure comes from the queen and knight pairing. the pres­ ence of queens on the board favours White.tt:Jfs f6 20. Opinions could differ about the second move: 1 8 . - The E l em e n ts of Chess In t u i t i o n erate together very effectively.�g3 (this continuation was pointed out by Capablanca. �d7 1 9 . tt:Jd4xc6 'lWe5xc3 20. we start to understand what is going on. however. "tWe6-e5! is not only perfectly understandable.Chapter 3 Here. �c1 xc3 l:rd8-d2 White develops serious pressure on his opponent's king. not surprisingly. . But don't take the last bit seriously. but even rather obvious. in con­ junction with the rook on d8. In my long experience as a trainer. because incom­ plete information is often worse than no information at all.'�xa2 ?? 1 9 . . untrained in this technique. Their ex­ change would significantly improve the prospects for the black bishop. whereas rooks tend to cooperate better with bishops. . . It is well-known that these two pieces coop- This position is much clearer strategi­ cally. In reality. 1 9. In reality. although I have no doubt that Capablanca himself found it after only a few minutes. After all. I am being ironic. so the answer has been found.l:ra 1 will be re­ jected at once. who assessed it as clearly better for his opponent) . . Reason­ ing in this way. in other words short-range tactics.. if not virtually obligatory! Let us agree. one can see that Capablanca's decision 1 8. Firstly: 1 8 .. that it is hardly possible for most mortals to reach such a decision based on a quick examination of the position. . I have even seen the opinion ex­ pressed that Black now has a clear ad­ vantage. in principle. but that is not the case..ld. but White's position 21 .ixe4 2 3 . I have taken the analysis further and con­ firmed this opinion (could it be other­ wise?) : 2 3 .. .l:tb7 . This is how the game could and should have developed. lha7 l:tc8 2 7 . .. to defend a pawn. This is his suggested continuation: 2 1 .!hc7 .ie6 2 6 .xc7 . �c2 24.simply and precisely. but Marshall instead took a decision which is incomprehensible by the stan­ dards of our time: 23. 21 .C[jc6 .�ee7 . I would say it is totally out of the question.f3 there follows 2 2 .xb2 29 . to say the least.mak­ ing luft for the king and preventing f2 f4.f3 .l:lxc7 2 8 .i 22 . ample of endgame technique for his own and future generations.The Enigma o f Chess I n t u i t i o n more than a handful of chess books would have any doubts as to the full ad­ equacy of Black's compensation for the pawn. e4-e5 l:ta8-e8 After 2 2 .l:!e1 -b1 ? Going over to total passivity.f5 ! . . .c7 .l:r. . 22. .if5 2 5 . h2-h4?! The commentators have criticised Mar­ shall for this move. . is dangerous. . creating another textbook ex1 92 Frank Marshall . And White maintains the balance. in conditions where the oppo­ nent is ready to activate all of his pieces. Now Capablanca continues in a manner typical for him .l:f. g7-g5! Killing two birds with one stone . The game has not yet departed from the bounds of approximate balance.C[je7 + ! Wf8 2 2 . as Capablanca himself showed. c5 .Chap t e r 3 is unpleasant in any case. �g1 -f1 lle6-g6 l:rd2-a2 Here is the zugzwang.h6+ 3 3 . 23. f2-f3 .l:i. 33.tLld8 h2+. tt:Jc6-e7 tt:Je7-f5+ tt:Jf5-h4 tt:Jh4-f5 �g1 -f1 f3-f4+ 'Short-range' tactics. a2-a3 b6-b5! - The Elements of C hess I n t u i t i o n And now another.e8-e6 �g8-g7 ! Getting out o f the fork: 2 5 .�xh2 l:!. and the game will end in zugzwang. But even now.d6-d2 �g7-f6 �f6-e5 lld2-g2+ h3-h2 �e5xf4 0-1 White has a totally prospectless posi­ tion. 24. . which forces White to allow a new blow.e6-h6! 33 .l:!.g3 . .l:f. b2-b4 27.b4 ! ? itxc6 24 .b1 -e1 25. . It encompasses 1 93 . 28. 32.:!. J:ih6-d6! l:!. . every­ thing is quite simple.l:i.lLJe 7 + .g6xe6 3 2 . �g 1 .llb3 .l:. 35. . and White could have stopped the clocks with a clear conscience..a6 ! 3 1 . 36.a1 + 34.tLlxa7 l:Ig6 2 8 . �f1 -g1 30. e5-e6 This sacrifice only prolongs the agony. and after the possibly more tenacious 2 3 . 39.f3 (25 . The other continuation loses at once: 3 1 .l:. 37. but which conceals within it more than a quick look at the name would suggest.tLlxa7 llxe5 24.l:ifl ita6-+) 2 5 . as it soon does. .xc6 l:!. l:Ie1 -c1 g5xh4 1:!. Both after 2 3 . g4! .l:. g3-g4 1:!. 26. �fl llxc6 3 2 Jhc6 itxc6 3 3 . 31 . . this time decisive.f5 ! 2 5 . is a term widely-acknowledged amongst professionals. g2-g3 h4-h3 a7-a6 ..h 1 mate.�e2 h2.g6?? 2 6.l:. . 31 . I would repeat. 27.xa2 3 0 . .xc6 .l:i. 38.tLlc6 h3 ! 2 9. 32.tLld8 h2+ 3 2 . It follows that White cannot let his pieces stand idle any longer.xeS White still has plenty of difficult problems. 29. 34.1:f. . and patient defence was not one of his chess capa­ bilities. thanks to his lack of mobility after 2 7 ... Now it is clear that this special type is the afore­ mentioned complex. but these two important basic el­ ements in chess are almost always closely inter-twined. However. At the same time. Sometimes they are very short-range indeed. and where the later actions are simple from the viewpoint of calculation and flow almost automatically from the examina­ tion. It is not hard to see how I arrived at these conclusions. Thinking about this led me to the conclusion that: 2) I claim that this real. been devoted to a question which does not have an obvious con­ nection with the subject of this book? The answer to this question may well be the most important of all my guesses in this book! ! It consists in my opinion. the examination is a general function. I think it is right. crammed with text. that: 1 ) Intuition. present in all chess operations. How to Calculate Chess Tactics. Those who wish to know more about the distinction between these two can be referred to yet another of my books. has no doubt been hanging over the reader's head: why have so many pages. Here. the main difficulty of which lies in carrying out a high-qual­ ity examination of the position. to the defini­ tions of intuition given there. but all the same. under the al­ most imperceptible appearance. be­ longs not to the world of ideas.The E n i g m a o f C hess I n t u i t i on not only tactics as such. then we must talk about a complex of examina­ tion/ short-range tactics. I would remind you that I gave my pre­ liminary comment about its existence earlier. and it is virtually impossible for one to exist independ­ ently of the other. they are there! And if that is so (and it cannot be otherwise) . and al­ most intangible substance. my strong belief. . in any of the examples from both chapters so far. we have already seen that short-range tactics and the examination are connected with one another in the most inseparable way. there should lie a material base. Furthermore. as follows: 'I believe that investigations. to call it examination. are correctly regarded as a special kind of calculation work' . short-range tactics are inevitably involved. it is time to answer a question. which al­ though not directly asked. for the sake of brevity. per­ ceptible base is the above-men­ tioned complex: examination/ short-range tactics. But now that we have drawn all the con­ clusions I want to present. but to the habitual material world familiar to us all. It follows from this that. or. one 1 94 slight correction is required. and have made the various formulations. but also calcu­ lation. despite the aura of secrecy that surrounds it. I will only say that tactics and cal­ culation are not one and the same thing. but I intend that this term should denote for us a set of processes. Certainly. as we know only too well. one can see how in the process of draw­ ing conclusions from what one has seen in the position. more ac­ curately. if you look back to the very start of the book. the process takes place with great speed. without being entirely clear as to how it does it. with­ out the involvement of the conscious. In both of these two things. For now. we have to gather a certain amount of informa­ tion. In real­ ity. or. as agreed by many authorities (I quoted at the be­ ginning of the book the words from Plato and others about the two types of decision. in a subconscious way. do not let yourself be daunted by this seemingly lengthy and compli­ cated process of examination/short­ range tactics. the examination. turns into an intuitive decision.The El ements of C h ess I n t u i t i o n With some differences. has within himself the makings of 1 95 . a strong player copes with this task quite easily and quickly. even if he has not formulated the thought to himself. Here. With players who have a strong intuition. But this raises the question: how. as we have agreed to term it. and with the involvement of what in­ stead? But let us put these questions aside for now. to a better or worse standard . everything is clear enough and everyone can understand what is going on. But because each of us. and more or less know what it does. The first seems clear and obvious. and they are well-known phe­ nomena to all players. we have first of all to gather some information about it.Chapter 3 . In practice every player.it is just a question of his de­ gree of mastery. Here. I have written about it at length and in detail. To put it another way: without the in­ volvement of the conscious in this process. there is nothing un­ natural. they have two particularly important points in com­ mon. But in doing so. The second deals with a particular means of han­ dling this information. And yet there is a mystery here! It con­ sists in the fact that the examina­ tion/short-range tactics complex. only some of them are capable of working out sufficiently well the results of what they see in this intuitive way. In reality. continually per­ forms this work. The intuitive method of han­ dling information is a way of taking it and deriving conclu­ sions from it. This job is done by the complex of examination. all chess players. whether it is good or bad. I would remind you that. without excep­ tion. even for taking a decision using the 'secret' process of intuition. and says that in any situation we are in­ terested in. when they look at a position. we enter the territory of the sec­ ond definition of intuition. to give the intuition the material it needs to work with. Thus. regardless of the complexity of the position. when we include in the mechanism what I judge only by its manifestation on the chess­ board. dear reader. and try to answer them only at the very end of the book. more briefly. Please. I would like to make another important observation. of whatever level. intuitive and logical) . and they see a greater or lesser amount of what is going on. they all to some extent see these necessary short- range tactics. only because it is important to show and explain every­ thing as thoroughly as possible. only that they are unknown to me. and I like it very much. firstly. The process of examin­ ing a position and seeing short-range . armed with our freshly-acquired infor­ mation. apart from training one's ability to look and see. Believe me. faultlessly see short-range tactics. ideally. every player without excep­ tion suffers a decline in calculating power. I will be grateful. in the summary of Smyslov's qualities as a player. declines with age. from the Foreword to his book The Art of Win1 96 ning. it says the following: 'He possess a filigree accuracy and his ideas come into being "millimetre by millimetre" . the intuition. This all makes it harder to cope with the prob­ lem of short-range tactics and leads to more mistakes in this area. Smyslov was the creator of that style. This Foreword is written by Kramnik. which was then developed brilliantly by Karpov: a gradual increase in the positional pres­ sure. arises from the fact that with age. that marks the sign of intuitive chess talent? I do not think it is right to state this categori­ cally. I don't think it can be expressed any better! I would draw your attention to the fact that Kramnik speaks specifically not just of calculation. But now let us return to the start of this chapter on short-range tactics. and. Now we can state with a considerable degree of certainty that the undoubted decline in intuitive strength of players. try to answer the question we posed at the start. even at such a level of mastery as we have discussed earlier. including a weakening of the player's intuitive capabilities.The Enigma o f C hess I n t u i t i on intuitive decision-making. along with all the other details of the position in a clear. It seems to me that there is a nice con­ firmation of the conclusions I have drawn here. but of the calculation of short variations. In particular. And although it does not amount to a dem­ onstration of the facts. gives out mistaken recommenda­ tions. the pro­ cess of examining the position takes much longer . To some extent.and secondly. but not a sufficient one.see the 'Karpov prob­ lem' . I do not claim that no other methods exist. If somebody suddenly comes up with another method. but is also given to other members of the animal kingdom?). For this reason. as they age. undistorted form. which obtains insuffi­ cient quality information for its opera­ tion. which causes many changes. At the same time. it illustrates very well one of my most important theses regarding the operation of the intuition in chess. based on the calculation of short variations. the quality of the calculation itself declines. And I do not see any other means of training and developing this human gift (and maybe it is not only a human gift. performed with the accuracy of an apothecary's weights' . it should be possible to develop this quality in us all. it is impossi­ ble not to pose the question: is it the ability to quickly and. he knows what he is talking about! I will risk saying again that the ability to calculate. I would say this: having such an ability is a necessary condition. As a result. After all that we have said. not requiring any conscious effort. The correct moves came of their own ac­ cord.The El ements of Chess In t u i t i on tactics does not conceal within it an in­ tuitive component. from 197 .C h a p t er 3 . the player whose intuition is insufficiently strong. has to process the information obtained from his examination by other means. especially if we take account of Reshevsky's widely known story as a chess 'wunderkind' . he played slowly Samuel Reshevsky and had a ' . In the history of chess. But young Sammy certainly did not just throw the pieces around the board. there have been players who were excellent at calculat­ ing short-range tactics. Reshevsky had an important element of intuitive functioning. because in Reshevsky's play there is a lack of cleanness and so he often falls into difficult positions . How­ ever. .VB) he sees a great deal. Reshevsky's greatest weaknesses are a relatively poor positional feeling and systematic time-trouble' . . we seem to have every reason to regard Reshevsky's fantastic chess tal­ ent as of the non-intuitive type. namely a strong ability to calculate short-range tactics. and 'feeling' is certainly an element of.he played very well! It could not have been otherwise. if not a synonym for intuition. yet who one would not class as intuitive players. even if the examination work is performed in an ideal fashion. at the stage of drawing together the results of the previous process. and children usually play as if chess is their natural thing. . One of the clearest examples of this is Sam­ uel Reshevsky. here he is speaking of himself as a child. uses it when the situation on the board demands it. On the other hand. or who does not wish to use it for some reason or other (see below!) .a natural function of my organism. But things are not so simple. things are not quite as straight­ forward as they seem! This is how Mikhail Botvinnik characterised him: 'His great strength is calculation. The intuition comes in afterwards. and then America. As we see. this calculation does not always help. else he would never have been able to travel around Europe. but at the same time. poor positional feeling' . Calcu­ lating 2-3 moves ahead (short-range tactics! . The player who is gifted with a suffi­ cient intuitive apparatus. . to obtain a recommendation as to the general direction of the further course of the game. like most children . It can perfectly well be absent. just like breath' . But this is a perfect description of intu­ ition! Admittedly. although as with all great masters. This is what he himself wrote ofhis life: 'Playing chess was like breathing for me . Conse­ quently. tt:lxe4 �xe4 1 8 . But let us look at an example of a position where intu­ ition is required more than any other device (we have seen a number of such cases already in this book) . . Every move must be weighed in the scales and analysed from the point of view of the chosen plan. . intuition is stuck in the corner and does not get a mention at all! So. Once again.tt:lg5 . .Lev Torre. but where the player does not possess intuition in sufficient quantity. I am often asked why I spend so long on "natural" moves. Polugaevsky. there are no "natural" moves. although it was not gone com­ pletely from his adult play. . or 1 6 .�xd3 lhf3 1 9. Reshevsky 'suppressed' his intuitive ability. This example will enable us to add and correct some de­ tails to what we saw earlier. Realising this. in favour of a search for the ul­ timate 'truth' . it appears that for some reason.' Here. or even contested a world championship match. b2-b4! a6xb5 If 1 6 . . was this battle with their own nature.Eugenio Manila Interzonal. as we see. The following game was annotated by the winner in his best game collection. yet who always played without using the intuitive processing of the re­ sults of their examination. and was seen in his legendary play in time-trouble. tt:ld3 + 1 7 . another question now arises before us: what is meant by intuitive pro1 98 cessing of the results of the examination (including short-range tactics) ? Here I have to admit. Torre strives to maximise his activity and complicate the game. But there is another great player. And perhaps one of the main reasons why neither of these two chess giants ever became world champion.T h e Enigma o f Chess I n t u i t i on the age of six ( ! ) .�xd3 �xd3 1 8 . Naturally. . his play changed. giving simultaneous displays! But when he got older. Reshevsky him­ self describes it: 'The public are often surprised by my habit of spending a large part of my thinking time on the first 1 5-2 0 moves. It is virtually impossible to win such a battle. And Reshevsky and Geller were far from being the only players. This was Efim Geller.bxa6 White has a large advan­ tage. at the cost of material. I 9 7 6 0 In a very sharp battle. who had great ability to calculate varia­ tions. Black has com­ mitted a serious mistake and Polu­ gaevsky goes over to the offensive. that I do not have a sure answer to this question. a study of whose career makes me think he de­ liberately ignored the intuitive approach to the game. this was the right ap- . tt:le4 1 7 . For a mas­ ter. In general terms. 1 6. as I have already done earlier. 1 9. which sharply changes the course of the game. Thus. 21 . a4 2 2 . But it is also quite happy with Polugaevsky's decision.l:Ib8 2 2 .�b2 �c4+ 2 6. 24.a3 ! ? l::!. jlc4xa2 �a8xa2 25. b4xc5 t2Jc3-b5 jlf1 -c4! �d2xb4 b5-b4 . The human player also takes ac­ count of subjective factors. t2Jf3-h4 23. this is a computer decision. The computer prefers to avoid the un­ necessary sacrifice of material and sug­ gests lines such as 2 1 .t2::l g 5. he does the job superbly here. 22. which arose in this game and in the later examples. 20. Still.l:ra8-a5 �d8-a8 t2Je8-f6 Lev Polugaevsky and saving precious time) and it will later be easier for the white king to move about the board.�b3 tbe4 2 3 . and in1 99 . 1 7. �b3 ! ? . or 2 l . the sacrifice of part of his material advan­ tage has the merit of simplifying the position (making it easier to calculate. but White also had a number of other possibilities. but Polugaevsky was exception­ ally strong in situations where he has to extinguish the opponent's initiative. Lev Polugaevsky was well-known for his time-trouble. c5xd6 Wh8xg7 jlf5-e4 l::!:a 5xa2!? Torre maintains the tension. because of his desire to calculate as widely and deeply as possible. 21 . t2Jb5-a3? A serious mistake.Chapter 3 - The E l ements of Chess In t u i t i o n proach. based solely on an objective search for the truth. l:!g1 xg7! A good practical decision. Polugaevsky shows 2 5 . Taking this into account. 1 8.tbd2 .Wd2 and White wins easily. and up to a certain point. e3-d2 .xb l ! 34 .d2 'iVa i + 3 3 . Torre committed the decisive mistake with 30. ili.�e l 200 Wie2 mate. �e l . 'i. . This is the most interesting moment of the game.�cl 'iVa i + 3 0 . �c1 -d1 29. the main line of which is 3 0.tLlxd6 'tWxdS+ 2 8 . It was well-known that in such situations.!:1:d1 -g 1 + c7xd6 �g7-h8 27.g2! l:i. 26 .'iYxe4 tLlc3 +) 28 . 25. . I am sure the decision was based on calculation. 