Invisible Moves

Just about every chess player knows that sinking feeling of switching the engine on, with the top move having not even crossed their mind during the game.

Chances are, this has happened to you at some point.

It may be tempting to write all of these off as "computer moves", but I do not believe this to always be justified.

A Different Label

I prefer to call these “invisible moves” - inspired by a book called ‘Invisible Chess Moves’ (which I have not read, yet) - as these moves can be so difficult to see, it is almost as if they were invisible.

I first learnt about this concept in GM Mesgen Amanov's 12 month program when I was 14, and I can personally say that it made a huge impression on my chess at the time.

I strongly believe that the ability to find and play such moves can bring about a huge improvement in one’s chess ability (and appreciation of the game!).

While I would love to suggest a magic formula that can be used to find such moves, I do not believe one exists.

However, we can train our brains to be better prepared to find such ideas, by looking at various examples of such ideas - which is precisely what we are going to be doing in this week’s newsletter.

While there are many different types of invisible moves, the most important ones I will be covering are:

• Backward Moves

• Counterintuitive Exchanges

• “Hanging” Material

• Geometrically Invisible Moves

Backward Moves

Generally speaking, it is well-accepted that we should want to be pressing forward, and increasing the pressure on the opponent.

Backward moves, do the opposite of that.

However, that certainly does not mean they should not be considered.

Here is one example where Karpov played a brilliant game against Spassky:

Karpov played 24.Nb1!!, preparing to reroute the knight away from c3, where it is restricted by the pawn on c6. Not to mention, White prepares c3, when the knight on b4 will be kicked away.

In a matter of ten moves, Spassky had to throw in the towel.

Counterintuitive Exchanges

For many of us, when we first started playing chess, we would often exchange pieces without much consideration to the strategic consequences of doing so.

Gradually, however, we began to develop a sense of what exchanges are good and bad.

Ironically, this can also prevent us from making good decisions.

Take the following position, where world-famous trainer Jacob Aagaard had the White pieces:

White clearly has an initiative, but Black is ready to play …c4 next, shutting out White's LSB. Anticipating this, Aagaard played 28.Bd5 but didn’t get far after …Bc6.

After analyzing with an engine, Aagaard found the best move was 28.Bxf7+!, a rather counterintuitive exchange - giving up the strong LSB for Black’s rather passive knight on f7.

However, the real idea was the follow-up …Kxf7 29.Qd5+!!, when …Qxd5 30.exd5 is surprisingly winning for White.

Not only did we give up our strong LSB, but we gave ourselves doubled pawns!

However, the point is simply that Black is defenseless against the combined threat of Ra7 and Ne4.

Also note more generally how White’s doubled d-pawns do an excellent job of restricting Black’s pieces.

“Hanging” Material

This category may be the most tricky, since most often the moves we are most likely to automatically disregard are those that hang material.

Take this position for example, where White seems to have Black’s aggression under control:

Here, Black found the brilliant 25…Bd5!!, hanging the bishop in two different ways!

Of course, it cannot be taken, since 26.Qxd5 allows …Qxf4+, and 26.Bxd5 allows …Qxd2.

Not to mention, 26…Bxg2+ is a threat, since 27.Qxg2 would hang the rook on f4.

So, White played 26.Re2, dealing with those threats, and now threatening 27.Bxd5.

This position actually brings us to our final category:

Geometrically Invisible Moves

Often, certain moves simply escape us due to our brain not considering moves in which our pieces perform exotic movements across the board.

In the position above, Black’s best move is 26…Ra6!! - launching the rook across the board, preparing 27…Ra1+ (while once again leaving the bishop hanging on d5!).

Black would have been winning in such an event, but unfortunately missed that and played 26…Bxg2+?, soon losing the game.

Final Thoughts

All in all, training this ability to find “invisible” moves can be hugely beneficial to any chess player, no matter what level you may be at.

Similarly to how endgame studies supposedly help with creativity, I believe the same to be true of invisible moves - perhaps to an even larger degree.

If this interested you, the book I mentioned earlier ‘Invisible Chess Moves’ is probably something that you would enjoy (I will likely check it out some time soon as well).

Anyhow, I hope this was inspiring in some way, and this concept impacts your game as much as it did mine.

Until next time.

- Sam