WEBVTT 00:00.930 --> 00:01.720 Hi there. 00:01.740 --> 00:04.320 In this lecture, we see an absolutely classic encounter. 00:04.320 --> 00:07.650 Aron Nimzowitsch against has I Hasbro Capablanca. 00:07.770 --> 00:11.940 This is in 1927, the New York tournament round 15. 00:12.090 --> 00:16.640 So e four from the switch we have a kraken from Kenneth Lanka. 00:16.980 --> 00:21.750 d4d5e5, Bishop F five. 00:21.750 --> 00:25.170 And now Bishop D three is played already. 00:25.740 --> 00:33.030 There's a buoyant there's a bad kind of vibe about this position, why it has statistically weakened 00:33.060 --> 00:36.000 light squares with pawns on dart squares. 00:36.000 --> 00:39.060 The adjacent light squares have been weakened. 00:39.060 --> 00:41.700 For example C four, an F five. 00:42.780 --> 00:46.290 And this bishop exchange favors black. 00:48.150 --> 00:55.800 Nowadays the shorter version is favoured and that's been invented by Nigel Short called Nigel short 00:55.800 --> 00:57.090 or short variation. 00:57.090 --> 01:02.670 So Bishop E two later, if the bishop is going to move, it's going to go to E two later with Bishop 01:02.670 --> 01:03.380 de Fray. 01:03.390 --> 01:11.490 This strategic Bishop exchange amplifies White's potentially light square vulnerabilities. 01:11.490 --> 01:18.110 We see E six so there's no bad bishop in Black's position that Bishop exchanged off. 01:18.120 --> 01:27.420 We see Knight C free Queen B sex C five is also a move here to consider. 01:27.420 --> 01:32.340 So for example, this position black compliant like a French defence if nothing else. 01:32.970 --> 01:43.440 And here is about even orienting so Queen B six though we have 90 2c5 now D taints Bishop tank, C five. 01:44.220 --> 01:51.990 We see white casting Knight E seven and Capablanca is not a flight afraid to lose his darts where Bishop 01:52.000 --> 01:59.850 tonight 84 he plays Quincy six nine takes C five Queen take C five when we lose a dance choir Bishop 01:59.850 --> 02:00.450 for a knights. 02:00.450 --> 02:06.090 Statistically, we've we've lost the dark square Bishop So statistically on the light squares, these 02:06.090 --> 02:12.600 guys can do battle with more mathematical majority than these guys. 02:12.600 --> 02:15.630 This cannot cannot influence the light squares, the c one bishop. 02:15.930 --> 02:21.420 So bear that in mind that these knights can look forward to these squares as an example. 02:21.690 --> 02:34.650 Bishop e frequency seven four that locks in the bishop on e3f5c39c6 80 1g6 and then we have G four. 02:34.680 --> 02:43.170 This is a bit of a weakening move, but on the other hand, if Bishop f2h5 white should have Still, 02:43.350 --> 02:50.730 despite everything that's happens and this emphasis on light squares, this should actually be about 02:50.730 --> 02:52.200 even this position. 02:52.650 --> 02:54.600 So that was to be preferred to g four. 02:54.600 --> 02:57.240 This really makes things worse. 02:57.750 --> 03:03.390 And there's a particular mechanism at work here which makes things worse. 03:03.660 --> 03:06.300 So the knight takes out the bishop. 03:06.300 --> 03:12.460 So even though it might be in a sense better in some situations, doesn't mind exchanging here if Knight, 03:12.480 --> 03:22.010 if Knight went back concretely C four and this position C five could give a small edge for white. 03:22.020 --> 03:29.520 This scenario, for example, let's say this positional pawn sack happens, it should still be a small 03:29.520 --> 03:31.110 edge for white. 03:31.140 --> 03:31.390 Why? 03:31.410 --> 03:33.480 It does have some play in the possession. 03:33.720 --> 03:36.660 So Knight takes E free is a particular mechanism here. 03:36.660 --> 03:37.950 Can you see what it is? 03:42.200 --> 03:46.520 It's H5 to week and White's F5 to encourage this pawn forward. 03:46.760 --> 03:48.380 So G five is played. 03:50.120 --> 03:58.040 If H three then H takes H tanks and black can actually castle queenside. 