How to Play Chess like a Champion Read online

  How to Play Chess like a Champion

  by

  Fred Reinfeld

  21st-Century Edition

  Fred Reinfeld Chess Classics

  Bruce Alberston, General Editor

  2013

  Russell Enterprises, Inc.

  Milford, CT USA

  How to Play Chess like a Champion

  by Fred Reinfeld

  21st-Century Edition

  The Fred Reinfeld Chess Series

  Bruce Alberston, General Editor

  ISBN: 978-1-936490-63-9 (print)

  © Copyright 2013

  Don Reinfeld, Judith Reinfeld and Bruce Alberston

  All Rights Reserved

  No part of this book may be used, reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any manner or form whatsoever or by any means, electronic, electrostatic, magnetic tape, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the express written permission from the publisher except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews.

  Published by:

  Russell Enterprises, Inc.

  P.O. Box 3131

  Milford, CT 06460 USA

  http://www.russell-enterprises.com

  [email protected]

  Cover design by Janel Lowrance

  Table of Contents

  Preface

  Foreword

  Editor’s Introduction

  Author’s Preface

  How to Record Moves

  Chapter 1: A Thing of Beauty

  Outstanding Feats of Skill and Imagination

  Chapter 2: Lightning from a Clear Sky – Or Slow Torture

  More Gems of Master Chess Play

  Chapter 3: Even As You and I

  Typical Games of Average Players

  Chapter 4: They Laughed When I Sat Down to Play

  Amateurs vs. Masters

  Chapter 5: To Err Is Human

  Masters Blunder Too

  Chapter 6: Once in a Lifetime

  When Amateurs Beat Masters

  Chapter 7: Facets of Master Play

  What It Takes to Be a Master

  Chapter 8: How to Improve

  Five Ways to Better Play

  Preface

  Many of today’s players, now the grandparents of chessplaying teenagers, fondly recall growing up with the Reinfeld books, which covered all aspects of chess, from the openings to the endgame, and included generous helpings of chess lore and the lives of the greatest chess masters.

  Reprinting chess books by our father, Fred Reinfeld (1910-1964), ended in the 1980s as descriptive notation was phased out in favor of the more popular algebraic notation. We are extremely grateful to Bruce Alberston, who has taken up the task of converting Reinfeld’s notations to algebraic.

  Thanks also to Russell Enterprises for publishing a 21st-century version of this, and, hopefully more, Reinfeld chess classics, thereby introducing Fred Reinfeld’s teaching genius to new generations of chess enthusiasts, especially to beginners and mid-level players eager to sharpen their skills at the chessboard.

  Don and Judith Reinfeld

  Foreword

  Mention the name Fred Reinfeld to different chessplayers and you get different reactions, not all supported by the facts. There are those who claim he wrote books mainly for beginners. True, but he also produced a number of quality volumes for more experienced competitors as well. Those more involved tomes will always have value to aficionados and others wanting nicely gathered material, while not being too far beyond the reach of the newcomer. I’m especially thinking of various outstanding works he did on tactics, endgames, and the collected games of particular players.

  There’s an implication in some criticisms that Reinfeld wasn’t a good player. But the reality is that he was a very good player. On the 1950 rating list, the first one put out by the USCF, he was rated sixth in the country. In 1933, as another example of his playing prowess, Reinfeld won the New York State Championship ahead of Denker and Fine. Furthermore, in individual encounters over the years, he was able to beat Fine, Reshevsky (twice – certainly, no mean feat), Marshall and Denker. Not too many “weak” players could boast of vanquishing members of that group. Nor is it likely that an ordinary player could draw with world chess champion Alexander Alekhine (when Alekhine was truly Alekhine), as Fred Reinfeld once did.

  To be sure, Reinfeld was prolific. He may have authored as many as 200 books, if we count those he did for other people. And he wrote not solely about chess, but on an array of other disciplines, and as nimbly. Medicine, coin collecting, physics, checkers, law, geology, and stamp collecting are just a sampling of the fields Reinfeld tackled and conquered, rendering their substance in beautifully clear texts. In a way, he came from the same mold as Isaac Asimov. He loved ideas and was able to write with power and clarity on practically anything.

  Reinfeld, no question, had an uncanny facility for language. He could take abstract concepts, often expressed in numbers and symbols, and somehow convert all of that obfuscation to cogent utility. Fraught with wonderful metaphors and delightful anecdotes, Reinfeld was always a great read. That expertise – all of that mastery – can be found in the offerings in this series. How to be a Winner at Chess and How to Play Chess Like a Champion are among the very best introductory chess books ever produced, bar none. In both offerings, Reinfeld manages to capture the essence of good chess in a most readable, enjoyable, easy to grasp format. Indeed, he dedicates the first book to his wife, who he states “asked for a chess book that she could read.” And now these two volumes have suddenly become even more accessible, thanks to the efforts of master teacher/writer Bruce Alberston, who has changed everything from the obsolescent descriptive notation to the more popular algebraic notation. Another nice feature instituted by Alberston is the two-column format, making the material much easier to read and follow.

