SC Week 6/3: Tal - Lisitsin, USSR Championship 1956 (Black squares and White squares)
"… in assessing how bad a bad bishop is, or equivalently how weak a weak square complex is with a view to the endgame, the main criterion must be: how easily can the opponent’s king break in?"
Michael Stean
Notes and Observations
Compare the function of Na4 with respect to control of central dark squares with Na4 in Fischer - Petrosian (Weak Pawns/2).
Black’s queenside structure is the same as in the Tarrasch Queen’s Gambit Declined structure. Na4 often crops up there too.
Black still has Rook, Bishop and a knight. Tal’s king march is successful not just due to the weakness on the dark-squares but also because Black’s pieces lack the coordination needed to threaten any mating attack.
Super thematic game with a kingwalk. Nowadays probably the Short-Timman game would also be included as a showcase that even in the middlegame a king could penetrate offensively and safely when the structure is closed and the player controls a colourcomplex. Today's game of Foreest - Grandelius where the white king ended on h6 as well is also interesting in that regard.
ReplyDeleteI love white's moves f5 and Kd2-Kc3-Kd4. At some point white is even two pawns behind, but he he more less plays with an extra piece.
That's a good observation about Short - Timman, Maxim. The king walk only works because Black's weak on the black squares on the kingside. I hadn't thought of it in that way before.
DeleteForeest v Grandelius an excellent illustration also. Point well made.
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