CHAPTER 3 THE SEVENTH AND EIGHTH RANKS #1. Introductory and general. Endgame or Middlegame. The choice of an objective. ""Thow shalt not shilly shally?” As we have seen in the second chapter the entry into enemy territory, in other words into the 7th and 8th ranks, forms the iogical consequence of play in a file. | have sought to illustrate this entry by some particularly marked, because catastrophic, examples, but | must here, to offset this, emphasize the fact that, in the normal course of events, it will only be late, when we pass into the endgame stage, that the 7th rank will be seized, for catastrophes of whatever nature are, after all, only the result of serious mistakes of our opponent, and consequently cannot be regarded as the normal. We are therefore disposed to regard the 7th and 8th ranks as endgame advantages, and this despite the fact that numerous games are decided by operations in these ranks in the middle game. The student should, however, try to break into the enemy's base as early as possible, and if he at first finds that the invading Rook can accomplish nothing or is even lost, he must not be discouraged. itis part of our system to instruct the student at the earliest possible moment in the Strategic elements of the endgame. Accordingly, after treating of the "7th and 8th ranks," "Passed pawns," and the technique of “Exchange,” we will insert a chapter which, though properly coming under the heading “Positional play," must, for instructional purposes, find a place early. And after assimilating this, the 7th and 8th ranks will be to the student not merely a mating instrument, but much mere, a keen-edged weapon for use in the endgame. As already remarked itis both, but its use as an endgame weapon predominates. Itis of the greatest importance to accustom ourselves to carry out operations in the 7th rank in such a manner that we have from the start some settled, definite Objective. Itis characteristic of the less practiced player that he chooses an opposite Course, in fact he wanders about, looking first to the right, then to the ieft without any fixed plan. No, settle on your objective is the rule. Such an objective, as we have leamed, may be a pawn or a point. Which one, it matters not. But aimlessly drifting from one to another, this will expose you to a strategical disgrace. +2. The convergent and the revolutionary attack in the 7th rank. The win of a point or pawn with acoustical echo (simultaneous check). In the position shown in Diagram 27 White chooses the c-pawn as his objective. After Black's ...Rc8, attack and defense balance one another, but by a procedure @nalogous to that used in a file, we now seek to disturb this equilibrium to our advantage. Accordingly let us suppose White to have a Bishop at e1 and Black a The seventh and eighth ranks 23Knight at g6, we would then attain our end by 1.Bg3, and if our Bishop had been at f1 (instead of e1), by 1.Ba6, driving away the defending Rook. Next let us suppose the forces on Diagram 27 increased by a White Rook at d1, and a Black Knight at 96, and that the White h-pawn is missing. The logical course would now be Rid4-c4, orperhaps 1.Rd8+ Axd8 2.RAxd8+ Nis and White gets back to the 7th rank by 3.Re8 ¢5 4.Rc7 etc. In Diagram 27 as it stands it should be noted the march of the White King to c6 would be the course to ! be aimed at, since the point c7 is our chosen objective. The affair takes a similar course in the position on Diagram 28. White's objective is h7, since the win of this point would give the possibility of a deadly enveloping movement. 1...Rh6 2.Nf5 Rh5 3.94 Rxh3+ 4.Kg2 Rxb3 5.Rh7+. White has arrived onh7. The defender, the Black Rook had to flee. White wins the point h7 and gives mate. £...Kg8 6.Rceg7+ followed by 7.Rh& mate. The nature of a convergent attack on a chosen objective would seem to have been sufficiently illustrated by this example. Before, however passing to the "revolutionary" form of attack, we would underline as important the following rule: If the objective flees, the Rook must attack him from the rear. For example, a Rook on the 7th rank holds a Black pawn at b7 under attack. If now 1...05, then 2.Rb7, and not a flank attack on the Sth rank. This rule finds its explanation in the following considerations: (a) The 7th rankis to be held as long as possible, since it is here that the new objectives may present themselves. (b) The enveloping attack (and 2.Rb7 was such) is the strongest form of attack (ranged in ascending scale: i, frontal, ii, flank, ili, enveloping), which (c) often forces the enemy to undertake cramping defensive measures. It should be noticed that in the case considered above a flank attack on the b-pawn would be comfortably met by .--Rb8. #23 Black to move, Fight for h? In Diagram 29 let us "choose" g7. The fact that this point is well protected does not frighten us. We concentrate our attack by means of 1.Ng3 a3 (the passed pawns are very threatening) 2.Nf5 a2 3.Qe5 (and now mate is threatened by 4.Rxg/+) 3...a1=Q+ and the g-pawn is now again protected and White loses, so our objective, g7, was a poor choice. The right choice is h7, and its conquest follows from @ "revolutionary" attack. 1.Nf6+ gxf6 2.Qe6+ Kh8 3.Qd7. Or 1.N16+ Kh8 (Black is stubborn) 2.Qxh6 (White is still more so!) gxh6 3.Rh7 mate, and on the chosen spot! This example shows us the idea of a revolutionary attack applied to the 7th rank. One pawn is forcisly gotten out of the way in order that action on the seventh 24 MySystem-2istCenturyEdition ——~—~—~S~CS~S~S~S~*S My System - 21st Century Editionrank may be extended to that neighboring point which we had thought of as our #25 Win ofthe the objective, 7 ‘#80 Win of the objective, h7 Another example is shown in Diagram 30. Here the point g7 would be hard to attack successfully, though if the pawn on g4 were absent this would be easier: for instance by 1.Qg4 96 2.Qh4 h5 3.Qxf6 etc, With the pawn there, however, matters are not so easy, for if 1.Rd7 (threatening 2.R1c7) 1...Re8. Orif 1.R1c4 with the threat of 2.Qf7+) 1...Rf8. The right play is 1.Rxg7+ (h7 is our objective) 1...Kxg7 2.Rc7+ Kh8 3.Qxh7 mate. The capture on g7 extended the range of action in the seventh rank to h7. If 2...Kf8 3.Qxh7 would also have won, since the seventh rank could not be held by Black by any means. Still more precise, however, would be the employment of the Queen with gain of tempo, thus: (after 2...Kf8) 3.Qh6+ Ke8 4.Qe3+ Kf8 5.Qe7+ (enters the seventh with "acoustical echo"), 5...K98 6.097 mate. This last maneuver deserves comment. Itis typical, since by its means any approach of the enemy reserves can be prevented, In Diagram 30a, White wishes to take the Knight with check. This he does by 1.Qg4+ Kh7 2.Qh3+ Kg7 3.Qg2+ Kh6 and now 4.Qxh1+. We drive the King to the desired side of the board without losing contact with the piece or point we wish to win. In Diagram 31, ine point to be won is e7. Either 1.Qh4 or 1.Qf2+ would fail miserably because of ...e3+ and Rat mate, e.g. 1.Qf2+ Ke8 2.0xc5 e3+, etc. The Nght move here is 1.Qf1+ Ke8 2.Qb5+ Kf8 3.Qxc5+ Ke8 4.Qe7 mate. We could also state the problem as #99 The righ 's taken wih check follows: White to take the point b5 with check. After 1.QF1+, Ke8 2.Qb5+, White has contact with the point c5, and, at the same time, does not lose his driving effect on the enemy King, who is tied to his own square. The seventh and eighth ranks 2