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Georg Mohr:

The principle of the second
weakness

The theory about the play in endgames is
often divided into several parts. Theoretical
endgames

are

fundamental

for

our

knowledge,  because  we  need  to  memorize
many different positions and understand them.
The  number  of  that  kind  of  endgames  is
growing  day  after  day.  Without  that  basic
knowledge we cannot play good in endgames.
Practical  endgames  are  the  second  area,
where  it  is  important  to  understand  certain
positions. There are not many positions in the
middlegame, that can transpose directly into a
theoretical

endgame. In the beginning

endgames  are  usually  complicated,  but  then
they  can  be  drawn  into  theoretical  positions.
But  if  we  want  to  play  them  good,  it  is
necessary  to  know  some  principles:  these
principles  are  especially  meant  for  the
endgames  that  are  not  theoretical.  One  of
these principles is the principle of the second
weakness,  which  is  mentioned  in  every  good
chess  book.  The  principle  of  the  second
weakness is one of the most important parts of
realization  of  advantage  in  the  endgames
(Dvoretsky).  The  great  Russian  trainer
described: ”When the opponent is in a passive
position,  you  have  to  attack  different
weaknesses. If you attack only one weakness,
the player will be able to defend himself. It is
necessary to attack other weaknesses. In most
of  the  case  we  need  to  create  the  second
weakness.”

Let’s look how this principle was used by the
great chess masters in the past. For the
beginning, let’s look the (sad) example of the
greatest Slovenian grandmaster dr. Milan
Vidmar. This year we are celebrating his
125th birth anniversary (ECU declared the
year of 2010 as Vidmar’s year).

Flohr, Salo : dr. Vidmar, Milan,
Nottingham, 1936

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White has an advantage, but Black could
easily equalize due to possible inaccurate play
of White. He just needs a move or two to
bring his King into the center and so defend
the d5 Pawn , which is his only weakness.
How should White continue?
Flohr understood, that the d5 weakness is not
going to be enough for him to win the game.
That is why he wonderfully created the second
weakness and so pushed the black King and
Rook into defense.
1.Nc6! Rc8 2.Rc5
It  would  be  better  to  play  2.Ke2,  because
black  cannot  enter  into  the  pawn  endgame
2...Rc6:  3.Rc6  bc6  4.b4  Ke7  5.Kd3  Kd6
6.Kd4  and  White  should  win.  2...bc6  3.Rc5
and the position is like in the game.
2...bc6?
Dr.  Vidmar  would  definitely  defend  himself
better  after  2...Rc6  3.Rd5  Rc2.  With  a  move
less a pawn ending is also a draw, after 3.Rc6
bc6 4.b4 Ke7 5.Ke2 Kd6 6.Kd3 c5.
3.Ke2
The  rule  says:  »Don’t  rush!«  After  the
inpatient 3.Ra5, Black would activate himself:
3...c5! 4.Ra6 c4!, with good chances for draw.
That  is  why  we  need  to  centralize  the  King
first and only then we activate the Rook.
3...Ke7 4.Kd3 Kd6 5.Ra5
The  art  of  realization  of  advantage  is  in  the
endgame  directly  connected  with  small

tactical operations. So, it was bad 5.Kd4?
Rb8! 6.Ra5 c5! 7.Kd3 (7.Rc5?? Rb4) 7...Rb6.
5...Ra8 6.Kd4

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A total domination! Black Rook has only two
squares  (a8  and  a7)  and  black  King  cannot
move, because he would let White King on c5
or e5. But this is not enough for White to win
the  game.  He  needs  to  create  the  second
weakness.  Only  after  that  Black  will  not  be
able to defend. It is clear that White will need
to  create  the  second  weakness  on  the  King’s
side. Let see how Flohr handled the situation.
First  he  slowly  improved  the  position  on  the
Queen’s  side  and  then  he  started  with
activities in the centre and on the King’s side.
6...f5
Dr.  Vidmar  understood  that  e3-e4  move  will
be  decisive  and  he  wanted  to  exchange  as
many  Pawns  as  possible  on  the  critical  e4
square (usually exchanges are in favor for the
defending side)
7.b4! Rb8?!
Dvoretsky  proved  in  his  books,  that  Black
should defend with an active play. That means
with the plan: King goes to b7 (and let’s white
King  in),  Rook  goes  to  e-semi  open  file,
which would later, potentially, be opened with
a Pawn sacrifice (f4 or d4).
8.a3!
Move slowly!
8...Ra8 9.e4!
White  cannot  improve  his  position  and  it  is
time  to  create  the  second  weakness  on  the

