FIDE Surveys – Reinaldo Vera

1

Reinaldo Vera:

Defense - never forget it!

Since the children take their very first steps
in chess, they (logically) learn different
ways to attack and few glorious and
brilliant games and positions that induce
them to become in furious attackers.
Meanwhile, the humble defense remains in
a dark corner and the new chess players do
not even suspect that defense is also an
(essential) art.
It is only when the tough life of
competition teaches us that we are not
going to be always in the role of attacker,
that the coaches start to reveal us some
methods of defense and explain us that it
can generate as much victories as the most
inspired attack.
Actually to be successful in tournaments it
is equally important to master both the
methods of attack and fighting for the
initiative, and the defensive smartness able
to maintain difficult or inferior positions.
The last one requires great doses of
patience, constant attention on the chances
to counter attack and most than all, exact
calculation.
There are several reasons to be obliged to
become in a defender. Some of them are:
- To be surprised in the opening with an
unexpected novelty that left the opponent
with the advantage.
- To oversee a move that altered the game.
- The decision to win material in exchange
to give the opponent the chance to attack.

It is highly important to know the main
defensive principles and methods, such as
simplification, passive defense, active
defense or counterattack and defensive
sacrifices. However, in my opinion the
main sources of success in defense are:
- To accept that we are in the defensive
side.
Several games are lost because we are
unable to understand in time that our
opponent has already started the attack or

is preparing to do it. Sometimes the attack
is made directly but it can also being built
in a slow way.
- To actually know which are the real
threats of the opponent.
To know what the opponent is actually and
directly threatening is our first and
essential goal. To fail in this point is the
most common reason of the failure in
defense. Note that all chess players, since
little children to grandmasters usually tell:
“I did not see his (or her) threat”.
- To calculate accurately and creatively the
possible variations.
It is not enough to understand what our
opponent is threatening. It is necessary to
find defensive ideas and calculate their
variations exactly to counter the threats.
It is well known that defense is more
difficult than attack because when
attacking some moves can be made under
general considerations such as to
incorporate more pieces to the attack,
undermine the position of the King, etc.,
while when defending, only the exact
calculation that takes into account all the
possible moves of the attacker guarantees
us to survive. Actually there are very few
instances in which we can trust general
principles in defense.
- Do not relax at any time!
One most to be always completely beware
since the opponent has started to attack. It
has happened several times that the
defender “relax” before the right time and
the “second” attack becomes lethal.

Let us see the following position. White
has sacrificed a piece for a very dangerous
mate attack. Let us try to find the correct
defense.

FIDE Surveys – Reinaldo Vera

2

Dominguez L. : Ivanchuk V.
Barcelona 2006

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9PzPP+-+-zP0
9+K+-+-tR-0
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Which are the main threats of White?
20.Qe6 should look strong but Black can
answer 20...Kf8! followed by 21...Re8.
Another possible threat is 20.Rh6!? taking
profit of the pin in the g file. And also
20.Ne2! attacking the Queen and enabling
the Knight to defend the mate in the first
rank if necessary.
19...Kh8?
At first sight it is logic to leave from the
pin but this loses by force. As usual in
these positions the natural moves fail:
19...Raf8 20.Qh5! followed by 21.Rg7! or
19...Nc4 20.Bc4 Bc4 21.Ne2!
The best defense was 19...Bf3! avoiding
both 20.Ne2 and 20.R6g4.
Also 20.Rh6? does not work because the
incredible intermediate 20...Bg2!!
(imagination and creativity in defense!)
21.Rh8 Bh8 22.Rg2 Bg7 and Black wins.
After 19...Bf3! the best is 20.Be2! and after
20...Kh8! 21.Bf3 Qf3 22.Qf3 Rf3 23.Rg7
Raf8 Black can survive.
20.R6g4
20.Ne2! Qd2 21.R1g5!! Nc4 22.Qh6!
should have win.
20...Qd2 21.Qh5 Raf8 22.a3!
Giving a square to the King. 22.Qg6??
Rf1! 23.Rf1 Rf1 24.Bf1 Qe1 and mate.
22...Re7 23.Rg7! Rg7! 24.Rg7 Rf1!
25.Bf1 Kg7 26.Bd3
Black has survived with material balance
but Dominguez has the initiative and got
the victory after 69 moves. 1:0.

There are other types of attack when the
right defense is a combination of tenacity
and patient to wait for the right time to
counter attack. Let us see an example.

