The Art of Checkmate: new translation with algebraic chess notation

250 Pages·2015·34.46 MB·English

by  Georges Renaud, Victor Kahn

The Art of Checkmate
new translation by Jimmy Adams
Georges Renaud and Victor Kahn
C(cid:255)(cid:256)y(cid:258)(cid:249)(cid:247)(cid:248)(cid:260)
23. P(cid:241)y Att(cid:245)(cid:254)t(cid:249)(cid:255)(cid:254) t(cid:255) t(cid:248)(cid:245) R(cid:241)(cid:254)(cid:251)s! 431
Table of Contents
24. Ex(cid:245)r(cid:243)(cid:249)s(cid:245)s 434
25. I(cid:254) S(cid:245)(cid:241)r(cid:243)(cid:248) (cid:255)(cid:246) (cid:241) Ty(cid:256)(cid:249)(cid:243)(cid:241)(cid:252) M(cid:241)t(cid:245) 449
Ti(cid:260)le 1
26. S(cid:255)(cid:252)ut(cid:249)(cid:255)(cid:254)s t(cid:255) Ex(cid:245)r(cid:243)(cid:249)s(cid:245)s 463
C(cid:255)(cid:254)(cid:260)e(cid:254)(cid:260)(cid:259) 2
C(cid:255)(cid:256)y(cid:258)igh(cid:260) 497
T(cid:258)a(cid:254)(cid:259)la(cid:260)(cid:255)(cid:258)’(cid:259) F(cid:255)(cid:258)ew(cid:255)(cid:258)d 4
I(cid:254)(cid:260)(cid:258)(cid:255)d(cid:261)c(cid:260)i(cid:255)(cid:254) 7
Pa(cid:258)(cid:260) O(cid:254)e: Pic(cid:260)(cid:261)(cid:258)e(cid:259)(cid:257)(cid:261)e Ma(cid:260)e(cid:259) 21
1. Lé(cid:247)(cid:241)(cid:252)’s Ps(cid:245)u(cid:244)(cid:255)-S(cid:241)(cid:243)r(cid:249)�(cid:243)(cid:245) 22
2. T(cid:248)(cid:245) P(cid:255)w(cid:245)r (cid:255)(cid:246) t(cid:248)(cid:245) D(cid:255)u(cid:242)(cid:252)(cid:245) C(cid:248)(cid:245)(cid:243)(cid:251) 49
3. T(cid:248)(cid:245) S(cid:253)(cid:255)t(cid:248)(cid:245)r(cid:245)(cid:244) M(cid:241)t(cid:245) 80
4. T(cid:248)(cid:245) Guér(cid:249)(cid:244)(cid:255)(cid:254) (cid:241)(cid:254)(cid:244) E(cid:256)(cid:241)u(cid:252)(cid:245)tt(cid:245)s M(cid:241)t(cid:245)s 101
5. T(cid:248)(cid:245) C(cid:241)(cid:252)(cid:241)(cid:242)r(cid:249)(cid:241)(cid:254) S(cid:241)(cid:243)r(cid:249)�(cid:243)(cid:245) 117
6. Ex(cid:245)r(cid:243)(cid:249)s(cid:245)s 129
Pa(cid:258)(cid:260) Tw(cid:255): Ty(cid:256)ical Ma(cid:260)e(cid:259) 139
1. T(cid:248)(cid:245) C(cid:255)rr(cid:249)(cid:244)(cid:255)r M(cid:241)t(cid:245) (N(cid:255). 1) 140
2. V(cid:241)r(cid:249)(cid:241)t(cid:249)(cid:255)(cid:254) (cid:255)(cid:246) t(cid:248)(cid:245) C(cid:255)rr(cid:249)(cid:244)(cid:255)r M(cid:241)t(cid:245) (N(cid:255). 2) 154
3. Gr(cid:245)(cid:243)(cid:255)’s M(cid:241)t(cid:245) (N(cid:255). 3) 169
4. M(cid:241)t(cid:245) N(cid:255). 4 182
5. A(cid:254)(cid:241)st(cid:241)s(cid:249)(cid:241)’s M(cid:241)t(cid:245) (N(cid:255). 5) 187
6. B(cid:255)(cid:244)(cid:245)(cid:254)’s M(cid:241)t(cid:245) (N(cid:255). 6) 201
7. B(cid:252)(cid:241)(cid:243)(cid:251)(cid:242)ur(cid:254)(cid:245)’s M(cid:241)t(cid:245) (N(cid:255). 7) 213
