"A clear strategic triumph for the white player."
Korchnoi vs Karpov, 1978  (A07) King's Indian Attack, 50 moves, 1-0
Day developed this cramping strategy in 1977 in Toronto.
L Day vs D MacLeod, 1978 (A07) King's Indian Attack, 46 moves, 1-0
"White can preserve his options longer...than Black"
B Nickoloff vs C Braga, 1978 (A07) King's Indian Attack, 57 moves, 1-0
Black's f5 "forms a sort of left-handed Benoni structure."
L Day vs D Ross, 1979  (B21) Sicilian, 2.f4 and 2.d4, 48 moves, 1-0
"a pawn structure familiar from Antoshin's ... Dutch Defence"
L Day vs H Angantysson, 1979  (B21) Sicilian, 2.f4 and 2.d4, 28 moves, 1-0
See Day's later win over Benko with the Big Clamp.
L Day vs Benko, 1979 (B21) Sicilian, 2.f4 and 2.d4, 81 moves, 1/2-1/2
"A very double edged...bulwark at f5" for Black
S Makarichev vs Dolmatov, 1979 (A07) King's Indian Attack, 41 moves, 1-0
Black's mistake is 9...d5?
L Day vs Z Vranesic, 1978  (B21) Sicilian, 2.f4 and 2.d4, 71 moves, 1-0
The "e4-bulwark" gets reinforced by Bf3
L Day vs Benko, 1980  (B21) Sicilian, 2.f4 and 2.d4, 30 moves, 1-0
A near triumph for Black's f5 bulwark strategy.
L Day vs L Christiansen, 1980 (B21) Sicilian, 2.f4 and 2.d4, 64 moves, 1/2-1/2
White combines prophylactics with attack.
L Day vs R Blumenfeld, 1980 (B21) Sicilian, 2.f4 and 2.d4, 24 moves, 1-0
White deploys a b3 fianchetto to control the dark squares.
L Day vs Y Rantanen, 1980 (B21) Sicilian, 2.f4 and 2.d4, 40 moves, 1/2-1/2
Bohatirchuk was Day's early mentor.
F Bohatirchuk vs Yanofsky, 1951 (B21) Sicilian, 2.f4 and 2.d4, 41 moves, 1-0
Black slows the attack "by obtaining targets on the queenside"
L Day vs J Tisdall, 1980 (B21) Sicilian, 2.f4 and 2.d4, 42 moves, 1-0
L Day vs D Stoll, 1980 (B21) Sicilian, 2.f4 and 2.d4, 41 moves, 1-0
"Larsen instructively reduces his opponent to virtual zugzwang"
Larsen vs O'Kelly, 1967 (A02) Bird's Opening, 44 moves, 1-0
Black is punished for his "overambition"
Bronstein vs N Padevsky, 1965 (A02) Bird's Opening, 40 moves, 1-0
Play on both wings and "a decisive switch of fronts"
L Day vs B Clayton, 1979 (B21) Sicilian, 2.f4 and 2.d4, 61 moves, 1-0
White "eschews the classical central thrust d2-d4" and plays f4
L Day vs L Williams, 1979  (B02) Alekhine's Defense, 30 moves, 1-0
Too restrained -- white should play e5 before Black does
L Day vs Shamkovich, 1978 (B02) Alekhine's Defense, 21 moves, 1/2-1/2
Bronstein vs Balashov, 1967  (C44) King's Pawn Game, 65 moves, 1-0
L Day vs B Nickoloff, 1978  (C44) King's Pawn Game, 47 moves, 1/2-1/2
A classic clamp by the master of blockade strategy
Nimzowitsch vs Alekhine, 1926  (B02) Alekhine's Defense, 46 moves, 1-0
"Black can create great complications with f6"
K Burger vs Alburt, 1980 (B02) Alekhine's Defense, 41 moves, 1-0
"White's active disposition of forces" gives an endgame edge
