Contents

009 Introduction

013 Chapter 1: Good and Bad Bishops
014 Game 1: Alatortsev - Levenfish, Leningrad, 1937
018 Game 2: Taylor - Alekhine, Hastings, 1936/37
020 Game 3: Palatnik - Dandridge, Chicago, 1996
029 Game 4: Botvinnik - Kan, Leningrad, 1939
034 Learning Exercise 1-1: A "bad" bishop to the defense!
Learning Exercise 1-2: Exchanging the fianchettoed bishop
035 Petrosian - Gheorghiu, Moscow, 1967

037 Chapter 2: Bishops of Opposite Color
038 Game 5: Matulovich - Botvinnik, Belgrade, 1970
039 Game 6: Durisch, Han & Hisler - Tarrasch, Nuremberg, 1904
051 Game 7: Rubinstein - Spielmann, Zemmering, 1926
Learning Exercise 2-1: Opposite-color bishop as "top dog"
056 Petrosian - Polugaevsky, 4th match game, 1970
Learning Exercise 2-2: Weak batteries
059 Larsen - Gligoric, Moscow, 1956
061 Game 8: Kaidanov - Palatnik, Asheville, 1995

068 Chapter 3: Cutting Off a Piece From the Main Action
068 Game 9: Winter - Capablanca, Hastings, 1919
072 Game 10: Bronstein - Beliavsky, Erevan, 1975
080 Game 11: Anand - Ivanchuk, Las Palmas, 1996
085 Game 12: Hort - Alburt, Decin, 1977

092 Chapter 4: When the Bishop is Stronger Than the Knight
092 Game 13: Smyslov - Tal, Moscow, 1964
101 Game 14: Dolmatov - Smirin, Rostov-on-Don, 1993

106 Chapter 5: When the Knight is Stronger Than the Bishop
107 Game 15: Lasker, Em. - Cohn, St. Petersburg, 1909
110 Game 16: Savon - Spassky, Erevan, 1962
115 Game 17: Karpov - Taimanov, USSR, 1983
Learning Exercise 5-1: Knights or bishops?
123 Lputian - Gufeld, USSR, 1983
Learning Exercise 5-2: Well coordinated effort
125 Kasparov - Nunn, Brussels, 1989
Learning Exercise 5-3: Getter's pawn sac
126 Pilnik - Geller, Goteborg, 1955

127 Chapter 6: The Bishop Pair
127 A. Two bishops as an advantage in the middlegame
129 Game 18: Alekhine - Wennik, Prague, 1931
131 Game 19: Bogoljubov - Janowsky, New York, 1924
134 Game 20: Ivanchuk - Anand, Buenos Aires, 1994
141 B. How to play against the two bishops
142 Game 21: Brinkman - Nimzovich, Denmark, 1922
144 Game 22: Psakhis - Tukmakov, Rostov-on-Don, 1993

148 Chapter 7: Fighting on the Long Diagonals
148 Game 23: Instructive Example
150 Game 24: Barczay - Mikhalchishin, Keckemet, 1983
151 Game 25: Rutkovsky - Neff, Krasnojarsk, 1992
153 Game 26: Reti - Yates, New York, 1924
157 Game 27: Palatnik - Stohl, Tallinn, 1986
163 Game 28: Palatnik - Mestrovich, Albena, 1977
168 Game 29: Geller - Velimirovich, Havana, 1971
Learning Exercise 7-1: Open or closed?
173 Hartloub - Aficio, 1887

