Chess Fundamentals

Jose R. Capablanca

Chess fundamentals

Jose R. Capablanca

Alpha Editions

This edition published in 2019

ISBN : 9789353860769

Design and Setting By Alpha Editions email - [email protected]

As per information held with us this book is in Public Domain. This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Alpha Editions uses the best technology to reproduce historical work in the same manner it was first published to preserve its original nature. Any marks or number seen are left intentionally to preserve its true form.

CHESS

FUNDAMENTALS BY

JOSfi

R.

C^PABLANCA

CHESS CHAMPION OF THE WORLD

NEW YORK

HARCOURT, BRACE AND COMPANY LONDON: G. BELL AND SON^, LTD,

URIS LIBRARY

COPYRIGHT, I921, BY HARCOUKT, BRACE AND COMPANY, INC. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form, by mimeograph or any other means, without permission in writing from the publisher.

PKINIED IN THE

D. S. A.

PREFACE Chess Fundamentals was ago.

first

.

published thirteen years

Siace then there have appeared at different times

a number of

articles dealing

with the so-called Hyper-

modem Theory. Those who have read the may well have thought that something new,

articles

of vital

importance, had been discovered. The fact is that the 'Hypermodem Theory is merely the application, during the opening stages generally, of the same old principles

through the medium of somewhat new

There

tactics.

has been no change in the fundamentals.

The change

has been only a change of form, and not always for the best at that.

In chess the tactics

may

change but the strategic

fimdamental principles are always the same, so that Chess Fundamentals

is

It will be as

years ago.

as good

as

it

was

thirteen

good a hundred years from now;

as long in fact as the laws

what they are

now

and

at present.

rules of the

The

reader

game remain

may

therefore

go over the contents of the book with the assurance that there is

is

in it everything

he needs, and that there

nothing to be added and nothing to be changed.

Chess Fundamentals was the one standard work of

its

kind thirteen years ago and the author firmly believes that

New

it is

the one standard work of

York Sept. I, ig34

its J.

kind now. R.

CAPABLANCA

LIST OF

CONTENTS

PART

I

CHAPTER

I

First Principjles: Endings, Middle-game and Openings

2.

Some Simple Mates Pawn Promotion

3.

Pawn Endings-

1.

4. 5.

6. 7.

8.

PAGE

3

9

Some Winning Positions in the Middle-game Relative Value of the Pieces General Strategy of the Opening Control of the Centre Traps

CHAPTER

....

13

19 24 25 28

32

n

Further Principles in End-game Play 9.

10. 11. 12.

A A

Cardinal Principle Classical Ending Obtaining a Passed Pawn How TO find out which to Queen

13.

The Opposition

14.

TfEE Relative

35

37

Pawn will be the

41

Value of Knight and Bishop TO Mate with Knight and Bishop

15.

How

16.

Queen against Rook

CHAPTER

40 first

....

43

50 59 62

m

Planning a Win in Middle-game Play 17. 18. 19.

Attacking without the aid of Knights Attacking with Knights as a Prominent Force. WiNNiNO BY Indirect Attack

68 .

.

71

73

1

LIST OF CONTENTS CHAPTER IV General Theory 20. 21.

22. 23. 24.

25.

The

FAQE

Initiative

77

Direct Attacks bn masse The Force of the Threatened Attack Relinquishing the Initiative Cutting off Pieces from the Scene of Action ... A Player's Motives Criticised in a Specimen Game .

7* 82

89 94 99

CHAPTER V End-game Strategy 26. 27. 28.

29.

30.

The Sudden Attack from a Different Side The Danger of a Safe Position Endings with one Rook and Pawns A Difficult Ending: Two Rooks and Pawns .... Rook, Bishop and Pawns v. Rook, Knight and Pawns (A Final Example

of preserving

Freedom

11

120 122 127

138

whilst

imposing restraint.)

CHAPTER

VI

Further Openings and Middle-games 31.

32.

Some Sauent Points about Pawns Some Possible Developments from a Ruy Lopez (showing the weakness of a backward

33.

