Middlegame Strategy

With the Carlsbad Pawn Structure

 Copyright © 1997 by Robert Leininger
All rights reserved. No part of this work may be reproduced or
transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical,
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Printed in the United States of America

ISBN: 1-886846-07-3
Cover by Statman

Middlegame Strategy
§
With the Carlsbad Pawn Structure

Author: Robert Leininger

Editor: Sid Pickard

First Printing: July, 1997

Inquiries should be addressed to:

Pickard & Son, Publishers

P. 0. Box 700982
Dallas, TX 75370
Tel (972) 41 8-6738
Fax (972) 41 8-9052
 Thank you Father
for teaching me a game
which has entertained me
for such a long time
 Contents

Introduction 9

Chapter One:
The Minority Attack 15
Pawn Structures 21
Material Situations 22
W hite Plays b5 22
Spassky's ... aS Idea 24
The c5 Squa re 26
Weak c6 Pawn 30
The Initiative 32
Black Plays ... b5 33
a) The c4 Outpost 33
b) Prophylaxis 37
c) Exchanges on c4 38
d) Exchanges on c5 39
Kingside Attack 41

Chapter Two:
Botvinnik's Pawn Center 43
Hanging Pawns 45
Center Control 47
Blockade 51
Passed Pawn 55
Attack the Hanging Pawns with Pawns 59
The Advanced Center 62
Space Advantage- The Bind 63
Kingside Attack 64
The ... c5 Break 66
The d5/f5 Formation 67
The e3, d4, e5 Pawn Triangle 72
The e3, f4, e5 Pawn Triangle 74
 Contents

Chapter Three:
The Isolated d-Pawn 77
The Center 78
"Lust to Expand" 80
Blockading the Pawn 84
Kingside Attack 89
The Initiative 92
Endgame Weakness of the Isolani 96
Model Positions 98
Summing Up the Isolani 105

Chapter Four:
The Balanced Pawn Structure 107
Attack and Defense 107
Changing the Pawn Structure 1 09

Chapter Five:
The Kingside Attack 115
The Pawn Storm 118
a) 0-0-0 vs. 0-0 118
b) 0-0-0 vs. 0-0-0 121
c) 0-0 vs. 0-0 125

Chapter Six:
Supplemental Games 1 30

Index of Players 149

Index of Openings 152
Index of Themes 153
 IIIUUUU\,;UUII 7

He said, "The simultaneous investiga­

Introduction
Positional understanding in chess is
built upon a clear grasp of the elements
within a position. Without this under­
standing, analysis becomes the primi­
tive thought pattern of "if I move here,
he moves there. " Positional thought
allows a player to rise above this ele­
mentary state, and to think in terms of
an overall plan of action. And as World
Champion Lasker once said, "A good
plan turns us all into heroes, and the
lack of one makes us faint-hearted
idiots."
tion of positions of different types gives
rise only to muddled thoughts, whereas
the thorough study of a single type can­
not fail to raise the level of one's posi­
tional knowledge."
This book intends to explore a single,
often seen pawn structure (common to
several openings) and examine it in de­
tail. Each positional theme available in
this pawn formation will be discussed
from both sides. Countermeasures will
be explained, as well as methods of exe­
cuting the various themes. Each and
every idea will be illustrated with sev­
eral high quality games.

But how to choose a plan? We know Our single pawn structure is a forma­
that a player's course of action during a tion known in Russia as the "Carlsbad."
game depends greatly on the pawn This structure is famous in the Queen's
structure. That is why the positional Gambit, resulting from the Exchange
elements of chess (like hanging pawns, Variation. However, it is also common
the isolani, backward and doubled in the Nimzo-Indian and Grunfeld de­
pawns, etc.) are cataloged and studied fenses, and variations of this pawn for­
in most middlegame books. mation show up in several openings.
The positional themes learned from the
Indeed, many good books have been Carlsbad, therefore, are not limited to
written on positional chess. Some are use within that formation.
classics, some are recent additions to
the wealth of available chess literature.
Only after the positional elements that
Generally, these books will devote a come from this pawn structure (such as
chapter to one positional theme, in "hanging pawns") are understood and
which the characteristic ideas of that absor:bed, is it possible to speak of mak­
topic are explained in detail. A few ing a plan. Without this kind of knowl­
games will be included to show the ideas
edge, a player is forced to "figure it out
in action. Then the author will move onover the board." Here the common
to another positional theme, explainingpatterns arising from the Carlsbad
it the same way. formation are repeatedly seen, to im­
print their principles into the reader's
However, this s t andard teaching mind.
method does not seem to follow the
adVice given by the greatest Master of The annotations of this book will con­
positional chess, Aron Nimzowitsch. centrate on the battle of ideas, and not
 lU J.TIIUUI ..... C,QII.I ..... >JLJ. QL""'f5J

each tactical tum in the game. With few

exceptions all the games annotated will
be related to the Carlsbad structure,
a n d addi tional (sometimes non­
Carlsbad) games relating to our posi­
tional themes are included in the
supplemental games section.

