WEBVTT 00:00.840 --> 00:01.650 Hi there. 00:01.680 --> 00:04.590 In this lecture, we see an amazing game of Mikhail Tal. 00:04.650 --> 00:06.180 So this is Jurgen. 00:06.180 --> 00:11.910 It's against how in 1957, USSR Championship, round 18 D4 from Gurgaon. 00:12.120 --> 00:16.010 We have nine f6 six from Tal c4 c5. 00:16.020 --> 00:23.790 So it's how was making use of the modern Benoni with great success up until 1960, which actually matches 00:23.790 --> 00:26.550 the peak popularity of the modern Benoni. 00:26.560 --> 00:31.260 Nowadays it's not so popular, it's thought to be a little bit unstable. 00:31.260 --> 00:40.560 The pawn structure we see E 693 and in particular Black accepts basically a backward pawn on D six So 00:40.560 --> 00:47.190 there's quite routine ways of trying to exploit this pawn, which puts many players off actually playing 00:47.190 --> 00:48.000 this opening. 00:48.000 --> 00:54.240 Nowadays, more solid things like the Slav defense are often preferable at the grandmaster level. 00:55.520 --> 00:57.800 But okay, in this game, let's have three. 00:57.800 --> 01:03.530 We see G, six, E, four, Bishop G seven, Bishop E to both sides. 01:03.530 --> 01:07.460 Castle Rookie eight Black does have perks. 01:07.880 --> 01:15.470 In this opening, the semi-open foul pressure the poor majority on the queenside free two to the E5 01:15.470 --> 01:15.770 square. 01:15.800 --> 01:16.790 There are perks for black. 01:16.790 --> 01:23.390 It's not all about just this square weakness, this pawn which is potentially vulnerable and thematic 01:23.390 --> 01:29.330 plans for tapping into D6 include often nightly two to C4 and Bishop f4. 01:29.990 --> 01:36.470 So it looks as though the thing is there is a cost associated with a Knight movement because Black has 01:36.470 --> 01:37.630 a key E5 square. 01:37.640 --> 01:45.290 Sometimes the knight is neglecting a soft spot and until is amazing with king soft spots. 01:45.290 --> 01:53.210 So basically if this pawn is acting as bait for positional maneuvering, it could come at slight costs 01:53.330 --> 01:54.620 to king safety. 01:55.310 --> 01:56.840 In this kind of scenario. 01:57.140 --> 02:05.690 So we see 92 and actually instead of trying to use the queenside poor majority with a six, so say A6 02:05.690 --> 02:11.270 white could clamp down with A4 that's the problem and say Knight 87. 02:12.050 --> 02:14.270 White should step carefully here. 02:14.270 --> 02:17.930 There is pressure on E4 so H3 B six Queen C2. 02:18.530 --> 02:26.630 It looks as though White should be getting an advantage keeping C4 in mind when it's appropriate to 02:26.630 --> 02:28.370 do that to hit D6. 02:28.370 --> 02:31.700 But White at this moment would have a slight advantage. 02:33.350 --> 02:36.440 But that whole plan is not used instead of A6. 02:36.440 --> 02:38.720 And this is actually rather interesting. 02:40.190 --> 02:44.690 Basically, yeah, it's it's in a way potentially about this diagonal of the bishop. 02:44.690 --> 02:46.070 It can come to A6 later. 02:46.070 --> 02:48.590 It could play a role in a kingside attack. 02:49.220 --> 02:50.950 So this is a really interesting alternative. 02:50.960 --> 02:56.140 Rookie one is played if A4 here Black could indulge Knight b4 as well. 02:56.150 --> 03:03.020 This situation, although technically with Bishop B5 trying to take the fun out of the five square, 03:03.830 --> 03:06.800 this situation should be in White's favor. 03:06.800 --> 03:13.610 But anyway rook e one was played and we see 97 A4 and now we can see B6. 03:13.610 --> 03:20.030 So there is potentially if this bishop wasn't on this diagonal, potentially this bishop on C might 03:20.030 --> 03:26.900 actually find a use on this diagonal if A6 was played here, it would deprive that possibility. 