Obviously, the ultimate goal in chess is a checkmate and therefor it stands to reason that good technique for attacking an opponent’s king  is one the most important skills a young chess player should study. However, because understanding the tactics and strategies of attacking is also a necessary skill for a successful defensive chess player, studying attacking masterpieces may also save a young player from unnecessary losses. As much as possible, I try to teach my students proper attacking techniques as well as encourage them to use openings that result in  sharp positions.
In the game below, I examine an attacking masterpiece played by Susan Polgar at the age of eight. In the style of Irving Chernev’s Logical Chess: Move by Move,” I comment on every move that was played in the game. I hope that readers of this blog will take some extra time to help a younger chess player understand some of the pure attacking motifs employed by Susan Polgar at the start of her chess career. Also, please consider signing your child up for the Fremont Summer Chess Camp at Mission San Jose Elementary School to expose them to more lessons like this one and to allow your child to actually meet GM Susan Polgar in person.
An eight year old Susan Polgar preferred the dynamic possibilities of playing “1. e4.” Several years prior to this game, Bobby Fischer declared the move, “best by test” on one of his score sheets.
1… c5
Remuneratively for the authors of opening books, the Sicilian Defense is a popular reply to “1. e4” which requires extensive preparation.
2. d4
Rather than play into her opponent’s opening preparation, Susan Polgar challenges the “c5” pawn on move two. At age eight, Susan Polgar is already a predator at the chess board.
2…cxd4
“What do you do after 2. d4 in the Sicilian?” You take it, of course!
3. c3
The Smith-Morra Gambit is a delightfully hostile way to crush black’s Sicilian dreams.
3… dxc3
Again, black’s best plan is to simply take the pawn offering.
4. Nxc3
For the price of a pawn, Susan Polgar is leading in time, space and force.
4… Nc6
Black wisely develops a piece.
5. Bc4
Susan Polgar develops her bishop to where it is attacking the “belly button.”
5… e6
This is a good choice for black as it blocks white’s bishop from the weak f7 square. Obviously, in “1) e4 e5” openings black does not have this luxury.
6. Nf3
As a young gambiteer should, Susan Polgar keeps developing her pieces.
6… a6
This is the first sign that Susan Polgar’s opponent has seen the Smith-Morra Gambit before. Decades after this game was played, IM Tim Taylor recomended this line of defence in a very well researched and popular book. Black’s idea with the “Taylor System” is to simply prevent white’s knight from creating problems by advancing to b5. Objectively speaking, this seems to be black’s best scoring line.
7. 0-0
Susan Polgar is castled, has a three on one piece advantage and controls the center. Even when black employs the Taylor System, white has a lot to write home about.
7… d6?
I don’t like the idea of black playing another slow pawn move here. A better plan is to develop pieces in a way similar to this: 7…Qc7 8.Qe2 Bc5 9.Rd1 Nge7
8. Bf4
Susan Polgar brings in another piece and now has a 4 to 1 advantage in development. Dimitrov Pavel of Bulgaria had a very nice win against a 2600 rated opponent by means of a different path.
If black wants to move white’s bishop on this move, I prefer pawn to b5 as it doesn’t place black’s knight on the rim. However, black has no shortage of other ideas to try.
The young Susan Polgar already knows not to trade her pieces when planning an attack.
10… Nf6
This seemingly natural developing move is not as safe as it looks because of “11. e5 dxe5 and then 12. Nxe5.” If black’s a5 knight was not on the rim, it could defend e5 from a white knight.
11. Rfd1
Susan Polgar has a rook in the same file as her opponent’s queen and a queen in the same file as her opponent’s king. Black needs to be very careful to avoid white’s tactics.
11… e5
Black moves a pawn into the center and seemingly assures that Susan Polgar’s white bishop remains blocked by her own pawn on e4.
12. Bg5
Now if black castles, Susan Polgar can play Ra-c1 and thus have all her pieces “in the game.”
12… Be6?
Black really should have castled here. Developing the queenside bishop could have waited a move or two.
13. Nxe5!
Even at just eight years old, a passion for sacrifices is part of Susan’s nature.
13… dxe5
Against an eight year old or an eighty year old, black is correct in taking the knight.
14. Bxf6!
Susan Polgar sets up a neat combination here. Do you see it?
14… 0-0?
