The Vukovic gap
I retired in Januari. Since then, I have mainly been busy to organize my life in accordance with the new situation (planting geraniums). I played my games on two clubs, but besides that, I haven't studied new material. Although I maintain the current stuff. Yesterday, I subscribed for a 9 day round robin tournament in July. And now the question is: how am I going to prepare for the tournament the coming months?
The last tournament in december had a clear conclusion: 1/3 of my points I lose by tactics while 2/3 I lose by molesting endgames. Losing should read as not winning.
If I would worry about points, then focusing on the endgame would be the logical path to go. But I don't consider endgames as being problematic. It is only a lot of work. And even that remains to be seen. My problem is that I lack an endgame plan most of the time. And without a plan, tactics have no direction.
The past weeks I have been quite successful as white. I won three times in a row with a bishop sacrifice on h7. Today I stumbled on a video that treats the attacking plans in the Colle. And I decided to focus the coming months on these plans as preparation for the tournament. The plans fill up the gap between the opening and the kingside attack. The gap that I dubbed the Vukovic gap.
Screwing up a won endgame is a luxury problem. I will tackle that problem in due course.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q_A3UyGLjtg
ReplyDeleteThx!!
DeleteHere are some random problems chosen for a pattern commonality from lichess.org’s Puzzle Storm. I immediately “SEE” the same “cue” (an unnamed surface regularity of these problems) pointing toward the solution sequence (the essence, which springs instantly into mind) without having to work out the “I go here, he goes there” move sequence(s) using move-by-move logical calculation. Some of the problem solutions “stretch” that cue almost to the breaking point. That was the recommendation of Dr. Lasker for developing good intuitive judgment. As GM Nigel Davies put it, “Who does that? Amateurs don’t; GMs do.”
ReplyDeleteSince the “cue” is unnamed (AFAIK), I’ll leave it unnamed. It should be fairly obvious after the first 2-3 puzzles. Is it everything that triggers pattern recognition in all these problems? No, but it provides the initial starting point for the System 1 cognitive recognition process moving along the principal variation, which can be seen in its entirety almost instantaneously.
After you “SEE” this cue, you will begin to “SEE” it automagically in other positions. It becomes part of your SKILL set of triggering patterns. As many researchers have noted, chess SKILL is composed of a great number of these simple pattern recognition cues and the associated action(s).
YMMV. I’m sure that each person has his own personal set of patterns and associated actions.
#1: FEN – 5rk1/6pp/3Np3/p1p1P3/2PpQ3/3P2P1/PP4KR/3q4 b - - 0 1
#2: FEN – 6k1/3N1p1p/4pQp1/3pPb2/3P4/7P/5qPK/8 w - - 0 1
#3: FEN – r3q3/4n1R1/p2prk2/2pQ4/1p2P2P/5P2/PPP5/2K4R w - - 0 1
#4: FEN – 8/8/8/8/1P2rp2/1KPkr3/7Q/8 w - - 0 1
#5: FEN – r2qkn1r/1p6/2n1p3/p1p1P3/2Pp1Pp1/PP1P2K1/3B2B1/1R2QR2 b - - 0 1
#6: FEN – 6k1/1p3q1p/6p1/p1Q5/8/1P2r1P1/PR5P/6K1 b - - 0 1
#7: FEN – 8/8/4Qbk1/1pBPp3/1P2q3/7K/6P1/8 b - - 0 1
#8: FEN – 7k/5pp1/2Bp3p/4pPbP/4P3/q4P2/R5Q1/1K6 b - - 0 1
#9: FEN – 5k2/pb1r2pQ/1p1q1r2/3p2p1/3P4/2P2P2/PP4K1/4R3 w - - 0 1
#10: FEN – 8/2p3pp/5p1k/6b1/3q2P1/3N4/P3Q3/5K2 w - - 0 1
That is certainly a good way to approach it.
ReplyDeleteThe good thing about my new approach (I reckon) is that:
* It are all attacks that arise in the opening I play
* They are all based on a Bxh7+ sacrifice
* Most of them (20 or so) are long variations (7- 15 moves) that are more or less forced
So it gives me a chance:
* To fiddle around with the moves that leads up to the sacrifice (the Vukovic gap)
* To be forced to formulate the right questions AFTER the sacrifice (how can I prevent the escape, how can I chase the king forward, how can I undermine that defender)
* to fiddle around with the solution (why is this so forceful, what if he does that)
I reckon that it will increase my attacking capabilities after a few months fiddling around.