Concerning the games selected, our

examples are not restricted to great
"anthology" games; some will show
flawed execution, or the mechanical
and erroneous use of a theme. Some
show mistaken j udgment caused by The diagram above shows the Carlsbad
minor changes in the position, or failure pawn structure, which will be the cen­
to consider the defenses available. ter of our discussion in the following
Some games are given because they are pages. This formation was named after
simply interesting or even historical, the Exchange Variation of the Queen's
as long as they advance our under­ Gambit, which made its debut in the
standing of the Carlsbad. Finally, differ­ tournament at Carlsbad, 1 923. Let's in­
ent eras are represented to highlight the troduce our subject with an early exam­
ongoing evolution of ideas. Each game ple of this pawn structure in action. At
is highly instuctive, however, and illus­ the moment we are concerned only
trates key aspects of the Carlsbad for­ with the final position, but the entire
mation. game is instructive. Besides, after we
examine the Carlsbad in depth, this
As with all the principles in chess strat­ game will be a lot more meaningful.
egy, never assume they will simply work
by themselves. There is no substitute Which brings up a important point
for analysis. Keep in mind also that theabout this book and the Carlsbad. As
goal of this book is to study the ideas we will see, this pawn structure existed
themselves, not the individual games. long before this particular variation was
played, and it is the structure itself
I hope you relish studying this book as which is the focus of our study - not
much as I have enjoyed writing it. Dur­ opening analysis. The intent is to exam­
ing our investigation we will discover ine how this pawn structure reacts to
fascinating positional ideas, tactical various positional ideas.
slugging matches, blunders and inter­
esting events. We invite you on a great (001) Euwe,M-Rubinstein A '

journey toward understanding this sin­ Carlsbad 1929

gle, delightfully complex pawn struc­ l.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.lQc3 lQf6 4.Ag5
ture - the Carlsbad. lLlbd7 5.e3 Ae7 6.lQf3 0-0 7.l::tcl
l::te8 8.Ad3 a6 9.cd5 edS 10.0-0 c6
11. ffc2 lQf8 12.lQe5 lQg4 13.Ae7
1Je7 14.lbf3 �e6 15.lbe2 J::(ad8 game and search for improvements and
1 6. tfc5 J::(d 6 17.lbg3 g6 18.b4 possible continuations from the final
�c8 1 9 . a4 lbe6 20. 1fc3 lbg5 position. There are doubtless many dif­
21.�e2 h5 22.lbg5 fig5 23. fic5 ferent ways that the fight could have
J:[de6 24.b5 ab5 2 5. ab5 fih4 been conducted and continued. Re­
26.Ag4 eg4 21.bc6 beG 2s.eb6 member that we are concentrating on
Ad7 29.'flc7 ,ll6e7 30.l:lfe1 h4 the Queenside pawns. More options
31.lbe2, 1/2-1/2 will appear as we examine the concepts
revolving around the other pawns.

The following game was an experiment

by Tal to avoid the last pawn struc­
ture. However, the attempt failed and
he found himself saddled with the
same weakness he was trying to avoid.

(002) Seirwan, Y-Tal, M

Niksic 1983
l .d4 t0f6 2.c4 e6 3.l0c3 Ab4
4. 1tc2 d5 5.cd5 ed5 6.Ag5 h6
7.Af6 fff6 8.a3 Ac3 9.11'c3 0-0
The final position features several ele­
10.e3 Af5 11.lQe2 J:[c8 12.l0g3
ments that we will be spending a great
Ae6 13.b4 The battle for most of the
deal of time learning, along with the
game will revolve around control of the
maneuvers leading to this position. For
cS s q u a r e . 13 . . . a5 14.Ae2 ab4
example, White successfully executed
15.ab4 J:[a1 16.'flal 'fle7 17.ffc3
the minority attack, creating a back­
t0c6 18.b5 lQdS 19.0-0 c5 20.bc6
ward c-pawn in Black's camp. Mean­
bc6
while, Black used his most powerful
countermeasure, the Kingside attack.
Another important feature of this posi­
tion is the material balance: White's
Queen, two Rooks and Knight versus
Black's Queen, two Rooks and white­
squared Bishop. This is one of the ma­
terial distributions that White should
strive for in the minority attack.