03:28.010 --> 03:34.160 And White's best, it seems, is for example, h free this situation. 03:35.240 --> 03:36.560 This is possible. 03:36.560 --> 03:45.140 And in fact here in this scenario, White does have a small edge, but maybe it's not huge if White 03:45.140 --> 03:49.520 tried a5 There are resources for black here. 03:49.520 --> 03:54.170 Bishop D7 Just because B6 is marked doesn't mean there's a problem here. 03:54.170 --> 03:56.240 This Bishop B5 to make use of. 03:56.840 --> 04:02.060 And you can see that actually this problematic bishop sometimes in this structure, if it's taken out 04:02.060 --> 04:08.510 of the equation, if it takes it a night out, this position could result in equality. 04:08.510 --> 04:11.300 It's fascinating stuff to investigate. 04:11.570 --> 04:24.680 But anyway, B6 was played and Black is ready for any A5 now because B5 or taking can be considered. 04:26.030 --> 04:29.120 There's pressure on E4 which is also interesting. 04:29.120 --> 04:32.330 So yeah, this, this situation is a little bit different. 04:33.710 --> 04:39.780 Okay, so we have Queen C two and now how actually leverage is the bishop still on C? 04:40.140 --> 04:46.010 He plays Knight G4 and White actually responds here with a mistake is looking at soft spots White actually 04:46.010 --> 04:51.230 tries to kick the knight with H three better and maybe this is a little bit paradoxical, but to give 04:51.230 --> 04:57.710 up the point square bishop on this occasion and then knight C for let's actually this backward pawn 04:57.710 --> 05:03.350 be probed without lurking soft spot issues. 05:03.500 --> 05:10.250 That's what really white wants to do to somehow hit this backward pawn without having the king in danger 05:10.280 --> 05:12.440 here if the bishop goes back. 05:12.440 --> 05:19.370 Bishop F4, This is a dream scenario all of a sudden against the backward pawn, which explains why, 05:19.400 --> 05:20.180 you know, baloney. 05:20.360 --> 05:22.970 Sometimes it's a little bit suspect nowadays. 05:22.970 --> 05:28.880 So this situation like starting to get in a passive position because there's no other pawns to support 05:28.880 --> 05:29.690 the bank pawn. 05:29.690 --> 05:32.000 So the pieces are starting to fill the strain. 05:32.420 --> 05:35.420 So, yes, that's that's the stability aspect of this. 05:35.420 --> 05:41.480 It's a little bit less stable than than other openings quite often because of the d6 pawn. 05:41.480 --> 05:45.860 But Bishop takes yeah, that would be a fine move to play with this plan if Bishop. 05:45.880 --> 05:51.260 F.A. Yeah, again, you know, this, this we get this scenario but. 05:53.030 --> 05:55.730 If bishops see saints again, we get the story. 05:55.770 --> 05:58.200 You know, we're getting tortured on these things, basically. 05:58.220 --> 06:01.250 But in this game, we see age free. 06:01.250 --> 06:04.700 And now the magic of Black's position is revealed, actually. 06:06.260 --> 06:08.630 Guess what Mikhail tell plays here. 06:08.630 --> 06:10.310 So it's not really about this point. 06:10.310 --> 06:13.940 It's about the neglect, slight neglect of this maneuver. 06:14.270 --> 06:15.850 The Knights not on their free. 06:15.860 --> 06:21.950 So they're actually it's interesting is why it's king that safe here What does black playing this position 06:22.130 --> 06:26.150 you think so on balance revealed 200 points at least. 06:27.710 --> 06:28.070 Yeah. 06:28.430 --> 06:29.480 Takes six F2. 06:29.510 --> 06:34.820 There is also this diagonal to play with right now because that has locked in the bishop for a moment 06:34.820 --> 06:36.410 and this diagonal is sensitive. 06:36.440 --> 06:38.300 King takes F2, makes things worse. 