How to Play Chess (Rogers)/Chapter 12

by Charlotte Boardman Rogers

CHAPTER XII

MIDDLE GAMES

The Middle Game, as the student has already learned, is that stage of a game of Chess when the Pieces and Pawns are so far developed that theoretical analysis is no longer possible, as it was in the opening moves. At this point, all of the player's skill in the art and science of combination is put to the test and many of the most brilliant Chess players are able to give mate without letting the game reach what the student has already learned to be End Game positions. It is of particular importance, therefore, for the student to give the contents of this chapter careful attention, following the moves on his own board and studying out variations for himself. Only in this way can he master the difficulties which confront the amateur in Middle Game positions.

The student should arrange his board for each example as indicated in the diagrams and follow each move.

Example. I.—Position developed from a Ruy Lopez Gambit.

White's forces should be arranged thus: K on KKt.sq., B on QKt.3, Kt. on K5, Rs on QRsq., and Qsq., Ps on KR2, KKt.2, KB3, QB4 and QKt.5.

Black's forces should be arranged thus : K on KBsq., Kts. on KB3, and K2, Rs on Ksq. and QR2 and Ps on KR3, KKt.2, KB4, QKt.3, and QR4. (See diagram xxi. )

White has the first move and wins after his ninth move as Black resigns. The game is notated thus:

	white.	black.
1.	P—B5!	P×P
2.	R—Q6!	R—Kt.sq
3.	QR—Qsq.	R(R2)—Rsq
4.	P—Kt.6	P—R5
5.	B×P	K—Kt.sq.
6.	Kt—B6	Kt×Kt.
7.	B×Kt. (dis. ch.).	Kt—Ksq.
8.	P—Kt.7!	R—R2
9.	Resigns.
black. white. DIAGRAM XXI MIDDLE GAME, EXAMPLE I.

White has to make the most of the position of the adverse King, which he does most successfully in his first four moves, though in his fifth move he might have played B—B4, still holding the King, which would have been even stronger than the move he made. His eighth move, however, is good and he wins easily after his ninth play as Black cannot escape.

Example II.—From a match between Morphy and Harrwitz. It is considered a model of its kind and unsurpassed in the history of the game.

White's forces should be arranged thus:—K on KKt.sq., R on QKt.8, Kt. on Q8, and Ps on QR3, Q5, K3, KB4, KKt,2 and KR2.

Black's forces should be arranged thus:—K on K2, B on Q2, R on QR3 and Ps on QB4, Q3, K5, KB4, KKt.2 and KR5. (See diagram xxii.)

Black (Morphy) has the first move and wins. The Game is notated thus:—

	white.	black.
1.	.....	P—B5!
2.	K—B2	P—B6
3.	K—K2	R×P
4.	Kt.−B6(ch.)	B×Kt.
5.	P×B	P—B7!
6.	K—Q2	R—B6!
7.	K—Bsq.	R×BP
white. black. DIAGRAM XXII. MIDDLE GAME, EXAMPLE II.
8.	R—Kt.3	K—B3
9.	R—R3	P—Kt.4
10.	P—Kt.3	RP×P
11.	RP×P	P×P
12.	Kt.P×P	K—KT.3
13.	R—R5	R—B4
14.	R—R6	R—B6
15.	R×P(ch.)	K—R4
16.	R—Q2	K—Kt.5
17.	R—Kt.2(ch.)	K—B6
18.	R—Kt.5	R—B4
19.	R—R5	K×P
20.	R—R4	K—B6, etc.  winning easily.

The student will note that Black has made such brilliant combinations with his forces that there is almost nothing for White to do but move his Rook back and forth from one square to another.

Example. III.—Position developed from a Ruy Lopez Gambit.

White's forces should be arranged thus:—K on KRsq., Q on QB4, R on Qsq., Kt. on Q5 and Ps on KR2, KKt.2 KB3, K4, QKt.3 and QR2.

Black's forces should be arranged thus:—K on KKt.sq., Q on Qsq., R on QBsq., Kt, on Q5 and Ps on Kr2, KKt.2, KB2, Q3, QB4 and QR4. (See diagram xxiii.)

black.

white.

DIAGRAM XXIII.
MIDDLE GAME, EXAMPLE III.

White has the first move and wins for Black’s position is hopeless after White’s ninth move. The game is notated thus:—

	white.	black.
1.	R×Kt.!	P×R
2.	Kt.—K7(ch.)!	Q×Kt.
3.	Q×R(ch.)	Q—Bsq.
4.	Q×Q(ch.)	K×Q
5.	K—Kt.sq.	K×K2
6.	K—B2	P×Q4
7.	P—K5	K—K3
8.	K×P
9.	K—Q3 and wins.

The student will note that, for White's second play, he might have moved Q×R but if he had made that play, although he would have captured an adverse Piece, it would have lost him the game.

Example. IV.—Position developed from a Giuoco Piano.

White's forces should be arranged thus:—K on KBsq., Q on K5, Rs on K8 and KB5, B on Qkt.3, and Ps on KR4, KKt.3, K4, QB3, QKt.4, and QR2.

