The Art of Defense

Good day everyone, and welcome to my blog! The orientation of this page will be toward the games of old masters (popularly called “classics”), as well as the games of today’s top players. The main focus will be on middlegame and endgame developments from my perspective, of course, with the assistance of today’s indispensable engines. We will also look into the theoretical presentation of variations played in games.

We will start with a game in which I was the protagonist, not because I enjoy writing about myself (to be honest, I hate it!), but so that we can get to know each other better, dear readers. The game in question was from the First League of Central Serbia (the second tier of competition), played on the first board against the experienced Bulgarian grandmaster Vladimir Petkov. My team, consisting of six evenly matched players, was the favorite, but that title had to be justified “on the board.”

The emphasis in the analysis of this game will be on the role of “cunning in preparation,” the influence of character on decision-making during the battle, and, above all, the desire to find good moves during the game itself. That, in the end, is what saved me from defeat.

The moment in the game when we agreed to a draw. Simply put, for relief, White would have to return the second pawn, and then he would have no trump left up his sleeve.

My personal impression after the game was that I had barely escaped. I even received praise from my teammate, the renowned Serbian coach, IM Dejan Nestorović. He said that at one point he “felt sorry for me,” but he was impressed by the way I defended the position. That same evening, I met my opponent in the hotel lounge. “I thought I was winning, but no, it was 0.00 the whole time. I just checked it with the computer,” he said somewhat sadly.

Today’s analysis programs are far more advanced. Just as in the middlegame, some strange decisions allow White to reach +0.9, the engine also shows that in the endgame Black can draw in many ways. I will overlook the fact that my experience is not unique, but I hope it will be instructive for at least some of you. In any case, this “saved day” I owe to composure, fighting spirit, and active play in the critical moments of the game.

Thank you for your attention.
See you next time!