1

Jovan Petronic:

Queenless King Hunt

1.e4 e5 2.Sf3 Sc6 3.Lb5 a6 4.La4 Sf6 5.0–0
b5 6.Lb3 Lb7

XIIIIIIIIY
9r+-wqkvl-tr0
9+lzpp+pzpp0
9p+n+-sn-+0
9+p+-zp-+-0
9-+-+P+-+0
9+L+-+N+-0
9PzPPzP-zPPzP0
9tRNvLQ+RmK-0
xiiiiiiiiy

The Arkhangelsk Defence remains a popular
main line alternative for Black. This position
was possibly reached for the first time (in the
electronically recorded history of chess) in
the game played between two chess masters
of the past - Carl Schlechter and Mikhail
Chigorin,

in

Berlin

1897,

after

a

transposition of moves. Black had then
played

the

nowadays

considered

as

inaccurate 4... b5, followed by 5... Lb7. As
in most main line systems of play, the
middlegame positions arising from this point
onwards prove to be highly entertaining,
instructive and requiring imagination and
fighting

spirit.

If

wishing

to

play

successfully on a high level, one would of
course need to go through volumes of
existing theoretical opening articles, such as
is

Chess

Informant's

legendary

C78

Monograph by GMs Alexander Beliavsky
and Adrian Mikhachishin. A number of
leading Grand Masters worldwide continue
to practice the Arkhangelsk. Leading Chess

Trainers offer it as training materials for
their students, with an accent on the opening
variations and middlegames arising from
them. What follows soon is a remarkable,
unique, and most importantly - enjoyable
middlegame checkmating exercise, which I
had successfully used many times in chess
trainings with players (and trainers) of
various national and FIDE rating and FIDE
title levels, inclusive of GMs.
7.c3 Se4 8.d4! Sa5 9.Se5 Sb3 10.Db3 Df6
11.f3! Sc5 12.Sg4! Sb3! 13.Sf6

XIIIIIIIIY
9r+-+kvl-tr0
9+lzpp+pzpp0
9p+-+-sN-+0
9+p+-+-+-0
9-+-zP-+-+0
9+nzP-+P+-0
9PzP-+-+PzP0
9tRNvL-+RmK-0
xiiiiiiiiy

With the material presently being relatively
equal, Black has a choice of two candidate
moves, the obvious 13... gxf6 and the less
obvious 13...Ke7 (attempting to avoid
damage of its pawn structure, retaining the
potential advantage of Black's Bishop's pair),
with 13...Kd8 being of course not a
candidate move worth considering. The
present

position

features

a

first

recommended classical training one ("How
should Black proceed?"), with the trainer
researching (and documenting!) details of
talent and potential among trainees who have
not seen or analyzed this position before, as
well as being one inside a checklist, when
training with higher level players.
13...Ke7!
13...gf6 was played at least five times in the
period 1970–1992, with the most valuable

2

ones

being

played

between

GMs

Viswanathan Anand (2525) and Adrian
Mikhalchishin (2475) 0–1 (42), played in
Moscow 1989, followed by GMs Patrick G.
Wolff (2520) and Mikhail Tal (2565), in San
Francisco (USA) 1991, which White won in
55 moves. Wolff - Tal was also featured in
Chess Informant 52/335 (1991), analysed by
White, who gave in the annotaion 13...Ke7
an exclamation mark, followed by an
obvious continuation 14. axb3 gxf6 with
equality. Games played, analyzed and and
published previously did not mention the
possibility of 13... Ke7.
14.Lg5!!

XIIIIIIIIY
9r+-+-vl-tr0
9+lzppmkpzpp0
9p+-+-sN-+0
9+p+-+-vL-0
9-+-zP-+-+0
9+nzP-+P+-0
9PzP-+-+PzP0
9tRN+-+RmK-0
xiiiiiiiiy

The diagram is of notable history. Back in
1991, during Yugoslavia National Olympiad
Men's Team group trainings, I offered the
diagram as an analysis position with a
requirement to four GMs to check if White
has winning chances in case of Black
accepting

the

Rook

sacrifice.

