Chess and Checkers : the Way to Mastership by Edward Lasker
page 109 of 267 (40%)
page 109 of 267 (40%)
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development instead of White, as it ought to be.
If both players refrain from premature attack the game might develop as follows: (2) B-c4, B-c5; (3) Kt-f3, Kt-c6; (4) P-d3, Kt-f6; (5) Kt-c3, P-d6; (6) o-o, o-o; (7) B-g5. This move is the first one with which White trespasses the "frontier" which may be said to run in the openings of all games between the fourth and fifth ranks of the board. The Bishops are the only pieces for whom there is a field of action in the opponent's camp early in the game. They pin a hostile Knight and thereby exert a certain pressure on the opponent who naturally does not like to see any of his pieces deprived of its mobility. The fact that Black can drive White's Bishop away with P-h6 does not lead to any loss of time for White, for the Bishop can retire to h4, still maintaining the pin, while Black has not furthered his development by his Pawn move; in fact, he has somewhat compromised his position and as explained by the discussion of the position of Diagram 37 the advance of the Pawn g7 to g5 cannot follow without the risk that White will uphold the pin even at the cost of a piece and obtain an overwhelming attack. That the move P-h6 creates a weakness even if it is not followed up by P-g5 will be demonstrated later on in the discussion of the middle game. The correct answer to White's seventh move is easily found with the help of the principle of development. If White did not threaten anything Black would certainly think of nothing else than the development of his Queen's Bishop, the only minor piece which has not yet moved. Therefore, the first thing Black should consider in countering the threat involved in White's last move is a protection with a move of the Queen's Bishop. White's threat |
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