March 19: UPDATED WITH SOLUTIONS!
The following 10 opening/early middlegame/middlegame positions are taken from my book on Rook vs. Two Minor Pieces, the section on the Scotch Endgame. These positions are not part of the training program 12 Weeks to Better Chess, but they indicate how we approach the study of the opening into the early middlegame and even middlegame. Try to answer the questions to the exercises, solutions will be provided on Sunday. All 3 levels in our training program are represented in the exercises.
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 exd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nxc6 bxc6 6.e5 Qe7 7.Qe2 Nd5 8.c4 Ba6 9.b3 g6 10.g3 Bg7 11.Bb2 0-0 12.Bg2
The Scotch Endgame arises after Black moves one of the rooks to the e-file and takes the e5-pawn. Black would like to play 12…Rfe8 here (to keep the rook on a8 later), but tactics dictate that 12…Rae8 should be preferred. The main line then goes: 13.0-0 Bxe5 14.Bxe5 Qxe5 15.Qxe5 Rxe5 16.cxd5 Bxf1 17.Kxf1 cxd5
This is the starting position for the first 2 positions.
10 Exercise Questions
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- QUESTION 1: This position arose after 18.f4 Re3 19.Bxd5 Rd3 20.Bf3 Rxf3+ 21.Ke2 Re8+ 22.Kf3 Re1. Explain the moves just played – what is going on? QUESTION 2: How would you evaluate this endgame? What is Black’s compensation for the piece?
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- QUESTION 3: This position came about after 18.Nc3 c6 19.Rd1 a5 20.Bf3 f5 21.Rd4 Kf7 22.Ra4 Ra8 23.b4 Ree8. Explain the moves played here – what is going on? QUESTION 4: what is the point of Black’s sacrifice of the a-pawn?
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- QUESTION 5: Imagine that Black had castled queenside earlier and that White agreed to enter the Scotch Endgame in this version. What are the differences from short and long castling? QUESTION 6: Do you think it is to Black’s advantage to castle queenside/long?
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- QUESTION 7: In this position, Black played 12…Rfe8 earlier, and thus the rook is on a8 now, compared to f8 in the first 2 diagrams. How can White use this fact to his advantage? QUESTION 8: If White plays 18.Nc3 c6, why is it to Black’s advantage that the rook is on a8 here (compared to f8)?
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- QUESTION 9: After 18.Nc3 c6, White has bishop+knight for rook and 2 pawns. Who benefits most from the presence of an additional pair of rooks here? QUESTION 10: Try to explain the possible plans for White and Black here – what are both sides trying to obtain? Pinpoint attacking points in both the White and Black camp.
Click here to see the solutions to the exercises!
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