Black's forces should be arranged thus:—K on KR3, Q on KKt. 3, Rs on KKt.5 and Q7, Kt. on KR2, and Ps on KR4, KB2, QB2, QKt.2 and QKt.3. (See DIAGRAM XXIV.)

White plays first and wins. The game is notated thus:—

black. white. DIAGRAM XXIV. MIDDLE GAME, EXAMPLE IV.
	white.	black.
1.	R—KKt.8!	Q×R
2.	R×P (ch.)	K—KKt3
3.	Q—KB5 (ch.)	K—KKt.2
4.	Q×R(ch.)	K—Rsq.
5.	Q—KB4	Q—Qsq.
6.	B—Q5	R—QKt.7}
7.	Q×KBP and wins.

The student will see that White made splendid combinations with his forces so that Black was quite powerless to resist them. Under the circumstances, Black did the best he could.

Example V.—Game developed from a Lopez Gambit and played between Mackenzie and Steinitz.

White's forces should be arranged thus:—K on KRsq., Q on KB2, R on KBsq., Bs on KKt.5 and QB2 and Ps on KR2, KKt2, QB3, QKt.2 and QR2.

Black's forces should be arranged thus:—K on KKtsq., Q on QB3, R on Ksq., Bs on KKt.2, and QKt.2, and Ps on KR2, KKt.3, KB2, Q4, QB5, QKt.4 and QR3. (See diagram xxv.)

Black plays first and the game results in perpetual check after White's sixth move. The game is notated thus:—

	white.	black.
1.	……	P—Q5?
2.	P×P	B×P
3.	Q×P(ch.)	K—KRs
black. white. DIAGRAM XXV. MIDDLE GAME, EXAMPLE V.
4.	B—K4!	Q×B
5.	B—B6(ch.)	B×B
6.	Q×B(ch.)

This example of a Middle Game position resulting in a perpetual check is most ingenious and must have been wholly unexpected to the players. While Black had the original advantage, he lost it by his first move. His object, evidently, was to queen his Pawn, but his first move was weak and caused him to lose what he had gained by his opening moves.

Example VI.—Illustrates the advantages and disadvantages of open files.

White's forces should be arranged thus:—K on QBsq., Q on QB4, Kt. on KR4, Rs on KRsq. and Qsq., and Ps on KKt.2, KKt.4, K5, QB3 and QR2.

Black's forces should be arranged thus:—K on KRsq., Q on KB2, Kt. on QR3, Rs on QRsq. and KBsq., and Ps on KR2, KKt.2, QB3, QKt.2 and QR2. (See DIAGRAM XXVI.)

The student will note from the position of White's King that the player has evidently castled with his QR. White plays first and mates in five moves. The game is notated thus:—

black. white. DIAGRAM XXVI. MIDDLE GAME, EXAMPLE VI.
	white.	black.
1.	QR—Bsq.	Q×Q
2.	Kt.—Kt.6(ch.)	K—Kt.sq.
3.	Kt.—K7(ch.)	K—Rsq.
4.	R×P(ch.)	K×R
5.	R—Rsq. (mate).

The error in Black's play was to take the adverse Queen, as it made an opening in the guard of his King that he could not repair. The open files were an advantage to White, but they were fatal to Black.

Example VII.—Position developed from a Petroff's (Russian) Defense.

White's forces should be arranged thus:—K on KKt.sq., Q on QKt.7, QKt. on QKt.sq., KKt, on KB3, QB on QBsq., KB on Q3 and Ps on KR2, KKt.2, KB2, Q4, QKt. 2 and QR2.

Black's forces should be arranged thus:—K on KKt.sq., Q on Qsq., Rs on QRsq. and KBsq., Kts. on K5 and Q2, Bs on Q3 and K3, and Ps on KR2, KKt.2, KB4, QB5, QB2 and QR2. (See diagram xxvii.)

White plays first, but Black wins. The game is notated thus:—

	white.	black.
1.	B×Kt.	QR—Kt.sq.
2.	Q×RP	P×B
3.	Kt—Kt.5	B—Q4
black. white. DIAGRAM XXVII. MIDDLE GAME, EXAMPLE VII.
4.	Q—R5	Kt.—B3
5.	Q—B3	P—R3
6.	Kt.—KR3	Kt.—Kt.5
7.	P—KKt.3	Q—Ksq.
8.	Kt.—B4	B×Kt.
9.	B×B	Q—R4
10.	P×KR4	R×B!
11.	P×R	P—K6
12.	P—B3	Q×RP and wins.

White made a poor play in his second move by taking the Pawn. He should have moved to QR6, after which the Queen could have been played to QR4 and with the Knight on QKt.sq., a good attack could have been developed. The capture, however, only lost time and enabled Black to gather his forces for an attack on the White King. As it is, White has to try to save his Queen and cannot develop his QKt. The student will note, in going over the moves in this game, that White does not give check once, and that Black also gathers his forces for the attack in such a way that he does not give check until there is no escape for his adversary. Black's moves are carefully made and should be studied.