Black to Play

Pete Tamburro on May 4, 2026

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Number 20 in our series of instructional games. Shamkovich - Nezhmetdinov (E97)Baku, 1961This is a wild game. The King's Indian Defense is very difficult for both sides. This game demonstrates the war between Black's pawn storm on the kingside vs. White's pawn storm on the queenside. If you play either side, it's worth looking at the notes to the game to look at the ideas that emerge. Have fun! 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 Bg7 4.e4 0–0 5.Nf3 d6 6.Be2 e5 7.0–0 (Black is doing just fine after 7.dxe5 dxe5 8.Qxd8 Rxd8 9.Nxe5 Nxe4 10.Nxe4 Bxe5 11.Bg5 Bxb2 12.Rb1 Re8 13.Rxb2 Rxe4) 7...Nc6 8.d5 Ne7 9.Nd2!? (Sharp is 9.b4!? Nh5 10.Re1 f5 11.a4 a5 12.b5 Nf6 13.Ra2 fxe4 14.Ng5 Nf5 15.Ngxe4 Nd4 16.Bd3 with a slight edge for White) 9...Ne8 (A little preventative 9...a5 would be better) 10.b4 f5!? 11.f3 (You have to push faster on the queenside as there is no king over there, so you have to keep Black concerned about the queenside breakthrough more than his kingside attack--11.c5!) 11...f4 12.c5 g5 13.Nc4 Rf7 (This mysterious rook move is not so mysterious. Black wants the rook to get behind the Black kingside pawn advance. If 13...h5 14.a4) 14.Bd2 Ng6 15.Be1 [Much better, but also complicated is 15.c6 bxc6 16.dxc6 Nf6 17.b5 h5 18.a4 g4 19.Be1 g3 20.Nxd6 cxd6 21.Bc4 h4 22.Qb3 Qe8 23.Bxf7+?! (23.a5!! Bf8 24.h3 Kg7 25.Bxf7 Qxf7 26.Qxf7+ Kxf7 27.Rb1 and White is superior as the queenside pawns are mobile while Black's kingside pawns are blocked.) 23...Qxf7 24.Qxf7+ Kxf7= and Black's four minor pieces will give White's team a hard time.) 15...Bf8 16.Bf2 h5 17.Rc1 Nf6 18.cxd6 cxd6 19.Nb5 g4 20.Nxa7 Bd7 21.a4 g3 22.Bb6 Qe7 23.Kh1 Rh7 24.Nb5 Both plans are in full swing. This time around, you rule the black pieces. What's your plan here? (SEE DIAGRAM)

24...Ng4! 25.h3 Qh4 26.Qd2 Ne3 27.Bd3 Bxh3 28.gxh3 g2+ 29.Kg1 gxf1Q+ 30.Bxf1 Qg3+ 31.Bg2 Nh4 32.Qf2 Nexg2 33.Qxg3+ fxg3 White Resigned

Send questions and comments to PTamburro@aol.com.