Are we saying that White should win

this game? No, the position is dynami­
cally equal. Yet the possible continu­
ations and plans available merit study.
After finishing the minority attack
chapter, the student should review this
In a very roundabout way, we have
arriv.ed at a standard pawn structure
resulting from the minority attack.
12 Midd l egame Strategy
21.J;Ict.1td7 22.1'Wa5 wrs 23.t!\Va7
,1iLe6 24. 1tb6 1fc7 25. 1Wbl Wg8
Stopping Whi t e ' s 26.\'Wh7 t h re a t .
26.Ad3 1Je7 27.1fc2 Ad7 28.Ah7
whs 29.Af5 Af5 30.lDf5 1td7
3t.tDh4 tDe6 32.1ff5 c5 Tal cor­
rectly attempts to rid himself of the
weak pawn. With accurate play this
game should end in a draw. 33.dc5
1fe7? Better is 33 . . . �g8, releasing the
'if from the protection of the f-pawn.
34.g3 1fd7 35.c6 l:(c6 36.1:lc6 tWc6
37.fff7 lDg5 38.'trf5 1Jf6 39.ttf6
gf6 40.lDf5 wh7 41.h4, 1-0. After
41. . . 'Lle6 42.h5 'Llc7 43.�fl Black can­
not defend his weak pawns on d5 and
h6.
In the following game, Fischer crea­
tively uses a minor change in the pawn
structure to equalize the position for
Black. The doubled b-pawns act to
improve Black's position, and is an im­
portant pattern to remember.
(003) Stein, L-Fischer, R
Stockholm 1 962
1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.lDf3 lD{6 4.cd5
ed5 5.Ag5 c6 6.tDc3 Af5 7.1fb3
'Cfb6 8.Af6 gf6 9.e3 tDa6 10. 1fb6
ab6 The Carlsbad with the interesting
twist of doubled b- and f-pawns. The
former should favor Black, though here
his weak Kingside pawns balance the
scales. Both sides have equal chances.
n.wd2 wd7 12.g3 b5 n.a3 tDc7
14.tDh4 Ae6 15.Ad3 lDe8 16.tDf5
lD d 6 1 7 . tD d 6 A d 6 1 8 . e 4 b4
19.ab4 Ab4 20.ed5 Ad5 21.I:ta8
.�:laB 2 2 .ae1 h 6 2 3 . w c 2 J:la5
24.I:[e3 Ae6 25.l:le4 Ac3 26.wc3
l:lh5, 1/2-1/2
In the next example Reshesvky, one of
great positional players, ignores the
Queenside pawns to carry out a King­
side attack.
(004) Reshevsky,S-Jarecki
Pasadena 1 983
1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.tDc3 Ae7 4.cd5
ed5 s ..a.f4 c6 6.e3 �.f5 7.g4 Ag6
s.tDf3 lDd7 9.Ad3 tDgf6 10.h3
tDe4 It is normally good to occupy the
e4 square, but only if you can support
the outpost. Here the maneuver wastes
time, serving only to exchange one of
Black's best pieces. 1 1.'Cfc2 lDg5
1 2 . .a, g 5 A g 5 13. 0 - o - o A d 3
14.1fd3 .a.e7 15.wb1 o - o The �
steps in front of an approaching attack,
but Black's Queenside counterplay is
too slow.
16.h4 b5 17.lDg5 lDf6 18.f3 DeS
19.e4 de4 20.fe4 lDg4 B l a ck's po­
s i tion is desperate; on either 20. h6 or
..
20 . . . b5 White replies 2 1 .e5 winning.
21.e5 g6 22.'Cff3 .a,g5 23.hg5 'Cfg5
24.tDe4 '@'f5 25. 'Cfg4, 1-0
In addition to attacking possibilities,
White has several positional plans of
action involving the pawns available in
the Carlsbad. These positional con-
cepts will make up the bulk of this
book's discussion. Each has merit, and
each will determine the course of play
for both sides during the opening, and
perhaps the entire game. We will ex­
plore these plans in detail, explaining
the positional themes and reviewing
games in which the strategy is used.
Generally, the positional plans available
to White in the Carlsbad structure are:
1) Initiate the "Minority Attack" on the
Queenside, and make use of the pawn
structure weaknesses it creates.
2) Use the "Botvinnik Pawn Center,"
with possible outcomes that include
hanging pawns, the advanced center,
the balanced pawn formation (d4 vs.
d5) or even an isolani.
3)Play for e4, supported by pieces only.
With the exception of hanging pawns,
this idea can have the same positional
results listed in #2 above. However,
slight changes are noticable in the dy­
namics of each position.
4) Pawn Storm on the Kingside.
It should be understood that play in the
Carlsbad is a mixture of the possibilities
just described. This book intends to
look at the parts in order to better un­
derstand the whole struggle of ideas
Within the Carlsbad structure.
Does this mean Black has to wait and
see what White's plans are going to be?
In some ways yes and in others no. The
Carlsbad is very rich in potential.
Black's ability to coordinate attack and
defense offers several ways to fight for
the initiative. Black's options depend
partly on what White plays, yet no more
than in other dynamic systems.
Black's ability to attain the advantage
in the Carlsbad depends on the posting
of his pieces, and their effect on both
attack and defense. Among the coun­
termeasures against White's positional
plans, Black has the following:
1) A Kingside attack in conjunction
with using the strong squares and semi­
open center file.
2) The e4 square has several possible
uses. Pressure against it restricts the
expansion ofWhite's center pawns, and
it can become an outpost supporting an
attack or blockading plan. This forma­
tion also presents the chance for an
outpost on c4, a classic attack and de­
fense situation for the Knight.
3) Use the semi-open e-file for attack
and defense. A Rook properly played
can be very aggressive and support a
weak pawn simultaneously. For exam­
ple, . . . l::t e6 defends any weak pawn on
c6 while threatening to shift Kingside
along the sixth rank.
This book will proceed systematically
through the Carlsbad pawn structure.
First, the minority attack will be inves­
tigated to understand the Queenside
pawns, i.e. establishing, defending and
eliminating weak pawns, and using
open lines and outposts. The investiga­
tion will continue by exploring posi­
tional themes related to the center
pawns, such as hanging pawns, the iso­
lated d-pawn, advanced center and bal­
anced pawn structure. And each step of
 14