2 7 .f3 'ifc3 + ! ? 3 2 . White finds the only move not to lose.l:!.ifxe S + ) 2 7 . and in terms of our subject. but the meticulous Fritz unearths a sav­ ing move. cxd6 ( 2 6 . �d 1 ? ttJxdS 2 8.f8-c8+ ifa2-a1 + 'i. for example: 2 6 .'ifxd6 (28. �d1 -e2 30. . . both for its own sake. Black would have been helpless in this case. was still not psychologically depressed. White's move looks the most natural.Va1 -b2+ A very interesting episode. .e8 3 S . when in serious time­ trouble. tLlb l ! ili. Here are a couple of very typical ones: 2 7 .T h e Enigma of Chess I n t u i tion deed. ttJf6xd5? .what means did Polugaevsky use to take his decision. .ili. But let us follow the further course of events and seek a definitive answer later. Having committed a serious mistake in a winning position.l:!. as the variations are not that numerous or lengthy.V c3 ? ttJxdS . ttJc3 + 2 9. Therefore. 'i. ttJxdS 2 7 ..ili. 27. he would get a second wind and start playing particularly strongly.h6! with equality. Lev Polugaevsky. Here.. . .�e l ttJxdS 3 1 . which even now is far from obvious. which Polugaevsky ignores in his commentary. and in a far from standard posi­ tion . So I would venture to sug­ gest that at this moment.Vb4xd6! An important moment in the game. and did intuition play a part? In this case. we should not criticise White for choosing an­ other line. The variation is difficult. . and could realistically be calcu­ lated. But this is what most interests us: short of time. 28. and filled with moves that are hard to find. I am sure. found himself fighting to survive and in serious time­ trouble.�d2 'tWb2+ 3 1 . he proceeded without the help of intuition. d7 . this variation : 3 1 .�xe5+ Wg8 46.Wg2 3 3 .xc4+ 42 . . In his commentary. And now White faces a difficult choice. 'i¥xc4 l:.tt:le4 3 2 . 'it>f3 . I have only chosen the one which is most interesting for us. tt:le4+ If 3 5 . . But Polugaevsky preferred 3 1 ..�d3 + ! was obligatory (now I will give another of my addi­ tional analysis diagrams.'ii'd 8+) and now Fritz 1 0 gives 40 .'it>xe4 'ii'd4+ 3 6. He tells of how this moment of the game was analysed afterwards. . . 'it>b 3 .Wf3 .'ifxg 1 ? 3 5 . In any event.xh4 4 1 . all good for White. .. .�e3 ? but 3 3 . Between them.U. after which Ljubojevic instantly pointed out the re­ ply 34.d6 l:ra4 44. .Wd3 with a repetition of moves. .C h apter 3 The move 3 0 .'iV g4! 'ii'x c4+ 4 1 . . White saves himself by playing not 3 3 .tt:lc2 ! ! after which Black is in trouble. in this line. Later on. . But in fact.�e3 'ii'b 2+ and Black wins.'�' e 7 34. when annotating the game for the above-mentioned book. Polugaevsky enthusiastically shows many other variations.."tlixd7 'ii' c 5 (White should also win after 3 9 . having seen. tt:lxd2+ 3 3.�f6 and White has the right-coloured bishop! 3 6.tt:lc4 then Black is in trouble: 3 7 . Jhc4+ 4 0 . for instance 40 .�c3 l:hh4 43 .'ii'e 6+ 'it>h8 3 9. 3 5 .Wc2 Also forced. which are nec­ essary to show the most interesting mo­ ments) . Polugaevsky writes that he was planning to reply 3 1 .We2 tt:le4 - The E l ements o f Chess In t u i t i o n Forced.. "tlixg 1 ? 3 6.'i¥f6+ Wg8 3 7 .Wd3 •.�f4! and it is White who wins! 35. 34 tt:lc5 + Bad is 34 . he did not change his opinion of this episode. 201 . such as 3 3 .l::t a 8 45 .'ii'h6 ! . they came to the conclusion that the game should continue 3 1 .'ihf2+ And here 3 3 . with the par­ ticipation of many of the other players in the tournament. this line saves the game.. This gives rise to variations which could not possibly be calculated with one's flag hanging.. tt:ld7 3 8 ..'it>f5 'ii'f 2+ 3 7 . . ..'it>xd3 'ii'd4+ 3 2.. tt:le4. while his opponent was thinking. but it is still soluble: 3 2 . . From now on. .'\t>hs tt::lg 3 + ! 42. tt::l d 5-f4+ After 3 1 . . 34 .Wc7 'tfkb7 + . even in severe time-trouble. tt::l f3 + . Anand's intuition against Kramnik led him to the correct decision. But in the game. . f3 ! .'it>h4 �f2+ 41 . 31 .te 1 .. but the at first sight less risky path 3 2 .Wf6 'tfkxf3+ 44.Wd6 'tfkxdS + 46. Wh2 tt::l xf3 + 3 8 .'tfkxd5+) 3 S . when the game becomes concrete.f3 l:!xg l + 3 6 .Wg2 l:i:g8+ 3 6 .'it>g3 �g l + 3 9 . Polugaevsky is at his best. . 31 . . �xe 5 + Wg8 3 6. lhf4 exf4 3 3 . tt::l c 3 + 3 2 . . but nonetheless winning endgame. did he find the correct path for Black. 'ttk x g 1 3 S . . and the main thing in such situations is not to lose concentration and just to let your hand make the right moves.tt::l fS ! .tb7 3 4 . of course.Wf2 3 7 .> f2 was also per­ fectly possible.'\t>hl 34. White's task is slightly more complicated after 3 1 . tt::l xf3 W!ff4 + . Wfl ?? Uc 1 + . Polugaevsky chose a move that loses! Neither at the board. it was White who was now winning.'tfkd4. . l:!g8 + ! and the rest goes along with checks: 34. 3 7 . especially his knights on the edge of the board. Similar or not. although he still had to make ten more moves in severe time­ trouble. Jfkfl + 3 8 . But in this case.T h e Enigma of Chess In t u i ti on Polugaevsky concludes: 'I am pleased that my intuition did not let me down' . J:rg1 -g4! Once again.tt::lx e5 Re8 3 7 . his task was appre­ ciably easier because the position was much less confused. come together and coordinate. . it is interesting to see how the white pieces. You may recall that this is very similar to what we read from Anand earlier in this book..l:i:g 1 ! e4+ ( 3 4 .tt::l g 3. the two cases are oppo­ site. 'it>e2-e3! Typical Lev Polugaevsky! Not 3 2 ... he had to keep finding 202 32. .'\t>xg l �c l + 3 7.td3 + 3 3 . tt::l c 4! 'iV'bS 3 S . going into a difficult.'\t>xeS only moves to avoid immediate defeat. WifS + 45 .te4+ 3 5 .tt::l g 2 tt::lfl + 40.'\t>gs h6+! 43. .. He was helped by the fact that the whole time. . Wfl ! 'tfk a 1 + there is the decisive 3 3 . This was his forte.�e5 + �xe S + 3 6 .Wh2 loses at once : 3 4 .Wf3 'ttk a 1 34. which is the fairly obvi­ ous 33 .. al­ though.<J. nor in his later commentaries. 35.g4-g7+ .!.bf7-e6 1 -0 So: was it intuition on which Polugaevsky called? My answer is: intuition was involved. 38.l:t. nebu­ lous nature of much of the material makes it very difficult to produce any sort of mathematical proof.g7xh7 D . �d6xa3 <. 42. The experienced eye will easily detect the contours of the g3-King's Indian. we start by examining the po­ sition before us. They are all presented un­ der the title: I ntuition or not? Avrukh.be4-f3 l:rc8-c3+ �d2xc3 �d4-d3+ <.l!i. One of the biggest difficulties in work­ ing on this book was the fact I took on As usual. 39.l::!. 34. the organ­ ism calls up all the resources it has avail­ able to it. tt:lh4-f3 Stronger was 3 8 .be3xe4 it'b2-d4+ <.Josep Manuel Novi Sad Ech-tt. which the white knight usually occupies in this system. In search of clarity. Black has two benefits: the knight on b3 is rock-solid. which White would usually try to avoid. 37. it seems to me that I have already to a greater or lesser extent managed this. which shed light on this diffi­ cult problem. 40. 33. we have a couple of atypical elements here: A) The pawn on a4 blockades the white queenside very effectively. 41 . we will collect and study some further material. �c3xe5+ l:rf4-g4+ . but the text is also good.bg8-f7 <. as in conditions of great stress. So my view is that intuition was operating. but it was insufficiently strong. However. 36.tt:lc4! �dS + 3 9 .Boris Lopez Martinez. and now I wish to present further ex­ amples.tt:lf3 . The subtle. but of demon­ strating that intuition was definitely at work in specific cases.bh8-g8 <. controlling the square d4.bf3-g2 tt:ld5-f4+ . 2009 38. As a result. g4xf4 it'd3xd6 - The E l ements of Chess In t u i t i o n the task not only of talking about the working of intuition. However. tt:lf4-d5+ <. It is hard to prove this opinion. and the 203 .Chapter 3 32. it would look great on g4! The route is also clear: c2 e3 . the variations are not very difficult. In this respect. whilst White should seek his on the kingside. The main thing is already known to us. as we have already pointed out) . But here. the white knight stands out like a sore thumb. things can be more compli­ cated. having nothing to do in its pres­ ent location. there is one other fac­ tor that we must consider: time. This is a serious trump. does not need more than a couple of minutes to come to such a conclusion. which Boris Avrukh certainly is. because a simple ex­ amination of the position has revealed the requirements of the position. if one works through them consequentially and does not try to calculate everything to the end im­ mediately. However.T h e Enigma of C h ess I n t u i t i o n c4 pawn is attacked and cannot be de­ fended by its neighbour on the b-file. here everything is clear. namely the direction we should be playing in. As we see. It cannot be denied that these differences from the norm seem to be in Black's favour.g4. C) It is also clear that Black's chances lie on the queenside. a good player. The ex­ amination also points the way here: in general. But now let us continue our examina­ tion. The last question is whether we should defend the c4 pawn first or get on with the main plan at once. The answer was given in the game: . the side which is ahead in de­ velopment should act as quickly and di­ rectly as possible. I would like to interrupt our discussion of the position to point out something very important: we have already succeeded in identifying the priorities for both sides and the direc­ tion in which each should seek success. without any need for intuition. but here we have been able to manage it without any need for the latter. and the dark squares around the black king are unusually weak. B) What does White have by way of compensation? The main thing is an ex­ cellent dark-squared bishop on the long diagonal. so as not to give the 204 Boris Avrukh opponent the chance to collect his forces. in which al­ most everything is clear. This is one of the most important func­ tions of intuition. But where will it be useful? At this point. The experienced eye also notices that White is much better developed than usual. Further­ more. In less clear positions. although they may contain one or two surprises. Slightly more time may be spent on calculating the varia­ tions (everything we have said applies to this specific position. Where does the knight want to be? The answer is obvious . .'i¥f4 we reach a characteristic situation. .dl ! and after the only reply 3 9 .tt:lxc6. '�Ve 7 40. ...tt:ld4! although after 3 3 .tt:le3 bS 3 SJi'f4 I. . tt:lb4-c2! This is clearly strongest.ill d 7 3 4 .ill e 6 3 3 . tt:le3 .. .illc 3xg7 33.. hang over the rather bare black king position. tt:lg4) 3 3 .tt:lg4 Wh8 3 7 . 'iff2-f4 f7-f6 205 .bxc3 l:H8 3 6. for example. Of course. . Jlad8 3 6.illf8-g7 In all the possible variations.VJiih 6! �{We? . If.tt::lxeS £le6 43.f5 ! . fS 3 2 . but this is not so hard to do.. which has most of its pieces far away. Thus.llxd6 ! ! VJiixd6 39 .'ifxf8+ 'it>xf8 42. .ill a 6 ( 3 2 . .ill g 7 3 4. we see a small number of motifs recurring. . £lds ( 3 9 .Chapter 3 31 . since Black really does not want to allow the advance of the white f-pawn. be­ cause it is clear where we should look and what we should look for. 3 5 . by uniting his forces. - The El ements of C h ess I n t u i t i on 32. . "ifb6 Black can still resist stubbornly and long.l::r d 7) White goes into an easily win­ ning ending: 40.ill xc3 3 5 .tt:lg4 . . . in which the white queen and knight. 34. . after 3 1 .ill fl fS ! Black manages to create counterplay. .ill e6-c8 The most typical and at the same time striking vanatwn occurs after 3 3 . . with the pawn about to join them.f6 VJiifS 4 1 . which I like rather more. . Now there follows the very striking 3 8. 3 6.£lxc4 34.. f5 . ..!:':. with only the specific details changing. .illxc4 3 2 .exfS gxfS . 31 .tt:lg4 Wg8 3 7. we see another plus side of the white knight's transfer. Now it jumps into the centre with 3 3 . . .leS !? The most tenacious line of defence.tt:lxe8 White wins without any problem. f4-f5 'iiitg 8xg7 33 .tbf6 VJile7 3 8 . If 3 I . it is essential to calculate accu­ rately. whereas after 3 I . which could be­ come a big factor in his favour. White is banking on dy­ namic factors. my re­ sponsibilities as annotator will also be that much greater. Black has resisted the first wave of the attack. and there is no question where he will be seeking to direct his play . 47.l:ra8-f8 tbb3-c5 tbc5-e6 tbe6-d8 'ifb2-d4 Wid4-b2 1 -0 This game was a very easy exercise for the annotator. Black on static ones. White has a noticeable ad­ vantage in development.via the centre. at the enemy king. The other factor which arouses interest is the remote and rather cut-off posi­ tion of the black queen. ti. 46. if he can extinguish his opponent's initiative. In the following example. 42. .d1 xd6 . 37.eS ?? 3 S . f5xg6 ti. 39. the character of the posi­ tion is clear.f6. How should we assess this? It is hard to answer this question purely on the basis of general . 40. 41 .Francisco Wijk aan Zee Corus B.te6-f7 'ife7xf6 known. tried and tested positional principles.l:i.l:ld6-d1 e4-e5 e5xf6+ h 7xg6 l:!. Hou Yifan Vallejo Pons. Black's hopes are associated mainly with his bishop pair.d1 xd6 ti. and as a result. Everything in it was very clear and easy to explain. 48.e6xd6 W/c7-e7 . . White could reply simply on well206 Strategically. 49. and the ques­ tion of whether intuition was or was not involved was quite easy to answer. but the or­ ganic defects in his position cannot be rectified. the mecha­ nism which actuated the winner's thoughts in the critical position was of another kind. White convincingly conducts the game to victory.T h e Eni gma o f Chess I n t u i t i on 34 .e8-e6 .f4-g4 Wif6xb2 . 35.l:l:f1 -f4 ti. 43.tc8-e6 .e1 -d1 l:!. Because all of the priorities came out of the initial assessment of the position. 38. 45. In other words. 44. 2009 0 By tenacious defence. 36.l:ld1 -f1 tbc2-e3 tbe3-g4 W/c7-e7 tbg4-e5 . 'iff4-c7! . and the white queen has suffered a significant reduction in activity. No doubt he had decided last move on a daring raid with his queen. . the human player (if he proceeds correctly) first of all di­ vines what the priority should be. found that this was the best line. . 1 8. whilst at the same time ei­ ther pinching a pawn or at least causing some disruption to the coordination of the white forces. 'lWh2 . The only thing which is clear is that White would like to exploit this. One can even say. having calculated the possi­ ble consequences and not found them 207 . one can detect two possible lines. all the while the answer is less than fully clear. . One is to drive away the queen.'/l. which the computer likes very much. and then proceeds to the calculation of the preferred possibilities. The computer. There is no doubt that the young and highly talented player of White in this game started her calculations with the most principled continuation and. and from all we have said. as a result. for example by 1 8 . on a - The E l ements of Chess I n t u i t i on more global basis. . The latter is mainly concerned with trying to find a means of exploiting the position of the black queen.Yfl . It is interesting and instructive to look at the computer's assessments of this game fragment. 'lWc7 . defending the pawn at the same time. that it is interesting and exciting to see how often the com­ puter's 'thinking' (I will risk appending the inverted commas!) contrasts with the instinctive human reaction. It is White to move. just calculates each move in turn. Black's task is equally clear . And it is also very hu­ man to keep searching in this direction.l:Ih 1 . . on the other hand. On the other hand. but then the black queen gets to a decent square with 1 8 . . In other words.Chapter 3 Hou Yifan considerations. 'lWe5 and if 1 9 J:rhe 1 then again 1 9 . as another factor to gain time for carrying out his main plan. the queen retreats to the conve­ nient square 1 8 . if 1 8 . and only then places the different lines in order of preference. ttJc3-e2! One can imagine the course of Black's thoughts at this moment with quite a degree of certainty. which is the attack on the king.to keep the queen alive. is the only precise path to a win. tLlf3 �h6 2 L!:i. l':re1 -g1 'ii' h 2xh3 'ii' h 3xg4 �g4-d7 There is nothing else.The Enigma of C h ess In t u i t i on to be unfavourable. tt:Jf4-h5+! Instead. On the other hand. to a depth of 1 5 ply. 25 .ite6 24. llxd 1 . . It is possible that it is here that Vallejo had underestimated something in his initial calculations.. 1 8. 208 with the next few.tLlf6 Wh8 2 8 . Vallejo decides to act in the most principled way. .tLld6 ? 2 2 .llxd6 'i!i'xd6 2 3 .itxe6 2 4. Wf8 . Does this mean she has seen something. 29. . when approached by calculation. 22. and even very significant.itd4 . and psychologically very uncomfortable.xg6 + ! hxg6 2 8 . it becomes clear that this move leads to a forced loss. Wild7-e7? In a few moves' time. tt:Jd4-e6 25Ji'd3 ! Note that this move... that for a long time. Analysis (which I will not give here) shows that the at first sight no less natural 2 5 .ite6 . .t!. tLle5 26 . . having no other means avail­ able to it. tt:Je2-f4 20. b5 ! (inciden­ tally.. then it would be necessary to retreat the queen again. . 'iii'c3 turns out to be much weaker. After 20 . his 1 5-year-old opponent now sacri­ fices two pawns. 21 . when we reach a position in which White has the better chances. not 2 1 . together 21 . 1 9. This shows how difficult the task is.h 1 it is all over."iYxg6+ 29 . �xc6 ltg4. tLl g 5 + . which would be danger­ ous in itself. .. But now it is all different. or does she just think she has? If a new check of the variations reveals that taking the pawn is dangerous. but it is still full of play. �h4? 2 1 . and precisely because of the text move! And this is interesting because it relies the whole time on cal­ culation. Wg8 'it>g8xg7 'it>g7-h8 would lose to 24. Once Fritz finally calculates deeply enough to realise the truth. tt:Je6xg7 23.itxe5 fxe5 2 7.�c3 �xd 1 + 2 3 .tLlgxe6) 2 2 . .�h6+.. ... my Fritz 1 0 evaluates the position as good for Black. but it would also have been very tempting for his oppo­ nent to follow this continuation. it suggests the continuation 2 1 . 23 . It is interesting. tt:leS White wins by 2 S .'iVf4 'iVf7 2 6 . the most likely thing is that intuition was not involved. or whether she also drew on intuition. B) Calculation of variations played an extremely important role in the deci­ sion-making process. . The moment of truth for the whole game. tt:lxcS 2 9 .tt:lxf6 tt:lf3 (2 7 . not! 25. �d2-c3 l:ra8-d8+ . about which we have already spoken at some length. 26.tt:lxf6 . . One can only with confidence say the following: A) The assessment of the position was simple and no intuition was needed to find the right general course of action. whilst after 24 .�c3 .itd4+ �g8 3 0 . 'iVf7xe8+ . and although it was by no means simple.itd4 . . . This is significantly stronger than 3 0 . . we do not know for certain whether at that moment the young Chinese girl relied solely on her remarkable ability to cal­ culate variations. 30. tt:ld7 2 8 . . . But here too. . . . 31 . For this reason. was the position in the first diagram. tt:leS .itd4. .itc8-g4+ Black plays on out of inertia.tt:lxe8 . r. He has no hope at all. 'iVc7 is met by 2 S .l:rd8xd4 1 -0 The game is interesting and the final at­ tack superb.tt:lxe8 tt:lxe l 2 9 . 28.tt:lf6 + r.tt:lxf6 itfs 2 7 . a new blow awaits him: 2 6 . l:rg1 -e1 ! 'iVe6xe1 One can also go further and suggest that even White's last blow had been foreseen. 24 .l:rxe I .t>d 1 -d 2 29. .ite6 by 2 S . Alas. 'iVxe6 .xd4.!:!:xe8 2 8 .Chapter 3 24. .itg4xh5 30. . r.tt:lxe8 �xe8 ( 2 8 . and that Black had intended the reply 2 S .itc5-d4! The last fine detail.tt:lc7) 2 9 Jhe6) 2 8 . .'iVxf6+ �g8 3 I . It is quite possible that Paco Vallejo calculated as far as this and con­ sidered that White's attack runs out of steam. when one can suggest the involvement of intuition.l::!.itxe 6 2 7 . Even so. �c4xf71 27.t>c1 xd1 �e1 xd1 + . The most likely moment. . there is no reason to think that it was beyond the capability of a player at the board. even at 209 .ite3-c5 - The E l ements o f C h ess I n t u i t i on 'iVe7-e6 24 . .t>f7 3 I . t i l l . but I would like to look at that moment in more detail. 8. I would stick with my earlier summary. c4xd5 6.i . ttJf3xd4 ttJb8-c6 Here even Lasker himself criticises his own play. because of his ability to defend so well and gradually outplay his opponents. 1 909 1. and he is right. although this was not fully clear at the time. in a position where it appeared at first that Black was doing fine.c1 -g5 7.e3 0-0. which could have come from a number of possible sources.Emanuel St Petersburg. . as happened with him from time to time. ttJbd7. -. . . 4.. despite the impossibility of be­ ing completely sure. The 'normal' re­ plies are 4 . Rubinstein. However. with such a delicate subject it is impossible to be l 00% cer­ tain. jLe7 and 4 . there is one small 'but'.Akiba Lasker. 