Coffee with Yacub!
IM Vishal Sareen believes that good chess material is easily available as on today because of authors like Jacob Aagaard. Vishal has used positions of Aagaard for his numerous trainings and has a huge database of some amazing exercises. In this article he shares four brain crushing problems from Jacob's books. It's a two hour test. Have a crack at it, and when you are done, you might want to think about a coffee with Yakub! :)
Okay, I guess it's confession time! The one regret I have is not doing enough study and not reading enough chess books as a youngster. However, I can safely say that I made up for it in the last fifteen years as it became essential to my livelihood as a chess trainer! And I have enjoyed every minute of reading and learning from the books.
Let me tell you one thing from experience…. Good books are easy to find when you need them. Same goes for good chess material. Want to learn chess history? – find My Great Predecessors.. All the work done by Mark Dvoretsky, Yusupov, Sokolov, Rowson.... And Jacob Aagaard! Yes, this is the league of extraordinary Gentlemen. Forgive me for missing out on some names…
By 2005 Aagaard had already written some books. Trying to make a conversation with him, I just said “Hey I liked some of your books”…
“Ah nice”, he replied and then some hours later, called my bluff – “which one in particular?" I knew back then --- how dumb is dumb! Had nothing to say and just got away…
Times have changed! Today if asks me the same question, I can not only tell him the books but also reply with the positions in them!
Here are are a few samples. I did not have to spend too much time selecting them from my machine as I have seen each one of the following several times. The problem was I could actually put forth 400 positions. But settled for just four.
I have to admit that there was no research done by me to find these positions, I had no subject in mind. Its random work! Just see how random is random!
The Vishal Sareen Test
The Vishal Sareen test includes solving these four positions of Jacob Aagaard in two hours. You get half an hour each for the four positions. You must set up the position on the board, think deeply and then write down your answers on a piece of paper. The solutions are at the end of the article. Compare your answers with the solutions and see how you fare. No matter what the result is, after two hours of such intensive hard work, you are bound to become a better player!
Position 1: Leko vs Bologan
Position 2: Rublevsky vs Fillipov
Position 3: Poalozzi vs Chandler
Position 4: Nielsen vs Ivanchuk
Solutions at the end of this article.
Before we finish, (and you take a look at the solutions) another small story! Around three years back in London I was having this discussion with an English friend wondering if Jacob’s works would be available in India through printing in India thereby cutting the costs on freight and almost everything. It was a thought that came to mind as many will benefit greatly!
“Sure, we can talk to YACUB”, the friend said… And that’s when I learnt: Jacob pronounces his name as YACUB!
His legend will keep growing…. Miss him at your own peril!
I would like to finish this with a not-so-gentle yet lovely footnote!
“What the hell makes you smart?" I asked.
"I wouldn't go for coffee with you."
"Listen - I wouldn't ask you."
"That," she replied, "is what makes you stupid.”
― Erich Segal, Love Story
For the chess lovers of the city, there is a rare opportunity. Jacob Aagaard is coming to India and will be doing a camp in Delhi. It will be an honour to host him in Delhi on 30-31 March. Here are the details of his camp:
The camp will be split over two sessions:
Morning session: 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. only for 20 players (all rated) on both days (30th and 31st March). In this session, the players will get an insight in to modern day preparation and how to go about improving their skills. Preference would be given to younger players. Those who register for this also get a free entry in the open house to be held after the sessions where Aagaard himself will answer all your chess questions. Lunch and snacks provided.
Afternoon session: Open house (all are welcome to attend) for players, parents, coaches, chess buffs. Both days from 3 to 5 p.m. (Snacks provided for all).
How to register:
For morning session, please send a mail to vishalsareen@gmail.com.
For afternoon session the fee is Rs. 1000/- for both days (Rs. 500 if you want to register for one day only)
You can be a part of the afternoon session by registering online
Get to know Aagaard's entire schedule for the Indian and Asia trip
Solutions:
Position 1: Leko vs Bologan
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Leko, P."]
