he

arrasc
Fon u[at
}ne badly
placedpiece
makesyour
wholeposition
bad.
TheTarraschFormula

by
GMSamPalatnlk
and

NM Marklshee
r
Contents
vll

Ch:rpterO e: The Knishl

I lnlantryAgainstCavalry(Marshall-Ragozin) . .. I
2 Openingol'Onc Knighl (l\rrman-Polugacvsky) 2
I Vi r tuall i xl r a Ma lcria (K
l cres-tjnzickct ). . ... 5
4 A (;rx)d Man is I lard b Irind(Rosenbcrg-Palalnik). '7
5 l'hrowingOil on lhe l;ire (A l,clrosian-l'alalnik). II
(r ( ior dianKnot (P ala tnik-K lin g cr)..... l7
7 l hc tlgly l,ocation(Murthy-Palatnik) 20
8 Shadowol'a Knight(KasparovPalatnik) 24
L Knilihl s 'li)Lrr(Karpov-'lairnanov) . .. .2ll
Ilxcrcisos l,l

(lh{pter 'l wo: 'l'hc Bishop

l0 Opcnllighway(llalashovllornanishin) .llt
ll One-WavIickct to Nowhcre(Sprechich-l'alatnik) ... .1o
l2 ( r'irninal Broughlto Justicc(Palatnik-Aristorcnas) 44
l.l Movinglhe lrclloc(Palatnik-Gul'eld)
l 4 A I'ai r ,'l'ts,r'ts(GrrlilJ l'ala tnik) 48
l5 Prisoner with a Lifc Scntcnce(Palatnik-Dandridge) 5:]
l6 Inevitable Breakthrough (Palalnik-Schneider) 57
l7 l)eadWood (lshec-Rovdl
lll l)remature Attack(Vaganian-l,alatnik) . .. 66
l9 Struggling with Ciod (Kasparov-Ponomariov) '12
20.FromBadto Worse( Palatn ik-Shusterman)
. . . . . ........... ...... 71
21.The(ireatWall ofl'awns (Palatnik-Vasjukov) . . .. . . . . .... . 80
22.SurvivalInstincl(Reshevsky-Vagani.rn) 87
Exer cises .... ... .... 92

Chapter 'l'hree: Onposite Color Bishops

2:l 'Q.E D.' (Durisch,Han & Hisler-Tarrasch). . . .. . . . . . . ...96
2 4 lnl i l l r ar ion{Rubin sle in-S p relmanr ... ' ' ' ' ,,' ,' ,' ' ,102
25 More lnfiltration(Palatnik-David) . ... ...... . . .. 104
26 DiflerentColor, Different Power (Kaidanov-Palatnik). . . . . 107
2 7 Echoes ol ' Slein itz(P lato n o v-Geller) . . . . . . . . . . .1 1 0
28 l-imitingMobility (Boleslavsky-Sterner) ......... I l4

lt l
 TheTarraschFonnula

29 BaneryPower(Larsen-Gligorich).
........... I l8
l0 MindOverMarter(Platonov-Tal) t20
3l. A GatheringStorm(Gurevich-Palatnik).. 122

Chaoter Four: Eeavy Pieccs

l2 DebtRepaymenr (Smyslov-Tolush) . t25
ll. Bu r i e dA l i ve {S akh a rov-P al atn i k .) ........ t21
34. Queenside Blockade(AnandJvanchuk) .. t32
.15 Smothered Queen (Hofl-Alburt). 134
3 b .M i s p l a c ed
Q ue e n(l she e -Ma yn a.rd)
..............
. 138
37. Unbalanced Material(Diaz-Palatnik) ... l4l
38.Preventive Maintenance (Ardaman-Palatnik)....... .................
t46
Ex e r c i s e s . t54

ChaoterFive: Zuezwane
39.ThelmmortalZugzwang Game(Saemisch-Nimzovich)......... 157
40.Encirclement (Nimzowitsch-Capablanca) ..............................
162
4 l . F o l l o w i n gP re ce d e n t(T se sh ko vsky- Palatnik) .................
166
42. Chemotherapy (Capablanca-Treybal)... t73
43. Space Advantage (Alekhine-Nimzowitsch).....................
......177
44.Extreme Measures (Ubilava-Timoschenko)............... l8l
45.Do NotHurryl(Palatnik-Popov) r84
46 To Tradeor Not?(Karpov-Ribli). t89
4 T . D e c i s i v e lmp rove men t(l sh e e -Guests89) .......................
192
Exercises. . t94

ChaoterSix: Philidor's DefenseRevisited

Philidor's Concepr.... 199
Philidor's OriginalDefense...... 201
TheNeo-Philidor Defense........ 201
ThePalarnik Cambit. 201
Illustrative
Games:
 Foreword

"Onehadt!ptdcedpiccemdkesloM whotet \i1t:li:li^*^

in a scarchfor truth.Thcyscoktho choss

All chcssplaycrsarc cngagcd
cquivalcnt Stono.a mcthodof play that will cnabl0
of thc Philosophcr's
thcm to rvritc thcir ncxt movc on tho scorc shcot in "goldcn lcttcrs
Winningmorc gamcsroquircsmaling morc good choicoswhon sclocting
$'hichmovcto play.Thus.a phyor's dccision-making mothodis criticalto
his rcsults.This volumcshowshow a singlo.vcry poworfulprinciplc
whichwc rofcr to as "Tho TarraschFormula"- can both strongthcn and
facilitatccvcrychcssplaycr'sdocision-making.

h is amazingto notc thc diffcijnt mothodsbchindthc choicosmadc by

chcssplavorsduringa gamc.For oxamplo.thcrc arc manystrongplaycrs
who can calculatclong variationswith fcvcrishspcod.Aftcr tho gamc is
ovcr. thoy arc ablc to domonstrato many rnind_boggling variationsihoy
cnvisioncdduring thc battlc. This kind of playcr rcprcscntsthc
"accounting" schoolofchcss.Evcrything to thcm is vcry Thoydo
concrcte.
not trust gcnoral principlcs. No chcss oxiom is accoptcd$ithout
accompanyingproof from specific variations that confirm or rofutc its
corrcctncss. Crcativcgcniuscsin this stylc of play includcAlckhincand
Tal. Howcvcr,thcro aro many other playcrsof thc samehigh class\r'ho
spcnd compdrativclylittlo timc in calculatingvariations.Formidablc
cxponontsof this stylo includc Botvinnik. Sm)slov and Karpov. Tho
studentwho aspircsto improvchis lcvcl of play must rcfinc his thought
procoss to includebothapproachesHowevcr.it can sometimos bc difficult
to kno$'whcn is thc right momcntto calculatevariations.or when it is
morcimportant to thinkabstractly

rcliteslhefollo$itrg
SamPalalnik
Grandmxstcr ston

''WhenI was a young master(twcnty poundsyoungdl), I scwed as traincr

duringtho 1972 USSR Championship in laningrad for my fricnd. GM
Platonov. In his gameagainstformerWorld ChampionSmyslov.Platonov
hadthc bctterpositionthroughoutthe first forty moves.and at adjournment
sccmedto be on the verge of a winning breakthrough I was proud to b{}
entrustedwith the adjournment a-nalysisof his game against such a
formidablc opponent.Necdlcssto say.it wasvcry desirable for meto 6nd a
\,!inning
continuatlon
 The TarraschForm la

"With grcat cnthusiasmand inspiration,I bcga.naralysis of his adjoumed

game. I spent th€ entirc night analyzing ono promising variation after
anothcr. ln the moming I was able to give many long variations to my
friend, as well as a generalconclusion:Smyslovwill lose! With a full
night's sleepaad the cncouragement of my night of work, Platonovset ofr
for breakfast, whcrc he encountercdSmyslov. Spendingfivc hours the
prcvious day as antagonistsacrossthe board did not preventthem from
having a pleasantbrealfast together. Before even opening thc moming
newspaper,Smyslov offcrcd a draw in the adjoumed game. Platonov
promiscdto considerthe offcr andto malc a dccisionsoon.

"When he reportedthe draw offcr to me, I \ras sha.ken!Sur€ly Smyslov

would not offer a draw in a lost position?! This mea.ntthat his position
could be defendedlIt was ncccssaryto reconsidereverlthing, and to look at
thc adjoumcdpositionthrough Smyslov'scycs: not going deep into a
jungle of variations, but instead thinking abstractly, following general
principles.And ... in fivc minutcsthe drawingideawas discovered. Thc
opponsntsagrccdto a dmw on the telephonea few minuteslater.

"What about thc night I spentanalyzingthc adjoumedposition?I was very

cxcitcd to analysea gameagainsta groat player, and the positionhad mary
chancesto win. My dcsircto win the gameblockedmy objcctivity.This
ca.noasilyhappenwhenyou calculetcso many variationsfar from thc initial
position.ln scarchingfor thc happyendingto this fairy talc, I lost my way
in a Junglcofvariations."

Thc point of this story is that cslculrting lots of vsrif,tions does not
always yield th€ right move. lt is oftcn simplorand morc cffcicnt to
narrow tho rangcof cardidatc movosby first considoringhow a fcw gcncral
principlcsmightapplyspccificallyto thopositionat hand.

Considoringonly gcncral principlcs,howevor,with no calculationsfor

support,will also incvitablylead to mistal@s. Thcre has not yet bcena
chcssplayerwho hasfounda pcrfcctbalancebetween calculating variations
and applyinggcncral principles.Enthlsiasmfor onc of those aspects
withoutthe otherleadsin practiccto sadresults.Succcssful pcrfoma.nce in
toumamentcompetitionrequir€sthe ability to ma.kerapid a.ndprecise
calculations, but this "wcapon"mustbe usedeconomically. Knowingwlen
b calculateis Justas i\portant as knowing,ol, to calculate-lt is ofcourse
vcry dcsirabloto be able to idcntib' thosc"critical momcnts"duringtho
aa.rnoas it unfolds.

viii
 'Ih! lLtftlt.h l.om la

Roadcrsof this book wlll nolicc thut thc ulDolxtions ol-ganrcs usurlh do
not contirinlong. dazzling rariatrons. Frcqucntl) thc ruthors d'spcnscwrth
such anrlr-srsrn livor ol lookrng al thc posit'(m wilh "conlnron sonsc '
Thcrc aro sovcnl rcasons lb this npprcxch F'irst. to a grcal dogrcc lhc
thors rcpnjsoDllho'.positronrl' school ofchcss. us lhc roadcrcarr rcadilv
obsonc allcr pcnrsrnltthis book Sccond. onc ol thc basic tasks of lhjs
vohuncis to holp thc sludcnl know ho$ lo xppl! gcocral pfi'rcr cs tn lhc
corrcct profo(iorr- rc to rccognrTot\hcn it rs Inlporlilnt to crlculalc
lari.rlidr\ or grc.rt dclril. or $hcn rnolhcr kind ol thinking nxrrc
's
appropflitc lhfld. b\ adoplrrgx strcrmlincdapproachto chcss llvs's.
our goal rs to highlighlonlv lhc nrost Inportiul pllfts ol rl. so that thc
\\cllspfrngol chssicchcssgantcs
slrdontcltndl]nk llonr r rrvrl-\1ng

Stri'ri1z'slhtofy ol l'osilirxr:rlI'lrty

lho scronlillcchcssthcorr dc\'cft)perl br thc lirsl ollkirl cl,css( hrnrtroD

ol thc Wodd. WillirD Stcrni(z.hts v:rlrrcb$rrnd its usc ir chcss Slcrntzs
thcor\ h.rs rpplrcxlnnrs li)f ovcnonc rs r law ol thc strugglu jar lilij. ol'
r,,hicl lhe grnrc ol chcss rs siDrpl\ a nnrdcl l'urlhcr dcvoloPnrcnl xnd
0l.borirrron ol Stornrtzs lhoor\ trelorrd lrrs orrgrnrl conccplxm could bc
goncrrlIr scope.corsrsturgol r ')hilosol)h\ ol strugglc \lhrch coukl br
its 0pphcr(ion rn chcss.of irs tl spccilicrppl'crlxnr('sclirlonl\ in chcss.to
crhLrncc Lhcundorslrndrlgol chcs\ lin lls oulr sr*c

'1hc pirkrsophrcrlrpplic.rlioDol Steirrtzs thoor1 wirs onrbrrccd l)\

Stciuitr'ssucccssor ofi lhc chossthroDc.limnucl l;rsker lhorti is no dorrbl
thatl.rskor'\ tr\jrncr)doussucccssas r plil\er \!ls loru)dodon hrs.rdopliolr
ol Stcrnitzs thoor\ h0 crcollcd lt urlonsilrirrgthc strugglc b) conslirnth
posingdrlllcull practicol problorn\ lbf h's opponcnts Cons,:qucntlr
L$kors nros(cnduring.rndinrportiu)t contfibutroDs to chcssrrc hrsgamcs-
spccillc.rlhthc nirnncr ir) $l)ich he l'on llowcvcr. his css,jntiall!
phrlosophrcalLrndcrsl.rndingol tLc Storni(zrar chcss slrtrgglc $as t(X)
pcrsonrlrDd roo lhr rcnr(xcd tioln thc chcssboardio provido the lb ndruon
lbf .r chcssschool Il is nol un.rccidenllh:rt l.rskcr coutnbulcd1rtlloot'
\ahc to clrcsslilcr^L r0

Dr Srcgbcn larrrsch- also a drsciplcof Slexritz.cDlnrcod r dilllrcot

iDpfoach I lc dcrolopodspocitic chossrpplicxhons of Stcinitz s th0on ll\
cxprcssnrgscicntiflc trulhs in thc lbn)r ol pith! chcssaxioms. I)r. Tarrasch
bcc nc thc terchor of thc gcncrxtions thal fblhwcd Stcinitz 'I:rrrasch s
grcltost contributronsare in chesslrtcr:rturo His most valuablo$ork is J00
Ma\to (;Ltn(\ t)/ ('ha$. n Nhrch ho stdcd nttm) (imclcsschcssprinciplcs
in lln intorcstingand mctlor$lc Nir1.
f The TarraschFormula

The TarraschFormula

Tarraschwas the first to formulateand cxpressthe leth^t ,,If onepiece is

badlyplaced, your whole game is bod.. Tllc geniusofthis phraseU;s in ils
simplicity as well as its corr€ctness.Properly applied, it is a significant
addition to Steinitz's thcory. On the ba^sisof this single axiom. various
tlpes of posrtronscan be studted\ hercthe dtffcrcncern-forcebenveen the
two sidcs is defined only by the difference in location between
coresponding pieces.Applyingthe TarraschFormulain this wav develoDs
and builds chcssrheoryb) emphasizing dc Inrenelatronship bcnreenti,c
locahonof a pieceand its real polrer. Examrneany modemrextbookof
chcssstrat€gyand you will seeits lasting value. Thc TarraschFormt|lais a
fundamentaland unifiing principle that embracesfamiliar core conceots
suchas "good/ bad bishop,""advantage of oppositc-colored bishopsin an
attack. supcnorityofkntghro\er btshop"(andvicercrsa),andso ionh

For conturiesthc basic valuc of the chcsspieccshas becnwell kno$n. As

part of cvcryone'sbasicchesscducation. thc averagevalueof thc pieccsis
not debatable.Howcvor,the real "market pric€,' of this or that piccc
fluctuatcsup or downdependingon thc spccificboardarrangcment.

Assumc.for exarnplc,that the Bishop(initiallyquotcdat an averagcvalue

of threepawns),under"advorscmorkctconditions"appcarsin a aituation
uhlyc tt ts blockcdrn b1 pawns.Suchr blshopbccomlsno morc\aluablc
tha.na singlcpawn,and its valucdiminishcs to tho pointwhcrcit carriosa
"rcd tag" discountsalcpricc. If thc rosultingdoficioncy(two pawns.worth
of matcrial)is not covcrcdby tho incomc(activity)of thc othcrpioces.it is
logrcalto assumcthat it can rosultin thc bankruptcy oftho entirccompany.
This is thccsscnccof!h( TarraschFormula

PracticrlApplicstion,or
How to Find a Sick Buffrlo

Thorcvct remainstho qucstionof roconciling thc theorcticalimportance of

thc TarraschRulowith its practicalapplications duringcompctition. In this
contcxt.lot us considcrhow thc chossstrugglcis a modclof reallife, so that
makingthc transitionfrom chcssproblcmsto rcal-lifesituations(andvice
vcrsa)will notseemunnatural.

lmaginea situationin the Afircan savannai.whcre a lion,s familv has

bcgunth( hunt for food. A ncarb)hurdof buffalois an Invtringlarg(.1for
such prcdatorsbccauseit carries litcrally tons of meat. Howevcr.the
 'Ihc litttls(h lbrnltuI

groupcdbullalo hcrd also has hundrcdsof sharp. strong horns and hoovcs.
and is colloctivolvas poworfi'l rs tons of dYncmitc.so thit cnl prcdator
muslDc\r4,,1

So what is thc sccrct of thc fovul huntl l,ions $'ork according to thc
TarrAschRulcl Evcn tho KinS of Bcasts canrot succocdwilh ir liontal
assxultrgrirst lhc untirc hcrd Instcad.thc l|(nl takcssdvantrgooforrc woak
or sickanrmxllhrt bocorncsbndly placcd.sop:rrulcdfron tho hord.

For f:Ins oftho royal gtrnc. thc situxtim asthc saDlc Whcn \"o look at thc
groupcd hcrd ol cttcnl),pioocs|tnd prr\ns. thcir collcctivc lbrco is lcrriblo
to bcholdltlul vrctoryrs possibloiflou paticnll]scokthc sick bullirlo in
tho cncnlvciulp. thmks b thc lbnrulil lionr Dr l'trraschl Pltyrng stcadill
to r0duccthc powcr of iI siDglc cnolllv piccc. 1o turn dowD thc volumo"
until its norfixl voicc bccomcs onl,v c \lhispor. ctn providc cno gh
advantagc1()\\'ur thu g.rrDc Wh,v'l Bocauscit is ltrnctrorralll tho saorc as
winnrng ! prcco. Ilvcry chcss pltrcr lovcs to h:rv0 m cxtra pioco Tho
Tnrrnschlbmrul.r pointsthc \"a-vQward hxv0)ga vllrr., oxtra prccc

Thinknrg of stratogy iD thrs way is r vurt usct'ul pa( ol your choss

plannrng lt ollirs a strlighlfb$ird irnd oftcctivc mothod for lmproving
galnos
lour dccisior-nrakrngilnd movo solcction. is dcnxnrstr:rtcdiD lhc
collcclcdlbr this vohmc thitl arc now prcsontod
lbr study
,Your

lrcqucnlh thc sLrcccsslulroalizutiort ol_ il plan bdscd on thc Txrrasch

Irornnrlaincludcs not onl) rn a condifion:rlirdvantagoin lbrco. but also il
restriction in mobility of thc opposirrgarmy (prophr-laxrs).tbllowod bv its
blockadc ard pcrhaps finatty b! complete paralysis (zrrgzwazg) In
m:*ing uso ol thosc pnnciplcs thc authors cannot lail to rknor"lcdgo
lnothef groat chess thinkcr. Aron Ninrzovich. whosu tcachrngs about
prcphllaxis irnd btockadc arc a corncrstoncof tnodom choss Although
Tanaschand Nimzolich did Dof lovo cach othcr in lil_c.thcir contributions
10 chessthoor\ iuc conrplolncntary.and thc intcrrolationshipof thcir idcas
hascnrichr:dgcncrationsol plavcrs.

No\\ lcl us considcr spccific oxxmplcs of thc 'farrasch Fonnula rn

oPeration.

xl
 fhe TarraschFormlrla

ChapterOne
TheKnight
We beginour rss€archby considering gamesin whichbasicstrategic
company,
is givento de-valuingthe stocksof the competitivo
attontion
andSons.'
'Knlght
(1)Marshall
- Ragozin[8201
1940
cavalry
IntrntryAgainst
1.oilc5 2.b4crb4 3.a3NcO4.axb4t{165.b5 Nd4 6.c3 Ne67.05Nd5 E.c4
Ndtil9.g3NgO1o.til

I 7zLt*i.fr 8
7 t'"*, 7
L,%L,,&,
6 %%a.&, %A 6
5 L% ,&% 5
%8"/Z ,.&, 4
3 % 72 3
2
%',&. % 2
1 :gm
a7&v''ffi, 1

An originalsituation!White's first ten moves have all been madg with

pawns,pedodically attackingthe enemyKnightsand ddvingthem across
theboard.Nowfinallyone of themwillperish
 The 'l'arraschForhula

l0...Ngxf4
lf 10...Nc7
Whitecan ptaytwo morepawnmoves_ 11.fSNxe512d4 _
anorhe Kntgfi on e5 is traoDed.

l l.gxf4 Nxf412.d4Ng6t3,h4e6 14.h5

It'sa record- White'sfiastfourteenmovesonlywithpawnsl

'14...8b4+
t5.Bd2Bxd2+16.Nxd2Ne7,t7.Ne4
NowWhitecan makegooduseof his extraKnight.

lJ.rNfl !9.!6 sG 19.Nf6+KfE 20.Nf3d6 2t.N9s dxo5 22.dxe5exd,t+

23.Ftxd'lKe724.Rh3
Theentryof thisrookintothe gamesignalsthe endof the struggte.

2,{...b625.892Rb8 26. gxh7 ,t-O

abcd€f

&L%
% ffi.t%/a,&
.rr&
L'ffiI
VZ'r&a
L% 7z
7,:L"%; % %
% % %?f EI

%% '%z,E%
6

(2)Furman- Poluga6vsky
[Ei4l
Moscow.1969

Openihgof OneKhlght

1.d4It6-2.c4 eO3.Nt3Bb4+4,Nbd2GOS.e3b6 6.8d3 Bb7 2.0.0

Be79.b,1c5 l0.bxc5bxcs 1l.Rbl Ba6? d5 8.a3
This,mov€complicatesthe developmentof Black,squ€enside.
prererablo
w as11...Oc8

l2.t{es cxd4 l3.exd4 NtdT14.Ndf3Nxes i5.Nxes Bt6?

 TheTarraschFormuh

6 8
7 'm % ?%t'mL
7

L% %L,& %
%%Lffi%
8m %.
%.Lv%z
2rr& ,&t%
3

%
1 E&'9%z\ I

grlp.Tho
EfrerwhlchBlackcanl oscapetromWhlt€'svlse-llke
oh€nc€ wasan oxchange s€crlflco
vdih15,,,8xa{10.Nxc4dc

l1.Rdl Oct
lo solvohls problemsby tradlngplec€s.However, 8flerlh€
of quecns,thg bsch,vadrogsof Bl60kl quo€n8ldcd€vglopm$t
lv€n morcof I tsdo. In th6gem6.Tho'lllnesa'of tholmmobll€
onb6ihr€elons to bEcomE an Epldomlctorthoentlrgermyl

Oxczlg.Bxc2exd520.Bf,lRdt 21.88/tl
restdctlng Thoknlghtat bEhasnoplacoIn
theenomylmob{llty.
anymoral

E I
7
% v%"L 7

5
%ffi
'/&zLffi
6

4
3 s
2
1
 TheTarraschFormula

2t...8e7 22.Rb3g5 23.893t6

8 r^ x ./-i
7
%'& ''&.% 7
6 % %. ''&,
"/4rl'ffi 5

%'&,% 4
3 E%%,& ,&,t 3
2
% 72,.
1 1

24. 96l
Exchangino th6 dark-squeredbishopis important this
for Whil€b€cause
pioceis cementingBlack'sdefense.
Kft 27.Nt5Ro6
2s.Bxd6RrdO26.N€7+
2,(...Bd6

I I
7
%,,ry,e% 7
.m
6 %,,%t
5 6ru 4
% '&, %
3 F?
,- % ,ffi.a
%
% %
1 %E 1

2E,Rcll
Whiteis nottemptedbywinninga pawn,sndInsl6ad corr€c1ly
slrengthens
the posltion
of his piec€s.Mostlmport.nt,h6 doe3nolallowthe knightto
esc€De fromits orisonon b8. The invasion intoBlack's
of White's.ooks
campis nowunavoidablo. ,
 l hc'/brraschI'itrnula

29.h3h4 30.Rc7+
28...h5 KI83l.Re3
Black'sonlyactivepiece.
Exchanging

32.Nxe3
31...Rxe3 Bd333.Rc8+
Paralysis.

33...Kfl34.Nxd51-0

(3)Kores- Unzicker[C671
1956
Hamburg,

VirtualExtraMaterial

Whenan opposingpiece is cut off from the battle. accordingto the

TarraschFormulaii is poorlyplaced- and the 'business"of the game
goesforwardwitha materieladvantageforthe activeside.

t.e4 e52.Nt3NcG3.8b5 Nf64.0-0Nxe45.d4 Bo7

populaftodayis 5... Nd6 6.Bxc6dc 8.de Nfs 9.Qxd8+Kxd8with an
l\,4ore
unbalanced endgame,as playedin the Kasparov-Kramnik Braingames
2000malch

6.0e2NdO7.BxcO bxc68.dxe5Nb79.Nc30-0't0.t'td4
Bcs t1.Rdl Bxd4
t2.Rxd4dG'l3.exd6
cxd6

LP, €
l\ 7 7zt t*,

'/t L'/& 7zz

'/l/..
t .//,

H. '//z
7t,ffi, ,../,//,

,.&L 7 '7t
w'&.A

14.b41
Reslmining
lhe Blackknighton b7 frombecomingactive.
 I he larrosch lormuta

14...Re815.8e3Be6 l6.Of3
Whiteincreasesthe Pressure

16...Qd7
B;tte; than 16...d517.b5c5 'l8.Rd2whenthe ds-pawnis in jeopardv.and
if 18...d419.Qxb7.

17.Ne4Bfs
Steadieris 17...8d5,but Blackwasattractedby the chanceto winmaterial

{8.N93Bxc2'lg.RclBa4
NowihisBishopis "switchedoff"fromthe gametoo! white is freeto usehis
advantagein forcein a decisiveactionon the oppositewing

2O.Nh5lf5 21.Rf4lRe722.Rxt5Rf/

ab
8
7 a%v%rmL 7

6 %LT, % 6

5 EA 5

.|aI 4

3 % %t 'eW'//Z
,&t 2
3

2 L'u % 1
1
abc

23.Nxg7l
Black'aminorDiec€scan onlv standby idly whiletheirWhitecount€rpans
to destroythe royalfortr€ss
sacrificethemselves

23...Rx97
lf 23...Ls7 thenWhit€winswith 24 8h6+l Kg825 R95+Kh826 Qc3+

24.8h6Qe725.Bxg7QxgT26.h4
on the kingside.
Whitedominates

26...h027.Rc41.0
 'l hc larrasch t,irn a

(4)Rosenberg
- Palatnik[E971
odossa,1966

A GoodMani6 Hardto Find

l.d4 Nl6 2,c4 96 3.Nc3Bg7 4.e4 d6 5.Nf30-0 6.8e2 e5 7.0-0 Nc6 8.d5
679.895?l

E 3 _ g E@ ,
lr l arar
l ar -
al g
AA
aag AAA
AA
$r
EI
H .{.
EE-

ln thisgameWhiteprepareda not verysuccessful ,,cocktail,,

of two openino
ideasin the King'sIndianDefense.The move Bg5 is characleristic of th;
Petrosian Syslem,wilhthe mainideato crealea pin on the BlackKniohlat
f6. Forthisreasonil was necessarylo playd4-d5one moveearlte.,b;lote
Black's knighlcameto c6

NowtheBishopon 95 doesnot accomptish the taskslhat wercto be sotved

onthediagonal h4-d8;namely, 10rcstrainBlack,s iniliative
onlhe kinoside.
The BlackKnighton e7 shieldsthe pin and gives his co eagJean
opportunityto improvehjs batlleposition.Then in turn Blackwi havethe
opportunilyto gain more space on the Kjng'sflank by meansof a pawn
advance in lhalseclor.Thus,Blackhasa ctearwaylo improve htspoiition
in the nexl few moves. Insteadof 8.895 it would thereforebe more
pertineni
forWhiteto playeither8.Ne1or 8.Nd2,pfeventing Btack's
knight
lromusingthe squareh5.

Whilecouldalsobeginorganizinghis ownqueensideexpansionwith 9.b2-

tr4,whichcomparedto the game at leastwouldnol loselempi on empty
moveswilhthe dark-sauaredBishoD.
 'lhe TarruschFormula

9...h6t0.Bh4
It is notgoodfor Whiteto exchangethisBishopbecausein thatcaseit'snot
clear who will be responsiblefof "lakingcare of business"on the dark
squares.

l 0...N h511.Nel
Toolatenow.

11...Nf4
This knighl obviouslyhas been promoteda gfade. How long will it be
possiblefor Whiteto sufferthe presenceof the invaderon f4?

l2.Nd3g5 13.893f5 14.f3c5l?

It's not bad idea to supplementthe teritorialgailts on the kingsidewith
somethingrnoreon the queenside.Nowit is notfavorablefor Whiteto play
15.dxc6becauseBlacks other knight,held down at present,could be
relocaledthroughc6 to d4, whenhe wouldbecomeas biga celebrityas his
friendon f4.

15.Bel
The Knighton f4 cannotfavorablybe exchangedby 15.8xf4,becauseafter
'15. exf4 the longdiagonalopensfor the Bg7. In this case,as sometimes
happensin the Kinq's lndian Defense,insteadof the Bishop being a
conscientiousservant of church, he tunrs into a highway gangsterl
ThereforeWhitepreparesto attackthe f4-Knightby playinghis pawnto g3

15...a616.Nf2

Whitefinisheshispreparations the Knighiat f4. Hislaslmove

lo neulmlize
Blackunderlakesactionon lhe othef
controlsthe h3-souare.lvleanwhile.
 'Itu lrlttoyh t.trnltd

flank.Curiously,the Knighl f4 on which White has focused so much

atlentionpromotesthe successof all Black s strategicoperation.Frcm this
followsone more interpretalionof lhe Tarrasch Fofmula: "One very well
placedpiecepositivelyinfluencesyourwhotegame."

16...b5r
Blackoffersa paw sacrifice.the acceptanceof whichwoitldprovidea
opporlunily
to activatethe cornpletepowerof the Bc8 In this case the
Knighton f4 wouldnot hesitateto exchangeh||nselffor Whites Be2 10
ensuredomirration
on the lightsquaresfor the Blackarmy

17.b3
the pawn sacdficewilh 17.cxb5perrnitsBlacks light-sqLrared
Accepting
Bishopto becornevery active: 17 Nxe2+l 18.Qxe2axbs 19Nxbs
(19.Qxb5?Ba6followed
by 8xf1)19 ..BaG 20 a4 ObGand Btack'sinitiative
ismorethanenoughcornpensationfor a pawn

17...b4
ll rs rathefdifficultfor Black to rnaintainthe tensionofl the queefiside
because Whileis the orrlyone who can openthe positiolthere.Blt Black
caflbepleasedwitha smallgain1oo.In t[rth, rnairrtaintng greaterspaceon
bothflanksrs not s!ch a smallachievement. In addilion,therenowarases a
newimporta|tfaclor:the Whiteknighton a4 is olt of lhe game.
'l8.Na4Neg6
ln contrastto White'smisplacedKnighton a4, Blacksteershis knightin
exactly
theoppositedifection.

19.93fxe4l20.fxe4
Forced20.q{4 e3l 21 Ne4 exf4 gives Btack a beautifutposition,and
20.Nxe4allows20...Nh3+

20...Nxe2+
ThisKnighthasearnedgratit!defor a job wetldone.

21.Qxe2
Thewhile Knight testing" on a4 allowsBlack quielly to strengthenhis
position
on lhe othersile of a board,whereWhjle'sremajningpiecessoon
wll haveno resl
 The Tarraschl,brmula

8
7
6
5
4
3
2
1

21...Ra71
22.8d2Rafl 23.N94
ExchangingRookswoulddecreasethe dangef.Perhapsall is not losl?

8 8
7 7
6 6
5 5

3 3
2 2
1 1

23...Nf4t
Removingalldoubt.Aftefthis Blackis winningfor sure.

24.gxf4 ext{25,Nt1l
The threatwas 25...f3.For Black'spowerfulBishopon 97, eventhe Rook
on al is not bait becausefor him olher more importantpurposeshave
arisen.Nolicehowthe isolationof the Knighton a4 'dishonors.theWhite
army,

l0
 'l h( litttdsch 1..,m 10

25...94126.Rae'l

f3]
[26.Nx94
26...0h4
Nowafler'her Royalmajesty"lhe Queenhas finallyarrived,lhe final
performance
onthe kingsidebegins-lt will be a shortperformancel

rsn
a 8
7 7
6 6
5 5

3 3
2 2
1 I

27.Nd3
Bd4+28.Rf293 29.Khl Bxf2 0-'l

(5)Petrosian
,A - Palarnik[D941
Tashkent,
1979

ThrowingOil on the Fire

Ld4 d5 2.c4c6 3.e3Nf64,Nc3gG5.Nt3Bg7 6.8e2

l,4ore
activeis 6.8d3.

7.0-0Beo
6...0-0
Followingclassicatopeningprinciples, Blackfirstof all trieslo neuhalizethe
opponent's advantageof the first move.Herethe actualproblemsafe (1)
lindinga role for the light-squaredBishop,and (2) minimizingWhate's
greatercentralactivity.The threatto the pawnon c4 encourages Whiteto
thecenterby exchanging
stabilize on d5.

ll
 The Taftasch lbrm la

,&A %r y'/&.1'"&
.rye
I

z I %Lffi'
L''/Z ,2.
72, %'r&,
%19A '&.6%
%
z YJ
,4&
al %g'/&L
w'%H"&.
E.cxd5
lf White had played 6.8d3, this woutd be an opportunityfor 8.ee2,
protectingthe pawn at c4.

9.Ob3Ob6 ,t0.Qa3
E...cxdS
White shug.gleslo find an openingadvanlago.However,tho previorjs
excnangeot pawnson d5 has reducedhis pressurein the center.Tra(,ing
Queenswouldremoveallthe pr€ssure.

10...Nc611.Na 4
White beginsoperationson the queenside,but the price for this is th6
r€movalof the Knightfromthe cent€r.

11...Oc7

:L 'ry ,r*to
.r& 7
6
%A%LffiI 6
5
% L% % 5
4
%. e.% 4
3
,.e'
% "/&6% 3
2
I
,&"ry.A:&
%tr
A 2
1

t2
 me Taftdsch Formtla

tnld bE 'l2,Nc5Ns4l?13.NxeO tx€6 whenWhtt€axDedences

wllhd8v€lopmentof th€Bc1:forsxampl€,14.8d2?
Rxf3lt5.gxf3

effangehis piecoscomiortably.He plansto put the other

endlhenwlthdraw hls Blshopto el, for sxampte,
to acht€ve a
andhgrmonious posltlon.
ButthegemanguvErs all r€oulre
€n€mydoesnotsleopllt wouldbe b6tterto playRIctfirstso
I couldbeplayedonemovesoon6r.
4,Rldlo5l?
werheats
up.

t 8
7 Lr*
%A
m
I
7

l,m %
,r&a
I.
2
ru
'rus. 3
2
1 tr?%, I

l6.dxo5 REdE
hl3lastreserveslntothe fioht,

ple provocationl
Whltels willingto los€ a whol6tempoto
seriousness
of thoopponentsintentlons.
InviewoftheKnight's
on e4, Black'sbuslnesswill involve bolh imaglnationand

NxdO18.exd6Qxd6 19.Qxd6Rxdoii 17.Nc5Bxf3 18.Bxf3Nxcs

Qx€s=I
l8.gxt3
outthefi.e withggsoline!Nec€ssary
was 18.Bxf3Qxesi
r- The TarraschFormula

8
7 Lry %t'&,L
'/Z.A% 7
6
%L"2
,2.L'/&' 6
5
4
,&, %a%% 5

W ''4. "&^"/Zrs
4
3 3
2 8'/&- %9:&, %
1 I

1E...Nxf2l19.Kxf2Qxes20.f4
ThethrcatwasOh2+

20...Qf6
21.8d2
Protecting
lhe e3-pawn.Thereis no timeto bringbackthe Knight:21.Nc3
Qh4+22.K92Rxe3 21 Ncs Qh4+22.K92Nxb423.exb4Rxe3

21..-d4
Thismovecreatesa new headachefor White.

22.813

8
7
I f
17.2,.7ltI
I

I 7 /e
6
Ttavz rytI 726
72 //rr.. 72 5
5 "a'/L.
4 a////,
'* & 7z
w 7z'e.
'&,'
6 7lz
3
.,,& A 3
2 L'&.t{ "e
H
2
1 1

14
 7hc'lbrretsch l,irnulo

22...BrEl
TheBlackBishopandQleenpreviously
hadto sharea diagonal,
blt now
eachwillhavea diagonalof his own.

23.Qb3dxe3+24.Bxe3Nd4 25.Bxd4Rxd426.Nc3
Bringing
thewaywardKnightbackintothe battle.lf 26.Rxd4Qxd4+27.KS3
Bd6andtheatlackalongthe blacksquareswill be lnstoppableNoticelhe
ineffectiveness
of lhe "extra"Knightofi a4 in this line.

26..,0xf427.Ne2
TheKnightis no longerthe objectof lhe Tarasch Fofinilla,but the plce for
is 4 pawns!
ilsrcactivalion

28.Kl1Rb429.Qd5Rxb230.Rd2
27...Qh2+

A
g
EI
gh

30...Rxd2
This continuation
wins, b!t a rnore worthy end carne after 30...Rxe2
31.Bxe2(31.Rxe2 Rxe232.Bxe2Qf4+33.K92Qxc1)31 ..Qf4+32.Ke1Bb4
33.Rcd1O

3l.Qxd2Qxh3+32.892Qfs+ 33.Qf,tQxf4+34.Nxf4Bh6
Themisefyof the Knightin thisgamefinallycomesto an end

l5
 The Taftasch Formula

A 6
t'2 I %I
' T.

%% %I
% %'ffi%
%% ,ry,,.,2,
%
() %% %'A -g

abcd€lgh

35.Rc4b5 36.Rd4Bxf4 37.Rxf4Re5 3E.Rd4a5 39,Rd7b4 40.Rd5Rxd5

41.Bxd5Kg?

abcd€lgh

% ,ry.Lffi,L
% % "/Zt.,
'"&%s% %
% 7t 7:"
TtVz%%.
tViz VZ %l'
abcd€l
e%
42.Ke2 f5 43,Kd3 Kf6 44.Kc,{ Ke5 il5.Bb7 0.1

l6
 7hc'lllrrdt.h l,itrnlla

(6)Palatnik- Klinger[D341
Havana,
1985

GordianKnot

Fora longtimeirrthe followinggameit was not possiblefor Whiteto find a

way to applylhe TarraschFormula.Divine rnillstonesgrind slowlybut
surely,however,and eventuallyunder this formulaa Black knight was
gro!nddown,as if beneathsuchDivirremillstoes

l.c4c52.Nf3e6 3.Nc3Nc64.93NfG5.892d5 6.cxd5exd57.d4Be78.0-

0 0-09.dxcsBxcs10.895d4 l1.Ne4Be712.Bxf6Bxf613.Qd2

'13..,8e7
Alsoplayedis 13...8f514.Nxf6+
Oxf6 15.Qf4d3 16.exd3Bxd3 17.Qxf6
gxf618.Rfd1
Ba6l

l4.Rfdl Bg,l 15.Qf4 Bxf3 16.Qxf3 QbO 17.Qb3 Qxb3 18.axb3 RacB
l9.Nd2
Inthisposilion
the differencebetweenlhe lwo afmiesis thatWhites Bishop
end olher pieces have poinls of attack in the enemy positionwhere
prcssurecanbe applied,whileBlacklackssimilarobjeclsof attack.

t'1
 TheTarasch Form a

8 r'% 8
7
% 7
6 A%
5
% 5
4

1 1

19...8c52o.RdclBbo2l.NG/a Nas
Tryingto "splittheGordian
knot."

ab0d6lgh
'%r%
I
7 ,mI
.% % L I 7
,r&
% %
% % %
4
%a:& %'ru"
4
8% %
1
m%A''&,e 1
h

22.Nxb6l
Not2ZNx€5?, whichh€lpsBlackreschanopposito Bishopposi0on
cotorod
after22...Rxc1+ 23.Rxc't
Bxas24.Bxb7 pawn
Rd8wher€thgsxtradoubt€d
hasllttlevalug.
ZI...axb623.b,tNb3
Makingthisforkis he highpointof the Knloht's
career.Wofsewoutdb6
23...Nc624.b5Nas25.b4.
 TheTarrasehFormula

25.Rr3Ncl
26.Bxb7Black loEesa pawn In a joytessposttion;or
28.8f'landBlackhasnotlmefor 26...Nd2
becauso
of 27.Ra8+.

27.KflR6828.BcO
andtheRooktsovarioad€d.l
2t.Bb5
h88 adssn by torc€. Whlt€ hae b€en sie€ringtowsrdiht8
manymoves, ThepoorKnlghton c113nowa typicelexampte of

I 8
7 7
6

2
1 1

Maj€8tywill honorthe EnemyKnlghtby porsonay taktng

d68tny.

Kg73l.Kd2Kl6 32.8.4Xe533.R81
wae 33.8di d3 34.exd3Kd4 3Ii.Bc2Ne2 36.Ral Kos
3ZA03+)
37.Re1.
3{lkci
dl€8In disg.ace.

