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This week’s position occurred in 1999. It was analyzed by renowned chess instructor International Master Jeremy Silman in Chess Life. The position is instructive because it illustrates the chess maxim that chess is mostly about putting your pieces on good squares – and in turn good things will happen. With this hint in mind please try to find white’s best move.
In the actual game between Markarewicz (white) and T. Thompson (black), Markarewicz guarded his d4 pawn with his c2 pawn by moving it to c3. This was white’s second best move. Silman described this move as “A lazy response.”
It solidifies the d4 pawn and invites black to take the b2 pawn with its queen. The pawn is poison. If Qxb2, then the knight on d2 hops to c4 (Nc4) and black’s queen is in trouble, e.g. 10. Qxb2 Nc4; 11. Qb5 Nxd6 etc.
Better than pawn to c4 is Nc4 immediately. It improves white’s position and doesn’t rely on black falling for an obvious trap. Nc4 seizes the initiative and posts the knight on a great square. From c4, the knight exerts control over e5, d6, a5 and b6 and forces the black queen to c7. White prevents the knight from being knocked off c4 by advancing its a2 pawn to a4, thwarting b7 to b5 by black.
The white knight at c4 is also coordinated with its brother knight, as they connect on e5 and as the knight on f3 is ready to land on d4 if black trades pawns on d4. Sitting adjacent to one another on c4 and d4 the knights can execute a number of strike plans. For example, if 10. Nc4 c5xd4; 11. Nxd4 e7-e5; 12. Nb5 etc.
Jeremy Silman is a premier chess writer. “How to Reassess Your Chess Workbook” is widely considered a classic.
