We have now seen how the possession of open files reacts on the mobility of the opposing forces, forever increasing their difficulties until the positional advantage is converted into material gain.  We shall meet with cases later on in which the greater mobility of minor pieces achieves the same result and find more and more proofs of the truth of the main general principles which I introduced at the outset.

Let us now recapitulate the chief points touched upon in the course of our deliberations: 

1.  Generally speaking, attacks should only be directed to objects which cannot be moved away.

2.  If in particular cases the attack is aimed at driving off an opposing piece from an especially favourable post that attack is unwise, if it involves the weakening the pawn position, or if pieces have to take up inferior positions in order to effect their purpose.

3.  Pawn moves always create weaknesses, either by leaving other unsupported pawns behind, or by giving opposing pieces access to squares formerly guarded by them, and this more specially so in front of the castled King.

4.  Attacks which depend on pawn moves are only justified if overwhelming forces can be accumulated in support, as the advanced pawns might become the object of a counter attack.

5.  As pawn moves have very generally some drawbacks, the middle game is the pieces’ own hunting ground.  As in the opening, the first consideration of sound play in the middle game is to make only such moves as do not reduce the mobility of the pieces.

As illustrative of such manoeuvres I shall now give examples from actual master play.  In my annotations of these games I have tried to keep before the student’s mind constantly the main ideas underlying the different combinations which spring from general strategical principles.  I thus avoid burdening his memory with a mass of detail, and bring into prominence the basic principle of each line of play, thereby developing his capacity for conducting a middle game, even after an unusual opening.

I have fixed mainly upon such games as are illustrative of the openings treated in the first part of this book.  In most cases the first moves will, therefore, not need any special remarks.  The end-games, being typical examples, will only need reference to the chapters in which they have been respectively dealt with.

PART II

ILLUSTRATIVE GAMES FROM MASTER TOURNAMENTS

Game No. 1

    White:  Tartakower.  Black:  Burn.

   King’s Gambit declined (compare p. 30).

1.  P-K4 P-K4 2.  P-KB4 B-B4 3.  Kt-KB3 P-Q3 4.  PxP

On principle this exchange cannot be commended, as the opening of the Queen’s file increases the Black Queen’s mobility.  White derives no benefit from the KB file so long as the Black Bishop makes castling impossible.  White intends to play P-B3 and P-Q4, but the manoeuvre is doubtful, and the whole opening includes an inordinately large number of pawn moves.  In the present game Black exposes the failings inherent to this system unequivocally.