06:38.300 --> 06:47.510 Why it should have just played Knight F3 and the knight is looking stranded so black would have to resort 06:47.510 --> 06:53.330 to something like Bishop take C free, which in principle isn't a good idea because it weakens key squares, 06:53.480 --> 06:55.460 but it does rescue the knights. 06:55.880 --> 06:57.110 That's the thing going for it. 06:57.140 --> 07:00.850 Knight G Free black would be under potential attack. 07:00.860 --> 07:03.960 This is a key variation where what is going on here? 07:04.250 --> 07:10.490 This is very, very dangerous if F6 Bishop takes G6, but it seems as though Black might have resources 07:10.490 --> 07:12.440 to survive here. 07:12.920 --> 07:14.950 So this position is about equal. 07:14.960 --> 07:16.280 It's crazy stuff. 07:16.280 --> 07:21.630 But yeah, it seems as though Knight, if he was about to move, King takes F2, bringing the King out 07:21.630 --> 07:22.370 to play. 07:22.400 --> 07:24.830 We have now Queen H for check. 07:26.540 --> 07:28.220 And this is super dangerous. 07:28.610 --> 07:30.650 KING If one is played, if king. 07:31.720 --> 07:32.650 G one. 07:32.650 --> 07:34.140 Then we're just taking that rook. 07:34.150 --> 07:34.390 Thanks. 07:34.540 --> 07:35.680 March check. 07:35.920 --> 07:37.180 And this is vicious. 07:37.420 --> 07:40.510 We're threatening, mate, on G one all of a sudden as well. 07:41.590 --> 07:42.460 So, yeah, this is. 07:42.460 --> 07:43.660 This is g free. 07:43.690 --> 07:47.620 Doesn't look at all helpful because the bishop did four check and h three being loose. 07:47.860 --> 07:56.750 So King F one is played Bishop D for threats then Checkmate D one defending F two. 07:56.770 --> 07:57.670 But guess what? 07:57.730 --> 08:02.890 All plays now and this shows it's not it's not really about D6 anymore. 08:02.920 --> 08:05.170 The subject has massively changed. 08:05.200 --> 08:10.150 It was about the technicalities of king safety that weren't incurred. 08:10.390 --> 08:13.810 And the attack now is in full flow. 08:13.840 --> 08:17.380 So I wonder if you can spot this next movie for 200 points. 08:21.520 --> 08:22.210 Okay. 08:22.510 --> 08:23.740 Queen sites age three. 08:23.740 --> 08:24.190 Yes. 08:24.190 --> 08:25.930 Magic if G takes. 08:25.930 --> 08:28.510 There's a Bowden chap mate Patton. 08:28.510 --> 08:34.030 So one bishop is covering the escape squares here and the bishop is mating beautiful bird and make there 08:34.390 --> 08:35.350 if that occurs. 08:35.350 --> 08:40.450 But White wants to stay in the game and doesn't take the Queen. 08:40.450 --> 08:41.830 So bishop free. 08:42.220 --> 08:44.980 But now the bishop has left this key. 08:45.340 --> 08:46.660 It's kind of weakness of the last move. 08:46.660 --> 08:48.790 This diagram is available to this Bishop. 08:49.630 --> 08:54.730 We have tho first Queen H to. 08:57.410 --> 09:01.520 And this keeps lots of friends now going in this position. 09:02.750 --> 09:04.730 We have 93. 09:05.570 --> 09:07.790 And piling on the pressure on the e-file. 09:07.840 --> 09:08.660 Wonderful move. 09:08.660 --> 09:09.080 And five. 09:09.080 --> 09:15.230 So keeping this in hand, this Bishop eight six resource just piling up the pressure while the bishop 09:15.230 --> 09:15.920 is still on scene. 09:15.950 --> 09:23.510 Eight knights DC four and now F takes E4, Bishop takes E4 and finally now Bishop a sex. 09:23.870 --> 09:29.150 So there's a big frat here of Rook Takes E for the Queen is overloaded here. 09:31.420 --> 09:40.450 So with the idea of taking on C4 after or rookie as well, the night supports even a recharge square 09:40.460 --> 09:41.940 of replacing other work. 09:41.950 --> 09:43.690 So this is a fascinating position. 09:43.690 --> 09:47.530 We went under huge pressure Bishop F3 is played. 