Hi there.
In this lecture, we see Benjamin Blumenfeld against Alexander Alekhine.
And this is the guy which has the Blumenfeld Gambit, which Alexander Alekhine adopted himself.
So, E4, from Blumenfeld, we have a five Knights f3 d6 Philidor defense d4 97 b free and now C6 Bishop
b2 Queen C7 So Black is reinforcing the E5 points that center point like BD 297.
And again, this wraps around the E5 square, so this is making E5 stronger.
Bishop e7 We have a full black console's ninth C4 Rook D ain't Queen C one.
And now.
Yeah, this looks a little bit awkward.
Actually.
There are improvements for whites along the way, and Black is getting a strong position here of the
Knight F4 already.
Rookie one We have knight sts e to check rook takes e2 f6.
So this kind of blockades, this B2 Bishop D amplifies it.
The amplification strategy just bows to E5.
We have White trying to wrap the knights around the F5 square.
So nice h for Knight of eight Knight's F3 Knight's E6.
But note in this position this D4 is actually at the moment.
Yeah.
This is an interesting fold to consider as well as other things.
At the moment.
Black is well poised already with a rock on D eight for trying to control that file.
We have five and now Bishop B4 stops rook D2 and encourages a weakening move here.
But there's also a big France.
It's not just stopping deeds.
The use of D2 knight A4 is embarrassing because whereas the rook going to go can't go to E1 so C3 which
weakens some squares is played Knight for now French thing Knight takes A2 to check for king, king
and queen so the moves but this allows blank and a kinds of try and get control of this file and this
is like in European football passing strategy having control of the ball you're able to create the threats
which the opponent opposing team needs to parry on the chessboard here we have now black able to win
this D4, so to speak win control of it with Bishop takes our five knight thanks F5 and now black is
in the position of the bishop C5 a very very comfortable position to be able to take on D2 and control
the file we have b4 the bishop goes back and white volunteer's rook takes D eight hare.
So, okay, there is the possibility of Nike to check, but then.
The thing is, White would be winning this rook on ice.
So that's not entirely clear.
So we have just actually a reCAPTCHA.
So that thing 92 check Queen C2, and here we have it.
What would you play here for?
Ten points.
And why is this of attacking importance?
Nimzowitsch talked about this in my system that controlling a center funnel is actually of attacking
importance because that center file, you can leverage it with targeted attacks across the ranks.
Later, the importance of a funnel for invading around a funnel and it could even be less ranked.
Sometimes it's the ranks, you know, the concrete, juicy targets will emerge.
So Queen D7 is kind of a positional attacking move, seizing control of this file, and then we have
Rook F1 and Queen defray fray not minding the exchange of queens.
Queen b3 check is played.
If Queen takes D3, Rook takes D3, this position won't be one is terribly passive.
There'll be 90 to check at the minimum winning a pawn.
This position is just better for Black Hand with Bishop C5 F2 is a target as well.
So yes, that would be unfortunate.
We have Queen B3 check King H eight now Knight Geoffrey.
And here.
How do we proceed this attack?
Well, there's a natural move to try and kick this 9h5.
It looks kind of annoying.
We have Bishop's C one.
If one tries each fall, then there is actually a strong move here while controlling this fault to optimize
the other pieces.
How would you optimize the other pieces?
Particularly this bishop would be my clue to you.
What could we play here?
If I give you 5 seconds to pause video to try and optimize this bishop as an attacking piece.
Okay.
C five.
Yeah.
Trying to threaten C takes.
B because we've got that pin as well laterally.
And this would be a dominating position.
If Queen have seven, we can evict the Queen with advantage here.
We're looking forward to that.
Seven Frank with the rook.
The thing is, if her be free, then C4 we're activating the bishop on a fantastic square soon and that
immediately frightens Queen.
Thanks, Geoffrey.
So what does White do?
King H to Queen D two is just crushing because our juicy targets, especially with the F four, we're
extra range G2.
If we clear out F two here now we're threatening Bishop takes G free and queen.
Thanks G to you know for example here it's splats if we look at this again after Bishop c five is pretty
hopeless.
Bishop C one queen.
Thanks, Geoffrey.
So yeah, optimise the attacking piece, keeping control on that file.
So yes, this central occupation is super important is like in European football having possession of
the ball and it represents now the opportunity to improve the position.
H four is played.
We have Bishop takes four, he takes F four, and now after five the dangers are not over.
So form pawn attack H free.
So we have Queen E six.
Now if G free we can play F takes and this is really precarious.
So as example, if H takes this H to nudging the king away from the rook so the king can stay on the
road, but you know, we can take it here and queen.
So that would be it's just devastating, that pressure on f one.
So that's out of the question, really.
And Knight takes free looks as though the form pawn is going to just be helping to checkmate off the
Queen.
A free hand is why defend G2?
So if we're left with F tanks, then Queen D two French thing mates.
Queenie one check, Queenie, two French thing, mate.
And here it comes.
We can use Rook D one check here and one would have to give up the queen.
So, yes, it's pretty dangerous.
It's.
It's too dangerous.
It's losing four one in this position, it seems Queenie.
Six is destroyed.
But now H takes G to check, and there's this nagging pressure on the rook being celebrated here.
And we have King takes G2 F rejects.
The king can't leave the rook.
So King G one And guess what?
The finishing sequence is here for ten points.
The finishing combination.
Yeah, we just check all checks and hopefully find the finisher.
Queen Sykes f one check for Rook D1 being champ, mate.
So yes I all the fence with a difference.
Black control, possession of a centerfold here.
Black was trying to amplify the special software so it does have some weaknesses with this thing Catto
sets up and it seems certain points.
It looks slightly awkward.
This position for whites, where black is also kind of weakening the light squares a bit more, taking
out the lone square bishop, the F five knights.
They weren't particularly menacing and it seems as though, yeah, black's in the total driving seat
from this possession.
It seems a very difficult position indeed for one to play, so I ended up losing control of that file.
So very instructive.
Stamping authority on the file.
Then all the good things are growing around these brilliant pieces.
Just improving.
The worst piece in some variations is possible.
If one had played here a move like H for their C5.
So yeah, a great demonstration of how if you control a central file there are huge France being been
kind of.
Celebrated potentially for -- attacks.
Looking at and forcing those soon after.
Yeah.
The pressure on F1 is significant in the tactical variations.
The pressure on be free is also significant in conjunction with C5.
So yes, it's a wonderful demonstration of how possession of a central file can lead to fantastic things.
So yes, the attacking player needs to base on solid positional principles sometimes.
And this is this is a key one.
If we can possess a central file like this, then fantastic things happen like this.
Wonderfully demonstrated.
I hope you enjoyed this one as much as me and so much.