Here we are, at our last post on open dynamic games. This is basically the game that I wanted to show you since the beginning, but I felt I need to give you some context in order to appreciate it better. I believe that although not perfect, the game is a little brilliancy because it contains several very important lessons.
The first is that there is no such thing as dynamic and strategical games. You should always be able to switch from one to the other based on the requirements of the position (this does not mean that you may not prefer tactical or positional play. You can, but you must master both).
The second is that in order to take the advantage from the opening, unless of a big mistake from your opponent, you must play flexible moves that allows you to play several plans and types of positions.
The third, and mostly forgotten from chess literature - until I found an editor interested in the book I wrote :) - is that you must create problems for your opponent. You have to give him the chance to make a mistake because chess is essentially a problem-solving game.
The position below arose after 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 Nf6 4.0-0 d6 5.d4 Bd7 6.Nc3 Be7 7.Re1 exd4 8.Nxd4 Nxd4 9.Qxd4 Bxb5 10.Nxb5 0-0 (diagram). A position that you finally know better than the Holy Mary. White moves, think about it for 5 minutes.
I like Capablanca's move a lot 11.Qc3! If you are approaching the position from the "principle" you should always develop your pieces in the opening and bla bla bla, you are never going to find this move. Chances are you are going to move Bc1 somewhere. Instead, the move makes a lot of sense if you recall all the things we have said in the past posts.
White is 1) creating a small problem (the attack on the c7 pawn) but this needs to be solved. This fits with the idea of making a threat after the other, which is at the basis of dynamic games and the idea of initiative.
Moreover, 2) with this move, White prepare the transfer of the knight via d4 (strategy, positional play).
You still don't know which one is the best square for Bc1, so this is much more urgent and keeps your position more flexible. I would say that perhaps unsurprisingly, this is where Black made already a bad mistake; he decided to defend with 11...c6. However, this move is going to create a new potential weakness: the d6 pawn. For this reason, 11...a6 would have been more precise. White cannot capture in c7 with the knight because of Rc8.
12.Nd4 Nd7 13.Nf5 Bf6 14.Qg3 (diagram), now you see why c6 created a weakness. White took advantage of the checkmate threat in g7 to switch target! After all, the knight in f5 can be multitask.
Black defends with 14...Ne5 and now we finally know where we want the bishop 15.Bf4 Qc7 16.Rad1 Rad8. Here Capablanca thought he was a winning combination and played 17.Rxd6? wasting the advantage. An error of calculation. We will see that he missed a counterattack. In fact, he should have played 17.h4 (or he was bluffing imagining that his opponent won't have seen the correct response!?). 17...Rxd6 18.Bxe5 (diagram).
Black moves, think about this position for 5 minutes.
Without tips, finding the correct answer (18...Qa5, threatening mate with Qxe1) is difficult because once Black has to first detect what is he actually risking. In the game, Fonaroff played 18...Rd1 19.Rxd1 Bxe5 thinking that this was a safe way to equalise.
Just it was not. White pieces are all in their ideal squares (positional advantage) and Black is in a web of tactical patterns. Indeed, this is a wonderful exercises because many tactical ideas cross and act together.
White moves and win. You have 5 minutes
Combinations most often start with forcing moves, 20.Nh6+! Kh8 21.Qxe5! Qxe5 22.Nxf7+ 1-0 (diagram). Black would have to accept that he lost material and play 22...Kg8, otherwise 22...Rxf7 23.Rd8+ will soon be checkmate.
I hope you enjoyed this brief overview of open positions and dynamic play with the help of this tabiya of the Ruy Lopez, and that it will help you play better and win more.
With this, we conclude our short but beautiful adventure. Be dynamic :)
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