03:58.040 --> 04:05.720 This scenario with g five undermines e five and aims to expose the white king and for example rook h4 04:05.720 --> 04:07.100 as well as another perk. 04:07.310 --> 04:10.910 And if we get this scenario, this is very interesting. 04:11.810 --> 04:14.750 It starts to be kind of dangerous for White's King. 04:15.320 --> 04:20.770 So Black has an advantage there, a significant advantage building up on the G four. 04:20.780 --> 04:27.620 So this would be very, very pleasant to play as an example where Black's got a crushing attack now. 04:29.390 --> 04:33.590 So yes, H three is not really something to do. 04:33.590 --> 04:37.400 An F five weakens E5, so that's not particularly good either. 04:37.400 --> 04:42.140 So g five and what it's left with a bad game positionally. 04:44.550 --> 04:47.370 And in this case of the G five. 04:48.530 --> 04:50.840 Let's just look at five concretely. 04:50.840 --> 04:51.620 Actually. 04:51.840 --> 04:53.090 Five concretely. 04:53.120 --> 04:53.960 G Tanks. 04:53.990 --> 04:55.040 G tanks. 04:55.490 --> 04:57.860 I say about taking a fire, but not immediately. 04:57.860 --> 05:05.060 Black can actually just castle and here, hold E six and E five is just vulnerable. 05:05.180 --> 05:11.660 So say this position, we can actually get a longer term advantage built up. 05:11.660 --> 05:17.840 So say 97, even if we don't win e five, the position becomes painful for whites. 05:17.840 --> 05:18.890 King safety. 05:19.130 --> 05:27.280 So yes, that's more a concrete reason about F five not being played at move 18. 05:27.290 --> 05:28.100 Okay. 05:28.100 --> 05:35.150 So before this kind of self condemnation of the position of G five giving that F five square to black, 05:35.660 --> 05:37.850 it's interesting to examine the possibilities. 05:37.850 --> 05:44.060 It's because of the position of the white king that those possibilities and the black king hasn't committed, 05:44.060 --> 05:46.340 which makes it more lucrative. 05:46.760 --> 05:50.030 Well, more important for white to try and close things with G five. 05:50.630 --> 05:51.610 So okay. 05:51.650 --> 05:53.900 Black blackmail castles with coziness. 05:53.900 --> 05:55.850 Now, this is great positional play. 05:55.940 --> 06:02.060 If we can look after our king, we don't want counterplay downsides to our positional plans, especially 06:02.060 --> 06:05.810 counterplay directed at our king, our most precious resource. 06:06.530 --> 06:09.050 So 94 is played here. 06:10.840 --> 06:12.120 F5 is violent. 06:12.130 --> 06:12.820 Does it do anything? 06:12.820 --> 06:13.390 Not really. 06:13.390 --> 06:15.460 We can take care with the Jeep horn. 06:15.460 --> 06:18.370 We don't need to weaken the D five pawn. 06:18.520 --> 06:22.000 And if queen, we have the nifty King G seven actually. 06:23.200 --> 06:24.580 And this holds things up. 06:24.580 --> 06:33.610 If Queen takes age five, Rook eight this position, there's Rook age four and with Queen 65 coming, 06:33.610 --> 06:35.380 this is just magnificent for black. 06:36.160 --> 06:41.640 So here, if Knight for Rook, Knight takes H five, check carefully. 06:41.680 --> 06:45.370 This again is going to be bad for black off the knight takes E five. 06:45.550 --> 06:51.250 This is nasty pressure potentially against White's king coming up with that nasty pin the rooks ideally 06:51.250 --> 06:52.090 placed for the attack. 06:52.090 --> 06:53.860 So 94 is tried. 06:54.370 --> 07:05.230 We have Queen bee six rook have two rook 48 a free rook C seven rook D free 95. 07:06.880 --> 07:11.170 So yes, we see now white's light squares. 07:13.390 --> 07:14.860 They look a bit vulnerable. 07:15.220 --> 07:24.190 If Knight takes DD four rook tanks D for King G seven Rook g two This position is going to be very pleasant. 07:24.190 --> 07:26.020 Say why it tries f five. 07:26.170 --> 07:27.670 It might not help. 07:28.300 --> 07:32.140 Black has adequate resources here to hold things up. 07:32.410 --> 07:35.890 This position is going to be in Black's favor. 07:38.130 --> 07:39.390 Okay, So. 07:40.170 --> 07:41.850 So 95. 07:43.170 --> 07:44.610 We have rook e2. 07:44.610 --> 07:48.030 Rook e8 King G2 96. 