the way we will take note of the embed­
ded Kingside attack possibilities. The
last chapter will directly take up the
Kingside attack, examining the pawn
storm as we complete our study of the
Carlsbad formation.
As seen from this brief discussion, the
Carlsbad is a rich and beautiful example
of the practical struggle in chess. Each
side has equal, yet different, strong and
weak positional features in the position,
and each strives to overpower or out
maneuver the other. The battle of ideas
within the Carlsbad mirrors the evolu­
tion of chess theory, which is a never
ending struggle. As we come to under­
stand the positional possibilities within
Carlsbad, we ourselves participate in
the advancement of chess knowledge.
minority attack, and the logical coun­
termeasures to this attack, let's look
at a re l e ven r miniature from yester­
year.
(005) Mason,J-Teichmann,R
Monte Carlo 1903
t.d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3 .e3 e6 4.l0f3 Ad6
5.l0c3 f5 We will see that the Carlsbad
can evolve from many openings, and
here we have a position from the Dutch
defense. 6.Jld2 l0d7 7.cd5 ed5 Now
we have the Carlsbad. 8.Ad3 l0h6
9.g3 ffe7 IO.'i!Ve2 l0f6 ll .l0g5
l0e4 1 2.fih5 g6 13.fth6 l0g5
14.jle2

The Carlsbad received its name (as

pointed out by Gary Hewitt) roughly
during the birth of modern positional
c he s s . Wi t h t h e p u b l i s h i n g of
Nimzowitsch's writings the average
chess player became acquainted with ·

the terms "overprotection," "isolani,"

etc. His success at the Carlsbad tourna­
ment of 1 929 announced Nimzowitsch
as one of the strongest players in the
world. At this time some of the greatest
14 . . . f41 1 5 .gf4?? l0f7 1 6. ffg7
ffd8!, 0-1. With this retreat White
must now lose his 'iV to 17 . .if8!, and
..

chess players in history were expanding the only Black piece developed is the EU
on the ideas of Steinitz, developing on f7!
what soon became known as the
"hypermodern" school. New opening
systems were discovered and debated at
the highest levels of play. The Carlsbad
was (and still is !) at the center of posi­
tional debates between the world's top
players.