Whit6's
business
is notdifliculttechniouo.

l9
 The faftasch Formula

8 a
7 ll 7
6
'' L. 6
5 L"/z&,. 7z
%L''/z 7Lz 5
4
3
2
DKn*t'n
7t Za'Nt
3
2
1 1

35...Kd536.Kd2 f5 37.Kd3 Ks5 38.h4 h6 39.Rcl bxa,t 40.Rc5+Kd6

4t.bxa4 Rxa442.Rc4Kes 43.f4+Ke6 44.Kxd4Ra2 45.Rc6+Kft 46.b5
Rxe247.b6Rb248.Ke5Re2+49.Kd6Re6+5o.Kc71.0

(7) Murthy- Palatnik[8221

Columbus
Open,1996

The UglyLocation
'1.e4c5 2.c3 Nf6 3.e5 Nd5 4.d4 cxd4 5.Nf3 Nc6 6.8c4 Nb6 7.8b3 d5
8.exd6Qxd69.Na3a6l
Fromlhis pointin the gamg Black'shopesare bassdon the "ugly'Knight
on a3.

10.crd4BeO1l.Bo3Bd5l?,12.0-0 e6 l3.Bxd5Oxdst?
Becauseof tho localionof the white Knighton a3, the Btackeueen is
comfortable
on the d5-squaro-

20
 'l he 'lhrraschPbrnula

8 s a
7
% 7t t'.r*, 7
6 A. I %,lt 6
5 7zv,& 7
,.,,.
5
4
3 'lt .r.e
a2 3
2
7z ltiL 2
1 /tZW Ff /-0^
tl )5 1

ta.Nbl
Whiter€turnsthe knightto its initialposilion,as if to begina new gamelIn
doingso h€ admitsto the lossof twofull tempi.
't4...Rd6r?
Takingthesquarcd5 undefcontrcl.

'l5.Nc3
Oa516.Qe2BeTlT.Rfdl 0.0 18.a3Nds
The gameagainstthe "bad" Knighthas been transfomedinto a game
a "badBishop"and very"bad"Pawnd4.
against

lg.Rac1NxcS20.Rxc3
Th€bestpracticalchancewas 20.bxc3Qxa3so as to buy his way out of
troubleat the cost of a pawn.Insteadafterthe moveplayedWhite'sentire
position
is infectedwitha generalillness-

20...Rd5
Forthethirdtimea Blackpiecemakesuseof the servicesof "d5,Inc."

2t.Rcd3RfdE22.8d2Qbs 23.8c3

a1
 TheTarraschFormula

rgh
8 '"/z '& 7z& a
7 I AL L 7
6 {h L
5 gE lz 5
4
A.
3
AEA 3
2
K EA Al 2
1 /Eb 1
a b c d € l-

23...a51
This signalsthe nextwaveof improvemenls
in Black,sposition:mobilizina
me.queeneoe pawns against whites weak Bc3. white has
no gooi
medicinefor thisweakness

24.93Bt6 25.Kft hst?

Blackhas no reasonto be in a hurry with his queenside
advance,and
calmlyplaysan imp.ovingmoveon th€ kingsoe.

26.R3d2Q.4
Clearingthe pathfor a pawnadvancewhilekeepingthe eueen in position
to suDoortit.

27.Qe3b5 2E.Rd3b4 29.axb4axb4 30.8s1

ab rgh
8
7*. 7z& a
7
% 7l"L'*
'/zATZzL'& 6 7
6
5
%rqt 7ZI
4 g
ry, .&, 7z 4
3
7.zEM6'&
,re, ''2 3
2
',& : 2
1
Vl.tE&&ll 1
d e i g---h-

22
 fhef rqtchFormtla

Blrhop'8onlyconsol€0on
lEfl6t ho hr! bk€n |€fug6In flo Xlne'3
r€dd€n€e
on€1.

lln€of Bhckatbclel! har imlly 6acl!6dlie lveakPewnd4.

ihsn31...Obf32.K.2Nx!! 33.Nxr!Rxll

€nouohdnEto Eetdy eny8pp€tltol

3il,Q.2 Ob533,b3RsdEX,Oc2 Otlsl?
E a dedrhdr€gmuplneof hb frrcat, oncsaoalnuseslh€
at th€commandpo8t, 'ld
R.6
pk Rookscrg6r to lha oD€a€-fllt, It l! nol th€lr da€o to l€maln
behindthe d4-oewn.
Rd.t 37.Bfatu2 3t.Rld2 tud2 39.Qrtl2 Q.4 'O,8e5 Bx05
odt
ololr "rdmlno wi$ hw' b d5.
'f3 '€. h3 N.5 il,a.iltaob5
€3Ened. Gl
 'I he Tarrasch l ormula

(8) Kasparov- Palatnik[8041

Daugavprls,
1978

Shadowof a Knight

In this game Btackwas not successfulin applyingthe Tarraschformula,

firstto the opponent'spiecesandthen to his own -pieces.

l.e4 NtO2.e5Nd53.d4d6 4.Nf396 S.Bc4Nb66,8b3a5 7.a4

Worseis 7.NgSd5 and becauseof threat8...a4Whitedoesnot havetime
to feinforcehis centerwith f2 f4. After g.a4 f6 Blackwilt soon sotveftis
oPeningproblerns.

7...8g78.N95eO9.f4
is Lef3 ee7 (9...0-010.eh3b6 1t.Nf3 tooksjoytessfor
l1or9.afn-bltiols
Black)'l0.Ne4dres'lt.Bgs eb4+ whenWhitedoesnot ptat il.;4, ;;i
instead 12.Nbd2exd4 (12...Qxd413.0-0-0)13.c3t.witfi a' Oangero;
initiative.

9...dxe51o.fxe5
c5

2 2
l 1
a b c d 6 to h

1'1.0-0?l
Whrle.coLld avoida probtems by ptaying11.c3cxd4 12.0_O Kasparov,s
|1,"""1i"". speaksof his Lnwithngness
to spenda tempofor a pawn
:"9""
movemal lakesawaya naluralsquarefrom his Knighl.Howevef,White
s
11th_move is an inaccuracythat Blackcoutdexptoiiwith .11...exd4+
12.
Qxd4cxd413.RxfT(13.Nxf7 0-O14.Nd6 Rxfl+ rri.x*rraOzro.tilb] N"b]j
13...8xe514.Rf1Nc6,andBlackis freefroma difficulties.
 7hc'litrrukh l,btnul(l

11...0-0?!
Blackis too lazyto take advantage
of suchdetails

12.c3
Blackcanbe satisfiedfiow becausethe pawnon c3 row interferes
withthe
development
of White'sKnighton b1.

a b c d € tq h

E A3 .g E@
I r3. r
r tl
ll AA
AA
AA
A AA
g 0r gg tr €
a b c d € fg h

12...Nc6?
A mistakecausedby the reasonsstatedin the previousnotesand by the
"inedia
of openinglaziness"shownby Blackon lhe 11thmove.lt was rnore
impor'lant
to feslrainthe development
of the White'sinitiativeas a whole.
wasthe prelimjnafy
Betler exchange12...cxd413cxd4,andnow13...NcG
keepsWhitebusydefendinghis d pawnafter14.Nf3f6 1s.exf6Qxf6.

l3.Ne4lNd7
AlaslAfter13. cxd+14 Bg5Qd7(14...Qc7 15.cxd4)
15Nf6+BxfG16.Bxfo
dxci 17.Or1 resLlts
in Blacks rapiddowrfall
'l4.Be3l
the centerand prcparesto developthe other pieces.
Whitestrengthefls
i4.Bqs?l
Qb6 15.Nf6+ Kh816.Rf4 cxd417.Rh4BxfG18.exf6
dxc3+1g.Kh1
cxb220.Ra3Qc5 lt wo!ld be vefy riskyfor White
'l4...Nez
Blackhopesto solvehis problemsby coveringhis weakenedkingsidewith
he will attemptto give some air to his "gasping"
thiskniqht l\4eanwhile
bishop on c8.

'l5.Bs5l
Plantingthe Bjshop here spoalsBlack'splans. In order to banishthis
Bishop,
he willhaveto weakenhis kingside.

25
 TheTarraschForuula

l5...cxd,l
It appearsto be.impossible
fightofi the Bishopwithoutopsningthe c3_
squarcfor the WhiteKnight:after 15...h6t6.Bh405 Whitsdeiidesthe
gamein his favorwith 17.BxgS hxgs1B.Oh5. Exchangingpawnsin the
centerliquidates
thisdango..
l6.cxd4h6 l7.Bh4g5 18.8t2Ng6l9.Nbc3
Finally.lhis
knightreach€sthe c3-square.
Ctearty
Btack'sattemptto ptay
againstthis Knightby the Tara8chfomulahas not beencroineO itir
success.
19...Qe7
thigprepafation
Without it willnotbEposslble
to movethepawnfromf/.
20,8a2
ThedestinyoJtheKnight96 wasdotsrmined bythlsmove- onthatsquare
heis theweakbuffaloin hlsherd,ahdis doomed
to suffef.
20...b6
2l.exf6Nxt€22.NxgS
[20...f5? hxgsand23,Bxg6l
2l.Bo3BaO22.Rf2Nh6

I i I
7 ?/Zz\ry, 7
6
'"&.'%z"t%
5 '&
?z 'A. '*.
L%. x"a,/-
7/zW* ,U 3
'&e% &a 2
v r
1

Blackhasplac€dthe "sickpaflent.in quaranflne on hB,and ls r6adyto

ventllate
thopr€mises withthe mov€...i/-ts.Bullhesesanltrrym€asursg
areno longergff€clive,
 'I hc l tlrtosch I'bmula

23.Bxg5l
the sameWhiteEishopswho havetakenaimat the BlackKings
Incredibly,
will also be sacrificedduringthe final attack.But the fire of
rcsidence
Kasparov'simaginationis aheadybufning,so that even a pair of bright
willbe not veryexpensivefirewood.
Bishops

24.Qh5f5
23...hx95
Elackwolld not resist long aftet 24...tG25.Nxg5 RfcS 26.8h7+ KfB
27.Nce4.

Rfl
25.Nxg5

a a
7 7
6 6
5 5

3 3
2 2
1 l

resistance.
Thestrofiqest Quicklylosingis 25...Rfd826.Rxfs!exfs27.8b3+
Kf828.Nh7#;or 25...Rfc826.Qh7+Kf827.Nxe6+Qxeo28.8xf5.

26.Bxtsll
ThepositionneedsanotherBishopsacrifice?Big deallKaspaov looksat
theKnighton h8 and launchesthe nextwaveof a violentattack.

26,..Rxfs
Blackdoesnot surviveafter26...exf527.Nd5Qe8 28.e0Rf6 29.Qh7+Kf8
30.e7+.

27.Rxt5exfs 28.Nd5
Thedifference betweenthe good Knighton d5 and his miserableshadow
onh8is visiblenowevento the untrainedobserver.Underthreatnow is not
onlytheQueen'slife but alsothe destinyof the wholeKingdom.

2'7
f" The'lhrra:chIbtmuta

E./6
AgA
nt ..
I aa r a g
2,ttt'.r.rr.o',a,a""',.r
'& 7t, tL&

28-.Oe8?9.Qh7+KfB 30.Oxf5+KgE 3i.eh7+ Kf6 32.Ra3RcB 33.Rf3+

Nf634.h3!
It is pleasanlto slop and to look backon perfecllyc,oneworklBlack,slast
chancewas34.Nxf6?Rcl+ 35.Kf2Rf1+

34...Q9035.Rxf6+Bxt6 36.Ne6+Ke8 3Z,Nxt6+.t-O

(9) Karpov- Taimanov[A461

Moscow.
1983

KnightrsTour

The followinggamefeaturesa themethat by now is very familiar:a badlv

locatedknaght.As longas Btackfo owedthe ianascn rormutawitnieip#
lo this piece, his "business' was not bad. eotn opponentsiljady
understood whatwas happening. Thus it is amazingto witch nowthrouji
Ion will crandmasterKarpovchangeslhe courseof ev€nls.He manag6s
l0 pu lntskntghtthroughfire,waterand copperpipesontothe kingside:as
th,oughremovingthis piecefrom the conslraintsof th€ TarraschFormuta.
After seeingthis game. one can conctudettut tf,e f""aiin foirrL
sometimes appliesbestto a specifictimeandplaceof action.

1.e4c5 2tlf3 NcO3.d4 cxd/t 4.Nxd4e6 5. c3 a6 6.8e2NgeT2,0.0Nxd4

8.Qxd4NcG9.Qd3Nb4t?
I\,4ore
usuatis 9...ec7,butbadis 9...8e71O.eg3
0_011.8h6.

28
 I h, lurru:th 1,,,rnul,r

I 8
7 7
6 6
5 5

3 3
2 2
I 1

r0.Qd2
NowWhite must fianchettohis q-bishop. Another plan was '10.Qd1
followed
byBf4-Qd2-Rad1.
,|0.,.8e711.b30-0
12.8b2Qc7'l3.Rad1
also was the immediate13.f4;for example,13...Rd814.a3
Inleresting
(aftor14.Bf3
d5 15.exd5 Nxds'16.Nxd5
exd5Whitehasa smalladvantage.)
14...Nc615.Rf3.
,|3,,.Rd8'14.a3
Nc615.f4
insteadwould be 15.Nd5,but it's not very dangero!s for
Int€resling
16.exds
Black:15...exds Qd6!17.dxc6Qxd218.Rxd2 dxc6=.

t5...b5
16.KhlBb7 l7.Qe3l
Whiletransfershis queen alonqthe 3rd rank to the kingsidefor attack.
Blackm!st thinkabolt rapidqueenside
and centralcounterplay.
F
The Taftasch Formula

I o
.m
%Lrytt"&,1I
I %a %t%
L'% %z %
. . A&
%
^ f f iw A .s.
&8%291%
%E%E EI

t7...Mt,t8.Nbt
Not vsryaesthetic,
but after 18.axb4? Nxb4,19.Rd2dS Btacktskesf|€
inltlalive.
Watchthis knight-- in this gamett leads8 compcstedbut
Inrerc8lngte.
lE...bla319.Nn3d5 20.093BtE21.e5ilo7 22.Oh3 t5 8.ad3 Rac6
Nownot verydanoerous wouldbg 24.94Nh6.In caseof 24.BxfSexfs
25.Qxf5Bxa326.Bxa3Qxc227.e94d4 2a,t5ee4t Btackis not won8.
white's klngsidoattiackcan't succ€edwlthoutustng his knight,bui
connecting attackwi not bta shpb job (tik6
th€ kntghtto the kingside
pizzadellvery).

rm 'm
I. 'ry.'%tt
m. I
I % '%L%z
%L,&a %.
% % 'e,
A %s% %
&T g %%tr
A
^'% )3

30
 'l hc Tarraschhbrnt a

24.Nb1t?
Afterfourmovesthe knightretufnsto his initialposition but atsa good
move!

25.Nd2Qb626.4)d5l
24...96
A corect but difficultdecision.Al first 26.Nf3looks right 26...Ne3?
27.8d4Bcs 28.N95h5 29.Bxc5Qxcs 30.Nxe6land white wins. But
strongerfor Black is 26...d4!27.Bxf5Bxf3! Black exchangesall white's
attackingpieces.

26...ex15
27.Nf3l
Qbs29.N95h6 30.c4!Qc631.e61.
Nowil'stoolatefor27...d428.Bxd4

27...Rxc2

8 8
7 7
6 6
5 5

3 3
2 2
l I

28.8d4Qc6
Theonlymove.A mislakeis 28...8c5? 29.Qh4ReB
29.Qh6lor 28...Qxb3?
30.N95 KxfT32.Qf6+
h6 31.Nxf7 winning; 29.N95h6 30.e61.
or 28...Qc7

29.Qh4Re830.e0
Opensthe diagonalfor White'sBd4 and preparese5 for use by White's
knight.

30...txe6
31.Ne5

After31.Qf6insteadBlackanswerswith31...e51

32.Nxgo
31...Qc7
Theknight'stour"aroundthe wodd"endswithgreatsuccess.

3l
 Ttu Torya.nhFornuta

rgh

ZA&.,, 8
.t.gl 7
6
I a' 6
5
ll 5

AAE 4
3 A 3
2
E AA,2
'1
t r sr sh- d 1

flf":'Tf; B,ack's
Bb7
s
f{'ffir'difit1$1,:,""ilfi-:""!,a
Iiltu't*lq{il*$"ffi';ffi
i,jifl#il,],"{
8
8
7
7
6
6
5
5
4
3
3
2
2
1
l
c d s r-

37.Bxs7+
exsT3B.Nd4
ex03s9.hxs3 R2c34o.Nxe6
lf.lia, -rt RcE
** *journed
andwhitesiepb,,slep,succesfurv
II:':J""n,n"U" rearized
 The Ta aschFomula

%r%
L% %% I
I %% 6%
%t %t%
%% ,&.,&,
tVffi%
%% % a
'%E

RbOi|l}.NxlsRf6 ,l4.Nd4Rg6 45.R07Rg7 46.Rdot Rh6+47.Kgl

il8,f5 RbO 41.R766RxeO 50.tx€6 RgE 51.07 R€8 52.Nf5 Bco
ReE54.oEQ Rxgs56.Nto
BxoSss.Nxe8

%%%'%t
t'%%'ffi%
%%L%%
%%%
%%x
%% '% s

after56...Rd3 to stopthreatRxhT#.
it'simpossible
57.R€7 1-0
r The TarraschFotmula

ExerciseI

lo
7t 7:,2L"&
7 t7 '&
',/t 7't 'a1,.,
L7ztz.
L7ztz.
Lz.z..
7z
Lz.z..
7./,,:
7 t%2 ,

1.t71Kg7 2.4e7 Xxfl 3.8b4t+- l-0

Exorciae
2
a b c d € fq h

A
t^u''n^ru"rr"u
,/A 71,t &:
7z/:
g //k
Vz ffi,
ry,%D%
7'
0 c d € fg
Zakhodjakln,193i

1.XcsNc7 2.Kd8Ne8+3.Ke7tt{g7 [3...Nc7

4.Kf7+l 4,A9StXg6 5.8f7+Kh7
[7Ks6?NeBl
7 *h78Ko4rxrras.xrl.xhiro.xsriiia
?,1Jl,I]1.rt**
 TheTatasch Fotmrla

vffi%
%%s
'% ""e,%

Pogoslant8,
1062
Kg72.Ke6rkht t2...Nf63.Kf5Nds1.Re8Kfl 5.R05Nb66.Re7+Kf8
t{ho4.Krh6Ke85.KeCKIELKtt K.t 7,K971.0
3.KgC

8 I. 8
7
%*%r 7

%%%
%%
%% 4
3 %
2 g"'&
I
% % 1
a b cd6l9 h
Frltz,1950
2.R.7 b5 {2...8d5+ 3.Rxb7 d6+a.Ko7NrbT5.b'll+-1.0
3.KfOl

35
II
TheTarraschFormula

Exercise5

e,/g
z2%
6
5
ur*t" 6

'ffi'"2r y 5

3
2
1.,
2
1
b c d e f gF
Fedorcv,1947
'l,Ne6NaO[1...Na2
2.Nc7+;'t...Nc22.4h7Kt7 (2...Ne33.896#)3.Bxc2)2.8h7 t<tf
3.8d3 Nb4 [3...Nb6
4.Nc5]4.8c4 Kt6 14...Nc25.Nd4+Kf6 6.Nxc2l5.Nd4Kg5
6.Kc5+- l-0

Exerciae 6

L9 c d e I g h

o
%ffi%
?2,&%z
7

% 6

,2%,.^ffi"2%
%%'2,
%% 3

% %91'z 2
l
D c d e fg h
Adamson, 1924
't,N_d5t
l{d7l 2.Kd6l12.BbsKd83.Bj(d7=t3 Kd6rVr6I4.Nxb6=): 2.BhS+Kd8J.Kd6
Nb6r.4.Nxb6=l 2...KdO 3.8h5+Kd84.Nf6+-]3.Bd3tK€8[3J!qq 4.Nb6+_;
[2...Nt8
L.Nf8 4.iif6+-: 3...Kc84.Ne7+Kd85.Nc6+(cO 6.ba6#l4.ilc7+T;8 tNe6+ Kcd
6.8a6+Kb8 7.K.xd7+-t-0
 The Taftasch Fomuld

I I
7
%%% 7

ffi %
%%%
r"&%% 4
3
% %L%
*%%% 2
1 1
abcdofgh
Slmkhovlch,
1940

ll.Bd2=l1...d22.[ea dl Nl 3.4c5Kb54.Kb3KcG5.801Kd56.Nd2+-1.0

8 8
7
"ffi % "/e, 7

%%%
%%%
% %'ffi
%%%
'"&,,rm',& 2
1 1
abcd€t0h
Al9shln,Mura6ov,Sevllov,1041

dltll 2.8d2blNl 3.Bcl l{bc3 4.Rfl+ Kh5 5.8d2 KOa6.Roi Kf3 7.Kc6Kt2
lfit 9.Kc4+-i.0
r The Tanosch Fortfiula

ChapterTwo
TheBishop

(10)Balashov
- Romanishin
[E431
Lvov,1978

OpenHighway

1.d4Nf62.c4 e0 3.Nt3b6,l.Nc3 Bb4 5.e3Bb7 6.8d3 Ne4

Tt
f
I %L"/*.L
%I %2 'rz
,&,%
i %%
6 6Vz
ffi.'X'L/E
%
g

7.o-ot?
An eneeeticmove.Whitedoes not toseany time protectinga pawn.This
sacrificeis justifiedbecauseif Blackaccoptsthe pawn,his Bis|topwi b€
olt of play.

7...Nxc38.bxc3Bxc3g,Rbl Nc6t0.Rb3Ba5i1.o4h6 12.d5Ne7t3,Bb2

The differencean locationof €ach side's da*-squared BishoDis now
appreciable.
The WhiteBishopon b2 is on an Interstate
highway,whitehis
Blackcounterpart
is crowdedagainstth6 garagewall.

38
 'l hc'lbrrasch l.brnuta

8 I
1 l
6 6
5 5
4
3 3
2 2
l 1
rsn

13...G014.Ne51
Withideaf2 f4 f5

t4,,.N96l5.N94 Qe716.f4f5
Blacklriesto easehis defenseby clarifyingthe pawnstructure.

l7.exf5exts
Beforedecidingto playthe followrflgsacrifice,il is enoughfor Whiteto look
at Blacks miserablebishopsat a5 and b7 and then to do it with an easy
hoart.

dergh
8 I
7 7
6 6
5 5
4
3 3
2 2
l l
rg n

l9
 The TarraschFomula

18.Nxh6+!gxh6 19.Qh5 Kh7 20.Bxt5 Rxfs 21.Oxf5 RfE 22.ec2 OcS+

23.Khl Bxds
Thisdoesnot help.

24.R93RgE25.f5Nf826.f6+RO627.Rxs6Nxg628.ft 1-0
Whitewins.Forexample:28...Qxc429.f8N+!Kg830.exg6#

(11)Sprechich- Patatnik[8251
BaniaVrushitsa.1991

One-WayTicket to Nowhere

We shallnot herearguewiththe we -known rulethatthe piecesshouldbe

developedas quickly as possible But when consideredfrom the
perspective of the TafraschFormula,the rule aboutrapiddevelopment is
not aiwaysvalidfor a bishopbecauseof its tong-rangepoweron open
daagonals. An unmovedbishopthat has an opendiagonalmay be counte(l
as an active, useful piece. When choosinga Bishop'spossiblenew
location,il is necessarybeforehandto preparethe workplacefor him. to
defineclearlythe termsof his newjob in advance,and to be readyto cover
his movingexpenses.Withoutthese preconditions, movinga Bishopto a
newlocationcan makehim unemployed, or evenhom€l€ss.
In the gamebelow,my opponentofferedworkto his Bishopon thg sauare
95, and boughl only a one-way ticket to this seuare.but in the new
workplacethe young employee soon felt unw;lcome. quickly mads
enemiesamonghis fellowemployees, and as a resulthis effectiveness
was
soonreouceo.
'1.e4c5 2.Nc3Nc63.93964.Bg2Bg75.d3d6 6.h4h5 7.Nge2Rb88.895
This is the move about which we have alreadywarned our reade;.
Unfortunately my opponentwas not warned,andthe moveturnedout badlv
for him. lt s interosting
to notethat in this positiona yeareartierth€ playe;
of the Whitepieceschosethe befiermove8.0-0, and after8...Nf69.Eig5
(playablenow that Black'sknight is on f6) 0*0 1o.ed2 Kh7 1i.f4 O;5
12.Rael Ng4 13.f5 White had an anackingpositionon the kingside
(Sprechich-Filipowicz. Tuztal990).

40
 ' Ih c l d ftd s c h I' b rmu l d

E3.g@ AE
ll rrE
ar l
l gr
AA
AA A
AAA AA.Q,
Eg€tr
8,,.b5t?
Therc areseveralreasonswhy Blackdeliberately doesnot huffyto develop
theKnightto f6. First, doing so would close the diagonalfor lhe Bg7.
Second, havinga kfiiqhton f6 wouldrnakeit possiblefor the whitef2-pawn
l0 slipin wiihf4 - f5, whereaswilhouta BlackKnighton f6 the advancef2
f4 colld be met with ...f7-f6, plfting the Bq5 ifl a rather inconvenienl
siluation. Third,it is not always true that the best way to improveyour
posilionis to play standarddevelopingmoves followed by castling.

Theoverextended Bg5 actuallyO@yerrts White from developilga pawn

advanceon the kingsade,and Black uses this circ!mstanceas an
to seizespaceand controlmore squaresin the certer aod on
oppodunity
lhequeenside.In this way the Bg7 is lsed to ils full capacity.Stldyingthis
eramplewill help lhe studentavoid"matterof course"movesin favor of
onesthal are'inost important."
strcnger

9.0d2b4
the scopeand powerof the Bg7.
Increasing

lo . N d a51l.R
l c1Ba6
Nowthe otherBishopjoins the familybusiness,restraininqthe activityof
thecompetition.
'r2.b3
Nd413.0-0

4l
It The TarraschFormula

e%,A,&.
.&.t
I %.,&
l I. %z
.* .,e,%%'&, I
'ry,'ffi,,ry
L%,&
,/4A"/2,A
ZI %* ry 6:& 6
a %E
13... t6 lit.Nf4Nh7
Nowit becomes clearthatth€Bg5willb€ exchano€d,
sothatBlsckcanat
mrnimumexpectlo controlthe daft squares.The maximumbeneflts
resultingfromthisexchang€ areyetto bedetorminsd.
15.Ne3
Thewhitepigceslin6dup atongthec1-h6dlagonal arolikea i2-inchsub
sandwicht
theonlyp.oblem is ...whereto takelhefirstbite?

8
,o,& .m
7
%'m I 7

i I. %.
,,,*..m%% 'ru.
I
5
'm f f iA ,ffi 4
'ffi /.&,
%8v%"8
A %8 ' M
,ru 6 2
1 l.f 1
I:l

't5...l{tEl
N€cessary preparations.
Blackmustnot ygt play15...f6?becausgaftef
16.NxgB fxg517.Nxh8Bxh8t8.hxg5Nxgs19.f4Whitehasth€advantage.

I
\- ,.
42
 I ht l arr,rtth l,,trnul

t6.Nh3f6 r7.f4
Allexilsareblockedfor the Bishopon 95 tf 17.8 e5 trapsthe piece.

l7,,,fxgS
18.hxg5
e6 lg.Rce1RbTl?
NowBlack's
onlytaskis to showtheadvantage
of havinganextraprece.
20.a3
Anuninspiring
rnovethatshowsWhite's withhasposilion.
dissalisfaction He
cannol
effectively
openthecenteragainstBlack's
king.

8Of5Bes;20.e5dsl
21.Nc4Axc4 22.dxc40-0
20...Nd7
By casllingBlack completesthe openirrgperiod of the game, which
is alsovirtuallythe endof the gamel
coincidentally

a 8
7 7
6 6
5 5
4
3 3
2 2
1

23.a4

RbO24.8e4Nf525.BxfsRxfs26.exd6Bd4+27.Kh2Rxd6-+]
[23.e5
23...Rc7
24.Qdl Nb6 25.Re3Nbc6 26.Rd3Ne727.Kh2d5 28.cxd5exd5
8.f5 dxe4 30.Bxe4Nexfs 31.Bxf5 Rxfs 32.Rxf5 gxfs 33.Qxh5 Re7
34.Nf4Qa835.96Rel 36.N92Re237.Qh7+KfB38.Qh3Qe4 0-1

the final portionof this game the white pieceslivedwith only the
Dudng
memory
of theirloslcolleagueon 95.
lt'
The Tarraschtr'ormula

(12)Palatnik- Aristorenas[E911
Nashville,1994

CriminalBrcughtto Juatice

ln the nextgamethe TarEschFoflriulafindsthe objectof its apptication

to
be Black'slight-squared Bishop.Duringthe 'legatproceedings'
againstthis
piece,While'sh-pawnwas identifiedas the victimwhosesacrificebrouoht
Blacks errantBishopto justice.The r€turnroad in the Bishop's',crimin;f
pastalongthe diagonalh3 - c8 becamesecuretyblocked,and his fatewas
sealed.The white King rcjectedthe Black Bishop'sappealfor mercyby
personallycarryingout lhe execution.

1.d4 NfO2.c4 d6 3.t{t3 96 4.Nc3 Bg7 5.e40.0 6.8e2 NbdT2.0.0c6 E.h3

e5 9.d5Ncsl0.Bg5h6 ll.BxfO Qxt6t2.b/tNd7,t3.Rbtc5 14.a3
By pressuringthe qu€enside,While kies to k€epthe btackKnighton d7,
whichin lurn slowsthe activationof Elack'sBishopand Rook.The question
isr Howlongcan Blackmanagewithoutthem?tf it takesBtacka tongtime
to actavatethem, then there will be tots of time for Whiteto imDrovehis
oosition.

t
,ry' o
,e
I .ry {h%I
%,,,& ry,. I
.&A ry" A %
'ffi%.%
A%
,a,&%
% % A 6
Ff
w H
14...a615.NE1 Oh4
By transferring his positionin the center
the Knightto d3 Whitestrcngthens
and on the queenside,but weakenshis kingside.Black tries to take
advantage of this situation.

16.93Qe7
lf 16...Oxh3
than17.804+-

44
 'l ht'lhrrosch f.itnuLt

17.Nd3Nb6
The knighl has taken up an iflconvenientposalion,weake ir€ the
queenside,
bll the justification
for this moveis that now two Whilepawns
{c4and h3) are simultaneously urder attack.At first glanceit seemsthat
Whilecannotavoidlosingmaterial

EE
HA E@
I gr3.
ra l ll
lal
AA A
A AA AA
AA
tr w tr€
18.Qb3
Retaioing
the c4-pawn is necessaryfor protectingand skengthening
the
gr0!ping
on the b-file

l8...Bxh3
Thuslhe Pawnon h3 is lost,moreoveris lostwithternpobecausethe Rf1
is now underattack.However,White'scompensation is that the long-
awaitedfreedornof actionfor the Bh3resultsin ils becominga tarqet.

t9,Rfdt

'15
 The TarraschFbm la

19..,cxb420.Qxb4Nd7
The behaviorof this Knightis not very noble!By retreatingto d7 he saves
his own life but closesthe path of retreatfor the Bishop.Betlerwouldbe
20...Nc8,whenthe knightwoulditselfbecomethe "sickbuffalo"according
to the TanaschFormula,but at leastit wouldprosorv€the lifeof the Bh3.In
thascase, Whitewould gain the upperhand with 21.Qxb7Ra7 22.Qxe7
NxeT23.c5dxc524.Nxc51.

2'l.Kh2f5 22-Kxh3fl 23.Bg4 h5 24.8e6+l-0

When selectinggames to illuskatethe TarraschFormula,GEndmaster

Palatnikhad the pleasureof includingthe followinglwo gamesagainsl
Grandmaster Gufeld.Fortunehas smiledbroadlyupon his effortsagainst
this venerableGrandmaster:
Palatnikhas scoredfive winsin a rowagainst
Gufeldwith no losses!Howover,this hunt againstGrandmasterGufold
doesnol seemto be a record:Grandmaster Alburthas in his collectionsix
"scalps"fromthissamedangefousopponent.

(13)Palatnik- Guteld[A45]
Beltsi,1979

Movinglhe Fence

l.d4 NfO2.895 Ne43.8f4 d5 4.Nd2Bf5 5.Ngf3e6 6.€3g5?l

Playedaggressivelywith imagination.lt is curiousto notice that both
opponentssymmetrically have d€velopedtheif Bishopson f4 and f5 and
then have cut off their mobilityby advancingpawnsto 03 and e6. We
alreadypointedto the potentialproblemsof such ineffectively developed
Bishops.Black is the first in this game to try to exploitthe opponent's
BishooDlacement.

7.Nxg5l
Blackprobablyexpecledonly 7.893?h5 whenthe "fence"of pawnsmoves
to cut off the bishop. Black stands better aftef 8.h4 Nxg3 Lfxg3 Bd6
10.Kf2+

7...Nx95 8.h4
Nowit is White'sturnto "movehis fenco."

8...Ne49.g4Nxd21o.Kxd2l
A ratherexoticmove.

46
 Tha Taftasch Formula

10...B.,1
ll.f,l BgE 12.h5
Thotlm€hascom€lor this pleceto bo lost'underthelgnce,'

I t 'ry.rm I
7 '*.
%I
I '&,,%t 7

% % L %I.
% % L % %A
% ru.'& A
3
%,&% '&t
A a"'ffi% F?
1 r- 1

..8d6?
mlstake.
Betterchances
wereoffer€dby 12...897;
for €xampl€13.hxg6
14.Rxh8+
BxhS

ll,E!? Q67l?
18.Qh1Bt6 (16...Qb4+17.Kc1Bf6 18.Bxc7)17.Qh2QM+ 18.Kcl
+ lg.Bdl Nc6i8 finstor Blacki
16.c3Nd7l7,Qh10-0.018.Qh2
€51s6iz6stheinltiativo;
lLag 15...Nd716.Qb3Qh4l? 17.8e2(17.Qxb7?Qf2+ 1B.Bo2Rbg-+)
.,0-G0withchancas
forbothsides.
BxdScxd6 l4.hxg6 fxg6 l5.Bd3!
a Gsultot fighting"wallagalnstwall,"Whltehas cr€atedslgnlflcant
I the Bd3monopolizos the llght-squared
dtagonats,
andWhtte
ownth€ openh-file for attackon the blackKlng.

47
F-
'l he'l'arrasch liormula

15...0-0
Unfortunatelyit is necessarylo choosethis bravemovebecauseolhetuise
thereis no defenseagainstlhe threatBxg6+.

16.Qfle5?
It wouldbe betterto developthe Knightwith16...Nc617.Qh3Qe718.Rh2
Qg7 19.Rah1 Rf7,although Whitesadvantaqe on the lightsquaresis still
veryrnucha factofthanksto his powerfulBishop for exarnple,20.95Re8
21.Q93e5 22 RxhTOxhT23.Rxh7 RxhT(23...KxhT24.Qh3+ Kgl 25.Qh6+
Kg] 26.Bxg6)24.Bxg6afldWhitewirrs.
'l7.Qh3Qd7 18.dte5dxes
It is tirneto makea visitto the residenceot the enemymonarch.

19.Bxg6!hxg6 20.QhE+Kf/ 2l.Qxes Rg8 22.Rh7+Kf8 23.Qt6+KeE

24.Rxd7NxdT25.Oe6+
Now Black faces an unpleasanlchoice:rnovirtgto the left will lose the
Rook,but movirrgto lhe raghtwilllosethe Knight.1-0

(14)Gufeld- Palatnik[897]
1981
Tbilisi,

A Pair of Boots

We have alreadyseen that the Tarasch Forrnulais very etfectivewhen

appliedto a singlepiece.lt is even moreeffectivewhenlsed agai.lstt\do
piecesl Throuqhoutthe next garne, White sufferc from a couple ol
ineffecliveminor piecesthal hobblehis progresslakean illfitting pair of
DOOtS.

48
 'Ihc lhrruschf.itrnulct

Throughout his entirechesscareerGrandmaster Gufeldhas beena faithful

advocate of the Bishop.One mighl even say that the Bg7 in the Kirrg's
lndianDefenseis the personificationof Grandmaster Gufeld.Thereforeif
yo! are fortunateenoughwhen playingsuch an opponentto be able to
impose notvery"creative"condilionsfof him in the handlingof his Bishops,
youshouldhavegood prospects.Very rmportantin this regardis that the
prescription
fromDr.Tarraschsho!ld be caffiedout!

Le4c5 2.Nf3dG3.d4cxd44.Nxd4NfG5.Nc3aG6.895eG7.f4Qbo
PoisonedPawn"Varialion.
Theultra-sharp

6.Nb3
Nol a courageousmove, removingthe Knightfrom the center.Critical
insteadis 8.Qd2Qxb2 with a very lnbalancedpositionwhereWhitehas
compensation for a pawn.

8..,Nbd7 9.Qe2l?
Afterthismove,the Bf1doesnot lovehis Queen.

9...h610-Bxf6
ThisexchangeleavesWhite withouta clear plan for the futlre of black
Betteras10.8h4,intending1'1.8f2.
squares.

l0...Nxfo
Whitefacesditficultiesthal originatein his minol pieces.Firstthe Knight
abandonedhis centralpositionon d4, and now the Bishopis
voluntarily
bythe Queen.
blocked

49
 I he Tdrrasch tornula

11.93Be712.892 QcZ 13.0-0-0

13...e51?
PlayedacCording lO the Tarasch Formula!Blackpreventsthe whiteKnight
from reluming_tothe centerthroughthe d4-square.and simultaneou;ly
stopsthe Bg2fromexpandingits radiusof actionby meansof e4 eS.Fro;
this poirrtforwardWhitesuffersfrom not one butiwo dysfunctional
minor
pieces.

14.h40-015,f5b5
Thusthe light-squaredBishopchangesits workingdiagonat.

16.a3Bb7 17.9,1
This pawn stofm on the kingsidelooksvery paintulfor Black,but Doctor
Tarraschadvisesnot to worryas longas the Knighton b3 andtheBishop
on 92 are misplaced.
't7...Nd718.Nd2
While White spendstime repairingthe damageto his sutteringKnEhl.
Brackrmproveshisposrlioby burlding
Lp hrsheavypiecesonthe;_tilel
18...Rfc8
Less preciseis 18...Rac8becauseon a8 the Rookcouldalso potentially
jointhe battleon the queenside(seenoteto Whit6'sigth move).

l9.g5t?
Thercutine19.Nf3is simptytoo stow.Btacktakescontrotof the gamewith
1.9...b420 axb4a5 21.bs (21.bxa|? exa') 21...a422.Rd3(22.:Nb1?Ncs
threatensboth ...Nxe4and ...Ntt3#)22...a323.bxa3d5t Btack,sDiocesatl

50
 'Ihc lhrratch l,onnula

jointhe attack.Whitehas no defense.24.Nb1(24.Nxd5BxdS25.exd5e4

winsmaterial)24...dxe425.Rc3Bxa3+26.Rxa3(26.Kd2Bb4:26 Kdl exf3
27.Rxc7 fxe2+28 Kxe2RxcT)26...Rxa3+

19...hx9520.f6!?
WilhthispawnsacrificeWhitetdes lo "to stir!p watef'on the Kings flank.
Sucha draslicdecisionis justifiedas a practcalmeasurebecauseWhite
hasno viablestrategicaltefnative.After this the game becomesmore
andthe probability
complicated of mistakesil|creases.

21.Q94gxh422.Nf3
20...gxf6

22...961?
Elackis readylo slowdownWhite'sattackby returningpartof the "stolen"
material. His last move expandsthe role of the dark-sqlared Bishop,
therebysignificantly redticingWhite'sattackingchances.The dark squared
Sishop's job as a kingsidedefenderhas an excellentresum6:he is highly
recomme0ded frcm similafemployment in the King'sIndianDefenseanclin
oragonvariation of the Sicalian
Defense.

Thealternative 22...a5fails after 23.Nxh4b4 24.N96!(threateningRh8#)

when24...fx96gets matedwith 25.Qe6+KfB 26.Rh8#.perhaps22...b4t?
23.axb4a5 would also be possible,leadingto a sham positionwhere
Elack'sattackis at leastas strongas White's.However,the continuation
choseo by Blackin the actualgame (22...96)is at leastas skong,and is
saler.

23.Nxh4Bg724.8h3
Thiscreatesthe impressionthat Bishophas found productivework along
lheh3-c 8. However,blockingthe potentialof White'sheavypieceson the

5l
r The Ta aschFortnula

h-file meansthat the "improved"pieceson h3 and h4 are not reallywetl

placedat all. A betterjob for this Bishopwasto protecttho e4-pawn.

[24.Nx96NfO25.Qf5fxg6 26.QxgGleavesWhitobehindin materiatwithout

a clearcontinuation
of his attack.l

24...Nf625.Qe2Nxe4l.+
Blackhas spenttime collectingstones,but nowit is timeto scattertheml

26.Nxe4
After 26.Bxc8Nxc3 27.bxc3Rxc8 Whitewouldbe defensetess.
but now
Blacklandsa knockoutpunch.

26...Qrc2+l27.Oxc2Rxc2+ 2E.Kxc2Bxo,{+29.Kb3 Bxhl 3o.Rxht d5

31.B92e4
The mis€ryof Whit€'sminor piecespgrsistseven in their otd age. They
surliveas typicaluglypationtsof Dr.Tanasch'sFormula.

ab d s fg h

t
7
% % %t 7
6 I % % I
5 I %t % 5
4
% %t % 4
3
% % %
,,,&,
E 3
2
% % 6 F? 2
1 j

AD fg h

32.Rtl
Preventing
...8f6.lf 32.Rd1thenBlackwinsmatedat
with32...8f633.Rxd5
BxM 34.Bxe4Ra7andBlack'sconnected passodpawnson the kingside
willwin
easily.
32...R0E
33.Bhld4 Gi
Thepawnscannotbe stopped
- 34.RelBn535.N92
Bg5,etc.

