"It is not a move, even the best move, that you must seek, but a realisable plan."
--Eugene ZNOSKO-BOROVSKY
- Any position where you are cramped, blockaded and/or uncoordinated means you can't do much. Your position lacks potential.
- This is an advanced idea: if you're still at the stage where you are blundering pieces, potential isn't going to matter much in your games.
- You can get a sense that a player's position lacks potential even in situations where they don't seem too cramped, blocked or badly coordinated. (Nunn-Olafsson)
- This lack of potential perhaps stems from a poor understanding of the position -- meaning you don't have a plan for the position you reach, or your plan has no hope of success. (Najdorf-Petrosian, Sokolsky-Botvinnik)
Click [...] to see list of games
[Event "EU-chT 08th Group3"]
[Site "Middlesbrough"]
[Date "1982.07.11"]
[Round "2"]
[White "Nunn, John DM"]
[Black "Olafsson, Fridrik"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "C54"]
[WhiteElo "2590"]
[Annotator "planning"]
[PlyCount "73"]
[EventDate "1982.07.10"]
[EventType "team-tourn"]
[EventRounds "2"]
[EventCountry "ENG"]
[SourceTitle "EXT 2015"]
[Source "ChessBase"]
[SourceDate "2014.11.20"]
[SourceVersion "1"]
[SourceVersionDate "2014.11.20"]
[SourceQuality "1"]
[WhiteTeam "England"]
[BlackTeam "Iceland"]
[WhiteTeamCountry "ENG"]
[BlackTeamCountry "ISL"]
1. e4 e5 2. Bc4 (2. Nf3 Nf6) 2... Nf6 3. d3 Nc6 4. Nf3 Bc5 5. O-O d6 6. c3 Qe7 (6... O-O 7. Nbd2 a6 8. Bb3 Ba7) 7. Nbd2 a6 8. Bb3 O-O 9. Re1 Be6 10. Nf1 (10. Bc2) 10... Ba7 11. Bc2 {"But already this opening has certain puzzling aspects. Why should White consistently maintain his initiative, both in the variations we have looked at and in those to come? Why should Black's position be so awklard? The question really boils down to a more basic one: why is the Ruy Lopez (which this opening has virtually become) so difficult for Black to combat? Look at the present position: Black's pieces are sensibly developed; he has as much space as White; his pawns are strong. Yet he has problems. "The answer seems to be that in this type of Ruy Lopez position Black can easily get cought in a situation where his game cannot unfold. Here for instance, White has his plans of Ng3-f5 and later d4, but it is less easy for Black to find something profitable to do without weakening himself or making some serious concession. His pieces may look reasonably placed, but they cannot readily achieve anything constructive or relevant. I should make it clear that this does not have to happen in a Lopez; it is far from being a bad opening for him. But in practice one error (6...Qe7) can leave him in misery. And so, if a player seems to have a respectable game (in a Ruy Lopez or any other opening for that matter), yet still loses, his misfortune may often be traced back to this lack of life in his position." -- NUNN AND GRIFFITHS} Kh8 12. Ng3 (12. Bg5) (12. Ng5 Bd7 13. Bb3 h6 14. Nf3 Be6 15. Bc2) 12... Qd7 (12... Ng4 13. d4) 13. d4 (13. h3 {!} Bxh3 14. gxh3 Qxh3 15. Be3 {!} Bxe3 16. Rxe3 Ng4 17. Re2 {wins} f5 18. exf5 e4 19. dxe4 Nce5 20. Nxe5 Qh2+ 21. Kf1 dxe5 22. Rd2 {and Qf3}) 13... Bg4 (13... exd4 14. cxd4 Bg4 15. Be3 Bxf3 16. gxf3 {+-}) 14. d5 (14. Be3 Bxf3 15. gxf3 {=+}) 14... Ne7 15. h3 Bxf3 (15... Bxh3 {draws, says nunn}) 16. Qxf3 Nfg8 17. Bd2 g6 (17... f5 18. exf5 Nxf5 19. Nxf5) 18. c4 f5 19. exf5 Nxf5 20. Nxf5 (20. Ne4 Nd4 21. Qd3 Nf6) 20... gxf5 21. Bc3 Rae8 22. b4 Ne7 23. h4 Rg8 24. h5 Rg7 25. c5 Reg8 26. g3 h6 (26... f4 27. Rxe5 dxe5 28. Bxe5 Qh3 29. Re1 fxg3 30. fxg3 b6 31. Qd3 Qxh5 32. Kg2 {idea Rh1 wins} Qxe5 33. Rxe5 Rxg3+ 34. Qxg3 Rxg3+ 35. Kxg3 Ng6 36. Re8+ Kg7 37. Ra8) 27. Rad1 Qe8 28. Rxe5 dxe5 29. Bxe5 b6 30. d6 Nc6 (30... Nc8 31. Qxf5) 31. Bf6 Qe6 32. Bxg7+ Rxg7 33. Qxc6 bxc5 34. Qa8+ Rg8 35. Qxa7 Rxg3+ 36. Kh2 Qe5 37. Qxc5 1-0
[Event "Leningrad"]
[Site "errors: planless play"]
[Date "1938.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Sokolsky, A.."]