3.i . . suggesting instead 7 . as I have stated before. . even with the white pieces. e2-e3 �f8-e7 . Often it led him to obtain inferior positions. Only one moment in it has any relationship to our theme. We will say more about this subject later. . l � � Lasker's habit of experimenting in the opening is well-known. But even so.The Enigma o f Chess I n t u i t i on that very difficult moment.t 'ib' � l i . . d2-d4 ttJg1 -f3 c2-c4 . White would have needed additional effort and moti­ vation. . On this particu­ lar day. And in order to continue calculating at that point. 210 Akiba Rubinstein . �e6 . The following game is very well-known and has been annotated by many differ­ ent people. In order to find the decisive blow at move 2 5 . he had caught a Tartar. Still. �e7 8 .2. 5. ttJ �� :I ttJ .. White would have had to continue the calculations. . he rarely lost such positions. ttJb1 -c3 e6xd5 c5xd4 Lasker plays the opening inaccurately. 2. More accurate is 6 . . Even so. d7-d5 ttJg8-f6 e7-e6 c7-c5 Not the strongest. �e7 or 6 . tt:Jd5-e3 �d7xc6 1 4. as I am sure he did. . . tt:Jc3xd5 1 2 . however. 1 1 . i. and a number of White's moves were far from obvious. the best reply looks like be­ ing 1 4 . . 0-0 �ad8 with some 21 1 .'ti'd2 I. 0-0!? 1 5 .le8+) 1 4 .Chapter 3 Rubinstein not only won the game bril­ liantly.�xc6 ( 1 4. long-term consequences. This continuation looks the most natu­ ral and should undoubtedly be re­ garded as candidate move number one. Objectively. but also showed just what a strong player he was. And given that this line lasts 1 0 moves.. . As we will see.f4 with a large advantage to White.!:!.. play goes into the realm of calculation. �g5xf6!? This is the key moment in the game about which I spoke earlier. Black could have taken a side road at move 1 4 . .. in which Rubinstein took a decision with seri­ ous. including his 1 8th move. Black never gets a chance! 9.+ ) 1 5 .he8+ 1 7 . in which at first glance Black seems to get excellent ac­ tive play for the pawn.tLlc7 +?! 'ltd8 1 4.ld. . but the moves he played were the most natural and sensible enough in themselves. and from here until White's 1 8th move in­ clusive must be considered the main line. when he chose the text move.l::!.xc6 1 5 . �b5xc6! �e7xf6 �f6xd4 'li'd8-g5 It is obviously bad to play 1 3 . g 1 'tWaS + 1 6 . e3xd4 1 3 . . or did he rely partly on intuition? The alter­ native was castling. . 1 3.'li'd2 'li'xd2 + 1 7 .d5 ( 1 5 ..�xd2 �e4 1 8 .dxc6 .tLlxa 8 ? 'li'xbS 1 S . 9. �xg2 1 5 . then we are entitled to ask the question : did Rubinstein see everything that oc­ curred. �f1 -b5! From this point on. followed by stan­ dard play for such a position as this.g4! �g6 1 9 . �c8-d7 - The Elements of Ch ess I n t u i t i on Now. 1 4. �xc 7 1 6. the line subsequently pointed out by Osip Bernstein : 1 4 . . . 0-0-0 1 0. tLlxa8 ? ? . . But Rubinstein also had to calculate.�fl bxc6 with ad­ vantage to Black.l:r e 8 + . 1 0. One has to agree with this recommendation. . Now White has a very serious advantage. In view of this. 212 . nor the fact that Lasker showed his customary magnifi­ cent fighting qualities. both tactically and positionally.l:!.. l:rd4-d7 1 9. that being one of the strongest components of his play.the moment of truth in this part of the game.l:!. it makes sense to look for chances of saving Black at this last possible moment.T h e Enigma of C h ess I n t u i t i on prospects (admittedly. 1 6.. two conclusions emerge: A) Lasker overlooked something in White's subsequent play.d8xd4 The black king has fairly grim prospects after 1 8 . .a1 -c1 ! .dxe5 'ii'xe5 2 1 .'ii'x c6 + ! �b8 20. avoiding the un­ pleasant forced consequences which follow..c l . There are definitely chances.l:.l:. .l:Ic1 xc6+ b 7xc6 . l:.h8-e8 1 8. and made his opponent's task as difficult as possible. and he played too su­ perficially. . and B) the de­ cision taken by Rubinstein at move 1 0 is fully justified. .'ii'c 2 'ii'e 6 the game would be equal. From this. It is clear that this was not one of Lasker's best days.Wh l J::i. . 1 5. f2xe3 20. . 1 8.c5 'ii'x c5 ! ? 'with hopes of saving the end­ game'. �b8 ! ? 1 7 . Kasparov suggested 1 6 . . far from clear) of gradually equalising. whereas after 1 8 .I::re8xe3? Rubinstein's subsequent play is so con­ vincing that nobody has ever ques­ tioned its correctness. 'ii'd 1 -c1 !! This is it .fxe3 'ii'xe3 + 1 9 .xd4 2 0 . l:te5 1 9 . 'ii'c 1 xc6+ �c8-d8 Here a new segment of the game be­ gins. 0-0 1 7. in which Lasker defends inge­ niously and tenaciously. lld4+ 22. 27.t>g1 -f2! 30. l::i. lld 1 + 2 3 .d2xb2 l::r b 2-b7 'it>e7-f8 lib7-c7 23.'>i. as this has been done by others and I have nothing sig­ nificant to add. .'1t>e l 'iVxg2 . under the threat of a direct attack on his king.'lWxd2 . and Botvinnik­ Najdorf. Here is a characteristic line. One can recall above all the endings of the games Smyslov-Keres. 21 .l:i. 'it>d6 2 S . He takes play into a rook ending and creates one of his masterpieces of endgame technique. 'i:Wa5 2 3 . 'lWc5xe 7 + 'it>d8xe 7 l::rd 7-d1 + 24.d2+ Black's situation is completely cheerless after 2 2 .l:i. USSR Absolute Championship 1 94 1 . His play in the rest of this endgame has become a model for handling such positions. . 2 3 . Rubinstein opens a second front on the opposite flank.• 24. . - The E l ements of C h ess Intui t i on Starting from this moment. An immortal textbook example! 25. 'YWa 5 + <JJ e 7 2 6 . <.d2+ 24. 'iVc6-c5! 'lWg5-e7 Rubinstein's last move practically forced Black to exchange queens.l:!. Rubinstein demonstrates his customary superb handling of rook endings. .'i:Wb3 ! .l:U1 -f4!! f7-f5 White's last move is based on a simple.d1 -d2+ .'i:Wxd 1 'i:Wxa2) 24 . . 25.�f3+ We8 2 6 . I will not discuss the ending in detail. h2-h4! g2-g4! <JJf3-f4 h4-h5! <JJf8-f7 'it>f7-f8 'it>f8-e7 h7-h6 213 . from which gen­ erations of players have learned. 28. but important tactic: 2 1 . it is impossible not to give a di­ agram of this moment.'it>e 1 'lWxg2 2 5 .d 1 + 2 2.'i:Wa8+ We7 24. Wf2-f3 llf5-a5! �a5-a6! e3-e4 .l:i. Alekhine Memorial 1 95 6 . Therefore. . . given by Kasparov: 2 2 . 'it>f2 . 32.f4xf5 Even so.llxf7 + 'it>xf7 2 5 . and many other similar endgames have been played. . Even so.l:!. 33.Chapter 3 but Rubinstein conducts the heavy­ piece ending to victory with an iron hand. 31 . 29.>f2 . It is scarcely possible to win just on account of the extra passed pawn and slight pressure on the a-file.'i:Wb7 + (this is more decisive and stronger than Kasparov's 24. 26. 34.l .e7 4. J:l.a4. so for now I will only add one more ex­ ample .l:!. I have come to the con­ elusion that here too.The Enigma o f C hess I n t u i t i on If the black pawns remain in their place. and did not necessi­ tate the calling in of intuition. and Black cannot solve all his problems .llxh6 'iit g 7 3 6. . 39. The first approach is standard. Turning over in my mind the events of the game. 37. the position is quite clear. We have already seen many examples of intuitive play in this book.a5 �f8 3 9. Was that the case here? I believe that the calculation task here was per­ fectly manageable. . a principle known since an­ cient times.e6+ �g8 4-2 . the rook continually threatens to transfer to b 7 . on a can­ vas created by a great master. I have come to the conclusion that his play was dictated by 2 14- a clear understanding of the character of the position. It was essential to evaluate the clash of forces which would inevitably result. In other words. I would . we have a case of outstanding play. In the second line.1 8 . in which the winner was able to manage perfectly well with­ out intuition.l:ra6-d6 l::rd 6-c6 'iit e7-f7 �c7-b7 �f7-e7 'iit e7-f7 'iitf7-f8 �f8-f7 40. only the second line required serious thought. �f7 3 4. . . then after 3 3 . These examples of play without intu­ ition have been included for the sake of balance. and its plusses and minuses were typical and well-known. Black is in zugzwang and cannot avoid decisive losses. 35. it sometimes happens that the calculation is so complicated that intuition has to be called on for sup­ port. and this was impossible without calculating the variations. Strategically.l:l. for example: 4-0 .g5 �f8 the win is achieved by 3 7 .d6-a6 .an important and widely-known technical device. from moves 9. the material gain had to be paid for by allowing the opponent very obvious activity.e8 4-3. �f4-f5 e4-e5 �a6-d6 . Its conse­ quences were impossible to assess solely by positional judgement. As we know. or winning it at once. 36.l::r d 6. a2-a3! An elegant final brush stroke.�e8 3 8 . White had a choice between playing against the opponent's isolated pawn.e7 aS H.h6 gxh6 35 .but what an example! I would particularly draw your atten­ tion to the year in which the following phenomenal game was played. Consequently. 1 -0 I have tried as diligently as possible to determine of the nature of Rubinstein's decision-making in the key segment in which we are interested.�g6 . 38.a6. 1 2. 7. What can we deduce from these factors for our researches? Firstly.Vasily Shirov. that exact calculation of the resulting complica­ tions was impossible. 5. Now let us look at the game itself. In this game. this has hardly ever hap­ pened. and even many amateurs. The effects of hours spent analys­ ing with computer programs. and has lived on into our day. as we will soon see. It is in precisely these circumstances that in­ tuition plays a role.the final word on it has still not been spoken' In openings of this type. and unavoidable long analyses. we will see many moments when both cal­ culation and positional assessment are impossible.d8-d7 The players have played the legendary Botvinnik Variation. 20. and is still topical . 1 5.!:. were much less evident 1 5 years ago. it had been seen only once. Secondly. c2-c4 3. and it is therefore essential to use intuition. 215 . 1 0.tf1 -g2 0-0 ttJc3-a4 a2-a3 a3xb4 �g5-e3 �d1 -g4+ e7-e6 d5xc4 b7-b5 h7-h6 g7-g5 h6xg5 ttJb8-d7 �c8-b7 c6-c5 'lfVd8-b6 0-0-0 b5-b4 'lfVb6-b5 e6xd5 c5xb4 ttJd7-c5 .Alexei Wijk aan Zee Hoogovens. 1 9. some 1 4 years before. From this. the level of computer involvement cannot have been very great. Even more than that. According to the database. tLlg1 -f3 �c1 -g5 e2-e4 e4-e5 �g5-h4 ttJf3xg5 �h4xg5 e5xf6 g2-g3 d4-d5 . 8. 1 9 96 1 . 11. Ivanchuk. prior to this game. which is typified by its mind-blowing complications. which nowadays can be seen in the play of any professional. 1 3. tLlb1 -c3 d7-d5 c7-c6 ttJg8-f6 - The E l ements of C h ess Intu i t i on Vasily lvanchuk 4. 1 8. 1 4. 1 7. 9.Chapter 3 remind you that the computer influ­ ence on chess was much less than it is now. one can assume that Ivanchuk 's fantastic queen sacrifice in this game had only been tested to a mi­ nor extent with the computer. 6. 1 6. that making a general assessment was also hardly realistic. d2-d4 2. which are built on a complex of highly complicated variations. because Ivanchuk's idea survived some 1 5 years. The po­ sition reached here was almost un­ known at that time. 'ti'g4-g711 The punctuation of this move is not just emotional. in those days. not even the most painstaking preparation. There are many variations. using the computer programs of the day. In other words. � 21 . : a. It is hard to imagine a situation more ideally suited to the use of the heavy artillery of chess intuition. a more reliable line was demonstrated here: 2 3 .td4 . and do not lend themselves to accurate calcu­ lation.tt8xg7 . . 2009. . ... either of individual parts or as a whole. Ivanchuk had clearly real­ ised the benefits for Black of the rook move. But there is another thing that matters here. 21 . Starting from this moment. but takes on a noticeably forcing character. but I do not have it and can only admire the winner's intuition (or.c7 and later the game ended in a draw. could enable one to analyse to the end all of the possible variations here. Several possible conclusions could come from this information. even the most reliable of positional judgements could hardly encompass the many lines that arise here. and in the majority of cases.l:i. at least. . J::i. d5-d4 '� lJr. It is highly objective. Analys­ ing at home. Contrary to my . which theory nowadays unani­ mously considers the best move here. 22. which had a fraction of the power of our own.. mainly the fact that we have a truly grand prospect for the discussion of our main subject.l:[h8-g8 23 . Dortmund. ' o'� In addition. the most difficult part is assessing the positions arising at the end of the calculation. It cannot be ruled out that more information was available about what had happened be­ fore. and do not have parallels for their posi­ tional and tactical complexity. his probable intuition! ) .. . As we will soon see. and had prepared the following bomb­ shell. .x g7 24 . by which time enor­ mously powerful computers had been developed. 216 Eleven years later. the results of the stunning sacrifice are totally original.T h e E n i g m a o f C h ess I n t u i t i on and then Black had replied 2 0 . the game remains extremely complicated.'i't'b8 . The continuation 2 1 tt::lx cS has also been tested in practice and has turned out to be perfectly satisfactory for Black. Bacrot-Carlsen. f6xg7 23. tt::la4xc5 . l:l. 26. B) The correct path is: 2 7 . .�d4 �xg7 3 0 .. but I am not completely certain I am correct.d7xb7 �b5-b6 If 2S .!:f. but the pawns should give Black excel­ lent counterchances. �e3xd4! The dangerous pawn has to be elimi­ nated..Chapter 3 usual practice. �xa7 Wb8 ! 2 9 .. tt:lc5xb7 l:!. .b3 ! ? �eS 3 4J�(ba4! and White has only a small advantage .fS + and it becomes clear that Black's counterplay is insufficient: 3 3 .· 27.We2 .g4 3 3 .xd l Wxb 7 2 9.f1 -d1 �b6xd4 ·. or 2S .� .f4! Wb6 3 2 . .·tj.l:f. play could develop as follows: 3 I.�f4 Wxb7 2 7 . . and it is difficult to assess all of these. l:Ife l and the kingside pawns decide the game. and let the complexity of the problems speak for itself. l:!. �xg 7 ! 2 8 . One must take into account that this game 217 . Given that thinking time is lim­ ited. .l:f.. A) For example. : .xc4 aS .!:f.l:!.tt:laS ! �dS ! 3 I . but in such situations. . . . . �d4xb2?! - The E l ements o f C hess I n t u i t i on Black faces a very difficult choice. here it was necessary to assess correctly the endgame arising after 2 7 . . I have generously dotted around the ex­ clamation marks here. Wc4 34 .l:[b 7 + ! Wc8 3 2 . After 26. . the out­ come of the game depends on tiny de­ tails. I will try to be terse here. 'YWxb7 26.xb4 l:!.l:i:da l �d4! 3 0 . .fe l .f4 l:[g6 3 7 . .l:!. . 24.bS �g4 3 6.�xd4 aS 2 7 .Wfl ! 'it>cs 3 3 .l:!. . . �g2xb7+ 25.xaS Wb3 3 S . the real difficulty lies in cor­ rectly assessing the non-standard posi­ tions arising. llfe l a S ! the game i s complicated and unclear. . . At first sight. . Thus. it is hard to manage without intu­ ition. Wxb7 26. 'YWxd l + 2 8 .�xd4 a6 2 7 . it seems that Black's activ­ ity should balance his opponent's extra pawn. 26. . . 27. As we have said. l:!. 31 .b 2 3 3 .l:!.l:!. l:!. 3 2 .T h e Enigma of C h ess In t u i t i on was analysed many times by different people. .ife5 3 2 . The interest is obvious: in its day.l:!.tt::l e 3 . I can only therefore apologise for any inaccu­ racies. . . ifc 3 ? 3 0 ..b l + 3 6 .l::i: 4 xb2) 3 3 . ifb2xg7! Shirov is equal to the task and finds the right path. �d2 ? 3 0 . Here is an example of the misfortunes that would await Black after lesser continuations: 2 9 . probably both together. to find the right move.l::ra 3 ! ifxg7 3 4. My task. however. In the game.b4! l:!. . which would be hard to contain in con­ ditions oflimited thinking time.h4! l:!.b7 + Wd8 3 3 .to acquaint the reader with a brilliant example of the use of intuition in conditions of contemporary com­ puter chess. l::ra 1 -a6! l:!. 28. . often with the help of the stron­ gest computer programs. .d 1 -b1 29 .. 30. . . tt::l b 7-d6+ 29. . . l::r x a 7 ! �xa 7 3 1 . this opening varia­ tion was the centre of attention. he wraps things up.a6xa7+ . .h5 �d3 3 5 . . 32 .g8-b8 White has a winning position after 3 l . .g8�.l::!. . tt::l b 5 + Wa6 3 2 .. xa 7 + �c6 3 0 .b7 + Wd8 3 3 . but I am not entirely sure he is winning.axa7 .tt::l xc4 White develops an initiative. . .tt::l d 6+. l::r b 1 xb4+ �c8-b8 After 2 8 .f5 . and many wished to explore it more deeply.l::r a 8 3 2 . l::!.b8 ! 3 3 .tt::lxc4 l:!.l::rxb l �xb l + 3 7 .l:l. Wa8 ! with the following likely. . that there are people out there who know a great deal more about this line than I do. . .tt::lxf7 + We8 3 4.l:!. l::rba4 �d4! 3 2 . . . �c7 2 9 . .c8 3 4.a4! b3 3 2 . . even likely.l::rf4 �h7 3 9 . is different .tt::lc 6 �b7 3 5 . Black lacked the energy or the time.. .b4+ �a8 3 4. A forced loss results from 2 9 .l:!. though extremely hard-to-find follow­ up: 3 1 . and also after 3 1 .tt::l e 7 ! and the black king cannot survive the ensuing attack. wb8-c7? Alas. He had to play 3 0 . White's advantage is not in doubt. It is quite possible.Wh2 Wb7 3 8 . . I would emphasise.tt::lx c3 bxc3 3 3 . l:!. b 7 34.tLla5 ! �a8 (nor can he save himself after 218 30..tt::lxc4 ifc3 3 I. l:k7 . and in reality we are just dealing with a banal case of pattern recognition. . is composed of many different el­ ements. . re­ gardless of what sort of elements they are or the size of the groups. . although the extent and form of the familiarity varies. intuition performed the same role as in the game Carlsen-Kramnik.l:!.xc4+ Wd7 3 3 .f4! . In looking at the various aspects of our main subject. 32. and without which coordination White would have been in trouble.d4! c3 3 7 .ll b8-d8+ 35 . Such combinations can be re­ garded as blocks. 1 -0 Given that the correctness of the idea played in this game has been proven by time. we will not be able to rest quietly until we have answered it.Wg 2 ! �c2 3 S . . And it is important to note also that in this game. l:!. like bricks used to build up a construction. . Such blocks of elements are familiar in all walks of life.l:[a l '. and by the efforts of numerous ana­ lysts. ex­ amined in the first part of the book. .lld8+ We6 3 6. . If it is about recognising pat­ terns. c3 34 .b4xb8 Wc7xd6 'li'g7 g4 - There is no saving the game. for in­ stance: 3 3 . and of­ ten encounters elements in groups. To find the answer. we must first of all deal with the termi­ nology. .l:!. . This also occurs when the player is familiar with the position on the board.Chapter 3 Also good is 3 2 . or 3 3 .!:1d8+ We6 3 5 .l:[d2 is hopeless for Black. Languages are a very good example. It performed assessment work. . 34. one cannot help wonder­ ing about the question: what if the whole aura of mystery which sur­ rounds intuition is just a mirage. recognis­ able by an experienced player at first glance. and the memory of the consequences which flowed from such patterns in examples we have seen previously? - The E lemen ts o f C hess I n t u i t i on Pattern Recognition Once having posed this question. Real. What do I mean by blocks of elements? Just as in life.l:!. armed with powerful modern com­ puters. then what types of patterns ex­ actly.b l + Wc7 3 7 .l:!. when the player's exam­ ination of the position is significantly abbreviated.bb6 3 6 . and how do they appear? Experi­ ence shows that we should start with such things as Known elements and blocks of elements There are circumstances. Any situation.xf7 c3 3 6 . one has to acknowledge the enor­ mous strength of Ivanchuk's intuition. 33. White is also win­ ning after 3 S .l:!. such as time-shortage.f4. or just blocks.l:i:c7 . helping White to believe in the reality of the ef­ fective coordination of his scattered forces. l:!. whether in chess or life itself. . I prefer to call such groups blocks of elements. effective conversation in a lan­ guage is impossible without using spe219 . in chess there exist many combinations of elements. 'li'c3 34. A person comes across certain individual elements frequently.!::ia 7-a1 Wd6-c6 3 S . To start with. tt:le4-g51 �h4-e7 All is clear: 24 . needed for a specific situation.h8+ 'it>xh8 2 6.tt:lgxf7 U.Richard New York. as groups of words. and techni­ cal. one can be confident that known laws and rules of thumb will apply in the position. .l ttJ � � ttJ : if 'iY � � � w : White won immediately. by using a standard tactical block in this posi­ tion : 23 . but such revised expressions will sound odd to a practiced ear of the language.Frederick Reti. in­ cluding the typical consequences of those methods. . � .i .x£7 2 6. Thus. showing a typical combinative solution in a typical position: 220 Yates. In our game. the greater will be his knowledge of typical posi­ tions and methods of play in them. . a couple of examples. other than those main lines which are the simplest and most essen­ tial to show the contents of what I term 'blocks' . including chess. Now we will see how this looks in practice. l 924 D .l . Jif8 2 S . the better prepared a player is. l:f.T h e Enigma o f Chess I n t u i tion cific combinations of words. tactical. At the same time. 1 -0 Frederick Yates . Consequently. for effective acquisition of a new language. I will avoid giving variations. But this block method of learning applies in many other areas of life.l i. a person tends to hear and see written down not so much individual words. such word combinations are of fixed form. individual words can often be replaced within them by others. tt:lx£7 +. when one comes across a position containing familiar fixed blocks of elements. rather than individual words. In doing so.l � . and that a certain typical method of play is likely to be effective. When living in an­ other country and learning its language.l:l:d3-h3 24. it is better to learn blocks of words. That is. with­ out the meaning of the expression changing. These typical methods can be positional.tt:lxg6) 2 S . 