M.Dvoretsky

Mark Dvoretsky

Articles

Mark Dvoretsky. Critical approach to the combination
A combination must be correct. Otherwise, it becomes an attempt, error or even blunder. In other words it is senseless Emanuel Lasker said. Of course, one shouldn't accept this statement as a common truth. For example, when a chessplayer is in a difficult situation even an incorrect combination is sensible if it poses some problems to the opponent and raises the practical chances for a successful result. Rudolf Spielmann noticed that one should evaluate a sacrifice from the standpoint of its dangerousness but not of its rightness.

Mark Dvoretsky. Critical approach to the combination
Let`s analyze the examples when the combination turns out to be either the strongest continuation or the best practical chance. We will have to play for both opponents. At first, it is necessary to find the combination and then to look for the best defense. The result of the game in such situations depends on the resourcefulness of chessplayers. The one who manages to be more inventive often scores a victory.

Mark Dvoretsky. Critical approach to the combination
Emanuil Lasker wrote that the skill of criticism also existed along with the skill of creating combinations. There are no doubts that this kind of skill is of great practical importance.

Mark Dvoretsky. Studies for the collection
My collection of exercises, which I often use for training young players and quote in various books and articles, includes more than a thousand selected studies. I would like to tell you about my criterions of selecting studies. It is a system of preference of practical chessplayer and trainer. As a matter of fact, my preferences are very personal and they can differ from the tastes of other chessplayers, trainers and professional composition experts.

M.Dvoretsky. TWO ENDGAMES OF ANATOLY KARPOV
We bring to your notice two complicated endgames played by Karpov in his best years. Both endings became classical and are included in many books (in mine also). Both examples were reanalyzed recently, refining or even revising the previous assessments.

М.Dvoretsky. Practical psychology
psychological struggle is an integral part of a chess game. It's been a long since this statement goes without saying. Though I’m not sure that we realize clearly how a psychological factor peeps in chess and what is to be done to make progress in this field. I would point out three main trends here – in the decreasing order of importance.

M.Dvoretsky. A grandmaster level
The 21st game of the match between Karpov and Korchnoi in Baguio was carefully analyzed quite a few times for the last quarter of the century. Mark Dvoretsky suggests examining the game from a position of the decision-making process.

Mark DVORETSKY. EXCHANGE OF QUEENS. Part 3.
Mark DVORETSKY. EXCHANGE OF QUEENS. Part 3.

Mark DVORETSKY. EXCHANGE OF QUEENS. Part 2.
Mark DVORETSKY. EXCHANGE OF QUEENS. Part 2.

Mark DVORETSKY. EXCHANGE OF QUEENS. Part 1.
I haven't made any statistical analysis, but I think I won't be mistaken stating that at least in the half of games of any chess player there were exchanged queens. At times such an exchange is natural and doesn't invite questions, but in many cases a chess player has to solve an unobvious problem: who will benefit from an exchange, and if the exchange is advantageous, then how to get it and how to carry it out...

M.Dvoretsky. Positional sacrifice of the Queen (continuation 4)
The fifth and the last part of the large-scale work of M.Dvoretsky.

M.Dvoretsky. Positional sacrifice of the Queen (continuation 3)
We proceed with publishing of the large-scale work of M.Dvoretsky.

M.Dvoretsky. Positional sacrifice of the Queen (continuation 2)
Considering a sacrifice of the Queen "almost for nothing" (for one or two pawns or only one light piece) chess player either calculates variants till a checkmate or revenge of the material, or hesitates over a combination, because the risk is great. The work of art by Nezhmetdinov is a very rare exception as well as the next remarkable game.

M.Dvoretsky. Positional sacrifice of the Queen (continuation)
In all the before analyzed examples a sacrifice of Queen was undertaken during defense of a difficult position, its purpose was changing of the character of struggle, creation of counter-play. Certainly, other situations also occur, when Queen is sacrificed in order to attack the King.

M.Dvoretsky. Positional sacrifice of the Queen
In the summer of 1991 I gave a few lessons to a group of American juniors, and then all of us joined a large traditional tournament "World open ". In the first round one of my students, 15-years old Bobby Seltzer played with a grand master.