09:47.530 --> 09:57.960 Let's see concretely if say rookie rook B one rook takes e4 queen takes e4 we can play rook e here. 09:58.540 --> 10:00.400 Amplifying the pressure even more. 10:00.400 --> 10:05.460 Queen F3 Bishop takes C4 check and you can see that there's a problem here. 10:05.470 --> 10:08.710 The rook now controls king escape squares. 10:08.710 --> 10:11.740 So that makes Queen H one or Queen G one mating. 10:12.190 --> 10:15.010 If B free, then we just take on a one. 10:15.130 --> 10:17.620 If Bishop D2, then rook takes E4. 10:17.620 --> 10:20.170 Let's see here, Rookie eight again. 10:20.170 --> 10:24.700 Queen D3 We can actually, yeah. 10:24.700 --> 10:26.620 There's so much pressure we can actually play. 10:26.620 --> 10:28.600 Knight takes D5 here. 10:30.300 --> 10:35.730 So any time the night takes, there's Queen one on one meeting and F King E two night at Four Forks. 10:35.730 --> 10:36.630 King Queen. 10:36.660 --> 10:39.360 It's just a vicious position. 10:39.840 --> 10:44.790 Indeed, this is a truly vicious position to be in. 10:46.490 --> 10:47.670 Okay, so. 10:49.730 --> 10:59.420 We have Bishop F3 and now Rookie five Rook Avery and now the pressure just pulls up so the pieces are 10:59.420 --> 11:02.030 working like an absolutely dream team. 11:02.030 --> 11:05.750 Every piece is gunning for the king or tying stuff down. 11:06.890 --> 11:12.890 We have Bishop D2 and the Knight, which is playing what seems to be well, not not such an aggressive 11:12.890 --> 11:14.210 role as the others actually shows. 11:14.210 --> 11:18.470 It is actually helping the whole team now with this next move. 11:18.650 --> 11:21.170 If I give you 5 seconds pause video, what would you play here? 11:23.010 --> 11:24.780 Yeah, 1965. 11:24.810 --> 11:29.970 It's dismantling once we have Bishop 65 and now Route 65. 11:31.710 --> 11:33.690 So the knight still pens because of Queen's. 11:33.690 --> 11:35.360 You want Queen H1 one knight can't move. 11:35.370 --> 11:37.140 So we have King E two. 11:37.350 --> 11:42.360 Just to put a few things on the board here, if Knight takes the five, Queen's U one is champ mate. 11:42.900 --> 11:49.350 If be free Queen A for Chuck King you one rook have a is really strong. 11:50.340 --> 11:51.420 Actually, yeah. 11:51.420 --> 11:55.950 This is a bit of a shift in attention and you might think, what on earth is this about? 11:56.310 --> 12:02.220 So the thing is that Knight's pinned to the king, so there's no rook f one. 12:02.220 --> 12:03.750 We just take an F one. 12:05.040 --> 12:11.460 And the other thing is, if, say, Queen D1 to try and stop using H five, I'll show you that at the 12:11.460 --> 12:12.030 moment. 12:13.420 --> 12:14.640 The Queen F two check. 12:14.640 --> 12:15.000 Yeah. 12:15.000 --> 12:20.370 At minimum we can just play this and get the Queen, but otherwise it's going to be amazing if Queen 12:20.370 --> 12:21.810 D one isn't played. 12:21.810 --> 12:26.520 So Rook two we've played check and we we get a checkmate like this. 12:27.780 --> 12:30.440 So it's a truly vicious position here. 12:30.450 --> 12:32.580 So once, twice King E two. 12:32.880 --> 12:38.070 But now Bishop takes e free, rook tanks, e free. 12:40.120 --> 12:43.420 And what would you play here for? 12:43.420 --> 12:44.250 100 points. 12:44.260 --> 12:46.070 So the game ended on this next move. 12:46.090 --> 12:49.690 The game ending move is. 12:51.570 --> 12:54.560 Bishop, S.C. For Check Creating a weakness of the last move. 12:54.570 --> 12:56.190 Basically, D2 is loose. 12:56.670 --> 13:03.720 So one had to resign because if Queen tank C for queen tanks G Czech King B one. 13:03.720 --> 13:05.370 Queen 62 is Chapman. 