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Recently, I joined the Chess Dojo training program. The program is a very detailed and thought-out training plan. Please note that this is in no way similar to having a coach, and in fact, you should still keep working with the coach you have, even if you join.
The program is a detailed list of tasks that players within certain rating bands – “cohorts” – should work on.
So, for instance, part of the cohort I am in is to solve the Polgar mate in two puzzles from number 307 to number 1,800.
Another part is to analyze some master games, and that takes us to today’s work. The game is Petrosian – Lipnitsky, 1947. According to the study guide, we should spend roughly 30 min on each game, and we should be able to outline three takeaways when done.
Here is the game. See you in 30 minutes.
Something that struck me, immediately when I first saw this game was White’s next three moves from this position:
They are 12.Rad1; 13.Rc1; 14.Rfd1
What a fantastic thing to see that a player can immediately admit to themselves that they would rather have rooks on c1 and d1 and after 12.Rad1, the only way to fix that was to move the rook back to c1.
So, what are my other two takeaways? The first is that in this position, White can win the bishop pair with 19.f4
The third is the tactical sequence that starts in this position with 22.Ba7
Overall, it was an excellent game for the 18-year-old who would win the world championship 16 years later.
Til Next Time,
Chris Wainscott