IL 52
 'l hc t urft*.h timttd

(15)Palatnik- Dandridge[D3O]
Chicaqo,
1996

Prisonerwith a Life Sentence

Ld4 d5 2.c4 cO 3.Nf3 NfO4.Qc2

A solidmove that also preventsBtack'snoffnatdeveloprnentwith Bfs
4...e6
Black'srnair altentaliveis 4. 96 (see palatflik popov in ChapterFive)

5.93NbdT6.4q2 BdO7.0-00-0 8.8f4

ChallengingBlack for control of the e5 square. While decides that the
exchangeof dark squafed Bishopswoutd be ir his favor Btack woutcttose
a ternpoil he ret,eated with 8 Be7 so his besl choice woutd be B...Bxl4
wm sorne cornpeflsalionfor the exchanqe of his better Bishop i|| the
doublingof White'spawns after 9.gxf4

H O {lt E@
ll a r ll
r3 . I A\
I
AA 6
AA
AAg A A.E.A
H6 \ Etg
gh

8...Qc7?!9.Bxd6Qxd610.Nbd2h6?!
Thismol/edoes,r'laddressBlack'srnainproblem--namely,
howto jmprove
hisbadbishopon cB Betterwas10...b6

11.e4
Nxe4'12-Nxe4 dxe413.exe4
Whitehas a cleaf advantage.His winningplan is to use lhe Tarrasch
FormulaagairrstBlack'slight-squaredBishopto keepit imprisonedon c8.
Back has no realisticchanceto play ..e6-e5, so his ontv chancefof
actvatinq
hr.,bishopwtllnecessatity
invotveplayig a timety c6 cS.At the
moment this movewouldbe undesirabte for Blackbecauseit wouldrnake
White's
bishopon g2 morepowerfulon the h1,aBdiagonat.ln addition.the
exchangeol Black'sc-pawnfor White'sd pawnwouldnot onlygiveWhile

53
 The TarraschFormula

conkol of lhe d-file but would also create a White pawn majority on the
queenside. CleadyBlackis facingan uphillfightfor equality.

8 I
7 L'/fu,,,A:%L''&, 7
6 %L.M .L%
5 % %'"ry.
'/z,L&,w%
5
4
3 ,/ /-a&
'"&g
3
2 B'&, % 2
1 w % % Ef f i 1

'13...Nt6
14.Qe2Bd7 t5.Radl Rad8l6.Ne5
lmprovingthe positionof lhe Knightand alsoopeningthe longdiagonalfor
the Bishopon 92.

16...8c8
Blackhas made significantpfogress.His rooksare connected,and ho is
finallyreadyto play ...c6-c5.The TanaschForm!lacallsfor preventing this
move because without it Black cannot activate his Bishop, and will
be
effectively a piece down for the restof the game.

8 LH & 8
7 I I 'rx:
'/z '//lz 7
6 7Z,rry
L.N,I'ffi 6

,1L h ./t7t
5 5
4 A,& ,&
3 7/t' /Z 3
2 'a& 7/tw/&6
F?
l l/zz,E'/:/zt 1

54
 'Ihc'l'arrdscht,ir.nrlu

17.c51
Thismovegivesup conkol of the ds-square,but it is morc importantto
makesurethat the prisoneron c8 does not escape.Notealso that from
hereon Whiteplaysto domir|atethe darksquares.

17...Qc7
18.b4Nd5
Threateflinq..Nc3.

l9.Qb2RdeS20,Rfe1Qd821.a4a6?l22.Nc4Nc7
It turnsout that the beautifutoutpostsquarefor Blacks Knighton d5 is
useless to hirnwithoulsupportfromthe restof his pieces,and he rekealsif
to c7 to slop Whalefrom breakingthfolgh the queensidewith b4 b5 For
example, 22...Qf623Nd6 Rd8 24.b5 axbs 25axbs gives White a
slranglehold on the position.

23.h4!
White's
dornirralion
overthe darksquaresincreases

23...Qf624.Re5Rd825.RdelQgO26.8e4f5
Thisweakensboth the e6 pawn and the e5 square,and makesil eve
nore difficultfor Blacklo activatehis Bishop Retativelybest is 26 ef6,
althoughBlack'spfospectsare bleak. Note lhat 26...Qg4?27.Ne3eh3
28.892lrapsBlack's Queerr.
27.892 Og428.Nd6Rd729.Qd2g5 30.hxg5hxg531.edil
Black'sQueer is his only activepiece,so Whjteis happyto exchaflgeit.
Lesscleafis 31 Rle4Qhs(3t lxe432.Rxg5+) 32.94eg6.
31...Qxd132.Rxd194
lastpawnhas takenits placeatoflgwithalllhe othefsofl the white
Elack's
squares;nowtheBishopon c8 is nothing
rnorethana bigpawn.
a b c d e fg h

55
 the TarraschFormula

33.Kf'l Kg7 34.Ke2KfO35.Rhl Kg6 36.Kd3Rh7 37.Rxh7KxhT 38.Ret

Kg? 39.Rhl Rd8 40.Ke3Neg

ab

L:&A %
I % 7z 'ffi
Lffi'"/4.t%
I %'a& L'%
z,&, ''///U
Z] ZT
72 "#. "e
7z % K 6 Ff
abcd € i9h

,l1.Nc4
TradingKnightswouldeaseBlack'sdefensesomewhat,
so Whiteretr€ats.
41,.,8d712.Kf4
The weak dark squarcsare an op6n road for White'sKingto invadethe
Blackcamp.

42.,.Rc643.K05Rc744.Nb6Kg8 45.Bfl

a 0 c d 6 fg h
8
a%e
7 L.ry,L
'ffiL% % 7'
6 I
,,1 /& r%
5 '#,L?/"
',&,
A '& 72.t
3
% vt 'e, ,x,,
2
1
'/Z '/z-
''/2g7lz?f

I
 'Ihc terroschtnm ta

The last improvement- White'sBishopwill come to c4 with irresistible

threats.Black is comptetetyparatyzed tf now 45.. Ng7 46 Kd6 Ne8+
47Ke7.andthe WhiteKingwi affesta the Blackpiece;.i-0

(16)Palatnik- Schneider[E091
Washirqton
DC.1997

Inevitable
Breakthrough

Thepawnstructureof the nextgameis veryslrnilarto the previousone,bul

hereElackrnanagesto dig his defensesmore deeplya (t lhe winning
breakthfouqh
fequiresmore rnoves.Noticehow Whitepaljenly contin!e;
t0[nprove
hrsposiliolllhroughoLt
thegarne
1.d4d5 2.c4 c6 3.Nf3e6 4-Qc2Nt6 5.g3 Be7 6.892 0-0 7.0_0NbdT
8.Nbd2
b5 9.c5a5

E 3 .9 E@
a3. rr r
lra
rlal
A
AA
AAg AAAg A q49
Fi /a\
re 5_ llEl-.{-
gn

Nowitwillprobably
nolbe possibtelo crealean openfiteonthequeenside.
Whiletherefore
lurnshisattention
lo openinglinesonthe kingside.
10.e4dxe4
otherwise
the advarcee4-e5 givesWhjtea strongkingsideattack

1t.Nxe4 Nxe412.Qxe4 Bb7

AfterseveraierchangesBtackhas garneda smallarnountot freedorn,but
irs lrgnlsquaredBishop has no active rote In choosingto play thrs
positon,evidentlyBlackeitherdoes not believethe Tarrasth Formula
or
doesnolknowaboutit at atl

5',7
r
i
'l he TarraschFormula

g2a/&ry& LlL
"///z
L7lz.
L 7z
L''N, '//./2.72,
7/t '&wt//.;
'//t lt
"//,2. a:'&
L&. //', &s
Ff .ii:
aE

13.Qc2l?
In any position,it is necessaryto focusone'screativeenergyin the proper
direction.For this purposeit is necessaryto answ€rtwo questions:"HowI
can improvemy position?"and "Whichmove is most imporlantfor this
purpose?"

HereWhitehas no problemsaboutflndingan activerolefor his Knightand

whitesquaredBishoprtheyare his "elite"minorpieces.Findinga job for the
dark-squaredbishopis mofe difiicultbecauseof the pawnstruclure.The
amprovement of White'spositionas a whole centerson the difficultyof
findingan appropriatsdiagonalfor this piece. A naluralmove such as
13.8f4encountersthe reply'13...Nf6
andafter14.Oc2 comes14...Nd5.
The preliminarywithdrawalthe Ouoenis thereforelhe mostimportantmove
becauseit allowsWhiteto solvethe problemof his dark-squared bishopby
exchanging it The move played(13.Qc2)is betterthan 13.Oe2becaus€it
doesnot giveBlackany opporlunitiesfor activityalonglhe diagonala6-fl.

13...Nf6'14.895
Herethis Bishopcan brealheoasier.

14...h6
Exchanging dark-squaredbishopsin suchpositionsis not goodfor Black,
as shownin the game Palatnik-Dandridge abov€.Preservingthe knight
with 14...Nds therefore weakens lhe d6-square, and also creates
prcconditionsto transformlhe positioninto a battle of "Super Knight"
against"leprous"Bishopafter15.Bxe7QxeT16.Nes.

15.Bxf6Bxf6l6.RadlOc717.Rfe1Rad8l8.Oo2
play 18.Nosb€causeafter18...8xe5'l9.dxes
Whiteshouldnot immedaately
 'Ihc Tarraschl.brmula

Rxdl 20.Qxd1(20.Rxd1?QxeS) 21.Qe2Rd4 22.Rd1Qd7Black

conlrols
the d-file.

1E...0619,Ne5
Thuswitha singlemovetwo Whitepiecesare satisfiedat once:theKnight
andthe Bishop-lt's likereceivingdoublepaymentfor the samowork!

8 8
7 LNI 7/T 7
6
vzL.2L"&Z 6

tr&
',/,4'8.ffi/zz,
5 5
4
3 lt '& 3
lt
2 aK
7'V,.Ng 2
1 1

't9...h5
The attemptat furthef simplificationsis uns!ccessfulaftef 19...8xe5
20.dxe5 Rxdl 2l.Rxd1 Rd8 22.Rd6whentroubteon the d,fite is addedto
Black'sotherwoes.

20.14KA721.h4
Tightening
the visearoundBlack'scamp-

2'l...RcE
22.b3
Whitepreparcsto clear up the siluationon the queenside,either by
opening a file or by closingit up completely.

22...RfdB
23.a3Rb8
Notseeingany concretethreatsfrom his opponent,Black is reducedto
makingemptymaneuvers alongthe 8th rank.

24.Qc2Ba8 25.8e4
Checkingthe opponent'snerves:nowthe shadowof a threatto sacrificeon
gOhangsover Black'sposition.However,it is not a thundercloud, and
Blackhasadeq!ateresourcesagainstit.
r
'I he Taftasch lbrmltla

2,
,t/tM- LW z
L/2.I "&-Lt
I '/.&- 7t
7 /&, ' & ,
A 2 7 8..: ^

7tw2 2 .
./ H.

25...RfE26.Rd2
Whitecontinuosto improvehis position.By rearranginghis Rookson lhe
d file he forestallsany possibleexchangeon e5 becauseWhilewouldbe
readyto Lsetheopenfile as a highwayfor invasion

26...Rh827.Red'lRh6
Ugly,butit reliablycovers96.

28.Kf2RbhS
Prophylaxis
againstthe openingof the kingsideby 93-94, whenthe Black
Rookswouldcometo life

29.Qc3Bb7 30.Qf3
Now Blackwill be occupiedwith defendingthe c6-pawn and will not be
ableto shufflehis Rooksalongthe 8th rank

30...Rc831.b4
Forcesthe closingofthe queenside.

31...a4
Afler31...axb4?
32.axb4the a-file wouldbe in White'shands.

32.Ke3
Nowis timeto movethe Kingawayfromthe kingside,simultianeously using
his presencein the centerfor protection
of lhe d-pawn.Afterrelocating
the
WhiteRooksto the kingsideit will be possibleto createa rcal oppodunity
for a pawnbreakthrough. Blackanticapates theseplansfrom his opponenl
and take appropdatepreventivemeasures.However,takifiginto accounl
vahe of the Bb7 as measuredby lhe TaffaschFormula,it is possibleto
foreseethe furlhercourseof events.

60
 TheTonasch Formltla

%r%
ILry, %L"ffi
,,/zL%zz
I '&t
Lru, ffi
"'e %t
,&,
I ru. 6
% RKv'm.
%ry
,%E %
'

Bo733.092RhhE34.Rhl
everything
is readyfor 93-94, but ...

35.Bbl
t€akthrolgh93-94ha8beenstopped, bulonlyat thecostof crcating
lnlc w€aknesson06.Nowoccupation of thge:fileis nolessattractiv;
Whfte lhanthed-fil€.Consaquonfly
Whiteshouldrelocate hisBishopso
l0 attackeOand also redsployhts Rookson the e-file. Duringthis
theWhiteKingmusttakecarenotto getin theway.
36,8a2RhoS
oderto defend€6

Ro73E.Res2
whoreshouldWhiteput his King?The squareh3 is €videnflyhis most
od8blelocation.Sendhim intoexilelBut beforehs can be moved,it is
ary to ensureprotection. tf Whiteimmodiatolyplays38.Kf2RdB
, Blackreplieseffectively
with39...Bxes
4o.dxe5 Rxd241.exd2Rd7
lskosov€rthed-file.Thusit is necessary
firstto Drotect
the Rookon

I 39.Kf2RdeE
39...8xe5
40.dxe5Rxd24'1.Rxd2Rd7can be answeredstrongtywith

Qd 4l.Re3 Qc7 42.Kg2RdE/t:l.Oe2Bc8 44.Kh3

Majesty
hasarrivedin hisnewresidence.

6l
f

l he Tanasth Fornula

AHT
'Nt ',e.
L'/2L,&L
7,{V
.&ffiL%
.e.
"'& 7t H. &.'e
g:'/t 'Hw,/,,/.
'2

,14...Rde8 ,ls.Qel Bb7 46.Rde2

Duringthe precedingmovesWhitehas beenassuringhis King,ssafetyand
maneuvering to tripleheavypieceson the e-file. Havingdoneso, it is now
clearthat the wide backof the knighton e5 shieldsthe Dawne6 as surely
as il they were best friends,so Whiteremoveshis Knightfrom ils central
ourpost.

46...8c847.Nf3Qd7 48.Ne5
Psychologicallyplayed.Of coursethe Qleen can go backon cg, blt after
so many movesof passivedefenseit is difficultfor Blackto pass uD an
to playactively.
oPPortunity

a b c d € fg h
H
E
I
,\
k2_)
r,A..,B
A
.$ l'

,/t '1.,a'

62
 The TarraschFormula

al.,.Bxe5?l 49,Rxo5l
8|8Ck nodoubtexpecledon49.dxe5RdEwithcontrotof thed-flle,butthe
l-f,le is evenmorgimDortant
fof Whltonow.
..Kf/
Dsncerous
tor Blackjs49...Qxd4 50.Rd2;
for oxampte, (5a8re6
50...Qc3
Wktsnoadvantagefot Whtteaftet50..Bxe6
S1.Rxe6Rxe6S2.Rxe6Rxe6
Qxe6Qe4!=)51.R63Qf6 52.Qe2Rd7 (52...e5S3.Rd6ef' S4.RxeSt)
Rd6Rxd654.cxd6Bd755.Re5Qf8 56.eb2KhZ57.Od4r.

c3Oc75l.Oe3Qd7
hsscollecled
thomaxlmum posslble
number of attackersagainstthe
wn (four)whllelherearg five Blackpiecesreadyfor its protection.
canWhit9makeprogressnow?

Kingmak€syetanothorjourney.Blackis Usddownto th€defenseof

e6-pawn,so Whlteclearsthe way on the kingsidefor a possible
gh there.ThusWhite'sKinOwillfilst takgup .esjdgnceon c3l

c7 53.KfiIQd7 5,l.Ko1Qc7 55.Kd2Qd7 56.Kc3

safearrivall
,.Qc757.94t
White'8
attackaccelerates

67..,fx94 qxfs59.Rxfs+
then58.f51 Kg860.Rxhs+-
Ks7
58.,.9xh5
59.Rxfs+Kg660.R95+Kh661.Rh2and Whitewins.

RhE60.Qglrug6?16l.Bbl l
Bishop
caneasilyfindwork,Incontrast
to hisBtackcountemart.
...Rh3+62.Kb2
63.Oxg4+.
 The Tatasch Fonn ld

L2 I

w H, 7t 7

7t'/.e._ Llb
L.//./:t 6

I .,.&
..& H,t,//, 5
'/&t
7//:,7t 7/. 3

)tt 7' H 2
.S 1
&

63.d51
Afiotherbreakthrcugh
on a heavityprotectedsquare.Weakeris 63.Bxfs
exfs64.Rxe7 QxeT65.Rxe7 KxeT66.ee1+Be6.
63...cxd564.Qd4 Kfl 65.Bxf5 ed8 66.Bxg4 Rh4 6Z.BhS+Kt8 68.Rg5
Rh7 69.Reg2Nowit's a roul..l-0

(17)lshee,M- Boyd,D[D531
lremphisInvitationat,
1984
DeadWood

1.d4eO2.Nf3d5 3.c4Nf64.Nc3Be75.895c6 6.e3NbdT7.Rc1a6

a D c d € tg h
I 8
7
6 6
5 5
4
3 3
2 2
I 1
c d e tg
 The Taftasch Forhula

ca'svadatio|(7...0-08.8d3dxc49.Bxc4NdS)is s l the bost

in this.position.
Blackpmbablyavoldedit because
sventhoughhe
equality,he haslitUechanceto win.Buta drawis bettertian e

rspace-oainingmovowillbo badif Blackcaneversafelyplay...e6_e5,

Infio cunentpositlon
it is difficult
fof himto do so.
9.8h4Nh710.893
piecetradesInorderto kespBlackcrampeo.

lt.Bd3f5?
cBat9spermanent w€akn€sses in Black,spawnEtructure
on thedaft
€s, andalsomakes_lt vjrtualyimpossibto evgrto dgvelop
th€bishop
c8,lt'sfairto saythatBlackis positionally
lostafrBrthismove.
Nhf613.NgB Rfl l4.Nxe7+RxeT
ll lookssurp.ising.to
swapthebeautiful
knighton eS,butetimtnating
dark-squsred bishopincreases
White,s
advantage.
ReEl6.t4l
downon e5 permanen
y. Btack'soht.squarsd
Btshopts now
'lno

!417.Qf3b5 16.h3Ngf6 l9.O.OKh7 20.94

lsgoing.to breakthroughon the klngside.and th€reis nothinoBlack
aboutit.
{2'l.B\e4l
rightchoice.
Whtte'sbishophasretativety
tit e to do,buttheknighton
m become even.morepoworful.
Inaddltion,
therolativestrsngth-of
the
€-colorod bishopsnowstrongly
favorsWhite-- justco;pargttl€
ond6to theoneonc8.
22.Q93b4?
" mov-elhat only makesthingswolse.Blackis tryingto activato
.ofl,a6,buteven_ifhedoessoit willaccomplish
litile.Moanwhite,
knightcan reache5 via b1-d2-c4.

25'Rr:r
Nro26'rc4txs42?hre4b32E'a3
t{ds
;fr*lf-:i

65
r 'I he 'l anasch I'brnuta

31.Bxe7l
Againthe ight decision,preventingBlack'sknightfrorn reachinga bettef
square,and enteringa "goodknightvs. bad bishop"position.The knighton
e5 assislsthe kingsideattack,whilethe bishopon b7 is useless.

31...Rxe732.Rh2QeB33.Kf2Qd834.Rgl
Bl|l|qrng
up alllhereserves
belorelhe i vasron.

34...Qa535.Ke2
To sloo...Od 2 +.

35...8a6+36.Kdl Rg8 37.96+Kh8 38.Nfl+ Rxf/ 39.gxf/ g5 40.Rxh6+

Kg7,l1.Qxg5+ Kxf/ 42.Qxg8+1-0

(28)Vaganian- Palatnik[D121
Rostovon Don,1979

PrematureAttack

h thisduelWhite"foruets"to develophis Bishopon f4. Witholtthe s!pporl

of this piece, it is difficultfor White to expect lo make a slccessful
demonstralion of force on the queenside.White'shoops carry out their
rnaneuverssluggishly,as if slffering from a lack of motivation.BlaCkS
piecesmeanwhile showgreatenthusiasm for counterattack.

1.d4d5 2.c4 c6 3.Nf3NfG4.e3Bf5 5.cxd5cxd5 6.Nc3e6

AlreadyBlackcan be satisfiedwiththe resullof the opening.
 The Taftatch Formrla

6 8
7 7
6

4
3
2
1 1

Evoab an exc€8sof ambitontvithoutgnoughaccompanylng

t.Q!4 Bdo

I I
7 l,/&a 7

%. '"&
4 4
g
2 2
I
9%tr t

vallantcavalrycharg€,but in the gnd lt r,yillcost Whit€too much

was9...8x€510.dxe5 0"0,butthemovein lh€textis mor€

aM strcnger.lt looks at first like Btackhas tost a tempo,but
 TheTarraschFormula

actuallythe oppositeis lrue: the gain in time wi be on the Blackside.

Black'sBishopspendstwo tempiin orderto be developed at e7. However.
withthesesamelwo lempi Whitewi aimlesslyshift his Knightfrom c3 lo
b5 and thenbackto c3 shortlyafterward_ Blacktherebygainsan importanl
tempofor his development.

10.94Bg6

f9 h
I I
& ,,e.
'.&. I
7
* I %A I I 7
6
/2% %'ffi
'%t t
I %,,2 6
5 a '.&. 5

w ,,e.
72 %A 4
3
%.r&% '&,% 3
2 A % A F? 2
I
4 1
ab fg h

1 1 .h4
Tho woundedsoldiercan still run foMard a f€w stepson inertiawithout
fallang
down!Whit6's"attack'is comingto an end.

1 1 ...N c612.N x co
lf 12.h5then 12...Ndxes13.dxe' (13.hx96Nxg6-+)13...8e4+

12...bxc613.Nc3
We aheadywarnedthe rgaderthatsooneror laterit wouldb€ necessary
for
thisKnightto retEce his footstepsbackward.

1 3 ...h5
Thisis strong€rthan 13...8xh414.Oxc60-0?15.Rxh4.

68
 l he Tarrasch ].ormuta

l1.grh5
Afler14.95Qb6followedby ...0-0Blackhasthe advantage.

14,,,Rxh51s.Qxco Rc8'l6.QaG Bxh4

AllBlackspieces have taken up activepositions.BecauseWhite'smost
uEgnltaskcontinuesto be lhe development of his forces,Whiteis still in
lhe openingstage of lhe game. In conkast, Black's positionis fully
developed:he is feady for the middle game. and his task consistsol
concenkationand coordinationof his piecestowardthe enemys weak
points.

EE€
"t tallttL-
wlt Zt'.t'lL/,',
',llrt'lt 2z
7 ''///. '/t'
t "&/& '/,
Lz&, '/, ,/.& ,,/.2
'ru.^".,&
'&.g'tE
 The TarraschFormula

17.R91
Thethreatwas17.--Bxf2+
and 18...Rxh1.

17...8x12+l
Thetimehas comefor His Majestyto takea walx.

l8.Kxf2 Rh2+19.R92
lf'l9.Bg2 Qh4+20.Ke2Nb6 Blackretainshis activeRookon h2 for attack

19...Qh4+
20.Ke2

ab fsh
8 E/h 8
7
6
'''z%a%L"&
T.L'//zL 7

,/4.L'2 6
5
'"e, 7z 5

"ry V:"
'ffi 'K'
3
% Vz 3
2 8'&. '%&Vztr 2
1 A 1
ab rg n

20...Rxc31?
It asbetterfor this Rookto give his tifefor the Knighlon c3 thanto be tost
withcheckon c8.

2'l.bxc3Bh5+22.Kd3
Theonlymove.lf 22.Kd2lhen22...Rx92+
23.Bx92ef2+ 24.Kd3ee2#
22..,Qe4+23,Kd2R\92+ 21,Bxg2e\g2+

70
 The Ta aschFormula

t
%a%L'"m.
%z%L%
z.tZ
:. %t%
'"&" "::.L
%
/X% 72%
%
% " & " m%
L'% "& %v%

Og3+26.Ktl
Qf2+27.Kd3Oez#
ls 26.Kd2?

mov€a,but
nowhasa choicsamongsevolalrgasonable-looking
alllose.

Kgl Qg3+ 29.Kfl Nb6 30.Rxb6(30.Qxa7?Bh3+ 31.Ke2Qg2+

Qfl+ 33.Kd2Qf2+U.Kd3 Bft#) 30,,.axb6and Blackhasa d€cisivo
bishopposltion,e.g. 31.Qb5+Ke7 32.Ba3+
in the opposite-colored
gl.Ob2Bh3+ 34.K€2Qg2+ 35.Kel Qfl+ 36.Kd2Qf2+ 37.Kcl Oe1+
Bfs+39.Kb3Qdl+ 40.Kb4Qd341.Qb3Qa6lforc€smate.;
28...Qd1+29.Kf2Qc2+30.K93Qxb'l 31.Oc8+K€732.8a3+Kf6
Q€4+34.Ks3Oxe3+35.K92Nb6witha decisive for
advantage

Qf3+2E.KS1Qxe3+29.K92Olher moveslsad to immediate

. (29.Kh1?Bf3+ 30.Kh2 Qt2+ 31.Kh3 QS2+ 32.Kh4 QC4#)
30.K93Qxc3+3l.Kxg4 Nl6+ and againWhiteis getiingmat€d:
(32.Kh4 g5+ 33.Kxg5 Ne4+ 34.KhO Qe3+ 35.Kh7 Nf6+ 36.K97
37.Kh8 Qs'#) 32...Nh5+33.Ks4 (33.Ke5 Qg3#; 33.K95 Qg3+
Qh3+35.K95f6+ 36.Kt4St#) 33...093+34.Kxh5Qh3+ 35.KS5
Kf4(36.Ksd
016#)36...s5#l

28.8a3+Kf6 29.Oxd7Qf3+30.Kgl Bh3 3l'Qe7+ Kg6

nextmovewith ...Qg2#0-l

71
r
The ThrraschFornula

('19)Kaslarov(2838)- Ponomariov
(21171ICIOI
Linares.2002

StrugglingWith God

This game is Garry Kasparov'sfirct encounteracrossthe boardwith the

youngestFIDEWorldChampaon in chesshistory,Ruslanponomariov. The
playerof the Blackpiecesin this gamebaretyhadtime to try on his
chess
ffown beforefacinga stern test from a long-termfavoriteof the chess
GoddessCaissa.The sportingand psychotogical valueof this qamewould
be difiicultto overestimate.At stake were the ptayers'chimpionship
ambitionsandprestige,nol to mentionmoneyl
In this battleKasparovperformsas if he werea God descending from
^
Olyrnpus, condescendingto do batflewith a meremodal.He Drese;tshis
opponenlwith severeprobtemsfrom the oLtsetby significantiy rmprovin0
afi openingtanelhat had servedponomariovwell in the past.itre novet!
Kaspafovinlfoducesin this gamehas deeprootsthal go allthe waybackl;
Dr Taffaschs teaching:"lf one pieceis badlypleced;yourwholegameis
bad."The economywith which Kasparovappliesthis iimelesswisdomin
lhe followinggame is truly amazing.Afler suchan encounter,Ruslanhas
the dght to be called by a new name:/srae/,which in the Bible means
''Struggling wilh cod."

1.e4eO2.d4 d5 3.Nc3dxe44.Nxe4Nd7 5.Nf3Ngf6 6.Nxf6+Nxf67.ca

Kasparovhas found the mosl importanlmovein this situation.prolecting

the d-pawn and creatangin some cases an opportlnityto aciivatetn6
Queen along the a4-e8 diagonat.In addition.i.c3 offers ttre greatesi
amountof preparationfor meetingBlack.splan to disruptthe cenierwith

72
 The TarraschFormula

Elackdelaysthis advanceand insteadplays7...8e78.895c5 Ldxcs

+ 10.Rxd1BxcShecouldlosea wholetemDo.

lhis
a moveat thiseadystageto strsngthen
is iustilisdin spending
positionb€causehe will not go to battlealone.The weakened
a4-o8 "calls" thewhitepiecesfo|ward.
9.8b5Bd6t0.Og4l?
withthemovoc2-c3
veryactivemov€.Whito's'modest'beginnino
butWhiie'sadvantage
harmless, becomes moreunderslandable
in
htof Bleck'sreaclionwith 7...c5.Black'sproblemsnowstarlto increese.
flrstamongth€m is the futureofthe'bsd" Frenchbishopon c8.

then'l1.Bxd7BxdT12.8h6Qf6 l3.Bg5wilh a winningposition.

10...0-0,

L"%A:%L'M.L
% Tt%
g'&. ffi '"%
' % T" % V
%'&,%%
g"&, % "'&,t

is madeon the altarof Dr. Tarrasch's

Pawnsacrifice memory.By
the Bc8 off from tho game,and with him the BlackRooksas well,
significantly
decreasesthe genor.rl
forceof the enemy'sarmy.
tts purposeinvestinga Pawnis not much of a risk. To gain
on it is onlyn6c688ary for whit€ to makehis piecosactivemore
. This is the pointof his laEtmove.Exchanging piecesinsteadwith
+ BxdT12.Bxd7QxdTsolvesBlack'sproblems
and causesno
 The latasch Formltla

1t...Nxe5'l2.dxes
Bxes13.Bg5Bt6 14.Radl
Thewhitepiecesenterthebatflefightas if on a timetable_

14...Qc7
15.Qh4

[15.8xf6gxf6 16-Qh4Ke7givesthe btackKingmoreair.l

15...8x95,t6.Qxg5f6 i7.Oh596 1g.eh6+Kf/ t9.Rd3a6
Blackneedslo mobilizehis Bishop,and for this purposekies to decrease
White'scontroloverd7.

I
7 7
6 6
5 5
4
3 3
2 2
1 l

20.Rh3lQe7

21.Qxh7+
[20...4xb5? RxhT22.Rxh7+
Kg823 RxcT+-]
21-Sd3

now only teadsto equatily.

J21.Qxh7+ 21...Rxh7
22.Rxh7+
Kf8 23.Rxo7
KxeT24.8d3g5=l

21...t5
Thereasno otheranswerfor the thr€atof Bxg6+

22.911
An anspired
blow.Despiteappearances, thisp6wnmovedoesnol endanger
Whrtes King,but.doesenabtehis piecesto approachto lhe enemyXiigi
tstacKnas ptacedhis pawns on lighl squaresso as to reslaictWhite;s
brshop.butWhile nowstartsa campaignlo .teardownthe walls."
 The 'l'arraschFormula

zt...of6
23.Rh4lheexposedBd3againhasaccessto the g6-pawn'
P&st22...fxg4?
and22...Qd023.Rd1only invitesnew troublesfor Blackfrom th€ rook on
01.

23.Rdtb5
Tradingquoenswith 23...95 24.Qh5+Qs6 25.gxf5 exf5 26.Bc4+Kg7
27.Qxg6+leavesBlackwithouta goodwayto recapture:

A) 27...Kxg628.Rd6+Kq7 29.Re3and White'sactiverooksdominatethe

board.29...f4(to dovelopthe Bc8) (29...b5?allowsa typicalfinish with
jr'fe7+ KfE 31.Rf7+KeE 32.BdSPn6 33.RcZand Black is completely
paGlyzed.)30.Re5h6 31.Rxcs;

28.RxhEKxhS29.RdE+Kg730.8e6+-
B)27...hx96

24.B02e5 25.Rhd3
Whiterenewshis controlof the d-file

E %t-
,//2.
% %b%
I % %'rry,
,2 ffi.t
t.& '%u t'%
'/z
% %.
E% %
'&.''/Lg
..&
A '&
E%
26,Rd6
25...Ra7
inliltration
Gradual positionbegins.
intothe opponent's

27.Qe3Rc7 28.a41
26...Q97
A movecut fromthe sameclothas 22.941white continuesto find waysto
makehis Bishopactive.lf possiblehe wantsto aim it directlyat the enemy
Xing.

8...e4
when29.8c4+Ke730.Q95+mates.
Not28...bxa4?

'75
29.axb5axbs 30,Bxb5
While has restoredmaterialbalanceand continueshis attack ffee of
charge.

30...Qe53'l.Qg5Qe732.Qh6BeO33.Qf4BcB34,Qh6Be635.gxf5gxts

t35...8xf5allows36.8c4+l
36.Be2l
Whitecreepsup towad the opponent'sKingfrom the otherside.Nowit's
all over- Blackhas no goodway lo defend.Finallyit is clearwhy White
played92-94:withoutit the diagonalh5-e8would not be open.While's
Bishopperformedexceptionalservicethroughout
lhe struggle,whileBlack's
Bishopwasconfinedfor mostof lhe game.

'M&7/z.L
x.,ryL7,
7tlrx M
,./z'"7.t%
7L7/t
''/&t 72%
/& "29:&
H ,4.
/a l.rl

36...Qf6

37.KhldoesnothelpBlack.l
[36...R98+
37.8h5+Ke73E.Rre6+
Blackresigned.lf now 38...Qxe6then 39.Q97+Qn 4o.Qxfl#,or 38...Kxe6
40-Rd6+lKxd641.Qxf6+and42.Qxh8.A dazzlingand beautifulexampleof
the powerof tho TarraschFormula-{-0
 TheTarraschFomula

Palatnik
- Shusterman
lD76l
, 1973
Badto Worto
he followinggame Black'spieces becomeprcgressively mors
goes
us."Fi.sttheblackKnight astray,
thsn a Bishopalsosnds !p
latera Rooktakesup a clumsyposition andevsntually lhe
Whitedidnothesitate
is misDlaced.
himself a pieceto start
to sacdfice
reaction.
chain
Nf62"Nc3d5 3.cxd5 Nxd5 4.93 96 5.892 Nb6 8.Nf3 Bg7 7.d4 0'0
t{c69.d5Nas
voluntarily
deflectshisKnightontotheedgeof thechessboard in the
thatit willnotbe therefor a longtime.Whoin goodconscience can
a longabsence wofker
of a talented from of
execution hls otficial

%LryT
L'&, "
'ffi%
%^%.
%%%
ffi %a:&.
8'&, %.A'/&9

.al c6
is an attemDtto underminethe foundationof ths enemycenteaand to
theKnightto work
.Rotl?
offersas the basic line: LLEgE hO 12.8f4 cxds 13.exd5Nac4.
gains nothing from 11.dxc6 Nxc6 (ot 11...bxc6)with a very
gamefor Black.

t...cxd5
llo'sideain playing11.Rel was that in case of 11...h6128f4 he has
eda doveloping movewithlhe Rookon e1 freeot chargecomparedto
rccommendation.
theoretical

71
 The TarruschFormula

'l2.exd5eo
Blackis beatenwiththe enemycenteroukight.
The exchangeofthe Bishoptooksdangerous12...8xc313.bxc3

A) 13...Nxds14.BhG
Al) 14...Ro815.c4(t5.ed4 Nf6 16.e\d8 RxdS17.Rxe7)jS.JxcA .6.ed4..
A2) 14...Nxc315.Qc2;
B) 13...Oxd514.8h6
Qxdl 1s.RaxdlRe816.Rxe7!
13.895
Certainlyafter 13.dxe6Bxe6 any While advantagewi be out of ths
queston,and 13.d6Nac414.8f4Nxb2alsooff€rstitflepromise.

'13...f6l4.dxe6t?
Norv.lhisPawnwill.cod Blackdearly.The threalenedfork on e7 compels
Eracklo excnangethe eueens,whichaclivatesWhile,sotherRook.

14...Qxd1I S.Raxdlfxg5 16.Nb5

The Pawnon eOis like a bone in the throatof the trappedBishopon
cB.
Behindhis backthe Rookon a8 is alsochoking.

8
7
6
5
4
3
2
1

16...Bxe6
An understandable
reaclion:Blackseekslo freehis gamewithtactics.Aft6f
16..Nc6'l7.Nc7Rb818.Nxg5 pieceswoutdremainconfined.
Btack's
17.RxeO Bxb2
It makessensetor Blacklo take thrspawnratherlhan pfot€cthis doubled
pawnon 95. out now his dark .squaredBishophas no workfor
lhe restof
me game.
 .

'Ihc l arrssch l;ormuld

lE.Nxg5Rfs
Blackwasplayingfor thiscounlerblow.
At lirst glaceit appearsthat Whiteis
losinga piece becausenow bolh his Kniohtsafe simultaneously under
attack.

'l9.Nc7RcB
20.Nxa8Nxa8 21.Re8+Kf7 22.Rxa8Whitewins the
After19...Rx95
Exchange.

20. d5Rxgs
lf 20...Nxd52'l.Bxd5the Knighton gS is taboo(21...Rx95? 22.Rxg€+).
White'spieces are muchmofe acliveand centralized, and the'tidiculous"
However,as playedlhe Rookon 95
BlackKnighton a5 is still unemployed.
soonfindsilselfin a verv awkwardlocalion.

2l.Rxb6
winsbackthe sacrificedpiece.
White

21...axbo22-Ne7+Kl8 23.Nxc8
Whiteemergeswitha virtrlalexlra
Afleranexchanqeof tactical"courtesies"
pawnas wellas the betterposition.

23...b5
Bishop,and a clumsyRook,can
Witha Knighton the rim, an unemployed
Black's
Kingreallyhopeto survive?

Z.Rd8+Kf/ 25.Rd7+Kf6 26.8d5 Rfs 27.f4

'19
 The Thnasch lorml a

a 7t 72,
,.,,//2,
l./2,,L
.,/,
7t H,/r.
"//t '&,I
f f i t lt EA 't/.a,
,.:/.,1
,&
'//.,t
'r,,a..
t/.:/,a.t/.t.
"&.
8' & 7t
'/,
'/t

The Knighton a5 has nlotrejoinedthe struggle,the Bishopis idle,the Rook

is arestedon f5, andfinallythe btackKingis lhreatenedwilhmate.l-0

(21)Palatnik- Vasiukov[8091
Palrnade [,4allorca.
1989

The GreatWall of Pawns

The game below,like the previousone, fealurcsa policyof 'fencingin"

hostile minor pieces wilh pawns. Reskicting lhe enemy's mobilily
somettmesoccurswith a sanglepawn,whjle otherlimes more extensivi
measuresare required,but in all caseslhe goal is to compeltheoppo0enl!
pieces1o abandonactiveposilionsand set e clownin a "gypsycampfar
frcm urbannoise."Aftealhe enemyforceshavebeendrive; back.it isjhen
time to occupy and colonizethe hostileterritory.Such invasionsarc
perilous,and somelimesrequirehemicsacrificesin oaderto win the waa
Throughoutthe ballle lhe woundedand isolaledremnantsof lhe enemv
armyconlinuelo receiveDr,Tarrasch'sspeciallreatmenl.

1.d4dO2.e4NtO3.Nc3gO4.f4Bg7 5.Nf30.06.8d3Na6
Thiscavakyattackfromthe flankqivesWhitea chaficeto demonskate
hi!
advantage
in the center.

7.e51?
Marchirrq
forwardto the soundof drumsl

7...N94
Furtherprcvocation.

8.h3Nh6

80
 'Iha l arrurchl,itmuld

8 8
7 7
6 6
5 5
4 AA 4
3 aaa A3
2 AAA A 2
1 s gey g It 1

9.941?
for the srckpalienton h6 comesfrornthe prescriptioo
Suchmedicirre rnade
byDr.Tarrasch

9...c510.d5Nc7l1.Bc4Kh8
Preventivemainlenance. Blackremoveshis Kingfrom the a2-98diagonal
in casehe has to move his f-pawn,and also makesroomto withdrawhis
unhappy knighlfromh6 backto has'childhood home"on98.

t2.0.0

8 8
7 7
6 6
5 5

3 3
2 2
I 1

It mayseem unsafefor White to castle kangsadeafler movingso many

pawnsforward,but pawn cover for the King is not necessarybecause

8l
 l he Tarraschlbrmula

Black'spieces have been driven so far back by the advancingWhite

pawns.White'sKingcan safetywatchthe batfleuniotdfromafar.

l2...bO13.a4a6 l4.Rbl Bd7 15.ee2Oe8

While hasstakedout a lot of space.His problemnowis whetheror nothe
|s readyto meelBlack'sreclamalioneffort.

r6.b4b5

I ./tvry I

2 'ffiL.*tL& I 7
I 7.t'/*8/N'
'ry 7.,1r.,t
A
2.L 7,/2,5
A '&97 'B.a7r, 4
3
ffi L:t:67t2
A
2
? B7/zV''//;;
H .6
+
Fr .6\
I)af

17.bxc5l
Sacrificinga pieceto keep Blacktied up |s necessaryif Whitewantslo
contrnue his ptan.Worsewouldbe 17.9a2?c4 and Whites Bishopis
imprisoned.

17...bxc4
18.c6Bc8t9.exc4
For the sacrificedpiece White has two pawns plus a huge spac€
advantage.
The "GreatWa[' of Whitepawnsreslrains€nemyagg;essi;n.