8. Ex(cid:245)r(cid:243)(cid:249)s(cid:245)s 227
9. M(cid:241)t(cid:245) N(cid:255). 8 (cid:241)(cid:254)(cid:244) L(cid:255)(cid:252)(cid:252)(cid:249)’s M(cid:241)t(cid:245) 234
10. M(cid:241)t(cid:245) N(cid:255). 9 239
11. A(cid:254)(cid:244)(cid:245)rss(cid:245)(cid:254)’s M(cid:241)t(cid:245) (C(cid:255)(cid:254)t(cid:249)(cid:254)u(cid:241)t(cid:249)(cid:255)(cid:254) (cid:255)(cid:246)
286
N(cid:255). 9)
12. M(cid:241)t(cid:245) N(cid:255).10 (cid:241)(cid:254)(cid:244) P(cid:249)(cid:252)(cid:252)s(cid:242)ury’s M(cid:241)t(cid:245) 296
13. Ex(cid:245)r(cid:243)(cid:249)s(cid:245)s 308
14. D(cid:241)(cid:253)(cid:249)(cid:241)(cid:254)(cid:255)’s M(cid:241)t(cid:245)s (N(cid:255)s. 11. 12 (cid:241)(cid:254)(cid:244)
315
13)
15. M(cid:255)r(cid:256)(cid:248)y’s M(cid:241)t(cid:245)s (N(cid:255)s. 14, 15, 16) 330
16. Ex(cid:245)r(cid:243)(cid:249)s(cid:245)s 360
17. M(cid:241)t(cid:245)s w(cid:249)t(cid:248) M(cid:241)(cid:250)(cid:255)r P(cid:249)(cid:245)(cid:243)(cid:245)s (N(cid:255)s. 17
367
(cid:241)(cid:254)(cid:244) 18)
18. M(cid:241)t(cid:245) w(cid:249)t(cid:248) M(cid:249)(cid:254)(cid:255)r P(cid:249)(cid:245)(cid:243)(cid:245)s (N(cid:255). 19) 394
19. M(cid:241)t(cid:245) (cid:255)(cid:246) t(cid:248)(cid:245) Tw(cid:255) B(cid:249)s(cid:248)(cid:255)(cid:256)s (N(cid:255). 20) 411
20. M(cid:241)t(cid:245) (cid:255)(cid:246) t(cid:248)(cid:245) Tw(cid:255) K(cid:254)(cid:249)(cid:247)(cid:248)ts (N(cid:255). 21) 415
21. A(cid:254)(cid:255)t(cid:248)(cid:245)r B(cid:249)s(cid:248)(cid:255)(cid:256) (cid:241)(cid:254)(cid:244) K(cid:254)(cid:249)(cid:247)(cid:248)t M(cid:241)t(cid:245)
420
(N(cid:255). 22)
22. Ar(cid:241)(cid:242)(cid:249)(cid:241)(cid:254) M(cid:241)t(cid:245) (N(cid:255). 23) 428
498 499
T(cid:258)(cid:241)(cid:254)(cid:259)(cid:252)(cid:241)(cid:260)(cid:255)(cid:258)’(cid:259) F(cid:255)(cid:258)(cid:245)w(cid:255)(cid:258)(cid:244)
The excellence of the presentation is still
there, too – the order, the neatness, and the
pleasing system of classification according to
names, which makes everything so easily
Translator’s remembered, e.g., Légal’s Pseudo-Sacrifice,
Greco’s Mate, Anastasia’s Mate, Boden’s
Foreword Mate, Blackburne’s Mate, Anderssen’s Mate,
Pillsbury’s Mate, Damiano’s Mate, Morphy’s
Mate, the Arabian Mate, and so on. All these
mates – the student discovers – are typical
The Art of Checkmate has been a best
mates that occur daily. They are not
selling chess book, praised for its
ephemeral flights of genius recalled only in
instructional value, ever since it was first
print, but part of the stock in trade of every
published in Monaco in 1947.