13:06.390 --> 13:12.030 Yeah, this is absolutely a bruising move, but hold on. 13:12.030 --> 13:15.780 There are the questions about this position, why it doesn't have to take the bishop. 13:15.780 --> 13:16.320 Right. 13:16.650 --> 13:19.890 So this is absolutely fascinating in its own right. 13:20.010 --> 13:25.140 King D one, what are we play here and why is it so crushing this position? 13:25.140 --> 13:30.120 Is it because we're just several pawns up actually the wrong king safety issues to tap into it? 13:30.120 --> 13:32.880 It's not just about future end games. 13:32.880 --> 13:37.170 We can finish soon in this position by playing. 13:38.250 --> 13:39.510 Rogue tanks e free. 13:39.540 --> 13:41.640 What actually does y at play here? 13:43.560 --> 13:44.640 If Queen. 13:45.590 --> 13:46.850 It take C4. 13:46.870 --> 13:52.030 Okay, so that looks like a nasty pin here, but there's rook takes E one shank. 13:53.310 --> 13:55.180 King tanks and here queen. 13:55.410 --> 13:56.000 One check. 13:56.010 --> 14:00.030 So it's all running with check to pick up the bishop and protect the rook. 14:00.030 --> 14:01.830 So that's a total disaster. 14:01.950 --> 14:03.390 Queen, take four. 14:03.420 --> 14:05.460 So what we left with rook takes forever. 14:05.460 --> 14:07.140 But this is fascinating now. 14:07.320 --> 14:08.940 Queen G one check. 14:11.000 --> 14:19.650 Brooke e one And now there is a key move and whites are pretty helpless after this next move. 14:19.670 --> 14:21.980 What do you think that would be, this position? 14:22.340 --> 14:27.500 We've got basically a bishop without a counterpart and it's sometimes makes the attacks much stronger 14:27.500 --> 14:32.060 when it's obviously a couple of bishops like this, when the king's kind of unsafe, there's a move 14:32.060 --> 14:34.520 which amplifies things dramatically. 14:36.700 --> 14:41.160 Okay, so in Brownsville here, Queen F two, we're looking at D two. 14:41.170 --> 14:47.320 So we're actually looking at Bishop Beefy to get the queen away from D2 for inmates on D2. 14:48.280 --> 14:55.870 So say Queen C for queen takes D2 is mate, but say here, King C one. 14:56.830 --> 15:00.730 There's still a beautiful finish in this position available. 15:00.760 --> 15:06.820 Believe it or not, it is very, very interesting that blank has an absolute cross your hair. 15:07.480 --> 15:11.200 It's not even just about the extra horns, but black has for 100 points. 15:11.200 --> 15:12.100 What would you play? 15:15.840 --> 15:17.070 There's a kind of opera style. 15:17.070 --> 15:19.140 Might finish with Bishop be free. 15:22.240 --> 15:28.210 So basically here, if Queen St's be free, we're running with Shaq, we're winning D2 with Shaq. 15:28.210 --> 15:28.930 Thanks very much. 15:28.930 --> 15:35.410 And we can take the rook, but also if Queen C for the opera Stalemate rebels. 15:37.210 --> 15:38.090 What would you play here? 15:38.110 --> 15:42.490 Check all checks and it shows how dangerous opposite kind of bishops are. 15:43.070 --> 15:43.540 Yeah. 15:45.310 --> 15:45.700 Queen. 15:45.700 --> 15:47.140 Thanks e one check. 15:48.070 --> 15:48.640 Bishop Thanks. 15:48.910 --> 15:49.960 D One is checkmate. 15:50.200 --> 15:57.850 So, yeah, all of this stuff hidden behind the scenes of White's resignation after Bishop takes C4 15:58.240 --> 15:59.140 check. 15:59.320 --> 15:59.680 Yeah. 15:59.680 --> 16:04.660 It is basically a hopeless situation in various ways. 16:04.660 --> 16:11.710 Whatever way it's sliced or cut here, y ends up massively worse off. 16:11.740 --> 16:14.800 It's a completely lost position with best play from black. 16:14.800 --> 16:16.810 So a fascinating game. 16:17.080 --> 16:23.920 It shows there are kind of subtle upsides of what seems to be a depressing, potentially depressing 16:24.220 --> 16:25.480 pawn structure. 