The

Archangelsk was then very popular and,
being National Coach, I was tasked by the
players to find new ideas and ways for White
to improve on the existing theory from
White's side. One of the potential novelties I
had then compiled lead to the position with
14.Lg5, which I classified as an idea pending
further research. After a relatively short
analysis, it was, however, concluded to my

initial disappointment that the atempt was
interesting, but fails to produce a winning
position, with us quickly switching to other
middlegame positions of analysis value.
GM Wolff briefly analysed 14.Lg5, too (!)
and awarded it a question mark, with the
following

analysis

published:

14...Sa1

15.Te1 Kd6 16.Lf4 Kc6 17.d5 Kc5!–+
(17...Kb6? 18.Sd7 Ka5 (18...Ka7 19.Le3+-)
19.Lc7 Ka4 20.Sb6 Ka5 21.Sc4 Ka4 22.b3
Sb3 23.Sb2#). You will notice the
similarities between Wolff's analysis and
conclusions, with the ones we had made,
during team training, both having been made
independently and presuming at a similar
time on far away geographical distances. In
my exercise analysis futher, you will find an
improvement over White's 20. Sb6.
14...Sa1?
14...gf6 15.Te1! Kd6™ (15...Kd8?? 16.Lf6
Le7 (16...Kc8 17.Te8#) 17.Le7+-) 16.Lf4
Kd5

17.ab3±;

14...Sd4!?

is

worth

considering for Black at this point: 15.cd4
gf6 16.Te1 Kd6™ 17.Lf6 Tg8, unclear.
15.Te1! Kd6??

XIIIIIIIIY
9r+-+-vl-tr0
9+lzpp+pzpp0
9p+-mk-sN-+0
9+p+-+-vL-0
9-+-zP-+-+0
9+-zP-+P+-0
9PzP-+-+PzP0
9snN+-tR-mK-0
xiiiiiiiiy

We have now reached the starting position
of the main exercise, in which extensive
analysis proves that White is winning by
force, with a checkmate in 12 to follow,
assuming best play by both White and Black.
The vast number of different checkmating

3

positions arising from this Queenless
middlegame will amaze all spending
analysis or training time with it. The trainer's
task here is to request the student to find all
existing and unique fastest checkmates, in
the end proving White's mate in 12, in a
restricted amount of time, up to one hour
maximum, depending on the current playing
level of the student. Within group training,
the points are to be given according to the
number of unique checkmates found.
Students names can then be documented
inside the solutions template below, at the
end of each checkmate found, ultimately
creating a database worth researching
further. The exercise should be done over a
chess board, and the variations written out
by hand. Moving the pieces may be allowed
for levels below FM title or below 2300
FIDE-rating.
15...Kd8?? of course leads to a picturesque
mate in one: 16.Te8#. 15...Le4 is Black's
best try and not a part of the intended
exercise. Solution:
16.Lf4! Kc6 17.d5! Kc5!
17...Kb6 18.Sd7! Ka5! (18...Ka7? 19.Le3!
c5!

(19...Lc5? 20.Lc5#)

20.dc6!

Lc5

21.Lc5#)

XIIIIIIIIY
9r+-+-+-tr0
9mkl+N+pzpp0
9p+P+-+-+0
9+pvL-+-+-0
9-+-+-+-+0
9+-zP-+P+-0
9PzP-+-+PzP0
9snN+-tR-mK-0
xiiiiiiiiy

19.b4! (19.Lc7! Ka4 20.b4! Lb4! (20...Ld5?
21.Sb6#; 20...Lc5? 21.Sc5#) 21.Te4! a5
(21...Ld5 22.Tb4# (22.Sc5#)

XIIIIIIIIY
9r+-+-+-tr0
9+-vL-+pzpp0
9p+-+-+-+0
9+psNl+-+-0
9kvl-+R+-+0
9+-zP-+P+-0
9P+-+-+PzP0
9snN+-+-mK-0
xiiiiiiiiy

22.Sb6# (22.Sc5#) 19...Lb4! (19...Ka4!
20.Lc7! Lb4! (20...Ld5 21.Sb6#) 21.Te4 Ld5
(21...a5

22.Sb6#

(22.Sc5#))

22.Tb4#

(22.Sc5#).
18.b4! Kc4!
18...Kb6? 19.Sd7! Ka7™ 20.Le3! c5!
(20...Lc5 21.Lc5#) 21.dc6! Lc5™ 22.Lc5#.
19.Sa3! Kc3!
19...Kd3? 20.Se4! leads to an another set of
amazing unique checkmating positions, with
best play assumed, as usual. Black has two
best defences, which both ultimately fail.
20...Lc5! (20...Sc2! 21.Td1! Ke2™ 22.Td2!
Ke1™ 23.Sc2# (23.Lg3#)

XIIIIIIIIY
9r+-+-vl-tr0
9+lzpp+pzpp0
9p+-+-+-+0
9+p+P+-+-0
9-zP-+N+-+0
9sN-zP-+PvL-0
9P+ntR-+PzP0
9+-+-mk-mK-0
xiiiiiiiiy

21.Kf1! Sb3!

