Dynamic LoAs
I'm working my way through the piece sacrifices on h7, g7 and f7 at an increased pace. Currently I have absorbed about 80 of them, and a new picture arises what it is all about. Most of the time it is about a deadly invasion, where both the LoAs (lines of attack) and the invasion square can be dynamic.
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| White to move |
2bqr1k1/ppr1b2p/4p1p1/3n2B1/3P4/P1P2R1Q/5PPP/1B2R1K1 w - - 0 22
Hort, Vlastimil vs. Scotland, Eduard, Bremen 1981
Beware of the LoAs and the invasion squares:
It takes some time (80 puzzles) to develop a sense for these dynamic invasions.
Playing the middlegame has become much clearer now. It is all about invasion. Preparing and preventing.
ReplyDeleteSo I'm a bit in doubt now. More positional exercises or changing the focus? The upcoming tournament must clarify matters.
In any case the focus will be on the sacrifice puzzles around the king. There are 1000 of them. And now I have fine-tuned the pace, that should take no more than three years.
Sacrifices around the king are the beginning of the king assault. The middlegame that leads to the assault (the Vukovic gap) is guided by the rule: invade! I hope that the study of the sacrifices will give me more insight in where to put my pieces.
The middlegame has two possible endpoints. The king assault or an endgame. I'm in doubt whether it is time to pick up some endgame knowledge. I feel hungry. After all, how can I optimize my middlegame without knowing how to play an endgame (with the adage of Capablanca in mind).
I suggest that you do NOT change your focus right before your next tournament. I also suggest that if you find yourself in a quandary during a game as to whether to continue to play for an attack or to bail out into an endgame, make the decision rationally based on whether the position points in one direction or the other. At that critical juncture, just put an "e?" beside your move so that you don't forget to review your decision after the tournament.
ReplyDeleteAs Nimzowitsch said, “The wavering player goes to the wall - to be shot.”
Many strong players (Steinitz, Keres) started out as combinational players and then added endgame and positional mastery to rise to the heights. It's a matter of recognizing weaknesses in your play and filling in the "holes" in your bucket over time. You're already successfully doing that.