174 Chapter 8: Open Files and Diagonals
174 Game 30: Korchnoi - Sokolov, Wijk-aan-Zee, 1993
175 Game 31: Chiburdanidze - Larsen, Vienna, 1993
176 Game 32: Botvinnik - Larsen, Palma de Majorca, 1967
178 A. Exploitation of open and half-open files
178 Game 33: Meduna - Palatnik, Frunze, 1979
182 Game 34: Botvinnik - Boleslavsky, Moscow, 1945
185 Game 35: Nimzovich - Capablanca, New York, 1927
189 Game 36: Kramnik - Kozlov, USSR, 1989
190 B. Open files and the attack on the king
190 Game 37: Keres - Capablanca, Amsterdam, 1938
193 Game 38: Lempert - Tiviakov, St. Petersburg, 1993
194 C. Outpost on the open file
195 Game 39: Fine - Botvinnik, Amsterdam, 1938
197 Game 40: Tarrasch - Blackbume, Manchester, 1890
199 Game 41: Karpov - Timman, Zwolle, 1993
202 D. The 7th (2nd) rank
202 Game 42: Vasiliev - Zilberstein, Ukraine, 1993
206 Game 43: Gelfand - Anand, Biel, 1993
208 Game 44: Vokach - Van der Wiel, Dortmund, 1989

Learning Exercise 8-1: Open lines of attack
210 Geller - Novotelnov, Moscow, 1951
Learning Exercise 8-2: 7th rank advantage
210 Serper - Nicolaides, St. Petersburg, 1993
Learning Exercise 8-3: Winch continuation?
210 Botvinnik - Szabo, Moscow, 1956
Learning Exercise 8-4: Use the open files
210 Pillsbury - Wolf, Monte Carlo, 1903
Learning Exercise 8-5: Rooking your opponent
211 Study, XIII century
Learning Exercise 8-6: A rare double attack
211 Barbeli - Kovach, Bucharest, 1948

213 Chapter 9: Weak and Strong Squares
214 Game 45: Botvinnik - Flohr, Moscow, 1936
217 Game 46: Tarrasch - Lasker, Em., Dusseldorf, 1908
220 Game 47: Milner-Barry - Znosko-Borovski, Tainby, 1928
224 Game 48: Rubinstein - Salwe, Lodz, 1908
228 Game 49: Oil - Woitkevich, New York, 1994

233 Chapter 10: When a Complex of Squares is Weak
234 Game 50: Keres - Guti, Tel Aviv, 1964
235 Game 51: Instructive Example
236 Game 52: Nikolayevski - Geller, USSR, 1966
238 Game 53: Stahlberg - Stein, Erevan, 1965
241 Game 54: Tukmakov - Palatnik, Odessa, 1970
248 Game 55: Mukhin, M. - Palatnik, USSR, 1974
252 Game 56: Letelier - Smyslov, Havana, 1967
253 Game 57: Kapengut - Tukmakov, USSR, 1963

Learning Exercise 10-1: Virtual Zugzwang
255 Ranniku - Grinfeld, Riga, 1975
Learning Exercise 10-2: Re-charge your battery
255 Kalegin - Obodchuk, Moscow, 1993
Learning Exercise 10-3: Queen for a tempo
255 Mizzto - Kloza, Poland, 1935
Learning Exercise 10-4: Exploiting the weaknesses
255 Liapunova - Manukian, Erevan, 1960
Learning Exercise 10-5: Opening the diagonal
256 Korchnoi - Bellotti, Novi Sad, 1990
Learning Exercise 10-6: Tactics to the rescue
256 Van Vely - Steinegrimsson, Novi Sad, 1990
Learning Exercise 10-7: Lust to expand!
256 Shirov - Kramnik, Linares, 1993
Learning Exercise 10-8: Exploiting the file
256 Kremenetski - Kholmov, Moscow, 1987
Learning Exercise 10-9: Dominant square
257 Gelfand - Anand, Linares, 1993
Learning Exercise 10-10: Pseudo-sacrifice
257 Euwe - Keres, Netherlands, 1939
Learning Exercise 10-11: Direct assault
257 Lautier - Karpov, Dortmund, 1990
Learning Exercise 10-12: Setting up the double attack
257 Arakhamia - Epstein, Novi Sad, 1990

