User manual

KINGS, QUEENS AND PAWNS
After pressing MODE and seeing TEACH displayed on the LCD, if you
press the QUEEN key the computer will be ready to start play with only the
kings, queens and pawns on the board.
The Queen is the most active piece and can move around an open board with
great speed. The most important advice to remember about the Queen is - Be
Careful. Always think about every move that your opponent can make with
his Queen, in case one of them would cause you serious problem. Here we
can see how easy it is to overlook a powerful queen move.
1 e2-e4 d7-d6?
From the normal starting position with all 32 pieces on the board this would
be perfectly acceptable first move. In the above position, however, it is a fatal
mistake that loses a pawn.
2 Qd1 - h5
Threatening the pawn at h7
2 .... h7-h6
3 qh5-b5+
No matter how black evades check, White will reply 4 Qb5xb7, and should
win comfortably because of his extra pawn.
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If, instead of playing 5 ... Rf8-c8, Black forgets about the open file, White can
quickly build up a completely overwhelming position. Watch how easy it is
for Black to go astray.
5 ... e7-e6?
This innocuous move probably loses the game for Black.
6 R c l - c 7 b7-b6
Safeguarding the b-pawn.
7 Ra1-cl
Now there is no way that Black can challenge White’s control of the c-file.
7 . . . g 7 - g 6
8 K g l - f l K g 8 - g 7
9 K f l - e l K g 7 - f 6
1 0 K e l - d 2
White will continue with Kd2-c3, Kc3-b4, Kb4-b5, Kb5-a6 and then
Rc7xa7, winning the a-pawn at once and the b-pawn soon afterwards. Black
is virtually helpless against this plan, which could not have worked if Black
had neutralized the c-file. This example demonstrates not only the importance
of controlling open files with your rooks, it also illustrates the power of rooks
on the 7th rank. All pawns start life on their 2nd rank (i.e. the opponent’s 7th
rank) and even in the late stages of the game there are often pawns still on
their starting squares. By placing a rook on the 7th rank you therefore put
pressure on your opponent’s pawns and hopefully win one or more of them.
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