WEBVTT 00:00.930 --> 00:01.670 Hi there. 00:01.680 --> 00:04.860 In this lecture, we see Anatoly Karpov playing against Gerald Loescher. 00:04.860 --> 00:09.000 In 1992, the tournament round one, DH four from Karpov. 00:09.000 --> 00:11.760 We have DH five from here. 00:11.850 --> 00:13.560 C four, C six. 00:13.890 --> 00:18.470 So Queen's Gambit declines semi Slav variation, so of six, E three. 00:18.480 --> 00:21.090 So Kopf doesn't mind blocking in this bishop. 00:22.860 --> 00:24.600 So this is a very interesting variation. 00:24.630 --> 00:29.460 f693 Not too much opening theory here in a way. 00:29.460 --> 00:30.300 Queen C two. 00:30.300 --> 00:31.290 Bishop DH six. 00:32.550 --> 00:38.160 Bishop E two Black Castles White Castle's Rookie eight. 00:40.240 --> 00:48.570 And we have now wrote DX one Queen e7h3, B six and here E four. 00:48.580 --> 00:54.310 There is some strategic intent involved with E four and it's not really to do with this diagonal or 00:54.310 --> 01:00.850 the king or okay, there's a of e five, but it's to do if in this game it seems White wants to get 01:00.850 --> 01:09.070 rid of the dark square bishop and leave this bishop bad so we see night takes E four nights 8c4d takes 01:09.070 --> 01:15.430 and one perk now of Queen takes E four is that it does support Bishop F for if we can get a bind on 01:15.430 --> 01:18.670 the position, especially against this Bishop, this will be very interesting. 01:19.330 --> 01:25.060 And we see how after Bishop B seven, Bishop four trying to get a lock and key over the E five square. 01:25.600 --> 01:34.810 So Rook 88 and these bishops are exchanged off and now this lock and key principle 95 is played black 01:34.810 --> 01:36.340 actually obliges. 01:36.370 --> 01:39.280 Knight takes e5d takes Quincy, seven. 01:40.390 --> 01:44.350 So now there is a move which should be prevented. 01:44.380 --> 01:47.410 C five And what would you play here to prevent it? 01:47.410 --> 01:48.430 Five points. 01:49.450 --> 01:50.920 Yeah, we can play a preventative move. 01:50.920 --> 01:51.910 Bishop free. 01:52.660 --> 01:53.020 So. 01:53.020 --> 01:58.390 Bishop eight And again, it seems as though black's threatening C five because the rook protects the 01:58.390 --> 02:02.530 bishop and maybe that's the end of that story, but it's not. 02:03.930 --> 02:05.870 Couple of exchanges on date. 02:05.880 --> 02:06.750 And guess what? 02:06.750 --> 02:10.770 Here is played which kind of prevents see five again. 02:12.600 --> 02:21.870 So we're inside the mind of a python here or a similar kind of creature trying to restrict the opponents. 02:21.870 --> 02:28.650 So for restriction, until the opponent has no good moves, kind of repeat restriction until no good 02:28.650 --> 02:29.070 moves. 02:29.070 --> 02:35.730 Rook d one So this stops C five because we just take on DE and then take on a eight. 02:36.360 --> 02:41.850 So we have rook takes D one bishop takes D, one, queen D eight and it looks as though, well, this 02:41.850 --> 02:47.970 tempo gain can actually get the Queen to quite an aggressive square d to where it can be to cop off. 02:47.970 --> 02:52.440 Now just accepts that he wants to make sure this bishop is not liberated with C five. 02:52.440 --> 03:00.420 So we do have this Queen DD two and we have to be aware we're using now a positional pawn sacrifice 03:00.450 --> 03:01.140 be free. 03:01.140 --> 03:02.820 We're letting one pawn go. 03:03.030 --> 03:09.210 What we really want to do is change the pawn structure such that the bishop is naturally locked in. 03:09.210 --> 03:15.900 If we have pawns on B four and ac5 pawn, then the bishop would be naturally locked in here. 03:15.900 --> 03:19.940 It seems as though g phrase an alternative queen takes B to Queen D free. 03:19.950 --> 03:22.860 This is another way of playing it with Queen D seven. 03:23.070 --> 03:25.440 Black has to be careful about the back row. 03:25.440 --> 03:31.290 So Queen F is there with Queen before, but say there's a concession like a six. 03:33.220 --> 03:33.670 And queen. 