I have passed over the game lightly because of its difficult nature, and because we are at present concerned more with the opening and the middle-game than we are with the endings, which will be treated separately.
24. CUTTING OFF PIECES FROM THE SCENE OF ACTION
Very often in a game a master only plays to cut off, so to speak, one of the pieces from the scene of actual conflict. Often a Bishop or a Knight is completely put out of action. In such cases we might say that from that moment the game is won, because for all practical purposes there will be one more piece on one side than on the other. A very good illustration is furnished by the following game. { 95}
EXAMPLE 54.--Played at the Hastings Victory Tournament, 1919. (Four Knights.) White: W. Winter. Black: J. R. Capablanca.
1. P - K 4 P - K 4 2. Kt - K B 3 Kt - Q B 3 3. Kt - B 3 Kt - B 3 4. B - Kt 5 B - Kt 5 5. O - O O - O 6. B × Kt
Niemzowitch's variation, which I have played successfully in many a game. It gives White a very solid game. Niemzowitch's idea is that White will in due time be able to play P - K B 4, opening a line for his Rooks, which, in combination with the posting of a Knight at K B 5, should be sufficient to win. He thinks that should Black attempt to stop the Knight from going to K B 5, he will have to weaken his game in some other way. Whether this is true or not remains to be proved, but in my opinion the move is perfectly good. On the other hand, there is no question that Black can easily develop his pieces. But it must be considered that in this variation White does not attempt to hinder Black's development, he simply attempts to build up a position which he considers impregnable and from which he can start an attack in due course.
{ 96} The alternative, Kt P × B; gives White the best of the game, without doubt.[8]
This move is not at all in accordance with the nature of this variation. The general strategical plan for White is to play P - K R 3, to be followed in time by the advance of the K Kt P to Kt 4, and the bringing of the Q Kt to K B 5 via K 2 and K Kt 3 or Q 1 and K 3. Then, if possible, the K Kt is linked with the other Kt by placing it at either K R 4, K Kt 3, or K 3 as the occasion demands. The White King sometimes remains at Kt 1, and other times it is placed at K Kt 2, but mostly at K R 1. Finally, in most cases comes P - K B 4, and then the real attack begins. Sometimes it is a direct assault against the King,[9] and at other times it comes simply to finessing for positional advantage in the end-game, after most of the pieces have been exchanged.[10]