82
 I hc'l ut"ratch l.brnuta

I ErtET,V
/&_ '.re.
I
7
',/,,. I 7
6 T,./'8,L. //tI 6
^
5 ?t '//.r,A7&tt 5

L/.aw/'/.& A
3
'/ , f f i 7 aZ 3
2 2 8".//,.,2 2
1 F? l

19...Qd8
20.8e3e6
that Whitestopsdeadin itstracks.
Anattempted'lailbreak"

2l,exd6
Qxd6
exds23.Qxds,
22.Nxd5
21...Nxds or 21...exds
22.dxc7

22.8c5exd5
Whitecouldplay23.d6.
|f22...Qd8

dxc4
23.Bxd6

8 L7z'%t,& a
H
,'
7
ffi '2 I 7
6 I 71./..
L'& ,/,I A 6
5
7 7 7Zt'a& 5

Av
A 7,,L"//t ,ry
3
ffi. 2a A 3
2
7tA/t 7z 2
1 E z ,/ H.

24.Ne5!Ne825.Bxf8Bxt8
Whilerestoresnominalmaterialequality,with Rookand Pawnaoainstt\ivo
 'fhe 'lbrrasch Fotmuld

minorpieces.However,Blacksminorpiecesare nol well placed,thus

conrrrmrng
lhe correctness
of Wh e s strategyas measured
by ihe Tarrasch
Form!la.

26.Nd7BxdT27.cxd7N97 28.Rfdl Ne629.Kf2l

The Kingassumesan activerole.In termsof attackingpower,the malerial
Datancenowis Pawn,Rookand Kingagainsttwo mino;pieces.

29...Rd830.Kf3Kg7 3t.Ne4f5

rgn
8 a
7
2 t 2 '& I 7
6 7' 7tA7'L A 6
5
V./t,",/t,t'llz,5
4
7tl7.ta:/&.L t 43
3
7t 7/r.&'///,A
2
1
7'^7r,7,, : 2
H.//H
Et tl 1

32.Nd6t
Givesbacklhe Pawnd7 bul forcesa tmnsitionto an endingwhercWhile,s
Rookwillbe muchskongerthan lhe Blackmrnorpteces.
32...Nc5
Notthe immediate32...Rxd7?
becauseofthe repty33.Nxf5+.
33.Nb7RxdT34.Nxc5Rxd,i 35.Rxdl Bxcs 36.RdZ+Nfl

84
 The Tormsch Formula

I I
7 7

Lv%zt
A I
2 A 2
1 1
aDcdafgh

Bdo38.Rxc4 85 39.Rc6Bs740.Ro6Bb44l.RcCNdO
6tlllhassnouohPawnsto rgmlndBlsck'splecesabout'12.c3
theirformer
'b6hlndthe f€ncE.'
ilil,Rr8 c4 4,t.Re7+Kg8
rblack Klng ha8 retr€atedto the 8th rank,whileth6 'homeless'
g 0t hlsBlshopandKnlghtcontlnues.

abodef0h
8 I
7 I 7

%%. l
5
% ,&,
I %
A a ZI
3
% % € A
2
'|
%% %
1

ngenotherweakness
in Blsck'scamp.
46.Ke2Bf8
.Bd6then47.Rd7lCthreatens
Kd3)47...8xt4(47...8f848.RdS
and
,t6.Rd4+-

af
 The :tarrasch I'brwtla

47.Rb7l? BdO 48.Rb5 Bxf4

.b
7t'/,//t
f./.. 7, I
'/, '/t
'///r.
E//L. '::/L '/t
./ta'../lte '/./.,,

'&, '///: A ///,

'ltez 'a/..t
"/',...
l:',/.,:. /./:.

49.Rc5l
Wirning the as-pawn creales a distant passed pawn, and is mole
important
for Whitethan49.Rxfs.

49... e5 50.Rxa5Kg7 51.Rbst?

PreventingBlacks piecesfrontapproachingthe a_pawn.
NolicehowWhite
failhfully
employs
theTarrasch Fofmulain a stagesofthegame.
51...89352.a5f4 53.a6f3+ 54.Kfl Kf6 55.Rxest
Remember howthis Knighlwas originallya'hermit"on h6? His lifehas
beenlull ol persecution,
but linaltyhe perishesin the verycenlefol the
boardlThe tocusot this gamewas the eflectiveness of Whitespewns
whichbringsto mindthe greai Frcnchchessplayerphilidor,steachi;gthai
pawnsare the "soul of chess.' philidorwould cedainlyhave been ver)
pleasedwiththisgame.1-0

(22)Reshevsky- Vaganian[C05]
Skopie.1976

Survival
Instinct

Io. inll9du99th€ nextgamewe passatonga true storytotd by Docto

l"lr$l'1, !-l.glormerly
Admial Nakhimov
workedas shipsdocroron the passengertrne
and hts otfice was in lhe lowermost comoartmentsof
lhc ship. While the ship was in port at Sochr.the A(tmircl Nakhimovlook on
board several new passengers,including a man with a faacturedleq Who

86
 The Thndsch Formuh

lmmodiately requiredDr. Petrukhin'shelp.The doctorspontover an hour

t€ating the patient, duringwhichtimo the ship set sail for the high seas
Slddonlythe patient demandod to be teken out of the doclois
@mparlmenl onto the open deck for fresh eir, even thoughthe doctofs
t€atmentwas not finished. The patient could make no reasonable
orplanalion for his request,but was neveriheless very insistentuponil, so
withgreetdifficultyOr.Petrukhinaccompanied to the top deck.In doing
him
sobolhmensavedtheirlivos,beceuseonlya tsw minuteslatertheAdmla,
collidedwithanothervessel,receivinga breachin the hulloverI
lvekh,ifiov
m6t6rs wide.The Admfal Nakh,imov qulcklysankto the bottomof the sea,
killinooverone hundredpersonstrsppedinside.

Thg passengorwith the brokon leg evidentlypossessedan increased

survivalinslincl.Becauseof his iniury,everypossiblessfetysystemin his
bodywas in a stateof increasedreadinoss.Consequently, he sensedthe
dangef ahead oftime,and by being on lho topdeck he andthe docto.were
ableto savetheirlivesby abandoning lh€ sinkingship.

Comingbackto chess(and you probsbly,alroadyhave guessedthat the

ruthorse6sit as a metaphorof life),thereis a parallelbetweenthis slory
lnd the eventsof the followinggame.Black'sBishopon c8 in the French
Oefense is likethe passenger to
witha brokenleg.However,it is necessary
trus1his instinctfor and
self-preservation. it can be very useful
sometimes
lo bringhim out intothe open- escorted,of course,by Dr' Tarrasch

l.o4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nd2Nf6 4.e5 NfdT5.f4 c5 6.c3 Nc6 7.Ndf3Qa5 8.Kf2

Be79.8d3Ob6 10.Nez
ClearlyBlack'sBishopon c8 in this positionhasa "brokenleg"andit is very
to not hearhis urgentrequeslfot freshair.
difficult

I t./&
L'/za:&Lnt
E'/.*,L''&,
ar:
'"&_ VZz
,&,
VZ
"&,9t6/t
L'&, 26'. .A
w7 %s

87
 The'lArraschborthula

10...f6!?
1l.exf6Bxf6
Blacktakesthe firststepson the Bishop'sdifficuttpathtoward,,f.eshair.,

l2.Kg3 cxd4 l3.cxd4 0-0

Not13...Nxd4? 14.Nexd4 exd4 .16.Bg6+t
Bxd415.Nxd4 hxg6and17.exd4
14.Rel
Whatcan be is more naturalthanto put your Rookon an openfile?Butif
Whitehadanticipatedthe comingslorm,he wolld havepGferred14.Rf1

abcdel
a '2 rye 8
7
A2 '& 7
6
7tL'&7//.2 6
5 t'/l//,,: 5
4 '/&. ',9,
3 gTtar&, 3
2 t/.2,24\//:,2
L 2
l
WH. 'ta,t/,a
1

14...e511
The stormhits,bringingwithit a lot of freshseaatrl
'l5.fxe5Ndxe5
Now tho way from the top deckis opena the way downto th€ Captain,
0noge_

16.dxe5

88
 The Tarnsch Fomula

abcd€f

L%
%
A%
,%t
%%%
% %e%6:#
n'& %6:%L

Bh4+l
moveis likebeinghil witha torpedo,afterwhichth6 Whiteshipcannot
n afloatforlong,
,Kxh4
17,Nxh4?
Qf2#

t% % '&t
rya% '%2,,%
%L.ffi,%
%%%z n
% %e%6%
8,&. %6%8

gxplosion afrerwhichfagedyfollows.
amidship,

89
 The Tatasch Fottnula

18.Rtl
Or 16.gxf3Qf2+:

Al1gKg5 h6+ 20.Kf4(20.K96NxeS+21.Kh, Qxh2#:2o.Kh5Qxh2+

21.K96NxeS#)20...95#i
B) 19.No3
Qxh2+20.K95Qh6#

lE...Ob4+l?
Thisis moreprecisethan 18...Qd8+.

'lg.BtilOe7+20.895 Qo621.8t5

21.oxf3Qh3#;2'l.Rxf3Qg4#
zLbg Qxh3+22.gxh3Rxh3#
Thesevariations
showthatthe Bc8hasreachedfull power.

21...Rxfs
tf 21...Qxfs?22.Qxd5+Be623.Qxf3.

22.Nt4Oxo523.Q94Rfl
In additionto all his otherpluses,Blacknowhasa materialadvantraqe.

I t L% ,&, c I7
7 I %z %.r I
%A% %'ru6
'%tNI'ffi 5
4
% % g
% % %
I
A m %%t%rA 1
24.Qh5Ne725.94Ng6+26.K93
lf 26.Nxg6?Qxh2#

26...8d7
The Bishop'sl€gs are heal€d,and he can evenwalk nowl BravoDoctot
Tarrasch!

90
 The Tarraschl-ormula

?.Rael QdO2E.BhORafE

L,/t,/lx I
,/y /a
%L % % W
%%f f i ^ %
%%%'ffi"
^ ru%%
Anlmpoalantconclusion can b6 made6fterthisgame:You canconsciously
go intoa positionwith a "pati€nl"who is sick accordingto O.. Tarasch's
Fornulaifyou know(or €l leastfeel)that it is possibloto curc him. (Fl

9l
 The TarraschFormula

Exercise9

8 a
7
%%"& 7
6
%.',2
.,4 "2% 6
5
% 5
4
%. ffi'2 4
3
%."&. %. 3
2
1
2%% 2
l

a b c d s fg h
Neistadt,1929

1.Kd1 Bd2 11...8b22.Nc2+;1...8a32.Nc2+Kd3 3.Nxa3l2.Nc6lKdl

3.No5+Kc3 [3...Ke34.Nc4+]4.Nf3+1.0

Exercise10
abcdsfgh
I I
7
727% 7
6
%e//12% 6
5
%%% 5
4
% % ',4,
3
%%72 3
2
%6% "&.e 2
1 1
a b c d s fg h

Reti,1922

1.Nd4+Kc5 [1...Kb72.Kxh2Ka6 3.Nb3+-]2.Kh t Kd6 [2...Kc4 3.a6i

2...8f83.Ne6+;2...8973.Ne6+;2...8953.Ne6+;2...Bf43.Ne6+;2...8d2
3.Nb3+t 2...Bcl3.Nb3+l3.Nf5+
l-0

92
 The Taftosch Formulo

m%%
%,%%
*****.*

'*K**
Rink,1935
.[1.N06?
Bes=ll.,.Bal 2.Kb1Bg7 l2...AU 3.Nd6+KxcT4.Nb5+;
3,Nd6+KxcT4.Nb5+:2...8fti3.Nd6+KxcT4.Ne8+l3, d6+ KxcT
Xd75.Nxg7+-1.0

%
%% %
% ru %
%% 6%e
% % %
%% %
%.t
Yunkson,
1937
Kell 2.8c3+l [2.Nxh1?Kf1 3.K93 K91=] 2...K112
3.tld1+ Kg2
Kf35,Kh3Bg2+ 6.Kxh2+- l-0

93
 The Taftasch Formula -

Exercise13

8 I
7
%%.%
,&. 7
6 "z % 6
5
'/ z % % % 5

e %'ffi %
3 '.*-L'&',/2,% 3

% % "rb. 2
1 1
EI DCd€t gh

Gavashi,
1922
'l.Nb5+Kb22.Nxa3lBxa33.Nb4l+-1.0

Exercisel4
ab tsh
E,/ € I

2 7i,'72'vL, 7

/zu/z rlz 6

'e
7t /,/, 'i/// 4

7zl 7:l %
%% %
 'lhe Tarrasch l''ornula

15
Exercise
rsn
I 8
7 7
6
@6
5 u 5
4
3 3
2 2
l l
ab c d e fg h

KenigandMandler,
1924

1.Bfl896l 2.Ba2l[2.8b3?Bxhs3.Nf5+Kg64.8c2Bdl l=]2...Bxh53.Nf5+

KgO4.Bb'lBf3[4...8e2 4 Bd15.Ne3+]
5.Nd4+; 5.Nd4+1-0

Erercise
16

8 8
7 7
6 6
5 5
4 4
3 3
2 2
l
abcdeigh

Btaty,1890

1.Kd'l
Bb22.Ke1Bcl 3-Kfl Bd24.K92Be15.K91!Bd2[5...8f2+
6.Kf1+-]
6.KflBci 7.Ke'lBb28.Kdl Bal g.Kcl Bb2+lo.Kbl+- 1-0

95
tI -
'l he Tarrasch l.brnula

ChapterThree
OppositeColor Bishops
ln the endgamethe presenceof oppos
;..-,""",H:"":i',T,iiH::,
iXl":g:;i.":*;::"n*";
e
:ffi:;;
;{fr
f;5*:i111i;,i*k1d
""5#L'i'
#jjflil,::'i#il'''l'.ffi
5l"i*"1",,ffi
ililq,l^
*tl*,;r-r
flil[;ilt;igili,i'"#*iff
ld;*'ll"*
;$;,*;i';::i:tti+f;r,r""r:ru*
&Hisler
- rarrasch
[c67]
[',?J".orilJiif;rt""
"o.E .D."

H:fl ,ffffi:lilt
H1J;ffi
ilr:+ri:,:I^iliii!::iH:ri";r":i:,?f
;ilT:ffi
:::,'ff i"#::llt","J":1H,"*:'"',1",n
:.:o_"j-1.{r !:g.1 "os Nf64.0_o
Nxe45.d4Be76.dxes
#;il?::,'Jj,Ji[,ff:lll
;i$Jl?l"l;ff
i,J;;ff[:ii:l,t""J'
-'
6...d57.c3
Dr Tarraschsays that thts is a weak
mor thalit wouldhavebeen
bener
forwhrteio conli,r"," ol""iip riii
Jii€nd
 '1ht tdrro.tch t.om ht

7...0-0
Elackhas overcornethe opening difficufiiesand has reached a qame with
rch perspectiveHis central pawn occupies a more profilablepositionthafl
lheeremy pawn Besides that he says, 'White does nol even rnake a hifit
aboutan attack ll is hard to disaqreewith his assessme|tl

H 6 Ull/ E@
rll 3.rr r
A
.e, I A
A
A a
AA AAA
tra.e"g H&
8.Bxc6?
Thisis a weakrnovebecausewhitekades a piecethat is veryirnportant to
gLardwhrtesqLares. but Dr Ta a\.h saidthdla othprrnovp\ot Whrtedo
nolseernqood either, and continuedirr his irrirnitabte style ',ln a bad
oo\ilioall ol the Inove5scem ba(t.'Thrsstaternet rs Lpdainlytrue t
general,but not all afialystswouldconsrderthat the positionbeforetakino
on16lobe lhatbadtorwhrtpButweshouldrernpmber hrsro Llusrothai
Ina badposition allmovesDO seembadl

8...bxc6
9.Nd48d710.f3Nc511.Qe2 NeG12.Nxe6?
0r Tarraschstatesthat this was a decisivemistake.Untitthis moment
whlestillhad hopesof realazirrg
his pawnadvantaqeon the Krngside.But
nowhispossibililies
equalzero

12...fxe6
Black hasa qoodgame He has two bishops,openfilesfor his rooks,and
pawnadvantaoeon the queensideAfter this rnove,Tarraschshow the
spectators that if white will play now or later,f3 f4, thefl he will receive
checkmate on q2l His prophecycarne true, but only after another47
moves. Lookingat the positionon the diaqram,especiallyconsiderinq the
rnood of the bishopon d7, yo! can wonderoboutthe deeDunderstandino
lfdl tarrds'h lo predrctsouhullusudt possrbrtiLres
ol a brshopso lencedi;
ond7

97
 abcd€tgh
8 I ,,&.L 7Xt I
7
,*

,%t%z
'&. "'eI 7
6
t%
'"&,
5
% %t % 5

.,e,
%.. % 72,
%'e %%^ %
ZI 9t'/%a:
I
e
aru %8','.&
b c d €l g--I-
l

13.t4?
Theconsequences
of thls mov6pfovideus withan instruc0v€
situation.
l3...c5l,a.Bo3
Rb6
Theblshoptsgettingrcadyto showhtsteeth.
l5.Qd2Bbsl6.RdlBc6
Already.
evenln thesgcloudyclrcumetiances.
we are ableto envislon
thehodzonI checkmateon02.
l7.Na3Qe81E.R8btRd6tg.Rbcl
Or 19.Nc2
d420.cxd4
cxd42,t.Bxd4
Bo4witheg6 andcSto follow.
1E...dl20.c',d4cxd421.8n
Whit6cannotcapture thepawnond4 because
of 2i.Ba4followod
byc5,
2,1
'B* ZLR'1 c5 23.NG4
Bc62it.Nd6

98
 The TdrraschFormula

vlx.,m
'm c 0
7
% 7

%LffiL%
,& 'ffi" 6
5
"'&.,& %
% 4

% % %
2
I
rurffi m A
I

pass€dpawn and posslbllltyof an attrackpermttthis

!€crlflc€.

Bxd626.B93
notb€ reasonable
for whit€to protecthimselfwlth26.93becaus€
F-ds-andmaybeg2l
2f .bl
fries to pr€ventblackfrom playtng...h5-h4by ptayingh3-h4
BlackwouldreplywithQgOandaft€.threat€nlng checkmateon 92
th€pawnon f4 withoutDunlchment.
2E.bxcs
Bc729.Bxh4BI'4 30.Oxd,tOhst3l.Bg3 Bxcl 32.Rrcl
w0n Whit6will be undgrtheihr€atof ch€ckmst€on 92,whlchwas
20movesoadler.

99
r
The TarraschFormula

L,
EI
At
g
gA
&,
A

33.8f2Oxa2
ln trulh Blackhas not achievedverymuch,bul it is gnough.On ongflankh6
nas an anacKwtmthe threatof checkmate, and on the oth€rflankhe hasa
passedpawn.T_hisis the kind of positionwherehavingopposito
color€,
brsnopscanDettkean oxtrapiecefor the playerwhohasthe initiative.

34.O03
[34.Ra1Qc2 Whitecannottakethe a pawn.]
34...a535.Rel RfO36.Re2ed5 3Z.Bg3a/r38.Rd2Oc4 39.h3
While cannot immediatelyptay Rd8+ becauseol 39...K? 40.h3 which
wou|oDelo owedby 40...ef1+and eg2#t In caseof 40.Rd1blackwould
conllnue40...Qc241.Qd2Oxcs+winning the c pawn,or 40...a3andwhit€
cannorcapturethis Dawnbecauseof oe2

39...Qc1+
40.Kh2Bd5
Blackwas underthe threatof tosinghis queenaft€rRd8discovered
check.
4l.Be5RgG
ThfeatensRg2+.

42.Qd3Rs5 tr3.Rc2Obt
A repetilionof th6 samethreat.

/r4.Bg3Rf5
TheJnove-44...a3woutd be prematurcbecauseit woutdbe foltowedby
45.c6Bxc646.Qd8+foltowodby Rxc6.

45.Rc3
lf insteadof Rc3whiteptayodc6 he wouldsimplytosethe Dawn.

100
 The 'l arrasch l.brmula

15..,Qall46.c6
Themove46.Ra3wouldleadto an immediate
lossbecauseof 46...eb2.
16...Rf1
47.8h4
Th€bishopcannotmove back to d6 becauseBlackcouldptay 47...ee1,
withcheckmateon hl to follow.

47,,.Rh1+ 4E.Kg3Rdl
Blackcolld not play 48...Q91becausewhitewill push his c pawnand his
klngwillescapevia f4 and e5.

19.0e3Rel 50.Qd3Qb2
Nowthethreatis 51...Qx92+
followedby Re4+.

5l.Rc2
Itwolldnot be correctto playQc2 becauseof Re3+.

5'1...Q05+
52.Kf2Rbl
Withthe threatof 53...Qe'l#tf whitewi protecthimselfby ptayingRe2 or
0e2,lhen Qf4+ will foltowing,winningthe que€n.lf S3.eo3bla;k would
EwerwithQfs+,winningtho rcok.

53.0d2Qe4
Thereis a threatof checkmatsin thrce moveswith the hetpof checkson
92,e4andf3.
g,Kg3Rb3+55.Kh2
ll Whitechoosesto protecthimselfwiththe rook,he wi loseit afterees+.

55...qxh4
Finally
the oppositecolorbishopis the ontybishop.

56.c7
Qg3+57.K91Rbl+ 58.Rct Rxcl+ sg.excl exg2#
Quod:rctclemonslrcncluml (Justwhat we n€ededto prove.)This game,
sspecially
in the secondhalf, is rich with interesting
variations.
The mating
hreaton 92 wasa motifthroughout the game.White'sfatewas seatedafter
heDlayed 13.f4?.

l0l
 The :tarrasch l,brmtla

(24)Rubinstein
- spietman[D30]
Zemmering,
1926

Infiltration

'1.c4c6 2.d4 d5 3.e3 NfO4.t{f3 e6 5.Nbd296 6.b3 eas Z.Be2Bg7 8.G0

0-09.Qc2NbdT10.8b2Rd811.a3NeB
Blackcannotactivatehis tight-squaredBishopwith 11...cSbecauseafror
12.b4cxb4 13.axb4Qxb4 14.c5the BlackQueenwi be traDDed withRlbl
or Bc3.

12.Rfc1Qc7'13.b4Nb6 14.a4Nxc4 15.Nxc4dxc4 i6,exc4 Bdz

Blacktriesin vainto improvethe positionof his light-squared
Bishop.

a D c d e tg i

l7.NesRac8l8.b5
Whitedevelopsa Queensideinitialive.He'sreadyto giveBtackan isotat€d,
weakPawnon c6. Blackhad no choicebutlo defendpassively.

18...Nd6 l9.Qb3Be8
BecauseBlackcan't find an open road for lhis piece,he parksit on eg
simplyto get it out of the way.

20.Rc2
poweralongthe c-file.
Increasirrg

20...Nf5
21.bxc6bxc622.Rac1Ne?23.8t3Rb824.ea2
 The Taftasch Form la

ry,
%L%
%

maximizeshispressure,creatino
a weakness on c6 andattackinoit.
nowexchanges his dark-squarodBishopfor ths Knighton eS-in
to decreaseWhite'sattackagainstc6, but thtsin turn createsa
weaknessonthedarksquares.
Bxes25.dxe5Nd526,Bxd5l
sobedyexchanoes his Bishopfor theKnightwhichwasBlack'sbest
€tadpiec€.Thsnksto the Bishops of opposite
colors,Whitewillbe abte
oxploit
theweaksquares on the Kingside.
White'sdark-squgred Bishop
beverybusy,whileBlack'sBishopr€mains idl6one8.
Rxd5
is 26...exd5,afterwhichWhitocoutdbringhis euoen to d4 and
a breaklhrough with e5-s6. He could even play 27.e6l?
[y becauseafter27...fx€6
comes28.f4withthethroatBeS.Black
.navo an pawn,
extr€t but the Exposed
wgakdad(squaresprovide
lnanenough compensation.

.Brl4Qas28.h3Qa6
t€ttofdefense
was28...c5.However
after2g.RxcsRxcs30.Rxc5
exa4
l.Qxa4Bxa432.Ra5intending
Ra7rcach€sa position
whereBtackhas
€ chancesto losethen to draw. He a Pawndown,and with Rookson
board.Black'sKingremainsveryvulnerable.

Rc4 h5 30.Qa3 Rb7 3,1.e4RdE 32.Oc3 RbdZ 33.ee3 Kh7 34.Bc5

l+ 35.Kh2

103
 The Taftasch lbnfiltla

o
7t 7tL7'
7zL7.z I %t 7z
& ,.&' 7tI
"/.tH ./.aA 7r, 7z
7t w 7 A
'/,//tz,7, '&n
'H,Z
35...Rxc1?
This movelosesimmediately, but eventhe bettermove35.._Kg7do€snol
prevent Black from losing. For example: 36.Rxd1Rxdl 37.Rd40f1
38.Rxd1Qxdl 39.Q95Qd740.Qf6+Kg841.8e3Kh742.h4withthethresl
of Bh6.
36.BfE1-0
Blackresigns-Whitewas ableto dominatethe Blacksquareswithonlyt{0
pieces,and eventhcughBlackalso had two piecesth€y worefunctionall
oul of the game.

(25)Palatnik- David[D851
Gradets-Kralove,'1988

Morc InfiltIation
This game follows the same path as the previousexamplebelwgon
Rubinstein and Spielman.The pawnstructufein bolhgamesis similargvon
tho!gh it afosefromdifterentopenings.Thereis alsoconsiderable
similadl
ifl the way Whiteusesopposite-colored Bishopsin bothgamesto fuelhh
attack.However,the gamebelowconcludesnot in a kingsideattackbulin
the creationand useof a passeda-pawn.
1.Nf3NfO2.c4 96 3.Nc3d5 4.d4 Bg7 5.cxd5Nxds 6.e4Nxc37,bxc3c5
8.8b5+Nc69.0-0cxd410.cxd40.0 11.8€3Bg4
Blackis makinga maximumeffortin his struggleagainstthe Whitecentor.
12.Bxc6bxc6t3.Rcl
DespiteBlack'sweak pawnon c6, it is not possiblefor Whiteto obtain
8
seriousadvantageas long as Blackcan keep makingthreatsagainsth0
WhiteDawnon d4.
 !

'lh( ldftasch I'brn ld

13...Qa5
14.h3Bxf3 15.Qxf3Bxd4 '16.RfdleS (16...c5?17 RxcS)
0r 13...Qd7
17Bh6!

14.0e2 RfdS
interestingis .j4...ebs 1Sexbs
ThisleadsBlack ilrlo diffic!lties.I\,4ore
(15.Rc4? Be6 16.Rc2Qxe217.Rxe2 Bc4)15...cxb5 16.Rc7Bxf3t7.gxf3
e 6 1 8R f c 1r .

l5.Rc5 Oa416.Qc4Orc4 17.Rxc4RabS18.h3Bdz

Nowit is not difficultto recognizethis Bishopas a patientof Dr.Tarrasch!
Thealternative 18...8xf319.gxf3leavesthe c6-pawnlo its doorn.and if
18...8e6Whiteanswers 19.Ra4.

lg.RfclRb720.NestBxeS
Thisexchanqe
is forcedif Blackwantsto keephis c-pawfl.

2l,dxes
h522.Ra4Ra823.Ra6Rb5
Black has no patiencewrlh passrve"trench,,defense,so he
Evidently
onthisRooksortiewiththe goalof simptifyiflg
d6cided the position.
24.Rxa7RxaT25.BxaZRxes
0r 25...Ra526.8c5 Kf8 (26...Rxa2?t27 BxeT onty hetps White creale
ktsidethrealso thedarksquares) 27.a3t

26,Rd1tt
Whilecontinuesto focus his attentionon makingslre Black,sBishopis
placed
badly

8
1
6
5

3
2
1
 TheTanaschFormula

26...BeE
The onlymove.Instsad26...8e6?
losesafter27.RdE+
K 7 2g.Bd4
29.Rh8#.
27.RdEKt82E.Be3l? fo
Blacklosesa pleceafrer28...Rxe4?
2g.Bh6+
Kg83o.Rxeg+.

abcd€tgh
I
XLffi. I
7
/ L '"K,% 7
6
%t% I
5
%m %I 5
% % 8 % 7,,
3
%& , %el
I
A % %'"&al 2
1

29.R.61
MostimFrtantforWhit€nowis to assuretheadvance
of hisa-oawn.
29...c530.a,1Kf,31.a5c4 32.a6Ras33.a7
Thlsfootsolderis readyto try onGeneral's
stars.
33...8c634.RcE
Bxe435.Rxc4
Ads 36.Rc7Ko637.8c506
Not37...Kd8?3E.Bb6l+-
3E.BoZRal+ 39,Kh2 Ra2 ,to,Kgl Ral+ ifi.Kh2 R82 ,#I.Bcs
43,Re7+ Kd8
,{4.Rb7+l
After43...Kt8 RxcS45.a8e+is concrusrve.
il4.Rx.6l1.0
lf nox/.14,,,Rxc5
then45.Rd6+Ke746.Rxd5wtthwinningposition,
46...Rc847.RasRa848.K93€tc.
 The Taftasch lbrmula

(26)Kaidanov- Palatnik[A861
Asheville.
1995

Dllferent
Colo., DifferentPower

Ld4t52.93Nt6 3.c/rgO4.892 Bg7 5.Nh3

White
makesthis movewith a new strategicideain mind.The usualmove
is5.Nf3.

6.Nf4d6 7.d5 cO8.Nc3e5 9.dxe6Oe7

5,..0.0
ItnowWhiteplays10.0-0BxeO11.Nxe6Qxe6he can reacha we known
position.
However,herois whereWhiteinhoduc€shis new idea.

E L % ,& f
,*,
I % 'Nt.
,47z L'ry,
L'ffiI
% %t %
'ffi,
A%. ./&
%,ffi
vt'&. % ar
A ,,&w %A.&,
%
t0.h4t?
Thismoveis not consistentwith castlingshort.lt is now ctearthat White
plans
t0 openthe h-file and createsometargetson the Kingsidefor the f4-
Xnight.Becaussthis plan requiresseveraltempi Whitemust be r€adyto
matedalin orderto carryoul his idea,becauseotherwiseit wiltbe
!€crifice
for himto finishhis developmenl.
wrydifficull

l0,..Bxe61t.h5
ll doesnlmakesensefor Whiteto losetime defendingthe c-pawn, so he
Foc€eds withhis Kingsideattack.

it...BJl
Slack savesthe Bishopand uses it for proteclionof the g6-square.Often
his Bishopis exchangedin the Leningradsystom,but by retainingit Black
isablelo keeppressureon the c4 pawn.Forthe momentWhiteignoresthis
because he is readylo sac.ificelhe c-pawnto pursuehis attack.
 7he Tarraschliormula

12.hxg6
This confirmsthat White'sidea is lo open the h fite. 12.h6?wouldhave
been a mistakebecauseit would have ended White'sinitiativeon he
Kingside,and in the endgamethis pawnwouldhavebeena tastytargelon
h6.

12...hxgO13.8e3NbdT14.8d4
Becausethe Knighton f4 blocksthe c1-h6 c,iagonal, it makessensefor
Whiteto activatehis dark squaredbishopon the longdiagonalinslead.

a b c d e fg h

r4...Rfd8?
Aratural lookingmove-il bringsthe Rookto a cenlralfile direc y opposile
White'sQueen,and also opensroomfor lhe BlackKing.Howeier:ll isa
mistake!Betterwould have been 14...Nb6wilh attacaon the c4 pawn,
wnichwouldhave put White on the defensiveanclcalledinlo questi;nhis
wholestrategy.

15.Qc2Nb616.0-0-01
White conlinuesin gambit style in ofder lo maintainhis initiative.For
example,in replyto 16...Nxc4Whilewouldptay17.e4tafterwhichthe opon
filesand diagonalswillbecomehighwaysto the BlackKifiq.
 'l he Tarraschl,ornula

ab c d e fg h
I E g a
7 L7t 'NL
,ffiL/&,.,ffiL 7
6 I 6
5
7t %t 7t 5
7,//,
A' ffi
3 AA. 3
2 A AE AAg 2

abcdsfoh
EE 1

16...d5r?
Thismoveis designedto preventWhitefrom playinge3-e4, but on d5 the
pawnwillbe in dangertin fact, Whitecan win the d-pawn.However,doing
E0willgive
Elackcounterptay in an opposite-colorBishopDosition.
l7.cxd5NbxdS18.Nfxd5cxd5 t9.Bxf6?
Whiteis not faithfulto his gambitstyle.Waththis movehe gainsa material
advantage,but in doingso he handsoverthe initiativeto Bltck.

l9...Bxt620.l.lxd5Bxd5 21.BxdS+Kg7

H ,&
.t L/2 w '& 87
7Z 7t '&L, 6
lt '//t97/..tL7L 5
71, 2 2,,,&..:
Z 7 7t 3

A '&w
2 n '&t , 2
l

Thisis a lypical situationwith opposite-cotor

Bishopssuppo.tedby heavy
preces.The rightquestionto ask in this kind of positionis'Which Bisho;

109
 :lhe TarraschFomula

can cooldinatemore effectivelywith the otherpieces?'In lhis case,Black

nas a ready-made atlackdownthe openc,file and his BishopCansupport
an attackon b2, both of whichafe very uncomfortabtefor the Whiteklng.
Whitehas an extra pawn,bul it meanslitflein sucha sharppositionwiil
the Kjngscastledon opposilesidesofthe board.

22.KbI
Necessary
to avoida pin on the eueen.

22...Rac8
The lastBlackpiececomesintothe gamewithtempo.

23.Qd2
This is not a goodmoveeventhoughit threatens24.eh6#.White'sBishoo
on d5 rs now pinnedto the eueen.and ils valuegoesdownbecause il
becomesa targel. ln contrast,the value of Black,soppositecolor Bishop
goes up. 23.Qb3 is better, but after 23...Rd6Black could develoohis
initialive.
ll is becoming
clearlhat Black'sstronger
Bishopgiveshimmore
thanenoughcompensalion for e pawn.
23...9524.Qd3Qe525.Rd2
Defendingagainstmate on b2. No bettefis 25.eb3 becauseof 25...Rxd51
and the White Queen is overtoaded(26.exd5exb2#, or 26.Rxd5Oe4+
wirrnig the Rookon h1).

25...Rc5
Whiteis aboutto tosehis Bishop.

26.e4fxe4 27.Qe2Rcxd528.Rc2efs 29.ec4 e3

Threatensmatewith30...Rd1.Whiteresigned.O-l

(27)Platonov- celler [C591

Moscow.
1969

Echoesof Steinitz

The next gameby lgor Platonovtook placeat a very importantmomenlin

nrs cness career. lt was playod in the last round of the USSR
Charnpionship, and by winningthis game platonovearned not only a
brcnzemedalbut alsothe tifleof Grandmaster. On the otherside.in tosing
thisgamemy co!ntrymanand childhoodidol,Gfandmastef Geller,alsolosi
the titleof "Champion
of the SovietUnion.',
TheTarraschFormutahasa big
influenceon the courseof this pressure-packed
game.
i.e4 e5 2,Nf3Nc6 3.8c4 NfO4.Ng5d5 5.exd5Na5 6.8b5+c6 Z.dxc6
bxc68.8e2h6

0
 The TarraschFormula

LNI"o
/2% t.ry
%,ffi
t% .,ry,'ffi
%
% % %
% %
,,&, %
,Nt
a''ffi.
6
a ''&w
Thoopponentshave playeda variationwilh ',a long beard."l\ranyyears
boforethis game,oulstandingchessplayersof the 19thcenlurysuch as
Stoinitzand Chigorinhad alreadygiventhis Two KnightsDetensea lot of
crcaliveinspiration.
By secrificinga Pawn,Blackhas drivensway all lhe
unfriendlypieces.His compensation for the mateial is his initiativein the
cgnterand on lhe kingside.However,it is also necessaryfor Blackto t6ke
carethathis Knighton a5 doesnotturn intoa weakness.

9.t{h3t?
Whilerevivesan old move first essayedin this positionby Steinitz.The
altemative
9.Nf3allows9._.e4,afterwhichthe probtemsof thisKnightwoutd
nolCOme to an end.Buton h3 the Knighlcanfe6l relativelysafsbecauseit
wouldbe undesirablefor Blackto exchangea Bishopfor il thero,even if
doingso woulddsstroythe pawncoverfor the WhiteKing.

9..,8c510.0-0 0.0 l'1.d3Nd5 t2.Nc3Nxc3t3.bxc3eh4 i4.Khtt

Wf te is readyto paft with a pawnin orderto enticeBlackto exchangehis
Bishop for the Knighton h3. lf he doesnot,the Knightis readyto returnto
91and makea'new beginning" to hislife.
'14,..8xh3
15.gxh3Qxh316.Bf3
NowWhite'sidea is clear:his light-squared
Bishoptooksmuchbette.than
Eleck's
Knighton a5.

16...8d617.8s2Qh4 1E.Qf3
Animportanlpartof White'splen.Afterthis Queenmove Btack'skingside
,ltackingchancesevaporate,and can only hopeto save his skin in the
ending.Hischancesof doingso will dependon howmuchBtackiswillingto
payforthe"buffaloskin"on a5.

lll
 The Tarasch Fbrrnula

can coordinatemore effectivelywith lhe otherpieces?"In this case,Black

has a ready-madeattackdownthe openc-file and his Eishopcan suppod
an attackon b2, both of whichare very uncomfortablefof the WhiteKing.
Whitehas an extm pawn,but it meanslittlein sucha sham positionwitl
the Kingscastledon oppositesidesof the board-

22.Kb1
to avoida pin on the Queen.
Necessary

22...Racg
The lastBlackpiececomesintothe gamewithtempo.

23.Od2
This asnot a goodmoveeventhoughit threatens24.Qh6#.White'sBishop
on d5 is now pinnedto the Queen,and its value goes down becauseil
becomesa target.In contrast,the value of Black'soppositecolorBishop
goes up. 23.Qb3 is better, bul after 23...Rd6Black could develophis
initiative.lt is becomingclearlhat Black'sstrongerBishopgiveshim moro
thanenoughcompensalion for a pawn.

23...9524.Qd3Qe525.Rd2
Defendingagainstmate on b2. No betteris 25.Qb3becauseof 25...Rxd51
and the White Queenis overloaded(26.Qxd5Qxb2#,or 26.Rxd5Qe4+
winningthe Rookon h1).

25...Rc5
Whiteis aboutto losehis Bishop.

26.e4fxe4 27.Qe2Rcxd528.Rc2Qfs 29.Qc4e3

Threatensmatewith30...Rd1.
Whileresiqned.
0-1

(27)Platonov- Geller[C591
Moscow,
1969

Echoesof Steinitz

The next gameby lgor Platonovtook placeat a very imporlanlmomentin

his chess career. lt was played in the last round of the USSR
Championship, and by winningthis game Platonovearned not onlya
brorrzemedalbut alsothe titleof Grandmaster. On the otherside.in losing
this gamemy counkymanand childhoodidol,Grandmaster Geller,alsolosl
the titleof "Championof the SovietUnion."The TarraschFormulahasa big
infl!enceon the courseof this pressure-packedgame.

1.e4e5 2.Nf3Nc6 3.8c4 NfO4.N95d5 5.exd5Nas 6.8b5+c6 7.dxc6

bxc68.8e2h6

I t0
 ,-l

The ThrraschFormula

Lry',o,.r/Z
./z .*t
I
'/ZLtz ffi
7z 'r,,kvu .4<
'"/,/'t tz
'2
7lz 7lz',&,
A',ry,
& '&v & A
6 ffi'
Theopponentshave playeda variationwith "a long beard."Meny years
beforethis game,outstanding chessplaye|sof the 19lh centurysuch as
Sleinitzand Chioorinhad alreadygiventhis Two KnightsDefensea lot of
cfeativeinspiralion.By sacrificinga Pawn,Black has d ven awayall the
untfiendlypieces.His compensation for lhe materialis his initaative
in the
cenlerand on the kingside.However,it is also necessaryfor Blackto take
carethathis Knighton a5 doesnol turn inlo a weakness.

LNhSt?
Whiterevivesan old move first essayedin this posationby Steinitz.The
allomative
9.Nf3allows9...64,afterwhichtho probtemsof this Knightwo!td
nolcometo an end.Buton h3 the Knightcan feel relativelysafebecauseit
wouldbe undesirablefor Blackto exchang€a Bishopfor it there,even if
doings0 woulddeskoythe pawncoverfor the WhiteKing.

10.0.00.0 ,|1.d3Nd512.Nc3Nxc313.bxc3Qh4 t4.Khtl

9,..8c5
Whiteis readyto pad with a pawnin orderio enticeBlackto exchanoehis
Bishopfor the Knighton h3. lf he doesnot.the Knightis reedyto retumto
91andmakea'new beginning" lo hislife.
l4...Bxh3
15.gxh3Qxh3'l6.Bf3
NowWhite'sidea is clear|his light-squered
Eishoplooksmuch betterthan
Black's
Knighton a5.

t6...8d6l7.Bg2Qh4 1E.Qt3
Animportanlparl of Wh e's plan.Afterthis Queenmove Black,skingside
attackingchancesevaporate,and can only hope to save his skin in the
onding.Hischancesof doingso will dependon howmuchBlackis willingto
payforthe "buffaloskin"on a5.

l
 The Tarasch Formula

'18.,,e4'lg.Qh3
Qxh320,Bxh3exd32l.cxd3RfdS

I e
7.2-'/2L'&,
''/Z,L'&
7
u7r.,7-rr7rr%rr.,
7_7%
7t 71..
7t'&^7lt
% 2s/&
'"&...
t7l %
E€
22-Rg1
The time has come for Whitelo activatehis Rooks,and he does so with
tempoby threatening23.8xh6.

22...KhE
23.Rbl
The secondRookalsofindsan openfile.