Before we move on to explore what

the Queenside pawns can do in the
 1 IJII;i JVIHJUI n.y
The Minority
Attack
The minority attack is an advance by
fewer pawns against a greater number
of opposing pawns. The side conduct­
ing the minority attack (usually White)
will have a semi-open file for his Rook,
adding power to t h e minori t y ' s
advance. This attack creates specific
pawn structure weaknesses in the
enemy camp, but it can be defended
against, or even prevented, by maneu­
vers which we will examine in the fol­
lowing pages. Each method of defense
has its advantages, but each will involve
making certain concessions.
The idea behind the minority attack is
quite simple, and at the same time very
shrewd. Use the semi-open file to estab­
lish piece pressure on the opponent's
"
e xtra" pawn, while the minority sets
out to weaken his pawn structure.
The following game by Grandmaster
Lude k Pachman demonstrates the
simplicity and power of the minority
attack.
�LLO.'"""- ,_,
(006) Pachman, L---Cardoso ,R
Portoroz 1 958
1.c4 �f6 2.�c3 e6 3.�f3 d5 4.d4
Ab4 5.cd5 ed5 6 . .1lg5 0-0 7.e3
c6 s.ec2 �bd7 9.Ad3 h6 10..1lh4
l:[e8 11 .0-0 Ad6 12.l:lab1 �f8
13.b4 The minority attack begins.
Black has to make several positional
c h o i c e s i n t h e n e x t fe w mov e s .
13 ... Ag4 14.�d2 a6 If White con­
tinues with the minority attack, Black
wants to open the a-file for counterplay.
15.IDct Ah5 16.l0f1 Ag6 17.�a4
Ad3 1s. ed3 �g6 19.Af6 ef6
20.�c5 l:le7 21.a4 l0f8 22.1:[c2 h5
23.b5 ab5 24.ab5 �e6 25.bc6 bc6
The strategic goal of the minority at­
tack has been achieved with the crea­
tion of this backward pawn on the
semi-open c-file. White now uses this
weakness to infiltrate the enemy camp,
win material and pressure the opposing
�- 26. �b7 �d8 27.�d8 l:(dS
2S.ea6 Not 28.l:!.c6? �h2 winning
easily. 28 ...l:le6 29.l:lb6 h4 30.1:(bc6
h3 3 1 . �g3 hg2 3 2.wg2 1th4
33.1:[c8 Ag3 Pachman uses these
complications to simplify the position,
knowing that his extra pawn and
Black's isolated d-pawn weakness add
up to a decisive endgame advantage. A
common positional pattern, the con­
version of one weakness into several
concessions. 34.l:[d8 wh7 35 ...d3
l:[g6 36.hg3 eds 37.1ff5 Threat­
ening to win the d-pawn, and forcing
Black's reply. 37... 1fg5 3S.eg5 l:lg5
39.1:lc5 wg6 40.f4 l:th5 41.g4, 1-0
A classic example of coordinated effort
between pawns and pieces, using the
minority attack to govern their activi­
ties. Notice the minority att �ck in itself
did not win the game. However, it did
 16 M lddlegame ::::.rraiegy

set up the situations needed to create a 33.hg4 l:lb7 34.l:(cl 'itb5 35.iff3
winning advantage. f6 36.g5 lLlf5 36 . . .fe5 37.fif6 �g8
38.l:thl wins. 37.gf6 c;Yf6 38.!lc6
The next example, which again demon­ c;Ye7 39. Ylf4, 1-0
s trates the basic properties of this
theme, is taken from the same round We have already touched upon the sub­
of the same tournament. Petrosian ject of the initiative; in the above exam­
uses the weak c-pawn, created by the ples the minority attack established a
minority attack, to distract his oppo­ condition (weak pawn) which could be
nent's pieces while he prepares to used to maintain the initiative. In these
assault the Kingside. two games Black allowed the minority
attack to strike with b5, and after the
(007) Petros ian, T-Rossetto, H exchange on c6 there resulted a weak
Portoroz 1 958 pawn. Both games illustrate the choices
l.d4 d 5 2.c4 e6 3.l0c3 lt)f6 4.cd5 Black must make in response to the
ed5 5.ltlf3 il.e7 6.Af4 c6 7. \'fc2 minority attack. Would it be better to
lt)a6 8.a3 0-0 9.e3 lt)c7 lO.il.d3 have an isolated d-pawn by exchanging
lt)e6 ll.Ae5 g6 12.0-0 lt)g7 13.b4 . . .cxb5, or a backward c-pawn by letting
a6 t4.Af6 Af6 t5.a4 Af5 t6.Af5 White exchange on c6? Which of these
lt)f5 1 7 . b 5 a b 5 1 8 . ab 5 1t d 6 disadvantages can be defended, while
19.bc6 bc6 maintaining active pieces? Also, should
White's advance to b5 be allowed, or
prevented by Black's own ... b5 push?
These questions and more we will seeek
to answer as we break down the minor­
ity attack into its basic elements.