[Black "Botvinnik, M.."]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "D94"]
[Annotator "errors: planless play"]
[PlyCount "80"]
[EventDate "1938.??.??"]
[EventType "match"]
1. c4 Nf6 2. Nc3 d5 3. d4 g6 4. Nf3 Bg7 5. e3 O-O 6. Be2 e6 7. O-O b6 8. cxd5 exd5 9. b3 Bb7 10. Bb2 Nbd7 11. Qc2 {[#] "White has no plan... you might have been able to play like that years ago... there is no better way of getting into a cramped and passive position than thinking of development alone" -- BOTVINNIK} a6 12. Rac1 Rc8 13. Rfd1 Qe7 14. Qb1 Rfd8 15. Bf1 c5 16. dxc5 bxc5 17. Ne2 Bh6 {! bravely abandoning the long diagonal} 18. Ba3 Ng4 19. Qd3 {[#] White has conceded the centre, hoping to attack the hanging pawns, but with poorly-posted White pieces and well-posted Black pieces it is no wonder that Black is able to convert his space and mobility into a decisive attack.} (19. Nc3 Bxe3) 19... Nde5 20. Nxe5 Qxe5 21. Ng3 Qf6 22. Nh1 d4 23. Qe2 Ne5 24. exd4 cxd4 25. Rxc8 Bxc8 26. Re1 {[#]} d3 27. Qd1 (27. Qxe5 Qxe5 28. Rxe5 d2) 27... Bg4 28. Qa1 (28. f3 Qb6+ (28... Bxf3 29. gxf3 Nxf3+ 30. Kg2 Nxe1+ 31. Qxe1 d2 32. Qd1 Qc6+) 29. Nf2 Be3) 28... d2 {White's pieces present a sorry picture.} 29. Rxe5 d1=Q 30. Re8+ Rxe8 31. Qxf6 Be2 32. Ng3 Bg7 33. Qc6 Bb5 34. Qc1 Qxc1 35. Bxc1 Re1 36. Be3 Ra1 37. a4 Bd3 38. f4 Rb1 39. Kf2 Bxf1 40. Nxf1 Rxb3 {0-1 (40) Sokolsky,A-Botvinnik,M Leningrad 1938} 0-1
[Event "Candidates Tournament"]
[Site "Zuerich"]
[Date "1953.09.08"]
[Round "6"]
[White "Najdorf, Miguel"]
[Black "Petrosian, Tigran Vartanovich"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "E62"]
[Annotator "planning"]
[PlyCount "65"]
[EventDate "1953.08.30"]
[EventType "tourn"]
[EventRounds "30"]
[EventCountry "SUI"]
[SourceTitle "Candidates"]
[Source "ChessBase"]
[SourceDate "1999.07.01"]
[SourceVersion "2"]
[SourceVersionDate "1999.07.01"]
[SourceQuality "1"]
1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 d6 3. Nf3 g6 4. g3 Bg7 5. Bg2 O-O 6. O-O Nc6 7. Nc3 Bg4 8. h3 Bxf3 9. Bxf3 Nd7 10. Bg2 Nxd4 11. Bxb7 Rb8 12. Bg2 {[#] Black's next move is a mistake, for it leaves him without a good plan. See Najdorf-Geller [#] (a) Black's plan is to attack down the half-open b-file (BRONSTEIN) (b) White will play b2-b3, and Black will want to harrass with a7-a5-a4 (c) to support a5-a4 Black will need an N on c5, so don't play ...c7-c5 (!)} c5 (12... Rb4 13. e3 Ne6 14. Qe2 Ne5 15. f4 Nd7 16. Nd5 Rb8 17. Qc2 c6 18. Nc3 Qc7 19. Rb1 a5 20. Bd2 Nec5 21. Ne2 Qb6 22. Kh2 Rfc8 23. Bc3 Bxc3 24. Nxc3 Qa6 25. b3 Rb6 26. Ne4 Nxe4 27. Qxe4 Re8 28. f5 Ne5 29. f6 Qa7 30. Rbd1 Rb4 31. Qd4 c5 32. Qh4 a4 {[#] The culmination of Black's plan} 33. Rxd6 axb3 34. axb3 Rxb3 35. fxe7 Qxe7 36. Qxe7 Rxe7 37. Bd5 Rxe3 38. Rd8+ Kg7 39. Rc8 Nd3 40. Ra8 Re2+ 41. Kg1 Rd2 42. Raa1 Nb4 {0-1 (42) Najdorf,M-Geller,E Zuerich 1953 Candidates [planning]}) 13. e3 Ne6 14. Qc2 a5 15. Bd2 Ne5 16. b3 Qd7 17. Kh2 Nc6 18. Rad1 Ned8 19. Be1 Kh8 20. Na4 Qc8 21. Bc3 Bxc3 22. Nxc3 Qf5 23. Qxf5 gxf5 24. Rd5 Ne6 25. Rxf5 Nb4 26. Rh5 Ng7 27. Rh4 Nf5 28. Rf4 e6 29. Rd1 Rb6 30. Na4 Rbb8 31. Be4 Ng7 32. Rxd6 Nxa2 33. Nxc5 1-0