23...8f824.d4Bd6
It wouldbe premalureto play24...Nc4becauseof 25.Rb7,and if 24.._Rab8
25.8f4and Whitetakespossession of lhe openfite.
25.8e3Rab826.892RbO27.8e4Rdb628.h3
Black has successfullypaotecledhis posilionfrom intrusionby enemy
heavy pieces,and has even made it possiblenot only to exchengethe
enemyRooksbul alsoto reconnecthas"sleepy,' Knighton a5 to lhe bat s.
However,White'sadvanlageis not all gone,as we shallsoonsee.

28...Rxb'l29.Rxbl Rxbl+ 30.Bxb1Nc431.K92Nxe3+32.fxe396

The game has reachedan oppositecolorBishopendgamein whichWhite
has a largeadvantagebecauseof the woaknessof Black'squeenside
€nd
White'smoreacliveKing.

33.Kt3KO734.c4c5
Thethreatwas 35.c5followedby Be4and Bxc6.

35.Ke4
The whiteKinghas openedlhe gatefor a nightwalkon tho eueen.shatfof
ChessPark.

rt2
 The Taftatch Formuld

..KfO36.Kd5Ke737.Kc6f5 38.a4
continues
to findwayslo strgnOthen
hlsposition.
By c.ntrast,Black.s
movesfor improving
hisposition
argnowh€r€to befound.

abod€fgh
I
7
K,%.h%
//,2** %.t
7

vt '#. %L%
L%z ",e 7/'
L'K % 7z
3
r u% a
%%% 2
1 e t

badls 36....539.Kb6;
o.l9_!XC4 39.€xd/t
andBteckhasno chance
stopWhite'spass€dpawnsfrommarchingtolwal!.
Bo540.ext4Bxf44l.Kb7l
41.Bxg6?
Be3.
5?l
lstakein tlmetroublethatfacilltateg
Whlte,stask.Mor€stubbom
wss
..,a5.
a643.rrxa6 Bc744.Kb5Kd645.a61.0
can'tstoptheDawns,

I l3
 7 he Tdffasch l.bmnla

(28)Boleslavsky- Sterner
SvedenUSSR,1954,
1954

LimitingMobility

This positionaroseafter 37 movesof a hardjoughtgame.At first glance

chancesseem balanced,and it would be so exceptfor the presenceol
opposite-colorBishops.White'sBishopis muchmoreeffectivethanBlack!
Bishop,andWhiteis ablelo emphasize thisdifference.

38.Rdl
Whitecorrcctly
believesthalhiswinning chances dependonwhetheror nol
he cancreatean allackon the lightsquares. lf he is successful,
hewilllum
Black's
dark-squared Bishopinloa useless piece.Whites QueenandRook
provideessentialsupportfor his Bishop.Thus,lhereis no rcasonfor While
lo opposeRookson the b-file,because doingso wouldonlyresultin an
exchangeof Rooks.

38...8c7
Theirnmediate
38...Rf8
allows39.Rd7.

39.Qrl7
The need lo defendf/ forcesBlack'sRook into a passiveposition,and
Whites iniliativegrows.

39_..Rf8

l t4
 'lhe 'lArruschFormula

I
7 g "&.v
rue
''2L',l&
8
7
6 z/4 ,2 % 6
'/*.
5 7t% 5
4 A%L'%
%.,2.
3 ' 2 A% 3
2
% %t
%,.2tr 2
1 1

10.s51
wayto strengthenhis position.
Whitefindsa very importantand instruc.live
Wilhopposite-color Bishopson the board,it is often desa.6bl€to prace
you Pawns on the same color squares as tha opponent's Blshop.
Bishopon c7 nowis evenmorelimitedby White'ses-pawn,whichif
Black's
necessaryc€nadvancefurtherto openup the positionofthe BlackKing.

10...Qb6?t
Losinga lempo.Blackshouldimmediately
beginto transferhis Bishopto
d4with40...Qb8
41.f4Ba5.

4't.f4Qb8
lf41...QMWhit€can play42.e6Qxc443.e7+-.

I 8
7
,&w%L''&,t 7
6
%%%%
,re..r& '.2 6
5 5
4
,ry,9/2,"r& '2
3
%'T,
,2 % 3
2
% %t 2
1 l

ll5
 I he Tarraschlbrmula

12.h11
White finds one more instructiveattackingresource.lf White'sh-pawl
rcaches h6, the pawn cover around Black,s King will be damaged
However,if Blackplays...h7-hO then the bl-h7 diagonalis weakenedand
Whitecan relocalehis Queenand Bishopon it. White,spawnon h5 could
alsobe usefulif Blackplays...97-96.

42,..Bas
After42...96Whitecouldplay 43.h5.Atso anteresting is 43.e6fxe6 44.f5l
Rd8.
lnstead 44. .gxfs 45.8\e6+ Kh, 46.Bxf5 is +- accoding to Dvorctsky;

'1&7.2.
w ./t
7.2.7t .&
"*
"//t 7t
"&. 7
"/t 72. A

however,Blackcanplay 46...8h2+47.Kh1Qcl- (patatnik)

43.h5Bc3

I
ab
,/z o rgh
8
7 TZWVZ^,*,L 7
6 7lt 7L z
7:.,/L 6
5 '* '&. %t 5
4
%a/2'/z"e %
3 "& 2 3
2
1
7t 2F' 7la 2
1
ab lgh

In caseof 43---Qb4
Whitereplieswith44.e6l

A) 44...fxe645.Qxe6+Kh846.ae7 Rb8 (46...ebA47.h6Bc34A.Rd7witha

winningaftackfor white,e.g. 48...8d4+49 Rxd4l.)47.h6Qc3 48.Rd7Rb1+

I t6
 The TarraschFormul!1

(48...Qc1+
49.811endsBlack'scounterplay)
49.Kh2Rh1+50.Kxh1Qc'1+
51.Kh2Qxf4+52.K91Qc1+53.8f1and Black is oul of checks;

B) 44...Qxc445.e7Qe6 46.exf8Q+KxfB47.Qa7Bb6 (47...Qb648.Qa8+

f\e7 49.Ra1 and the combined attack of l/yhite's Queen and Rook is
decisive,)
48.Qb8aKe7 49.Rb1 Bd8 50.Qa7+fo owed by Qxcs with a
winningendgamefor White.

1,{.Rd6l
Makingsurethat the Rook'sactivityis not reslrictedwhen Black'sBishop
€achesd4.

44,..Qb1+
45,Kh2h6
Anattemptat counterplay
with45...8d4runsinto46.Qxf7+!RxfT47.Rd8#

16.oxfl+l
Thefinalcombination
alongthe lighlsquares.

46..,Rxfl47.Rd8+Kh7 4E.Bxfl

Blackresigned,lf now 48...8d4 lor 48...9549.hxg6+Kg7 50.R98#]then

49.8g8+Kh850.8a2+Kh7and51.Bxb1+l-0

Wesuggestthatyou usethe nextthreeexamplesas trainingexercises.

 'l he Iarrasch Form la

(29)Larsen- cligorich
Moscow,
1956

BatteryPower

EvatualeBlack'snextmove:
i4...8c5
While has significantpressureageinstf/. His rookconlrolsthe a-file.and
he has a queensrde pawn majonlythat may becomeimporlantin tte
endgameTheseelementsleadto lhe conctusion thal Whiiesposition B
belte|'Blacks move14...8c5is an attemptto counlerWhites -battery on
lhe a2-98-diagonalwitha similarbatteryon lhe a7_g1diagonal. How;vef
whenthe Eishopstendsin fronlofthe eueen in this kindof bafiery,il is nol
as dangerousas whenlhe Queenstandsin frcnl of the Bishop.Betterwas
14...Qcs,butWhitewouldstillhavebeflerchances. Thegameconlinued:
'l5.Ra8lBxf2+??
Althoughthis attackingmovelookslike an achievement
for Black,it losesl
Efackhad betterchanceswith 15...RxaB 16.exaA+BfB(16...Kh7?17.'xfl
againstQg8+) 17.ed5ea7! .18.h4
ancllhereis no protection b4 19.Oxe
Qe7 20.Qf5QfG21.Od5when Whiterelairrswinningchancesbecauseof
his extra pawn on the Queensidetogetherwith hasthreatsagainstlhe
opponent s King.

16.KftQf6
Hopeless
for Blackis 16. RxaS17.Qxa8+
Kh718BxfT

8
 Th. Tatasch Formula

abcdofgh
H

% %L,ru
% % .ry
L%gt'ffi%
%%%
e% % %
m L % '&A
E
abcd0lgh

WhltecantradgdownIntoa wlnnlng
KlngandPawn€ndlng.
+l Qxft l8.Bxfl+ l(xf' 19.Rxt8+
KxtE2o.ktit Ko72t,Ke3Kd6
1.0

abcdafgh

%'"ffi"
%"m
%z
I %"'m%
% %*%
%%%
'ffi"
A% '%zr\
abcd6lgh

I l9
 'l he 'lhrrasch Fbmula

(30)Platonov- Tal
[roscow,1969

Mind Overi/latter
a b c d e fg h

77'&t ',26r''/&,
7t ,& A
Wg:L
L 8 7 t''///t
L./
A',t
':/::.t H,/
ZI
/

Whiteto move

lf in this positionBlackcouldkeep his opponentbusyprotecting the weak

pawnat b3, he couldalso leavethe dangerousBishopon d5 in "splendid
isolation." Whites task,therefore,is to makegood use of his moreactivo
Bishop.

38.Rg6l
The goal of this invenlive sacrificeis to lurn While's Bishop intoan
piece,whilethe BlackBishopremains
attacking a " blackshadow."

38...fx96?l
Betteris 38...Oe3
39.Rf3fxg6or 39...Qc1.

39.fxg6Qe3
ll's importantto proteclthe h6-Pawn-lf 39...Rxb3?Whitebfeaksthrcugh
with40.Rxf6+lgxf641.Qxh6+Ke842.Qh8+Kd743.97Rc844.Qh7!+-

40.Qfs

t20
 TheTarraschFormula

'm,% m I
7
.m.7& A
7

5 %sru
'm. g%
'/ry,
A'%rL
A % ry . % A
% % %
F'
z-: 2
l 1

Ko6?
playl
fromTalhims€lfis a dchrewardforsuchentBrprising
cha mistake
not good was 40...Rxb341.Rf3Og5 42.Oxg5hxgs 43.Rxb3ti
)v€r,4oJlgi 41.Qe6Oxg6leadto drawafter42.Q98+ Ke743.Qe6+
(butnol 43...Kd8?
44.Qxd6+Rd7 U4...K,B45.Qxc7) 45.Qb8+Ke7
QxM+Kd847.Oxa3+-).

.066+Kd6
alternalives
ar€no better:
42.Qxd6+Re743.Od8+Re84,l.Rxf6+gxf6 45.Qxf6#
42.Qct#
KxfB43.Qf/#
42.RtE+l
gE+

I %v I
7
ry'ru.
%,.&
'&t
7
6
5
4
.,e,
%s'&" %
A'/ry,
L%
5

3 A% ry'.%
%
'%t l-]

% %. A
I
% %H%
121
 The I'arrasch Fbrnuta

Black resigned. White's Bishop ptayed his ,,oppositecotor rote,'very

successfully.
The conctusionwoutd be 42..,Ke7/t3.Rxf6gxf6 [43...Kx16
11q't fq9 11of5- Kh446.es4#l
44.er+Kds4s.axr6;Rezl4sKd7
46.97Rc8 47.Qfi+l 46.921-.0

(31)Gurevich,D - Palatnik
Dallas,1996

A GatheringStorm

8 8
7 7
6 6
5 5
4
3 3
2 2
l l

Whiloto move
29.Rbt?
An efror.Also favoringBlackis 29.exd4Rxel+ 3O.Bxe1Rxa3;. Howev6a,
good enough for equalityis 29.f31?Rxe3 30.Rxo3dxe3 31_Rc3Bc4
32.Rxe3=.

29...8a21?30.Rb2dxe3 3l.fxe3
lf 31.Rxa2?then Black comesoul aheadaft€r 31...Rxb432.axb4Rxa2
33.fxe3Rb2+.

31...8c4f32.Kf2RaeS33.8c5
 'l he laffdsch l.brn d

8
7
6
5

3
2
1
ab c d e l g h
33...R4e51?
Slackis lryingto crcatean attackusingthe oppositecotorBishops.

34.8d4

Rfs+35.K91(35.Ke1Rf14;35.K92Bds+)35...Rf1+
[34.Rd2 36.K92RfSl
34...Rf5+
35.KStRft+ 36.K92Rat t? 37.RaG

,s
H a
''/t t/t //tI ,&, 7

H//,t,7, 7t 6
'/tLz 2 '///z 5

7rt',&..&7'.&, 4

'H,7t',7t 7t
3
2

7t 1

Throwingmore wood on the fire. lls inlerestingthat Black can ignitea

Etherlargefire withonlya pawn'sworthof fuell

123
 'I'he'l arnsch lrormulo

38.Ra4
lllutualpinsandopenlinesfor atteckmakethise verytenseposition,butils
centralfealureis Black'soppoftunilyto attackthe WhiteKing.

38...bxa339.Rd2Bd5+
Withdrawingone of two attackedpieceswithcheck.

40.Kh3

Whiteis afsolosingwith 40.Kf2Rh1 41.h4(or 41.Rxa3Rxh2+42.Ke1Rh3

whenWhitecannotrcgaina pawn with 43.Bxg7?becauseBlack winswllh
43 Rh1+ 44 Kf2 Rh2+ 45.Ke1 Rxd2 46.Kxd2KxgT) and now 41..a2
leavesBlackwilh a strongextraPawn.

8
l

3
2

40...R911
ThisRookpreventslhe WhiteKing'sescape.

41.94Re4l?
Cloudsare galheringaroundWhite'sKing,whilethe Bishopon d4 tookson
helplessly.

42.Ra5
lf 42.R02then42 Rxg243.Kxg2Rxd4+.

42...8e6
Whiteresigned.This is the righttime fof it, becauseif Whiteptays43.Rg2
then43...Rx941
4,l.Rxg4Rxg4witha lethatdiscovered checkto fo ow.O.,l

t24
 -i]

The fhtasch Formula

ChapterFour
Heavypieces

(32)Smyslov- Tolush[E061
Moscow.
1961

DebtRepaymont

0!rfirst exampleof applyinglhe TaffaschFormulato h€avypiecesis really

j!st an openingbattle.Blackneverhas a chanc€to mobilizehis queenside
pieces,and this givosWhitea chanceto d€monstrate an advantag€.The
gameslddenlyendsjust as Elackseemsto be on the vergeof solvingall
hisproblems.

l.d4 Nf6 2.o4 e6 3.Nf3 d5 4.93 c5 5.cxd5 Nxd5 6.892 Nc6 7,0.0 867
E.t{c3Nxc39.bxc30.0

LW
7t
a/z
,,.*,

/& 7,.2
'& a:/&.,,
% It6
'&w P1 .k.
'to.Rb1!?
Thisis probablythe mostusefulmovein the position.lt isn'tctearyetwhere
willbe the best locationfor White'sdark-squared
Bishop,so he activates
hisRookto an openfile. Theattackon b7 slowslhe developmenl of Black's
Bishopon c8, therebyalso keepingthe Rookon a8 out of the bat e. White

125
 TheTatasch Formula

is stalkinghis preyon the queenside,

just as a lionon lhe Africansavannah
wouldstalka buffato.

10...Qas
1'l.Qb3RdEl2.Bf4t?

.&t
'/ZL'2
%../&
2
w'& 6:&.
% "&,a
w;&
H%
AtJhis,pointIn the game Black"onty.'hasdifficuttios
with his Bishopon c8
EracKnas In mtnctlo exchangewhiles centerpawnfor his b7_pawnand
also to exchangelight-squaredbrshops.He reasonslhal wtrennis ;bidi
brshopdisappears. his problemswill alsogo away.This seemslogical.bul
rnefeis a pice lo pay.Thedebtsthis Bishopteavesbehindwi sttiihaveto
be pardoff by his relatives€frerhe is gone.

12.,.cxd4l3.Nxd4
Witha singlemove,Whiteactivatestwo pieces

13...Nxd,|
14.cxd,lRxd415.Bxb7BxbT15.exb7edE?
Black's
onlymoveto avoidlosingmaterialwas
16...Reg.

126
 7he 'ldtrdsch l i,m [a

17.Bb8l
Andthe BlackRookon a8 is cryino.1.0

(33)Sakharov- Patarnik[C801
Kiev.1967

BuriedAlive

"Thefollowinggameis a valuablemomentin my chessbiographybecause

Inwrnningit I nol only defealeda slronoplayefbut alsofor ihe first time
reacnede masternorm.Meny yearshave elapsedsancethat dav, and in
analyzing lhrsgamenowit seemsto me thatBtacks ptaywas v;ry risky;
nowever, wtnnersdo not judge,and the way I managedto copewith the
enemyRooksin this gamewill serveas a goodeducaiional exampleto our
readers" (Palatnik)

1,e4e5 2.Nf3Nc6 3.8b5a6 4.8a4Nf6 5.0-0Nxe46.d4b5 7.8b3exd4

LRei d5 9.Nc3l?
In responselo Black'sprovocative
opening,Whiteselectsthe mostbasic.
mough€lso ratherSharpmove_8y comparason, the quietercontinuation
LNxd4?!Nxd410 Qxd4Be6i is timidlo the poimtof beingcowardly!

t27
 The 'lbrrasch Fornula

is stalkinghis preyon the queenside,

just as a lionon the Africansavannah
wouldstalka buffalo.

10...Qa5
1l.Ob3 Rd8 12.Bf4l?

L:H
/'

a7t
'4.&
/t "& /&-
7aw'/& /126/&_
'"/lr\''.&_g
B7t
'/./g't1,.z
"/ttr"&.
At this poinlin the game Black"only"hasdifficutties
with his Bishopon cE.
Blackhas in mindto exchangeWhite'scenterpawnfor his b7-pawn,and
also lo exchangelight-squared bishops.He reasonsthal when his ,bad"
bishopdisappears, his problemswill alsogo away.This seemslogical,but
lherc is a priceto pay.Thedebtsthis Sishopteavesbehindwi sti havet0
be paidoff by his relativesatterhe is gone.
'|2...cxd413.Nxd4
Witha singlemove,Whileactivatestwo pieces

l3...Nxd,lt4.cxd4Rxd415.Bxb7BxbTl6.Qxb7Qd8?
Black's
onlymovelo avoidlosingmalerialwas
16...Re8.

126
 f he Tarrasch ];ornula

t7.Bb8l
Andthe BlackRookon a8 is crying.1-0

(33)Sakharov
- Patarnik
[c801
Kiev,1967

BuriedAlive

'Thefollowinggame is a valuablemomentin my chessbiographybecause

in wnningal I nol only defealeda slrongplayerbut also for the first time
rcacheda maslernorm.lllany yearshave elapsedsincethat day, and in
analyzingthis game now il seemsto me that Black'splay was very risky;
however, winnersdo not judge,and the way I managedto copewith the
enemyRooksin thisgamewill seNe as a goodeducational exampleto our
(Palalnik)
readerc."

1.e4e5 2.Nf3Nc6 3.8b5a6 4.8a4NfO5.0-0Nxe46.d4b5 7.8b3exd4

8.Reid5 9.Nc3l?
In responseto Black'sprovocaliveopening,Whiteselectsthe mostbasic,
thoughalso rathersharp move. By comparison,the quietercontinuation
LNxd4?lNxd410.Qxd4Be6i is timidto the poirrtof beingcowardtyl

12',7
 The Taftasch Form la

fgh

8
%rM@,& a
7
"X..,ZL'/&. 7
6 %a:ry.%,ry. 65
5 L'%LT,
'"r..'/&A:/Z
3 gffi 7267 3
2 "'&,L"u.
&t''&. 2
1 : '&Wru. 1

9...dxc31o.Bxd5Bb7 1l.Ng5l
Whitedoes not fall into tho trap with 11-EI4!!? Ne7+when he losesa
piece; and if 11.Bxe4 Black simply respondswith 'l1 . Be7 (but not
11...Qxd1? 12.Bxc6++-).

96 l4.Bxc6+Bxc6t5.Qe5+Qo7
'11...f512.Nxe4fxe413,Oh5+

8 I
7 7

6 6
5 5

3 3
2 2
1 1

16.Qxh8?
The hirngryWhite Queen impatientlygobblesup the Rook, but it was
Thg Rookwill
possibleiirst to nibbleon "Pawn'ssoupc3" as an appetizer.
stilltreon the menulat€r!Winningfor Whitehereis 16.Qxc3

128
 '[he Tanasch ]iornukj
I
16...Q97
17.Qxg7 BxgT18.b30-0-0l9.Be3Rd2l
Thiswouldbe evenmoreeffectiveif White'sBishopwerestill on c1.

a 8
7 7
6 6
5 5
4
3 3
2 2
I l

20.Rac{
0f course20.Rec1?wouldnot give Whitethe opportunityto opposethe
invasion
of a blackRookon secondrank.

Whiteis not temptedby materialgain wilh 20.Bxd2cxd2 21.Redl Bc3l

whenBlack'sBishoDswouldbe moreoowerfulthanWhite'sRooksl

,'r.t::,,'',rrt
t
a& :.'z'::.2.
I ',',.r,t I
ll '/,/, .::,.
'r,. 7,,2.t72
A& 7.',2. "/1,.,
A '/.tL:*. ,&A:

White'sRooksare "budedalive"and are no malchfor Black'sBishoos.

20...b421.Red1Re222.Bcs
Whiteoverestimates
his chances.A drawnoame could be reachedafter
22.Re1 Rd2=.

22...a5
23.8e3Bb7 24.895c5 25.8e3BfE26.918e727.K92Kc7 28.814+
Kc629.95a4

t29
 The Taftasch hbrmula

8 a
7
L % '&. 2 7
6 7t&2
..& '2t"&, 56
5
7Z
4 " *2 L"&
3 A/&. 7.2 2 3
2
7./,.^%
,l.f Ff
z,'''&,&,
2
1 1

Whites allomplslo slrengthenhis positionhavebeenkui ess,whileBlecl

In s|m ar Dusrness
hassucceedednoliceeblv.
30,Re1Ba6
Black'sadvantagewill not be decfeasedby the exchangeof Rookson 02.

3l.Kg3
While'ssiluationis not improvedafler 31.Rxe2Bxe292.Rel Bf3+.Blackb
Bishopsrulelhe board.

31.,.axb3 32.arb3Bd6t?
.lpp."r"" the finat operarionin which Btackwi improvehis
]lli'loy: oecrsrvalv
poslton

33.Bxd6Kxd6 3;.ha Rxel 35.Rxe1

a b c d € fg h
8 a
7
I 7
6 .r { Lz 6
5 (A 5
(L& 4
3 B
a l{ t&u 3
2 a* 2
1 1
abc d e tl F

130
 'l he TarraschFirnula

35...8d31
AfterthisblowBlackhas a winningposition.

36.Rct
lf now36.cxd3then36...exd337.Kf3d2 38.Rd1c4 39.bxc4Kcs 4O.Ke2c2
41.Kxd2cxdlQ+ 42.Kxd1Kxc4-+

36...c437.bxc4Bxc2l 38.Rxc2Kcs

ab lgh
8 8
/
7
72 % VzL7
6
%'"*'7lt %L%6
5
% 'Kt 5
'"/*8%L%
4
"843
3 7ru% 'ffi,
2 7/ZEV,',"&, 2
1 I
ab rgh

39.Kf4
one has the impressionthroughoutthis game that tho ineffectjveWhite
Rookswerenot in the bsst sportingcondition.
,l0.Re2b3 41.Rxe4+Kd3 42.Rb4b2 43.Ks5c2,l4.Rb3+ Kc4
39...Kxc4
{5.Rxb2clo 0-l

{34}Anand- lvanchuk[C781
Las-Palmas,
1996

0ueensideBlockade
'1.e4
e5 2.Nf3Nc6 3.8b5 a6 4.8a4 Nf6 5.0-0Bc5 6.Nxe5Nxes 7.d4 Nxe4
E.RelBe79.Rxe4Ng6

13 1
 Th l'arrasch Formula

,2TtLW
t
e'/z
'&L,',*.
8

L"/&L '/za 7

I 27t 6

7z 7t','e
27 t 5

7t H.,/ 4

7z % 7 t.'&'A
% 3

A "/.&,L'/z 2

6ruW I

10.c4
A very importantmove. White improveshis controlof lhe centerwh o
keepinghis Bishopon a4 active and securc by preventing10...b5and
11...d5.

10...0-0
l1.Nc3d6 l2.Nd5Bh4
OtherwiseWhite coutdexchangehis Knighton dS for this Bishop,aftef
whichthe nextpartof his strategywouldbe to makeuseof the BishoDDair.

13.Qh5cG
Permittingan unexpectedcombinalion,the point of which is to anchor
White'sKnighton b6 whereit wi paratyzethe queenside
and shut Btack,s
f(ookout ot lhe oame

8 8
7 LV:, % L '& L7
6 L%L'/'X
"//ZA 6
5
a. 5

E AAE 4
3 7t '2 7./,,2
7lz 3
2 A''/&.
7 K:n 2
I 1

t32
 --:1
l:
I'he TarraschFomula

t4.Rxh4lQxh4
15.895witha prcmisingattackfor Whit6.
0r 14...Nxh4

l5.Qxh4Nxh4 l6.Nb6 RbE17.Bf,lNfs

Thisis lhe bestway to protectthe d6-pawn.Instead17...Rd8?walksright
into'18.895, a piece.
winning

l8.d5t
Thepointof White'scombination.This movenot onlyremovesthe d-pawn
lromattackby the BlackKnight,but also imprisonslhe Bishopon cB and
th6Rookon b8 for the foreseeable
futur€.

ab rgn
8 L%
,/2 7/t
o
,ra*,
a
7 I L 7
6 I
ffi t'& ',/ZA
7z 6
5 7z 72a 7Z 5
A
7t t'% '&
7t..&'/L
5
,r/2
3
% 3
2 A '& % A 2
1 1

tE...Re8
tg.Kfl h6 20.h3Re421.8h2cxds22.94
Nowif Black movesthe Knightfrom f5, White plays BxdGwinningthe
lraooed
Rookon b8.

22...Rxc4
23.Nxc4dxc4 2,{.Re1l
a tempo.
Gaining

2{.,.8e6 25.gxf5 Bxts 26.BxdO Bxh3+ 27.K91 RdE 2E.ReE+RxeS

29.Bxe8
Blackhas thfee pawnsfor a piece,but White'sBishopPairgiveshim the
a0vanrage.

29...80030.a4 95 31,a5 Kg7 32.8a4 Kg6 33.Bdt Bd5 3,t.Bc2+Kfo

35.8c7Ke636.8h7Bf3 37.Kh2Kd5 3E.Bc2Be4 39.Bdl Kd4 40.8e2sd3
1'l.Bb6+Kds 42,Bdl f5 43.K93Kes,l4.Bc5Kt6 45.8h5t4+ 46.Kh2

133
 Thc TarraschFornula

8 8
7 "zL% % 7z
',z 7
6 t2 ''&. ',ffi
'"*'g 6
5 '% 5

%L'/Z Kt %
3
Zr% ',&7:'
''&.
3
2
1
7t 2
1

Black resigned.He cant protecthis posilionagainsta lhe threats(47 Bf8

tollowedby Bxh6.and atso47.8f3toltowedby BxbT) 1.0

(35)Hort- Alburt[A581
Decin.1977

SmotheredQueen

1.d4Nf6 2.c4c5 3.d5b5 4.cxb5a6 S.bxa696 6.Nc3Bxa67.Nf3d6 A.g3

Bg79.892Nbd710.0.0 Nb6

8 8
7 7
6 6
5 5
4 4
3 3
2 2
1 1

t34
 The'l'arrasch1'ornula

In lhe BenkoGambit,tacticsalmostalwaystake a seconclary role, and

movesmade eady in the openingsuchas...O-O and ...Rfb8are almost
madeautomatically.Bul ther€ are no ruloswithoutexceDtions.and Black
hasbeenforcedto adoptsom€effeclivebul non- standardaDDroaches to
countefdeploymentsof the White pieces which could crcate seious
problemsfor Black'splan.The main idea of 10...Nb6is to preventWhite
fromplayrng11.Qc2and 12.Rd'1. On the negativeside,it prevontsthe
BlackQueonfromdeveloping at a5.
l l.Rel
Preparing
to defendlhe ds-pawn with e2-e4 if necessary.However,the
bestsquarofor thisrookwouldbe d1, not e1.

11.,.0-012.Nd2Qc713.Rb1Qbz
Alsopossiblewas 13...N94,whichwo!ld havecounteredWhite'sDlanned
b2-b3.Aftera subsequent...8d4,Whitemightatsobe inducedto weaken
lhed3-squarewitho2-e3.

14.b3Nfxd5
lf Blacklackedthe courageto take this pawn,his 13thmovewoutdhave
beenpoinlless.He had lo calculateand evaluatemanyvariations,
including
a PossibleQueensacrifice.

1s.Nxd5
Nxd5

,x,,
l.:::rr,7t
g
o
I '&
o .//:r, 7 I
"///:, .,*

,x:
'/.//,.
A'/./:/'7,//.
,t 7:: '.4, .//.

7tA 7,, './t,&

A 'la tr|t 5-
F?.4,
a*, W'H
t6.Nf1?!
White'sonly chancesin this positionlie atongthe h1-a8diagonat.tf black
canneutralizethe Bishopon 92, for example,witha seriesof movessuch
as ...8b5-c6,or after White'sa2 a4 with ...Rad8,...ea8and ...8b7.he

135
 The TarruschFornula

wouldhave a clear advantagebecauseof his tJetterpawn structureand

other typical Benko Gambit advantages.White should have ptaye
16.Ne4,hopingto findequalizingchancesin the ensuingcomplications.
'16...Nc3'l7.BxbZ
BxbTl
18-Bxa6(18.8xa8?
Aftef 17...Nxd1 Nc3)18...Nc319.8d3Whitehasthe
a0vantage.

18.Qd3?l
As will soon becomeapparent,White would have had betterdefensiv
chances with18.Qd2Nxbl 19.Qe3.

'18...8e4
|9.Qe3Bd4 20,Qh6Bxbl

tq h
8 8
7 7
6 6
5 5
4
3 3
2 2
I l

Becauseof White's 'l8th move, Black has been able to contralizehis

pieces.Now he has the optionof capturingthe rook with his bishopand
retaininghis Knighlon a dominantand moreeffectiveDostthanat b1.

21.a3
Whiteseeksto exchangehis two weakpawnsfor lhe strongpawnon c5.

21...8a222.Nd2RlbA23.b4cxb4 24.axb4Rxb425.Nf3Bo7
Thefirstof manyquestions
to White'sQueen.

26.Qh3

26.Qe3Re427.Qd28c4 withthe winningthreatof 28...Ra2i

26.Qd2Bc4withthe samelhreat,whenWhite'sDosition is hooetess.
26.Q95 (gai ing a tempo by lhe attack on the e7 pawn) is no bette
becauseof 26...Re4,attackingthe e2 pawnand protectingthe e7 pawn.ll

ll6
 'lhc'larrarch I'brnulo

Whilenow pfays27.e3ot 27.8e3.the reply27...h0or the equallyeffoctive

27...f6
spellsdisaster.

Thisis a rarecaseof a Queenapparentlyhavingfree playin the middleof

theboardbut actuallyhavingall the squaresavailableto it controlledby lhe
opponent's piecesand pawns.Nowthe Queenhas beenforcedintoa very
upleasantpositionon h3.

26...8e0
27.Qfl
Prolecthgthe pawn on e2.

27..4c4 28.K92
Preparingto protectthe e2 pawnwithlhe Knight.

2E...Ral
29.Ngl

A totallyunrealsituation:the "smothered Queen"has no legalmoveand is

completely surrounded by its own pieces.This is lhe culmination
of Black's
strategy.White'sother pieces are also poorly placed,especiallywhen
compared withthe mobilityof theirBlackcounlepads.Nowit is notdifficult
forElackto find a clearwin.

29...Rbb1
30.Kh3
Tomakespacefor the Queen!Suchmovesare madefromdesperation
and
and cannotreallysavethe game.
helplessness,

30...h5
Toanswer31.Qg2with3'l...Be6+32.Kh4Rxc1and then ...8f6+.

| 3'1
 The 'tarrqsch tbrnula

31.11
This makesspace,but at the sametimecreatesa decisiveweakness.

31...8e6+
32.Ks2Nd5
Withthethreatof 33...Rxc1
and34...Ne3+.

33.Kf3Bc3 34.Rd1Bb2 Whiteresigns.0-1

(35)lshee- Maynard[D66]
Nashville,
1995

MisplacedQueen

1.d4NfG2.c4e6 3.Nf3d5 4.895Be75.e3NbdZ6.Nc30.07.Rcl c6

8.8d3Re8?!9.0-0a6?l

aDc def 0h

Black'slast two moveswouldbe usefulif the movescxcl5and lhe reolv

...exdshad beenplayed,creatinga ',minoilyaflack',pawnstructurewhem
Whitewantsto attackthe queenside withthe pawnleverb2-b4-b5. In thal
casethe.rook.on e8 wouldbe on an oponfile,and ...a7-a6wouldholp
prelent the advanceof the b-pawn. But none of this has happenedyeil
lnstead,Whitewillavoidthe pawntradeon d5 and playon the ki;gsids.'

10.Ne5l Nxes11,dxes Nd712.BxeZOxeT

The piecetradeshave not helpedBtackmuch.He is still underdevelop€
afid hasa verybad bishopon c8.

13.f4Oc5?l
A wasteoftime.

138
 'l hc lAnasch Lbrnula

14.Qe2 Qa7?
Cornpoundinghis previouserrorby misplacing
the queen.Nowwhitehas a
exlraqueenfor a kingsideattack.
virtual

15.Rf3 t5
li 15..d4Whilereplies
with16.Ne4.

l6.cxd5l
Openinglhe c-file.Black'sfs-pawnwouldbe undefended
after16...exds,
soBlack'sreplyis forced.
'16...cxd517.Rh3
Nf8
After17...d4?White can use his "exha" Queento good effect on the
krngsade
with 18.Qh5!Kf8 1g.Qxh7ldxc320.Rxc3Ki/ 2i.Be2 Rf8 22 Bh5+
Ke723.Oxg7+Kd824_Og5+ Nf6 25.exf6.

18.94txg4

19.Nd1
n8...d4 b5 20.gxfsexfs21.Qc2dxe322.Nxe3favorsWhite.l

l9.Qxg4Bd7
Whitenowhasa wirxtingcombinalion.

E EAS
LlltLTl ''&t
L'//t 7tl7t
'//t "./tL'&,%
,/t 7t /&,w/t
', g:'&,
2 7g,e
7/r_
A',l&,7t 7t2l
H.

20.Nxd5l
Thesharpest
wayto demonstrate
White'sadvantage_
20,..exd5
21.Bxh7+ NxhT
Theallernative
2'1...Kf7
runsinto22.896+...

139
 7he TdrraschForrkula

A) 22...Nxo6tr23.Qxd7+Kg8?l (23...Ne/! 24.Rc7 eb' 2'.exd'+ ee6

26.Qxe6+Kxe6 27.Rxb7RabA2g.Rxb9RxbS29.b3 RdA30.Ro3Rdt+
31.1<t2Rd2+32.K13Rxa233.Rxg/Rxh234.Ke4producesan endrigwhere
white has all the chances,with 3 pawnsfor a pieceptus an activekin0.)
24.Qxd5+ KfB 25.Qd6+ Kfl 26.Rc7+ Re7 (26...Ne7??27.Qd5+Kfl
28.Rh8+ Ng' 29.Rxg8#)27.f51+ and white wins -- for examDle
27...Rxc7? 28.fxg6rKg829.Oe6+ Kf830.Rh8f;
Bl 4:Kg2 23.Q95+KeO 24.Rc7!RacS 25.Bt5+Kf7 26.Rxd7+NxdT
27.Q96+Kf828.Rh8+Ke729.Qxg7+Kd830.Qxd7#;
c) 22...Ko8?23.Rh8+Kxh824.Qhs+Kg825.Bfi#;

Also not good is 21...Kh8?because22.896+lforcesmate:22...Nh

23.Rxh7+Kg824.8f7+!Kf8 25.Qxg7+Ke726.Bxds+Kd827.exd7#.

22.Qxd7Radg
A winningendgamefor Whiteadsesafter22...Nf823.Qxds+Ne624.f5em
25.fxe6Qxe626.Qxe6+Rxe627.Rc7b5 28.Rq3.

23.Of5b5
lf 23...Qb624.Qxh7+Kf8 25.Rq3Qh6 26.Qf5+Kg8 27.Rc7Rf8 28.Qe6+
Kh8 29.Rh3.Nolicoalso that Blackcannotsaveth€ knightwith 23...Nf8
because24.Rc7 Rd7 25.Rxd7NxdT 26.Qxd7Rf8 27.Qxd5+and whito

24.Qxh7+Kf8 25.Qf5+Kg8 26.Qh7+Kf8 27.Rc6Qft 28.Rhh6Ke7

After 28...9xh6White wins with 29.Rf6 Rd7 (29...Qxf03o.exf6 RxeS
31.Q97+Ke8 32.f7+ Kd7 33.tBQ+Kc6 34.Qxh6+Kb7 3,.ef7+ Re7
36.Qxe7+Rd7 37.Qxd7+ Kbg 38.Qf8#) 30.Oh8+ Ke7 31.Rxf7+Kxfl
32.Qh7+Ke633.Qs6+Ke734.Qf6#.

29.Rhf6
Whiteis so intenton tradingintoa wonendgamelhal he overlooksan even
strongermove. 29.Qc2!forces mate: 29...9xh6(29...Rd730.ec,+ Kda
31.Rc9#;29...Qf830.Rc7+Rd7 31.Qc5+Kt7 32.Qxd5+Ra6 33.QxeM
29...Qh5 30.Rc7+ Rd7 31.ec5+ Kn 32.Rxd7+ Kg8 33.exd5+ Re6
34.Qxe6+Kf8 35.Rd8+Qe836.Rxe8#)30.Qc5+Kd731.ed6#.

29...Q90
Bad is 29...9xf6?aftef 30.Rc7+Rd7 (30...Ke031.Qh3+t5 32.Ah6+Qfi
33.Qxf6#)31.Rxd7+KxdT32.Qxl7+.

30.Rc7+Rd7 31.Rxd7+KxdT32.Rd6+Kc7? 33.QxgE

Again33.Qc2+!is quicket- 33...Kb7(33...Kb'34.Rb6+KaB 35.ec6+Kal
36.Qb7#)34.Rd7+Kb835.Qc7+Ka836.Ob7#.

33...Rxgg34.Rxd5Re835.Kt2ReO36.Rd6t-0

140
 ,l
'l'he 7'ar rasch For mula

(37)Diaz- PalatniklB03l
Caracas,1976

[Jnbalanced
Material

Thefollowinggamewas playedin ihe WorldStudentTeamChampionship,

whereI was enlrustedto represenlthe USSR. In those days,the USSR
teemhad no othertask exceptto win gold medals.For represenlatives of
the "Sovietchessschool"duringlhe Cold War, even secondplacewas
regardedas failure,and could incurseriouspunishmenl.Thereforewhen
developments in this game made it necessaryfor me to play for a rathea
long periodof time with only two minor piecesagainsl my opponenl's
Queen,the trainerand my friendson the team were quiteworied. They
assumed that I wouldnot havevolunlarilyenteredsucha situation,andone
by one 6achof them tried to look inlo my eyesfor a clue aboulwhal was
happening.Theirfearswerecalmedwhenthey realizedthat I was buming
withinspiration,and my eyos had a feveaishshine.This was definitelya
situation
whercil wasnot desirabloto havea "Dokerface."

Le4 Nf6 2.e5Nds 3.d4d6 4.c4 Nb6 5.exd6cxd6 6.Nc3gO7.8d3 Bg7

8.t{ge2Nc69,8030-010.0-0Bg41t.t3

E
.&A lh ,r*, e
'ffi '& I
a:/x.%.I
% 72.'% %
'/z
%A,r.&,
.&.
ffis A
%7uo
'r&.
A %'.1) % A
%w H

White'sidea in this openingvariationis to make use of his advantagein

spaceby maneuveringin fouf ranks,while Black can only make use of
threeranks.lf it were possiblefor White to confineBlack'slight-squared
bishop in lhis confined space, White could consider that he had
successfullymade use of the TarraschFormula. However,it is not
necessaryfor Blackto havesuchan "infected"Bishop,and he undertakes
vigorouseffortsto exchangeit.

14 1
 The TarraschForrnula

l1...Btst12.b3
lf 12.Bxf5?Nxc4!favo6 Black.

l2...Bxd313.Oxd3d5
An impoatantmove-Blackchallenqeshis opponenl's spaceadvanlageand
fixesWhite'spawnon d4 whereit 'shortensthe life"of the Bishopon e3.

14.c5t{cE
ThisKnighthasdrawnWhite'sfire and hasbeonforcedto retreat,bul il can
be redeployed
whereasWhile'spawncennotdo likewise.

ls.Rabt e6 16.Qd2NEeT

A '/rye
L7t ffit'"&
',*

7ta'h.L
'&L7t 2r'/z
2 l
7'/:.'&, 7/,'
L'{g
1.,.1."&Lk
A 7Z M6 'ti.//,',
L
E7Z 't/t
w )44

17.941?
Whiteis obviouslyfamiliarwith Dr. Tarrasch'sDrescriptlon.
Firsthe triedlo
apply it againslthe lighl-squaredBishop.and now he tries io restrain
Bleck'sKnighl,whichwas almostreedyto relurnlo work.