'ifxgS (24 .. . 29.g5xh5 �h7-g6 . tLl � !'::.g7xb7+ �h8-g8 llb7-g7+ �g8-h8 . !'::. which fill various textbooks. 34. but was the source of an essential piece of knowledge for subsequent generations of players: Torre Repetto. 31 . Carlos Torre Repetto motifs. are composed of blocks of elements. � jLg5-f6! '1Wb5xh5 . which became standard after this game.Emanuel Moscow.Robert Bolbochan. Here is a pair of standard positional decisions. Fischer.!d. 26 . !'::. 33. !'::. !'::. like the previous tacti­ cal examples. !'::. !'::.g7-g5+ �h8-h7 . there are also elements in posi­ tional play which combine in the most enormous range of blocks. '' iA 'iV !'::. t2J l:l: 25.Chapter 3 - The Elements o f Chess I n t u i t i o n The following legendary example of an­ other well-known tactical device is sim­ ple enough in itself. !'::. As well as tactical elements and blocks thereof. 32 .!d. White has netted himself three ex­ tra pawns.Julio Stockholm Interzonal. 27. and he won eight moves later. typical of a definite range of situations.!d. I 9 2 5 0 :i :� . 28.Carlos Lasker.!d.g3xg7+ �g8-h8 �g7xf7+ Wh8-g8 . 30. l:l: l:l: 22 1 . ' � 'if l:l: !'::. 1 9 62 :i 'i¥ 0 ' 1 -0 I will not show further examples of combinative decisions. 'if � !'::. as everything should already be clear enough.l:lh5-h3 �g6xf6 l:th3xh6+ �f6-g5 �h6-h3 With the so-called 'see-saw' combina­ tion. I will only say that all well-known tactical :� • Ai i i ' !'::. The first of these.. has long since become a classic and a standard positional landmark. 35.f7-g7+ �g8-h8 .!d. absolute domination. Fourteen moves later. with a total absence of counterplay for the opponent. Kasparov convincingly demonstrates the strength of Black's chances. The posi­ tion is too complicated. the game was ended with a nice mating attack. 1 9. !'!:. But here. In this game. 'iYd8-c7 . and both sides have their trumps.Garry Sarajevo. 1 8. .i1Lf8-e7 0-0 tbb6-a4 tt:Jd7-e5 8� !'!:.i1Le3-c1 h4-h5 .Sergei Kasparov.t .t 'ii' The following exchange sacrifice is fa­ miliar to all Sicilian players: 1 3. The motif in the following game is no­ ticeably more complex. 1 5.T h e Eni gma of Ch ess I n t u i tion The simple exchange 1 9. tbd4-e2 g4-g5 h2-h4 . many plans avail­ able. tb � . But as a rule. 1 6. and of the follow-up.i . Movsesian. !'!:. 2000 Garry Kasparov . � . 1 7.c8xc3 .t i i i i i .i � .i 'ii' � . brought Fischer a dream position . invul­ nerable outpost. we are mainly interested in the typicality of the opera­ tion. b2xc3 222 .!:. with many pieces on the board. but also has long since been a standard operation.i j_ � i i i i � i i i • 14. they also know that the outcome of this operation is not usually guaranteed to be successful. tt:Jc3-d5 putting the knight on an ideal.i1Le3xb6! 'iYd8xb6 followed by 20. which is also the main command point in the centre. although its outcome is often not so easy to predict.M � !'!:. 1 4. But Kasparov quickly transforms it into one where there can be no doubt of the out­ come. but here too.f8-c8 d5xe4! �b7xe4! 2 7 . <1:J d4 �xd4+ �e4xh1 ! �d6xb4 Wg8-f8 J:. 'iff2-h2 21 . 22. is an integral part of the block. we will give only the minimum necessary variations. �e7-d6 2 6 . 223 . tt:Je5xd3! The position contains many pieces. Wb1 -a1 25.xd4 'ifxc l + . Wf2xg3 3. with the initiative. f3xe4 26. . gxh4? 2 . a glance is enough to pick out the well­ known motif: Black wins by setting up an outside passed pawn: 1. opening lines for Black's pieces. without explanation. Even so. the outcome is not in doubt. as nothing more is needed at this stage of the book. many factors. 32. in telling Black where to look and what to look for.l:. To the experienced eye. Nearly every one of his subsequent moves deserves an exclamation mark. 26. 28.c4 dxc4 24. . .Chapter 3 1 9.c8-b8 tt:Ja4xb2 tt:Jb2xd1 Wf8xf7 0-1 The endgame stage is also full of such blocks. But in a game. Such positions as this. 20. c3xb4?! b5-b4! The most tenacious continuation was 2 3 . Wg3xh4 f4xg3+ g5xh4+ Wg7-f6 and so on.. even al­ most faultlessly. 27. • Nothing is gained by l .gxh4 Wg6 3 . there is no need to calculate this variation. c2xd3 23. . This game is a wonderful example for training one's ability to de­ velop the initiative. 'ifh2-h3 - 'ifh3xh1 g6xf7+ 'ifh1 -g2 �c1 -b2 tt:Je2-d4 tt:Jd4xe6+ J:. g5-g6 d6-d5 Like the exchange sacrifice on c3. and looks very difficult. he played phenomenally well. dxe4 �e5 + 2 8 . 24. 31 .Wg2 and White holds. 29. Intuition played its role.. 30. The E l em e n ts o f Chess I n t u i t i o n 23.g6 c3 . 21 ... 2 . this move. such as this. what we have already re­ ferred to as Pattern Recognition. there are no objective guarantees of success at all. coupled with an extensive knowledge of such mechanisms.b1-b8+ On the same principle. It is easy to see that. Now. I will exclude from it any cases where the position on the board will lead to a so-called 'exact' position. it would be wrong to play l .in other words. but it must be under­ stood that it is far from always being a reliable guarantee of success. 2. indicating in general terms a stan­ dard scheme for the subsequent play. 1. Here. in an unclear posi­ tion. . Things always depend on the spe­ cific features of the position. . only knowledge. and de­ pends on the circumstances. we can answer the question we posed earlier: Or this: 0 Isn"t a well-developed ability to To draw. mtuition? To start the discussion. all that we are referring to when we speak of . the old principle formulated by Tarrasch.T h e Enigma of C hess I n t u i tion It follows that a block is only a familiar sign. Here it is obvious that no intuition is needed. There are many exam­ ples where such sacrifices turn out badly. when Black wins by putting his own rook behind the pawn with 1 . per­ haps. and to identify the right area in which to seek the best prospects for developing play. and also using one's knowledge of similar positions and methods . White must put his rook be­ hind the passed pawn. This in . h4-h5 'it>g8-f7 l::rd 7-d4 In the resulting posltlon. . and in which both the methods of play and the results have been thoroughly tested. By this we mean a position that has been well-analysed. l:tb8-a8 3. Objec­ tively. where we have only the existence of typical possibilities. Furthermore: one of the ways of assess­ ing a position and forming the basis for a plan of action is to rely both on gen­ eral principles and typical methods of play.l:f. there are also cases like that in the Kasparov game. the position is drawn. It means that such a method of play needs to be considered. as well as the exam­ ples we have just seen where we have ideal conditions for making use of our knowledge of blocks. White only needs to show elementary care. 224 detect well-known mechanisms hidden in the position.l'la 7 . 1 . It is clear that such familiarity with typical positions and methods significantly helps one to take decisions in compli­ cated situations.l'lal ?. and I said then all I want to say on this point. I also see nothing wrong with it. . but I am not aware of such. the latter have something else in reserve.. which he used intuitively. But of what did the latter consist? A chess player at the board has to take decisions in original situations.Capablanca . (Mikhail Botvinnik. He repeated this formulation many times.Chapter 3 . So is this not support for the question raised earlier about the relation be­ tween intuition and pattern recogni­ tion? It is a question which has been asked by previous authors. For a long time Capablanca was largely spared this worry. whilst he achieved much greater successes than them. a natural gift. still achieve lesser re­ sults than others. Capa had only two in any full degree .VB] . the general outlines of which I agree with. of the four qualities necessary for a great player. Thus. This is usually called talent. then one can only bow before his phenomenal chess talent.R.The E l ements of C h ess In t u i t i on turn makes it easier for the player to cal­ culate variations. 2nd edition. It is the last four words that really get to the heart of the matter. I can­ not rule out the possibility that one ex­ ists. This all helps to ease the diffi­ cult work of taking decisions at the board. FIS Publishers. for reasons we have already discussed! VBJ .talent and capacity for work! Since his capacity for work was not greater than that of many other grandmasters.VB] . Incidentally. a player will employ a more or less restricted number of openings. His talent consisted in using an algorithm for finding a move in an original position. Moscow 1 975).. Foreword to the book ]. They explain why it happens. but this cannot be avoided . and so I will accept it and use it in what follows. which means that he was fully con­ vinced of it. Botvinnik's formulation represents his understanding of what this talent is. which the former lack. I am not for one moment claiming that talent consists only of in­ tuition. I have already given above Kasparov's classification. . on the matters we are dealing with. and this means that I have to try to get to the bottom of the issue myself. In his younger years [this is important. but I have never seen a clear answer given. that players who work very hard and conscientiously both at home and over the board. again by relying on familiar features. quite of­ ten. All of what we have said here reminds one to a considerable extent of the pic­ ture of actions directed by intuition. The quotation is quite long. To summarise what was said here: the main thing is a typically deep Botvinnik definition of chess talent as consisting of an algorithm for finding a move in an original position. But there are ways to make these situations less original and more habitual [we are speaking of pattern recognition! . for example.we are seeking the truth. The first thing I will do is to quote from the opinion of possibly the most au­ thoritative voice. 225 . and will prepare at home middlegame plans associated with that opening. after all! Thus: ' . Clearly. this search algorithm made him unbeat­ able' [All emphasis added by me .Textbook of Chess. schematic impression of the situation. intuition and positional judgement work in different di­ rections. real intuition is interesting and valu­ able only if it is effective. White was in quite serious time-trouble. as we have al­ ready emphasised. and sec­ ondly.The Enigma of C h ess In t u i t i on So. which led to the deci­ sion 38. by serving as a stimulus or switch. This is a perfectly ac­ ceptable extension. and the effectiveness ofintuition is its accuracy! What is more interesting for us is that recognition can only give us an ap­ proximate. we are talking about the ability to take correct decisions in original situa­ tions. Let us assume that the term 'orig­ inal situations' should be expanded somewhat. namely that it is useful to exchange off the enemy pieces which are defending the object . it 226 Although I do not have any definite in­ formation to this effect. because the success ofthe play is the main thing). Firstly.Ralf Meier. are conscious decisions.Georg Germany Bundesliga 2 0 I 0 I I I than of calculation.are we again talking of Pattern Recognition? Only very par­ tially! Because similarity in chess does not always mean that the same methods will work successfully (the key word. we will try to make do with just one. is something that is unconscious. to include situations that are themselves unknown to the intuition. whereas intuition. at the same time. and it is now time to show with some examples that intuition and pattern recognition are not one and the same thing. But at the same time. Further: Although intuition functions in a way that is closer to the func­ tioning of positional judgement must be acknowledged that recognis­ ing a well-known motif can be very useful. The consequence of this is that these playing factors operate differently and the spheres in which they are used are often different. We have said enough. But in this case. So then what . firstly by increasing our infor­ mation about the position. Positional judgement. �d7-f5? This was based on one of the well­ known 'general principles' . to turn on the in­ tuition. most importantly. and the decisions that flow from it. but situations that are similar to others it has seen before. which does not take the term beyond its limits. neither do I have much doubt that at this point in the game. Appel. £::.White had available an­ other. 'fff5xg4 49.l::!.txe6 . .!:!. . Maybe this is what Appel missed in his time-trouble: 40 . fxe6 4 1. 44. <1Je6 48.e2-e1 �f5-e5 'ffe4-f4+ 'fff4-f5+ . .a typi­ cal case ofPattern Recognition! But alas.e5-f5 50. .i. however. . we had two different patterns to recognise! But it was also necessary to choose between them .l:Ie1 -e2 �g1 -h2 l:!. .g5 .i. He chose the line which did not need calculating. f2-f4 'ffd6xf6 'fff 6-d6+ 1 -0 What did we see at the critical moment of this game? In the language of this chapter. 42. �e5xf5 'fff4-e4 . This is because chess princi­ ples continually come into conflict with one 227 .f4. .th7-h6 'ffc 1 xa3 'ff a 3-d6 <.l::!.th6-h7 . 39. But this example is by no means unique. 41 . .ld.i.xg5 42 ..he missed the win.'ff x g5 . g3-g4 Black has to give up a rook: 47. 43. .'ff x g5 ) 40. 45. . 48. Ralf Appel of your attack.th8 White seems to have nothing special.th7xf5 �h8-h7 'ffc 2-d2 'ffd 2-c1 + <. 46 .Chap t e r 3 . But now. this decision was mistaken. 40. "IfiV • I.l:!. . The game went on: 38. £::. and such things happen all the time.. . I I. So here.xg5 (39 . <1Je6 loses after 40 .how can it be wrong to follow such a well-established and common-sense principle? The answer is quite simple and banal .. :iV I. and squanders all of White's advantage.xe6.l:!.'ffh 6! 'ffxd3 3 9 ..i. It is highly likely that White had no time for calculation of the variations. Now. after the obvious 47. . In other words .. At first glance. playing the strange 46 .The E l ements of Chess I n t u i t i o n I. . Black returned the fa­ vour. g 8 4 l .l::!.th7-h6? After the natural 46 . <.l:!. e 8 mating. this is surprising . pattern recognition did not work. . <. even more standard way of at­ tacking : 3 8 . . and whoops ..g8xg4 He would have to do the same after 47 . the in­ tuitive nature of the principal strategic decisions taken by the winners is indis­ putable. it only indi­ well-known one by the standard posi­ tional principles or methods of play of the time. the greater their knowledge of typical positions. And here. To put it another way: far from every­ one is able to proceed effectively using . Very well. Because of this. where calculation of variations was vir­ tually unrealistic. For this reason: Pattern Recognition does not it­ self take decisions.T h e Enigma o f C hess I n t u i t i on another. but will simply remind you of the games we have already seen. But very often. This alone is almost sufficient to dis­ miss the idea that intuition and Pattern Recognition are really the same thing. along with calculation of varia­ tions. But intuition is engaged in weighing the odds and choosing between the different possibili­ ties! ! This is the first difference between the two. because the longer people play chess. and in any given position. making the right choice between different possibilities is one of the most important functions of intuition. On the other hand. but the intuition of a great master can do! cates the presence of possibili­ ties. As a result. or to use Pattern Recognition. one will be more important than another. the role of routine in chess constantly grows. very important one. and is part of the definition of human nature. Playing by recognition of familiar patterns is one of the main means of playing. when force­ majeure is still not yet a factor? Maybe in such cases. and a very. both strategic and tac­ tical (which thus become analogous to candidate moves) . In each of these. the question we posed earlier is more appropriate? And now the time has come for the sec­ ond point: I will not even show new ex­ amples. here we were dealing with a very tense situation. all kind oflapses are possible. This means that the player has to make a choice. But we will try to take things a little further. and more than that. time-trouble. depending on the concretefeatures ofthe position. we must add another signifi­ cant and perfectly evident consider­ ation. the player strives more and more to use his knowledge. and in such situa­ tions. This is perfectly natural and un­ derstandable. tried and tested ideas and plans of action. Nimzo­ witsch-Capablanca. But what about those situations at an earlier stage of the game. 1 9 1 4 and Spassky­ Petrosian 1 9 6 9 . such as Capablanca-Bogoljubow 1 92 2 . they actu­ ally ran counter to them! So Pattern Recognition does not allow a player to open new horizons. But equally indisputable is the fact that none of these decisions was a 228 To summarise our results in brief: Pat­ tern Recognition informs the player of the presence in a concrete position of typical. and this is something that Pattern Recognition cannot do. a position contains more than one such possibility. rules of thumb and methods of play. but a very astute man (he himself often used this word as a term of praise) : 'Fischer goes in for risky continuations when. Everything said above leads to a fairly obvious conclusion: no. Pattern Recogni­ tion is not intuition. Alexan­ der Khalifman has formulated the creed for absolute opening preparation . I would once again draw atten­ tion to the words of Mikhail Moiseevich Botvinnik. The first is knowledge. without regular and thorough opening preparation. And here. but at a higher level? And then one still has to find a way to outplay him. the most obscure and secret of chess talents. even with the greatest degree of natural talent. and can equally well miss. Here. the newest quotation of all. Firstly: surely it is quite probable that the opponent will take the same approach. some at positional play. he has to make use of his own particular abilities. Questions remain."a forcing line should be prepared against every sensible reply from the oppo­ nent " ' . some at combi­ national vision. without exception. there is a fair grain of truth in it. the second player studies at home in detail. even with the most diligent pursuit of such an approach. as opposed to i ntuition What do we mean here? We have al­ ready seen that although the gift of in­ tuition is given to us all. and in that case. he knows the variations well' (my italics . the day on which I am writing this. The point is clear ­ that which one player divines by intu­ ition. and plays on the basis of exact knowl­ edge. there are also some who are gifted with exceptionally strong intuition. we by no means all share it equally. however. equally important topic: Conventional means. The issue of recognition of familiar ele­ ments that we have just discussed is closely connected with another.The E l ements of C h ess I n t u i t i on intuition. and can only sometimes help it. This means that some players are better than others at calculating variations. in all of his books. it is im­ possible to count on serious results. from an article by Dmitry Kryavkin: 'Whilst Garry Kasparov. This accuracy is based on two parame­ ters. which is always the most effective thing of all. Experience shows that the most effective weapon in such cases is to use his superiority in accuracy. consciously or otherwise. derived from constant work. In our day. and how? 229 . doesn't the battle still take place.Chap ter 3 . And because we are interested in intu­ ition especially. It could hardly be expressed more clearly! It seems that even though the above is exaggerated. and only when. everyone. oppose this serious trump? Clearly. who was not only a great player.ru this very day. As we know. etc. just as with other natural gifts.VB) . is a confirmation. a natural question arises: how can a player who is less well endowed with intuition than others. imitates what they are familiar with. still writes about the power of intuition and its role in chess. taken from the website chesspro. at least as diligently. On the other hand. including in­ tuition? As we will see. It may be that there is no need to say any more on this. 2. . and maybe other possibilities too. and you will have to play some more moves of your own at the board. 