III.  From a game Blackburne-Schlechter (Vienna, 1898).

---------------------------------------
8 | #R |    |    |    | #R |    |    |    |
|---------------------------------------|
7 | #P | #P | #K | #B |    | #P | #P | #P |
|---------------------------------------|
6 |    |    |    | #P |    |    |    |    |
|---------------------------------------|
5 |    |    |    | ^P |    |    |    | #Q |
|---------------------------------------|
4 |    |    | ^P |    |    | ^Q |    |    |
|---------------------------------------|
3 |    |    |    |    |    | ^Kt|    |    |
|---------------------------------------|
2 | ^P | ^P |    |    |    | ^K | ^P | ^P |
|---------------------------------------|
1 |    |    |    |    | ^R |    |    | ^R |
---------------------------------------
A    B    C    D    E    F    G    H

Diag. 85

White has just played Q-B4.  P-B5 is threatened, and Black is forced to exchange Queens.  The ensuing end-game, however, is inferior for Black, because the QP is weak and White threatens eventually to force his Queen’s Pawn through.

1. ...  Q-B4 2.  QxQ BxQ 3.  Kt-Q4 B-Kt3 4.  RxR RxR 5.  R-K1 RxR

If Black wants to avoid the exchange, he must yield up the King’s file to White, and that would surely spell disaster, as the Black Rook would have no field of action, and would have to go to Q1 to avoid the loss of a pawn through Kt-Kt5ch, after which the White Rook would take possession of the seventh rank, fettering the action of the Bishop into the bargain.

6.  KxR            B-Q6
7.  P-QKt3         K-Q2

Black is condemned to inactivity, and White can quietly set to work to force his pawn through.

8.  K-Q2 B-K5
9.  P-Kt3 B-Kt8
10.  P-QR3 B-K5
11.  K-K3 B-Kt8
12.  Kt-B3

In order to play P-QKt4 and P-B5, then to force Black to exchange at B5, White must first have the opportunity of bearing a second time on Black’s Queen’s Pawn.  Therefore he prepares the manoeuvre Kt-B3-Q2-B4.

12. ...  K-K2 13.  P-QKt4 B-B4 14.  P-B5 B-Q2 15.  K-Q4 B-K1 16.  Kt-Q2 B-Q2 17.  Kt-B4 PxPch 18.  PxP P-B3

It is not yet easy to materialise the advantage in position The advance P-Q6ch would be very bad, as B6 and K6 would be made accessible for Black.  White starts by tempting the pawns forward and thus systematically creates points of attack.

19.  Kt-Kt2          B-B4
20.  P-QR4           K-Q2
21.  P-R5            P-QR3

The Queen’s side is paralysed.  The text move is forced, as P-R6 would give White yet another passed pawn.  Now White turns his attention to the King’s side.

22.  Kt-B4 K-B2 23.  Kt-Q6 B-Q2 24.  K-K4 B-R5 25.  P-Kt4 B-B7ch 26.  K-Q4 B-Kt3

Black wishes to play P-R4, in order to get a passed pawn too, the only chance of saving the game.