Felgaer R. : Bruzon L.
Buenos Aires 2005

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Black is defending. If they put the Kinght
back to f8, the White one should establish
himself on e5, followed by the advance of
white pawns in the Kingside. So Black
recurs to simplification to release the
pressure of the attack.
14...Bb7! 15.Ne5!
In appearance Black cannot solve the
problem. Taking on c6 loses the exchange
and he capture on e5 should give the d file
to the opponent. However Bruzon recurs to
two defensive methods, both simplification
and the search of counter play in the right
moment.
15...Ne5 16.de5 Qe7 17.Rd8 Qd8 18.Rd1
In spite that Black has exchanged a couple
of pieces it seems that they are still in
serious problems. Now White controls the
d file and threats to penetrate to the seven
rank.
18...Qc8 19.Qe4
Keeping the bind.
19...Bc6! 20.Qc6 Qa6!
Starting to counterattack! It is not so easy
to calculate accurately a combination or
when one is trying to concrete a clear
advantage, but it is even harder to find the
sometimes only way when in defense.
21.Qc7 Rf8!!

FIDE Surveys – Reinaldo Vera

3

The only move. It should lose 21...Rc8??
22.Rd8 Rd8 23.Qd8 Kh7 24.Qd3 Qd3
25.cd3 and White has a solid pawn up.
It is mandatory to maintain both the Rook
and f7 defended. Only the Queen is in
charge of the counterattack. Here a draw
was agreed. White has a pawn up and they
move. It seems easy to keep the material
advantage, however the Black counter
attack goes both toward to recover the
pawn on a2 and to penetrate with ...Qe2!,
attacking both f2 and e5. Incredibly it is
impossible for White to stop these threats.
Let us see: 22.a3 (22.Rd8? Qf1; 22.Kb1
Qe2; 22.b3 Qa2 23.Rd8 Qa1 24.Kd2 Rd8
25.Qd8 Kh7=) 22...Qe2! 23.Qa7 Qf2
24.Qb7 Qf4 25.Kb1 Qh2 26.Qb6 Qg2 and
Black pawns are as good as the White
ones. The advance of h pawn can be
extremely dangerous. ½.

Now another example. A virtuous like
Gelfand fails in defense because he did not
take in account all the candidates moves of
the opponent.

Anand V. : Gelfand B.
Wijk aan Zee 1996

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Only an exact defense should let Gelfand
to escape in this position, but he failed to
see all the alternatives of the White attack.
21...fe6??
The saving move was 21...Re8! 22.Re4!?
a) 22.Ref1 Bh4! (According to Anand both
players oversaw this move) 23.Rf7 (23.Qf3
Be6) 23...Qf7 24.Nc5 Be6! 25.Rf7 (25.Be6

Qe6!) 25...Bg3 and Black wins.
b) 22.Qf3 Bb2! (22...Bh4!?) 23.Rf7 Qf7
24.Qf7 Kf7 25.Nc7 Be6 26.Ne6 Kf6 with
great advantage.
22...Be6 23.Be6 fe6 24.Qg6 Bg7 25.Rh5
Qf6! and Black can defend successfully.
White has still draw chances after 26.Qf6
Bf6 27.Rc5.
22.Re6!
Gelfand did not see this move considering
only 22.Qg6?
22...Kg7
22...Be6 23.Qg6 Qg7 24.Be6 wining easily
is not better.
23.Re7 Be7 24.Rf8 Bf8 25.h4!
Black resigned because of 25.h4! Kh7
26.h5 Ne7 27.Qf3.
Mistakes frequently goes to disaster when
defending. To oversee 22.Re6! was enough
to loose. 1:0.

In the following game the correct method
of giving back material in the right
moment allowed Black to save a difficult
position and counter attack. However, after
that I made an imprecise move that allows
White to win in an original way.

Amin B. : Vera R.
Cappelle la Grande 2012

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With the following sequence of attack
White tests the Black defense.
22.Rg6 hg6 23.Qg6 Bg7!
23...Kf8? 24.Bf6+–; 23...Rg7? 24.Qf6+–.
24.Rg1 Qd7 25.Nf4! Rf4!
The defense starts eliminating the attacking

FIDE Surveys – Reinaldo Vera

4

forces. Black cannot allow the Knight to
arrive at h5.
26.Bg7
Black has serious problems with the threat
of the discovered check. However there is
a hidden defense for Black.

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26...Bf5!!
A typical defensive resource: to sacrifice
material in order to break the coordination
of the opponent forces and at the same
time generate counter play over the White
King. It is not possible 26...Rg4? because
of 27.Rg4 Bg4 28.Bf6 Kf8 29.Qh6 Ke8
30.Qh8 Kf7 31.Qg7 Ke6 32.Qg4 winning
the Queen. Neither good is 26...Qf7
27.Qh6 Rf2 28.Ke1 winning.
27.ef5
It was necessary to take. Black could
defend also against 27.Qg5 Rg4!; 27.Qh6
Rg4!
27...Qf5 28.Qd6! Rf2?
Under the feeling that there is not more
danger, Black errors due to a temporary
lack of concentration and early relaxation.
28...Rg4! 29.Rg4 Qg4 30.Qd5!? Kh7!
should have been enough to equalize and
also 28...Rf1! 29.Rf1 Qf1 30.Bd4 Qg2.
29.Ke1! Rf1!
Black trusted in this move. Now it is White
who must defend himself with forced
moves.
30.Rf1! Re8 31.Be5!! Re5 32.Kd2! Rd5
33.Ke3! Re5 34.Kd4!

