Analyze with KIMPLODES! Two games, 12 puzzles
The acronym KIMPLODES! aims to provide a way to analyze your games before asking a silicon chess god to provide ofttimes incomprehensible answers. This post begins with a brief introduction to the meaning of each letter in the acronym KIMPLODES! and includes links to posts with more details for the interested. Next is an introductory example based on Paul Morphy's famous Opera Game or, as I like to think of it, a knight at the opera. Following that you are offered a set of nine puzzles to test your memory retention and grasp of the basic ideas. Be aware that the puzzles include KIMPLODES! analytic lines, not just the moves played in the game. After that is a KIMPLODES! analysis of a modern game that sees Black playing another flailing, failing version of the Philidor Defense line used by Morphy's illustrious opponents. Followed by three puzzles tied to that analysis.
Despite numerous references to A Night at the Opera, we will not delve deeply into the 1935 Marx Brothers movie or Queen's fourth studio album, released in 1975. Though both the movie and the album are worthy topics unto themselves.
Okay, before we get to the meat of the matter, a brief introduction for those new to KIMPLODES! Or a refresher for those who haven't looked at this approach recently. For a slightly deeper summary of KIMPLODES! concepts than offered below you can click here. If you want a full blog on a specific topic, for example, E=Energy (a particularly complex topic), click the relevant link below.
M = Material Am I ahead or behind in material? The more insightful question is whether a material deficit or surplus matters.
O = Officers The minor pieces. Who has the better bishops and knights.
E = Energy Sometimes the owner of the pieces with less space enjoys tremendous latent energy, just waiting to explode in retribution for the opponent's audacity in trying to squeeze the other side. At the lowest level you can think of the tension on a compressed spring and the forces generated when that tension is released.
S = Space/Squares Oversimplified, as pawns advance, they gain a spatial advantage, but frequently leave behind holes the other side will try to exploit. Sometimes an entire game revolves around one square, not just a color complex. Space is looking at the same coins from a different perspective. To wit, if your pieces have more room to maneuver because of a spatial advantage, and use safe squares effectively, then you may have an advantage.
The Opera House game analyzed using KIMPLODES!
Paul Morphy versus Duke Karl II of Brunswick and the French aristocrat Count Isouard de Vauvenargues in one of the most famous games of all time. And one that has been annotated in more books than I count on the digits available to me at the moment. This miniature (White mates Black on move seventeen) offers an opportunity to quickly examine several aspects of KIMPLODES! The focus is on king safety, development, lines, material and the initiative. But the relative value of the officers (aka, minor pieces), space and squares are also germane to understanding this gem. There also opportunities to discuss a few aspects of pawn structure. The only aspect that gets short shrift is energy. Sorry about that, but double king pawn openings are rarely conducive to examples of energy.
Let the Puzzles Begin!
Morphy, Paul - Duke Karl II of Brunswick and the French aristocrat Count Isouard de Vauvenargues 02.11.1858 #1
A Night at the Opera! An offhand game that is far more renowned than any number of closely contested decisive world championship games. Let alone Games of the Century. Of which one usually finds quite a few per century. Not to be confused with the 1935 Marx Brothers movie. A cast that included Kitty Carlisle as the leading lady; later in her career she was one of the panelists on To Tell the Truth.
How did Morphy demonstrate convincingly that king safety trumps material?
Assessment: Black's material advantage of an extra queen and knight is rendered irrelevant. Even if you largely discount the three undeveloped black pieces, Black technically has more material in hand with a queen versus a rook and bishop. But White has a firm grasp on the most important piece on the board, the king.
Lessons learned or revisited: Mate renders it clear when king safety outweighs the value of material.
Morphy, Paul - Duke Karl II of Brunswick and the French aristocrat Count Isouard de Vauvenargues 02.11.1858 #2
A Night at the Opera! The fourth album released by the British rock band Queen. Thus, totally appropriate for a chess book. Bohemian Rhapsody was one of the tracks on this album and, in my opinion, one of the greatest songs ever.
How did White firmly grab the initiative in this famous game?
Assessment: More threats!! Objectively white is winning. The safety of the black king is in question and white threatens pawns on f7 and b7. But there is always a question of whether or not an initiative can be maintained. Sometimes they just fade away.