3.The Enigma of C hess I n t u i tion The second question: let us suppose that your home preparation works.�c3 . 8. no matter how great one's preparation or how large an arsenal of modern weapons one may have. �c1 -d2 1 1 . and you secure a large advantage. .Vladimir Wijk aan Zee Tata Steel A.�c3 �M etc. . especially as more games will probably be played in this line very soon. 2 0 I I 1. 1 3. �xb2 1 5 . is ex­ tremely hard. still the game goes on. . he falls into Kramnik's preparation. but I would very much like to illustrate what I have said. 6. �f8-b4! There is no other move. So. 'iVe6 1 o. I will again employ the method of com­ parison. . and present a pair of examples taken from the practice of two long­ time bitter rivals. Shirov. 5. 7. it is Shirov who plays the novelty. Firstly. More common is 9 . when the opponent has studied it at home. even in our day. .a5 tbxc4! and then choose between 1 4. It is not appropriate for us to get into this here. t2Jc3-e4 230 g7-g6 0-0-0 1 2. and playing it 'blind' . �d2-c3 �e7xe5! 1 4.f4. 1 3.'iVe4. 9. So won't you still need to call on all your abilities. a2-a4 A new move. White had played 1 2 . . it is not wise to ignore the ability to play chess well.a5 ? loses: 1 4 . �e2-e3 The position is crammed with varia­ tions. but . 4. To do so. 1 0. �b7-a6 1 2. Previously. White must examine the line 1 3 . and it soon becomes clear that the latter knew significantly more about the position than his opponent! Such things happen in contemporary chess. 14. e2-e4 t2Jg1 -f3 d2-d4 t2Jf3xd4 t2Jd4xc6 e4-e5 'iYd1 -e2 c2-c4 t2Jb1 -c3 e7-e5 t2Jb8-c6 e5xd4 t2Jg8-f6 b7xc6 �d8-e7 t2Jf6-d5 t2Jd5-b6 �c8-b7 This is not the most popular continua­ tion. 14.Alexey Kramnik. l:Ixb4 with a clear advantage to Black. . 11lc3xb4 1 6. The play is still following Kramnik's home analysis! 22. tt::l b6xc4! The following variation is clearly in White's favour: 1 7 .i¥xe4 . 'it>f2-e1 'iVb4-c5+ It is easy to see that there is nothing else. 'it>f2-e1 "i¥c5-b4+ "i¥b4-c5+ 1 8. .axb6 'i!iYxb2 1 9 . f3xe4 23. �xfl . 1 7. i¥e3xa7 Black is better after 1 8 . It was better to continue 1 7 ..11lxb2 . 21 . 20 .Chapter 3 1 5.'iVxa7 . 0 . .l:Ixe4! 2 3 . . Wf3 ..Wf3 . we1 -f2 25. lla1 -d1 'if'e5xb2! 'it>c8-d7! In reply to 2 0.. and then after 1 8 . 1 9.i¥e2 'if'f6+ ! 2 8 . . 1 6 . d7-d5 - The E l ements of C h ess In t u i t i on 2 2 . . 1 8. . f5 ! we reach a sharp and complicated position. 'iVa7xa6+ 20.l:Ixe3+ 2 1 .l:Ixd 1 + ! 2 1 .1ilxc4 11lxc4 1 9 . 24....cxdS ! ? 11lxfl 1 8 . .11lxc4 Fritz gives the fast and furious 20 .fxe4 'iVd4+ 2 6 . lle8xe4! 1 7.11lc3 exf3 2 0 .'it>f2 'iVxdS 2 S . 'it>e1 -f2 'iVb2xb4+ 21 ..We3 "iYgS + 2 9 .Wf2 i¥d4+ 23 1 .l:Ixe4 1 8 .i1ld3 .a5 ! deserved serious attention..0 . a4-a5?! Probably a bad decision. .. f2-f3 . .0 dxe4 2 0 ...Wg3 . 'i!iYxa l + 2 1 . 0-0-0 ! ? 'iVxe-4 1 7 . dxe4? 1 8 .�f2 .. . which we have no reason to delve into here.llxd 1 . 23 . 1ilxd5 ! 'i!iYeS + 24.l:Ih8-e8 The continuation 1 6 . .l:Ib8 ! 2 7 . 'i¥e l �f8 3 1 .Wf3 We7 ! ? 3 0 .U. but having a huge ad­ vantage on the clock.'ifxc6+ �d8 3 l . . but it seems that White can hold. . However.'ifxd l 'ifxaS+ and now 2 8. he thought fur­ ther and found a way to continue the game. . . 26. �fl 'ifc l +) 3 0 . .l:i. The only reply was 2 6. After 2 6 . 31 . 'if c8 lLJd3 + . one cannot call his move a mistake as such.Wfl lLJd3 -+) 3 1 .e5 ! 3 2 . and in his best years.i:!b l (3 1. includ­ ing Kasparov and Anand.lte2 'ifc l + 2 9 . he had had this position on his board at home and had been prepared to give perpetual check.T h e Enigma o f C hess I n t u i tion As Kramnik explained after the game. although objectively. 28.e8 + ! 2 8 .!:rd8-e8+ �e2-f3 'ifc1 xd2 "ifa6xc6+ <ot>d7-d8 'ifc6-f6+ .e3 ! 3 2 .l:i. ..l:. .l:i. and the resulting play requires much more dif­ ficult calculation than the forcing line just demonstrated. 'i¥xe2 lLJd3 + 3 4. .e7 3 2 .U. it significantly eases White's task. missing the forced win by 2 7 . because for a player of his class the variation cannot be regarded as very difficult. e l . 'ifc3-c1 +?! This moment of the game is the most interesting for our discussion. .dxc6+ ( 3 0. 29. lLJxd l 2 7 .e5 . but despite all this. It is especially surprising. One can better understand what fol­ lows if one knows that at this point. 27. he could no longer summon the energy to deal with it.e8 Black has the better chances.l:haS 3 3 . 'iff3 �xe2 + ! 3 3 .e8-e7 32. �d6 ! 3 1.�[2 'ifxd2 3 0 . 26.'it'f6+ .'i¥e2. I:ld1 -d2 'ifc5-c3+ Kramnik had about an hour more on his clock than his opponent! He also had a huge psychological initiative. 30..l:!.. . 25. 232 �e1 -e2 . 27. and he commits the deci­ sive mistake.�f2 ! ? 'ifcS + 29. . but fac­ ing another unpleasant surprise. <ot>f3-g4 . he calculated variations as well as anybody. . he commits a mistake in his calculations here. e4xd5? lL:Jc4-b2! It is quite possible that Shirov was ex­ pecting a repetition of moves. g4 . had White found 3 2 . Wxc6! 3 7 .h1 xd1 ilLc6-f3 Wg4-g3 'it>g3-h3 Wh3-h4 'iYd6xd1 + h 7-h5+ 'i¥d1 -e1 + 'ii'e 1 -e6+ After 4 l .. given White's seri­ ous time shortage. . Black now has a choice between 3 2 . In addition.Chapter 3 Shirov had already started some moves ago to experience time-trouble.h4! 'i¥xa5 .l:!.'ii'flH 'lt>d4! 40.. with the others not giving any advantage. mating. 41 . He had to try 3 2. 36.dxe7 f5 + ! 3 9 . everything turned out more simply. 35. Kramnik did not exploit it in the best possible way. . But in the game itself.'ii'h 8+ . . the re- tt'lb2-d1 ! 'i¥f6-h8+ Wd8-d7 ilLf1 -b5+ c7-c6! ilLb5xc6+ Wd7-c7 d5-d6+ 'i¥d2xd6 A forced win was also possible here: 3 6 . 40.'iYf6+ Wxds 3 7. 'i¥xd5 + .a4. and was probably also fairly beaten down psychologically.e8 34.�b7 l:i. tt'ld3 ! 3 3. . . and he misses a chance to save himself.a6 lla5 44. But it is clear that things could have been much eas­ ier. . 33. Kramnik would have found the strongest contin­ uation.ilLa6 ! . . 34. and had his op­ ponent had a few extra minutes. however. But let us agree that.ilLa6 ! . . 39.'iYf6 + Wd7 35 .'i¥e5 + 42. 38. albeit a difficult one. 233 . 3 2 . it is quite likely that the latter would have failed to keep finding the best moves and would have lost more quickly. Now. 'i¥e3 + and 3 2 . 3 2 .'i¥xf7+ Wd6 36. .l:!.xe5 43 . tt'ld3 . having obtained a large advantage thanks to his opening preparation.Wh3 tt'lf2+.Wg3 Black can win in the end­ game: 4 1 . Black eventually seizes the chance of a beauti­ ful finish. I will only show the main line: - The El ements of C h ess I n t u i t i on sult of the game could have come into question. It is quite possible that even after the best reply from his opponent. 37. Only one of these gives real winning chances. several times! Nonetheless.ilLb7+ WcS 32. Black has to sweat a little more. 38. .Wg 3 ! lle6 ! 39.l:!.'i¥c8+ 'it>dS ! 3 8 . because Black's task at move 2 7 was a great deal simpler than it would have been. .'i¥xe5 + . f7-f6! Now White loses his queen: 44. 1 2. . In my work on this game.e8 'li'e4+) (45 .xe4 'l!!Vg4 mate.The Enigma of Ch ess I n t u i t i on 41 .h1 -h3 tt:Jc3-a4 'i¥d2xd4 tt:Jb8-c6 c5xd4 �f8-c5 0-0 a7-a6 tt:Jc6xd4 b7-b5 b5-b4 �c5xd4 . from his excellent two-volume work Garry Kasparov's Greatest Chess Games. Gambit Publications Ltd. 4. 1 9 94 1. g6-g5+! 42. .h4 . . principally because of the considerable similarity with the subject of the previous example..!:i. 7.M 1 5 . .i. f7-f6?!N As in the previous game. 234 e2-e4 d2-d4 tt:Jb1 -c3 e4-e5 f2-f4 e7-e6 d7-d5 tt:Jg8-f6 tt:Jf6-d7 c7-c5 6.Wh4 �e4+ 44. 2. ..i. . I have chosen the following. 'it>h4xg5 'li'e6-g6+ 43.. 9.!:i. 'it>g5-f4 N igel Short 43.c1 -e3 tt:Jf3xd4 'li'd1 -d2 0-0-0 h2-h4 �e3xd4 .xh5 4 5 . 0-1 Out of the vast choice of games of Kramnik's great rival.Garry Short.� • i i i . I have been helped significantly by the notes of lgor Stohl. 43. Kasparov. 10 11.Nigel Amsterdam Euwe Memorial. 1 5. And just as in . 'li'xh5 45 . a S . .i¥ ' lS lS !S lS w . e4+ ! . . .. 3. it is our hero's opponent who plays the novelty.. 8. 14.i i i ts . 1 3. the usual reply being 1 5 ..l::!. 5. tt:Jg1 -f3 i.t 'iV � . as he can bring his last reserves into play. The variations show that he was 23. 23 . tt:Ja4-c3! 235 . he walks right into his opponent's home analysis! 1 6 .c5 the passed pawn is too unpleasant. . In Stohl's opinion. d4 24.b4 3 1 . He also recommends the best response for White in that case as 2 0.l:!. 1 9.tbb6.xh4 and Black is not losing this end­ game. 1 7.�xd 7 + �xd7 2 8 .l:!. .'i¥g8+ 'i¥f8 29. <Jtc1 -b1 llf8xf5? This decision turns out to be a mistake. 21 .�xe5 ! ? . tbf6 ! . Kasparov had pre­ pared it all beforehand. . 24. �f1 -h3 llf5xf3 �h6-f6 <Jig8-f7 f6xe5 �d8-f6 'i¥f6-h6+! The pawn cannot be taken: 1 8 .llxd7 .l:hd5 ? exdS 2 4 .. . .h3-f3! But this moment deserves a closer look. 16.'i¥xd5 + <Jie8 2 7 .f3 'i¥g4 2 0 .'i¥xa8 �xh4. 20. He is not en­ ticed by such lines as the primitive 2 3 . d5xc4 After 2 3 . �g6 2 1 . or the rather less obvi­ ous 2 3 . but after thinking about i t at the board.�e2 .'i¥xf8 + <Jixf8 3 0.f3 . 'i¥b4-d6 1 8. g2xf3 22. the best reply was 1 9 .b3 .tbc3 �e7 ! 2 S . Stohl says that Kasparov's home preparation had in­ tended a different continuation : 2 0 . 'i¥xf5 ? 1 9 . every novelty deserves an­ other! In this case. 20. Kasparov continues to play very energetically. . �d4xb4! As they say. . extracting the maximum from the position.'i¥c6 ? ! llb8 24. f4-f5! - The E l ements o f C h ess I n t u i t i on right.�xf3 e4 2 3 . After 20 .xf3 2 2 . I have nothing to say against these assessments.tbxd5 exdS 2 6 . �xd5 + <Jie7 2 5 .l:!. enterprisingly and accurately. he rejected it in favour of the text. lhf8+ tbxf8 2 l . . . Such a manner of play was his trademark..h5 'iYfs 24.l:!. .Chapter 3 the previous game.�e7 h6 Black holds.l:!.�e2 �eS 2 5 . c2-c4! Having obtained a magnificent position from the opening.l:!.. . because it impacts directly on the sub­ ject of our discussion. l:l:xe6 .The Eni gma o f C hess I n t u i tion Again the strongest. c4-c3 3 0 . .�c6 l:!. . which cannot be avoided. .h3xe6+ 32.l:l:xd7 + ? ! (correct is 2 5 .l:l:d1 -d6! Energetic and accurate to the very end! 30.xc8 tt::lxc8 2 9. If 26 . 'i¥c6-e4! 29. almost decisive advan­ tage in the opening. . result­ ing in a significantly superior knowl­ edge of the resulting positions. although it does put the player in a superior situation over his opponent.xe6 tt::l b 6 28 .'iitc 2 'i¥e2+ 3 2 . just as does knowledge of analysis. 31 .l:ld6xe6 26 .tt::l xc8 . It is the question of .i. does not guarantee success.'iVb8 + . tt::l d 7-b6 Black's position is indefensible. is mastery of calculating variations.tt::lc 3 ! .i.i. .xe6 3 2 .. tt:Jc3-e4 �f6-e7 .�c 7 ! "ife l + 3 1 . in an ideal scenario. tt::l a4 loses to 3 1 . . After 24. whilst 2 6 . l:!.i. obtained through home preparation. . The purpose of the comparison was to show that even so powerful a re­ source as superior preparation. allowing the player to combat an opponent's intuition by means of a high level ofaccu­ racy.!:r. be it one's own or someone else's. 'iYe4xe5 'iitf7-g8 g 7-g6 . . . (see next page) 236 .. .d7 �xh4 3 0. .b8 25 .i. h6 then 2 7 .xd7 2 6.l:l:b8-b7 .i.xe6+ . .l:i:d2 .W!fxd7+ 'iitg 6 White has nothing se­ rious. . 27. one side achieved a large. in both examples. . 24.i. tt:Je4-g5+ 28. .'i¥xb2 �xe6 34. 'i¥d6-c6 26. highly ac­ curate calculation allows a player to ob­ tain exact knowledge of the position.a8-b8 30. . Wf8 will b e met by 2 7 ..tt::ld 6+ 'iitf8 2 8 . But now is the time to deal with an im­ portant question.l:lxb 2 + 3 3 . . .c8xe6 1 -0 As we see. . 25. .. Indeed. But the subsequent play differs in purposefulness and accu­ racy.. Another especially effective method. re­ turning to the right path) 25 . whilst intuition is first and foremost a means of searching for a move. more so than mistakes in other ele­ ments of the game. here-and-now work is per­ formed by tactics (in the general sense.Chapter 3 The role of the basic 'means of production' in chess In a wider sense. In order to show the difference between decisions taken solely on the basis of general positional considerations. with due attention paid to traffic lights. with a slight degree of assumption. although. And in chess. this is what strategy does. Having the right route is great. but I offer it as a way to present an analogy with everyday life. I will show you an example which contains a few holes. pedestrians crossing the road and other vehicles. but the car must still be driven properly. tactics and strategy. but the overall aim. nowadays a useful role is played by the GPS or satnav. in chess. Then what? - The El ements of C h ess I n t u i t i on In the process of getting to our destina­ tion by car. So. I will try to place it amongst the elements of play. This perhaps needs a little further explanation. Therefore. and what by intuition? I think the mat­ ter can be formulated this way. including calculation of variations and tactical blows) . The comparison here is strengthened by the fact that in chess. this can be expressed thus: what place in chess is fulfilled by the basic elements. However. let us accept it and move on. But: Assessment is always able to ad­ vise us of the eventual goal. I understand that this analogy is only very approximate and is always open to criticism. to which we should strive. This is best done by comparing the process of playing chess with that of driving a car. notwith­ standing the fact that tactics and strat­ egy are base elements of the game. from the greatest classics. But even so. mistakes are extremely undesirable and can be extremely costly. Thus: the driver sets himself a final des­ tination. this very concrete. but is nonetheless a very useful example. In chess. intuition fulfils the role that a good satnav fulfils when driving one's car! It tells the player which of the possible ways towards the established goal is the best. 237 . nor does it confidently set out the plusses and minuses of each side's position. but it is not ev­ erything. natu­ rally. There are often cases where the assessment of the position on the board does not suggest the exact next few moves. Navigation is important. Thus. in a more or less general sense. Here. It tells us the best route to drive towards the final desig­ nated destination. I will try now to explain why I think this is possible. tactical mistakes can also be very costly. and those involving in­ tuition. Not always the exact position we should aim for. let us agree that we know the final goal. !'!:.cxd6 .. . which is the right ultimate target.' • . . l l l l i.itb7 (20 .d4! 'tWxa I + 1 9 . tt:'lxb 7 'tWxc 2 + 2 3 . Anderssen now commits a serious mistake. tt:Jc3-d5 By g1vmg up a piece. il !'!:. and he did not miss the win. in a game on which nothing actually hung.l:!.itb7 24 . but we will see how quickly his opponent could have spoiled this fun. White's task would have been quite simple after 1 7 .itf4-d6? But this is definitely a wrong turning. Anderssen decided to en­ joy himself. 1 8 5 1 i..dxc5 . l l l tv CD .itxd4 I 8. � !'!:. tt:'ldS . White's task here is already noticeably more difficult than on the previous move. !'!:. CD !'!:.h6! tt:'lxh6 2 6 . A s we see. �. .<. . he was right.d4! . ' D l l l i. In the main.fl ! f6 2 5 . There is no doubt that it is time to press for­ ward. tt:'ld6+ 'tWxd6 2 3 . !'!:. a !'!:. 'tWxf6) 2 I . tt:'lxf6 + gxf6 2 7 . Having made his task more diffi­ cult on the previous move. � i.. !'!:. but he did make it more diffi­ cult. I am convinced that this is how Paul Morphy would have played. and there is still a solu­ tion to the problem: 1 8 . casual match. W !'!:. � i. � i. §l !'!:..Lionel London. tt:la6 is met by 2 l .Adolf Kieseritzky. not seeing any point in entering unnec- Adolf Anderssen 238 essary complications.t>h i . Finding the truth here by pure calculation was extremely difficult (to say the least! ) .t>g2 'tWb2 2 0. �a 1 7. 'tWf6xb2 1 7.ite5 ! 'tWxeS 2 2 . although the shot is directed at the black king. it was more correct to appeal to intuition. I t is understand­ able that. . a typi­ cal story. In such conditions. CD !'!:. .. this was not nec­ essary. but given the relaxed character of the game. It should not let us down.The Enigma of C h ess In t u i t i on Anderssen. White obtains everything he could dream of. .tt:'ld6+ 'it>f8 2 2 . which Anderssen did. 1 8. The dis­ cussion of this position has also contin­ ued for years. .t>xe3 (28. as pointed out by that well-known 'spoilsport' Wilhelm Steinitz: 1 8 . e4-e5! 20. "i:Yxa l +! 1 9. Mikhail Chigorin. 2 S .tlJxe3 tlJf7) 28 . And there was little time for thinking. White still wins in the endgame which arises after 2 1 . .d8 29.xb8 26.c. . �xe5+.t>cs 2S.b7 2 7 . He was successfully opposed in this view by his long-time opponent and ri­ val in principle.t>e8-d8 22.."i:Yxf7 tlJh6! 24... c. and also several generations of chess players! But he could have rained heavily on White's parade. 239 . jla6 and asserted that Black was OK. c.gxfS tlJc6 28.Chap ter 3 1 8."i:Yg7 l:!..t>f1 -e2 �b2xa1 + ttJb8-a6? Now the game ends at once. instead..jlxb8 l:!. which show that it is now Black who is winning: 20..t2Jfs White also loses after 2 S . stuck helplessly in the centre.t>b7 2 7. �f3-f6+ t2Jg8xf6 23.t>d2 jlxg l 2 1 . to the delight of the chess world. fol­ lowed by a targeting of the enemy king. Now we present just a small part of the many variations. as it was only a casual game. winning.ttJxfS 26. �d6-e7 mate Hooray! 1 -0 In brief...t>dS 22.. tested by generations of analysts.tlJxg7+ c. The tone was set by the demanding first world champion.tlJxc 7 .�c7+ "i:Yxc7 24. needed at the critical mo­ ment to point White in the right direction.tlJc7 + c.'iYd6 jle3 + ! ! 2 8 . who analysed the only rational move 20 ."i:Yxh8+ c.. the game ended with a feast: 21 . and it could easily have been crossed by the right reaction from Black.'iYxg l tlJxeS . The latter demonstrated that in this case."i:Yf6+ c. what have we just seen? A clear vision of the goal.t>e2 And now 1 9 .c.tlJxa6 "i:Yc3 2 3 . But this would all be rather plain bread and but­ ter stuff. - The E l ements of C h ess I n t u i t i on 1 9. jlc5xg1 ? Lionel Kieseritzky makes his opponent happy.eS jla6! 22. an energetic and even wasteful mobilisation of the forces. and corrected by the last word from the computer.'iYxa6+ l:!."i:Yb2 ! . And what was missing? There was no cleanness in the execution.t>ds 2 3. Nor was there a strong enough degree of intuition. ttJf5xg 7 + c. as we know. and something similar was the case with Geller (although here things are slightly different) . Many other parame­ ters occupy an important place in the game.The E n i g m a o f Chess I n t u i t i on Short-range tactics. and not only open­ ings. To this one can add Polu's colossal work capacity away from the board. Now it is easier to answer the question of why he had such a catastrophic score against Kortchnoi.Robert Fischer. I naturally went to check the statistics. The most interesting ones were the large plus against Geller ( 1 2-4 to Polugaevsky! ) . for many years second of Petrosian) . I thought. Probably it is be­ cause in many factors. the stron­ ger intuition or the more accurate cal­ culator? This is not a simple question. and was aston­ ished .a strange thing. From this it follows that the accuracy of the play. student and assistant to the great player and trainer Isaak 240 Boleslavsky. is the ability of one of the players to act with the greater accuracy. international master. So what was Polugaevsky's secret? One of his victims.the overall score in games be­ tween them was 8-2 in favour of Polugaevsky. Here is a very authoritative opinion: 'I think play can only be beautiful if it is accurate. Tal's second in his 1 9 8 0 Candidates' match against Polugaevsky. at home. Now the picture became clearer: the rampant attacker Tal. Geller. of which even Petrosian was afraid. standing on the basis of accu­ rate calculation. accuracy of play is the most important component of chess strength. could not cope with the defensive master Polugaevsky. who wins? In other words: which triumphs more often. but even so. and in searching for an answer. but well-known at all levels. I came across the following comment: 'Having been Tal's second for a num­ ber of years. but the decisive role in the result of a game. gave a good pic­ ture of Polugaevsky's strengths: 'An ex­ ceptional ability to work at the board and exceptionally accurate calculation! ' . I regrettably had to admit that his famous intuition. very interesting and important for our subject: if the puncher clashes with the boxer. a most improbable score! Here. and the overwhelming minus against Kortchnoi (2 2-9 to Kortchnoi! !) . was totally helpless in the face of the phenomenal calculating technique of Lev Polugaevsky' (Albert Kapengut. Such a high level of accuracy is required in any tactical or calculating investigation. it was first and foremost calculation. largely determines the success of intuition. Accuracy above everything else' . require to be handled with great accuracy. even helped by his famous intuition. some role was played by the so-called phenomenon of the 'difficult opponent' . such as calcula- . most if not all of the time. And this au­ tomatically gives rise to another ques­ tion. the score between Polugaevsky and Tal is incredible! I therefore decided to look at Polugaevsky's record against the rest of his strongest contemporaries. Reading these words. But there is more! Overall. and the superb level and depth of his opening erudition. incidentally! But at the board. Such a style of play was his trademark. Tal decided to go in for blow-for­ blow play. Polugaevsk. since from there it defends the square e6.