  But those two excellent manuals are not alone. Alberston has also put into algebraic notation Reinfeld’s two classic texts on tactics: 1001 Brilliant Ways to Checkmate and 1001 Winning Chess Sacrifices and Combinations (both scheduled to appear late 2013 or early 2014). That’s more than 2000 problems to work on and from which the overwhelming majority of chess enthusiasts can benefit. Hey, even if I hadn’t written what I have here, I’d still buy a bunch of all four titles every year, as long as I had students who loved the game of chess, just like the great Fred Reinfeld.

  Bruce Pandolfini

  New York

  January 2013

  Editor’s Introduction

  How to Play Chess Like a Champion was my first chess book and it came at just the right time.

  Six months earlier I had joined the school chess club and learned how the pieces move. Playing against other beginners I progressed rapidly, landing at the intermediate level mainly because I didn’t hang things. But when I try to figure out just what it was I knew, it became apparent I didn’t have a clue.

  That all changed with How to Play Chess Like a Champion, in fact, in the very first chapter. Starting with examples from master play, Reinfeld went about setting the standard. Of course I had never seen chess like this; it was a revelation. “So this is what it’s all about.”

  At the same time I realized that the standard was light years from the chess we were playing at school. Thanks to Reinfeld’s lucid explanations I was able to follow the play. So even if the master level was way beyond me, at least I could understand it, sort of, and maybe someday I could approach it. Thus the overall effect was encouraging, not the other way around.

  Naturally the book doesn’t stop at Chapter One. The subsequent chapters, two through eight, are all at the same high level of entertain
ment and instruction. I think Champion catches Reinfeld at his peak: when he’s juggling multiple concepts at his typewriter, blending them into an absorbing narrative that captivates and enlightens.

  Of course there’s plenty of instruction. And intertwined are tidbits culled from the world of chess, slices of history, matches, tournaments, portraits of the champions and their challengers, and insights into personalities, their triumphs and failures. In short, an unceasing treasure trove of chess lore.

  Which brings me back to the beginning. How to Play Chess Like a Champion provided just that mixture of instruction and inspiration to get me to the next level. That was Champion of Central Jr. High School. And it was no easy matter because the Troxell brothers stood in my way. What! You’ve never heard of the Troxell brothers! For shame. Dad was city champion and the kids were pretty good too.

  But Reinfeld got me past the brothers and How to Play Chess Like a Champion did indeed get me to the championship level.

  So here’s hoping that you the reader, get at least as much as the editor did when he first read How to Play Chess Like a Champion. In these pages you’ve got Fred Reinfeld at the top of his game. Rarely has an author so successfully realized his goal as Reinfeld has in Champion.

  As for the editor’s job, it was fun. Read the text, type it up, convert to algebraic notation, and make up a few diagrams. The section on recording moves had to be rewritten but the rest is pure Reinfeld.

  Bruce Alberston

  Astoria, New York

  March 2013

  Author’s Preface

  In this age of “do-it-yourself,” we all want to be experts. Look about you, and you will see that in every field there are experts as well as others, whom we call “amateurs,” “fans,” “hobbyists,” and if you will forgive the expression, “duffers.”

  In these fields, bridge, golf, nuclear physics, chess, or whatever, there is a wide gap between the experts and the others. In this book I have tried to show how that gap can be bridged in the field of chess.

  The method had to be quite different from the one applied in How to Be a Winner at Chess. That book was written strictly from the point of view of the average player who plays games with other average players and wants desperately to know how to beat average players.

  There is a great deal in chess that such a player doesn’t need. Consequently I ruthlessly stripped away superfluities and confined myself to the essentials.

  The gratifying comments of readers have made me feel that I was on the right track in concentrating on the basic requirements for victory. I deliberately ruled out the whole content of master chess.

  In How to Play Chess Like a Champion I have adopted a totally different method. I want to familiarize the average chessplayer with the conditions of master chess. Once he knows what achievements of the masters are, he has a known goal toward which he can stride.

  In writing this book I have tried to put myself in the position of the average player who has never met a master. When I tackle a strange subject it seems like a complete blur at the beginning. What’s it all about? What purpose does it serve? How do you master it?

  These are some of the questions I ask myself. But even at the moment of darkest ignorance I have faith that if I apply myself I will attain understanding. The blur will clear, the outlines will become sharper. Every chessplayer, if he wants to improve, must have this faith.

  And so, in writing this book, I asked myself the questions that I felt the ordinary player would ask. The first important question seemed to be: Just what is there in the master’s performance that sets him apart from the general run of chessplayers?

  The best answer to that question, I concluded, was to explain the masters’ achievements in terms of some of their finest games. To many readers, the spectacular combinations in the first two chapters will come as a revelation of what chess is – what it can be when it is played by the greatest men in the field.