Black chooses not to capture back in order to avoid Susan playing Bb5+ and the Rxd8. However, losing the queen for reasonable compensationg seems like the best idea. ( 14…Bxf6 15.Bb5+ axb5 16.Rxd8+ Rxd8 17.Qxb5+ Nc6 18.Qxb7 Nd4) Despite allowing Susan Polgar to exchange her rook for black’s queen, black has a very playable position.
15. Bxe5
Susan Polgar is clearly winning. Now we get to see how good her technique was at age eight.
15… Bf6
I believe black’s best plan would have been to attack rather than defend. ( 15…Bc5 16.Rac1 Nc6 17.Bf4 )
16. Bxf6
If Susan Polgar had wanted to win with a better endgame she could have played this instead: ( 16.Bxa6 Qb6 17.Bxf6 Qxa6 18.Qxa6 Rxa6 19.Bh4)
16… Qxf6
A forced recapture which exposes black’s queen to white’s dagger.
17. e5
Susan Polgar unlocks the b1-h7 diagonal for her bishop while attacking her opponent’s queen and gaining space.
17… Qg5
Black places the queen in the same file as Susan Polgar’s king to create some tactical possibilities.
18. Qe4
Susan Polgar’s queen moves to a very active square while threatening checkmate on h7.
18… Qh6
( 18…g6 19.f4 Qe7) Is another way for black to avoid being checkmated.
19. Rac1
All of Susan Polgar’s pieces are in the game and placed well.
19… Nc6
The Black Knight returns from its voyage to the edge of the world.
20. Bb1!
It’s absolutely incredible that an eight year old discovers a brilliant “backwards” move!
20… Rfd8
Black decides to contest Susan Polgar’s control of the open d-file.
21. Ne2!
This reverse knight move is the only path toward position the knight closer to her opponent’s king. Even at age eight, we see glimpses of brilliant maneuvering from Susan Polgar.
21… Rac8?
Now all the black pieces are in the game. However, this underestimates the strength of Susan Polgar’s plan. A better idea would have been: ( 21…g6 22.Nf4 ( 22.f4 Bg4 23.Bd3 Qh4 ) Rxd1+ 23.Rxd1 Bg4 )
22. Nf4!
Susan Polgar’s knight has now joined the party but it still is difficult to see what the eight year old has in mind.
22… Bg4
Black’s bishop moves to g4 to avoid Nxe6 fxe6 f4 and to attack Susan Polgar’s rook on d1.
23. Rd6!
Susan Polgar moves her rook to attack the queen which is defending h7 from her bishop and queen battery. If black trades rooks on d6, Susan will be left with a dangerous passed pawn on that square.
23… f6??
Finally, black crumbles in the face of Susan Polgar’s unrelenting attack. Moving the pawn to f6 opens up checking possibilities for the queen on the a2-g8 diagonal.
24. Qd5+!
Black committed a crime and Susan Polgar delivers the punishment!
24… Kf8
Black’s king moves further into danger in hopes that the eight year old handling the white pieces fails to capitalize on her winning chances.
25. Rcxc6!
The young Susan Polgar is an unrelenting attacker.
25… Rxd6
All roads lead to defeat for black but now Susan Polgar has a mate in 6. Can you find it?
26. Qxd6+
Susan Polgar’s queen takes advantage of her adversaries exposed king.
26… Ke8
It is a sad day when your king is forced to confront your opponent’s queen, alone.
27. Rxc8+
( 27.e6 Rd8 28.Rc8 Qxh2+ 29.Kxh2 Rxc8 30.Qd7+ Kf8 31.Qf7#) Completes the aforementioned mate in 6.
27… Bxc8
Black does not resign because Polgar’s knight is pinned to a checkmate.
28. Ne2
Problem solved and Susan is easily winning. Black resigns.
Chris Torres is a nationally renowned scholastic chess coach working in the San Francisco Bay Area. His classes have attracted players of strengths ranging from rank beginners to world champions. A chess professional since 1998, Chris is widely recognized as one of the main driving forces behind the explosion in popularity and sudden rise in quality of scholastic chess in California. Chris Torres served as the President of the Torres Chess and Music Academy from 2005-2020 and currently is recognized as a correspondence chess master with the United States Chess Federation. Since 1998 Chris Torres has taught 6 individual national champions as well as led multiple school teams to win national championship titles. In addition, Chris Torres has directed and taught at 10 different schools which have been California State Champions at chess. In 2011 and 2012, several former and current students of Chris Torres have been selected to represent the United States at the World Youth Chess Championships. Mr. Torres’ hobbies include playing classical guitar and getting his students to appear on the national top 100 chess rating lists.
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