259 Chapter 11: Weak and Strong Pawns
259 A. Pawn islands
260 Game 58: Averbakh - Taimanov, Moscow, 1948
261 Game 59: Gligoric - Keres, Zurich, 1953
262 B. Doubled and tripled pawns
263 Game 60: Smyslov - Stahlberg, Zurich, 1953
264 Game 61: Malanjuk - Andrianov, USSR, 1982
266 Game 62: Botvinnik - Kan, Moscow, 1939
269 C. Backward pawn on the half-open file
269 Game 63: Lilienthal - Makogonov, Moscow, 1936
271 Game 64: Smyslov - Denker, USA-USSR radio match, 1946
272 D. The passed pawn
273 Game 65: Miles - Rodriguez, Riga, 1979
278 Game 66: Spassky - Petrosian, Moscow, 1969
281 E. Isolated pawn in the center
281 Game 67: Rubinstein - Marshall, Breslau, 1912
284 Game 68: Botvinnik - Vidmar, Nottingham, 1936
287 Game 69: Antoshin - Palatnik, USSR, 1979

292 Chapter 12: Significance of the Center
292 A. Pawn center
293 Game 70: Keres - Fine, Ostende, 1937
296 Game 71: Furman - Lilienthal, Moscow, 1949
298 Game 72: Lputian - Epishin, Rostov-on-Don, 1993
300 Game 73: Keres - Geller, Moscow, 1962
303 B. Undermining the pawn center
303 Game 74: Letelier - Fischer, Leipzig, 1960
309 Game 75: Botvinnik - Petrosian, Moscow, 1963
312 Game 76: Instructive Example, Alekhine's Defense
314 C. Pieces against the pawn center
315 Game 77: Nezmetdinov - Tal, Moscow, 1957
318 D. Center and wing operations
319 Game 78: Rodriguez, A. - Tringov, Buenos Aires, 1978
320 Game 79: Botvinnik - Smyslov, Moscow, 1954
322 E. Opening the game in the center
323 Game 80: Alekhine - Eliskases, Podebrad, 1936
Learning Exercise 12-1: Chipping away the king's pawn cover
328 Nimzovich - Salwe, Karlsbad, 1911
Learning Exercise 12-2: Counterattack in the center
328 Browne - Keres, Vancouver, 1975
Learning Exercise 12-3: Creating threats
329 Suetin - Malikh, Berlin, 1965
Learning Exercise 12-4: Whose attack is first?
329 Hort - Schauwecker, Biel, 1987

332 Index of Games  

Catalogue text:

Chess Strategy for the Tournament Player demystifies chessboard planning, giving you the practical, game-winning strategic techniques you could spend years gathering on your own. Each idea is explained and illustrated using games carefully chosen for their instructive clarity and power.
"The Comprehensive Chess Course is simply the best chess instruction I have ever seen. I am a player who has been reading chess books for 40 years without getting any better. Lev Alburt taught me basic things about the game that none of the other books ever taught me. He is a brilliant teacher, and his books capture that brilliance."
- Charles Murray, author of What It Means to be a Libertarian
"In the Comprehensive Chess Course, volumes 3 and 4, Grandmaster Alburt boldly promises to deliver the most effective tactics and the best techniques for attack and defense of the king. He has managed to live up completely to his pledge. A truly great work!"
- GM Maxim Dlugy former World Junior Chess Champion and former US Chess Federation President
Chess Strategy for the Tournament Player stands alone. And it is also the fifth volume of the Comprehensive Chess Course, a series that brings English readers the once strictly guarded and time-tested Russian training methods, the key to the 50-year Russian dominance of the chess world. The Comprehensive Chess Course takes you from beginner to tournament expert.
International Grandmaster Lev Alburt, a three-time US champion and former European champion, is called the "grandmaster of chess teachers." This famed teacher, who helps students of all strengths and ages, has spent years translating secret lesson plans used to produce a long line of Soviet world champions. The Comprehensive Chess Course series is the result. His co-author is GM Sam Palatnik, a former captain of the Ukranian squad that recently won the silver medal in the world team championship ahead of Russia! GM Palatnik is renowned for putting into practice many of the brilliant ideas included in this book.