07:49.240 --> 07:50.670 Rook two. 07:50.790 --> 07:52.590 Rook 88. 07:53.400 --> 07:54.030 Rookie two. 07:54.030 --> 07:55.230 Now 97. 07:56.490 --> 07:56.970 82. 07:56.970 --> 07:58.930 So white hasn't got much to do. 07:58.950 --> 08:01.770 Why is waiting around in this position? 08:01.980 --> 08:08.270 And we get a kind of light squared domination or infiltration strategy, rather an infiltration strategy. 08:08.280 --> 08:12.150 So Rook C for Queen H three, King G seven. 08:13.230 --> 08:17.460 We'll have to know a five, rook e two and now Knight at five. 08:17.460 --> 08:22.590 So not minding the knight coming off because it gives access to light squares. 08:23.460 --> 08:29.880 So Knight takes our five is played and there's a tactical basis to this as well G takes a five white 08:29.880 --> 08:37.440 can't take on H five queen played if queen takes H five there's a real catch eight and if Queen are 08:37.440 --> 08:39.270 free, then four is weak. 08:39.270 --> 08:46.650 There's a lot of counterplay for black hair basically on rook, half to rook taking on F4 and this is 08:46.650 --> 08:49.920 winning for black because B two will drop and an A three will drop. 08:49.920 --> 08:50.730 It's winning. 08:50.730 --> 08:57.930 The Queen is overwhelming the Rooks In this case, if we look at this again with Queen G Free, we can 08:57.930 --> 08:59.520 just play Rook C takes our form. 08:59.520 --> 09:03.150 We're looking forward to Rook G for this position. 09:03.330 --> 09:07.140 Rook G four It's just pretty horrible hair. 09:09.360 --> 09:09.770 Okay. 09:10.110 --> 09:12.990 And if King H won again, this is kind of horrible. 09:12.990 --> 09:14.340 Stuff happens. 09:14.760 --> 09:17.700 So Queen Geoffrey is played. 09:17.700 --> 09:22.590 We have King G six Remarkable move, protecting H five. 09:22.590 --> 09:25.980 So freeing up the pieces not to have to need the H five pawn. 09:25.980 --> 09:30.570 So the king is really helping things here and is not exploitable it seems at all. 09:30.570 --> 09:30.990 So. 09:30.990 --> 09:34.500 Rook Eddie two And now Rook E four. 09:35.400 --> 09:41.370 There was also another positional way of playing this with minority attack with Queen C six, where 09:41.370 --> 09:46.740 a minority of pawns attacks the majority of pawns with the aim of inflicting structural damage. 09:46.740 --> 09:53.310 If you imagine this taking white would be having a nice pawn on a free and a backward pawn on C free. 09:53.310 --> 09:57.660 So this plan, just to show, is also a pretty strong plan. 09:58.020 --> 10:05.640 A classic minority of attack plan would actually be leading to a significant advantage here with white 10:05.640 --> 10:10.590 saddled with terrible weaknesses which strain the pieces and eventually material would be lost. 10:10.590 --> 10:15.150 So it's definitely a legitimate way of playing it as an alternative to rookie fall. 10:15.150 --> 10:19.440 But we have such a fun infiltration now on the light squares. 10:19.800 --> 10:27.690 So Rook chc4 we have Queen F two, Queen B five, we have King G three. 10:28.290 --> 10:37.200 If rook takes E for rotate E for this position with Queen C for King H two rook takes F or F for dropping 10:37.200 --> 10:37.560 off. 10:37.560 --> 10:38.700 That's just terrible. 10:39.390 --> 10:42.900 And here, instead of King H, two of King G free, there's H four check. 10:42.900 --> 10:43.920 That's a neat trick. 10:43.920 --> 10:45.150 That's absolutely winning. 10:45.150 --> 10:47.040 Winning the queen check. 10:47.610 --> 10:50.040 So King G free is tried. 10:50.550 --> 10:57.330 Rook C takes RD for C text D for A Now Queen C for white is kind of paralyzed here, stuck defending 10:57.330 --> 10:57.690 pawns. 10:57.690 --> 11:07.320 So the strain of the white pieces on these weaknesses is showing King g2b5, King g1b4. 11:07.680 --> 11:08.790 A takes eight tanks. 11:08.790 --> 11:13.590 And this is becoming a potential dangerous pawn if only B two drops later. 