�xe6 tLlxd4 turn out in Black's favour: 1 7 Jhd4 (the counterblow 1 7 . 11. Polugaevsky's. d2-d4 c2-c4 ttJb1 -c3 e2-e3 tt:Jg1 -f3 a2-a3 e3xd4 �f1 -d3 �d3xc4 0-0 Vi'd1 -d3 l:If1 -d1 �c4-a2 d7-d5 e7-e6 c7-c5 tt:Jg8-f6 ttJb8-c6 c5xd4 �f8-e7 d5xc4 0-0 b7-b6 �c8-b7 . . 9. Positions of the type which we have on the board here are compli­ cated. and the fact that lightning could strike at any moment. he was not so inter­ ested in objective factors. but could do so mag­ nificently.l:f. It is less well-known than some of Polugaevsky's victories. .y. . . he was facing an opponent who not only loved to calculate. there and then. at the board! He won a great many games with this method. . I have de­ liberately chosen a game which ended in a draw. and often take on a sharp charac­ ter.l:f. and a match for. 1 3. . things went a little differently. especially in his young days. Tal no doubt liked this aspect. Wh8 ! 1 8 . �c1 -g5 1 5. But now let us look at an example of what happens when great calculation meets an intuition of genius. tt:Jc3-b5! The only move! The complications after 1 6. 1 9 5 6 1. The continuation 1 3 . working capacity and defensive play. he outdid him. What mattered was that the position was sufficiently confused and multi-faceted. 6.Chapter 3 tion. But this time.. and who could not be baffled by the calculation of variations. This time. 2. Then it was a question of who coped better with the problems. several moves ago. 3. 5.Mikhail Tbilisi. 'ifd3-e2 l:U8-d8 1 5 . 1 0.Lev Tal..c7 is also good. Nor was it all that important to him if subsequent analysis showed that his opponent had had the better chances. 12. To some extent. anywhere on the board. but is very characteristic and relates excel­ lently to our subject.l:txd4 241 . - The Elements o f C h ess I n t u i t i on 14.�xf7 + loses: 1 7 .a8-c8 Vi'd8-c7 The square d6 is usually considered a better one for the queen in positions of this type. . ttJf6-g4! There is no doubt that. of whatever level of complexity! 1 6 . 7. 8. Kortchnoi's play was similar to. 4. principally psychologi­ cal. whilst in other areas. itxe 7 + but after 2 0 . .xd8+ . . t2lxc7 itxe2 1 9 Jhd8+ itxd8 (weaker is 1 9 . A wonderful variation and a remarkable piece of calculation! 1 6 . .. . . things are different.d8) 1 8 . . . missing something in the fol­ low-up.l:!. t2lxd4! 1 7 . 1Wxf3 'i¥xh2+ 2 1 . 2 I . . Even worse is I 7 . his pieces are com­ pact and everything seems in order. t2lxc7 .l:!.h3 h6 the game is equal. .T h e Enigma o f C hess I n t u i t i on itxf3 1 9 . considers this move to be vir­ tually the decisive blow. .. There was also another possibility for White : 1 7 . . l:i. It seems that one can stop calculating this long variation. were it not for. but in fact. .. itb7-a6? Perhaps Tal was disappointed that his opponent had not fallen into the trap. . We have before us one of the most characteristic and important moments in the battle between our two heroes. This would all be the case. .xd4 1 8 . . .itxg4 ( 1 8 .itxg4 itxd i 2 2 .xd8 2 0 . 'iVe2xe6! No. . .l:!. 'ife6xg4 242 itb5-e2 .t2lxe6 fxe6 I 9 .l:!. . and so played too impulsively. Now.Wfl 'iVh l + 2 1 .xc 7 I 9 . . .l:!. .d6 only White can have problems.We 2 'ifxa 1 2 3 . t2lxg5 t2lh6 22 .t2lxe6 ! itxg5 2 I . Wfl . 1 8.l:!. 1 7. however. in his commentary on the game.itxg4 itxg 5 2 3 . t2lxc7 fxe6 I 9 . We 2 'i¥xa 1 2 2 . itxc8 itxf3 1 9 . itd6 llxe2 2 3 .xd i llc2 2 3 .itxe7 . or did he just miss an important resource for his opponent in this new battle of blows and counterblows? I suspect the latter. Bad is I 7 . .t2lg5 . itxg5 ? I 8 .t2lxe6.l:!. Jhg2 ! 2 2 . White has obtained a material advantage. 1 7. .xd4! itxf3 1 8 . I don't think it was this blow that Tal overlooked. 1Wxf3 'iVxh2 + 2 0 .t2lxc7 itxe2 I 8 . itf6 ! 2 1 . t2lxe6 ! .l:!. 'i¥a 8 + . Wfl 'iVh l + 2 2 .e8 2 0 . .l:i. An equal game resulted from 1 6 .!:1xg4 1 9 . t2lxe 7 ! 2 I . ita6xb5 The only reply.xe2 J:hf2 + ! .e 1 ) 2 0 .llxd I with a large advantage to White. .l:!. He simply underesti­ mated it. .ite3 ! itxd I 2 2 .'i¥xg4 1Wxb2+) 1 7 . itxe 6 + Wf8 2 0 . . settling the outcome of the game. fxe6 ? I 8 .itxg4 ite2 2 I . Lev Polugaevsky.lle 1 'i¥f4 2 1 . .itxe6+ Wf8 2 0 ..l:!.xd8 2 0 . after the simple 2 0 . �f6 2 2 . is probably what Tal missed when playing his 1 6th move. . . Thus. . and it becomes clear how well everything has been calculated! 26 . �a2-b1 ! 28. d4-d5 23.g4.l:!.ac l Black stands badly. 'iYe8 2 7 . . llc l tLlxa l 2 6 Jhc7 . Viiig4xf3 �e2xf3 Viii e 7-d7 The variation 2 l .d1 -e1 21 . 24.'iYxc2.xc8 2 9 .'iYd3 tLlc2 24. d6) 2 9 . . Only now is his intention re­ vealed. 20. h4-h5?! . �c7 2 S .l:!. �f5xc8 29. .xe5+ Wf6 3 0 .�xc8 tLlc2 2 8 . tt:Jc2xe1 Hopeless is 24 . 24.a1 xe1 f7-f6 In reply to 2 7 .lld8xc8 l:lc8-d8 243 . .. �g5xe7 Viiic7xe7 After 1 9 . .d5 tLld4 2 3 . . .Viiixf6 gxf6 2 3 . tt:Jxe7 2 0 J:t e l �xf3 2 l . .Chap ter 3 - The E l ements o f C h ess In t u i t i o n This resource is the whole point.l:!. . 'iYh8+ We7 2 9 . and its con­ sequences. . . I think this.Viiig 4 tLlc2 2 4 . 27. . . tt:Jfs 24Jhd l the game will g o on for some time. �f3-d3 tt:Jc6-d4 tt:Jd4-c2 Since move 1 6 . . . . h2-h4! 30. ..Viiixh7 + .l:!.Viiixf3 tLlc6 2 2 . 26. the play has been largely forced. . 25. after 2 3 . �f8 2 2 . 22. with­ out which White's entire line of play would be bad.Viiih4+ Wxes 3 l . .. 'iYd3xh7+ Wg8-f8 1 9.l:!. �e2 ( 2 8 .ds tt:Jd4 2 3 . . � eS Polugaevsky gives the variation 2 8 .d5 is clearly not good. .l:!.�g4 'iYxg4 3 0 .xc7 2 7 . nor is 2 l .�b l . �b1 -f5! White 's entire operation hangs on this blow.lld l (the key move of the whole undertaking ! ) 2 8 . Viiid 7xd5 Weaker is 2 6 . but the result is not in doubt.. . Nothing helps. . . His task would undoubtedly be more difficult than on the previous move... 45. 'ifh 7xd3 But here.Wxb2 . 39.ll a 3 42 .itg1 -g2 . and do not see what is wrong with 3 I . Wh6-h7 31 .Wc2 l:.T h e E n i g m a o f C hess I n t u i t i on Polugaevsky gives this move a question mark. he missed the win here. 44..:ctc4xa4 l:ra4-a8 a7-a5 a5-a4 . . whereas the rook ending is drawn. Wf4-e4 . 32. his suggestion 3 0 J:te3 leads to an easily winning position.xg4 5 l .lle 4. 43 . although it was certainly a step in the wrong direction.llf4 5 0 . 41 .I:rb3 43 . but he would retain winning chances . l:i. but the po­ sition is objectively drawn.l:!. Then the queens are kept on after all. alas. it was in time-trou­ ble .l:!. Even so. f2-f3 'it>g2-g3 l::rc2-c4 . 38. 42. This is one more confirmation of the fact that one cannot blindly trust the computer in every position.a3 44.l:[b2-b3 It is interesting. ) nor Polugaevsky's commentary He writes 'Retaining queens is. 40.lld8xd3 . for example : 4 1 . 40. Certainly..a4 . not giving any further ex­ planation.a7 . . impossible' . 33. .ll b3-c3 b5-b4 l:i. �d5-d3! 36.l:!. But I trust Fritz I 0 . .'it>d2 b2 48 . and claims that in time-trouble.c7 .l::r b 3xb2 . 47.:ctd3-b3 Wf8-g8 wg8-h7 'it>h7-h6 41 . I understand neither what happened (OK. 46.c3-c4+ l:lc4xb4 l::r b 4-b3 .lla l 5 3 .a6 . 9 . 244 l:re1 -c1 l:!c1 -c2 g2-g4 <. which is what White needs in this posi­ tion.l::ra 5-a7 f3-f4 b6-b5 .g l 5 2 . it was not this move that finally lost him his ad­ vantage. 'it>g3-f4 White cannot avoid the exchange of pawns. 37.l:!. We 2 b 3 47 .'it>f2 b5 4 5 .l:. 34. . that Fritz still gives White an ad­ vantage in the order of 0 .xf3 49. although not surpris­ ing. a 5 b4 4 6 . 35. 31 .lla 8-a5 a3xb4 we4-f5 .Wb3 .a6 .a7 Wh6. 30. the likelihood of your intuition running into such a nightmarish refutation is extremely small! But there is also another aspect to the problem. Because the working of intu­ ition is a subconscious process. Here it is worth looking at the experience of life more generally. what is at the roots of this tendency? It seems as though. We have seen a number of examples already. it is im­ possible to avoid situations in which merely knowing the right general di­ rection of play is insufficient. Therefore it is harder for us to influence the mecha­ nism of switching on our intuition. is harder than with other. the answer should be as fol­ lows : although both qualities are im­ portant. and comes to us most often. since ancient times. but do not always work out the de­ tails thoroughly. But now that we have seen convincing demonstrations of how intuition can be overcome by a very high level of accu­ racy in calculating. His attacking attempts broke up in the same way on the greater calculated accuracy of Kortchnoi's defensive barriers. better calculation can compen­ sate. which is achieved only by very few players. and often more than compensate. and is based on hours of daily work on ac­ quiring knowledge and an exception­ ally high level of ability to calculate variations. when one plays the whole time at ' high voltage' . some sort of law is in operation. 48. �f5-e6 . Clearly. for an insufficiency of intuition! And. In addition. like Tal. This shows that the re­ quired switching on of intuition is eas­ ier. who tend to have a remarkable ability to guess where the pieces should go. than it is to influence the mechanisms of other means of thought. not de­ liberately or consciously operated. 'purer' forms of thought. in peri­ ods when we are visited by what we usually call: I nspiration Much has been written about inspira­ tion. He would often 'feel' his way through vari­ ations. many readers may experience some disappointment at seeing intuition in this light.The E l ements o f Chess I n t u i t i o n Here Fritz gives the assessment + 1 . 0 ! 47. Tal often played 'by ear' .l:tb5-b4 1h-V2 Incidentally. in gen­ eral terms. which is very typical of intuitive players. Poets have been especially interested in this aspect 245 . So don't worry . If so. The level of accuracy required for such an outcome is only achieved in very rare cases. I would ask you not to worry. a pattern is emerging here. con­ trolling its operation and even getting it to start. although it seems a sin to say it. What lies behind it.Chapter 3 .l:tb3-b5+ . Tal had just as many prob­ lems playing Kortchnoi. as they say. without simplifying unduly. and evidently on the day he was full of desire to win.<1jxe4! �xe4 2 3. that attempting to find a way for Black to maintain the tension. And in the opposite case. in periods when a chess player is lacking inspira­ tion. 1 9 5 9 • As we see.plenty of pieces on the board. l:!. but it might not please the reader. . lt:lf6xe4? Alas. but such a transition from a highly tactical posi­ tion to a technical phase only ever in­ terested Tal in exceptional cases. . So I will restrict myself to a short extract from the prose tale Egyp­ tian Nights. and not surpris­ ingly.8g7 .�xc 7 �xf3 2 7 . .�b6 'i¥c6 Objectively stronger is 2 3 . . . though.I wish I could explain it myself .xf3 WVb8 or the immediate 2 1 . Now it is very clear that the arrival of inspiration brings to life an instant ap­ preciation of the whole of a situation. which is the most important thing in the pro­ cess of intuitively grasping anything. And he did what he habitually did in such cases .VB) . can under­ stand the speed of impression. but the inspi­ ration was not united with these de­ sires! And if his opponent had not let him off the hook (as so often happened with Tal! ) by replying 22.xg 8 2 6 . this close connection between one's own inspiration and another's outward will (from the chess viewpoint. this 'out­ ward will' is the objective requirements of the position on the board! . many plans.he broke the Gordian Knot at all costs with 21 . ex­ cept the improviser himself.WVxg8 l:. after 24. . This is what could have hap­ pened: 22. we have a very Tal-like posi­ tion before us . . This is the sort of thing that happened to Tal in the fol­ lowing game. .. by my beloved Pushkin: 'Any talent is inexplicable.'i¥b8 . lapses can occur. �e3-b6? things could have turned out badly for Black. But prophylaxis was also not a major component of Tal's approach.The Enigma o f C hess I n t u i t i on of human psychology. If I were to quote all I have read on the subject. though.t:f. in both cases with the better endgame. Black had at his disposal the sound positional ap­ proach 2 1 . . . Nikitin. he would never even think of it! It is interesting. it would certainly en­ large this book.lt:lxf3 2 2 .xf3 lt:ld4 2 8 J:rff2 lt:lxe2 2 9 .�b6 246 . when his opponent was neither Polugaevsky nor Kortchnoi. lt:lc6 ! ? al­ though even then. here his intuition be­ trayed him. and in those young days when this game was played. nobody. led me to just one idea: the prophylactic 2 l .Alexander Tal. with a great storm hanging over the board.Mikhail Tbilisi ch-URS. .WVa8+ �d7 2 S ..l:!.. 25.b6 .xf3 ? ? 24 .'lWxb8+ �xb8 2 5 . it is another matter! In the game. Now White has an excellent and typical resource for this situation. . ii.l:txg 2 ! 2 7 .!::i. . ii. but Tal had seen further. poorly) .ii. . 23.a4+ �c8 3 1 J lxf7 White has every chance ofwinning.g6xg2 Tal follows the main line. .a7 .g3 then 25 . cal­ culated the consequences of this tempt­ ing operation. ii. Nikitin had seen this move and thought it refuted his opponent's idea. and even rather attractively: 22. things worked out success­ fully. tt:ld7 ! 2 5 .!:.!:Id l + is met by 29 . - The E l ements of C h ess I n t u i t i on 2 3 . . when the strong are up against an op­ ponent who is also strong.a4+ and Black is mated. which was overlooked by both players.!:Ixf3) 2 4. tt:lxg 3 + 2 6 . �b8 ! (but not 2 3 . . 247 . when he played 2 2 . ii.ii.Chap te r 3 tt:lcl 3 0 . tt:ld4) . . . More on this below. such as Polugaevsky or Kortchnoi.�a8 + �d7 26. This often happened in Tal's games: he had the knack of feeling when to stop calculating a variation and when to cal­ culate further. . 24 . tt:lb8 2 6 .c7 b6 - . .tt:le5 + dxeS 2 9 . but the eagle-eyed and unemotional Fritz sug­ gests the even stronger (though less striking) : 2 4 . all the tactical motifs are retained. on which the variations that occur in the game are based. . .ii.b3-a4! It must be noted that.!:Ixe4! 'iVxe4 2 S .b6xc7 tt:Je4xc3 tt:Jc3xe2 Black had to see beforehand that the en­ emy queen and bishop are not danger­ ous here.�xb 8 + �d7 and White has to resign ( 2 8 . .hxg3 tt:lxb6 2 7 . but at the same time inaccurately (or perhaps it is better to say. �xb6 l:hg 3 ) 25 .ii.x e5 will be met by 2 3 . What is surprising is that in this move order. . �a8 + (if 2 5 . e 3 ti:JdS and Black is win­ ning. 23.!::i. . if deeply. . It is only necessary to find the right move-order: 24 . . The result here can be attributed to ' the luck of the strong ' . but as we saw above. only in this case they work in White's favour! From this we can conclude that Tal quickly and accurately divined all the hidden resources of the position. �xf3 + 2 8 J lg2 tt::l f4. 38. 27.!:!. . 34. 248 .. b2-b4 �a4-b3 c2-c3 a2-a4 �g3-h3 a4xb5 'it>g1 -f2 wf2-e2 �b3xc4 b7-b5 f7-f5 'it>d8-e7 f5-f4 tt:Je5-c4 a6xb5 'it>e7-d6 e6-e5 b5xc4 . .U. 36.. tt::l xg 1 2 8 . 37. �b6xg1 27. of which only recently he had such high hopes. l:Ig2-g1 +! Not only strong.f1 xf3 J:If3-c3+ 'it>h1 xg1 l:ic3-g3 tt:Je2xg1 'it>c8-d8 d6-d5 �e7-g5 The resulting endgame is lost for White. The rest is clear and requires no commentary. 'i¥a7xg1 Alexander Nikitin . 39. but forced.t i 'if i i � . 31 .�e2 . �xf3 dS 3 0 .�xc6 tt::l gxf3 2 9 .. because now the white bishop remains out of play.g8xg1 + If instead White takes with the rook on g 1 then Black wins by 2 7 . . Other moves lose.. . largely because of the highly un­ fortunate position of his bishop. 30. 28. 35. . �c6xf3+! This is stronger than 2 7 . 40.T h e Enigma of C h ess I n t u i t ion • . 32.t i i � 25 . . 29. 33. 26. let us take some of those names. l::i. Tal and Karpov. Morphy was ex­ ceptionally correct at the board.lla8 �xc3 + ! 49. based on a miscalculation.Chapter 3 41 . but in his best years. A no less interesting and impor­ tant question is the connection be­ tween: I ntuition and nerves Here. Smyslov. We know even more about Vasily Smyslov and Anatoly Karpov. one must conclude that he was insufficiently good in this respect. confi­ dent in himself and always calm.fS �eS 4S . as an especially deli­ cate thing. to work at full ef­ We have already spoken briefly about inspiration. we will talk about how the condi­ tion of the player's nervous system im­ pacts on the quality of his intuitive de­ cisions (or even on the ability to make them at all ! ) . Paul Morphy It is widely known that this poor Amer­ ican chess genius suffered for a large part of his fairly short life from serious psychiatric problems. l:lf8 �g7 4 7 . 0-1 As we see. But could it be part of the reason why one of the greatest chess geniuses of all time gave up practical play so early that he found it increasingly difficult to maintain this calm in the face of events at the board? Jose Raul Capablanca Much more is known of him. l:!. which is essential to cre­ ativity. in order fectiveness. . but from the testimony of his contemporaries. and see what we know about the nervous systems of these players. 43. �d2 We6 4 6 . As far as their nervous systems were con249 . this could easily have ended in another fiasco for Tal. And this is the as­ pect that so interests us. 42. he was calm at the board and nerves did not seem to affect his play in those days. It is logical to suggest that: Intuition. This personal weakness caused him to suffer setbacks against especially persistent and sophis­ ticated calculators. Indeed. e 8 + Wd7 48 . of whom we have already spoken earlier: Morphy. the present author has had the pleasure of encountering them both over the board and away from it. From this.Wxc3 f2 SO .l:rf8 e 3 . 44. We will seek the answer to this by looking at the situation with the greatest players of the intuitive tendency. He was a temperamental man ( ' His Spanish blood played its part' . requires extra condi­ tions.Botvinnik) . It would appear (although I am not a specialist and so cannot speak with cat­ egorical certainty about this) that a per­ son with such characteristics ought to be vulnerable.l:[h3-h5 h2-h4 we2-d1 llh5-f5 e5-e4 f4-f3+ �g5-f4 and White resigned. - The E l ements of C h ess I n t u i tion So. . Capablanca. and was in gen­ eral an impressionable person. without giving his opponent the chance to demonstrate the nice finish 44. At the same time. And based on Tal's example. observing people in different circumstances. From this it follows that: Third: Having a strong nervous system is a necessary condition for a player to be able to make effec­ tive use ofhis intuition. there always stood out an unshakeable belief in his own strength. My experience of many years. and not to be misunderstood. Second: However. very strong ner­ vous system. It is also well-known that when he was in good shape physically. what we have said above does not in any circum­ stances mean that any player with a strong nervous syste m will have intuition in sufficient quantity to be effective. Tal had a great capacity for work at the board. and if such a person is endowed with a particularly powerful intuition. Alexander Roshal. this is what Alexander Roshal. it can happen that even such a person can lose his head in an extremely complicated situation. it is possible to draw up some generalisations. the presence of a great capacity for work. on which he balanced all 250 his life ' . S o a s not t o mislead the reader. Many people would like to know where this precious quality comes from. my aim is to advance the proposi­ tion that: Only strong nerves allow a chess player's intuition to function productively. no 1 1 . then in the maj ority of cases it will show itself to its best ad­ vantage. but by no means least quality. since I have a concrete impression of him. but it is not a sufficient condition. wrote in an article dedicated to what would have been Tal's 7 O th birthday : 'The well-known axiom claims that all illness is the result of nerves. long-time editor of the leading Russian periodical 64. both in their best years and later. As regards the last. and a strong. But Tal had iron nerves and it was they which helped him fight his illness. Tal's chess talent was known and obvi­ ous to all for many years. he was one of the greatest geniuses in the history of chess. sug­ gests that it is built on three pillars: nat­ ural talent for the thing the person does. bringing definite benefits. 