FIDE SURVEYS – SUSAN POLGAR

1

Susan Polgar:

Zwischenzug

As you probably already know, the German
word “zwischenzug” stands for intermediate
move or in-between move. This important
topic, however, is often forgotten in many
books on chess tactics. I found over the
years that even good players simply “forget”
about “zwischenzug” a lot more frequently
than they do about other types of tactics
such as forks, pins, or discoveries etc.

Let’s first see a couple of simple examples
from my own experience.
Rodriguez D. : Polgar S.
Tunja 1989

XIIIIIIIIY
9r+-+kvl-tr0
9zpp+-+pzpp0
9-+N+psn-+0
9wq-+-+-+-0
9-+-zP-+-+0
9+-sN-+-+P0
9PzP-+lzPP+0
9tR-vLQ+RmK-0
xiiiiiiiiy

This game is from the World Junior
Championship. My opponent's last move
was S(c6), assuming that I would either
respond with the natural bc6 or Ld1.
However, he was up for an unpleasant
surprise as I chose neither. I went with the
intermediate move
12...Dc3!
instead. This wins a piece!
13.De2
Or 13.bc3 Ld1 14.Td1 bc6.
13...Dc6
and I won a little later.

In the next example, everything seems to be

fine for Black. However, Black has a
problem. The Bishop on b4 is on an
unprotected square which enables White to
win a Pawn.
Polgar S. : Cuijpers
Wijk aan Zee Wijk 1986

XIIIIIIIIY
9r+-wq-trk+0
9zpp+n+pzp-0
9-+p+psnp+0
9+-+p+-+-0
9-vlPzP-+-+0
9+-sN-zPN+-0
9PzP-vLQzPPzP0
9tR-+-+RmK-0
xiiiiiiiiy

How can White win a pawn?
11.Sd5!
Now if 11...Ld2 then 12.Sf6 - intermediate
check.
11...Sd5 12.cd5 Ld2.
Now comes another intermediate move.
13.de6! La5.
13...Le3 14.De3 Black is down a pawn too.
14.ed7 Lc7 15.b4 Dd7 16.Tab1
White is up a Pawn and I won this game.

Now let’s see some examples from other
players.
Tiviakov : Georgadze G.
Gausdal 1992

XIIIIIIIIY
9-+-tr-+-mk0
9+p+-+p+p0
9p+p+lwq-+0
9+-+-+N+-0
9PzP-+PwQ-zP0
9+-vlL+-+-0
9-+-+-zPP+0
9+-tR-+-mK-0
xiiiiiiiiy

FIDE SURVEYS – SUSAN POLGAR

2

Can Black win a piece here by capturing
with 1...Td3? Then, if 2.Db8, retreat the
Rook to d8.
No, as after the immediate capture on d3,
White has a hidden trap with 2.Tc3!, using
Black’s back rank weakness.
Therefore, it is very important to first
include the trade with
1...Lf5
Now after 2.ef5 Td3 Black is already free to
escape with the King via g7.
2.e5
Is White still saved? Not quite!
2...Ld2! 3.Dd2
3.ef6 Lf4.
3...Dh4 4.Tc3 Dd4
and the pin is deadly. Here are the rest of the
moves of the game:
5.e6 fe6 6.De1 Ld3
Here White tried his last chance.
7.Td3
In hopes for perpetual checks ...
7...Dd3 8.De5 Kg8 9.De6 Kg7 10.De7 Kg6
11.De6 Kg5 12.De7 Kf5 13.Df7 Kg4 14.f3
Kg3 15.Dg7 Kf4 16.Dh6 Ke5 17.Dg5 Ke6
True, there were many checks, but finally
Black ran out of them. 0:1

Alekhine : Bogoljubow
Germany (m/5) 1929

XIIIIIIIIY
9-tr-trnmk-+0
9zpp+-+-zpl0
9-+-+pzp-zp0
9sN-+-+-+-0
9PzP-snP+-+0
9+-sN-+P+-0
9-+-+-mKPzP0
9+-tRR+L+-0
xiiiiiiiiy

After a difficult start, Black is close to
getting out of his troubles. All he needs to
play is e6-e5 and then Black's only real bad
However, it is White's turn and Alekhine

found a nice way to make use of the
temporary lack of coordination between the
Black pieces.
1.Sb5! Sb5
This is forced. Otherwise, Black would lose
the a7 pawn.
2.Td8 Td8 3.Sb7!
The first intermediate move!
3...Tb8
If 3...Td2, then 4.Ke3 Sbd6 5.Kd2 Sb7
6.Tc8, followed by 7.Ta8 and 8.Ta7 with an
easy win for White.
4.Sc5!
This is the second intermediate move,
threatening to fork with Sd7.
4...Ke7 5.ab5!
As an end result of the combination, White
is up a pawn. The rest was is pure technique.
5...Sd6 6.Ta1 Sc8 7.Lc4 Lg8
7...e5 8.Le6.
8.f4 Lf7 9.e5.
Soon all of the Black pieces will become
paralyzed and the White King can freely
enter the Black camp.
9...fe5 10.fe5 Tb6 11.Ke3 Le8 12.Ta6!
This move indirectly protects the b5 pawn.
If now 12...Lb5, then 13.Tb6 wins.
12...Ld7 13.Kd4 Le8
Black has no choice but to sit and watch
how White improves his position move by
move.
14.h4 Ld7 15.Le2 Tb8 16.Sd7 Kd7 17.Lf3!
This move stops any plan of counterplay to
activating the Black Rook through b7-c7.
17...Tb6
Naturally, the b5 pawn was taboo because of
the fork (with Lc6).
18.Kc5 Tb8 19.h5 Kd8 20.Lc6 Ke7 21.Ta3
Kf7 22.Le4
Now Black is helpless, Either the White
King will enter to c6 or the Rook through
the d- or f- files.
22...Ke7 23.Kc6 Kd8 24.Td3 Ke7 25.Kc7
A great performance by the Alekhine!
1:0.