03:33.670 --> 03:36.710 The queen takes B6 winning material. 03:36.730 --> 03:43.030 This is also going to be a way for White to play it, but it's not as nice by a long shot compared to 03:43.030 --> 03:43.810 the game. 03:44.230 --> 03:48.400 So that might be the most technically accurate way of playing it. 03:48.400 --> 03:50.050 But Be Free was played. 03:50.350 --> 03:55.330 We have Queen size A to B for Queen A one. 03:55.330 --> 03:57.720 Check King H two. 03:57.760 --> 04:04.780 And perhaps the reason why engines didn't like this continuation is because Black is not really obliged 04:04.780 --> 04:06.490 to play what Black did, which is Queen 86. 04:06.490 --> 04:08.260 This is an inaccuracy. 04:08.260 --> 04:12.190 It turns out G six, B five, Queen B two. 04:12.220 --> 04:19.210 This is a fascinating position where black actually can play Queen takes F two and in this position, 04:19.210 --> 04:20.050 sack the bishop. 04:20.050 --> 04:26.680 This requires a lot of imagination for Queen and for picking up just about enough pawns to maintain 04:26.680 --> 04:28.450 a dynamic equality. 04:28.450 --> 04:31.090 So perhaps with absolute best play. 04:31.090 --> 04:39.460 Yeah, sure g sex with that bishop sacrifice idea in some variations, but yeah, black is human so 04:39.460 --> 04:48.790 human played queen a six inaccuracy and we have come up off able to fulfill this beautiful idea of locking 04:48.790 --> 04:50.380 in the bishop of C five. 04:50.560 --> 04:52.360 So C five is coming up now. 04:52.360 --> 04:56.770 So we have Queen eight if C five hair Queen A is checkmate. 04:56.770 --> 04:58.660 So Queen eight, we have C five. 04:58.660 --> 05:02.110 So naturally locking in the Bishop B takes. 05:02.110 --> 05:04.180 That's a really, really bad bishop. 05:04.420 --> 05:11.650 Now what else if a five we're just going to take on B six and this position, for example, we can play 05:11.650 --> 05:11.950 queen. 05:11.950 --> 05:14.140 A free bishop takes her free saffron. 05:14.150 --> 05:15.310 It's important here. 05:15.310 --> 05:16.200 What's important? 05:16.240 --> 05:18.070 Play in this position for five points. 05:18.910 --> 05:24.550 It's important we accept the double pawns or Queen's important on the A file, and we have Queen A seven 05:24.550 --> 05:27.520 and B seven in time to be crushing. 05:27.520 --> 05:31.510 So B, C five was played Queen St, C five. 05:31.510 --> 05:34.810 And this doesn't look good for the bishop on eight. 05:34.840 --> 05:36.790 Is it worth a pawn? 05:38.170 --> 05:40.240 So Queen E seven. 05:40.240 --> 05:42.070 We have G six. 05:44.070 --> 05:49.580 So if G6 isn't played, White does have various ideas. 05:49.590 --> 05:53.000 In any case, for example, moving up the H pawn could be dangerous. 05:53.010 --> 05:56.640 So G6 does weaken the dark squares and we have H four now. 05:56.880 --> 05:58.020 H five. 05:58.410 --> 06:03.570 But now, yeah, the dark square roads are opened up for a King walk. 06:03.600 --> 06:06.660 King G three We have Queen B seven. 06:07.080 --> 06:12.360 Queen V seven is actually a terrible mistake and accelerates Black's downfall. 06:12.360 --> 06:17.850 Black could have put up a lot more resistance and maybe even maintain equality for record with King 06:17.850 --> 06:18.750 G seven. 06:18.750 --> 06:26.880 So for example, Queen five, Queen A seven and one is one actually going to win this? 06:27.000 --> 06:29.310 Can we actively win this position? 06:29.760 --> 06:37.860 Let's say this is just a fictional example where it's difficult to see how White actually makes progress 06:37.860 --> 06:38.280 here. 06:39.210 --> 06:45.180 So, yes, it would be about even so, Queen Bee seven actually accelerates blacks demise here with 06:45.180 --> 06:46.440 this queen exchange. 