expert player; but a book like this that codifies
However, when the first French to English them so elegantly and interestingly gives even
translation appeared in the 1950s it was an expert a far better grip of them, so that his
severely criticised by the highly respected chances of scoring a vital extra point in a
chess writer and teacher, Cecil Purdy, who tournament are appreciably increased. Over
wrote in the Australian magazine Chess and over again, the authors quote instances of
World: forced mates missed by masters in the heat of
battle. And for the average player, from now
“The Art of Checkmate by Georges
on we list this as a must book.
Renaud. and Victor Kahn, former champions
of France, is yet another demonstration of I am strongly opposed to the view that
how very suited the French literary tradition skill in chess can be attained only by hard
is to chess exposition. The close attention to work. I once studied a book on the differential
the order and neatness of presentation makes calculus that was written quite flippantly, and
study of most of the French chess writers a yet gave a newcomer to the calculus a much
pleasure. In this case, a clumsy translation better idea of its mysteries than the
has succeeded in making merely delightful ponderous school texts I was supposed to be
what could have been made super-delightful. using. A chess book that is interesting and
It is a magnificent exposition of that vital entertaining and yet has the subject all sewn
department of chess skill, the mating up – that’s the ideal, and Renaud and Kahn
combination. have hit the jackpot.
The original was L’Art de Faire Mat, of They could, however, institute a lawsuit
which my copy – I don’t know if a nicer against the translator. I really must comment
edition was printed – is on poor paper and on this aspect in the hope that chess
very unattractive to the eye. Bell’s have publishers may exercise more care in the
produced an English edition in their usual selection of people for this work. Previously, I
style – well-nigh impossible to better as far as railed at some faults in translations of books
the appearance goes. by Botvinnik – faults that were obvious
without knowing Russian. But the translation
of Renaud’s and Kahn’s work reaches what I
4 5
I(cid:254)(cid:260)(cid:258)(cid:255)(cid:244)(cid:261)(cid:243)(cid:260)(cid:249)(cid:255)(cid:254)
sincerely hope is an all-time low. I am no
French scholar, but any fourth-former could
fault this stuff.
In almost every page one finds sentences
Introduction
that are not translations at all, or even
paraphrases. They contain as much of the
original as the pathetic skull of Yorick
contained of the soul of that lively jester, and
Nothing is more annoying for a player,
the bones are padded out not with the
after he has racked his brains over a position
thoughts of Renaud and Kahn but, rather,
and then selected and made what he thought
thoughts of the translator’s own which he
to be the best move, than to hear a voice in
seems – for no valid reason – to prefer ...”
the gallery exclaim in an ironic tone:
Cecil Purdy then goes on to give
“Everyone to their own taste … but in your
illustrative examples to support his criticisms.
place I would have preferred to announce
mate in two moves.”
Thus it is to rectify these serious
shortcomings and do full justice to the
And he is astonished to discover that there
original work of Georges Renaud and Victor
really was a mate in two moves and that his
Kahn, that we have endeavoured to produce a
premature exchange of pieces has destroyed
fresh and accurate translation of L’Art de
the opportunity for ever. He curses himself
Faire Mat, whilst at the same time converting
for not having seen it.
the old descriptive notation used in the
English version to modern figurine algebraic
and making various analytical observations,
which are given in italic type.
We hope this new edition of a timeless
classic will continue to benefit and be enjoyed
by players of all strengths for many more
years to come.
Here is a typical example. In the diagram
position it was Black to move in a club
tournament. The player of the Black pieces
6 7
I(cid:254)(cid:260)(cid:258)(cid:255)(cid:244)(cid:261)(cid:243)(cid:260)(cid:249)(cid:255)(cid:254)
thought for a short moment, then he picked But let this amateur encounter the same
up his Queen, held it for a moment in the air position in a game and eighty per cent of the
and placed it triumphantly on d3. Indeed, he time, if not more, he will be blind to the mate.
threatened … ♕c2 mate.