Tal vs H Bohm, 1976  (B02) Alekhine's Defense, 39 moves, 1-0
Gufeld vs M Vukic, 1979 (B02) Alekhine's Defense, 43 moves, 1-0
"A lively struggle"
Kupreichik vs Sveshnikov, 1979 (A07) King's Indian Attack, 42 moves, 0-1
"Black may consider delaying O-O"
Balashov vs P Dankert, 1979 (B02) Alekhine's Defense, 56 moves, 1-0
Balashov vs A Shmit, 1975 (B02) Alekhine's Defense, 56 moves, 1/2-1/2
Balashov vs W Schmidt, 1976 (B02) Alekhine's Defense, 23 moves, 1-0
"Bass needed only a draw for the IM norm"
L Day vs L Bass, 1980 (B10) Caro-Kann, 8 moves, 1/2-1/2
L Day vs Hjartarson, 1980 (B10) Caro-Kann, 52 moves, 1-0
L Day vs J Bonin, 1980  (B10) Caro-Kann, 41 moves, 1-0
Black's Bf5 "cuts a particularly bad impression here"
L Day vs P Youngworth, 1979 (B10) Caro-Kann, 52 moves, 1-0
"The attempt to prevent f4...provoked a gambit reaction"
J Grefe vs Denker, 1979  (B10) Caro-Kann, 22 moves, 1-0
Suttles vs A Matanovic, 1969 (A07) King's Indian Attack, 30 moves, 1/2-1/2
Suttles vs H Schaufelberger, 1970  (B10) Caro-Kann, 72 moves, 1-0
Bronstein vs Filip, 1977 (B10) Caro-Kann, 33 moves, 1/2-1/2
B Kurajica vs Csom, 1976  (B10) Caro-Kann, 40 moves, 1-0
B Kurajica vs A Pomar Salamanca, 1972  (B10) Caro-Kann, 32 moves, 1-0
L Hazai vs L Lederman, 1980 (B10) Caro-Kann, 86 moves, 1/2-1/2
Black gains active play at the cost of a pawn.
L Day vs J Hebert, 1975 (B10) Caro-Kann, 41 moves, 1-0
L Day vs G Angers, 1980 (B10) Caro-Kann, 43 moves, 1-0
Petrosian vs E Bhend, 1966 (B10) Caro-Kann, 34 moves, 1-0
Aronin vs I Kan, 1952 (B23) Sicilian, Closed, 40 moves, 1/2-1/2
"An even more extreme anti-French method"
Steinitz vs A Schwarz, 1882  (C00) French Defense, 31 moves, 1-0
Steinitz vs Blackburne, 1883  (C00) French Defense, 40 moves, 1-0
Steinitz vs M Weiss, 1882  (C00) French Defense, 36 moves, 1-0
Steinitz vs Winawer, 1882  (C00) French Defense, 29 moves, 1-0
"It is difficult to tell where strategy runs into provocation."
Steinitz vs J Mason, 1882  (C00) French Defense, 66 moves, 1/2-1/2
Chigorin's anti-French "first occurred to him as a joke."
Chigorin vs Rubinstein, 1903  (C00) French Defense, 33 moves, 1-0
Chigorin vs Blackburne, 1905  (C00) French Defense, 34 moves, 1-0
L Day vs I Kourkounakis, 1980  (C00) French Defense, 48 moves, 0-1
Chigorin vs Tarrasch, 1893  (C00) French Defense, 77 moves, 0-1
Chigorin vs Tarrasch, 1893  (C00) French Defense, 58 moves, 1-0
Chigorin vs Lasker, 1899  (A07) King's Indian Attack, 42 moves, 0-1
Chigorin vs V A Boyarkov, 1899  (C00) French Defense, 39 moves, 1-0
Eschewing Chigorin's Nc3
Evans vs J Whitehead, 1977  (B21) Sicilian, 2.f4 and 2.d4, 30 moves, 1-0
Chigorin vs Von Gottschall, 1905  (C00) French Defense, 49 moves, 1-0
"An unqualified disaster"
J Grefe vs D Levy, 1975 (B21) Sicilian, 2.f4 and 2.d4, 31 moves, 0-1
"On the topic of disasters..."