64. Tal's reverse axiom. and start worrying. 2 0 0 6 . In Tal's play. who knew Tal very well over the course of many years . without serious failures. But this happens rarely to people with good nervous systems. whereupon even the most remarkable intuition can work badly. I will add several observations: First. having known him well for many years. . but this quality was not especially no­ ticeable when it came to regular inde­ pendent work at home. the case is best summed up by say­ ing ' Let God give all of us such nerves' ! I have most of all to say on this topic concerning Mikhail Tal.The Enigma of C h ess I n t u i t i on cerned. They were the tightrope. since once we pass beyond certain limits. the effective working of the intuition? The key thing here is the factor we have already looked at. and the experi­ ence of life does indeed confirm this. And this is what happens to people who are under stress. so good. and the speed with which that information is processed. it can no longer be called intuition at all. and consequently a total failure of the mechanism of intuition. or completely misjudge their importance. he can easily lose sight of various circum­ stances.Chapter 3 In other words. But why do I single out such an extremely useful quality of the human organism as a strong nervous system. but by rely­ ing on stereotypes (remember what we said about Pattern Recognition?) . namely the special importance of rapidly and accurately picking up a mass of basic details. we can easily imagine the ruinous effect caused by failing to withstand nervous tension. and. if there is something to help! The player also needs the intuition itself. as being especially connected with the working. It will also be useful to say a few words about: - The Elements o f Chess Intu i t i o n I ntuition and the speed of play The Russian psychologists N. we should also speak about the speed of operation of the in­ tuition itself. then the number of mistakes made increases fifteen-fold! This is partly explained by the fact that. When there is no time to think out a decision. but instead. So far. decisions tend to be made on the basis not of actual data. in such situations. the chain of rea­ soning is not built. first and most importantly on the accuracy of the perception of all these details. And if we think about this problem. It even happens that he looks at an ob­ j ect. and I. we substitute stereotypes. as a subjective represen­ tation of the actual situation. Makvorse discovered an interesting law: if we increase fivefold the number of decisions to be made in a fixed amount of time. a strong nervous system can only help. Consequently. will vary from person to person. A similar thing happens to a chess player who is in a state of nervous ex­ citement. although not greatly. the speed with which the intuition works also varies from person to person. which reflect not so much the objective reality. We are now at the stage in our re­ searches where we can provide a more extensive definition of intuition in chess. and does not see it for what it really is. 25 1 . I emphasise. Whilst we have already spoken about speed. After all. but sees it in a completely dis­ torted form. It is logical to assume that both the speed with which the eye takes in infor­ mation. and it is only the combination of these two components that can be re­ garded as a sufficient condition. with the result that he forms an inadequate impression of the situa­ tion on the board. if such tension affects someone in ordinary life. and the time has come to take the risk: we have to dive into some deep water. using methods not based on consciousness. Of course. as a result of some fairly simple operation. and at the same time largely to ig­ nore many other possibilities. But at the same time. I would remind you. However. and is accessible to our senses. trying to be objective. I explained this strange contradiction by the fact that. Here there is a contradiction. But OK. whilst playing the best moves at the board. As Lenin put it: 'Matter is the objective reality given to us in sensation' (Ah. This allows him to concentrate his at­ tention on a small number of possible lines. we have established that for in­ tuition to work well. this is not so. Even so. 252 . although . But it can be put off no longer. will try to deal with all the possibilities in the position and will sometimes not cope very well with this task. However. and commit mistakes in analysis. how well we learnt our Marxism­ Leninism . At first. as we have seen. such a player. . . we are talking here only of chess. or which may arise on the board in the near future. they proceed to a large ex­ tent on the basis of intuition. the greatest mas­ ters can make childish mistakes in com­ mentary. and have de­ ferred its explanation until a later point. I would not withdraw either of the claims I made. And one more thing: in writing com­ mentaries. two important decisions in non-standard situa­ tions. but on other mechanisms. one must distinguish ordinary calcula- Where do you live: in the mountains or in the swa mp? This book is coming to an end. the bot­ tom ofwhich is not fully visible. This moment is a propitious one for ex­ plaining yet another significant issue: how.T h e E n i g m a o f C hess Intui tion Intuition in chess helps us make These mechanisms allow us to foresee (at varying distances) what will be the influence on the subsequent develop­ ment of events. and we must now speak about this subj ect. intuition appears rather a mystical substance. These factors give rise to a paradox. Intuition exists objectively in the real world. although not as simply and obviously as calculation and assessment. of this or that detail that already exists. which appears to serve players in a way different from ordinary calculation technique. I have repeatedly reminded the reader about the mysterious mechanism by which intuition operates. at the board. This happens as follows: ' short­ term tactics' and the subsequent work­ ing of the intuition shows the player the direction in which he should search. this approach succeeds mainly in one who is endowed by na­ ture with a powerful intuitive gift. To many people. Both of them can co­ exist. And players who are very good at one function are not always equally good at the other.I can remember this quote without even needing to check the sources!) . tion and tactics from short-term tactics. later I claimed that at the basis of the in­ tuitive taking of decisions lies the abil­ ity to see short-term tactics. Of course. in the overwhelming ma­ jority of cases. indeed! To make successful use of the re­ sults of a high-quality examina­ tion of the position. but some other aspect ofour organism. we confi­ dently and faultlessly (unless we are feeling ill or drunk! ) manage to evalu- - The E l ements of Chess I n t u i t i o n ate the speed and direction in which both we and the other person are mov­ ing.. then it follows that the nature of this 'something else' should interest us. To take one very simple example: a man is walking along the street. Maybe something else is also needed? Yes. This talent is the most obscure part of the intuitive taking of decisions. to the fragment from the game Kramnik­ Anand. but on some other means. I would emphasise that the important thing here is that. But what precisely it consists of. and to calculate without error so-called 'short-range tactics' . we also need to add a defmite natural talent. and the only way a human has to take decisions and act. Here. . Yet. Daily life regularly proves otherwise. Even more than that: without its involvement. it would be wrong to think that this gift of intuition is something special.. together with the calculation of short­ range tactics. I would like to take the reader back to the very start of the book. based not on conscious thought.l:Ib7 ?? but smelt a rat and decided to stick with 36 . and can recall how we solve the problem of avoiding a colli­ sion without any calculation of direc­ tions. . either our own or the other per­ son's. We have all been in such a situation in­ numerable times. All the necessary changes in movement of our legs and body are ac­ complished. we can see that what we are de­ scribing here has much in common with the function of intuition. Thus. and someone else is walking directly towards him. the process occurs under the direction not of conscious­ ness. . since only in that case will our ma­ noeuvres of legs and body be success­ ful. However. but on the basis of some other source. These conditions are necessary. Belgrade Investbanka. c4-c3 253 . is not as yet quite clear. Since intuition is actuated not con­ sciously. 1 9 9 7 and Anand's note: • 'I considered playing 3 6 . but not sufficient for a totally reliable construction. . requiring that we divine accurately a host of details and perform with a high degree of execution. without the involvement of our consciousness.Chap ter 3 abilities are necessary: the ability to ex­ amine the position. this is a complicated process. when one thinks about it. in this and other similar day-to-day situations in life. and such like. But since the geographical location of the intuitive ability is not very im­ portant to our topic. although for many years. 37. as Anand does above. That is the area which receives and processes informa­ tion without the involvement of the conscious! Not myself being qualified to debate the rights and wrongs of this conclu­ sion. considers that he cannot trust this ' dark matter' . who. people have been accus­ tomed to speak of the ability to foresee events as involving smell. . Roger Wolcott Sperry. as a result of his researches. by itself. ilh3xe61? thanked my intuition for choosing 3 6 . for instance. I am happy to ac­ cept the view of the great expert. will not be able to play well. In considering various aspects of our chosen subject. when. it must be borne in mind that intuition. However. understands positions poorly and is weak in the technical phase of the game. but who calculates variations badly.literally. amongst whom there may well be some who are 254 in a position to form their own opin­ ion. both in chess and in life generally. l:[b 7 ? ?' Let us now boldly assert that the great­ est mystery of intuition is its nature. came to the conclusion that a person's intu­ itive abilities reside in the right hemi­ sphere of the brain. having by nature a strong intu­ ition. there is another. I think we can agree that all such expressions are more a question of tradition and idiom. when speaking of the ' sixth sense ' . and we must seek our true answer elsewhere. l:rb 7 ?? loses to 3 7 . Here I cannot help recalling with regret my own experience. the nature of which does not lend itself to rational explanation. and consider that we can end the discussion at this point. In chess. . I present it to my readers. a feeling in the stomach.T h e Enigma o f C hess I n t u i tion In fact 3 6 . everything is inter­ connected. I think we can safely say the organ in question is not the nose. in other words : which organ it resides in (just as the working of the conscious is generally accepted to take place in the brain) . Such people often miss the critical moment. I have in mind those cases where someone endowed by nature with a strong intuition. use the term 'Bauchgefiihl' . . I lacked the courage to trust my intuition! . than of a serious suggestion as to the physical source of intuition. The Germans. without the involvement of other methods. . . I turned to the work of the American neurologist and Nobel Prize laureate.ihe6 + ! . However. c3 over 3 6 . and one must understand this. This is con­ nected in a definite way with the oft-mentioned atmosphere of mystery surrounding the whole question of in­ tuition. in a couple of situations that subsequently turned out to have considerable influence on the future. What I have in mind is that a person. is relatively ineffective. In the search for more reliable informa­ tion on this matter. rather unex­ pected side to the question. deliberately ig­ nores its voice ! This happens when he. clearly and precisely. when the blessed gift Ofimmortal genius. But I will speak further about the role of intuition in this process. It consists in the fact that the tiny distance which separates a real genius from a highly talented.cannot we take these words as applying per­ fectly to the cases of Capablanca and Tal. in the calculation process. please allow me to present an­ other quotation: Where is thejustice. one is helped by experience and intuition. chess player) . It is: - T h e E l ements of C h ess In t u i t i o n When should one stop ca lculating variations? In my book How to Calculate Chess Tac­ tics. comes not as a reward Forfervent love or self-denial. It happens that one can do no more thanfeel the answer. The following example is on this theme. where does it come from? Probably the same place as the intuition. since intuition itself is some kind offeeling. It is one I very much like. And the thought occurs to me . extremely hardworking individual (in our case. as this is clear enough. diligent. I have reason to want to add a few additional considerations here. only a fairly solid conviction. I do not have any exact proof of it. and also the two archetypal in­ tuitive players? In connection with them. or whether the time has come to stop and concern oneself with an as­ sessment of the position. But shines its light instead On the head ofa madmen or idler? (Alexander Pushkin. something which is hard to prove. is the difference in the degree of the natural power of their in­ tuition. without knowing what will hap­ pen precisely. Mozart and Salieri) Here. From this. the same thing can be said about the feeling for when to stop cal­ culating or not. I draw the conclusion that the feeling in question is very much within our sphere of in­ terest. But first. In compli­ cated situations. They concern the question: what is it that helps a player correctly identify the moment at which it is necessary either to stop or to continue calculating? In the above-mentioned book. but even so. diligence or prayer. as always with Pushkin. I said that here. Here. and I 255 . a whole chapter is devoted to this topic. Obviously. Thus. But what is this feeling. there frequently comes a point when one has to take a decision as to whether one should continue calculat­ ing. the generally acknowledged chess ge­ niuses. every­ thing that needs saying is said. and more in the nature of a personal opinion. I will finally re­ veal the opinion which I have held for a long time. The last subject which we have still to speak about has already been referred to a number of times.for Hard work. allowing one to guess orfore­ see events.Chapter 3 One other consideration arises from my personal experience of life. I have nothing to say about expe­ rience. it can be extremely dif­ ficult to find the answer to this ques­ tion. and as we approach the cur­ tain-call of this book. .g2+ S O . as the following variations demonstrate: 45. . but it turns out that realising it is far from simple. 45 . .a7 fxeS 46.d2 �fS 47 . and then to e6.lla8+ �c8 48 . the difficulty is that such retreating moves. Wxe6 46 .th 2 Wc7 (49 .lle2+ 'i!i.!::!. h2 46 . I cannot look at it without a feel­ ing of wonder. . <. Lessons in Chess Strategy (the present book corrects some of the previous commentary) . Tal. White had to see this position and find the text move. Mikhail Trifunovic.tg3-h2! White's advantage is indisputable. I cannot count the number of times I have seen it. when I first saw this ex­ ample. Mikhail Tal demonstrates an astounding solution. Wh l ) S O .td8 48.a 2-a7+ �e6-d7 The pawn ending is also lost after 46 .l:txh2 l:!.xh2 47 . 'i!i.l:ta8 . and also because it is so lovely in itself. Tal did not stop calculating ! .Petar Palma de Mallorca. 1 96 6 Other continuations also fail t o improve Black's fate : 45 . . 45 . �h2 fxeS 46. which improves all of these variations. even though material is level and it is his move! But even this is not all! I very well re­ member that. D 47. both because of its close connection with our subject. even though I have already used it in my previous book. .l:!. in the middle of an offensive. 45.fxe5 h2 . . And although the variation hith­ erto is quite short. and the rook to e4.�g2 and White wins easily.tg4 and then the king comes to fS . .i. what astonished me more than anything was the fact that having reached this position in his calculations. are very hard to spot.l:!..�xh 3 + We7 47 . but even now. .. And whilst finding the solu­ tion is one thing.�h2 . .l:lxc8+.'i!i.f8 with counterplay in all cases.�a6 l:lg8+ 49. . winning. calculating the consequences is another. Wd8 47 .. 46.d6+ We7 48. e5-e6!! 256 �d7xe6 In calculating his 45th move.exf6+ 'i!i.The Enigma o f Chess I n t u i t i on cannot resist presenting it again here. It was even harder to see that now Black is lost.l:!.'�xh2 �xe6 48 . or 45 .txf6 46 . The example is too good to leave out.bd7 �xd7 49. .fxe5 J::l.l:!. I still think the same. .. at the end of a long and diverse calculation. any further thought about the position means to keep calculating ! There is no general positional assessment here everything hangs on specific calculation.ih3xf5 . b4-b5! But not 48 . but I am convinced that the miraculous working of the intuition was still more difficult and striking. I thought about this and decided that this was some kind of impulse.l:i. .f5 + �e7 49.l:!'. but proceed from something else. as we will soon see. about his good fortune in avoiding a tempting continuation. some 'internal voice' . drawing. 47. . Examples are Anand's words. Find­ ing such a move with the position on the board in front of one is not difficult.l:!c6-d6 52.b5 .Chapter 3 . 'it>h2-g3! A magnificent concluding stroke. b5xc6 51 . although now I can base this view more on my own experience and knowledge. .d6xd7 'it>e8xd7 .ic8 49 . Wd8 48 . . We now know that this is intuition. And it is precisely this decision of Tal's that seems to me to be the most impor­ tant.t>e6-f7 1 -0 257 . but to foresee it earlier.b5 . of course he was able to see everything right through to the end. 48.l::rh 4 49. .ll h 8-h5 Another key moment. 48. but frighteningly strong b-pawn.c5xc6 .The El ements o f Chess I n t u i t i o n And s o I started wondering. It is amazing that Black is completely unable to prevent the advance of the modest-looking.t>d7-e6 <. Also losing are 4 7 . Once Tal decided not to stop his calcu­ lations here. 49. what had made him keep calculating? What told him to go further? The point is that in this position. interesting and difficult part of this ending.ie2 ? . 55.xf4.. 'it>e6 48. . .l::l. . The calculation work itself was outstanding and far from simple. .l:i.l:ra7xd7 . . is another matter entirely! 52. 57.if1 xh3 50. 56.a 8+ .h5xc5 f6-f5 ..ia6 and 47 .. These decisions are not the result of logical consideration. 53 .if5xd7+ 'it>g3-g4 'it>g4-g5 �g5-f5 we7-e8 l:i. 54. 'iVxg2 'fHf6 + 3 7 . d4xe5 31 . \t>h 1 -h2 l:i. . . 'iVd2-d3 Beautiful. but it requires cal­ culation.\t>g4 �xg2 ! ) 3 S . .g3 leads to the follow­ ing : 3 3 . 258 f5xe4! e4-e3 32 .l:!. . and there is nothing to attack. . At first. 'iVgS ! was also winning) and it becomes clear that White is totally helpless. Ilya Nyzhnyk.f8-f1 + Here is another example on this theme. 30. it features one of the bright­ est stars of the future.Vitaly Nyzhnyk.e1 xe3 There is no alternative. but he clearly felt that this po­ sition should be examined further. and instead consider how best to pre­ pare the offensive? I do not know exactly what Nyzhnyk thought. The magnificent bishop on the long diagonal is also typical for the structure. should we forget about thoughts of a quick win. \t>xg3 'fHxe S + 3 S . At the same time. 32.T h e Enigma o f C hess I n t u i t i on A real masterpiece of accuracy and ele­ gance. though.l:!.'iVd4 . \t>h4 ( 3 5 . this one move by itself is not the point. So. This time it is a very modern one. Black's whole subsequent play is based on a series of tactical blows.Illya Herceg Novi jr 2008 But once we reach this position in our calculations. .xg3 3 4 . but relatively simple finishes are 3 3 . The concen­ tration of Black's heavy pieces on the kingside simply demands that this bishop be included in the game. . . . 31 .\t>xh l 'iVfl + with mate on g 2 . things are simple : 29. what next? Black is a piece down. 'iVg6-f5! ( 3 2 . whilst 3 3 .e2 'iVxh3 + ! ! and 3 3 . . Con­ sequently.l:!. . the sacrifice which follows is highly tempting.l:!. �xg2 ! 