THE ART OF SACRIFICE IN CHESS Rudolf Spielmann Translated by J. DU MONT Edited and revised by FRED REINFELD and I.A. HOROWITZ DOVER PUBLICATIONS, INC. New York Published in Canada by General Publishing Company, Ltd., 30 Lesmill Road, Don Mills, Toronto, Ontario. Published in the United Kingdom by Constable and Company, Ltd., 3 The Lanchesters, 162-164 Fulham Palace Road, London W6 9ER. Bibliographical Note This Dover edition, first published in 1995, is an unabridged and unaltered republication of the 1972 printing of the revised edition of the work first published by the David McKay Company, New York, in 1951. The Artof Sacrifice in Chess was originally published in German and English editions in 1935. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Spielmann, Rudolf. [Richtig opfernl English] The art of sacrifice in chess I by Rudolf Spielmann; translated by J. Du Mont; edited and revised by Fred Reinfeld and I.A. Horowitz. p. cm. Originally published: London : G. Bell, 1935. Includes index. ISBN 0-486-28449-2 l. Chess-Middle games. I. Reinfeld, Fred, 1910-1964. II. Horowitz, I. A. (Israel Albert), 1907-1973. III. Title. GV1450.3.S65 1995 794.1'23-dc20 94-24081 CIP Manufactured in the United States of America Dover Publications, Inc., 31 East 2nd Street, Mineola, N.Y. 11501 Contents INTRODUCTION vii 1. THE VARIOUS TYPES OF SACRIFICES 1 SHAM SACRIFICES 11 Positional Sacrifices 11 EXAMPLE 1: Spielmann-Pirc, Match, 1931 12 EXAMPLE 2: Spielmann-Schlechter, Ostend, 1906 14 EXAMPLE 3: Pirc-Spielmann, Match, 1931 17 Sacrificesfor Gain 20 EXAMPLE 4: Bogolyubov-Spielmann, Magdeburg, 1927 21 EXAMPLE 5: Spielmann-Muller, Ebensee, 1933 23 Mating Sacrifices 26 EXAMPLE 6: Spielmann-Honlinger, Match, 1929 27 EXAMPLE 7: Spielmann-Dr. Tartakover, Marienbad, 1925 31 EXAMPLE 8: Spielmann-Griinfeld, Carlsbad, 1929 34 EXAMPLE 9: Spielmann-L'hermet, Magdeburg, 1927 36 REAL SACRIFICES 40 Sacrificesfor Development 41 EXAMPLE 10: Schories-Spielmann, Scheveningen, 1905 42 EXAMPLE 11: Dr. Bernstein-Spielmann, Ostend, 1906 47 Obstructive Sacrifices 50 EXAMPLE 12: Spielmann-Landau, Match, 1933 52 EXAMPLE 13: Spielmann-Honlinger, Vienna, 1933 56 EXAMPLE 14: Spielmann-Bogolyubov, Match, 1932 59 EXAMPLE 15: Spielmann-Walter, Trentschin-Teplitz, 1928 64 Preventive ( or Anti-castling ) Sacrifice 68 EXAMPLE 16: Spielmann-Duras, Scheveningen, 1905 70 vi Contents EXAMPLE 17: Spielmann-Mieses, Match, 1910 74 EXAMPLE 18: Mieses�Spielmann, Match, 1910 79 EXAMPLE 19: Gereben-Spielmann, Sopron, 1934 84 Line-Clearance Sacrifices 91 EXAMPLE 20: Spielmann-Flamberg, Mannheim, 1914 91 EXAMPLE 21: Spielmann-Eljaschoff, Munich, 1903 95 EXAMPLE 22: Spielmann-Griinfeld, Teplitz-Schonau, 1922 99 Vacating Sacrifices 103 EXAMPLE 23: Spielmann-Janowski, Giuoco Piano, Carlsbad, 1907 104 EXAMPLE 24: Spielmann-Reti, Abbazia, 1912 108 Defiecting or Decoy Sacrifices 113 EXAMPLE 25: Spielmann-Forgacs, Hamburg, 1910 114 (Castled) King's Field Sacrifice 117 EXAMPLE 26: Spielmann-Dekker, Bussum, 1934 119 EXAMPLE 27: Leonhardt-Spielmann, Nuremberg, 1906 125 EXAMPLE 28: Spielmann-Duras, Ostend, 1907 129 EXAMPLE 29: Spielmann-Bogolyubov, Match, 1932 13 3 EXAMPLE 30: Becker-Spielmann, Vienna, 1926 138 King-Hunt Sacrifices 146 EXAMPLE 31: Rubinstein-Spielmann, San Sebastian, 1912 148 EXAMPLE 32: Spielmann-Rubinstein, Vienna, 1933 154 2. SACRIFICIAL VALUES 162 THE EXCHANGE SACRIFICE 169 EXAMPLE 33: Dr. Treybal-Spielmann, Teplitz-Schonau, 1922 17 1 EXAMPLE 34: Spielmann-Dr. Tarrasch, Carlsbad, 1923 176 EXAMPLE 35: Spielmann-Dr. Tartakover, Munich, 1909 180 THE QUEEN SACRIFICE 186 EXAMPLE 36: Spielmann-Maroczy, Vienna, 1907 187 EXAMPLE 37: Spielmann-Moller, Gothenburg, 1920 190 EPILOGUE 196 INDEX OF OPENINGS 198 Introduction THE BEAUTY OF A GAME OF CHESS IS USUALLY APPRAISED, AND with good reason, according to the sacrifices it contains. Sacri­ fice-a hallowed, heroic concept! Advancing in a chivalrous mood, the individual immolates himself for a noble idea. Such sacrifice evokes our homage and admiration even where the idea as such does not meet with our full approval. In chess, which we like to view as a counterpart of life, a sacrifice arouses similar feelings in us. On principle we incline to rate a sacrificial game more highly than a positional game. Instinctively we place the moral value above the scientific. We honor Capablanca, but our hearts beat higher when Morphy's name is mentioned. The magic of the sacrifice grips us and we care nothing for the accompanying circumstances-whether Morphy's opponents were weaker than Capablanca's, how Morphy would fare today, how Capablanca would have played in those far-ofE days. The glowing power of the sacrifice is irresistible: enthusiasm for sacrifice lies in man's nature. The experts like to disparage the habit of valuing a game according to the amount of material sacrificed. This is under­ standable to a certain extent, but nonetheless deplorable. The expert is too preoccupied with technique to be able to