4

a) 21...Ld5? 22.Td1#;
b) 21...Lb4 22.Te3# (22.Td1#!) ; 22.ab3!
(22.Td1! Sd2™ 23.Td2#) 22...Le3 (22...Ld5
23.Td1#) 23.Te3#.
20.Se4!

XIIIIIIIIY
9r+-+-vl-tr0
9+lzpp+pzpp0
9p+-+-+-+0
9+p+P+-+-0
9-zP-+NvL-+0
9sN-mk-+P+-0
9P+-+-+PzP0
9sn-+-tR-mK-0
xiiiiiiiiy

Following up on the previous position
introductions, it came as a shock very soon
afterwards, when published as a sideline in
Chess Informant's game Nr. 53/330, GM
Larry Christiansen's following analysis:
20...Kb4 (20...Kd3 21.Td1 Ke2 22.Td2 Ke1
23.Lg3#

(We

again

have

a

slight

improvement in our training exercise, and
over 22. Td2+ - 22.Sc3#!) 21.Tb1! Ka3
(21...Ka5 22.Lc7 Ka4 23.Sc3 Ka3 24.Lf4+-)
22.Sc3 … Lc1#. Kudos to GM Christiansen!
20...Kb4!
20...Kb2? 21.Tb1! Ka3 (21...Ka2 22.Sc3!
Ka3 23.Lc1#); 20...Kd3? 21.Td1! Ke2
22.Sc3#
21.Tb1! Ka5!
21...Ka3?

22.Sc3!

Lc5!

23.Kh1!

(or

23.Kf1!+-) 23...Le3! (23...b4? 24.Lc1#;
23...Sb3? 24.Tb3#

)

24.Le3! The8 (24...Sb3

25.Tb3#) 25.Lc1#; 21...Sb3? 22.Tb3! Ka5
(22...Ka4 23.Sc3! Ka5™ 24.Lc7#) 23.Lc7!
Ka4 24.Sc3#.

22.Lc7! Ka4 23.Sc3! Ka3 24.Lf4! Lc5!
24...Ld5? 25.Lc1#; 24...Sb3? 25.Tb3#.
25.Kf1!+-
Or 25.Kh1!+-.

25...Le3!
25...Ld5 26.Lc1#; 25...Sb3 26.Tb3#.
26.Le3!

XIIIIIIIIY
9r+-+-+-tr0
9+l+p+pzpp0
9p+-+-+-+0
9+p+P+-+-0
9-+-+-+-+0
9mk-sN-vLP+-0
9P+-+-+PzP0
9snR+-+K+-0
xiiiiiiiiy

26...Sb3
In the main line of our checkmating quest,
we see the greedy Black Knight giving itself
up, having played the last move before Black
is forced to resign: 26...Ld5 27.Lc1#.
27.Tb3#.

5

EXERCISES

1.Black to move

XIIIIIIIIY
9r+lmk-+-tr0
9zpp+-+-+p0
9-+nsN-+-+0
9+-+K+-+n0
9-+-vlpzpp+0
9zP-+-+-+-0
9-zPP+L+P+0
9tR-vLQ+-+R0
xiiiiiiiiy

Source:
18…Sf6 19.Kc4 Le6 20.Kb5 a6 21.Ka4 b5
22.Sb5 ab5 23.Kb5 Ta5 24.Kc6 Ld5 25.Kd6
Se8# (Matschego : Falkbeer, Vienna 1853)

2. Black to move

XIIIIIIIIY
9r+lsN-trk+0
9zppzpp+-zpp0
9-+-+-+-+0
9+-vlnzP-+-0
9-+-+-+-+0
9+-+-+-mK-0
9PvL-+-+PzP0
9tRN+Q+-+R0
xiiiiiiiiy

Source:
13…Lf2 14.Kh3 d6 15.e6 Sf4 16.Kg4 Se6
17.g3 Sd4 18.Se6 Le6 19.Kh4 Sf5 20.Kh3
Se3 21.Kh4 Sg2 22.Kh5 g6 23.Kg5 Le3#