J Bellon Lopez vs Uhlmann, 1973 (C00) French Defense, 31 moves, 0-1
Suttles vs K Smith, 1972  (A07) King's Indian Attack, 49 moves, 1-0
L Day vs S Krstic, 1974 (A07) King's Indian Attack, 34 moves, 1-0
L Day vs T Upton, 1980 (A07) King's Indian Attack, 51 moves, 0-1
Suttles vs W Pietzsch, 1968  (A07) King's Indian Attack, 36 moves, 1-0
Suttles vs D Haines, 1973  (A07) King's Indian Attack, 30 moves, 1-0
Suttles vs Haines, 1973 (A07) King's Indian Attack, 36 moves, 1-0
Games after the Modern Chess Theory articles -- notice c3!
L Day vs V Jakouljevski, 1983  (C00) French Defense, 32 moves, 1-0
...but here Day thinks c3 was a mistake
L Day vs A Kuznecov, 1983  (B21) Sicilian, 2.f4 and 2.d4, 41 moves, 1-0
Hebden's predecessor
L Day vs A Kuznecov, 1983  (B23) Sicilian, Closed, 68 moves, 1-0
Supplemental Games: 19th Century Origins of the Big Clamp
McDonnell vs J Finch, 1830  (000) Chess variants, 26 moves, 1-0
McDonnell vs La Bourdonnais, 1834  (B21) Sicilian, 2.f4 and 2.d4, 46 moves, 1-0
McDonnell vs La Bourdonnais, 1834  (B21) Sicilian, 2.f4 and 2.d4, 81 moves, 1/2-1/2
McDonnell vs La Bourdonnais, 1834  (B21) Sicilian, 2.f4 and 2.d4, 39 moves, 1-0
McDonnell vs La Bourdonnais, 1834  (B21) Sicilian, 2.f4 and 2.d4, 59 moves, 1-0
McDonnell vs La Bourdonnais, 1834  (B21) Sicilian, 2.f4 and 2.d4, 48 moves, 1-0
McDonnell vs La Bourdonnais, 1834  (B21) Sicilian, 2.f4 and 2.d4, 51 moves, 1-0
La Bourdonnais vs L S Lecrivain, 1836  (C00) French Defense, 28 moves, 1-0
Bledow vs von der Lasa, 1838  (B21) Sicilian, 2.f4 and 2.d4, 38 moves, 1-0
E Williams vs M Wyvill, 1851  (B21) Sicilian, 2.f4 and 2.d4, 32 moves, 1-0
E Williams vs Staunton, 1851  (B21) Sicilian, 2.f4 and 2.d4, 34 moves, 1-0
Saint-Amant vs Staunton, 1843  (B21) Sicilian, 2.f4 and 2.d4, 57 moves, 1/2-1/2
Bohatirchuk was Day's mentor and direct influence
F Bohatirchuk vs R Drummond, 1949 (C00) French Defense, 26 moves, 1-0
F Bohatirchuk vs E Weichselbaumer, 1954  (C00) French Defense, 62 moves, 1-0
F Bohatirchuk vs E Roehrich, 1947 (B10) Caro-Kann, 33 moves, 1-0
Zvjaginsev's 2.Na3 is The Big Clamp in disguise
Zvjaginsev vs Ponomariov, 2006  (B20) Sicilian, 58 moves, 1-0
Zvjaginsev vs Y Wang, 2008 (B20) Sicilian, 15 moves, 1/2-1/2
B Savchenko vs V Belov, 2006  (B20) Sicilian, 33 moves, 1-0
B Savchenko vs O Biriukov, 2006 (B20) Sicilian, 31 moves, 1-0
E Doluhanova vs M A Campana, 2006  (B20) Sicilian, 29 moves, 1-0
Day rejected the McDonnell French, but Zvjaginsev likes it
Zvjaginsev vs P Zhang, 2006  (C00) French Defense, 38 moves, 1-0
Stripunsky had the edge
Stripunsky vs Nakamura, 2010  (C00) French Defense, 45 moves, 0-1
I wonder where Naka got that idea?