FIDE SURVEYS – SUSAN POLGAR

3

Simagin : Beilin
Vilnius 1946

XIIIIIIIIY
9r+-+-trk+0
9+N+-+qzp-0
9p+-+Rsnpzp0
9+p+-+-+-0
9-+-zP-+-+0
9+Q+-+-+-0
9PzP-+-zPPzP0
9+-tR-+-mK-0
xiiiiiiiiy

In the position above, White is a pawn up.
White’s last move was Sb7. The Knight on
b7 is now indirectly protected, due to the
discovery threats in the air. Remarkably,
Black has a way to still win a piece.
1...Sd5!
This powerful intermediate move wins the
game!
2.Te2
The Knight (on d5) couldn’t be captured
because of the back rank problem: 2.Dd5
Df2 3.Kh1 Df1.
2...Db7 3.Tc5 Tad8 4.Te5 Df7!
and again the same idea! 0:1.

Balashov : Biyiasas
Manila 1976

XIIIIIIIIY
9r+-wq-trk+0
9+pzpl+pzp-0
9p+n+-+-zp0
9+-+-zpN+-0
9-+-+P+-+0
9+LzP-+Q+-0
9PzP-+-zPPzP0
9tR-vlR+-mK-0
xiiiiiiiiy

Black with his last move (Lc1) was hoping
to simply trade Bishops before getting out of

the pin (on the d-file). It turned out to be a
mistake as White has another and better
option than the immediate recapture on c1:
16.Td7! Dd7 17.Dg4
and Black either loses his Queen or gets
checkmated.
17...Df5
Or 17...g6 18.Sh6 Lh6 19.Dd7.
18.ef5
And White won. 1:0.

Arakhamia : Spassky
Roquebrune 1998

XIIIIIIIIY
9-+-tr-+k+0
9+p+-+-zp-0
9-zpn+-tr-zp0
9+-wqp+-+-0
9-+p+lzPL+0
9zP-zP-wQNzP-0
9-zP-+-+-zP0
9+-+RtR-mK-0
xiiiiiiiiy

Here the ex-world Champion played
1...Lf3.
His opponent decided not to recapture right
away, but to first exchange the Queens with
2.Dc5?
White overlooked (or underestimated) that
Black has another option than the natural
recapture on c5. Black responded with the
unexpected:
2...Ld1!!
Now Black will have a Rook, a Bishop, and
a Knight for the White Queen and pawn.
This in itself isn't necessarily a decisive
material advantage, but combined with the
weaknesses around the White King, it gives
Black the upper hand.
3.Db6 Lg4 4.Db7?!
This only makes life easier for Black.
4...Tb8
Now the Rook enters to the second rank
which is very strong, especially because

FIDE SURVEYS – SUSAN POLGAR

4

both the f- and g- pawns of White's have
advanced already.
5.Dc7 Tb2 6.a4 Lh3 7.a5 Tg2 8.Kh1 Ta2
Now the a-pawn is lost too. White resigned.
0:1.

Hromadka : Prokop
Prague 1926

XIIIIIIIIY
9-+-+-+k+0
9+-wql+p+-0
9p+-zp-+pzp0
9+pzpPvl-+-0
9-+-zp-sN-zP0
9+-+P+-zPL0
9PzPP+QzP-mK0
9+-+-+-+-0
xiiiiiiiiy

Here Black played
1...Lf4?
with hopes to ruin White's pawn structure.
However, Black forget that White doesn’t
have to recapture but has a better move:
2.De7!
This pin and the entrance to the seventh rank
is very powerful.
2...Lc1 3.Le6!
This is a pretty move using the fact that
Black's Bishop is pinned.
3...Dc8
After 3...fe6 4.de6 White's passed pawn is
unstoppable.
4.Lf7 Kg7
4...Kh8 would only shorten the end by two
moves. 5.Df6 Kh7 6.Lg6 Kg8 7.Df7 Kh8
8.Dh7 checkmate.
5.Le8 Kg8 6.Df7
and Black resigned the checkmate is
unavoidable. 1:0.

Boze : Dennik
Corr. 1963

XIIIIIIIIY
9-+-+-+k+0
9tr-sn-wq-+p0
9-+-+l+-vL0
9+p+-wQL+-0
9-+-+-tR-+0
9+-zp-zP-+-0
9-+-+-+PzP0
9+-+-+-mK-0
xiiiiiiiiy

Black’s position looks scary with the King
being all exposed. However, it seemed that
Black is getting out of trouble with the
following combination:
1...Ta1 2.Kf2 Tf1 3.Kf1 Lc4
and winning White's Queen. Yet, the
unexpected:
4.Ld3!!
first (instead of White moving his King out
of the check) changes the whole picture.
4...Ld3 5.Kf2 De5
And now
6.Tf8# checkmate is possible. 1:0