06:46.590 --> 06:54.300 So, yeah, this is what turns out to be the absolute key mistake which completely celebrates White's 06:54.300 --> 06:56.940 position on pawn sac for the bad bishop. 06:57.510 --> 06:58.530 So a game on here. 06:58.530 --> 07:02.850 Cop off took on B seven, Bishop tanks be seven. 07:02.850 --> 07:08.340 So we have King F4, King of eight, King G five. 07:08.490 --> 07:15.960 And we can see that now actually White can prepare to get a passed outside pawn King E seven, Bishop 07:15.960 --> 07:22.290 e four There's a plan to get a passed outside pawn slowly preparing with F three and G four. 07:22.290 --> 07:26.880 What's happening here is that one pawn here is holding two in effect. 07:26.880 --> 07:28.500 This is a Capablanca principle. 07:28.500 --> 07:34.500 If one pawn can hold so well with the king's help, that means that White virtually has a potential 07:34.500 --> 07:37.080 past pawn candidate with F3 and G four. 07:37.080 --> 07:44.130 So this is absolutely beautiful stuff because Black is really helpless here after every bishop b7g for 07:44.250 --> 07:49.620 we have Bishop 88g takes H five, G takes H five. 07:49.620 --> 07:55.710 And not even allowing an inch of council is sent to me at a micro centimeter f4. 07:55.710 --> 08:01.140 If King takes H five, there is a little bit of maybe what you consider a little bit what looks like 08:01.140 --> 08:07.680 potential counterplay, but even this this is this position Black could play C five, but the resulting 08:07.680 --> 08:09.480 compromise is too much. 08:09.480 --> 08:11.670 This would be a winning position anyway for white. 08:11.790 --> 08:13.470 But this is even more careful. 08:13.500 --> 08:20.760 F four just still preventing f61 pawn holding two in effect with the help of the king. 08:21.330 --> 08:25.440 And so that's now a fixed target and it's just picked off with Bishop free. 08:27.060 --> 08:28.410 But wait for it. 08:29.650 --> 08:32.110 Now this is better circumstances. 08:32.140 --> 08:37.720 King takes H five now not minding F six, so much so yeah, a little bit of a twist there. 08:37.720 --> 08:44.420 If f six here we've got our passport ready to roll and say f five is is hopeless for black. 08:44.440 --> 08:48.340 We can come in with our king if nothing else, scoop up loads of pawns. 08:48.340 --> 08:50.200 This pawns also big pass pawn. 08:50.200 --> 08:51.850 It's absolutely a winning position. 08:52.060 --> 08:56.320 So yes, a wonderful kind of simple looking win. 08:56.320 --> 08:58.990 This is really real positional chess. 08:59.920 --> 09:05.530 The intelligence of the logic of the chessboard, the pawns and the pieces where there can be a really 09:05.530 --> 09:08.770 bad lack of harmony between pieces and pawns. 09:08.830 --> 09:11.710 Hindi celebrated for a positional pawn sacrifice. 09:12.220 --> 09:13.060 Sure, there's. 09:13.090 --> 09:15.010 There's technical stuff going on. 09:15.010 --> 09:19.240 The positional pawn sacrifice might have downsides, but its engines will pick up on that. 09:19.240 --> 09:21.100 But against the human. 09:21.100 --> 09:21.610 Yeah. 09:21.880 --> 09:23.260 Queen 86 did help. 09:23.260 --> 09:24.190 It did help. 09:24.190 --> 09:24.730 But. 09:24.940 --> 09:25.360 Okay. 09:25.480 --> 09:29.080 So there was some weird and wonderful path of a bishop sacrifice. 09:29.080 --> 09:32.170 But that's kind of beyond most grandmasters. 09:32.170 --> 09:34.750 Even so, Queen D for Queen. 09:35.080 --> 09:35.350 Yeah. 09:35.350 --> 09:40.660 This this locking in of the bishop restriction of bishop, just pulverizing the bishop. 09:40.660 --> 09:41.320 Basically. 09:41.350 --> 09:43.180 It's a very instructive game. 09:43.180 --> 09:45.250 Example where. 09:45.850 --> 09:46.540 Yeah. 09:46.540 --> 09:47.830 Is it worth a pawn? 09:47.830 --> 09:50.920 Yeah, of course it's worth a pawn, but that's kind of paralyze. 09:50.920 --> 09:54.370 And then yeah, the King King walk was absolutely amazing. 09:54.370 --> 09:58.120 I hope you enjoyed this game as much as me and so much.