Ignoring the Numbers
by Stan Vaughan, National Master
Las Vegas, NV USA
Here is an interesting rarity of an endgame of 3 pieces versus 2 rooks. If
one went simply by the numbers one might think trading away 10 points (2
rooks) to get only 9 points (3 pieces) in return might be a bad trade. But
it is games like these that make the game of chess the joy it is.
White: Stan Vaughan
Black: Eagle Ice
Position after Black's move 21:
White to move
22 Rxf6!! Nxf6 23 Rxf6 Qxf6 24 Bxc5 Rc8 25 Be3 h5
26 c5 h4 27 Qf2 Qxf2 28 Kxf2 Rf8 29 Na4 f6 30 Nb6 Rc7 31 d6 Rc6
After, 31. ... Rc6. Find the correct move for white!
White to move
32. Bc2!!
By backtracking White now threatens Ba4 winning an exchange against
which there is no defense to the threat. But even if black had earlier not
played the mistake 30...Rc7, let us consider what might have happened had
Black played Rd8 instead, blockading the passed white d pawn.
Tarrasch used to give examples of how various pieces change in value
depending on where they are on the board. For example, he would value that a
Knight on the 6th or 7th rank, supported by a pawn, would be equal to a rook.
Again, by playing 31 Bc2 after 30...Rd8, White threatens Ba4 check and and
the white squared bishop also becomes dominating. Black is running out of
moves. For example if 31...Rh8 32. Bb3 threatens Be6 and an attack on the g4
pawn It was also threaten to allow The Knight to redeploy to d5 threatening
the f6 pawn.
So it is important to consider sometimes how pieces change in
values, especially knights which can penetrate deep into enemy territory or
also the power of the two bishops working together, which override the
conventional valuations of pieces.
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