17...b6
The advanceof the c-pawnoriginallyseNed a usefulpurpose,but il now
fulfillsno functionand can be exchanged,
theGbyreducingWhite'sspac€
aovamageevenmorc.

18.cxb6Qxb619.K92Qb4
lf White could carry olt the maneuver Na4-c5 and suDDortthis
redeploymentwith b3-b4, his control of the dark squares would
compensalefor the fact that his d4-pawn hamporshis Bishopon e3. Of
coirlseBlacktdesto preventWhitsfrommakingtheseimprovements.

t42
 'thc 'l arrasch l,,ornula

20.Qb2
Whitehas two hopesin ptayingthis move.One is that it wi be possibte
to
carryout progressive"transformationson the queensade wilh a2_a3and
Nc3-a4-c5;the other is that the pawn d4 is immlne ffom capture
at
-- th;
- -
moment.Btackis ableto showthat neitherof tnesenopesis
luslfieJ.

20,..Nxd4121.a3

21...Nxe2!
Nolan easyInoveto makewhileplaylngin a teamcompetitionl
Bul Blackis
afreaoycommfnedbecause21...Ob6?:22 Na4 exb3 Nxe2_)23.Bxtl4
is goodfor White. 122..

143
 TheTarraschtbrmula

22.axb4Nxc3

H @
2ffi I At I
%%t z/z
I
''&,% L,4
vt
t7.r,
',.&
A',ffi A
A
.,rr/t
w7 z?t2
trvt F?

23.Bh6t?
A very witty answerthat Btackhad to anticipate.tf 23.Rbc1then 23...d4
24.8d2 (24.8xd4 Bxd4 25.Rxc3 NdS 26.Rfc1 Nxcg 27.Rxc3 RacSjs
winningfor Black)24...Nedswithadvantage to Black.
23...BxhO 2,l,Oxc3Rfc825.Qf6Rc7
Becauseof the unusualdispositionof mateial,it is veryimportant
for Black
not to exchangeRooks,and insteadto doublethomon ths c-file to create
the necessaryattackingpower.tf Blackcan activatehis Rooksin thisway,
Elackwillhavecompensation fof the sacrificed
materiat_
26.b5RacB27.Qd4Bg728.Q91
It is alreadydifficultfor the Queento findan effectivepost,and certainlyher
visitto g1 doesnot lookattractive.However,it is understandable thatWhito
wantsto exchangeRookson the c.l-square.
 The TarraschFormula

8
.,&
I 0: 8
7
6
m
'//2.,'//,1
I '/& 7
t %Lt 6
5 L7,L7/i 7/.,.5
7t 7 /ll,tA ,
3 &./.t,, 7zA '/l/'L. 3
2
'/72 lLt "kB] 2
1 H.. tl 1

2E...Bc3l
The"ill-bred"Bishopblocksthe c-fileand intedereswithWhite'splan.

29.b6
Whiteis chasingan illusionon the b-file by cr€atinga passodpawnthere.

29...axb630.Oxb6d4 3l.Khl
out of the wayof the incursionby the BlackKnight.
Itloving

3'1...Nd5
32.Od6d3 33.Rtdt8b4 34.Oa6d2
"Ourtrainerand the othermembersof my toam now had no moreworries
aboltthe resultof thisgame."(Palatnik)

8 H. ./: e I
7 "f,, Z T %I
'42
7
6 El //t L%I 6
5
%A %'/4'tZ.
'.rz 5
& A
4

A 7t,,& .r/Z
'%a'rz.
3
2
,ry, 3
2
1 Ff ./H. 1
E

145
 The TarraschFormula

35.Rxd2Bxd2 36.h,|Nf4 37.b4Bxb4! 0-1

white rcsigned.tf now38.RxMthen38...Rc1+39.Kh2R8c2+40.Kg3

e5l
41.Rxf4Rg1+42.Kh3exf4withcheckmateto foltow.

(38)Ardaman- Patatnik[A081
Dallas,
1996

Preventivelilaintenance

When yo! play the Black pieces.it is not oflen that you will be abteto
obtain and maintaina space advantage.Black accomplishedal in the
followinggamedue to systematcapplication of the TarraschFormula
'1.e4Nf6 2.d3 d5 3.Nd2 c5 4.Ngf3 Nc6 5.g3
96 6.892 Bg? 7.0_00.0
6.Re1?
The Rooklovesopenfiles the same way that a hungryman lovesa 24-
hour restaurantlSuch eatedesmay be openround-the-clock,but it,snol
alwaystrue whenit comosto fitesand mnks.Beforeptaying8.Re1,Whjte
sholld firstbe slre that his Rook'shungercan be satisfiod.ls therea mo|s
pitifulsightin chessthan a starvingRook,atrophiedby hunger,compesd
to gnawon the backof a Pawnthat btockshis pathto the tabte?

Benerwouldbe8.exd5NxdSLRe1.

t46
 TheTarrcschhbrmula

try 'XL"'&
/&h
I%
72A/2, ffit
'mt% %
% %^%
,&,% ^ %''&,9
tffi
6ffi
'ffi.
'&vT ,
8...d4t?
Thisis directedaoainsttho Rookon 61. Nowthe e-filewillstayclosed,and
While'sRookwill go'withoutbroakfast."

Le5
Blackwill also play...e6-e5wh€nWhite'sRel and his Bg2 will
Otherwase
bothremainhungryfor a longtime.

9...Nd510.a3
b6
Blackhasanswers'preventive maintenance"with'preventive maintenance"
andhasthe betterot the bargain.lt is more impodantfor Blackto protect
thecs-Pawnthanlor Whiteto take conlrolofth6 b4-squarc.

l1.Qe2Bf5l?
A comfonablesquareforthe Bishop.ln anotherlocation(94)hewoutdhave
to answer"questions"
fromWhite'spawns.

12.h3Qd7
Black'sachievements are now cleaa,end the furtherstrengthening
of his
positionis possibleby lhe mosl naturalmeans.White'smanylroublescan
betracedbackto 8.Re1.

t3.Kh2
lfnow13.94than13...Nf4
14.Qf'!Be6t

'l3...RadE
Thenatureof Black'sadvantagerendersil unnecesssry for himto calculate
long tactical vadations;he has only to decide which move is mosl
important.The move selecledlakes his Rook from any potentialdanger
fromlhe enemyBg2and strengthens the outpostfor the Knighton d5.

t47
 The ll arrasch Formula

14.Nf1
The roadcl-hOthus opensfoathe c1-Bishop, but undersadconditions.
The
Knighthas to "hide in the bushes'on the ft-squarein oder to makeil
possible-Inslead14.Nc4merely invites Black to gain more spacewilh
14...
b5.

fg h
8 8

%w'"&-L'&.L
.'&,A:/t, 7
6
%t 6
5 "&a:&-L71, 5
4
3
'%az26.-s
3
4

2
''e.A"/2W'&,9'*
2
1 l

14...Oc71?
The Queenhas done enoughwork on the c8-h3djagonal.Steppingnow
onlo an adjacentdiagonal,she sets up,'X-Ray"threatsagainstthe White
King.

l5.Kgl
Turningawayfrom the BlackQueen'sgaze,and makingroomon h2 for his
miserable
f1-Knight.

15...h6t?
Furtherlimitingthe enemy"appetite,'on
lhe c1-h6 diagonat.
r6 .Nth2
It's a tighl fit in White'scamp;he ha.dtyhasany roomto maneuver.tf tho
siluationdoesnot soonchaoge,Blackwill quiellybe ableto accumulale a
largeenoughposilionaladvantageto win.Thereis no reasonfor him10bo
in a hufryto changethe currentsiluation.

16...QcE
A probingmovethat re-estabtishes
controtof the c8-h3 diagonat.
17.Qi1
While's"royalpalace"is a very crowdedhouseindeed_

14 8
 The Taftasch Formr/la

%Ym m{
'"m
% t'"&
'&.a% %"t
,,&affi
L%
%"m '/%"
vru,87%,
6ru"
,r&g
'&L%

17...951?
Galning
morespac€andlimltlng
theopponent's
moblllty.
t8.8d2b5
Black hispositlon
ls lmproving on allfrontswithout anyplgcEs,
oxchanglng
19.b3
f6
Exchanging the only Whitesoldierwho has crossedth6 4th rankInto
anomy teffitory,Afrerthlsoxchang€it ls obvlousthat Blackpossosses a
la0oSdvaniaoe Inspace.Hlsplocesoperate onflv€€nks,whlleWhltgcan
makeus€of onlythfEeranks.Notlcealsothateventhoughlho€-tllglsnow
open,tha Rookon el is stlllldlebecause it hasno polntot EntryIntoth6
9n9my canp,
20.oxt6
ext82l.Bcl BgO22. d2f5l?
theWhlteKnlghts
D6nying 8cces8to 04 and04,

149
 'I he 'l arrasch l;ornula

8 gH a
,,&
€
7
27, '42A
7
6 a'/t
2 ''ryaz 6
5 I I 'tt 5
4 '/a tL './t'/e.
3 A 7t^7t 3
2
7t8"w g '/&,6 2
1 l

23.Nhf3Nc3 24.8b2 Bf/

lmprovementupon improvemenl.Becausethe fs-Pawn has closedhis
"view,"the Bishopmovesto anotherdiagonal.

25.Kh2Qc7
Dr Taraschs prescdption
for this palient:a newX-rayeverysix monthsl

26.Qht
Whitepreparesto fire a "piercingshell"downthe longdiagonal...

26...Ne7
.. but endsup shootingat emptyairl

abcd€f

t5 0
 The'larraschlbrn a

27.Bxc3
ThisKnightwas becomingtikea naitin the chairfor White.

27...dxc328,N11t4l?
Anotherdoseof medicinefromDr.Tarrasch,thistimefor the Knighton fl

8 8
7 7
6 6
5 5

3 3
2 2
1 1
ab lgh

29.94Ng630.K91
Thebarrelfull of Whitepieceshas sladedto ferment!He can barelymove;
l0rexample30.N91?f3+ winsmaterial.

30...8f6
3t.Nlh2
Noticehowthe Knighton f3 obslrLrcts
helfof White'spieces.
X1...c117
Nowlhat Whites piecesare confined,the time has cometo breakthrough
hisdefenses.

32.bxc4bxc4 33.d4RfeS
Elacknowdoesnol havea singlepassivepiece.

34.Rre8+RxeS35.Kft
Topreventthe intrusionon e2.

35...Qb636.RdlRd8
PlacingWhitein zugzwang.a tacticwe will explorein greaterdetailin the
nextchapler.Rightnow it is enoughto pointout that a situationhas been
created
whereWhiteaheadyhasno movesthal do not losematedal.

t)l
 The'Iarrasch [ormula

I
,//f, ';/r.L7,2.,
7
g, //,a''&A/t 6

" /,l t 'L 5

' . /,&
a t L''////0tl/./.,
; . &'& -8
4
t
t a 3

/:,tlL't':/,./&tAt 2

: /.//,Ht&'/tW
37.h4gxh438.NeiRxd439.Rxd4Qxd4
The seasonfor the harvesthas arrived.

40.Nhf3Qc541.a4Qa542.Nh2Qxa443.8d5a5 /14.g5 Bxg5

Four WhitePawns"are removedfrom the arena.',Bdngingthe gameto a
vrctorious
conclusion
is nowonlya matterof technique.

45.Bxt+ Kxfl 46.Qd5+ Ks7 47.Nhf3 Bf6 48.Nd4 Qe8 49.Nt5+Kh?

50.Nt3h3 51.QxasQd752.Ke2Ne553.N3d4 h2 O-1

8 8
7 l
6 6
5 5

3 3
2 2
1 1

White resigned. lf now 54.Qa8IOr 54-Oal f3+ 55.Ke3(i,.Nxf3 Nxl3

56.Kxf3hlQ+ 57.Qxh1Qc6+)55...N94+ 56 Kxf3 h1Q+57.Qxh1Qd5+l
thenBlackwinswith 54...f3+55.Nxf3h1e.

t52
 TheTorraschFormxla

ik wasabl6to managehls slfahsIn thtsgamewho[ywithoutoolnoto

troubloot calculatngtractlcalvariellons.Htsd€clslonsw6r€guldedby
th6 Ta..aschFormulaIn sucha waya8 to restrlctth6 powerot the
piecegasmucha8pos8lbl6.

153
 The TarraschFormula

Exercise
17
abcd€tgh

L%. .ry.%
'Lr y' %%%
"%%T ,
e%% %
%%%
%%% F?
a b c d € fg h

1928
Gorgiev,
l.Rh6+ Kc7 2,Bd6+Kc63,Bb6llkb6 4.RcEl+-1.0

Exercise18
ebcdol0h

%%%
% ry,% ' m
%%%zt
%%ffi.'ffi
s%% %
%%
abcd€lgh

Rink,1916

1.807Rd,t+[1...R962.8d1+l2.K03Rd7 [2...Rh43,8d1+Rg44.
s.Bfl+ Kg,{4.806++- 1,0

154
 ''
'Ihe 'larrdrch|brnula

Exercise19

, #i'//t7rL7t
7t'H 7z;.L
'l:./z727zza"Z,
%
7l:.
?z 'k ,ry,
7/t 7t
cd6t

Krjuchkov,1928

l.Besl ll.Bd6 fxg6 2.fxg6RgSl 1...8xe5+2,Rxst+ Kt8 3.RoB+ [3.Kd7

Kg74.Re7RfB5.gxf7Kf6=l3...KxoE,t.O7 Rg8 5.f6+- i.0

Exercise
20

e'&,lko
% %,ry,I
7,,,a41
Vz.. A
22 ,,/z
"&, %
7la72t2
'2 2 %.
bcd € igh

G!liajev,1940

1.s7f2 2.8e7 f1Q 3.8f6 Qxf6l 4.gxhEo+ [4.exm=]4...Qxh8 14...Kxh8

5 exf6+-l5.d41+-{-0

15 5
 The TarraschFormula

Exercise2l

8
,,&. 8

"e. % %
7 7
6
5
%L%s 6
5
4 b% 7z
^'%%%
Z&72, "/z
3 "2 %% 3
2 L%t''&, 2
j I

Kubbet,
1924
1,Kb3lelQ 2.8f4+Kbl 3.Bxc2+Kal ,t.Bd6teo2 s.Bb,texbs 6.Bo{t65
7.f3+-Qd7E.Bc3#

Exercise22

8 f a
7
%%%& 7
6 e 6
5 l € 2%
' f f i %7 5
4
3
%%% 3
2
%%%
1 1

calbershtadt,1953
r.Nc6 d4 [1...8c32.K94d4 3.Kt4d3 (3...8e14.Ke4Bfz 5.Kd5d3 6.Kd6
Bg3+ 7.Kd7d2 8.KcAd1Q LB6T#)4.Ke3d2 5.Ke2+-l2.Kg6 BhO[2...8f8
3.K17d3 (3...8h0 4.KeGd3 5.Kd7 d2 6.Kc8) 4.Bxd3 Kb7 s.NaS+Kb6
6.Nc4+Kc57.Kxf8l3.Bd3Kb7 4.Nd8+Kc7 5. f/+- ,t.0

15 6
 The'lbrraschl,brnula

ChapterFive
Zugzwang

Theterm"zugzwang" was inlroducedintochesstheoryin the latteryearsof

the1glhcentury.ll is formedfrcm two Germanwords:Zug (themove),and
Zwarg (literally "compulsion'),thus 'compulsionlo meke a move.'
However,the conceplof zugzwangexlendsbeyondthis narrowdefinition.
Zugzwang rcfetslo positionsin whichany move resultsin deterioralion of
ones ownposilion, or lo maledallosses.

GrandmasterRazlvajevdefinedzugzwangas "any situationwhere it is

for a playertolmnsferhis enercylo his pieces."
impossible

Evenmorebroadfy,the cotcepl of zugzwang|r'ay be thoughtof as a kind

of paralysis,in which no piece can safelymove withoutdoing harm. In
previouschapterswe have seen how it is possibleto reach a decisive
advantage by redlcing the powerof a singleenemypiece.lt is therefore
logicalthat completelyimmobilizingthe opposingamy throughzrlgzwang
isthe ultimateexpression of the powerof the TarraschFormula.Belowwe
presentseveral examplesof lsing paralysisthroughzugzwangas a
strategicconcept.

(39)Saemisch- Nimzowitsch[E061
Copenhagen,
1923

ThelmmodalZugzwangGame

Shortlyafterthisgamewas played,conlempomry chessmaslersof the day

chnstened il as "ThelmmodalZugzwang came." Our modernintercstin it
confirmslhat this nameis noi an overslatemenl.

1.d4Nf6 2.c4eO3.Nf3
WhenplayingagainstNimzowitsch, it makessenseto avoidlhe opening
namedafterhimthatwo!ld ariseafter3.Nc3BM.

3...b6
4.93Bb75.892Be76.Nc30.07.0-0d5 8.Ne5c6
Elackis fightingfor controlofthe center,andforthis purposehe is willingto
the "oride"of lhe Bishooon b7.
restrain

l5'1
 The 'IArraschForm la

9,cxd5?l
White'sidea in playingthe exchangeis to spoil the Bishopon b7 by
keepingthe h'l-a8 diagonalblockedwitha Blackpawnon d5.

9...cxdsl0.Bf4
Whiteselectsthe mostnaturaldeveloping movefor his lastminorpiec6_ By
reducingthe pressureon the centerwith his previousmoveand creating a
symmetricalpawnstructure,he is creatingpreconditionsfor a quietdraw.

',.& o
''.e_
-t % ,ffi
'r*_
I
%t
7Lffi
'..& vz
.,,&
7'
'&
'&,ffi7t
7ls A /& g

"/zw7 Ff ,{.
l T

10...a61?
Black striveslo improvehis position.and rejectsnaturalmovessuch8s
10...Nbd7 11.Rc1Nxes12.Bxe5 whichwoutdopena diagonat for White's
dad(-squared Bishop,and subsequently after 12...Qd713.ed2RfcEwould
leadlo further"peacenegotiations'
by tradingheavypiecesatongthe c-fi16.
Blackprefersto leavethe Knighton e5 whereits broadbackclosesthet4-
bB diagonal.Black inlendsto play more ambitiouslyby expandingon tho
queensroe.

11.R cl
Whiteis still prepadngfor a "peaceconference"
on the c-file
11...b512.Qb3 Nco
Now lhe time is right for this Knightto take his ptaceon centefslage.
Because White cannot allow Black to play ...Na5-c4, the following
exchangeis compelled.

13.Nxc6Bxco
While'sKnighthas disappearedfrom his outposton e5 aftermakingthrce
moves, whalehis "dancingpaflner" on cO made only one. Thus lhe
exchangeof Knightson cOhas resultedin two losttempifof White.

158
 The Tarrasch lbtmula

,t4.h3
Whiteis still makingsolid, unambitiousmoves in anticipationof fudher
pieceexchanges followedby a dmw.

t4...Qd7
{5.Kh2

'15...Nh5t?
Insleadof routinelyexchangingRookson the c-file, Blackrevealsthat he
hasa completely differcntapproachto the position.

't6.Bd2tsl
Black'sDurposefulmaneuverson both flanks has resultedin noticeable
posilionalgains.With his lasl move Blackis not afreidto weakenlhe e5-
squarcbecauselhere is no enemypiecelhal couldmakeuse of it. Nolice
howoverthe pastfew movesBlackhassteadilyplayedto limitthe mobility
0l White'spieces,while at the sametime Whitehas hadlaoublemakinga
conskuclive olanof imorovement.

t7.Qdlb418.Nbl
The Knighl"returnshome"underadveFe circumstances. lt is clear lhat
Elackis steadilyimp.ovinghis posilionby applyingthe Tarasch Formula.

15 9
 The Taftasch Fomula

I r/_ :"' *t 8
7
%v"&.'&,t 7

L,%L'%L'%
'%^%t% 5
,,&,.ffi,
,Z %
3
Z K,A
2 t ' & , ' f f i A" & g2
I
6ruV%s 1

1E...8b5
theBishop.
Rgactlvatlng
1g.RglBd6l?
A provocalive
move,leavlngtheKnlghton h5undefendod.
20,.4
Whitesnapsat thechsnceto exploltBlack's'eror.'

I
7
%.v%, 7

I %" mL%
%I. %L'/%"t
m.
7z %%
"&"L%
A "m
,r& m
1 uz)mvt% 1

20...fx041
provoked
Thiswasthe reasonNimzowitsch hisopponent.

160
 'Ihc l arrasch l,irmula

21.Qxh5 Rxf2
Withthis intrusionon the secondrank,alongwith the powerfulBishopon
b5, Blackhas in rnindto paralyzethe entireWhitearrny.Blackneed nol
worryaboutWhites materialadvantagebecause the sorryKnight ofi bl is
completely out of the game.

a b c d e rg h

AA
AA E Eg €
,"\ 9E tsf

22.095RafS23.Khi R8f524.Qe3Bd3 25.Rge'lh6l 0-1

Thisgameis famouslargelybecauseof this move,creatinga memorable

finalposition.Witha boardfull of piecesand a materialadvantage,White
hasabsolulelyno safe move,and thereforeresigned.His decisionis fully
jlstified:2qKt!? R5f3t€ps the queen;26gl R5f3 27.Bxf3Rxf3 28.Q91
Rxh3+followedby ...R93+;2043 a5 (Alsopossibleas26...Rx9227.Kxg2
Rf3)27.axb4axb4leavesWhitein z!gzwang.

l6l
 l he Taftasch lbrm la

(40)Nimzowitsch- Capablanca[812]
NewYork.1927

Encirclement

1.e4c6 2.d1d5 3.e5Bfs 4.8d3 Bxd3 5.exd3e6 6.Nc3eb6 7.Nge2

c5
8.dxc5BxcS9.0.0Ne710.Na4Qc6 1t.Nxcsexc5 12.8e3ec7 13.f{Nfs
14.c3Nc6l5.Rad196 16.94Nxe3l?.Qxe3h5

Tiis is lhe criticalmomentin the game.With his last move Blackfinally

clearsup lhe situationon the kirrgside.

1 8 .95
Uglybut forced.Nowit is safefor Blackto cas o kingside.

18...0-019.Nd4 Ob6 20.Rt2 Rtc8 21.a3 Rc7 22.Rd3 Na5 23.Re2

24,K92Nc6 25.Red2RecS26.Re2
 I tu laffasth hlrnula

a. / e:
I a
''///,

a/./l:.
ryl,
'/.lL
L7zl ,
'L
'8, '.&.
't::.
t\
uz)
,n Ff
x '//.//.a
M; ,r/,4.
'r/j(,. t./. H./,:

26,..Ne71?
TheKnighthasaccomplished nothingon tho queenside, so it headsfo. an
invitingoulposlon f5 on the otherflankwhereil will nol blocklhe actionon
Black'sRooks.

27,Red2Rc42E.Qh3Kg7 29.Rt2a5 30,Re2Nts

Forcing
the enemyKnightto retfeator to be exchanged-

3l.Nxfs+gxfsl 32.Qf3
The tasty-lookingpawn on h5 is not edible:32.Qxh5Rh8 33.Of3 Rh4
34.Rf2Rcxf,l35-Qxf4Rxf436.Rxf4Qxb2+witha winningposition.

'T t
L7.2,
'Ni. ,L'M'
7zL.ry.
%L''/&.L"&L
2z% ',"'&.
2
'&,9%w'2
',e, 'ztr7te
.,rt
'../2.

t63
 The Torrcsch Formula

32...K96
Thelongman€uvering strugglehasresult€d In a positional
advantage
Black.Hisheavypiecesoccupybe(er"access roads,"andopeningfiles
themon tho queensido is enflrelyunderBlack,scontrol.In viewof
situallon,it will be diffioultfor Write to organizoe .homeland
system."
33.Rod2Ro4 34.Rd4Rc4 3s.QfitQb5 36,Kg3Rcxd437.cxd4
38.K92

L/2. ',tl%
% %z,L7r',h
%L ' & L '&
%v'&t'ffi,
%%%
"'& 'Me
m
3E...b5t?
Bigoerandbiggerfunctionaldltferencos
b€tweon the opposingforces
bocomlng Evidenl.Heavyplecesarc madefor attack.noldefengol ln
glvenposltlon,
Whllo'spiec€sareInf€rior
to thoseof hlsoppon6ntboth
forcsendIn9fficiency
ot applic.on b€c€us€oftherol€sth€yargtorc€d
pt8y.

39.Kglbil 40.rxb4axba,tl.Kg2

t64
 The Tarasch Formula

L%
% %r
Lru.
%t ,&
v'&
%,m %
ry.e

thisWhltehasnogscape.
Hewlllsoonhavenogoodmoves.
Ohl 43.Rd3Ral ,l4.Rf3Rdl ,15,b3Rcl 40,R03
Thogamewouldconcludo
b€au$tuly
after46.h3Rgl+ 47.Kh4Rg4#.
..Rfl 0.1

%t%
,%t
'ruL'm
,e,
ru"ffi
ry"
%r%
It€ reslgnod.T he conclusionwould be 47.Oe2 Qg1+ 48.Kh3 Re,tl
Qxel Qg4#

loi
 The larrlisch Fbrmuld

(41)Tseshkovsky- Palatnik[804]
Philadelphia,1990

Following Precedent

Without being familaar with the preceding qame by Capablanca,the

followinggame would have been impossibleto win, or even draw.

1.e4 Nf6 2.e5 Nd5 3.d4 dO 4.Nf3 gO 5.8c4 tlb6 6.8b3 Bg7 7.a4

ab Igh
8 a
7 7
6 6
5 5
4
3 3
2 2
I l

The openi.rgin this game is the sameas in KasparcvPalatnikin Chapter

Ofle.wrththe onlyditterencethal the gamewiththe fuluteChampionofth6
Woddincludedthe rnovesa2 a4 and ...a7-a5 Likewisein thisgameWhito
rovitesBlackto exchange"pawn'sco!rtesies"on a-file. Blackdecidesthal
the rnove...a7 a5 wouldbenefitWhiteand thereforetries to avoidit. bul
was nevertheless t]nsuccessfulirravoidingopeningdifficulties.

7...d5
For7...a58.N95e6 seeKasparov-Palatnik
on page

8-a5Nc49.Nbd2Nxd2
Now9...b5canbe metwith10.axb6
Nxb6l

10.Bxd2Bq411.h3Bxf312.Qxf3e6

t6 6
 7he Tatatch lbnnula

8 I
7 7
6 6
5 5
4 4
3 3
2 2
1 l

13.h41?
Thls Whiteclearlygivesthe ElackKingto uncterstanctlhat he can exoect
lroublesit he casllesktngside.Weakerwas .13.0-O
serioLs O-0=.
13...c5
Thetheoreticallycorreclre€ction:il is desifableto answerlhe oDoonent's
llankopemtionwith a counter-allack in the center.Howevef.aftel this it is
necessary for Black to suffer a greal deal, thanks mainlv to White's
invenlive
resoonse.

l4.Ba4+ Nc6,t5.Bxc6+
lf 15.a6?!
doe not giveWhiteany advantago
after15...0-0!16.axb7Nxd4.
l5.,.bxc6
l6.Qc3l?
Whitegainsa materialadvantagein an originalway.
ab c d € i g h
8
€
7 './zz,
Z L/.&
,/'L
6 ./t t'//,.,I
5
LT .,4, 7'
'/t .&, 7./,.
3
w 7t'&t'
/e, 7t
2 L/.&
1 lt
 'l he I'arraschFomula

16...cxd4
No helpis 16...c417.b3.

17.Qxc6+ Kf818.Qc5+Kg8 19.Qxd4

Qc7!?
move.
An obligatory

20.8c3h5
Anothernecessity.

21.R h3!?
Now it's time to stop and assessthe situation.The openingphaseof the
garneis virtuallycompleted.By his enteryrising play,Whitehas secu/ed a
rnaterialadvantage in an !nbalanced position. Bolh sides have unresolved
openingproblems.In particular, Blackhaslosta pawnand his Killghaslled
the centerwithoutcastling.The well-knownskategicprinciple"Oivide and
conquer"has only been carriedout on Black'shalf of the boardlhe has
dividedhrs own Rooks,a situationnot likelyto increasethe sizeof his
krrgdom.Nevertheless, Black does not lose heart becausethereis yet
causefor optimism.Thereis no doubtthat white'sachievements s0laraB
easily visible Even so, it will be a long time before White's materia
advantagecanbe decisive,and at the moment the queenside pawns donot
representa seriousdanqer. Black has in mind to turn his missingpawn t0
accountby rnaking use of the open files for his heavy pieces withtheidea
that he rnighltherebyobtaincompensation for lhe material ln addilion
Blackcan be happythat the scopeof White'sBishopis blockedby hise5-

I UU

t68
 1
I he Taftosch lbrnula

21...8t8
0n 21...Kh7?l
Whitrcfepliesstrongly
with22.94.
22.Qd3RcE
Notgivingthe Bishopa chanceto move awayfrom c3 becausethe c2-
pawnwouldbe lost.

23.Ra4Qc6l?
Whitewouldbe able lo carry out his artfutplan after 23...8e724.94hxg4
25.Rxg4 Kg7 (25...Rhs?26.Rxg6+!) 26.h5,afterwhichthe struggl;woutd
rapidly
concludewitha directattackon the kingside.

24.Rt4Bh6
Atlacking
ths Rook.

25.Rd4Bg7
the pawn.Blackdoesnot givehis opponenttimeto ptayg2-g4.
Attacking

26,Re3
Inslead
26.f4wouldblockthe Rook'sactionalongthe fourthrank.

26...Kh7
Nowlhismovois not so dangerous

27.Re2
lneffectivenow is 27.94after the repty27...K98!The pointis that White
eilier aclivatesthe Black Rook with 28.gxh5Rxhs or else ctosesthe
kingsidecompletely with28.95,bothof whichare goodfor Black.

2f,,,Rc7l?
last prcpaGlionsbeforesolemnmeetingthe Rookon the eueen flankwill
beopen.

26.f3
Whitepersislsin tryingto carryout g2-94.

16 9
 The 'lhrrasch l;ornula

8 8
7 7
6 6
5 5
4 4
3 3
2 2
I 1

24...fst?
InthaswayBlack'sbusiness
is improved.
29.8b4
In case of 29.exf6 Bxf6 30.Rf4 Bxc3+ 31.Qxc3Qxc3+ 32.bxc3Re8 reache!
a balancedRook ending.

29...8f8
Such a Bishop should be exchanged,becausehe has given a fullfreodofi
to his temperament.

30.c3Bxb4 31,Rxb4RhcE32.Kd2RbTl?
The time has come to recallwith gratitud€the previousgame playedby
Capablanca and to exchangethe mostactiveheavypieceof the opponen
namely,the Rb4.

33.Rxb7+OxbT
Hereit's possibleto see someposilivefesultsfor Btack.He has ridhimsel
of the majorityof problemsand has reach€da positionwherehis morc
"heallhy"heavypiecescompensate for White'ssmallmateriatadvantage.
 l he 7arru"-ch I'brmltla

34.Kc2Rcsl?
Trying
lo shiftmoreand moreproblemsontolhe opponent's
shouldels.
35.a6Qb4l
BlacksQueenis nowobviouslya very strongpiece.

36.b3Qa3l
Capablanca wouldnot b€ pteasodwiththo continuation36...exh437.Kb2.
lfyouarefishingandthe fish startto bite,do not announcea lunchbreak!

37,0d4Qa2+38.Kd3Oxa6+39.Ke3Rc7
NowthatBlackhas regainedthe lost pawn,he hasthe advantage thanksto
lhemoreactivelocationof his pieces.The initiatjveis in his hands.

abc d e f

H,7 V z
7t ZLV.,:.L
2L"/&.L7t
/Z Et 7z
a'&. '&.A7/2..
7 72H7LrL

l',l1
 'I'heIartuschFormula

40.c4
to solvehis problemswithtactics.
Attempting

40...dxc44l,Rc2 Qa342.Rc3Qb2l?
HereBlack'sQueenis likehaving'a goatin tho kitchongarden."

43.bxc4
Not43.Rxc4?Qxb3+.

43...Oxg24,{.c5
Aftefthis Blackcan demonstrate
a forcedwin, but in any caseBlackwould
havea clearadvantage.However,il is stillnecessary for Blackto calculaL
variationsaccu€tely.

%
'Zt 'T,o
ry,.ryL,%L
% 7z
''e '&,L% I
M%
%'ru .ffiA%.
% %%v

,l4...QOl+
45.Kd3Odl+ 46.Ko3
Blackwinsthe Queenafter46.Kc4Oa4+47.Kd3Rd7.

46,,,t4+147.Ko4
The afternative is 47.Qxf4Rd748.Qc,{Qe1+| (Lesstavorablefot Blacktul
sti adequatefor a win would be 48...Qd2+ 49.Ke4Rt7 when the thred
...Rf4# torces 50.Re3.Black's atta* on the exposedWhiteKing is decislur
aftat 50...Qd8!;for example, Rf4+!52.Kxf4 Qxh4+torcosthercdt
53.Q94./and now White loses his Rook (49.Qe2Qxc3+)becauso49.(ll
'1.QxeO
getsrnatedwith49...R1/+50.Ks5Rts#.

47...Os2+ilE.lftf,{ Osl I
Zugzwang!

49.K95
White'saltomativesare no betler:llg.lQqgQxh4#;49.Re3Qxh4#;4glQgl
Rr/+ 50.K95Qg3+51.Q94Rfs#.

t72
 '1
TheTanasch Formula

49...Rf/0-1
Thankyo! verymuch,Mr. Capablanca!

(42)Capablanca
- Treybat[D301
Carlsbad.
1929

Chemothorapy

l.d4 d5 2.c4c6 3.Nf306 4.895Be7?t

In playingthis weakmove Blackaspircsto nothingmorc thanexchanging
as many pieces a6 possibte, without consideringttre long_tirm
consequencos involved.Butaftefthe exchangeof Bishopson e7, Whitewitl
be able to applythe TaffaschFormulaagainslBtack'sother BishoD.Th€
cancerousweaknessof Blacks dark sqljaresspreadsacrosshis whole
position,while his imprisonedtighl-squaredBishopis forcedto endure
exlensive "chemotherapy."

5.Bre7QxeT6.Nbd2t5 7.e3Ndz E.Bd3Nh6?l

Treybaldoesnol findthe mostactiveptan.Betterwas8...Ngf69_O-O
Ne4.
9.0.00-0 t0"Qc2 96 tt.Rabl Nf6 12.Ne5Nf/ 13.f4 Bd7 14.Ndt3RfdE
t5.b4BeEl6.Rfcl ac
Nowall Black'shopesare basedonlyon passivedefense.

l7.Qt2Nxes l8.Nxes Nd7

H L:'4€
I %Ary. %
7Z,,1
I tT, L"/2 I
7 ,,&.
%t ffi.t%
..&,
A"&.
2 7Zs
A2
,z'&/,w
7'
A
f?

t9.ltf3l
Exchanging KnightswouldclearlyeaseBlack'sdefense.Whiteis consistent
in his exploitationof Btack'sweak dark squares.In removingthe Knight

173
 I he 'lsftaschhbrmula

from his "ideal" positionon e5, Capablancadefinesits lole as that of

White'smainreservein the future.Black'sminoroiecesarc bothrcduced in
powercomparedto theirwhite counteQans, and it is likelythatthere-entry
of White'sknightintothe gameat a laterpoinlwill be decisive.

19...RdcB 20.c5
Whites strategicplan was defined by the exchangeof dark-squared
Bishopson the fifth move.He will ancrease his grip on the darksquares
by
gainingspace,whichin turn will resuliin "politicaland economicisolelion"
for the opponent'suselessBishop.

20...Nf62l.a/t N94 22.Qel Nh6 23.h3Nfl 24.94Bd7 25.Rc2KhE26.R92

Rg827.95

abcd€lgh

ab
27...Qd828.h4 Kg7 29.h5
AD

a 8
7 7
6 6
5 5

3 3
2 2
1 I

t7 4
 'l he ,lbfta"-ch l,'ornulo

29...Rh8
The.conclusionof the game is still many moves away,
but Black,sposilion
is aheadytost.The questionis not.What will happ;n?,,tut
"Wtre?,wiiiii
h-appen?"From this point White ctemonslratesgrcel palience.
advanlage is of a permanentnaturebecauselhereis nothingBlack His
lo atterthecourseof the game,so Whitedoesnot have cand;
to b; in any h;rry.
30.Rn2
9c7 31.ec3Od632.Kf2ec7 33.Rbh1RagE34.OatRb835.ea3
RbsE36.b51axb5
Blackdoes.nol ptay 36...ea5?becalse 37.b6ttraps
lhe eueent Btack
wouldbe helplessto preventthe winningmaneuverNt3_d2_b3.

37,h6+l?Kfg 38.axb5Ke7 39.b6eb8 40,Ra1

7
6
5

Anrmpressive
paintinglBlackis searchingin vainfor,,the
fifthcorner.,,
40.-Rc841.Qb4RhdS42.Ra7Kt843.Rh1BeB,t4.Rha1
Kg8,t5.R1a4
Kfg
46.0a3Ks84t.Rs3Bd74E.Kh4
Kh849.ea.tKsE;;.i;3 ffi;;li;;
yL,l"--T: 1 decisiveattackagainstthe b7_pawn.Noticethat Btack,s
crampeo p€cesareunableto coordinale
fordefense.

17 5
 7he ! dftdsch ],brmula

8 I A a
7 I 7 2 A7
...& 7
6 I 7 I '.2/./t 6
5
'.///.,& ,e I 7t L/& 5

EI '/t
4
't&,.
,4./,,..A
3 '/t'r/,.:r. & & Q://z 3
2 6 2
"/,,//, .:/,/.
1

52.Nd2!Bd753.Nb3ReE5,l.Na5Nd8
This Knighls unhappylife hasfolloweda lwistedpath(Nb8-d7j6-94-h6-fi-
d8) Nowhetries unsuccessfully to relurnin timeto avedtrcubleal home.

8 8
7 7
6 6
5 5

3 3
2 2
1 1

55.BaGl
Also good enoughto win wouldbe 55.Nxb7NxbT56.8a6,blt lhe mov6
playedin the gameis stronqer.

55...bxa656.Rxd7Re757.Rxd8+l 1-0
Thus Black'storturedKnighl has not copedwilh an excessivelask,and
perisheswithoutglory.Black resignednowin viewof 57...RxdB
58.Nxc6.

1'76
 .
The Tarrasch l;bnh l.t

(43)Alekhine- Nimzowitsch[C171
SanRemo,1930

SpaceAdvantage

1.e4eO2.d4d5 3.Nc3Bb4,t.esc5 S.Bd2

An interesting
decision.Usualinsteadis 5.a3 Bxc3+6.bxc3,blt Alekhine
doesnot givehis opponenta chanceto createpreconditions
for employing
a blockac,estrategy against doubled pawns, a situatronin wi]ici
Nrmzowitschercelled.

5...Ne76.Nb5Bxd2+7.Qxd20-0 8.c3

8 8
7 7
6 6
5 5

3 3
2 2
1 1

8...b6?!
Betlerchanceswereofferedby 8...NfS.

9,f4Ba6l0.Nf3Qd7'll.a4Nbc6

l'1'7
 'Ihe Tarrcschl irrmula

12.b41
An unpleasanlsurprisefor Black. Alekhinemakes practicaluse of lhe
Taffasch Formula against one of ils most formidable exponenls,
Grandmaster Nimzowitsch.Black expectedlhal after provokinga2-a4he
wouldbe ableto lransferhisKnighlviaa5lo c4.While'slaslmovedep ves
thispreceof thechancelo raiseitsvaluewithsucha maneuver.

12...cxb413.cxb4Bb7
Black'sprcblemswouldnot be solvedafler 13...8xb514.axb5because
Whilewouldhavemorespace,openlinesandclearpointsof allackonthe
open a- and c-files.Blacks Knighlswould be pushedbackward,andh6
posilion
wouldbecomeevenmorecramped.
't4.Nd6

EE@
rE gr hrar
laar '

178
 Tht I arra:th I'ctrmula

14...157
Necessarywas 14...a5,tryingto gaina litte mofesDace.

l5.a5l Nc8 l6.Nxb7 QxbT i7.a6 Ofl

Blackcannotgain freedomwith 17...ee7?because18.8b5Nxb4 19.Rb1
wtnsa prece.

l8.Bb5N6e719.0-0hO2o.Rfc,tRtcg 2t.Rc2
W-hile's.
intenlionsare clear: he plansa decisivebuildupalongthe c_file.
AlthoughBlackhas sufficienltime for defensivemaneuve.s,h; tacksthe
spaceto cary themout.This is a typicelrosultoflhe successful
applicetion
oftheTarraschFormula:the reduclionin powerof a singlepiece;tiects his
enlrrearmy.In lhis caseBlackis slarvedfoaspace,and his overa lack of
mobility
finallyresultsin zugzwang.

abcde

E% .r//z&
tll:z
'* A% L,z
6 ^gt"*.
"&L%
.&,% t
'13,'&
% %6%
%H M '%a

21...Qe8
Elackcan exchangeRooks with 2.l...NdB22.Racl Rxc2 23.Rxc2 RcX
24.Rxc8Nxc8,but after25.Qc3Ne726_ec7White'sinvasionon the c-fite
stilldecidesthe game.