King’s side. Black has no choice and he is
forced to exchange in the centre.
9...fe4 10.fe4 de4 11.Ke4

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The

critical

moment:

White

threatening  with  the  penetration  of  the  King.
The  most  appropriate  defense  in  similar
positions is an active defense – so Black must
free his Rook. We already know the principle:
King  on  c7,  Rook  on  an  open  file.  So
11...Kc7!,  12...Kb6  and  check  with  the  Rook
on e8 or f8.
11...Ra7?! 12.Kf4 h6
If  not,  King  penetrates  on  h6  with  a  decisive
affect:  12...Ra8  13.Kg5  Ra7  14.Kh6  Ke6
15.g4, with the idea  h4-h5 +- (Dvoretsky).
13.h4 Ke6 14.Kg4 Ra8 15.h5! g5
White  created  and  fixed  down  a  new
weakness  –  Pawn  on  h6.  Next  follows  a
combined attack on both wings.
16.g3!
The  King  is  returning  to  the  center.  The
played  move  is  excellent.  White  needs  to  be
careful,  after  16.Kf3  Rf8!  17.Ke4  Rf4  Black
could return into play.
16...Ra7  17.Kf3  Ra8  18.Ke4  Ra7  19.Kd4
Kd6 20.Ke4 Ke6

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Next  follows  a  finishing  maneuver.  After  the
next  move  Black  will  be  lost:  after  a  check
with the Rook, Black has two squares to move
to, but they will not stop White from winning
the game.
21.Re5! Kd6
After  21...Kf6  22.Rc5!  Rc7  23.Ra5!  Ra7
24.Kd4 and Kc5.
22.Re8 c5
Pawn  ending,  after  22...Re7  23.Re7  Ke7
24.Ke5  is  hopeless.  Black  cannot  save
himself,  not  even  with  the  c6-c5  move,  with
which  he  wanted  to  get  rid  of  one  of  his
weaknesses.
23.Rd8! Kc6
King  could  not  step  onto  the  seventh  rank,
because  of  the  transposition  to  the  pawn
endgame:  23...Kc7  24.Rh8  cb4  25.Rh7  Kb8
26.Ra7 Ka7 27.ab4,  then a King  goes  to  pick
up  the  h6  Pawn  and  White  is  faster.  The  rest
of the game is all about the technique.
24.Rc8 Kb6 25.Rc5 Rh7 26.Re5 Kc6 27.Re6
Kb5 28.Kf5 Rf7 29.Rf6 1:0.

Let us look into one modern game – a twin
example!

Nikolic, Predrag : Movsesian, Sergei
Polanica Zdroj, 1996

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The story is very similar to the last one: Black
Rook  and  King  need  to  wait,  but  that  is  still
not enough to win. It is necessary to create the
second weakness in the Kings’ side.
1.Ra5 Ra7 2.g4! h6
2...c5? 3.Kd3 Kc6 4.Kc4+- (Stohl).
3.h4 Ra8
3...f5? 4.gf5 gf5 5.f4+-.
4.b4 Ra7 5.a3
Predrag  Nikolić  knew  the  game    Flohr  :
Vidmar - the principle is the same!
5...Ra8  6.Kd3  Ra7  7.e3  Ra8  8.f4!  ef4  9.ef4
Kc7

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Also in this game Black decided for a passive
defense, which cannot bring any success.

10.h5! gh5
After  10...g5  11.Ke4  white  King  moves
forward across f5 and g6. Now it’s too late for
an  active  counter  play:  11...Rg8  12.Ra6  gh5
13.gh5 Rg4 14.Ke4+-.
11.Rh5 Rg8 12.Rh4!
It would be worse to play 12.Rh6 Rg4 13.Rf6
Rg3  and  an  endgame  is  close  to  draw.  The
Rook  on  h4  is  passive,  but  only  temporarily,
because the King is no it’s way to support it.
12...Kd7?!
Black would have more chances, after a more
active move 12...f5!?
13.Ke4 Ke6 14.Kf3 Rh8 15.Rh5 Rh7 16.Kg3
The  idea  is  clear:  Rook  needs  to  get  to  c5,
where it would pin  Black. The King needs  to
move  to  h5,  from  where  it  would  be  able  to
attack the created weakness on h6. Black will
soon not have any space left.
16...Rd7
Black is trying to activate, but White will not
let go. A Pawn can wait.