11:13.680 --> 11:20.370 King G two Queen C one king G free if H free here. 11:20.640 --> 11:25.710 Rookie one And this position is terrible after Queen B one. 11:25.710 --> 11:34.170 So for example, rook to rook H one rookie to rook D one And what is in a kind of zugzwang black can 11:34.170 --> 11:35.550 improve things here. 11:36.000 --> 11:42.750 So this position, let's say this position be free gives that hook as well on C two which and if rook 11:42.750 --> 11:48.990 c two is played, then white can play like this to get a crushing pass pawn. 11:48.990 --> 11:53.640 So if taking there's a crushing pass pawn created, that's just one illustration. 11:53.640 --> 12:02.490 So anyway King G3 we have Queen H one rook D free now Rook e11. 12:02.490 --> 12:03.720 It's been tied up in knots. 12:03.900 --> 12:04.560 Rook free. 12:04.560 --> 12:08.130 Rook D one Be free. 12:08.670 --> 12:09.210 And now rook. 12:09.210 --> 12:19.110 C Why isn't a zugzwang here at move 45 So rook e4 is tried, but now rook f1 and the game ended here. 12:19.110 --> 12:20.340 What does white do? 12:20.970 --> 12:24.150 What does white do if Queen g G2 we can rule that out. 12:24.150 --> 12:30.870 Rook g one And if Queen data we can play Queen G one check. 12:31.050 --> 12:37.080 And here if King H four there's Queen for checkmate or King. 12:37.400 --> 12:38.040 Free. 12:38.040 --> 12:39.930 There's Queen G for chat mates. 12:42.220 --> 12:44.680 So, yes, what is what happens here? 12:46.510 --> 12:50.520 So, yeah, this this is just terrible, this position. 12:50.530 --> 12:53.690 So, yes, Queen G two, we're saying rookie. 12:53.710 --> 12:55.690 Well, what else does White do then? 12:57.880 --> 13:01.330 It's over off the rook f one. 13:03.460 --> 13:08.320 Okay, so just to examine that Queen D to Queen G one check is over. 13:12.150 --> 13:16.920 Because also if Queen G to here, let's also spell this out a bit more Queen takes e free check picking 13:16.920 --> 13:17.640 up the rock. 13:18.090 --> 13:24.710 So yeah, a position where there's a light square infiltration and the seed was sat right in the opening 13:24.720 --> 13:26.730 after that strategic bishop exchange. 13:26.730 --> 13:32.130 So this is a really important game historically for the advance variation, opening theory. 13:32.130 --> 13:35.070 It really does get like an improved French defense. 13:35.070 --> 13:42.210 You could say that it's like a French defense on steroids without the bad bishop and why having these 13:42.210 --> 13:43.710 light square weaknesses. 13:43.710 --> 13:45.480 But they were expertly exploited. 13:45.480 --> 13:54.150 The five Square was expertly exploited by Capablanca by not delaying castling, making sure his king 13:54.150 --> 13:56.700 is safe through these strategic operations. 13:56.700 --> 14:04.110 So there's no counterplay based on this king and not minding, exchanging it off and not rushing here 14:04.110 --> 14:11.400 to play H5, kind of waiting for white to create further weaknesses when he plays Nazi six, he's not 14:11.400 --> 14:13.260 in a rush to play H5. 14:13.710 --> 14:15.360 So this is really fascinating. 14:15.360 --> 14:23.000 It's like provocative provocation of more weaknesses and then securing a key square to play with. 14:23.010 --> 14:24.930 So it's really beautiful stuff. 14:25.830 --> 14:29.820 And the light square infiltration is just absolutely instructive in my view. 14:29.820 --> 14:33.750 So it's also a great advert for the Cora Khan defense. 14:33.750 --> 14:38.250 If people aren't going to play the exchange variation and are going to exchange off their lines Square 14:38.250 --> 14:43.230 Bishop, you can look forward to plans like this of infiltrating later on the night squares. 14:43.230 --> 14:45.390 So very instructive for many perspectives. 14:45.390 --> 14:51.240 I hope you enjoyed this game and Nimzowitsch himself was so impressed he felt that Capablanca was using 14:52.130 --> 14:58.080 his my system against him in my system, documenting a lot of positional methods in chess being used 14:58.080 --> 14:58.560 against them. 14:58.560 --> 15:02.070 So an iconic positional and counter game. 15:02.610 --> 15:03.370 Okay. 15:03.930 --> 15:04.770 And so much.