3 6 . and moreover.l:!..'iVgs l:i. he has not even a check.. and the result was that he played It is obvious at once to the experienced eye that we have before us a position from the Sicilian.h l + ! 3 4. whom we have already met before in this book. Sivuk. 33.f4+ . .. Wh 5 "iff7 + 3 9 . . e5xd6 wh1 -g1 :c!. 45. 40.1 6 championship. :c!. .g3 (there is nothing better) the simple 34 . "ifxh 3 + 3 5 .c2-c8+ �e3-e4 Wg8-g7 0-1 Although not yet twelve years old at the time.f1 -h1 + 36.xh3 :c!.ti. . Although I have no wish to interfere in the work of Ilya and his coaches. this is already the second time that we have seen him miss a simpler and more obvious tactical fin­ ish. .:: . 46. Ai : lS 'iV. although it is not too difficult to wrap up the win.c2-f2 tt:Jc3-e2 tt:Je2-f4 tt:Jf4-h3 Wg1 -h2 :c!. 41 . Wh 6 40. 38. . 33 . However. .f4-f2 . 42. itxg2 ! possibly because he missed that after 34..h 1 mate.�xh4 � g 6 mate.f2-c2 "ifg3xh3+! �h3-d3 �d3xd6 wh8-g8 "ifd6-e5 "ife5-e3 "ife3xa3 "ifa3-e3 e6-e5 34. he missed this because he had seen an­ other tactical possibility. 44. 37. Ilya won this European U.ti. :c!. Wh2xh1 "iff4xg3 46. alas. - The E l em en ts o f C hess I n t u i t i on Black has won the queen..Chapter 3 3 8 . 47. with eight points out of nine! 259 .g8xg3 35. 43. "iff5-f4+ Here. "ifd3xg3 :c!.:c!. ... but he still faces some work.. 39.f2-f4 :c!.e3-g3 :c!. Ilya misses the elementary (for a player of his level) win 3 3 . im­ posed on us by our talent at birth. body) will do it of their own accord. on the basis of which the decision was taken. trying to see all the details of the position. is to look at how to train these two abilities. you will learn to master the essence of this work. followed by drawing conclusions from what one has seen. train yourself so that every time you encounter any chess position. that is. the only sensible recommendation. do not simply note these features. and it makes no sense to repeat ourselves. that is. make the habit into an automatic reflex. I will try to imagine how one can set about raising the level of one's unconscious operation. but only up to that maximum ceiling. try to reach independent conclusions about what you have seen. And just like other qualities.The Enigma o f C h ess I n t u i t i on So. even still at the first stage. for example. however. just because I have not ever seen a clear blueprint for improving one's intuition. now virtually everything I wish to say has been said. boxers and masters of other sport­ ing disciplines) say: 'Do it 5 0 0 times. in any circumstances. in which important decisions were taken. and your legs (hands . and even if you . In other words. Given that our researches in this book have established that the basis of intu­ ition is a complex of examining the po­ sition and short-range tactics. I believe this one can be developed with training. When this ability comes. with sufficiently detailed notes.at first. expressed in words. although I should say that my many years of expe­ rience as a trainer have taught me that everybody has this quality to some ex­ tent. one can also achieve definite progress in this area. I would advise you to train yourself to make this examination a per­ manent feature of your approach to any posi­ tion. The first of these is the 'simple' exami­ nation of the position. So. and learn to look and see. and by following the explanations. one's tactical vision or technique for realising advantages. I am not about to throw up my hands helplessly. but in differing amounts. my advice is: Test your ability to look and see everything that is important. but try to under­ stand what you have seen. In the process. There remains only one more. The first steps in this direction should consist of taking a selection ofgames by the strongest possible players. oneself ex­ amine the critical moments. training this ability is more complicated than training. to train one's abilities in this area. traditional section for any textbook: Trai ning It is evident that few have the gift of great intuition from birth. As footballers (and also basketball play­ ers. They reflect the popular view 260 of the problem of the examination. But we have already spoken of this. That is not my way. I must warn you straightaway . in which I am firmly convinced. But gradually. The inverted commas are not there by accident. However. you automatically start by examining the position. I also believe that if one tries. you will not find this at all easy. Nimzowitsch­ Capablanca. until they become automatic. where exactly the same method can also be employed. As a result. I have tried. still copes very poorly when it comes to assessing the consequences of situations. and it is these that I have most often examined . that is. The first is already well-known to us. The same thing we have said here also applies to the realm of short-range tac­ tics. I cannot. But these people. must 'cultivate our own gardens' . for exam­ ple. we can some­ times confidently detect its use in the fact that a player acts contrary to the ac­ cepted canons of his time. and in especially sharp cases. which do not lend themselves to accurate calculation. and do not wish to. another aspect of the subject is clearly to be seen. you will notice to your surprise that you suddenly be­ come significantly better at ' guessing' the future on the chessboard! That is. St. here we are talking about or­ dinary mortals.when it is not realistic to - The E l ements o f C hess I n t u i t i on take a decision on the basis of ordinary calculation and/ or assessment in a highly complicated position. to demonstrate thefact ofintuition being used.Chapter 3 consciously try to act differently. Of course. they will take over automatically and act in the normal way! ' . deny this possibility. We. 261 . who are so striking and effec­ tive in the way they use intuition. on the other hand. when the silicon monster has made its presence felt in chess in a de­ finitive way. one which could not be seen in the pre-computer era. But in this book. of course. It only remains for me to say a few part­ ing words. This is shown most clearly in the fact that the computer. And. Messi's legs.a masterpiece for all time! The subject of intuition was always in­ teresting in its rather mysterious ori­ gins. In such situations. as were Capablanca's eyes and head. and gradu­ ally work up to such a state of affairs. and so in­ tuition cannot be avoided. where it was possible in principle to dispense with intuition. But in our day. you will have developed important intuitive capabilities. as I have stressed many times. were probably like that from the very start. in posi­ tions where the correct decision can perfectly well be taken on the basis of calculation or normal positional assessment. it has become clear that the intuitive method of taking decisions represents the direct opposite of the computer method. such as dazzling geniuses like Capablanca and Tal. Proof can usually be found in two situa­ tions. we get a game such as. but the player nevertheless used this gift. after having diligently and regu­ larly trained these basic abilities. it is neverthe­ less taken by means of intuition. regarding an aspect of the construction of this book. for example. for all its speed and depth of calculation. The second is when the decision could have been based on calculation or assessment (most often some combination of the two) . Nowa­ days. in­ stead of getting a cake baked in accor­ dance with the standard recipe and tast­ ing the same as usual. The issue is this: I cannot ex­ clude the possibility that quite often. are geniuses. as Jar as it is possible to do so. Petersburg 1 9 1 4 . way beyond the capacity of any human. which might otherwise give rise to questions from the reader. the population wanted to know the truth from those who knew. is multi-sided and difficult to prove. having felt only one bit of the elephant. in our day it is the main. They could not imagine the whole. said the one who had felt its leg and foot. both in the play and in the com­ mentaries. since none had the knowledge of his blind companions. when analysing the masterpieces of the past with the help of an analysis engine. I am prepared for any critical observations. A Sufi proverb 'Behind the mountains. Being deeply ignorant themselves. as regards the source of intuition and its varied manifestations. one comes across many mis­ takes. it is powerful and strong. they began to feel the an­ imal from all sides. I will show you a very interesting piece of an­ cient Eastern wisdom. These mistakes almost al­ ways arise in calculation. and each was far from the truth. like a pil­ lar' . Here is what they said: The one who had felt its ear said: 'It is something big. One day. Each one had felt only one bit of the el­ ephant. Not having the slightest idea what an elephant was. The one who had felt its trunk said: 'No it's not. which. Each one of them. if not the only weapon with which the human player can hope to fight against the computer over the chessboard. The material which we have studied in this book. Amongst his forces was a large. All of the residents of the city were anxious to know: what is an elephant? So several representa­ tives of the blind population were sent to the enemy camp. they were surrounded by the inquisitive population. you can­ not manage with ordinary intelligence' . to find out. secondly. 262 not far from the city. It is a long straight tube. The created being does not understand the Divine. fighting elephant. and. As one of my friends said to me. very powerful and destructive' . which we cannot see or feel. 'No. broad and rough. it seems to me. thought he now knew everything about this creature. in which all of the inhabitants were blind. The mere sight of it was enough to terrify its enemies. lends itself to precisely such situations. like a carpet' . Each of the experts was keen to explain what the elephant was. They each imagined something about the ele­ phant. there was a great city. In this discipline. on the other hand. as I have said many times. deeply and very successfully de­ scribes the secret in which we are interested. is able to pro­ duce surprisingly accurate forecasts of a wholly unclear future. Today. the percentage of mistakes is incomparably smaller! We have reached the end of a very diffi­ cult piece of research. and a strong intuition firstly. Therefore. When they returned to the city.The E n i g m a of C hess I n t u i t i on Intuition. But in those cases where the decision was taken in­ tuitively. I n conclusion. an invading king and his army set up camp in the desert. 'No­ body forced you to climb on the cac­ tus ! ' . and each described it incor­ rectly. which was famous for its many successful bat­ des. . Index of Players Numbers refer to pages. 228. 40-43 . 69. 1 73. 45. 2 2 5 .6 7 . 25 3-2 54. 5 1 -5 3 . 2 1 3. 1 1 2 . 2 1 0. 1 60 . 49. 86-89 . 22-2 3 . 261 1 44.1 4 1 . 1 05 . 7 2 .1 0 1 .1 2 0 Miles 45-5 1 . 1 3 5 . 2 2 2-224. 1 49. 240 10 Plato 85 Plutarch Polugaevsky 1 0 7 .1 1 0 . 1 83 . 1 9 6 . 246-247 1 49. 5 3 . 6 7 . 1 0 1 .1 8 2.1 5 6 . 9 8 . 1 3 1 .7 8 . 1 7 3 . 222 Movsesian 255 Mozart N K 1 42 . 2 3 8 226-227 Appel 203 -204 Avrukh B 216 Bacrot 1 2 . 45 .1 1 8 . 228 Bolbochan 22 1 Boleslavsky 1 0 1 .1 46 . 7 6. 2 0 2 . 80. 1 0 1 . 2 1 9. 90-92. 1 7 8 Anand 1 6. 249 1 8 1 . 47. 228. 5 3 -54. 1 92 Marshall 86 Medina Garcia 226 Meier 26 1 Messi 99. Morphy 2 3 8 .1 7 9 F 26. 54-5 5 . 1 3 8 .3 7 . 202. 5 9 . 1 1 1 . 229. 1 09. 3 7 -40. 2 1 1 Bernstein 50 Bird 86 Bisguier 10 Boethius 43 Bogdanovic Bogoljubow 6 3 . 2 5 8 p 1 5.1 9 2 . 2 5 5 . 1 90 . 234-235 Keres 1 3 1 . 45 . 9 7 . 240-244. 1 3 1 . 1 8 1 79 8 5 . 1 04. 8 5 .1 3 3 . Ponomariov 1 54. 9 5 . 92-94. 1 0 8 . 2 2 1 .1 44 240 42. 5 8-60 25 1 Makvorse.1 5 0 . 2 1 2. 232.7 2 . 1 8 2 .1 2 7 . 47. 25 1 Makvorse.1 05 . 1 98 . 240 G Geller 40.1 5 5 Pachman Panov Petrosian 263 . 47. Capablanca 5 3 -7 1 . 1 18 1 3 6 . 1 90.1 5 1 . 2 1 9 98. 3 2 -3 3 . 1 7. 26 1 Carlsen 2 8 .1 6. 1 60. 1 0 7 Botvinnik 1 2. 1 0 7 . 5 9 . 1 9 8-203.1 7 . 8 3 . 1 00 . 3 3 . 240 9 1 -9 2 .1 8 Giorgadze 1 84 Grigoriev H Hartoch Hecht Hort Hou Yifan Kramnik 1 6. 94-9 5 . E A 10 Ackroyd 1 87 . 9 7. 3 1 . 228.1 1 1 . 3 5 .1 89 Akopian Alekhine 69-70. 240 1 2 . 9 7 . I l l .1 8 Bednarski 54-5 5 . 1 7 8 . 2 1 2-2 1 3 . 249 . 2 5 3 229 Kryavkin L 49. 2 3 2 . 9 7 . 7 2 . 1 1 2 . 1 7 8.I. 97. 2 2 9 . 1 0 7 . 1 2 6.1 3 2 . 2 2 9 .1 0 2 . 239 Chigorin 10 Christie 1 13 Chumak D Damocles Damsky Donner 1 25 121 12. 230-233 . 2 1 6 . 9 7 . 2 5 7 Anderssen 1 9 . 1 8 0. 1 40 206 I Ioffe Itkis Ivanchuk 171 1 44 2 1 5 -2 1 6 J Janowski 54. 45. 2 1 3 229 Khalifman 23 8-239 Kieseritzky Kortchnoi 6 3 . 1 03 . 1 1 7. 49. 2 8 . 1 3 4. Fischer 63. 1 3 5 Bykhovsky 1 80 c 45. 1 0 1 . 1 1 9.1 1 5 . 64. 249 Bronstein 98. 96-98. 1 1 2. 7 7 . 249 Kasparov 2 6 . 1 7. 240-24 1 . 2 2 1 252 Lenin 171 Liberman 1 17 Lilienthal 20 1 Ljubojevic 203 Lopez Martinez Lasker M 1 69 1 13. 245-247 Kamsky Kapengut Karpov Najdorf Nikitin Nimzowitsch Nyzhnyk 213 246-247 68-7 1 . 12 2 . Bondarevsky 1 00 . 30-3 1 . 3 9-40.1 82. 72.1 8 0 . 1 5 3 . 9 7-98. 9 8 . 1 97 . 17 Epicurus Euwe 10 9 7 .N. 1 9 6. 93. 1 0 1 . 6 7 . 43-44.1 8 . 45.1 3 2 . 1 1 4. 9 2 . 1 60 . 1 74. 228 Sperry 254 Stein 9 8 .1 2 8 . 97-98.1 3 1 .1 98 220 250 5 5 . 1 3 0 . 84 221 1 98-200 256 v Vallejo Pons 206. 1 2 7 .1 04.1 1 1 . 2 1 0-2 1 4 s Salieri 255 Sasikiran 1 42 Schmid 1 74 1 8 7 . 1 82. 9 7 .1 83 . 26 1 Tarrasch Tolush Torre Repetto. 9 8 . 9 7 . 4 7 . 1 1 0 .1 08 . 8 6 . 3 1 . 1 1 1 . 1 69 Steinitz 6 8 . 1 0 1 . 45 . 1 96. 72-85 . 2 1 5 .1 89.E Trifunovic 224 8 1 . 1 2 3 . 208 w Wasserman 10 y Yates 220 z Zukertort 1 9 . 2 1 3 .1 08 . 245 -247 . 249 Spassky 86-9 3 . 1 06. 240-242. 249-2 5 0 . 2 5 5 -2 5 7 . 95-99.T h e Enigma of C h es s In t u i ti on Pushkin 246. 8 5 . 1 0 7. 2 3 0 . Shirov 232-233 Short 234 Sivuk 258 264 Smyslov 47. 2 5 5 R Ragozin Reshevsky Reti Roshal Rubinstein 5 3-54 1 9 7. 1 8 2. 2 2-24.1 83 Tal 42-43 . 239 Stohl 234-235 Stout 1 76 73-74 Szabo T Taimanov 26.C Torre. Russian Chess House. von Weizsacker. My Great Predecessors. 2 0 0 6 Valeri Beim. Memoirs 'Retro'. Analytical and Critical Works. My Best Games. F&S. Russell Enterprises. RIPOL Classic. Moscow 1 9 6 6 Vasily Smyslov. Panov. Petrosian-Spassky 1 969. Moscow 1 9 8 2 Mikhail Tal. Adrian Mikhalchishin. Gambit Publications Ltd. Vol. 1 . Milford 2 0 0 5 Valeri Beim. Kindermann. R. Moscow 1 9 7 2 Garry Kasparov. The Grandmaster's Mind. 1 00 Games. 2004 Igor Stohl. GmbH. A Modern Perspective. N. My 6 0 Memorable Games. Paul Morphy. Moscow 2 0 0 9 Alexander Beliavsky.Bibliography St. F&S. Vol. Eterna. F&S. Der Konigsplan. How to Calculate Chess Tactics.5 Viswanathan Anand. Moscow 1 9 8 7 Paul Keres. Garry Kasparov's Greatest Chess Games. Attack with Mikhail Tal. Yakov Damsky. St Petersburg. Moscow 2 0 0 3 2 65 . Gambit Ltd. 2 Valeri Beim. F&S. Gambit Publications Ltd. Chronicle of Chess Creativity. 1 . 2 0 0 3 Grandmaster Polugaevsky. Ripol Classic. Moscow 1 9 7 0 Robert James Fischer. Capablanca. 2004 V. Intuition. series VShM. Moscow 2 0 0 6 Boleslavsky and Bondarevsky. Moscow 1 9 7 0 Mikhail Botvinnik. How to Play Dynamic Chess. 1 9 9 5 Mark Taimanov. Nauka Pobezhdat. Rowolt Velrlag. Moscow 2 0 0 8 Vasily Smyslov. F&S. 2 0 1 0 Amatzia Avni. F&S. series VShM. Moscow 'Mashinostroenniye' . K. . . . 6 8 Szabo . . . . . . . . 1 8 5 8 . . . 1 9 3 1 . . .Capablanca S t Petersburg preliminary. . . . . .Euwe Amsterdam m-9. . . . . . . . . . . . . .Capablanca New York Rice.Miles (fragment) Porz. . . . . . . . . .Schmid (fragment) Varna ol. . . . . . . 90 Spassky . . . . 1 44 Kramnik . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Morphy (fragment) Paris m-4. 2 0 0 9 . .Spassky Moscow Zonal. .1 . . . 99 Spassky . . . . . . . . . . .Capablanca (fragment) Moscow. . . .Keres Gothenburg Interzonal. 1 3 I Hort . . . .Zukertort (fragment) Barmen WSB-8 . . . 1 9 62 . . . . . 1 9 6 9 . . . . . . . . . . 1 9 6 1 . . I 9 7 I . . . .Keres (fragment) Oberhausen Ech-tt.Fischer Siegen ol. . . . . . . . . .Akopian (fragment) Oakham YM (U26) . . . . 2 0 1 0 . 1 9 1 8 . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 3 Geller . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 9 5 I . . .Movsesian (fragment) Donostia. . . . . . . . 1 9 9 7 . . . . . . 1 1 3 Tal . . 1 9 5 3 . . . . . . . . . . 1 6 9 Liberman . 2 0 0 9 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 4 Janowski . . 1 9 6 2 . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 3 Nimzowitsch . 40 Anderssen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 0 6 Karpov . 1 9 7 3 . 5 0 Bernstein . 1 3 6 Sasikiran . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 1 2 Tal . . 1 9 6 9 . . 1 9 67 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . I 9 1 4 . . . . . . 1 9 1 4 . . . . . . . . . .Pachman (fragment) Oberhausen Ech-tt. . . 2 8 Carlsen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 42 Nyzhnyk . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Bogoljubow London BCF Congress. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5 . .Hartoch (fragment) Amsterdam IBM. . . . 1 7 1 Spassky .Giorgadze (fragment) Tbilisi Goglidze mem. . . . 1 2 Botvinnik . . . . . . . . .Kortchnoi Moscow Candidates final m-2. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 6 Anderssen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 8 6 9 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Capablanca (fragment) New York. . . 8 6 Spassky . . . 1 8 1 Shirov . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 8 7 Marshall . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 9 5 6 . . . . . . . . 3 5 Fischer . . . I 8 58 . . . .Ponomariov Dortmund. 1 2 3 Bronstein . . 1 49 Stein . . . . . . . . 1 9 1 6 . . . 1 9 6 9 . . . . .Tal Tallinn. . . . . .Geller Monte Carlo. . . . .I . . . . . 7 6 Smyslov .Anand (fragment) Belgrade Investbanka. . . . . . 1 9 6 1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 9 64 . 1 9 0 267 .Petrosian Moscow Wch m. . . . . . .Donner (fragment) Amsterdam GAK. 1 9 62 . . . 1 9 8 2 . . . . . . . . . . 1 9 2 2 . . . . . .Petrosian Moscow Wch m. . . . . . . . . . . . . .Smyslov Moscow Alekhine mem.Kramnik Carlsen Wijk aan Zee Corus A . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Kongress. . . 2 0 0 9 . . . . . . 2 0 0 8 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Hecht Varna ol. . . . . . . 45 Bird . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Smyslov Zurich Candidates. . . . 1 74 Capablanca . . . . . . . . . . . .Morphy (fragment) London match. . . . . . . 1 5 Kramnik . . . . . . 1 9 7 0 . . 20 1 1 . . I 9 6 3 . . . . 1 9 5 5 . . . . . . . . . .Tolush (fragment) Leningrad Chigorin mem. . . . . . . . . . 8 1 Geller .Ioffe (fragment) USSR. . . . . . . .Itkis (fragment) Kiev V Nabokov mem.Game List Bednarski . . . . . 1 9 Taimanov . . . . . . . . .Fischer (fragment) Vancouver Candidates m. . . . . . 1 2 Botvinnik .Kamsky (fragment) Dresden ol. . . . . . 1 7 8 Karpov . . . . . . . . 2 6 Kramnik London Chess Classic. 5 8 Capablanca . 1 9 7 1 . . 1 9 74 . . . 1 1 9 Spassky . . . . . . 1 9 92 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 5 8 268 . . . 1 9 8 Avrukh . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 9 0 9 . . . . . .Bolbochan (fragment) Stockholm Interzonal. . . . . . . . . . 1 9 5 6 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Lopez Martinez (fragment) Novi Sad Ech-tt. . 2 0 0 0 . . 2 3 0 Kasparov . . . . . . 1 9 7 6 . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 3 8 Polugaevsky . . . . . . .Kramnik Wijk aan Zee Tata Steel A. . . . . . . . . 2 5 6 Sivuk .Kieseritzky (fragment) London. . 2 2 0 Torre Repetto . . . 2 1 0 Ivanchuk . . . . . . . . . . . 2 0 1 1 . . . . 1 9 6 2 .Reti (fragment) New York . . . . . . . . . . .Tal (fragment) Tbilisi ch-URS. . . . .Meier (fragment) Germany Bundesliga 2 0 1 0 / 1 1 . 2 0 0 9 . . . . . . . . . . . .Nyzhnyk (fragment) Herceg Novi j r 2 0 0 8 . . . . .Torre (fragment) Manila Interzonal. . . . . .Trifunovic (fragment) Palma de Mallorca. 1 8 5 1 . . . . 2 2 1 Movsesian . . . . 1 9 9 4 . . . . . . . 1 9 6 6 . . 2 2 1 Fischer . .T h e Enigma o f C hess I n t u i tion Polugaevsky . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . casual match. . . .Lasker (fragment) Moscow. . .Lasker S t Petersburg. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 9 2 4 . . . . . . . . . . . . 246 Tal . . .Tal Tbilisi. . . . . . . 19 9 6 . . 1 9 5 9 . . . . .Vallejo Pons (fragment) Wijk aan Zee Corus B. . . . 1 9 2 5 . . . . . 2 0 0 9 . . 2 2 6 Shirov . . . . . . . . .Short Amsterdam Euwe mem. . . . 2 3 4 Anderssen . . . . . 2 4 1 Nikitin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 0 3 Hou Yifan . . . . . . .Shirov Wijk aan Zee Hoogovens. . . . . . . . 2 1 5 Yates . . . . . . . . . . . .Kasparov (fragment) Sarajevo. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 2 2 Appel . . . . 2 0 6 Rubinstein . .