Nakamura vs Seirawan, 2012  (C00) French Defense, 30 moves, 1-0
McShane vs Van Wely, 2009  (B20) Sicilian, 43 moves, 1-0
McShane vs C Lutz, 2005 (B21) Sicilian, 2.f4 and 2.d4, 62 moves, 1-0
L Day vs Z Vranesic, 1980 (B21) Sicilian, 2.f4 and 2.d4, 31 moves, 1-0
Turov vs F Hoelzl, 2003 (B21) Sicilian, 2.f4 and 2.d4, 36 moves, 1-0
Movsesian vs O Danchevski, 2008 (A07) King's Indian Attack, 28 moves, 1-0
Movsesian vs E Guseinov, 2007  (A07) King's Indian Attack, 26 moves, 1-0
Morozevich vs Grischuk, 2005  (B21) Sicilian, 2.f4 and 2.d4, 42 moves, 0-1
Yudasin vs I Sorkin, 2005 (B21) Sicilian, 2.f4 and 2.d4, 57 moves, 1-0
G Welling vs I Sokolov, 2009  (B20) Sicilian, 30 moves, 0-1
Glek tried out the McDonnell - La Bourdonnais French
Glek vs M Dambacher, 2007 (C00) French Defense, 41 moves, 1/2-1/2
Glek vs D Bunzmann, 2007  (C00) French Defense, 26 moves, 1-0
Glek vs M Rusanov, 2010 (C00) French Defense, 32 moves, 1-0
Philidor played the line himself.
Philidor vs J Bruehl, 1788  (000) Chess variants, 48 moves, 1-0
KIA Approaches with g3 fianchetto
Chandler vs M Cebalo, 1981 (A07) King's Indian Attack, 36 moves, 1-0
Minasian vs J Ye, 1998 (A07) King's Indian Attack, 45 moves, 1/2-1/2
McShane vs Khalifman, 2005  (A07) King's Indian Attack, 48 moves, 1-0
A Shchekachev vs Khalifman, 1994 (A07) King's Indian Attack, 52 moves, 1/2-1/2
G Jones vs J Gallagher, 2011  (B20) Sicilian, 31 moves, 1-0
G Jones vs P Tregubov, 2011 (B20) Sicilian, 44 moves, 1-0
A S Rasmussen vs D Hamelink, 2007  (B20) Sicilian, 42 moves, 1-0
The Grand Prix Attack as Big Clamp
Botvinnik vs Furman, 1961  (B21) Sicilian, 2.f4 and 2.d4, 33 moves, 1-0
Sicilian Bird (A02) 0-1 Black has extra Kside pawns
Larsen vs Fischer, 1971  (A02) Bird's Opening, 40 moves, 0-1
KIA / Big Clamp vs Dbl Fio (A07) 0-1Pin causes simplification
R Gunnarsson vs S Kristjansson, 2004  (A07) King's Indian Attack, 40 moves, 0-1
Sicilian Defense vs Big Clamp (B20) 1-0 Pin on f-file
McShane vs I Cheparinov, 2009  (B20) Sicilian, 20 moves, 1-0
Grob Opening / Big Clamp vs Sicilian (A00) 1-0
S Sloan vs J Jacobs, 2007  (A00) Uncommon Opening, 46 moves, 1-0
French Chigorin 2.Qe2 Big Clamp (C00) 1-0 Black's space leaks
Rapport vs Bluebaum, 2015  (C00) French Defense, 43 moves, 1-0
Sic Chameleon (B20) 1/2-Astonishing problem-like save by Keres
Keres vs Fischer, 1962  (B20) Sicilian, 77 moves, 1/2-1/2
120 games |