[Black "Bologan, V."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Jacob Aagaard"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "1q2bk2/5pp1/R3p2p/8/8/7P/P2Q1PP1/1r1N2K1 b - - 0 41"]
[PlyCount "11"]
[SourceTitle "Excelling at Calculation"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2010.03.01"]
[SourceVersion "1"]
[SourceVersionDate "2010.03.01"]
[SourceQuality "1"]
will produce the solution almost immediately but it is a hard line for a human
to find.} 41... Qe5 $3 {With the threat of 42...Qd5. White cannot allow this
and therefore plays:} 42. Ra3 {Now the second half of the exercise was to find:
} Qg5 $1 {White loses a piece no matter what.} 43. Re3 ({If} 43. Qxg5 Rxd1+) ({
or} 43. f4 Qc5+ 44. Re3 Rxd1+ {.}) 43... Ba4 44. Kh2 Qf4+ 45. g3 Rxd1 46. Qd8+
Rxd8 {and White resigned. Thanks to Mark Dvoretsky for showing me this
exercise.} *
Position 2: Rublevsky vs Fillipov
[Site "?"]
[Date "2004.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Rublevsky, S."]
[Black "Filippov, V."]
[Result "0-1"]
[Annotator "Jacob Aagaard"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "1k1r4/pp3p1p/3r1bp1/2NP1p2/5B2/8/b4PPP/2R1R1K1 b - - 0 29"]
[PlyCount "33"]
[EventDate "2004.??.??"]
[SourceTitle "Excelling at Calculation"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2010.03.01"]
[SourceVersion "1"]
[SourceVersionDate "2010.03.01"]
[SourceQuality "1"]
{It looks as if Black is in deep trouble, but he comes up with a fantastic
solution.} Ka7 $3 {The pin is resolved and the king comes to help from the
side.} 32. Bxd6 (32. Rcd1 Re6 $1 33. Bc7 Rde8 34. Nxe6 fxe6 35. Bxa5 b5) 32...
Rxd6 33. Rcd1 Kb6 34. Rxd5 Rxd5 35. Rxd5 Kc6 {A highly unusual situation.
White is a rook up, but his position can only just be saved.} 36. Rd7 $1 (36.
Nd7 Kxd5 37. Nxf6+ Kd4 $1) 36... Kxc5 37. Rxb7 a4 38. Kf1 $2 (38. Rxf7 Bc3 $1 (
{with the idea of ...Ba5 is the most ambitious try;} 38... Bd4 {does not work
since after} 39. Rxh7 Kc4 40. Rc7+ Bc5 41. Rc6 a3 42. Rxg6 a2 43. Ra6 {White
makes a draw}) 39. Rxh7 a3 40. Ra7 Bb4 ({or} 40... Kb4 41. Ra6 Kb3 42. Rxg6 Ka4
43. Ra6+ Ba5 44. Rd6) 41. g4 $1 {(ensuring that enough pawns are exchanged on
the kingside)} Kb5 $5 42. gxf5 gxf5 43. Kg2 $1 ({the f5-pawn is the target; not
} 43. h4 $2 Ba5 44. Rd7 a2 45. Rd1 Bc3 46. Kg2 a1=Q 47. Rxa1 Bxa1 48. Kf3 Be5
49. h5 Kc5 50. h6 Kd5 51. h7 Ke6 {and wins}) 43... Ba5 44. Rd7 a2 45. Rd1 Bc3
46. Kf3 {just in time!} Be5 47. h4 Kc4 48. h5 Kb3 49. h6 Kb2 50. h7 a1=Q 51.
Rxa1 Kxa1 52. h8=Q Bxh8 53. Kf4) 38... a3 {Now it is all over as} 39. Ra7 Kb4
40. Ke2 Kb3 41. Kd3 a2 42. Rb7+ Ka3 43. Ra7+ Kb2 44. Rb7+ Kc1 45. Rc7+ Kd1 0-1
Position 3: Poalozzi vs Chandler
[Site "?"]
[Date "1983.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Poalozzi, M."]
[Black "Chandler, M."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Jacob Aagaard"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "2b2rk1/5ppp/prN1p2q/1p2P3/n3B2P/P1P5/2P2QP1/1K1RR3 w - - 0 22"]
[PlyCount "21"]
[SourceTitle "Excelling at Calculation"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2010.03.01"]
[SourceVersion "1"]
[SourceVersionDate "2010.03.01"]
[SourceQuality "1"]
to proceed.}) 22... Kh8 23. Qxf7 g6 $1 {The right move order.} (23... Nxc3+ 24.