I made an inventorisation of all preconditions that need to be met before you can decide to sac a bishop on h7 in the Colle Zukertort. When all nine lights are green, you can safely sac the guy.
ReplyDeleteAll nine preconditions are related to the LoA landscape. You can't sac the bishop as long as the black bishop is on c8. Why? From c8, the bishop MIGHT have an influence on the pivot point h3. When the bishop moves to b7, it can no longer hinder the line of attack Rf1-f3-h3
PART I:
ReplyDeletePreviously I had given no thought to using an AI to identify the preconditions for known attacking stratagems such as the Greek Gift. Inspired by your inventorisation of all preconditions for the Greek Gift in the Colle/Zukertort opening, I had a LONG “conversation” (several hours) with Copilot regarding those preconditions.
Unfortunately, when I tried to get concrete examples, it went insane, tossing up positions and “solutions” that were some combination of illegal positions, positions where the Bxh7+ sacrifice were impossible, etc. It finally threw in the towel, admitting that it was incapable of proving problems and solutions that were legal, coherent and matching. It then reverted to its textual description of the preconditions with a summary, declining to provide any more examples.
LLMs are a LONG way from exhibiting “intelligence” in a narrowly defined field of inquiry.
Here is the initial set of preconditions textually.
In chess, what are the preconditions for the Greek Gift sacrifice and king attack?
Here’s a clean, rigorous synthesis of the true preconditions for the Greek Gift sacrifice — the classical Bxh7+ (or …Bxh2+) bishop sacrifice — based strictly on authoritative sources.
Preconditions for the Greek Gift Sacrifice (Bxh7+)
The Greek Gift is not “just a bishop sac.” It works only when a specific cluster of positional and tactical conditions are satisfied. The following list consolidates the requirements from the most authoritative sources.
🧩 1. Control of the g5‑square (or g4 for Black)
The attacker must control g5 more than the defender.
• This ensures Ng5+ is possible immediately after Kxh7.
• If the defender can contest g5 (e.g., …h6, …Nf6, …Bg5), the sacrifice often fails.
🐴 2. The knight must be able to jump to g5 in one move
This is the engine of the attack.
- If the knight is on f3 (or f6 for Black), the sacrifice is theoretically possible.
- If the knight needs two moves to reach g5, the attack is almost always too slow.
👑 3. The queen must be able to join the attack quickly
Typical routes:
- Qh5
- Qd3 → h7
- Qc2 → h7
If the queen cannot reach the kingside in time, the attack collapses.
🛡️ 4. The defender must NOT be able to reinforce h7/h2
The sacrifice fails if the defender can bring a piece to cover h7/h2.
Critical defenders include:
- Knight on f6 (or f3)
- Bishop on e7 (or e2)
If these pieces defend h7, the sacrifice is usually unsound unless you can first remove or deflect them.
🧱 5. The defender must not be able to reorganize quickly
If the defending side can bring pieces (queen, rook, knight) to the kingside in time, the attack fizzles.
🕳️ 6. The h7‑pawn must be “soft”
Ideally:
- It is defended only by the king.
- No knight or bishop reinforces it.
🟫 7. The attacking dark‑squared bishop must be active
This bishop:
- Supports Ng5+
- Controls h6, preventing the king from escaping
- Often sits on d3 (or c2)
[Given that the d3-square and c2-square are WHITE squares, this seems insane.]
🧱 8. A pawn on e5 (or e4 for Black) is often crucial
This pawn:
- Kicks away the knight that would defend h7
- Blocks the king’s escape via f6–e7
- Restricts defensive piece mobility
🌪️ 9. Optional but helpful: a pawn on h4 (or h5)
This pawn can:
- Support Ng5
- Prepare h5–h6 ideas
- Prevent the king from escaping to h6
In short:
The Greek Gift works only when Ng5+, Qh5, and control of h7 combine to create a forced attack. If any of these elements are missing, the sacrifice is usually unsound.