Even very great masters have not escaped
White sacrificed the exchange by ♖xf5 such misfortunes. Here are two examples that
and having two pawns more, exchanged are particularly instructive:
Queens a few moves later and easily won the
Chigorin, in a match against Schiffers,
game.
played in Russia in 1897, reached the
When it was all over, the loser said: following position with Black:
“There was nothing I could do. I had
sacrificed two pawns and the exchange for an
attack that didn’t come off.”
Replacing the pieces in the diagram
position, we showed him that there was a
forced mate in two moves. The player thought
for a few minutes and finally exclaimed:
“Well, I never ...”
At last, albeit a little late, he saw the mate:
1 ... ♕c3+! 2 bxc3 ♗a3 mate.
However this is a classic mate which, ever
since the distant day in 1857 that Boden
played it for the first time, has been
reproduced a considerable number of times.
Perhaps the same player had seen it in a chess
book or magazine. But as no one had drawn
his attention to the mechanism of this mate,
the position was as new to him.
He played ... b6 and the game was drawn,
The first thing the student must do is to whereas he could have announced mate in
learn how to spot the mates. One will never be five moves.
a good player if one cannot detect these mates
and if one does not know how to carry them 1 ... ♖h1+!
out.
2 ♘xh1 ♗h2+!
If an amateur, with some practical
3 ♔xh2 ♖h8+
experience, is shown a position and told:
“There is a mate in five moves, find it!,” he
4 ♔g3 ♘f5+
will discover it more or less easily, perhaps
after a period of reflection but he will always
5 ♔ any ♖h4 mate.
discover it.
8 9
I(cid:254)(cid:260)(cid:258)(cid:255)(cid:244)(cid:261)(cid:243)(cid:260)(cid:249)(cid:255)(cid:254)
topic: ‘Blunders of the Masters’. Such a title is
At the tournament in Hastings in
encouraging for the amateur.
1937/1938, the winner S. Reshevsky, having
the Black pieces against W. Fairhurst, thought But there is a lesson to be drawn from
a long while in the position shown in the these blunders. For if great masters such as
diagram and finally played 1 ... h6? However, Chigorin and Reshevsky did not see –
he could have carried out a classic mate: accidentally and no doubt pressed for time –
such mates in a given number of moves, how
many will always be overlooked by amateurs?
Yet mates in a given number of moves are
the simplest of all the combinations, since
more often than not they consist of a series of
checks with forced replies. In addition, the
majority of these mates can be reduced to a
few standard types whose characteristics are
easy to remember.
It is necessary to know these typical
mating positions:
1) In order to apply them automatically
and without loss of time when coming across
them in games;
2) In order to try to obtain them when one
has the attack;
3) In order to carefully avoid becoming a
victim oneself.
1 ... ♖c1+ When you are playing, there is no
guardian angel to grab your arm as you are
2 ♗xc1 ♕a7+
about to make a mistaken move and whisper
in your ear, when the moment has come:
3 ♕b6 ♕xb6+
“Take care, my friend. There is a mate in
4 ♖d4 ♕xd4+
four moves here, absolutely forced. Find it
and do not miss the opportunity.”
5 ♔h1 ♘f2+
And the following lines are designed to
6 ♔g1 ♘h3++
accompany you, dear reader, in the role of
this good and useful guardian angel.
7 ♔ any ♕ mates.
The majority of manuals reproduce a
famous game, at rook odds, which was played
One could multiply examples of this sort.
move by move, blow by blow, by Walker,
Magazines and chess columns have created a
Morphy and Steinitz, against amateurs. Let’s
10 11
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examine it too and try to understand the way 9 ♕b3 d5
these three great players were able to deliver
mate in the same manner against an
Giving back a Pawn to escape the
inexperienced opponent.
opponent’s clutches.
GAME NO. 1 10 exd5 ♘a5
Evans Gambit Accepted
With this simultaneous attack on White’s
New York, 1857 Queen and Bishop, Black hopes to get rid of
the dangerous Bishop.
