LESSON (LEVELS 3-4): HOLZHAUSEN-TARRASCH, 1912

This game shows a pattern that students at Levels 3-4 (or above!) in the NYChessKids 10 levels of education can learn from. The game is simple, but the pattern (that either wins the queen or leads to checkmate) is one to remember.

The loser of this game is Siegbert Tarrasch, who was one of the strongest chessplayers in the world during his life. He played in several World Championship matches, but was never quite strong enough to win the title. Still, he is considered a great chess teacher of the classics.

Walther von Holzhausen-Siegbert Tarrasch

Frankfurt, 1912


1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4

White takes aim at the weak f7 square. Remember, the f7 and f2 squares are the weakest squares on the chessboard at the start of the game: these squares (and the pawns on them) are only defended by the King.

3...Nf6 4.d4 exd4 5.0-0

White opens up the game to develop his pieces, and then castles to get the King to safety. He can regain the pawn later.

5...d6

Black opens up his c8-bishop, but this restricts the f8-bishop to the e7-square. This means that Black will have less territory on the chessboard and must play a bit more of a defensive game.

6.Nxd4 Be7 7.Nc3 0-0 8.h3

Both sides are trying to finish developing their pieces. Black castles, and probably thinks that his king is now safe...White plays h3 to stop a bishop from landing on g4 and attacking the queen. It also makes a hole for the King to escape to, a good idea so that you don't fall into any back-rank mates.

8...Re8

Black moves his rook to a better file, but has to be careful because that rook was protecting the weak f7-square.

9.Re1

White does the same. Notice that White's f2-square is not as weak as Black's f7-square because there is no Black bishop on the diagonal leading to f2 (it is on e7).

9...Nd7

This is a losing move. Remember: don't move pieces twice in the opening unless you have a good reason to do it!

A better choice would have been 9...Ne5, which attacks the bishop on c4 and protects f7.

10.Bxf7+ Kxf7

If Black does not take, White will take the rook on e8.


11.Ne6

This is the star move, and the point of the combination! The Black Queen is trapped by her own pieces and cannot move! The only way to save the queen is for the King to take the knight.

11...Kxe6 12.Qd5+ Kf6 (forced!) 13.Qf5#

Checkmate! The king was forced into the open and his own pieces took away retreating squares.



What did we learn from this game?

1. In the opening (ESPECIALLY when the game begins 1.e4 e5), it is more important to develop quickly and castle than it is to take pawns.
2. Watch out for the weak f7(f2)-square, especially if there is a bishop on c4(c5).
3. Don't move the same piece twice in the opening. Not only does it not help development, it can also lead to other problems (see Black's 9...Nd7 in this game).
4. Remember the idea of the Bxf7+ followed by Ne6 combination. It is very common, and 7-time US Champion Samuel Reshevsky lost a famous game with it to Bobby Fischer in 1958.

To play through this game on ChessGames.com, click here.