Outcome: Checkmate on move seventeen. That hasn't changed in over a century. 
Just as episodes of a television show never end differently, no matter how many times my mother-in-law watched them. Sometimes in a single day.
Morphy, Paul - Duke Karl II of Brunswick and the French aristocrat Count Isouard de Vauvenargues 02.11.1858 #3
Morphy finished with a devastating sacrifice that shredded the enemy position and exposed the king.
Assessment: White has only one piece left to develop while Black still has three pieces on their original squares. And the developed black officers are pinned firmly against his majesty and her majesty. And there is no wall of pawns on Black's queenside behind which his majesty could seek refuge.
This night at the opera should not be confused with the 1935 Marx Brothers movie of the same name starring Chico, Harpo, and Groucho. Gummo was never in any of the movies, and Zeppo had left the act before this movie. Perhaps tired of his straight man role?
READ THIS!! You have fifteen seconds left on your clock. White has only five seconds and there is no increment. What move should you play to secure a victory or a draw!!
Assessment: Triple repetition and a draw or you win on time.
Outcome: Unknown/You get to decide!! This was just an analytic line after all.
Lessons learned or revisited:
A. The clock rules us all.
B. Material is irrelevant when the clock dominates.
Morphy, Paul - Duke Karl II of Brunswick and the French aristocrat Count Isouard de Vauvenargues 02.11.1858
Do you remember this analytic note? Thie note looked at how Black could have improved their play.
Assessment: Black has taken a slight lead in development, did not cede the bishop pair, and hopes to convert those factors into an initiative that will regain the material or result in a winning attack. Meanwhile, White has the material advantage of an extra pawn and it is an important central pawn. We'll examine this idea in detail in another blog.
Morphy, Paul - Duke Karl II of Brunswick and the French aristocrat Count Isouard de Vauvenargues 02.11.1858
What one move will allow White to gain the bishop pair or win material?
Assessment:
Officers: White has the bishop pair in an open position.
Initiative: With the correct follow-on White will use threats to keep Black off-balance and responding to threats rather than seeking to dictate the pace of play.
Pospisil, Ludvik (2503) - Williams, Rufus (1341) VW-Cup8 Gr04, ICCF email 2015.09.01
Black tried a different continuation than Morphy's noble opponents. Should White continue to develop rapidly or grab the pawn on b7? In other words, is the b-pawn poisoned?
Assessment: The queen will escape via a7 or b7. Black is simply down a rook and a pawn. The rook wasn't tainted either. Black's slight lead in development is nowhere near enough compensation.
Walder, Michael (2134) - Gerwin, Gene (1906) San Francisco TNM Jay Whitehead op, 2014.09.30
Black just developed a piece and blocked White's attack on the f7 square. Good thought, but the wrong piece.
How does White best take advantage? Castle the king to safety and get the rook near the center? Pin Black's knight with the dark-squared bishop? Extend the development lead by placing the knight on c3? Or some other move?
Assessment: White has two extra pawns in hand, a better pawn structure, and the safer king. Black resigned after White's 28th move was going to decimate what few pittances of hope remained.
Morphy, Paul - Duke Karl II of Brunswick and the French aristocrat Count Isouard de Vauvenargues 02.11.1858
White can continue to develop, change the pawn structure by capturing on e4, or put the question to the bishop with h3. What did Morphy play?
Assessment: White changes the pawn structure to open more lines. And will gain either a material advantage or gain the bishop pair and an early initiative.
Alternatives: There are two moves emphasizing development that are quite good.
Cumming, David (2253) - Schenker, Leo (1696) DE WebServ 10th prel 62 email 2016.04.05
We open with another example of a Philidor's defense gone very wrong for Black.
Game summary:
A. Move six: sometimes it's best to give up a wing pawn and develop pieces even if the pawn contains no significant level of poison.
B. Move nine: Just because a pawn "protects" a square from incursion by enemy pieces, does not mean a piece cannot jump there anyway! Particularly if the intent is to open lines and create threats if the piece is captured.
A quick test of what you learned from this game. At this point in the game White had no decisive move. What's best? Castle the king into safe quarters? Or develop a minor piece? And if the latter, which minor piece and to what square?