(Hoffman : Petrov, Warsaw 1844)

3. Black to move

XIIIIIIIIY
9r+-+k+-tr0
9zppzp-+pzpp0
9-+-vl-+-+0
9+-+Nsn-+-0
9-+-+n+-+0
9+P+-zPL+-0
9PvLPzP-+PmK0
9tR-+Q+R+-0
xiiiiiiiiy

Source:
12…Sf3 13.Kh3 Seg5 14.Kg4 h5 15.Kf5 g6
16.Kf6 Kf8 0:1 (NN : Crepeaux, Nice 1923)

4. White to move

XIIIIIIIIY
9rsn-+-tr-+0
9zplzppwq-zpk0
9-zp-+pvl-+0
9+-+-sN-+-0
9-+-zPN+-+0
9+-+L+-+-0
9PzPP+-zPPzP0
9tR-+-mK-+R0
xiiiiiiiiy

Source:
12.Sf6 Kh6 13.Seg4 Kg5 14.h4 Kf4 15.g3
Kf3 16.Le2 Kg2 17.Th2 Kg1 18.Kd2# (Ed.
Lasker : Thomas, London, 1912)

6

5. Black to move

XIIIIIIIIY
9rsn-+-+k+0
9zplzp-+-zpp0
9-zp-zpp+-tr0
9+-+-+p+-0
9-+PzP-+-zP0
9vL-zPLzPn+-0
9P+Q+-zPKzP0
9+R+-+R+-0
xiiiiiiiiy

Source:

16…Se1 17.Kh3 Lg2 18.Kg3 Tg6 19.Kf4
Tg4# (Parker : Myall, Essex-Surrey 1999)


6. Black to move

XIIIIIIIIY
9-trl+kvlntr0
9zp-zp-+p+p0
9-+pzp-+-+0
9+-+-+-+-0
9-+-mKPzpp+0
9zP-+L+-+-0
9-zPP+-+PzP0
9tRNvLQ+R+-0
xiiiiiiiiy

Source:
12…Lg7 13.e5 Le5 14.Ke4 Sf6# (Thompson
: Mackenzie, London 1868)

7. White to move

XIIIIIIIIY
9r+ltr-+-+0
9+p+-snpmkp0
9-+-vLpvlp+0
9zpqzp-+-+-0
9-+N+R+-+0
9+P+P+QzP-0
9-zPP+-zPLzP0
9tR-+-+-mK-0
xiiiiiiiiy

Source:
19.Df6 Kf6 20.Le5 Kg5 21.Lg7 1:0 (T.
Petrosian : Pachman, Bled 1961)

8. White to move

XIIIIIIIIY
9r+l+qtr-mk0
9+-+-+pzpp0
9-+p+p+-+0
9zp-zPpzP-+-0
9P+-sN-zPQvL0
9+-zP-tR-+-0
9-+-+-+PzP0
9+-+n+-mK-0
xiiiiiiiiy

Source:
26.Dg7 Kg7 27.Lf6 Kg6 28.Tg3 Kh6 29.Lg7
Kh5 30.Tg5 Kh4 31.Sf3# (Waitzkin :
Frumkin, New York 1987)

7

9. Black to move

XIIIIIIIIY
9-+-+-+-+0
9+-+-mkp+p0
9-+-zp-zp-vl0
9+-zP-zpP+N0
9l+K+P+rzP0
9zPr+-+-zP-0
9-zp-+-+R+0
9+L+-tR-+-0
xiiiiiiiiy

Source:
52…d5 53.Kd5 Tg8 54.c6 Td8 55.Kc5 Tb5
56.Kc4 Td4 57.Kc3 Tb3 58.Kc2 Tc4 0:1
(Torre : Kinlay, London 1977)


10. White to move

XIIIIIIIIY
9-+-+-+r+0
9zp-+nwq-+r0
9-+k+p+-+0
9+-zp-+p+-0
9-+Pzp-vL-+0
9zP-+P+NzP-0
9-+-+-zPL+0
9+-+-tR-mK-0
xiiiiiiiiy

Source:
29.Sd4 Kb6 30.Tb1 Ka6 31.Lb7 Ka5 32.Ld2
Ka4 33.Lc6 Ka3 34.Lc1 Ka2 35.Tb2 Ka1
36.Sc2# (Norwood : Marsh, Walsall 1992)