  (The best way to enjoy these glorious combinations, incidentally, is to play over the main line first. Then, after you’ve seen what actually happened, you can go back to study what might have happened.)

  Next I would want to ask myself: How do the achievements of the masters differ technically from the play of ordinary players? To bridge the gap between the two groups, you must first be aware of the gap. And so two typical amateurs’ games shed light on the difference between amateur and master.

  All very well, I might say, but what happens when the two tangle in actual combat. To illuminate this point, I give games between masters and amateurs, showing how the superior knowledge, experience, and ability of the master down the amateur, and in double-quick time too.

  But then I began to wonder. Am I drawing too black a picture? Is the master infallible? Does the amateur have a chance? – just a fighting chance? Sure he does, and a number of games prove that the amateur, when he has learned his lesson well, can be more than a match for a master.

  So the masters aren’t infallible after all! They’re human beings like you and me; they make mistakes every now and then. And that gave me my point of departure for the next chapter. If the masters are good but not infallible, then there’s hope for the rest of us.

  But the revelation that the masters are not infallible would make me curious to learn more about them. As we become more familiar with their fancies and foibles, their problems and goals, the whole world of master chess can be encompassed in our imagination. The world becomes more friendly, more real – more attainable.

  Then, and only then, is it time to give you several hints on how to improve your play substantially. The advice given in the last chapter is by no means off the cuff. It is based on many years of painstaking observation. In it I have tried to give the essence of what goes into the making of a master. The advice you will find there will be truly helpful and encouraging.

  For years I was part of the world of master chess and was inclined to take it for granted.

  Writing this book has made me think through a lot of important things about chess which I had failed to realize. I have had to articulate them in a way that has been helpful to me and, I hope, will be helpful to you.

  Fred Reinfeld

  How To Record Chess Moves

  Naming the Squares

  Each square on the board gets a name. Here’s how.

  Vertical rows “files” get letter names, “a” though “h” running left to right. Horizontal rows “ranks” are numbered 1 through 8 up the board. The intersection of the file letter with the rank number yields the name of the square. (D)

  Sample square names

  The white rook in the corner stands on h1, the white pawn on the left is on b2. Black’s knight is on b8, his starting square, and the black center pawn on e5. X marks the square d3.

  Pieces are designated by a capital letter. K for king, Q for queen, R for rook, B for bishop, N for knight. Pawn moves are recorded using only the squares.

  Here’s a short sample game with the moves recorded. We’ll use long form algebraic with both starting square and arrival square spelled out. In the short form the starting square is left off. The numbers on the left are move numbers.

  A Short Sample Game (D)

  1.e2-e4 e7-e5

  Both sides advance the e-pawn two spaces. White brings out his bishop, Black his queen knight.

  2.Bf1-c4 Nb8-c6

  The resulting position: (D)

  After 2...Nb8-c6

  Next White brings his queen out and black attacks the queen with his knight.

  3.Qd1-f3 Nc6-d4 (D)

  White captures at f7, checkmating.

  4.Qf3xf7# 1-0 (D)

  “#” signifies checkmate and 1-0 means White wins the game. He gets one point for a win; Black zero for the loss.

  The same game using the more standard short form algebraic notation:

  1.e4 e5 2.Bc4 Nc6 3.Qf3 Nd4 4.Q×f7# 1-0

  Standard Chess Symbols (Not all of which are used in the present book.)

  x means captures<
br />
  – the dash means moves to

  / slash shows pawn promotion

  (or ch) stands for check

  # or mate stands for checkmate

  0-0 is castles kingside

  0-0-0 is castles queenside

  ! indicates a strong move

  !! denotes a brilliant move

  ? is a mistake

  ?? is an outright blunder

  1-0 means White wins

  0-1 means Black wins

  ½-½ is a tie game, a draw.

  (D) means see the next diagram

  Chapter One

  A Thing of Beauty

  Outstanding Feats of Skill and Imagination

  A noted writer on chess has said there are two kinds of chess: Chess for Fun and Chess for Blood.

  The distinction is an easy one to see. When there’s nothing at stake – not even a side bet for a dime – you have chess for fun. You can let your imagination run riot; you can dally with all sorts of fantastic sacrifices of material; you can take the most daring risks. Why not? This is chess for fun.

  But chess for blood is something else again. There something is at stake. Maybe it’s the world championship, or maybe it’s “only” the fear of being ridiculed by your cronies if you lose a game to a notorious duffer. Chess for blood is a war of nerves. It calls for concentration. Patience. Fighting spirit. And above all, vigilance! Thirty consecutive good moves are useless if they’re followed by one gaffe. Chess for blood, you might say, is no fun!

  But I wonder...Is chess for fun so different from chess for blood? Isn’t there a thrill in beating down stubborn opposition? Isn’t it exhilarating to hold out successfully against a stubborn attack? Don’t you feel a deep sense of satisfaction when you play a solid and highly technical endgame to a winning conclusion?