Monday 25 January 2010

Rooks on non-open files

Rooks usually belong on open files, and the normal script is (1) open file (2) stick rook on it. Sometimes you reverse the order, especially if you are playing uber-positional chess, in a Karpovian style. However putting the rook on a closed file as an attacking move is a much rarer thing instead.
Idly leafing through "Take my Rooks" by Minev and Seirawan I found the following game. To get at the enemy king Black puts his rook on a very closed g file, before sacrificing a piece to open it up.Interestingly Fritz had no difficulty in finding Blacks attacking idea, and just as interestingly, suggested the best defence for White was to mimic the manoeuvre and place his rook on the same, closed file (with 15.Rg1)

Gomes - Netto [C46]
Rio de Janeiro Rio de Janeiro, 1942

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Nc3 Bc5 4.Bc4 d6 5.d3 Bg4 6.Be3 Nd4 7.Bxd4 Bxd4 8.h3 Bh5 9.Nb5 Bb6 10.Qe2 Ne7 11.0-0 a6 12.Na3 Ng6 13.g3 Qf6 14.Kg2 (D)
14. ... Rg8 15.c3 Nh4+ 16.gxh4 g5 17.Rg1 Bxf3+ 18.Qxf3 gxh4+
0-1

4 comments:

Ako said...

nice as always
i enjoyed it!

i was thinking about that how was his feeling and what was in his mind when he did Rg8!

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Anonymous said...

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