16:25.510 --> 16:32.770 So the Benoni, you know, for club players, the Bononi, if white is a bit too complacent, too generic 16:32.770 --> 16:41.410 with these plans and not factoring in the subtle changes and weaknesses incurred to their king, you 16:41.410 --> 16:43.300 know, they could be blasted off the board. 16:43.300 --> 16:46.540 But how was the ones prove how strong the Benoni was? 16:46.540 --> 16:53.260 One of the big reasons actually, which has emerged for restricting at least the modern baloney move 16:53.260 --> 16:55.330 orders in particular. 16:56.590 --> 16:59.470 I'm going to just point out to you something about this. 16:59.620 --> 17:02.860 There is a very dangerous system which doesn't block in the f pawn. 17:02.860 --> 17:08.200 It's called the flick knife operation, which Garry Kasparov introduced against John Nunn. 17:08.200 --> 17:15.520 So this this variation with a quick A4 and Bishop B5 check is very, very dangerous. 17:15.520 --> 17:18.220 But that's another kind of theoretical subjects. 17:18.220 --> 17:23.320 So John Nunn had written a book on the baloney and was blasted off the board in one of the Olympiads 17:23.950 --> 17:29.020 by Garry Kasparov, playing with the way he says that's an instructive attacking game in its own right. 17:29.020 --> 17:37.660 But in this classical approach to Bononi, yeah, it's it isn't so absolutely critical for black as 17:37.690 --> 17:39.610 that situation in that relation. 17:39.610 --> 17:47.530 So 96 we see it has some very interesting dynamic perks going on and tells in his element when he's 17:47.530 --> 17:49.870 looking at soft spots around the king. 17:49.870 --> 17:51.790 He's a major attacking player. 17:52.300 --> 17:59.110 One of the reasons I've weighted more Alexander Alekhine compared to Tal is that often times games are 17:59.110 --> 18:00.040 very, very complex. 18:00.040 --> 18:02.230 He uses complexity quite often as a weapon. 18:02.230 --> 18:09.340 Whilst Capablanca might use simplification as a weapon with Alekhine, basically there's better in my 18:09.340 --> 18:14.920 view, attacking clarity quite often without tons of complications which don't just confuse opponents, 18:14.920 --> 18:18.850 but also generally ask when we try and look at our games. 18:18.850 --> 18:23.230 But the short and sweet tell games like this one are more approachable. 18:23.410 --> 18:27.520 There are some which are just astronomical in nature. 18:27.840 --> 18:33.580 It's like mazes, a maze of variations which I don't think would be instructive as the major undercoat 18:33.580 --> 18:37.990 of this course to look at key Alexander Alekhine games, which have greater clarity. 18:37.990 --> 18:40.960 Basically, we want clarity, we want contrast. 18:40.960 --> 18:46.660 We want to understand the key ideas without too much confusion with millions of variations. 18:46.660 --> 18:48.130 So this is a short and sweet one. 18:48.130 --> 18:52.180 We see certain key attacking themes being demonstrated basically. 18:52.180 --> 18:58.480 But yeah, White had who, you know, a key mistake here was H3 inviting all of this stuff. 18:58.600 --> 19:00.580 It's fascinating to consider. 19:00.580 --> 19:04.030 It's like this plan was half in construction for D6. 19:04.810 --> 19:05.410 But yeah. 19:05.440 --> 19:10.750 KING Safety implications have been for one moment being neglected. 19:10.750 --> 19:15.100 And black doesn't just have the five squares, the D4 square axis as well. 19:15.100 --> 19:23.740 There's basically resources to attack the king here, which are delightful, delightfully demonstrated 19:23.740 --> 19:24.340 in this game. 19:24.340 --> 19:25.780 So I hope you enjoyed this one. 19:26.470 --> 19:27.430 That's very much.