The fourth element: the harmony of pieces

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Submitted by mauerblume on Sun, 07/19/2009 at 6:45am.

You know the four main elements in chess ? The first three are clear:

1. Space = the chessboard

2. Material = the pieces

3. Time = piece moves

But what could be the fourth? According to the famous chesstrainer GM Suetin it is:

4. harmony of pieces

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Here a game from the just finished IM-tournament in Dortmund / Germany between two 22-year old players, where the fouth element became decisive

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After the opening black had a small lead in development. But the endgame with the different-coloured bishops looked very drawish.

Nevertheless Black organized a masterfully pieceplay. In contrast to this white pieces suffered the whole game under a lack of harmony. It became the decisive difference in that game

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At the end I inserted an optional move instead of the game move , because it would have been a more classical end of that "perfect" game.

» posted in mauerblume's Blog

| 1255 reads | 10 comments

Comments:

by fireballz - 2 months ago
marz South Africa

Member Since: Apr 2009
Member Points: 74

thanks to you, my end game will improve:)

by diagonal - 4 months ago
Greece

Member Since: Feb 2009
Member Points: 147

Thank's for sharing this important, but offen missed or under stated element of playing winning chess.

by mauerblume - 4 months ago
Duesseldorf Germany

Member Since: May 2008
Member Points: 5536

Probezeit

On move 8. the comment should be threatens Re2 and either Rxf2 or Rxb2 on the next move. Bxb1 fails to Kxe2.

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yes, good point ! Only I only want add to this, that also Rxe3 and then Bxb1 may perhaps the main threat!

by Probezeit - 4 months ago
Stäfa Switzerland

Member Since: Dec 2007
Member Points: 34

On move 8. the comment should be threatens Re2 and either Rxf2 or Rxb2 on the next move. Bxb1 fails to Kxe2. Nice moves though.

by mauerblume - 4 months ago
Duesseldorf Germany

Member Since: May 2008
Member Points: 5536

bigfundu

"I was thinking of the rook exchange on move 17 itself."

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It was necessary to bring the black king first in contact with the b-pawn and then exchanging the rooks-

Otherwise after rook exchange in move 17 white wouldn`t have lost the b-pawn and the endgame would have been drawish

Endgames with different-coloured bishops needs normally two extra - pawns for a win. One extra pawn is normally not enough

by bigfundu - 4 months ago
Chennai India

Member Since: Oct 2008
Member Points: 381

I was thinking of the rook exchange on move 17 itself. May be it would not have made for a better game in any case. After all, I am not an IM :)

by mauerblume - 4 months ago
Duesseldorf Germany

Member Since: May 2008
Member Points: 5536

grace5:

The bishop on g4 protects the square c8. Therefore Rc8+ in your variation is not possible

by Knightguy - 4 months ago
Indiana United States

Member Since: Jan 2008
Member Points: 1299

Nice illustration Heinrich, the King walk was impressive, thanks!

by jgrace5 - 4 months ago
Sterling, VA United States

Member Since: Oct 2008
Member Points: 17

I differ a bit. It seems like h3 has more a reason for the loss as it wasted time. Better was maybe Bf4, for example, Rc2 Rc1 when Rxb2 allows Rc8+ and Rh8. once black had the attack going on the 2nd rank black had to defend as best he could.

by greatexcalibur - 4 months ago
Melbourne Australia

Member Since: Jun 2008
Member Points: 2476

I agree Harmony of Pieces is a big determinant in a chess game..

Thanks for this useful article!

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