Attack Together with Paul Keres, Part Three

Attacking in the Style of Keres’ Games, Part Three

In this and the following installments, we shall examine attacks against the king when both kings are positioned on the same flank.
There are many different ways to conduct such attacks, and I must say that Keres was truly a master of this art. He created a series of outstanding achievements that will forever remain in the pantheon of the most brilliantly conducted attacks in the history of chess. In the coming articles, we shall examine several of these games.

The first example is particularly interesting in that Keres initially exerted strong positional pressure on the opponent’s queenside. In order to defend, Black was forced to make certain concessions, resulting in weaknesses on the kingside. Keres then turned his attention to the now-vulnerable enemy king and concluded the game in striking fashion.

Let us now take a look at this remarkable game:

The decisive attack against the Black king commenced with the move 22.Qh5!. It is remarkable how elegantly and effectively Keres concluded the game.

The following game is of particular interest. This was the first encounter between Keres and Smyslov (the future World Champion), out of a total of forty games they played against each other. The final score was evenly balanced at 20–20, and many of their games were truly remarkable. The one presented here is no exception.

In the first phase of the game, Keres gradually built up an attack against the opposing king. Special attention should be paid to the moves 14.Ne2!, 16.Ng3, and especially 17.h4, which is characteristic of this type of position.

Let us examine the first part of the game:

In the second phase, we witness a direct assault on the Black king. It is astonishing with what elegance Keres conducted his play.

Let us appreciate the beauty that follows:

In this part of the game, we witnessed a series of exceptional moves from both sides. Keres was on the attack: 19.Bf5!, 20.Be6!!, 22.Qb1, and 23.f4, yet Smyslov also demonstrated his defensive mastery with the resourceful 20...d3! and 23...Kg7. Despite the inaccuracy 25.Rf1? (a move that neither Keres nor other commentators identified as a mistake), the game stands as an outstanding example of conducting an attack. Keres hardly allowed his opponent to breathe—aside from that one imprecision. We can also appreciate the wealth of brilliant ideas presented, both in the game itself and in the accompanying analysis. It is for games like this—not just for the victories—that we play chess!

To be continued…