P. Morphy – Amateur
11 ♖e1+ ♗e6
(Remove White’s Queen’s Rook)
1 e4 e5
2 ♘f3 ♘c6
3 ♗c4 ♗c5
4 b4 ♗xb4
5 c3 ♗a5
6 d4 exd4
7 0-0
A century ago this opening was played as
automatically as the first seven moves of the
Orthodox Defence of the Queen’s Gambit are Here starts an entertaining combination.
nowadays. White, who is already playing at Rook odds,
sacrifices his Queen.
7 ... ♘f6?
12 dxe6! ♘xb3
Experience has shown us that the only
playable move in this position is 7 ... ♗b6. Of course he should not take the Queen.
But in the 19th century, amateurs always
8 ♗a3 ♗b6?
allowed themselves to be tempted by their
opponent’s gifts. Anyway this has hardly
There is already no satisfactory move. The changed. It is a common misconception with
only one which allows Black further some players that they imagine they are
resistance is 8 ... d6. From now on the game playing against a novice who has
proceeds like clockwork. thoughtlessly left his Queen en prise.
12 13
I(cid:254)(cid:260)(cid:258)(cid:255)(cid:244)(cid:261)(cid:243)(cid:260)(cid:249)(cid:255)(cid:254)
White announces mate in six moves: player will ‘feel’ that the enemy King is about
to embark on a journey from which it will not
13 exf7+ ♔d7
return.
14 ♗e6+ ♔c6 We can also mention another no less
famous game which appears in all the text
15 ♘e5+ ♔b5
books.
16 ♗c4+ ♔a5
GAME NO. 2
17 ♗b4+ ♔a4
Dutch Defence
London, 1912
Ed. Lasker – Sir George Thomas
1 d4 e6
2 ♘f3 f5
3 ♘c3 ♘f6
4 ♗g5 ♗e7
5 ♗xf6 ♗xf6
6 e4 fxe4
7 ♘xe4 b6
18 axb3 mate.
8 ♘e5 0-0
Can we teach the technique of such a 9 ♗d3 ♗b7
mate? We do not think so. There is no recipe.
The King was collected at its initial square 10 ♕h5
and dragged gradually to the other side of the
board, right up to a4, where it was mated.
If 10 ... h6 11 ♕g6 wins. [But 10 ... g6 11
♘xg6 hxg6 12 ♕xg6+ ♗g7 13 ♘g5 (or 13
An experienced player feels instinctively
that positions, such as the one in the diagram, ♘d6) ♖f6! defends. And 10 ... ♗xe5 11 ♘d2!
are rich in possibilities and so he searches. As g6 12 ♕xe5 maintains equality.]
here all the moves are forced and as there are
10 ... ♕e7
no variations, it is relatively easy, with a little
practice, to calculate the consequences of the
Queen sacrifice and to see that seven moves
later the King will be mated. And even if he is
not able to see this exactly, the discerning
14 15
I(cid:254)(cid:260)(cid:258)(cid:255)(cid:244)(cid:261)(cid:243)(cid:260)(cid:249)(cid:255)(cid:254)
The text move seems to save the game, 18 ♔d2 mate.
since the h7 square is covered by the Queen
after 11 ♘xf6+ gxf6. This position, however, is
This mate seems amazing to the novice.
as full of hidden possibilities as the one in the
However, since all the moves of the Black
Morphy game. And Edward Lasker
King are forced, it can be calculated precisely
announced mate in 8 moves.
without the need for considerable mental
effort.
11 ♕xh7+!! ♔xh7
But, here again, even if we gather together
12 ♘xf6++ ♔h6
a hundred examples of King walks across the
chess board, it is not possible to lay down
13 ♘eg4+! ♔g5
rules.
14 h4+ ♔f4
The idea is to sacrifice material in order to
draw out the King from its seemingly safe
15 g3+ ♔f3
position, then, by a series of checks, corner it
16 ♗e2+ ♔g2 on the fatal mating square.
It is a question of rapid judgment,
17 ♖h2+ ♔g1
imagination and practice.
In 1940 and 1941, once a week, the
authors voluntarily held a public chess course
for some students. It included theoretical
training on a demonstration board, practical
exercises and simultaneous games. On these
occasions they learned a lot themselves and
this book was prompted by their training
lessons.
16 17