PART II:
ReplyDeleteHere’s the final summary:
Given that the concrete positions I generated are corrupted, the only honest way to answer that now is at the conceptual / motif level, not pretending those exact FENs are trustworthy.
Here’s a compressed, coordinate‑free version of the “solutions” that does hold up conceptually:
Conceptual “solutions” to the 12 themed positions
For each theme, imagine a standard Greek Gift skeleton (bishop on d3, knight on f3, queen ready for h5/d3, king castled short, etc.) with the stated modification.
1. Textbook Greek Gift (all classical preconditions met)
• Verdict: Bxh7+ is sound.
• Core line: Bxh7+ Kxh7 Ng5+ Kg8 Qh5/Qd3 with threats of Qh7#; defenders are too far.
2. Bishop already on c2 (or ideal attacking square)
• Verdict: Even stronger than the textbook case.
• Core line: Bxh7+ Kxh7 Ng5+ Kg8 Qh5/Qd3–h7; bishop on c2/d3 increases pressure on h7/f5.
3. Defender missing (no Nf6 guarding h7)
• Verdict: Usually crushing.
• Core line: Bxh7+ Kxh7 Ng5+ Kg8 Qh5; with no knight on f6, h7 and f7 are fatally weak.
4. Knight on f6 but overloaded (hit by e5, g5, etc.)
• Verdict: Often sound, because the knight can’t both defend and survive.
• Core idea: Bxh7+ Kxh7 Ng5+ Kg8 dxe5 (or similar) overloading Nf6; queen joins via Qd3/Qh5.
5. Queenside counterplay (…Qxb2 ideas)
• Verdict: Still sound if the attack is forcing.
• Core idea: Bxh7+ Kxh7 Ng5+ Kg8 Qh5; if Black grabs on b2, mate or decisive material loss follows faster on h7.
6. Bishop on e7 as key defender (covers g5/h4)
• Verdict: Immediate Bxh7+ is often dubious; better to prepare.
• Core idea: First trade/deflect Be7 or improve pieces (Qd2, Rae1, etc.), then sacrifice when h7 is less defended.
7. …h6 resource (stopping Ng5)
• Verdict: Raw Bxh7+ is usually unsound.
• Core idea: You need to undermine h6 (h4–h5, Qd2–g5, etc.) or reposition before sacrificing; otherwise Ng5+ doesn’t bite.
8. King escape via g6 (pawn on g6)
• Verdict: Often unsound without extra support.
• Core idea: Bxh7+ Kxh7 Ng5+ Kg8 Qg4/Qh4 is not automatically winning because the king can run via g7–g6; you need h4–h5–h6 or more pieces.
9. Fast defensive regroup (…Re8, …Nf8, …g6)
• Verdict: Sacrifice is not clearly sound; Black has a coherent defensive plan.
• Core idea: If after Bxh7+ Ng5+ Qd3 Black can play …Nf8–g6 and …Re8, the king often survives; better to build pressure first.
10. Clearance for Qh5 (h‑pawn advance)
• Verdict: Once the clearance is done, the sacrifice is often crushing.
• Core idea: h4–h5 first; then Bxh7+ Kxh7 Ng5+ Kg8 Qh5 with no good defense to Qh7#.
11. Deflection of Nf6 before sacrificing
• Verdict: Correct is deflect first, then sac.
• Core idea: exf6 (or similar) to lure Nf6/Bf6 away, then Bxh7+ Kxh7 Ng5+ Qh5 with the key defender gone.
12. Queen already on h5 (maximum readiness)
• Verdict: Often immediately winning.
• Core idea: Bxh7+ Kxh7 Ng5+ Kg8 Qh7# or Qh8+ followed by mate; defender graph is overloaded.
So: the conceptual answers are solid; the concrete boards I tried to encode in FEN/Unicode were not.
"See, I was right even though I was wrong." - Copilot
People are known to commit suicide after long conversations with AI. Be careful if you feel any inclination!
ReplyDeleteI have asked Gemini to look for explanations of names and symbology when I read stories written by ancient Indians. Because these stories often contain different meanings on different levels.
ReplyDeleteBut when I ask something about water pump pliers, it often starts to make up a story about its metaphysical meaning. So it clearly has nothing to do with intelligence, yet the way of reasoning has a striking resemblance with certain politicians.