share the simple-hearted joy of the multitude. He watches the play not from the auditorium but from the stage itself. He is also perhaps a little case-hardened. But the rank-and-file players have preserved fresh and natural feelings: they are delighted now as always with the combinative style. In spite of this fact-and the related fact that chess books are after all written for the ordinary player-there is no sys- viii Introduction tematic treatise in chess literature dealing with the nature of the sacrifice in all its variety. That is why I have undertaken to deal with this hitherto neglected subject. My unpretentious book lays no claim to being exhaustive. It is meant to be a guide, not a textbook-which is unsuitable for the subject. For this reason I have thought it best to preserve a sub­ jective standpoint by using only my own games by way of illustration. I have given much thought to the characteristics of the sacrifice, and as I have myself played many sacrificial games in the thirty years of my career, I have collected a mass of pertinent information, the fruits of which will be found in this volume. May this material be both useful and stimulating to those who are relatively inexperienced. Finally, I wish to anticipate the possible reproach that I have written this book for the purpose of self-glorification, because I am reputed to be an attacking, combinative player. This reputation doubtless has its origin in the fact that in former years I frequently adopted gambit openings. It must be said, however, that any fairly successful player has brought off combinations and sacrifices; the perception of such possi­ bilities forms a part of sound play as much as the knowledge of openings and endgames. If I have drawn on my own games as illustrations, the rea­ son is not that I think they are the best examples, but that, as a matter of course, I am more familiar with them; I am nat­ urally better able to give the reasons underlying my own combinations. The art of sacrificing correctly cannot be learned to quite the same degree as expertness in the openings; sacrificial play is much more dependent on personal qualities. That is why every great master goes his own particular way in this field; when it comes to sacrificing, there are many artists and many styles, all of them unique. 1. The Various Types of Sacrifices JN THE DOMAIN OF PROBLEMS THE VARIOUS SACRIFICIAL THEMES have long since been classified and given their own nomencla­ ture. In practical chess such a classification has never, to my knowledge, been attempted. A few combinations, such as "Philidor's legacy," have their own names; but apart from that, nothing has been done except an occasional loan from the problemist, such as "self-block," "vacating sacrifice" and the like. True, problem composers have a much easier task: their ideas are preconceived and can be executed without any inter­ ference by an opponent! Superfluous pieces are simply elimi­ nated, so that the underlying idea ultimately appears in purest form permitting clear-cut diagnosis. It is otherwise in practical chess. Here well-defined combina­ tions and sacrifices turn up more or less at hazard. Hardly ever are they "pure" and "economical" as in problems, and conse­ quently they are harder to recognize and classify. This is doubt­ less one of the reasons why such classification has not yet been attempted. I can well imagine that some other author would classify the various types of sacrificesin an altogether different manner. That is why I again emphasize my purely subjective point of view. A definitive treatment cannot be expected from a first attempt. It will probably take a long time to establish for practical chess the kind of universally acceptable nomenclature that exists in the realm of problems. Sacrifices represent in chess an exceptionally important phase of the struggle. Beauty is not the sole object. They have 2 The Art of Sacrifice in Chess the common aim of increasing the effectiveness of other pieces outside of the normal routine, if possible suddenly. In equalized positions their purpose is to gain time. But mostly they serve to increase already existing advantages and they are conse­ quently particularly adapted to the exploitation of mistakes by the other side. It may be that an advantage in development is turned into a grand assault, or that a weak point in the enemy lines is ripped open in the same way. The advantage to be exploited need not be of a general na­ ture; it can be merely local. Particularly in such cases does the sacrifice provide an indispensable weapon; for placid play is apt to dissipate the advantage, with resultant drifting into a drawn position. A sacrifice at the right moment takes opportunity by the forelock. The opponent may gain material, but he is tempted or forced to make some temporarily useless moves, his troops become disordered and the disconnected forces are beaten before they can put up a united front to the enemy.