Tactics from Robert Byrne’s games (Part 2)
SPRAGGETT ON CHESS
GM Byrne with his trademark cigarette
Continuing yesterday’s discussion, what is virtually absent in Byrne’s attacking games is the element of speculation. Rarely would Robert offer a pawn for the initiative (I am not referring to specific home-opening preparation such as the Kings Gambit, Poison Pawn Sicilian, etc ofcourse) unless it was absolutely necessary.
As such, there can be no real comparison between Tal’s style of attacking and that of the American star. But this does not mean that Byrne’s attacking style was any less effective than that of the Magician from Riga. Many of Tal’s attacks failed because they were impetuous. Byrne’s attacks were methodical from start to finish and he rarely failed to carry thru.
The combinative tactics –if and when they occurred– were almost always flawlessly calculated and mercilessly executed. Like clockwork…
EXAMPLE 5
EXECUTING THE WELL PLAYED ATTACK:
KONARKOWSKA-SOKOLOV
gm BYRNE
From Palma do Majorca, 1989. Byrne has made significant progress on the KIngside while, at the same time, slowed down the Black counter attack on the other side of the board. Black simply has no threats to counter balance White’s Kingside attack.
The situation is now ripe for the execution:
26.Rxh7!!
Elegantly tearing open the Black Kingside
Taking the Rook loses quickly: 26…KxR 27.Qh5+ Kg8 28.Bxg6! PxB 29.Qxg6+ Kf8 30.Rh3 etc. And the deflecting counter-sacrifice 26…Rxc2 goes off immediately to 27.Rdh3!, when there will be a mate along the h-file.
The position is lost but Black tries as best he can to re-organize and mount a counter attack:
26… Bf8 27.Bxg6 Bg7 28.Bf5 Nc4 29.Qh5
The second movement of the execution: threatening mate in 7, beginning with 30.Rh8+!
Now for Black it is now or never:
29…Nxa3+ 30.RxN Rxc2
Now White has a mate in 6 starting with 31.Rxg7+ ( 31…KxR 32.Qh6+, 33.Bh7+ and 34.Qf6+! etc). INSTEAD, Byrne mated in 8 (!) beginning with 31.Rh8+
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EXAMPLE 6
gm TUKMAKOV
gm BYRNE
From the Leningrad Interzonal in 1973. An important game for the American on his road to qualification for the Candidates. It has been an interesting and sharp game but Tukmakov has lost control of the game. Theme: the over worked piece!
WHITE TO PLAY AND WIN!
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EXAMPLE 7
gm BYRNE
gm HORT
From the Varna Olympiad, 1962. Byrne was still working on and developing the system of defence against the Saemisch Kings Indian that would soon bear his name. There was still a lot of tweaking to do in those first years…
WHITE TO PLAY AND WIN!
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EXAMPLE 8
TO RETREAT OR NOT TO RETREAT…
gm BYRNE
ALMGREN
From Pittsburg, 1946! The young Robert Byrne has centralized his pieces and is now attacking the White Rook on d6. To retreat or not? And where? BUT wait! Does White have better?
WHITE TO PLAY AND WIN!
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EXAMPLE 9
ANOTHER WELL PLAYED ATTACK!
(gm) FEDOROWICZ
gm BYRNE
From the US 1977. The young John Fedorowicz–and future grandmaster– was playing a favourite opening system against the veteran Byrne, who had methodically built up an attacking position and has just gone in for the kill. Byrne has sacrificed a Rook to get here. But where is the win? Has White miscalculated?
WHITE TO PLAY AND WIN!
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TODAY’S SOLUTIONS
Byrne R—Tukmakov V: 32.Rxd7! winning a piece. Tukmakov played on to time control and then resigned.
Hort V–Byrne R: White won quickly with 17.Nxc6!! Byrne overlooked this idea! Taking the Knight allows 18.Nd5! and mate on the h-file! The game continued: 17… Nxd3+ 18.Kd2 1-0 Black must give up his Queen just to avoid the immediate loss.
Almgren S–Byrne R: 24.Bxg7+!! A very unpleasant surprise for the future star. Taking the Bishop allows Qc3+. But Byrne’s reply can not change his fate: 24…Kg8 25.Bc4+ Be6 26.Rxe6 1-0