Ka1 g6 {White wins with} 25. Rd8 $1 Rxd8 26. Qf6+ Qg7 27. Nxg6+ hxg6 28. Qxd8+
Qg8 29. Qxb6 $1) 24. Rd8 $3 (24. Rf1 $5 Nxc3+ $1 (24... Rxf7 $2 25. Rd8+ Rf8
26. Rdxf8+ Qxf8 27. Rxf8+ Kg7 28. Rxc8 {White wins}) 25. Ka1 Rxf7 26. Rd8+ Rf8
27. Rdxf8+ (27. Rfxf8+ $4 Kg7) 27... Qxf8 28. Rxf8+ Kg7 29. Rg8+ $1 (29. Rxc8
Nxe4 30. Rc7 Kh8) 29... Kf7 30. Bxg6+ hxg6 ({if} 30... Kxe7 31. Rxc8 hxg6 32.
Rc7+ Kf8 33. Rxc3) 31. Rxc8 Nd5 ({if} 31... b4 32. Rc7 Nb5 33. Nc8+ Nxc7 34.
Nxb6 bxa3 35. c4) 32. Nc6 $1 {and White has an extra pawn in the endgame, as
well as the more active pieces. So the endgame after 24 Rf1 favours White, but
it is not as strong as 24 Rd8!.}) 24... Rxd8 25. Qf6+ Qg7 26. Nxg6+ $1 hxg6 27.
Qxd8+ Qg8 28. Qc7 $1 {Without this move White would have nothing more than a
draw. Now the threats are 29 Rd1 and 29 h5, and it is very hard to find a
defence for Black. It is a matter of complete domination. A very original
position indeed.} Bb7 $1 ({If} 28... Qf8 $5 29. Rd1 Bd7 $1 30. Rxd7 Qf1+ 31.
Ka2 Qc4+ 32. Qxc4 bxc4 33. Rb7 {and White wins the endgame without too many
troubles.}) (28... Bd7 29. Qxd7 Nxc3+ 30. Kb2 Nxe4 (30... Na4+ 31. Ka2 Nc3+ 32.
Kb3 {only improves the white king's position}) 31. Rxe4 Qf8 ({if} 31... Rb8 32.
Rd4 $1 {with ideas of 33 Rd6; Black is under heavy pressure with no counterplay
}) 32. Qc7 Rb8 33. Qd6 Qe8 34. Rf4 Rd8 35. Qxa6 Rd5 36. Qa7 Kg8 37. Rf6 Rxe5
38. Rxg6+ Qxg6 39. Qb8+ Kh7 40. Qxe5) 29. Bxb7 Qf8 {Idea 30...b4!.} ({e.g.}
29... Qf8 30. h5 b4 31. axb4 Rxb4+ 32. Kc1 Qh6+ 33. Kd1 Rb1+ 34. Ke2 Rxe1+ 35.
Kxe1 Qc1+ 36. Kf2 Qxc2+ 37. Kg3 Qxc3+ 38. Qxc3 Nxc3 39. Bxa6 gxh5) 30. Qc8 $1
Qxc8 31. Bxc8 Nxc3+ 32. Kc1 {with a clearly better, probably winning endgame
for White.} *
Position 4: Nielsen vs Ivanchuk
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Nielsen, P."]
[Black "Ivanchuk, V."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Jacob Aagaard"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "r1r3k1/1p1bppbp/pBq3p1/n7/4PP2/2PB4/P3N1PP/1R1Q1RK1 w - - 0 17"]
[PlyCount "9"]
[SourceTitle "Excelling at Calculation"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2010.03.01"]
[SourceVersion "1"]
[SourceVersionDate "2010.03.01"]
[SourceQuality "1"]
then have a very strong move:} 17. Rf2 $1 {Threatening 18 Bxa5 and the black
knight cannot go to c4 because the bishop on d7 is hanging.} ({White cannot
win a piece immediately because of} 17. Bxa5 Qc5+) ({while after} 17. Kh1 Nc4
$1 18. Bxc4 Qxc4 {the knight on e2 would also be hanging.}) 17... Bxc3 {
The only move.} 18. Nxc3 Qxc3 19. Bf1 $1 Be8 20. Rf3 Qc6 21. Rb4 $1 {when the
knight is trapped out on the rim to be picked off by 22 Ra3... Of course
Ivanchuk knew all this as well and, instead of 16...Rdc8, played 16...Bg4!
eventually obtaining a draw from an inferior position.} *
About the author:
Vishal Sareen is an International Master and well known as a chess commentator. He has been a journalist in the past and has written for many famous newspapers. Currently he is a chess coach in Delhi and has trained many talents like Parimarjan Negi, Abhijeet Gupta, Sahaj Grover, Tania Sachdev and others. He has also been the coach of the Indian women's Olympiad team.