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17.Ra5! Ra7 18.Kh4 Kf7 19.Kh5 Kg7 20.f5
Kh7
20...Kf7 21.Rc5! Rc7 22.a4 and 23.b5 +-.
21.Rc5 Rc7 22.a4 Kg7
Or  22...Rb7  23.Rc6  Rb4  24.Rf6  and  White
wins easily.
23.b5  ab5  24.ab5  Rb7  25.bc6  Rc7  26.Rc1
Rc8  27.c7  Kf7  28.Rc6  Kg7  29.Kh4  Kf7
30.Kg3 1:0.

Anyone that at any time studied the Carlsbad
structure came across the next example:

Kotov, Alexander : Pachman, Ludek
Venice, 1950

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On the diagram White has a brilliant position:
he  brought  out  the  maximum  of  the  minority
attack. The weakness is eternal: it is clear that
Black is not threatening with the move c6-c5,
because of d4-c5 and Ra5 and the d5 Pawn is
lost.  But  only  one  weakness  is  not  enough  to
win:  White  needs  to  create  another  weakness
and an opportunity lies on the King’s side.
1.g4!
That is a very important move that needs to be
remembered.  White  fixed  down  the  h  Pawn
and made it weak. White Rook will be able to
attack  it  at  any  time  and  a  black  King  will
have  to  defend  it.  Remember:  In  this  kind  of
position Black must play h7-h5, because if he
does  not  play  the  move,  White  will  take  his
chance and play g2-g4!
1...Ke6 2.Kg2 Rb7 3.Re8
The  slow  play,  full  of  maneuvers  is  starting.
White  is  improving  his  pieces  and  he  is
weakening Black’s.
3...Re7 4.Rh8 f6
Black did not have a choice, the Pawn on f6 is
not  weak  yet,  but  it  could  become,  if  black
King moves to far into the Queen’s side.
5.h4 Rb7 6.Kf3 Rf7 7.Re8 Re7 8.Rd8

White  is  preparing  the  move  Nc5.  After  the
taking, the Rd6 threat will appear. Black Rook
will  be  chained  to  the  c6  Pawn  and  it  will
need to defend it.
8...Ra7 9.Nc5 Ke7

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10.Rc8!
Accuracy  is  necessary  –  White  needs  to  get
the black King away, for another file, from the
Pawns on the King’s side. After the impatient
move,  10.Rh8  Bc5  11.dc5  Ra5  12.Rh7  Kf8,
Black would defend his Paws successfully.
10...Bc5 11.dc5 Kd7 12.Rh8!
After  the  “zwischenzug”  (in-between  move),
Black  cannot  move  to  the  decisive  f8  square.
After  12...Ra5  13.Rh7  Ke6  14.Rg7  White
should win the game.
12...Ke6 13.Rd8!
With the maneuvering White reached his goal:
He brought Black into the position that is very
hard  to  defend.  Rook  will  move  to  d6  and
Black  Rook  will  be  forced  to  move  into  a
passive defense.
13...Ke7
Later  on  some  analysis  appeared  (Speelman),
which are in  favor  for the  move 13...Rc7  and
after 14.Rd6 Ke5, with  a more active defense
and with more chances for a draw.
14.Rd6 Ra6

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15.g5!
An  instructive  maneuver  –  White  is  making
the way for the penetration of his King across
the e5 square.
15...fg5 16.hg5 Kf7 17.Kg3 Ke7 18.f3
White  needs  to  be  careful:  he  can  penetrate
with  his  King  across  the  fourth  rank,  only
after  the  e4  square  will  be  defended.
Otherwise  Black  will  have  a  chance  for  a
counter  play  with  check,  firstly  on  a4  and
secondly on e4.
18...Ra3 19.Kf4 Ra4 20.Ke5 Ra3
This  counter  play  is  Black’s  only  hope.  Next
follows the transposition to an endgame with a
Pawn less, but with a reduced material.
21.Rc6  Re3  22.Kd5  Rd3  23.Ke4  Rc3  24.f4
Rc1 25.Rc7 Kd8
After  the  “mean”  25...Ke6  White  should  be
keeping  an  eye  on  the  famous  trick:  26.Rh7
Rc4  27.Kf3  Rc5  28.Rg7  Rc6!  70.Rg6  Kf5
71.Rc6  stalemate!  The  solution  is  hiding  in
the  next  move  26.Rc6  and  with  crossing  the
King on the Queen’s side.
26.Rh7 Rc5 27.Rf7 1:0.

Conclusion:
The principle of the second weakness is one
of  the  most  important  parts  of  realization
of  advantage  in  the  endgames.  When  the
opponent  is  in  a  passive  position,  you  have
to  attack  different  weaknesses.  Attacking
only one weakness would not be enough  - ,
the player will be able to defend himself.