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Incredible! The King arrives at d4 after the
opponent checks and besides his Queen
and Rook can be taken.
34...Qe4 35.Kc3 Qe3 36.Qd3!
36.Kb4 Rb5 37.Ka3 (37.Ka4?? Qe8!–+)
37...Ra5 38.Kb4 Rb5=.
36...Rc5 37.Kb4 Rb5 38.Ka4! Qd3
38...Qe8? 39.Qc4 Kh8 40.Qc3+–.
39.cd3 Rh5 40.Rf2
And White imposed the material
advantage. 1:0.

Marshall F. : Capablanca J. R.
New York 1909

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In this approximately even position, the
Young Capablanca goes for material
advantage, allowing his dangerous rival to
organize the attack. This way of playing
was characteristic and made Kortschnoi a
formidable and tough opponent.
18...Bc6 19.Qg4
Threatening Ne6. It was interesting 19.d5!?

FIDE Surveys – Reinaldo Vera

5

19...c4!
Limiting the Bishop a2.
20.d5 Ba4 21.Rd2 e5!?
Simpler was 21...ed5 22.Nd5 Qe6! and
White must choose between the
simplification or the displacement of his
pieces from the best squares.
22.Nh5 g6 23.d6!
Advancing and creating counter chances
with the passed pawn.
23...Qe6! 24.Qg5 Kh8
Avoiding the trap: 24...Rd6 25.Rd6 Qd6
26.Qh6+–.
25.Nf6 Rd6 26.Rd6 Qd6
Black is two pawns up, but his kingside
has been weakened and White can create
attack motifs on it.
27.Bb1
27.Rf1!?, with idea of f4!, deserved
attention, putting the Rook into play.
27...Nc6
Black needs to bring his pieces to the
center and kingside in order to neutralize
the small but persistent threats of White.
The move made in the game allows
Marshall a strange maneuver that enliven
his position. It was better 27...Nb3.
28.Bf5!

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28...Rd8
Bishop cannot be taken: 28...gf5?? 29.Qh6.
29.h4?
It is a common saying that defense is more
difficult than attack, but in positions such
as this when attack and defense interact, it
is obliged to act very accurately because a
mistake is definitely fatal. It was

mandatory to play 29.Bd7!!, tying up the
White pieces and threatening Ne8 or Qh4,
followed by Ne8. This original maneuver
should have given White good chances.
The best defence is 29...Kg7! (29...Rd7??
30.Qh6; 29...b5? 30.Bc6 Qc6 31.Qh4 Kg7
32.Nh5± or 29...Qf8 30.Ra1!) 30.Ne8 Re8
31.Be8 and Black has two pawns for the
exchange and without any imminent
danger.
29...Ne7! 30.Ne4
If 30.Be4, then 30...Ng8! and once again
White must choose between simplification
or misplacing his pieces.
30...Qc7 31.Qf6 Kg8 32.Be6
In order not to retreat. 32.Bh3 Bc2.
32...fe6
Right calculation. 32...Rf8 33.Nd6! fe6
34.Qe6 Kg7 35.Qe5 and Black cannot
escape of the perpetual check.
33.Qe6
33.Ng5 Nd5.
33...Kf8 34.Ng5 Ng8! 35.f4 Re8
This also wins, but allows an unexpected
blow. Simpler was 35...ef4! 36.Rf1 Rd1!,
eliminating any hope.
36.fe5!

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Moves like this are usual when the
defender is not enough aware. In this case
it is only a temporary release.
36...Re7!
After his previous relaxation Capablanca
finds the only defense. 36...Nh6 37.Rf1
Nf5 (37...Kg7 38.Qe8) 38.g4!; 36...Kg7?
37.Qe8!+–.
37.Rf1 Kg7 38.h5 Be8!

FIDE Surveys – Reinaldo Vera

6

The Bishop comes back to the battlefield
defending both f7 and g6 and deciding the
game.
39.h6 Kh8!
39...Nh6?? 40.Qf6 Kg8 41.Qf8#.
40.Qd6

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40...Qc5!
Again the only move. Loosing was
40...Qd6?? 41.ed6 Rb7 (41...Rd7 42.Rf8
Rd8 43.Re8!) 42.Rf8 Bc6 43.Rb8!! Rd7
44.Rd8 Rb7 45.d7 Rd7 46.Rd7 Bd7
47.Nf7#.
41.Qd4
Not 41.Qc5 bc5 42.Rf8 Re5 43.Re8 Rg5!
(43...Re8?? 44.Nf7#).
41...Re5
Better was 41...Nh6!
42.Qd7
After 42.Rf7!? Nh6 43.Rf8 Qf8 44.Qe5
Kg8–+ Black is winning.
42...Re7 43.Rf7 Bd7 1:0.