The

K

a Pawn at s, etc.) Influence of a "Hole"

power

of

Q B

P;

143

the 146

150

XIST OF CONTENTS

PART

II

ILLUSTRATIVE GAMES GAME 1.

PAGE

Queen's Gambit Declined White: F.

2.

J.

Marshall.

(

Match,

Black:

J.

1909) R. Capablanca.

159

Queen's Gambit Declined (San Sebastian, 1911). White: A. K. Rubinstein. Black: J. R. Capablanca.

.

163

Irregular Defence (Havana, 1913) White: D. Janowski. Black: J. R. Capablanca.

169

4.

French Defence

174

5.

RuY Lopez

3.

(St. Petersburg, 1913) White: J. R. Capablania. Black: E. A. Snosko-Borovski. (St.

Petersburg,

White: Dr.E. Lasker. 6.

RuY Lopez (San White:

8.

Sebastian, 1911) Black: A.

J. Mieses.

J.

White: 12.

209

Black: R. Teichmann.

R. Capablanca.

J.

(St.

Black: F.

Petersburg,

J.

215

Marshall.

1914)

221

Black: D. Janowski.

R. Capablanca.

J.

Queen's

J. S. Morrison.

1918)

J. Marshall.

231

Black: J. R. Capablanca.

Gambit Declined

White: F.

225

Black: 0. Chajes.

R. Capablanca.

RuY Lopez (New York, White:

14.

201

Black: J. R. Capablanca.

French Defence (New York, 1918) White:

13.

197

Bum.

Petrofp Defence (St. Petersburg, 1914)

RuY Lopez

189

R. Capablanca.

R. Capablanca.

White: J. R. Capablanca. 11.

J.

Queen's Gambit Declined (Berlin, 1913) White:

10.

J.

Black:

Centre Game (Berlin, 1913) White:

9.

181

French Defence ( Rice Memorial Tournament, 1916 ) White: O. Chajes.

7.

1914)

Black: J.R. Capablanca.

(New York,

1918).

.

Black: J. R. Capablanca.

.

.

238

CHESS FUNDAMENTALS

CHESS FUNDAMENTALS PART

I

CHAPTER

I

First Principles: Endings, Middle-Game

AND Openings

The

first

thing a student should do,

himseK with the power of the best be done

by

learning

how

is

to famiUarise

pieces.

This can

to accomplish quickly

some of the simple mates. 1.

Example

1.

SOME SIMPLE MATES

— The

ending Rook and King against

King.

The principle last line

is to drive the

on any side of

opposing King

the board.

to

the

SOME SIMPLE MATES

4

In this position the power of the Rook is demonR 7, which immediately strated by the first move,

R—

confines the Black

King to the

mate

accomplished

quickly

is

K— Kt i; 2 K— Kt The

combined

last rank,

by:

and the

iR — R

7>

2.

action

and Rook

King

of

is

needed to arrive at a position in which mate can be

The

forced.

foUow

general principle

beginner

to

to

is

keep his

much as

King as

rank, or, as in this case,

When,

file,

in this case, the

the sixth rank, file,

a

for

it is

possible

on the same

as the opposing King.

King has been brought to

better to place

but on the one next to

not on the same

it,

towards the centre.

it

K— B K— K i; 4 K— K 4, K-Qi; sK-Qs, K-B 6 K-Q Not K — B because then the Black King will 2...K— B

i; 3

3,

i

6.

;

6,

go back to If

now

Q

and

I

will take

much

the King moves back to

at once.

6...K— Kti;

K— Kt

it

I

;

9

Q

i,

longer to mate.

R — R 8 mates

7R— QB7,K— Ri; 8K— B6,

K— Kt K— R 6,

i

;

10

R— B 8 mate.

moves to mate from the On move 5 Black could have played

It has taken exactly ten original position.

K— K

I,

and, according to principle. White would

have continued will ultimately

King

and

K— Kt K— Kt

i;

be 8

i; 10

6K— Q6, K — Bi

(the

Black King

be forced to move in front of the White

mated

K— B R— R

R— R8); 7K— K6, K — R i; 9 K— Kt 6,

by 6,

8 mate.

.;

SOME SIMPLE MATES Example

2.

/A

m

/. !^/