Lessons From Mallorca IV: How's The King?

THE following position was reached in my round-four game at the Colònia de Sant Jordi U2400.

Black has just captured on d5

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White has three ways of recapturing, although I suspect most players would fairly quickly rule out 19.exd5, partly because it leaves both white rooks on files blocked by a white pawn, and because it gives Black what might prove in the middlegame a useful kingside pawn-majority.

The move 19.cxd5 is quite desirable positionally in that it gains space, opens a file on which White already has a rook, and gives the bishop a little more freedom.

The move played, 19.Rxd5?, also has desirable positional qualities, not least that it pressurises Black's backward d pawn, which remains on a half-open file.

But the move is a mistake for a tactical reason - it gives Black a tempo to attack the white king's position.

The game continued 19...Nf4 20.Rd2 Qg5, when White has no good defence to Black's twin threats of checkmate at g2 and winning the white queen with ...Nh3+.

LESSON: grandmaster Nigel Davies's truism that king safety is the most important factor in chess should always be at the forefront of analysis.