22.Rac1
Rab823.Qe3Rc7 24.Rc3ed7 25.Ric2 KfE26.ecl Rbc8

t79
 'l he Tarrasch Fbrnula

a z''/,/t'w
,ruw^ a
7
K 7
6 a 2 t7
'/*_ 6
6
/&2L' ,l &L7
5 5
4
''/&, '/&
3 ,H. 767/t 3
,,,/,',
2 H2 2a
'W 2
l 7, tg'.
27-Sa4l?
White has strengthenodhis positionas much as possible,and now
threatensb4-b5. Blacktries to gaintime to protecthis Rookwithhis Kino
a pawn.
by sacrilicing

27...b528.BxbsKeg 29.Ba,lKd8 30.h,ll

Blackis now reducedto pawnmoves,and oncelhoy a.e exhausled
hewill
be in zugzwang.Forexample,after...Qe8Whilewinswithb4 b5.

8
7
6
5
4
3
2
1

30...h53l.Kh2r?
is "nervous"in anlicipating
His Royall\4ajesty the opponent's
capitulataon.

31...9032.931-0

18 0
 7he TarraschFormula

(44)Ubilava- Timoschenko[8301
ussR,1974
ExtremeMea$urea
'1.e4c5 2,Nf3Nc6 3.8b5 06,1.0.0NgoT5.Nc3a6 6.Bxc6Nxc6?.d4 cxd4
8.l,lxd,td6 9.IxcG
Whitehandlesthe openingin an !nusualmanner.The exchang€of Knights
on c6 bringsmore Black pawnstowardthe center,but it also frees the
Queenfrom d€fendinglhe Knighton d4 so thal she can kav€t on the
kingside in searchof adventur€!
g,..bxc6 lo.Qh5gO11.Qh3RbE?l
Surprisingly,
lhis naturalmoveis an error.Whiteis ablelo makouse of the
lactthatthe Rookon bBis unprotected. Beneris 11...8g7.

l2.RdlB9713.Os3Be5
Whitewouldslandwellafrer13.__e5 14.b3,andof course13...d5?
is bad
becauseof | 4.Qxb8lNowit's clearwhy 11...Rb8wasan error.

o
LryI.,4
% L7'
I 7zt'*, ,t&
I 72t
%.r/Z tlz
%'tz .ra4.
'ffi A
7 ,&, %,r&a ryt.
A A'%
'&H

t4.Qxe5l
Thebeginningof an olegantand far-sightedtacticaloperationbasedon
puttingBlackin zugzwang.

l4...dxe51s,RxdE+KxdSl6.Bg5+ Ke8
Verybad is 16...Kd717.Rd1+Ke8 1B.Rd8#,and 1O...tKqZ givesWhitea
winninggrip on the positionafter 17.8f6Bd7 18.Bxe5+Kb7.lg_RdlRhdS
20.Bxb8 KxbS21.Na4Kc722.NcsBc823.RxdBKxdS24.e5+-.

l8l
 The TarraschFortkula

17.BfG RgE
Blackis now virtuallya Rook downunlesshe can somehowactivaleftis
piece.

r8.RdrBd7
Noticehow the "incurableTarraschillness"expandsfrom one Blackpioca
to another,untilfinallythe epidemicinfectsthe entireblackkingdomintho
formof zugzwang.

ab rgn
8 Xt 7tg H 8
7
vtL'/zI 7zl
'&
7
6 I7zLTlt,.,'L
I I
'2
6
5
7 7t 5
7t It A 7t 4
3
7 ffi lt 'a&/2 3
2 A "BtL 2 A 2
1 ./ Y. ,4i
H. 1
ab rgn

19.Na4Rb420.Nc5Rd421.Rxd,l
The sole blackpiecenot affectedby illnessdisappears,
afterwhichBlacl
can oaretymove.

21.--exd622.h41
Infectiolspatientsshouldbe isolated.This makessuaethat the Rookcan
neverescaDe.

22...e5
23.f3Be624.b3a5 25.94h5 26.95
Fromall Black'spieces,only his Bishopis sti watking.

182
 7ht larrasth ltornula

8 I
7 7
6 6
5 5

3 3
2 2
1 1

26...8h327.Kf2 Rf8 28.Ke2 Rg8 29.a4 Rf8 30.b41axb4 31.a5 Bc8 32.Kd3
Rg8 33.Kc4O l-0

rsn
8 8
l 7

6 6
5 5
4
3 3
'::',
2 2
1 1
rsn

Noweventhe Bishopcannolmove.His suffe ng is so extremethal Black

resignedthis positionratherthanwaitingfor the followrngto occur:

33...RI834.Kxb4Rg8 35.Ka3RfB
TheRookworkslikea clock,simplymarkingtime.

36.Kb2Rg8 37.Kc1RfB 38-Kd2Rg8 39.Kel Rf8 40.Kf2Rg8 41.Kg3Rf8

42.f4erf,l+ 43.1Gf4RgB44.Ke5
NowWhite'sKingfunctionsas a hospilalatlendant,and hastensto pick up
ih e dead.

t83
 The Tdrrasch Forml a

,l4...RfE45.KdGRg8 46.Kc7

L7t@ '"././t
I

'&. t I
'/ttL'//.,'/.//,
'/.6jtI
'h '&
t L* '/./..,/.
''/t '/,/,,:,- 't/2,
alatL t '//,
///a.

And aftercapturingthe BishopWhitewillpromotehis a-pawn.

(45)Palatnik- Popov[Dl1l
Leningrad,
1976

Do Not Hurryl

1.Nf3Nt6 2.c4 c6 3.d4 d5 4.Oc2

Even at lhis earlystageof the game White has in mindto "hunt"Black's
lighl-squaredBishop.Black'sinitialpawnmovesonlo lightsquaresarenol
friendlyin relationlo this piece,and now by coveringthe fs-square
lho
WhiteQueenalsoaddsher voicein prclestagainstthe Bishop'sactivily.

4...96
Blackpe|sistsin the desireto develophis Bishopon f5, but the g6-pawn
willmakehis staylhere!ncomfortable.

5.8t4 Bfs 6.Ob3QbG7.e3NaG

This Knight's"lawful"squareon c6 was stolenat the very beginning
ofth€
game, so his desireto find anotherlocationfor aclive businessis quit€
understandable.

8.Nc3

184
 lht la arh li,rnxht

ab rg h
8 E::. .gA a
7 ll A l ;l 7
6 a gr ar 6
5
AE 5
4 AA A
3 gA AA 3
2 AA
AAA 2
Ff
1 .! ..1- l\ cle
E_H, /{ 1
rgn

E...Qxb3
Theattempt10 createconcrelethrealsimrnediately
with lhe Knightwould
comelo nothing:
8...Nb4
I c5 Qas(9...Ncz+ /0.exc2)1O.Rclr. '
g.axb3
Nb410.Ra4t?
BecauseRooksloveopenlines,Whiteprefers
thismoveover1O.Rc1.
10...Nd3+
Urplayable
are lo...Nq&? 11.Kd2and1O--clO?
1t.Be5.
11.Brd3Bxd3

8 a
7 7
6 6
5 5
4 4
3 3
2 2
1 1

t85
 TheTarraschFormxla

12,Besl
The threatlo win th€ ds-pawncompelsBlackto srchangepawns
afrerrrhichthe pawnstruclur€favoBWhite.
12...dxc,|
l3.bxc,tBg7l4.Kd28f515.Rhsta6

I I
%I % ry.t"'& 'ffit I
l %L'/Zz
%. % "'&t%
??
at %'ffi
A"&,,&a%'%z,o
,,&,'ffi. ,&t

l6.Rb,al
In the gameCapablanca-Tr€ybal ther6was onlyone openfi16
heavypl€ce8,butlt wasqult€€noughto onableWhtt€to wlnth6r
thlsgam€Whitssucc€ed3 In maklnou8eof the b-fileIn en
thatlmmedlately
dispelsanyillusions
Blackmayhav€aboulhl3
Ectlv€play.
16...Bct
WlthoutthlamoveBlackcannot|strainiho b7-pawnbecEus6ll
m8brlalaft6r 17.cxb5cxbs l8.Rxbs,wh e 10-,Ge0,t7.Na4
Nb6#)ls voryunploa6ant
br Black,
l7.Na4ilc+i tt.Ko2 BxcS
Thls sxchangeis torc€dbscause18...0.0allows,tg.Nb6Ra7
wlnnlngth€trappodRook,
19. x€5ildO20, b0 Rbt
Despllehlsobvlousadvantagc, Whltehasno forc€dvvlnlmmedl
task thorBforois to flnd e vyayto mak6 hls posl0onevon bsttlr.
Oen9ral rulo,ln slch po3itions
lt ls notEdvlsabio
io hurry.Bgc€usr
hasI stable,clsarlydrtinodsdvarage,ho cantakr his moand
Frequgntlyin suchsltuatlon3th6defendsrwlllhastsnhlsowfldeflat.
 t
7hc Tarra'chtbrnula

&tz
t7/zt,/&
I % L2 I
LA 'ffi%t
I ffi...2
7Z
.w.L'&, '/z
.&%.z, ''& %
&'&L
gh

2l.t3t?
Whiteproceedswith scientificlogic.This mov6incaeases
his contfolof the
center,placespawnson the samocolores the enomyBishop,and further
reslriclslhe mobilityof the enemy'sforces.

2't...f6
Blackcannotmobilizewith 21...0-0becauseof 22.Ned7BxdT23.Nxd7with
a fork.

22.Id3
ThisKnightwilllind otherlodgingto be at leastas comfortabte
as e5.
x2,,.Kda
TheKingpersonally
attendsto questionsof safetyon th6 qu€€nside.

23.e,1
Kc7 24.Nc5R6E
Nowhowcan Whitecontinueto improv€his position?

t8'7
 The TarraschFormula

25.Rcll
In ord6rto determln€th6heslthof Black'sKlng,lt wlllbo uslfult0
anx-rayonthe o.flle.
25...o020,Rc3l?
Oonothurryl
26....5
Blacki8 sufl6dngtmm I sevsrgshortagoIn fr€edomof movemor
Rb8,Bc8,or Nd6),sohed€cld€s to br€akih€posl0onop6n.
27,65l5

,,,mL
8'%
'%t
*%

18 8
 TheTa aschFormula

2E.h3t
theplanof r€stralnlng
Continulng th€ Bc8in accordance
withthgTarrasch
Fomula.
2E...cxd5?l
Blacklos€spationce €nd playsa loslngmove.Whenwe advisedagainst
boingln a hurry.thlsls th6typlcaldevelopment
of evenlsw€ hedln;ind.
tslack's
nervaswasnot€quglto th6 taskof prolonged def€ns€; howovsr,
th6 posltlonwas very closeto zuozwang In any avent,and r€ssonable
moves for Blackw€rehad to flnd_
29.i{xd5+
Alsopossible
wa829,cxd5
Nbs30.RxbS
axbs31,NcdZ+t
Kd632.Nxb8+-.
29...Kco
Th6KingstepsfoMard to me€thls desflnytThe alt€.naflv€was also not
sppealing:
29...Kd830.Rb6Nl/ 3t.RtB (o/ 3t.Nxa6 RaEg2.Nac7+-)
31...Nh6
32.Rd6+Bd733.Rxd7+KcB34.Nb6#.
30.Rb6+
l(xcs3t.b,t+Kd432.Rd3+
r\xc,t33. 03*

(46)Karpov- Rlbli IA38l

Amst€fdam,
I 980
ToTradoor oi?
Th€.hop6s Blackplac€don slmplific.on of the position
w€ranotjusiified
Inthisgame.Despite thereduc€dmaterlal,Whltesucceods 6 la TEnssch
in
'bringingdownthe prtce'of th6 opponent's Rook.Afler forcingBteck's
pieoos intopasstvgposlons,lty'hfie
wasth€nsbleto atfangea ch€erful
'yardssl€'of th€oppon6nt,s
man.

1.5 g_5?.NIg!f.6 3:Nc3{c6 4.s3 d5 5.cxd5Nxds6.8e206 7.0.0Bs7

E. xds Qxds9.d3G0 l0.Bs3 Bd7 fi,Id,a ed6 l2.Xxc6Blc6 l3.Bx;6
tuc€ l4.Rcl OeOl5.Rrc5Qxa2l6.Rb5b0l7.O8l

189
 e
7/z '&I L/.
'.,L,7t 7t I
E',lt 7 7t
'/./t 7t '/t_
7t8''/& .,,&'.
'8- ''r./2.,.n
B:
g

17...Qxa1?l
ShouldBlackkeepthe Queenson the boardor not? Blackcomesupwilh
the wronganswer.l the endingmanybasicdangersawaithimi in fact,th€
best he can hopefor is a Rookendingwith four Blackpawnsagainstfive
Whitepawnson the kingside.Preferable
was '17...Qe6.

18.Rxa1 RtbS
Nowthe a8-squarewill sim!ltaneousty be the birthptace
of the BlackRook
as wellas the locationof its oainfuldeath

19.Ra6Kf820.Rb4Bes2l.Rba4b5
lf instead
21...8xb2
thenWhitereDlies
22.8xb6.

22.Ra2Rb7 23.b31?
Whitecontinuesq!ietly to strenglhenthe position,not givingthe opponenl
lhe chanceto exchangeoff the immobileRa8 evenat the costof a pawn.
Aftet23.Bxa7?lBxtt224.Rxb2RaxaT25.Rxa7RxaT26.Rxb5Whitewoltd
ernergea pawnaheadbut wouldencounlermanydifficulties in winning.
Bll
atterthe moveplayed,Blackhas littlechoacebut to buryhasBishoDalsoin
tryingto defenda7.

23...8b8
Justa littlernorecementandthe cryptwillbe ready.

190
 I
The TarraschForm la

I
24.8c5Ke825,d4Kd7 26..4 e6 27,b4
Blackmostlikelywillnot be in timeto die beforethe funeral. fl
u
I

Iil

27...Kc828.d5exd5 29.exd5Rd7 30.d6

Black'sillnesshas followeda familiarprogression. Filst one of his pieces
catchesa cold,thenthe anfection spreadsto lhe entirearmy.Laterpafalysis
setsin. The positionat hand is like the final stage,whenthe soulsof the
deadsoldiersare escortedintothe nextlife by anoelsof zugzwang.

i
l9t j
 The Taftasch Fomula

I
,,*

w
%l7%zL
.,&
%
% ffi %
%%
/%%
%
FI
rl %'" &

30...Rd13l.Xe2Kd732.Re2
Whit€vldually
hasan6xtraRookandBl8hoD.
32.,,KcE 33.Re7Rd734.Ra2
rs
lf 34...Bxd6
35.Rxd7
KxdT36.Rd2
wtnsmateriat.
35.Rc21.0

(471lshe.,M - guort589
Int6rnet
ChessClub,2002
Decl!lvolmprovemsnl
aocd€tqh

% '* 're /&

L"t* ruL%h
%81* ',&
'%A%6%/&
A',%# ',&a
8?%2
 'l he'laffdsch |brm la

Whilehas beenwaginga campaignagainstBlack'sdark-squaredbishop.

Forcingas manyof Black'spawnsas possibleonto darksquareshas the
lwinbenefitsof restricting
the mobilityof Black'sBishopas wellas crealing
weaknesses on the light squares.Despitethe long open diagonala1-h8,
lhe Bishopon 97 servesno usefulfunction.White'slask nowis to continue
lo imprcvehis position.

29.a4
Thethreatof a4-a5 is very!npleasant.Black'sreplyis forced.

29...a5
NowWhite'sKnightcan relocateto b5 whereit willattackthe backwardc7-
pawn,thusreslrictingBlack'spiecesevenmo.e.

Ke73l.Nb5Kd832.Nd4
30.Nc3
Heading
for an evenstrongeroulposton f5.

32...Ne7 33.Ke4Ndz
Black'sfirstsignof life:he threalensto estabiisha Knighton c5.Whiternust
nolallowthisto happen.

34.Bxd7KxdT35.Nf5Bf8 36.Nre7KxeT37.Kf5Kfl 38,8c3Be7

Blackis nearlyin zugzwangnow,but the problemremainsof howto break
downhis lastlineof defense.

axb440.Bxb4Bf6 4'1.a5bxas 42.Bxa5Bd8 43.94O ,1.0

39.b41
AnyBlackmovewilllosematerial.

193
 The Tarasch Fottrulo

Exerciso23
abcdefqh

%z'"/m%V
I
7
71 /r. 7zr-L%
% 72, %t
7r, %%v
%% 7z,Yl(,
4

% % '%2,
%%%
1
abcd€lgh
Whit6to mov6& wtn
l.Oe7+ Qe5 [1...95?2.Oel+ Qg3+ 3.Qxg3#l2.Q.4+ Oga
zugzwang.
3...s5[3...O95
4.Oh3#;
3...QtS
4.O93#l,t.Ost+
Og3l I

Exorcba24
abod€tgh
I I
7 7

'7,7,K2
.m,
% vz
% %L'tr
%t
n %%ru
4
3
2
I
%% %e
I
ab0dofgh
Whlt€mahsInfour
l.Rh3+grhS+2,Kf3g+r 3.Kf493 4.hxg3*

t94
 IhL lhrrurh l,irnulLr

Exercise25

8 8
7 7
6 6
5 5
4
3 3
2 2
1 l

Blackto move& wtrr

'1...Ke3
Thethreatof ...Kf2followedby ...Rd1and ...892#cannotbo
answered adequately.Forexample,2.Rxg5Rdl+ 3.Rgl Kf2 4.Rxdl Bg2#

Exercise26

I 6.| g,/, 8
7 '.:2.;
7tLlt 7t 7
6 LZL'&' '' 6
.&. /& 7/2.
5 7, 5
4
2 % ,.t6
tlt2 7 t_ 7
3 3
2
7t ",/t 2
I l
abcdelgh

Kling,1851
Gorvitz,

t.Kg7 Bb7 2.Nf6+Kd8 3.Kf8 BaE/t.Ng8Bb7 5.[h6 BaE[5...8c86.Nfl#]

6.Nf/+Kc8 7.Ke8Bb7 8.Ne5Ba8 9.N96Kb7 19...8b7 10.Ne7#l 10.Kd8
Ka71l.Kc7Bb712.NhgBa8 l3.Nfl Bb7'l4.Nd8Bag15.Kc8+-1.0

195
 The TarraschFornula

Exerciae27

% % "ffi "'ffih
%%%%
Kr''*'*'*
%%
%%
abcd€tgh
ZakhodJaklne
l.RaolXg6[1...Nf8
2.f5Nh7(2...K9e3.RaO
Bg74.fOAh66.f7++-)3.
2.Rat+Kc7S.RxhEl KrhE/a.Kf7+-1.0

Erarcise28

&% t
%
%%.%
%%
m%.%
'"ru%,m%'"r2,
e
e0coetgh
Rtnk,,t93S
1.Ba,rll1.Bg4+?Kc7 2.8f5Nb3l1,,,Kc72.1<.7KcE3,Kb6KdE[3..
4.Bd7lNb35.8d6+KaB6.8c6#l 1-0
'l,Kb?+-

t96
 The ThrraschFormltla

Erercise29

%%72, 7

% %AffiE 6

%%% 5

%%7.2 4

%72% 3

%%% 2

abcdslgh
% 1

Ametung,
1896
r.Nd5Kg6 2.Ne7+Kh6 3.Bo3r{f4+[3...NfE+
4.Kh6]4.Kh6No65.8t2 No7
6.Ael+-1.0

Exercise30

'',2%%
7272
'ffi,
'''2%L%sffi
& "ffit
%%%% T,
A% "2 ,
abcdefgh
culko - Petkeviech,
USSR1975
'The winningidea in this positionwas my discovery,whichcausedmy
gratetulfriend Boris Gulko to give it the nickname,palatnikLasso.,in
reference to the loopingmaneuverof the WhiteBishopthat roducesBlack
lo zugzwang." (Palatnik)l.Ke3 Nh3 2.Bh7tKg7 [2...N9S 3.8q8]3.Bd3l
Kf64.Btl Ng5 5.892 Ke6 6.Kf4+- Nfl Z.g51-O

t97
 The TarraschFormula

Exercise31

./ffi.'ry
% %L%
%%
%%' % t
%%%
%' ' f% %L'/4
f i %%
% % %262
Troitsky,1912

1.KdEBft 2.Kxs7Bxh5 3.Nf4l96 4. e2+ Kd3 5.Nq3Kc4 6.KdG

7.Kd5Ka68.Kc6Ka59.8c5Ka4[9...Ka6 10.8b6+-]l0.Kb6Kb3fi.
Kc3'l2.Bb6Kd3Il2...Kb313.Ba5l
l3.Kb4Kc2l4.Kc4Kd215.8d4
'i6.Bc3Kdl 17.Kb3Kcl 1E.Bb4Kbl [18...Kd1 19.Kb2l
t9.Br3
20.BclKbl 2l.Bb2+-1.0
 f he lanasch I'brn ld

ChapterSix
Philidor,sDefenseRevisited

I\,lanynew openingideas appearas tacticalcorrectionsto well-known

variations,with or withoutchangingthearstrategiccontent.Less often
appearnew ideaswith a new, solf-reliantstrategiccontext:for example,
the BenkoGambil.The basicmethodof findingnew openingideasat the
presenttime is to searchfor the most imporlanlmoves,wiih lhe goal of
betteringand slrengthonang
yourposition.However,this is onlyone;ide of
mecotn.

0n the otherside,the mosl interestirrgand delicatework is the searchfor

way$to highlightthe weakside of the opponent'smoves.The essenceof
thrsmethodis to findwaysto makeyourown movesmoreimportantfor the
development of evenls,and alsohowto turnth€ gamein a directionso that
themoves(or evenjust one move)of youropponentwill becomenot very
mporlat. Thtslurn ot evenlsts nol alwayseasyto crealeHowever, it;
workable idears foLnd.and to it we adcterroughanalyticwork.shongwilt.
andunexpectedness of novellies,then we are jlstified in expectinggood
practical
rcsults.This is lhe wholereasonto searchfor newopeningidJas.

Inthischapter,we willshowthismethodat work,firstin the development

of
a newopeningideaandthenthe resultsof its usagein pfactice.

Philidor's
Conceot

ln considering
pawnplay as a skategicelemenl,one may reasonably ask.
Underwhatcondittons is it possibleto makebestuse of pawns?Thos; who
are accustomedlo usingpawnssimplyas lirewood (sacrillctng them to
createattackingchances)wi havedifficultyanswering this questi6n.
ChesshistoryrecogniTes an oLtstanding chessptayerof lhe past.Frar|cois
as a greatexpertin pawnplay He is best knownlor lhe lamous
Pnirroor.
observation that "Pawnsare the soul of chess.',philidorwas far aheadof
hrstime in undeBtandinghow muchcan be achievedby thesemostbrave
battleunits.
Philidortaught that the pawns should be used first of a aqainstthe
opponent s pieces.by limitrngtheirmobilityand alsoprotectingsarategically
rmportant squafesfrom inhusion.philidofwas a precursorof Dr. Taffasch
in his use of pawnsto decreasethe powerof enemypieces,knowingthat

199
 me TaftaschFomula

reducing of evenonepiececdnl€adto a declineof

ths strength
opposingarmy.
Followinghistheorelic€lconclusions,
Philidordevelopedand
openingsystemthat now caffi€shis nam€,in whichthe basich0
futuresucc€sstul
d€v€lopmentot the gamewasthe opposition
ot
pawnonc6lo th€whiteKnightc3.
abcdetgh

L'% '%try.L
%L % % %
%.',r%".,ffi"
%
% %^%
%ffi%%"'&,A
A'&L%
ebcdetgh

In thls way ths Blackplayorin Philidor'sDefen8ehopoEb

ambitionsof thg c3-Knlght,
Thlsorlginslidoa- restdcting
he
pieceswithpa',rins
- i8a common Stralegicthemein many
openings.For example,in ths NajdorfVariationof the Siclllan
(1.e4c5 2.Nf3dO3.d4cxd44.Nxd4Nf6 5.Nc3a6 6.895€6 7.I4
Qc79.0-0-0NbdT),Blackalsoselsup hlspawnstructura
to
c3-Knight;

t %L%zt% ,m
%L,ryAT&L
I % "MLffi .r&
%."%,.'%"
%. ffi^m.
'ffi
% %v%
A '&,A%%A
ruE'%9
 'Ihe lbrra:ch Fbrnulu

Philidor'sOriginalDefense

TakingPhilidofsofiginalconceptas a starlinOpoint,is it possiblelo revive

Phiiador's
Defenseas a viablemodernopeningsystem?Theorelically lhe
answershouldbe yes; however,analysisof the move order1.e4e5 2.Nt3
d6 3.d4confimsthatWhitecanexpectto obtaina significantadvantage. In
particular,Black'sweak spot on l/ createsmany attackingchancesfor
While becausehe can play Bc4 before Black can preparelo castle.
However, lhis is essentiallya problemof moveorder.lf Blackcouidreach
lhe basicpositionof Philidor'sDefensethrougha differenlsequenceof
moves,he wouldhavegoodchanceslo pul Philidor's originaldefensive
concept in play.Blackcouldapplylhe Tarrasch FormulaagainstWhiles
Knighlon c3 with ..c7-c6,followedeventuallyby queenside expansionwith
...b7-b5-b4.

TheNeo-PhilidorDefense

Phrlidor's
Defensecan alsobe reachedvia the moveorder'1.e4 d6 2.d4
Nt63.Nc3,and nowthereis no reasonwhy Blackcannotplay3...Nbd7.
After4.Nf3e5 5.8c4 Be7 Blackis readyto castle,andthe defenseof fi is
not a problem.This order of moves we have namedlhe Neo-Philiator
Deferse.

ThePalatnikGambit

CanWhitedeviatefrom this sequence?The only'punishment" for Black's

move order (1,e4 d6 2.d4 Nf6 3.Nc3 NbdT) is 4.f41?.However,this
ambitiousattackingmove is not withoutits drawbacks.White spendsan
importanttempo on anotherpawn move mtherthan developinga piece.
The f4-pawnblocksthe c1-h6 diagonalfor developingthe dark-squared
Bishop,and movingthe pawnfrom f2 also createspotentiallyweakdark
Euaresin White'skingside.
After4...eS5.Nf3exd4 6.Qxd4c6 7.Bc4l?Blackhasan inleresting gambit
conlinuationai his disposal:7...d51This is the startingpositionof the
PalatnikGambit. Acceptingthe sacrificewith8.exd5Bc5 9.Qd30-0 gives
Blackexcellentchances.

The followinggames by GM Palatnik,in which Black utilizesthe Neo-

PhilidorDefensemoveorder.showhowthe connectionbetweenPhilidor's
originalconceptand the TanaschFormulacan be moldedinto a viable
opening systemfof the secondplayer.At the end of lhis chapterwepresent
some originalopening analysisof the Palatnikcambit. Althoughnot
exhaustive, this analysisshowsmorc of Bleck'smain ideesin action.Our
goalis to demonstrate that it is possiblefor Blackto channellhe gameinto
palhsthatemphasize the disadvantages of White'sopeningsetup.

201
 Thc'ldrr.tlch l.brmula

(48)Melvin- Palatnik[8071
Nashville,
1994

1.e4Nf6 2.Nc3d6 3.d4 NbdT 4.f4

A crilical reaclion. Less ambitious bul more usual is 4.Nf3 e5 5.8c4Be7
transposing lo the main lineof PhilidoisDefense.

E: 3 .9 @3 . t
.rll1 \llll
IA
AAA
6
AAA AA
tr gg€-Q=Atr
4...e55.Nf3
For the conlinuahon5.txe5 dxes 6 dxe5 Nxes 7.Qxd8+ Kxd8., see
Palatnik-Meadows(Garne53 below).

5...exd46.Qxd4
ll 6.Nxd496 7 Be2 Bq78.0-00-0 and Blackcan expectcounteplayagainsl

6...c67.8c4
Thjs posiliofl dernandsattenlion fi|st of all because of the "defianl
ol the wh e pieces
arrogaflce"

ldeally Blacks answer to this challengeshould sornehowreveala

weaknessin the mightyqroupnrgof while piecesand pawnsin thecenlor
With this in rnird, the analysisof this positionfocuseson howlo discr8dit
Whites achievernents of the rnovef2-f4. Current'publicopinionfavorsthh
rnove becauseof its boldness,resolutenessand strong influenco on
rnanagement of the center. However,tomorrowit rnaybe thatthemove12-
f4 willbe regardedas riskybecauseit weakensthe WhiteKing'ssafety and
thereforeis not the mostimportantrnovefor White.Criticsol the movel2-
f4 will rightlyask: Why did Whitewaste his time and energyon sLrch a
 I
The ldfta:tch Lbrnula

7...d5t?
Exploiting
the movef2-f4 beginswiththisgambit.

E.Bb3?l
Surprised,
Whitercactstimidty.The maingambattineis 8.exd5Bc5 9.ed3
0-0.

E...Bc5
9.Qd3dxe4l0,Qe2
Or 10-Nxe4Qe7 11.Nfgs0-0,when Black'ssafelycasfledKinggiveshim
theadvantage.

'10.,.0-011.N95
Qe712.8e3h6+ t3.h4t?
Whois playinga gambitnow?

TlzL o
'r*.
L7t,,2 A MT
vtL 'ffi
'&.,2z ffi
% t'.&
',&
.A JK
E-:4)
"r&.9
%
%w"/4, A
%

203
 'l he'Iit|rdsch l'1|n1tta

13-..Bxe3l4.Qxe3 Nc5l
White's positiondoes not deserve to be fewardedwith lhe attackon lhe h-
filethat he wouldobtainafter14...hx95?15.hxg5

15.Nf3N94 16.Qe2Qc7'l7.Nd2 Qxf4-+

Black has a decisivematerialand positionaladvantage.

gh

'18.0-0-0e3 19-Nf3 Nxb3+ 20.axb3 Be6 21.Rd4 Qc7 22.Ndl RaeE

23.Nxe3 Afs 24.Rxg4 Bxg4 25.Qt2 QI4 26.Rei Brf3 27-gxf3 ReG0-1

(49)Ersham- Palatnik[B07]
FaidieldGladeOpen,'l997

1.d4 Nf6 2,Nc3 d6 3.e4 NbdT 4.I4 e5 5.Nf3 exd4 6.Qxd4 c6 7.8c4 dsl?
8.exd5
While acceotsthe Dawnsacdlice

8...8c5g.Qd3 0-0
This is the basic posilion of the Palahrik Gambit i,r the Neo-Philidor
Defense At the cost of one pawn Black caslles and is ready t0 take
aclvantageof the open e_file with his Rook. Here perhaps for the firsttime
there is a big qirestionabout why While spent tirne to advancef2 f4. Asa
consequeflceof this pawn rnove, the White King cannot castle shod,and
the mobility of White s dark-squafed bishop as very lirnited.These lu/o
significanl problerns affect White's whole positior and influencelhe
effectivecoordinationof all his pieces With his next move, While prepares
to evacuatehis Kirrgtoward the queensidethowever,with hindsiqhtwe can
recognazelhat the atternpt was lnsuccessful. Clearly Whate'sslruqgles

204
 ?he TarraschFormula
I
origanate
in the fact that Black'stacticswere not only effectivebut also
unexpected.

,,4Lry T.e
L % A%,ffi
L''&.
I
7Z t%
,&A"2 V.z
,&,%
vta7t
'ffiVVz, 7
6li,
/&L?/Z 7la
??

10.8d2
Afterbreachinghis centerfomation atongth€ e-fite, it wouldbe eouallv
undesirable
for Whiteatsoto openthe b-fitofor useby a secondBtackrooi
with10.dxc6bxc6.

10...Re8+1l.Kd{ Nb6t2.b4t?
A gostureof despaidThe shadowof a blackknighthas fallenacrossthe
f2-square,andWhiteis tryingto divertBlack'spiecesfromthiswsakspot.

Insteadj2.EhOcxds+is fine for Black,and cleartyunplayablo

for Whiteis
12.dxc6? Ng4!13.Rfl Nxc414.exc4Ne3+winningthe eueon.

12...N941
l3.Rf1Ne3+l?
A cheerfulvariation 14.Rxf2Bxf2.15.Ng5
for Btackarisesafter'13._.Nf2+ 96
16.dxc6Nxc4 17.Qxc4Re1#.Of courseil is nol forced,butthis linesioirs
howclangerousBlack'sattackcanbecomeafleronlya few"natural"moves_

14.Bxe3Rxe3

205 j
 The TarraschFomula

''zLW %g
L7' 2t ',.&
ffiL/t 7t
''&_L%
'.&92 ',&2
ffiw,H67t
7/tA7Z7t A
7e''/zE
15.bxc5
Essentially
forcedbecause15-Qd2?Nxc4winsfor Black.

15...Rxd3+
16.cxd3Nxc417.dxc4Qa5
Froma purelymatedalstandpointnothingawfulhas happened.Whitestill
has enough pieces lo compensatefor losing his Queen. However,
subsequently
the fudousBlackQueenwill Meak havocin the houseof the
whileKing.

18.Rc1Qxc519.Ns4Qe320.Rc3
The psychologyof this move is readily apparcnt.White is tryinglo
demonskalelhe "invulnerabilily"
of the knight on c3, but only endsup
tdckinghimself.
Thealternalave
20.Re1losesaftef20...Qd3+ 21.Ned2Bg4.

20...Qxe41
Blackdoesnot believea singlewordfromhis opponent.

21.RelOb1+22.Kd2Oxa2+ 0.1
 'lhe'[arrarchlbrnula

(50)shiat- Paratnik
[8071
Asheville,l99T

l.e4 Nf6 2.Nc3 d6 3.d4 NbdT 4.f4 e5 5.Nf3 exd4 6.Oxd4 c6 7.e5

fg

With lhis centraladvanceWhite immediatelyhopesto benefitfrom his

centralbuildup.By playinge4-e5he not only wantsto dislodgethe Black
Knightfrom f6, but also hopesto incrcasethe scopeof his c3-knighiby
vacat,ngthe e4-square,lhus bypassinglhe restriclioncausedby Blacks
..c7-c6.In addilion,
the exchange of pawnson e5 opensthe diagonal c1_
h6lo the benefat
of White'scl-bishop.

However,exchangingpawnson e5 is nol wilhoutdisadvantaoes

for Whi1e.
Removalol the d6-pawnlrees Blacks posttionconsider;lyanclalso
increasesthe fangeof his da*-squaredBishop,whichcan nowquicklybe
'introduced"
to White'sQueenafter ...8f8-c5.

7...dre58.fxe5Bc5 9.Qh4Oe7l0.Bf4 Bb,ll

Bad is 10...N98? '11.Ne4(Or 11.Q931)
1.1...Qxh4+
12.Nxh4Be7 13.Nf5
withadvantage to White.
'l1.0-0-0Bxc3 12.exf6
lf 12.bxc3?the WhiteKingfindsan unusualsquarefor checkmate(on e4l)
after12 Oa3r t3.Kd2Ne4r 14.Kd3QxcJ+i5 Kxe4NcS#

12...8xf6l3.Qg30-0
Blackwas in time to castleand has kept an extra pawn. White cannot
createstrongthreats.

207
 me TarrcschFormula

%L%'ryt
'm.h a
7 L'/%,A L,& 7
6
%L% m
% %''ru.
%
4
%% 1
3
% %6ry
'&,8%
2
%t
",ffi,H,
2
1 9% I

11.84
Blackemergeswlth a clearadvantage
after14.BdO
Qe3+ts.Kbl
t6.Ret)16.b3
/t5...Re82 Re8.
'til...Qb4l5.Bb3Ncs
A multl-purposs move.lt opgnsup the c8-Blshop,
and also
Knightto an activ€squarewhereit can be exchang6dfor Whlb
Bishoo.
16.BdORoEl7.Rhfl NxbS+l8,axb3OS,t
Black18wlnning.
Whitehasno compensation
tor the mat6dal,
and
gtrcngthen
hisposition.

ab lgh
8 t L%r%.
7 I % '%tm A 7

%t''& ^& 6
5
%% %z
% %% ,vry
A %%6
,,&
t'% %A 2
1
ab
ffiH,?%tr
tgh
1
 TheTaraschFotmuld

lg.Rfel Bf520.Of,lBql2l.h3 Ot522.0.2 Re623.Of,Ih8t?

ThErei8 no needfor Blackto be In a hurry,andh€ choosEsa safemove
thatdigpel8
anyllluslons
abouttheweakness of hlsbackrsnk.
24.Rll Rse6l?
Ac,tlvaffno
hl8 last fss€rvesglves Btacka domtnetonpo8t0on.Th6 final
operalloni8pr€pargd,
25.Oxr7

'4. %.r%,,,m
8
7 L%- %L 7

%L'&t,&
%%Y
vzt:% %
%-
3 L'% %6 %
'&^% %A
'&tr/bf,, 1

25...Rxd61
20.Rxd6Of,a+27.Rd2Bxt328.gxf3BeS29.Oa5
Not2g.Rfdlbecaus€
ofth6.epty29...Qxd2+t
3O.Rxd2
R€j#
29...b61
The lmmediata29,,,Re230.Rfd1Qh2glveswhtte3om6br€sthing
As pleyedWhitols d€nl€dthlspos3iblflty,
aft€.31,c4.
30.QcS
Ro23t.Rfdl Oh2
Zugzwangl

209
 The TarraschFomula

%T
,,e,
% %.L'"&.
L % %'&.
%. %
%,M,% %
A %'%zo
A'%A
'&.Kts^N&
W
#) I
EE A
ebod€tgh

32.Qxc6Rxd233.QcE+
Uselessis 33.Qe8+Kh734.Oe4+96, but afterthe mov€playsd
hopingfor33...Kh7? gO3s,Qxfl+wlth8 draw.
34.Qf5+
33...Rd8+
0.1

(51)Mlranl- Palatnlk[8071
Chsttanooga,
1998
Ld4 Nf6
bytheinitialmovesof thisgam€,
Thercadershouldnotb€ confused
soontransDose
to theNeo-Phllldor
Dofense.
2.Nc3d6 3,04ilbd7 4.t4e5 5.Nf3oxd46.Oxd4c6 7.Be3d5 6.h3?

abod6fgh

I
ffiL%A%tru.I
%^% TX 72,
7,, %Lvu, %
,,&
% M"t %
72,
T f f i'm'%t
6%A
A .L % %
Ff
9% j
 The 'l'a aschtbrmul.l I
Absolutelynot a necessarymove. Now Black'scenter Dawnscan show
their"Philido|-force.

E...c5 9.Qa4d410.o5Nh5l1.Bb5dxc3
Playingagainstlhe c3-knighlis one of lhe main pointsof Black'ssetuD,so
it is no surprisethat its removalis e priority.Less offeclivowould be
'11...dxe312.94Ng313.RglwhonBtack's knightistrapped.
12.0.0.0
Th6 attemptto t|ap lhe Blackknightwith j2.g4 now fails after 12...cxb2
13.Rb1Ng3 14.R91Ne4 15.Qxe4Qas+ 16.8d2exbs with an enra piece
for Black.

12...a613.Rd5?
White'sbest chancein this unusualposilionis the mad-looking13.Ngst-,
when he would retainpracticalchancesbecauseof the knighton h5 and
Black'sundevelopedposition.

l3...RbE14.Rhdl?laxbst5.Qxb5BeZ16.06fxo6 iZ,Rxhs
Black has rcturnedpart of the .stolen',mstedal,but it does not rescue
Whitefrombankruptcy.

17...Qb6
0.1

(52)Liss- Palatnik[8071
Rishon-Lezion,
1998

1.o4dO2.d4 Nf6 3. c3 NbdT4.t4 05 S.Nf3oxd4 6.Oxd4c6 7.s5?t dxos

8.fxo5Bc5 9.Ot4l?

t
,*,
tryt
I %a% L'"/&'
,ffi I
,,2%'&
L%,&, Vz
%
,M,
%'ffi%
% %
%.,&' '%ta%'&.
A A'%
s%w

2t1
 -,
'l he ThrraschFomula

An improvementcomparedto LQh4 Qe7 10.8f4 Bb4l 11.0-0-0Bxc3

12.ert6 (12.bxc3 Qa3+ 13.Kd2 Ne4+ 14.Kd3 Qxc3+ 15.Kxe4NcSt)
12...Bxf6 13.Q930-0 14.8c4Qb4 15.8b3Nc5+(Shiaf-Palatnik,
Asheville
1 9 97) .

9...Qe710.8e2Nd5l1.Nxd5cxd5 l2.Be3
lf12.Qg3!? '13.exf6
then12...f61 Nxf6withadvantage
to Black.

12...Bxe3 l3.Qxe3Qb4+14.c31?
Finefor Blackis 14.Qc3Qxc3+15.bxc3=.

14...Qxb2

'l5.e6l?
''| honestlywantto admitto the readerthat at this momentduringthegams
I felt shortof breath.lt was as if I had beenlaken back in time!At fi|stI
thoughil was necessaryto acceptthe doubleRooksaorifice, afterwhichI
wouldappear'in the skin' of poof Kiezeritsky as the loserof the immodd
garnein London1951against Ande6en!'(Palatnik)

15...0-01
Studying historical mistakes is good, but repeating them is nol
recomrnendedlAcceptingthe doublerooksacrificewith15...Qxa1+?
16.Kf2
Qxhl qivesWhitea powerfulattack:17.exd7+
KxdT18.Ne5+ Kc7(18...Kd'
19.Nxf7+Kd7 20.8b5+Kcl 21.Qcs+KbB22.Qd6#)19.Qc5+Kb820.Qd6#.

The alternative
15 .fXCGis alsoverydangerousafter'16Qxe6+Kd817.0-0
Re8 18.Qxd5Rxe2'19.Nd4Jwhenthe melodyof White'sattackingpieces
conlainssoundsof victorv.

2t2
 I
'l'heTatasch Formula

16.0-0
Badnow is 16.exd7?b€causethonit is possiblefor Btacklo swalow both
Rooks without chokingt 16...Qxa1+t7.Kf2 exhl teaves White with
insufficient
compensation
for the material.

l6...Qb6r?
Now White is the only one with probtems.Dangerousis 16...fxe6?
17.Qxe6+Kh8 18.Qe7tQxc3?(18...Qb6+19.Nd4ed8 is betteaatthough
Whik still has an activeposition)19.Ne5!when Btackhas no satisfactory
oetense.

l7.Nd4 fxe6 l8.Qxe6+

Whiteis compelledto exchangeQueensand to try to savehis Dositionin
the ending.

1E...Qxe6
19.Nxe6Rxfl+ 2o.Rxfl Nf6 2t.Nc7 RbE22.8f3
So Whitewinsbackthe pawn,but Blackretainsslightadvantages.

t'/z '&.
'ffi o
I z
% t2 ,ffi''r.z
7ztvt
7t 7/z7,
'/&, vlzAlz
% %,,/Z.E%A

22...b61?
23.Nxd5Be6l 24.Ns7+
Alsoworlhconsidering
is 24.Nxf6+9xf6.

24...KfE25.Nc6RcE26.Rct Rc7 27.c4Bg,t

2t3
 TheTarraschFomula

' m% ru.
'&,6% ffi
%% %
%^% '%2,I.
% %e.%
% %"% A

28. d4t?
Worsels 28.Bxg4
Rxc6whgnBlackhaswinning
chgnces.
28...Rd?
Not28...8xf3?
29.N€6+.
29.Bxg4Rrd430.8fitRd231,a1.ky,
lf now31...Ra2,
then32.8c6followed by c4-c5,o.lf 3,|...Nd7
th€n
PlayingonInelthgrca8ewouldb6likefloqglnoa d€adhorse.

(53)Prlatnik- Meadows
[8071
Tennessee
ODen.2001
'Thenoxtgameis esp6clElly Interoslingbec€use I hgdto play
'PalatnikGambii.'K€nlMgadows, my friendof flv€yearsl€ssthr6a
triedto notmissanyof myweeklylscluresst the Nashville Ch€ss
In thgsel6ctur6sI onenhadths pl€asure of testngon lhe publlc
that lal€r app€er€dIn some of my books,Kont studledmy
rccomm€ndations wlth attgntionend trust,snd my trelne/sh6att
louchodwh€nmy sludentdscidsdin a prsc,tlcal gam€to t€stsn opl
ideahelearned frommeagainst ltsinventor."(PElatnlk)
l.dil d8 2.el NfO3. c3 NbdTil.fil 05 5.dxe5

2t4
 TheTarrotchForrnula

8 8
7 7
0

4 4
3
2
1 I

6.fx.5Nxe57.qrdt+ t(xd! E.NfilBd09.Be5

5...dx€5

I %L 8

''ffi%r m
L7&.
,w" i
7 7

TX ,,& 5
% ffi l
4 % %^ % 43
ffi %6%
'"&,t
2 % %"it3 2
1 1 '&,9 I

0..,c01?
movginlhe Philidor
A vgryimportant Defense.

l0.GS0Kczl'l 'Be2
Whltogainsnothing gxf6.
tIomlLBxdo KxdOl2.Bf4Nfd7,or from11.Bxf6
Inbothcasoit is cl€arthatthe is'unemployed'
c3-Knight

...Nfd7
Losingis 11...894?12.Nxe5Bxe2(12 Bxes13.BxtOBf4+ 11.Kb1Bxe2
15.Nxe2 andWhitekeep' an exhapiece)l3.Rxd6l

I
215
 The TarraschFormlla

12.1{d,r
to win mate.ial',vith13.Ndb5+cxbs 'l4.Nxb5+
Threatening
Nxd6.

8 I
7 t'*"A:/%zL'mL 7

%.t'& % %
%ffi"&
% ffi^%
%ffi%%
L'&L"/%29'%L
1 1

't2...BtE?t
NowBlackloseslhls game,but I hopePalatnik is thequittyparg,
"Palatnlk Alsobadwasl2JE? 13.Ne6+.
Gambltl" However, aftor
Blackcoulddefendhi6 poslllon;lf't3.Nt5 thenBlackcouldsafoiy
13...8f8.
13.Bttl?Boz
Weakis'13...f6?lallowing
14.Ne6+,
'l4.Bg4l?
Whitefindsa successful
opporiunlty
to activate
hlsbadBishop.
14...Bf615. t3 Re8
Thepinnedknightone5 18a sourceof anxioty
for 8lack.
 TheTarraschFormula

I
7
I m
a ,& I 7
I I % %
5
% %z
4
% rue% 4

ffi a% 3
2 A % %r&
at 2
I t? I
TI 1
-

't6.Rhf ?
Pr8paring'lasersuoery"onfl€ f-ff|e.
r8...KbE
Forc€d,
butit lgEdsb moretroublEs,
17.ila4+Kbs lt.BxdT ilxd7

I r%L
7

KEn*k*D
e% % '%zoL'"&
%

t9.b3lRxo,l20.Bg5l?t
nowthe blackpi€ces,'sag..
A v6ryimportantmaneuv€r;
20...Rlail
lf 20...Bxgs+lhen21.NxgsRe722,Nxf/r.

2t1
 TheTarraschFomula

2t,bxa,{+}ka4 22,Bxf6Nrl6 23.RdEl

K€epingBlackliedup.White'sactivepiecesgivghima winning

LM
I %
%L'% rx
% %%
% % %
% %6%
%.B%z%zA

23...b62,t.NosBb725.Rf,{+
Kbs26.Nr7 Rxdg27.NxdlBa6?
Bett€rls 27...8c8.
28.NeO Nh5?
Thismistakec€rtainly butgood
doesnotimproveBlack'ssltuation,
inthisDosltlon
ls hardto flnd.
29.Rf5+1.0

(80)Cavsnoy- Palatnlklc4'll
Fairfleld
GladeODen,1997
Nowwa can add.essth€ quegtonof why lt was nec€ssaryto
muchanalytlcal6ff0rtandtlmer€soarchlng the'PalatnlkGamblt,"
n6eppllcatlon18not v€ry rvidE,and stdctlyspesklngls not oblloatory.
answgrto thlsqugstloncanbe glvenaftorlookingat thedlagram
flfthmov6inlhe nextgam6.
Elack'8
Afrerdetominingthat the 'PalatnlkG€mblt'is playable, th6 goeld
orderot moveg i9to r99ch
thlsanclent
Dosition tromPhllldor'sOefens6.
inclusion
of th€mov€sNc3and..,NfG ls I morelmportant sch
Blackthanfof his oppon6nt.Ultimatelythls smallpointi8 all Black
f.omhiso.d€rof movesl

218
 TheTarraschl.brmula

At the beginningof this chapterwe spoke about the dircctionin which

research into opening vaiations is conductedtoday. Similar .small"
achievements can be foundin many openinglines.lt is worthnotingthat
the Neo-PhilidorDefense (and the Palatnik Gambit) can arise by
hansposition from a wide varietyof move oder6. The desiredpositionin
the diagrambelowaftermovefivecan be reachedfromAlekhine'sDefense
and the Pirc oefense,as well as the Indiandefenseto 1.d4.in additionto
the familiarmoveorderin Philidor'sDefense.

1.e4NfO2.Nc3dO3.d4NbdT4.Nt3e5 5,8c4 Bo7

Lry.'&L'ry
e%
''*,a
I I
7t'% 'ffi'ffi./27
,.*'

%A & L'% "2

.&,ffi %a%
A% '&,t &
'&v llf

Canthis be a "dreamposition'forchessplayerswho are readyto endure

the "torture"of analyzingoponings?To justifytho effod spentin preparing
to playlhis variation,it is not only necessarylo playthe 'PhitidorDsf€nse'
well, it is also necessaryto trust Philidor'sidea. ll will certainlybe even
betterif in doingso you can alsoplaceyouffaithin Dr.Tarasch,sformula.

6.0-0cO7.a4Qc7
Strengthening
the es-squar€is a veryimportant
taskin thisopening.

8,Rel 0.0 9.h3

2t9
 1
! he Tdrrdsch Formula
l
I
I
A,/ ,HE
I wa&t'/&,
t ./,r/t
L"/.& 'r/t
L ',/t
'.//.. g'r&.A^

'/eu l t '&r.6t
L//t
&W,H

A chamcteristic Blackcreatesa flexiblepawnstructure

continuation. ontho
queenside.lf Blackcan eventuallymovehis queensidepawnsfoMard,he
willgaina spaceadvantageon thatwing.The advance...b5-b4willbevery
unpleasant for Whilebecauseit will dislodgeWhite'sknightfromc3,which
in lurn will weakenthe e4-pawn. However,carryingout this planis nol
easy,and requirespatienceand enduEncefrom Black.For example, tho
immediateI a6 is not good afte. the reply 10.a5,after whichBlack's
queensidepawnslosetheirflexibility.

1 0 . 8 b3Bb7l1.Bg5
lf 11.ds?lthen11...a612.dxc6Bxc6crealesa pawnstruclure
thalusually
arisesfromthe SicilianDefense!

12.Qd2b5
1 1 . ..a0
The first stonehas shiftedfrom the mountain,but it is a warningabouta
possibleavalanche.

13.Rad1b414.Nb'la5 15.c3Qbo
increasedhis controlof spaceon the queenside-
Blackhas significantly
 The TarrqschFomula

8
ry&
z&Lz*,
I
7
Lry.A 'ffi I
'ry,,L'"/& 7
6
'* '& V:'6
5
%'.&,
'"*, 5

A% Vt 4
3 s& "'k6'/t
',r&, A
.,&'a 3
2
M, 2
1 a:'/28 I

16.Oc2h6
Whenthis movecan be madewithoutseriousconsequences and withgain
of tempo, it seryes several functionstlo protect th€ gs-square f;om
possiblesoftiesof the Knight,to ensuregreal€rsafetyfor the sensitivef7-
square,andto releasethe f8-Rookfor morcactiveoDerations.
'l7.Bh4RfeS1E.Bg3Bf8
Providing
additional
supportfor e5.

19.Nbd2 Ba6
Nowthis Bishopcan breakhis "vowofsilence."

ab
8 E I o
,,.4 /,*
I
7
%,M. %A I 7

"&, ,/z
6 A .rry
,a*
L'*. ffi 6
5 5

A ../&
'*. '&.A 7t 4
3 A
.,.&,
"a 'e
2 .ar&., 3
2 w''ffi A
/// H
2
1 1
///// a

221
 7he thrraschhbmula

20.NflRabS21.Rb1
For Blackthis is an encou€gingsign: Whiteis compelledto worsenthe
positionof his Rook.

21...Nh5
22.8h2c5
The queenside
pawnavalanchecontinues.

8 8
7
6 6
5 5
4
3 3
2 2
1

23.94
Other tries are unsatisfactory:
23.8d5 cxd4 24.cxd4exd4; 23.dxe5cAl
23.dxcsNxcswithadvantaqeto Black
24.dxesNxe525.Nxesdxe526.Ne3Nh727.h4?
23...Nhf6
The move 92 94 has weakenedWhile's kingside,so Black ldes lo
rnaneuverhasKnaghtinto positionto attackthe new weaknesses.
In trying
to preventthis,Whiteblundersand losesrnaterial.

E 83.€
r rA
-llln g l
AI A AA
3 gAA 3
2 Ag Ag 2

IlET
 TheTarrasch|brmula

27...Qdat?
Doubloattackagainsth4 andd3.

2E.Rbd'1
Qxh429.cxb4Rxb4
Fromherethe Rookexertsmaximumpower.

30,Rd7Ng531.Qd1Rxb3l
Oeflection.

32.Qxb3Nf3+33.K92Qxh2+34.Kxf3Oh3#0-t

(55)Andrews- Palatnik[C411
Nashville,
1997

"lvy opponentin this garne,Todd Andrews,is young,capableand already

ralherstrongchess fighter.When this game was playedI was aclively
involvedin his chess education;therefore,I can speak from first-hancl
knowledge abouthis weaknesses, as shownin lhe nextgame.

"lf playingchessis perceivedonly as an opportunity

lo earnan exka 50 or
100dollarsin the next tournament, sucha goalhas a dekimentaleffecton
a player'sdevelopment, resultingin excessively
stereotypedthinking.The
imagination growsdull,and deeperpenekationintothe secretsof the chess
positionbecomesmoreand moredifficult,and not habitualbusiness.

"NIyopponentdid not make largemistakesin the fo owinggame,but his

approachto the game as a wholewas ineffective.
lt is not enoughonlyto
make good movesquicklyand to wait for a mislakefrom the opponentl
playalsorequifescreativity."
Successful (Patatnik)

'1.e4d6 2,d4 NfG3.Nc3NbdT4.Nf3e5 5.8c4 Be7 6.8b3 c6 7.a4

It is necessaryto makethis moveimmediately, otherwiseBlackwill seize
ihe oppod!nityfor activecounterplay
on the queenside
with ...b7 b5.
7...Qc7 8.Qe20-09.895?l
Earlierin this book we alreadyfoclsed on the pfos and cons of similar
developingmoves by this Bishop,blt now we can speak about lhe
responsibilityfor such a move.BecauseWhitespendsa wholetemDoto
play 895. it is necessaryto be sure thal il is used to greatesteffect.
However,on 95 the Bishopcan and probabtywi be subjectedto attack
with...h7-h6,by whichBlackwill gaincontrotof the 95-squarewithtempo.
AfteMard the f3-Knaghtis diminishedbecauseit no tonger has any
prospectsconnected to an attackon the l/-square.

223
 TheTarraschForuula

%L% ?Xt
a:&.Lru.
L'rffi.
,%,,t
7

m'f,& f '"&
i 5
%,,&A%
% 4

sffi
"&.t %6%
%vt'&L 2
1

9...b610.0.0a6 ll.Radl?l
ThisallowsBlackto play...b6-b5withoutfirstclarifylng
themle0f
Bishop.Thisis a smallpointin Black's
favor,buta verypleasant
onel
11...b512.Rd2?l

'/&h
7
ry"aw L,,M 7
t",i&,ffi
%" mffi
ffi"a%
ffi % a% 3

I
Lm,v '&t
H '& I
EW

12...h6
The tlme ha8 cometo take advantagsot lh6 locationof Whifo's
Nowls th€mosttavorable moment to doeob6caus6 Whlte's
lasl
blockodtho Blshop'8rotrestalonglb .natlva"dlagonal,andfrom
Bishopwill be an annoyance to the f3-knlghtby blocking
th6
Nh4-f5.
 \
The'lhrtuschl'ormu[a

13.Bh,lRe8l4.Kh1?l
A passivemovethat givesBlack'sKnighttimelo mane!verto the kingside,
in the philidorDefensecan be
atter which Black'spotentialopportunities
completelyrealized.

l4..,NfBls.dxe5dxes'l6,893Ng6117.Nd4?t
This moveis madenot so muchbecausethis piecehas a brightfuturebut
becauseon the kingsidethe knightis startingto feettonety.

I 8
7 7
6 6
5 5
4
3 3
2 2
l

17...8b4t
of the c3-Knight.Creditfor this is sharedby phitidorand
"Neutralization"

1E.axb5
The only move.lf 'l8.Rfd1Bxc3 19.bxc3c5 20.Nf5c4 21.8a2deactivates
White'sBishop.
'18...axb519.Rd3Nf420.Bxf4ext4 21.f3I BfSl
By this "calming"moveBlackcreatesiffosistable
threatsto gaina malerial
advantage. Thegameis pract|cally
decided.

22.Odl Ba623.Nce2
White has removedhis piecesfrom the packeda6-fl diagonat,but the
flexibilityof Black's pawn's formationcreatgs many troubles for the
opponent.

23...c5-+u.Rd2

I24.Nf5c4l

225
 1h( ldfft1sch hmulu I
24...cxd4 25.Nxd4 b4 26.Rel RadS 27.Nf5 Rxd2 28.Qxd2 Rd8 29.Qf2

I
A
-e-
AA

29...8c8!?
Blackmustexchange
theactivef5 Knight.

30.Qh4Bxf531.exl5Bc50-1

(56)Burnett- Palatnik[C411
'1998
NewYork Interrralional,

1.e4d6 2.d4 Nf6 3.Nc3NbdT4.Nf3e5 5.8c4 Be7 6.0-0c6 7.a4Qc7

8.Qe20-09.Rd1b6 10-Bg5?l
A very|laturalyetquestionable
movethat we discussedeadief.

10...hG11.8h4ReB12.893Bf8
To strenqthen
the e5 squareis one ofthe rnainslrategictasksfor Blackin
lhrs openrng.An even more irnportanttask facing hirn is nol "lo be
scattered"
on the f7-square.For exarnple, Blacksholldavoid12...Nh5?
13BxtT+lKxfTl4.Nxe5+ldxes15Qxh5+withan attack.

13.4b3
Whrteis dfawnto a squaref7 as thoughby a magnetThe oppodunity lo
activatethe Queen along the diagonala2-98 arises after this Bishop
retreat lt is good"PhilidorDefense"tacticsto be ableto reactflexiblyto the
opponent'sthreats.Blacktakesadvantagenow of the fact that on b3 the
Eishophas movedwithirrrangeof the BlackKnights sword.

226
 TheTarraschFomula

,ry z"&.&
%L
'm.
A %L"&
,,,&,t
ffi"'%zo
'ffi
%.rr&"
% a%
sffi %a1&
& a%nt
v"'mL
I

13,,,oxd4
A veryflexibleand conectIeaction.Whencounterplay againstthe e4-
squar€is ready,it is no tongernec€ssary to malntaina pawnon 95. By
meansof thisexchange White'sinitiative
against
i/ is blunted,
andBlack's
Kniohtgainsuseof the cs-squarcwher6it willnol onlyobservgth6 e4-
Dawnbulalsotheb3-Bishoo.

%t% t ru.t
,ry,A
t,&"
%,ffi
'ru.rT
% % %
%..&A %
sffi %6,',&
''%E ru.A
"&,A%g

14.Bxf7+?l
Whitefeelsthalthecourseof the gameis notdevelopingaccording to his
script,and he createsan 'oxplosivewave' to atfoct it. Less drastic
measures favorBlack:14.Nxd4Nc515.f3Nhsi.

227
 The TarraschForm la

14...Kf ls.Ocil+ Kg6 l6,Nhit+ Khz

Furtherprcof that ...h7-h6is a usefulmovs for Blackif it can
safelyin a timelymann€r.

I IZ L Z I 8
7 a% 'ry,r 7
6 "'mL''&, ffi
5
%%%% 5
4 A%zY"&A'%
ffi %'&
"ru.^%
I
K"t I

17.Rxd4
Aft6r17.Nb5Ob718.Nxd6BxdO1g.Bxd6c5 20,Qfl N€5Black
attack.
17...No5lE,Oe2 gt+
Non/lt'g clear that Whib ha8 no comp€nsation
tor Black'3
advantago.

I
%L:'Zzl'ffi I
7
ry "/&r
'ml''m %
7

ffi
%'m^%
rx"T
% 4

ffi %'f fi
1
"&L%V"',&A 1

l9.Nt5Brfs 20..xt5d5 21.h494 22.45b5 0.t

228
 TheTalrcsch Formula

(57)Wheeler- Palatnik[c41]
Tennessee
Open, 200'1
t.e4 d6 2.d,1NfO3.Nc3 NbdT 4.N13e5 5.8c4 Be7 6.0-0 c6 7.a4 Qc7
8.8a2
The light-squaredBishoptakes r€fugeon a2, but White has no need to
spenda wholet€mpoimmediat€ly for this purpose.In addition,the a-file is
nowblocked.

a b c d o fg h
8 e%'r*.
I. '&t
'ryi,
7 I a
6 %I ry'r&,
ffi 6
5 %o,.r&, Vz 5
4 7/l,ffi 8?2. 4
3
.,&, vza 7,
'.&, 3
2 A %,r/Z"EA 2
j g I

8...0.09.Qe2b6 to.Rdl Bbz

Blackcouldalsoplay10...a6

1 l . B s 5 a612.Nh4
Onemoremoveandthis Knighton f5 willbe as shongas a Rook

8 H HE
',&, 8
7 LM.',&,
%'&.t t"*
A ,ffi 7
6 l 6
5
% %.r&, 'ryt '& 5
4 A %,ffi ,b,
,,2 A7 4
3
2
,r&.2 g .,,&t 3
2 6
7 2
l It 1

229
 TheTarrcschFormula

12---96l
Dr. Tarraschwarnedthat a Knighton the edgeofthe boardis badlyptaced.
So,let him staytherel

13.AhO RtcS!
The f/-square requiresconstantviqitance.Now the natural13...Rf08?
is
badfor Blackafter14.dxe5dxes?15.Bxf7+Kxn 16.ec4+

14.dxe5
Thetemptingvariation14-Qc4d5 15.exd5cxds .t6.exc7RxcT.l7.dxe5
fails
after'17...N94
withdo!bleattack.

14...Nxe5
It the White Knight'sdestinyca s him to the edge of the board,thenit
makes sense for Black's Knight to take advanlageof its absenceby
occupyingthe cenler. Black really has no choice anyway because
t4...dxes?15.Qc4 is winningfor White.
15.h3
White cannot afford to be overly aggressive.For example,1S.f4Neg4
16.8q5b5l 17.axb5?(Befteris 17.Nf3atthoughthenBtackis at teas!eqisl
aftet17...b4)
17...Qb6+ andBlackwins.

1 5 ...b516.a5
Blacks Knightin the centeris unpleasant
fof White,but banishing
himfrom
thereis not sucha simplelask. White'slastmovelakescontfolof theb6-
squareto preventBlack'sQueenfrombecomingactive.
'16...c5
The flexibilityof Black'sadvancingq!eensidepawnsis philidor,sconc€pl,
whileTarfasch'swisdompointsout that the misplacedKnighton h4 spoils
the picturefor White.

17.Nf3
Whitehastensto bringth€ Knightbackinto ptay.Insleadi7.f4 Nc6is fine
for Black,andafter'17.Nds?
Nxd518.Bxds Bxds19.exds Bxh4Whitelosss
a piece.

230
 The TarraschFormula I
fg h
8 l%z
'ryt 8
7 7
,,4&,
6
,r*,
5 5
4
3
2
ffi %6% ^
'ffi,L%vt'/&,L% 3

1 1

17,.,c41
The Bishophas already'retired,"so Elackoffersthis piecea goodpension
olanon a2.

lE,B95 NxfS+l9,Qxf3
Or 19.gxf3Nh520.Bxs7(20.8e3Bf6 21.Rd2Bxc322.bxc3+)20...exe7and
Whiteis defenseless.

,rk& 8
I %z,'7/.:t
' &L % 7
7
t ry.
,,x.
6
% ffit 6
5 I % %e 5
,au
L%A,/2.
,ffi
3
,e, %w"4
'..&,t 3
2 A%'%tr 2
1 I

1g...Nxe,ll20.Bxe7OxsT21.Nd5Bxds 22.Rxd5Nf6 23.Rd4ds

ConvertingBlack'sadvantageinto a win from this positionis not difficult.
Whitestillhas a few "monkoytdcks"avaitable,but it does not chanaethe
outcomeof the game

231
 l
'I hc Ianasch l,brnula

tg h
8 8
7 7
6 6
5 5
4
3 3
2 2
1 1
ab rsn

24.c3 Rc6!? 25.Rf1 Re8 26.Rd2 ReO27.94 h6 28.Bbl Kg7 29.h4Ro2

30.Rddl
Worse would be 30.Rfd1?Rxd2 31.Rxd2Qe1+ 32.K92Qxd2 winning a
Rook Also lnfavorable for White is 30.Rxe2 Qxe2 31.Qxe2 Rxe2 32.95
hxqs 33.hxg5Nh7 34.Rd1Rxb2.

30...Rxb231.95hxg5 32.hxg5Ne4 33.Rxd5Nd2 34.Q94Nxfl

Sirnpleris 34...Rxbl(or 34 Nxbl ) with a clearwln for Black;for example,
35.Qd4+KSB36.Qxd2Rxfl+ 37.Kxf1Qe4.

35.Bxg6l?
''lf I rnusldie ... let therebe Inusicl'

35...Kxg636-Qh3

8 H 8
7 gr 7
6 I 6
5 A 5

3 3
2 2
1 l
 TheTafiatchFormula

36...K971
TheKlngandQuo€nwillalwaysflndmutualunderstandino.
37.Oh8+Ks638.e0t6r O.i
Black_mustbe carEfutto the ond. The car€tess3O...tS?
woutd
39.Rss1.
 The Tarrarch Fomula

ChapterSeven
OpeningAnalysis
Palatnik
Gambit
Neo-Philidor
Defonse
[8071
[analysisby Mak lshee]
l.e,t d6 2.d,0Nf63.Nc3NbdT
abcd6l

t t"&
7,m 'm
I I ffi,t
% ru.
TX

% % %
%.'ffi"r&,8'%
,,,e"
A %
%'ru %
l-:

v 'ffi9
position
Thebaslcstarting of th6Neo-Phllldor
Dotense.
4.tll? s5 5.Nf3oxd46.Oxd4co

t
%A%L M L
Lru"rx%
% % %
'ffiry"
A '&" %
6%
A'% %^"ffi.
g,%E

A) 7.Bc,r B) 7.h3 C)7.Be3

234
A) 7.Bc4

l.Bcil d5l
Thl818v€rydang€rouo
tor Whit€.

aDco€

tz%a(&L',ffiL
L'%rx
%L% %
hry8'&
ffi ru6:ru
?&t
A"/&"

l.sxd5Bc50.Qd30.0

abcd0f

L"%h%t'*,L

ar) r0.Bd2
a2)r0.h3
A3)lo.dxd

235
 The 't arresch hbrmula

A1) r0.Ad2Re8+'11. ...

Ala) 11.Kd1?Nb6; 12.dxc6Ng4 13.8x?+t?Kxf7 t4.exh7Ne3+1S.Kc1

Bfs 16 Qhs+ KgB 17.cxb7Rb8 White momentarity has five pawnsfor a
bishop,but Black'sactivepieceswi prevait,e.g. 18.Bxe3Bxe3+19.Kb1
Qd3l 20 Rc1 96 21.Q95 Qxc3! and Black wins because22.bxc3?gets
ry!99 4ef 22...Rxb7 (alsoleadingto mateare 23...Na4 and 23...Nc4)
23.Nd4Bxd424.RhlBe3!25.a4Nc4+26.Ka2Rb2#;

A1b) 11{I1 cxds 12.Nxd5Ne4 13.8e1Nb6 14.Nxb6exb6 15.Ne5

Nd6
16.8b3Bfs-;

A2l 10.h3Rea+
11.Kf1cxds12.Nxd5
Ne4

a a
7 7
6 6
5 5

3 3
2 2
l 1

A2a) 1ABe3? Ng3+ 14.Kf2 (14.K91 Bxe3+rs.Nxe3 eb6 t6.Re1 Nxhi

17Kxhl Qxb2-+)14...Nxh1+
15.RxhlBxe3+16.Nxe3r;
A2b)13-M4?Bxd414.Qxd4
Ng3+1S.KgtRe1+16 Kf2Re4_+;
A2c) 13.N95!l13...Nx95
14.fxg5Ne5 15.ee4Nxc416exc4 ReSj7.Nc3
8f5 18.4f4Bxc2!+,
 The'l hr rasch I'b rthula
I
A3l 10.dxc6?l bxc6 11.8d2 (11.Ne2 Nb6 12.Qxd8 RxdS: 11.Kf1!?)
1 1 . . . Re8+

%LryZ%t
%a%L"&,I
,rz
%L % ffi
'e, %,&,%
%s% 7z
ffiw%6% .&
'&.A.&
%t
H

A3a)'l2.Ne2
Ne4

f!{) _1j}.0i9+..Nf214.Bxf/+ Kh8r (14...Kxf7?1s.ec4+ Kr8 16.Ns5+-)

15.Qc4Re416.Ned4 Nxhl 17.RxhlBxd418.exc6 Bxb2+1S.XttltS.xxtZ
Bb7 20.Qd6Nb621.Qxd8+RxdO22.Re1Rxel 23.Bxe1Bxf3 24.gxf3Rfa
25.8b3Rxf4 26.893 Rxt3-+)19...8b72o.exb7 Re7 21.8b3 ttOOZZ.eaO
Bf6-+:

A3a2)l3.Be3Bxe314.Qxe3Qas+i5.Nd2Nd6 i6.b4 exM 17.eb3eas

18.0-0-0
Rb819.Oc3Nxc420.Nxc4
Qxa2-{.
A3a3)13.No5l?

A3a,l)13.Rf1Nxd2

A3a4l) 14.Nxd2?Re3 15.ef5 Nes+ 16.eg5 (16.8xf7+ KhA)

16...Q\g5l?(16...8e7!|7.QxeSRxei 18.ke' Be6 19.0-O-O
Bg5 20.Bxe6
ry96,?l:Nl!Qd422.s3Rbg2s.Nb3exeS-+)
17.fxs5Bs4ra.aaonea
19.Rf2Nd3+ 20.Bxd3Rxd3 21.cxd3Bxf2+ 22.Kxt2Rxe2+23.Ka3Rxd2
24 Kxg4Rxg2+25.Kf4Rxb226.Rcl Rxa227.Rxc696;
A3a42l 14.Qxd214...ef6 15.ec3 (1i.NgS 1i.c3?) 15...exc3+
l6.bxc3Nb617.8b3Ba618.NestrNds19.BxdS cxds20.Nd3RabS+:

A3b) 12-Kd1?Ng4exptoitsWhite'sweakkingside.

23'7
 The TarraschFomtrh

B) 7.h3

7.h3 d5 E.s5Bc5 9,Od3Nh5 10, 95?l (t0.Ne2)l0...h6ll

abodof

LryT%
%a%L"m
L'% %"
ruL'"& ffia
'"&.
%
'ffivr% %
%zl
%
8'% %"A
'm reL% ?l
-

Thislinefavo6Black;fo. exampl6:
Bl) 11,!0 hx05l2.exd7+BxdT13.fxg5 Bfs 15.Of3(tt
0e7+14.BE2
Ng316.QENxhl-+)15...8xc2 16.04d4-+;
82) 11.NxfiQh4+12.93Nxg3l3.Nxh8Ne4+14,Kd1
Nf2+;
83) lLg[ hxg512.gxh5gxf4 13.8xf4Qh4+l4.Bgg QxhS15.802
Elackwins.i
 The'lbrtaschFbrhula
t
C) 7.8e3
This looksbetterthan the risky7.8c4line.Whiteguardshisdarksquares
and prepares0-0-0.

7,8e3d5l
Anotherva ationof the PaiatnikGambit.

Cl) 8.€xd5?l
Bc59.Qd3...

Cla) 9...0-0?!NowWhitecan casflesafely,afterwhichhis chancesare not

worse.Forexample, 10.0-0-0
cxds11.NxdS NxdS12.BxcS NxcS13.exdbi:
Clb)-g-=Qgn causes White morc prcbtems.1O.Nd4(1o.dxc6?Bxe3
11.cxd7+BxdT+)10...N9411.NfsNdest 12.1\eS(12.Nxe7Nxd3+13.Bxd3
Nxe314.NxcBRxce ls.dxcd Rxc6!16.Kd2O-O givesBlackan attackon
White'suncastledking deEpitethe rcducedmatelra, 12...exe513.dxc6
(13...Nxe3?!14.Nxe3Bxe3 15.cxb7BxbT 16.eb'+ exb' 17.BxbS+Ke7
18.Kf1and White emeryesfrom the complbationswith a sotidextrc Dawn)
13..bxc6Now Blackwill win his pieceback with interest,e.g. i4.Nxg7+
Kf8! 15.Qd8+KxgT l6.Qg5+Qxgs 17.Bxg5Nf2; 18.Rgl Nh3 19.gih3
Bxgl-+;

C2)El]5 Nq4LBsl Bcs 10.Qd2Bxgl 11.RxglOb6

T t o ,ar*,
&.,NT
I %lh %I
I %'.&,
%
%.,ry%I .rr&, %
,44, %,,,2A
A '&ffi,M,.a.,2
A
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A
A
&

12.0-0-0(12.Na4Qe3+ 13.Qre3Nxe3 14.8d3!)12.,Nxh2ti3.Na4! Nxf3

14.Nxb6Nxd2'15.Nxa8Nxfl 16.Rgxt1(16.Rdxf1)16...b6j7.e6 (17.Nc7+
Kd8 18.Nxdscxd, 19.RxdSKe7+)17...txe618.Nc7+Ke7 19.Rfe1Nf620.f5
Ne421.fxe6Bxe622.Nxe6Kxe6+

239
 The TarrqschFomula

Neo-PhilidorDefunse
QuEentradevariation[8071
[analysisby Ma* Isheej
1.s4 dO 2.d4 Nf6 3.Nc3NbdT4,t4 65 5.dx.5 dxes 6,fxe5Nxe57
Kxd6

T
L'"m %zl"'ffiL
%.%ffi% z
%"%ffi %
%%^ %%
%ffi %%
\m"A%%8'"m

E.It3 BdGLBgScB10.0.0.0Kc7tl.Be2
ls'l'l,Rxd6?KxdG12.8f4NfdTTl
IPrcmature
ll,..ilfg'l

tm % ,rez
L1ru.
% L ' & ,e
%ffi
% '%t%h
ffi % 6 %
' & L % g%a
rus,%
 'l hc taffa:.h |bm h1
'1
11...Nfd71?was playedin Palatnik-l\,4eadows,
but led to a difficultoosition
for Black.12.Nd4(threatens 13.Ndb5+) 1Z.JS (2...f6? t3.Ne6+KbB
14.RxdO lxgS15.Nxg7+-;12...a6?!delendsb5 but Whiteis stillbetterafter
13.Nf5Bf' 14.8f4f6 15.Rhf1!)1!BE (3.8h4 Ns6 14.8f2Bf4+ 15.Kb1
Nf6 /6.Nt3 Re8 and Blackhas no probtems.,)
13.__Be7 14.8f4Bf6 15.Nf3
Rqgj€.Bql Kbo 17.8b3Nc5?(17...Re7is beteL but evenso Blackstands
wolse./ 18.8C3!1Threalening19.Na4+.Btack wi have great difficutty
breakingthis pin. 18..N{38 (8...Ned/? 19.Na4+KbS 20.c4+ Ka5
21.Nxc5NxcS22.Bxcs+, lg.Sx!38rc320jrc3Be0 Whatetse?Btackhas
no satisfactorymove.21.Bxe6Rxe6 2eBdZ with a wanningpositionfor
Whitetfor exampte,22...Kb523.a4+Nxa4 24.Rxb7+Kas 25.Rxf7Nxc3
26.Kb2Kb4 27 Ra1 (2/.8d2 doesnot win a pieceafter27...Rb92A.Bxc3+
Kc4+ 29.Kc1Kxc3 althoughWhite stjl has a good position)27...Rb8
28.KclKc429.8d2Rf630.Rxf6 gxf631.8xh61

11...Nxf3?l12.gxf3t Voluntarilyslrrendedngthe e5 outposteliminates

Elack'schieftrump

Aftert1...Nfg4Whitehas;

(A) 12.BIfl is naluralbut offersWhiteno advantage.After 12...f6t3.8d2

Ng6'14.h3N4e5i Blackis firmlyin possessionof e5.
(8)12.h3?1
Nf2 13.Rxd6Nxf3 14.BxI3(14.8f4!?
g5n-) 14...Kxd6
1S.Rf1
Nxh316.gxh3Bxh3;

(C) 1afud61 Kxd6 13.Rd1+KcTa (13...Ke6?is a disastetafter 14.Nd4+

Kd7 (14...Kd6allows a forced mate with 15.Ndb5+KcS 16.Na4+Kb4
17Bd2+ Kxa4 18.b3#)15.Ndb5+and now in order to avoid mate Btack
musl stan shedclingpieces with 15...Nd3+,because 15...Ke6a ows
16.Nc7#or 16.Rd6#,and 15...Ke8alows 16.Rd8#)14.8f4 f6 15.h395
(15...Nh6?16.Nxe5wins becauseBlack gets mated after 16...fxei?
17.Bxe'+Kb6 18.Na4+Kas 19.8c3+Kxa42O.Rd4#) 16.893No3 17.Nxe5
Nxdl 18.Nfl+ Kd7 19.Bxd1!(Not lg.Nxh|? Nxc3 20.bxc3Kel when
Whtte'sKnightis trappedon t8..) 19...R9820.894+Ke7 21.Bxc8RaxcS
22.Nd61

241
 What is
"CruiseControlfor Your Chess?"
l he ldndsLh Fonnufu is thc firsl book ilr a new seriesof chcssinslruclion.The
goal ofthis seriesis to illustralc cll'cctiveand ef}icient ways to find good

ln parlicular, this sericswill lbcus on the searchfot Ihc most i \rortant chess
m.rra in cash position. We avoid saying "strongest' or "bcst" bccauscin many
cascsslrchdesc ptions arc mislcadingor co'rfusing.tly conhast.concenlrating
on thc'lnost inportant"aspcclsol a chcsspositionhclpsclarifydccision-mak-
ing and kccpsyour lhoughtspoinlcdin tho ghl direction.

"Mosl imporlanl" crn bc undcrsloodin two \r'ays.First it rclbrs to wh teveris

mostimpLrrlant lbf thc improvcDrcnl ol'your chessposition.Sccond,il refersto
whal is rnosl impoftrnt pcrsonally lor you.

l-ct us iim8inc r situatioDrvhcrcyou ltrvc l() rn ke an impoduntdccision

bclwccr lwo possiblclincsofplay. Onc lnovc lcadslo a p|(nnisingalllck on the
cncmy King. but il.rlso pcrmilsyoul opponcDt a laruc. nounlol_dctivc
oounter-
play. lhc olhcr InovccxchrngcsQuccnsilnd nr kcs thc lritnsitionto an ondgame
whcfc you will not hrvc rruch. il_ ny. xdv nt.rgc.but whcrcyou lccl vcry confi-
dcr)lin your rbilily to hrD(llcrh0positioDwcll.

Which choiccshouldyou |*rkcl'lhc conccl ruswcf dcpcndsorrwh l is nrost

in)poflrollirr you.Thc poinl is thlt dccidinglo pl.ry.r fcLrrivclycqualcndgame
rathcrlhirnrrdyrrr)iic rniddlcgarrrc is ir complctclylcocprrblcchoicc.cspccially
il-youi!fc rrorc coorli)rlrblcirr crrdgllrncs th n in cotnplcxlitclicirlnliddlcgames.
'lhis rnolho(lol dccision-nraking lcudsno1only lo goodpracticltlrcsultsbutalso
to sigDiilcunlirnprolcnrcnt rDd (icvcloplrrcnl ol lhc lI1islicsidcol yourchcss
8rn)c.

Wc c ll this nrcthod cnriscco'rlll)l'by iurologywith drivingu car.Playinga

chcssgrnrc is likc nlrrking long.j0LIIcy,rnd lhofccirnbc nrirnydislrA0lions en
roulc lo srlo irrfivultll youf iDtcDdcddcstinnli(n)."( ruiscconlr(t hclpsiice you
iionr Lrninrportiurldot ilssothat you can liJcusyour atlcnlionon onlylhcmost
imP()flrnlnrirltiirs.In this wly you cln Inrkc lirll uscol your knowlcdgcand
cxpcricDcc. youfllndlyliurl bililies.iud your spo iDgch r:rclcrtrr1i)cus your
cDcrgyiD lhe rightdiructron-
l- rrndmasterSam Polatnlkhasservedas
\ttminer for someof the\aorlds leadingplay-
eIs,includingGM Vasilytvanchuk.Palatnikwas
captainofthe Ukainian teamthatwon the sllver
I
medalin the world teamchampionship aheadof
Russia.In additionto beinga world-classplayer
andan intemationally famouschessinsructol
he is alsoa popularwrilert hreeofhis previous
books (ChessTacticsfor lhe TournamenlPlq)er,
TheKing in Jeopard!, andChessStruteg)for the
TournamentPlayer) arechessbesFsellersas part
ol the famoJsComprehehsireChessCourse
se es,

GM Palatnikhaseamedan impressive list of

victories:SovietUnionTeamChamoiorlWorld
StudentteamChampion(l974-76),Euopean
ChessCup Champion(1976-79), WorldOpenCo-Champion (1991),six-time
Tennessee StateChampion,andGovemor'sCup Champion(1996).From 1985
to 1994he wascoachofthe Ukrainiannationalteamsandvice-president ofthe
UkrainianChessFederation. He now livesin Memphis,Tennessee, wherehis
goal is to help createnewchesssuperstars in the UnitedStates.

l\,Tatlonal Mrster Mrrk lshe€is a four{rme

I \ Temessee slatechamDionwho haswox
numerous stateandlocaltoumaments. A nation-
ally knownwrit€r,his work hasappeared in
ChessLi:[e,Inside ChessandSchoolMates. His
fi$t chessbook, tyar,t GambhGames,was pub-
lishedin 1991.

Besideshis credentialsas a chessplayerand

writer,tsheeis well knownas a chessteacher
andcoach.For ovei 15y€arshe hastaughtchess
playersin Nashville,Tennessee.
to scholastic-age
His studentsregularly win local, stateand
nationalcompetitions,and many of them have
beenEnked on the "Top 50" list for their agein
the USA.

lsheeis a National ToumarnentDirector, and hasdirectedtoumamentsof every

possibledescriptionand level, fiom the local club toumamentto the U.S. Open
Championship.An active chessorgadzer,he is former RegionalVice President
ofthe U.S.ChessFederation andcurently serveson the USCFHall ofFame
Committee. He is employedasExecutiveDirectorofthe NashvilleChess
Center.wherehe qreatesand administ€Nschool-basedchessclasses.

243
r sBN 0- 87518- 000- 3

mr
lilllilllli