Let's take a look at a couple of games

where Black chooses the isolated d­
pawn over the backward pawn on c6.
Normally this choice is not best, as the
following games demonstrate.

(008) Smyslov, V-Keres, P

Again White has achieved his primary Moscow 1948
objective with the minority attack, a 1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.l0c3 lt)f6 4.Ag5
backward pawn on the semi-open file. c6 5.e3 lt)bd7 6.cd5 ed5 7.Ad3
Petrosian uses the threat of winning this
Ae7 8.ltlf3 0-0 9.1fc2 DeS 10.0-0
pawn to tie up Black's pieces. 20.lt)a4 lt)fs ll.J:[ab1 lt)g6 1 2.b4 Ad6
W b8 2l.lt)c5 Y!'fe7 22.lt)d3 1Vb7 13.b5 Ad7 14.bc6 Ac6 Pachman
23.lt)fe5 i!e5 24.lt)e5 l:tal 25.l:lal annotates this game in his classic book
l0 e 7 2 6 . g 3 1f b 2 2 7 . 1fd l h 5 Modem Chess Strategy, and states "In
28.l:(cl tlb6 29.h3 c;Yg7 30.c;Yg2 almost all positions of this type, it is a
e a 3 3 1 .l:la l tlb2 3 2 .g4 hg4
mistake to retake on c6 with a piece: a
pawn on c6 can generally be defended The next game provides a clear model
more easily than the weak pawns on b7 for carrying out the minority attack,
and d5. 15. 1Vb31 Highlighting the to the resulting weak
and laying seige
weak pawn on dS. 15 ... Ae7 16.Af6! pawns. Long term strategic plans like
This lLl was Black's best placed piece. the minority attack were the basis of
16... Af6 17.Ab5 1fd6 1S. .ID'c1 h5 Capablanca's genius.
19.�e2 h4 20.Ac6 bc6 21. ffa4
�e7 Pachman considers Black to be (009) Capablanca,J-4Jolombek,H
strate gically lost and gives 22. 'f!V a6! Margate 1 939
as the correct procedure here, after t .d4 �f6 2.c4 e6 3.�c3 Ab4
which there is no defense to the threat 4.YWc2 d5 5.cd5 ed5 6.Ag5 c6 7.e3
2 3 .l:tb7 . 22.l:(b7? a5! �bd7 S .il d 3 h 6 9 .1l h 4 0-0
• •

10.�f3 DeS 1 1.0-0 ,ile7 12 .1lg3 •

�fS 13.h3 ,ile6 14.l:(abl �h5

15.,1lh2 g6 16.�e5 �g7 17.b4
.ilf5 17 . . . a6 1S.�a4 .ild3 19.1rd3
�d7 20.)Vc1 �e5 20 a6? 2 l .ltJd7
...

'i!¥ d7 2 2 . 'Db6 2 1 . Ae5 ,ild6? The

exchange of dark-squared As is a desir­
able goal for White (not Black!) when
conducting the minority attack. Why?
When the minor pieces are all ltJs, any
outposts should favor White. The dark­
squared i. would have helped Black
create counterplay, with its control over
23.h3 Better than 2 3 ..1k bl l:teb8!
c5. While it is obviously tempting to
24.l:tb8 l:tb8 2 5 . l:tb8 'i!Vb8 26.\\Y aS
exchange the well posted White i., yet
'ti'bl 27.lLlel ltJ fS 28.<it fl ltJd6 when
that piece could hardly damage the
Black's active pieces give him compen­
Black position. And where are the out­
s a t i o n fo r t h e p a w n . 23 ...k:tebS
posts? Black is not prepared to use his
24.l:(cb1 �b7 25.l:tb7 c5! 26.l::lb5
outposts. 22.Ad6 1rd6 23.b5
If 26.dc5 ire S 27.ltJ h4? d4 the posi­
tion would be in Black's favor. 26 ... cd4
27 .�ed4I:[c8? After 27... 't'f c7! Black's
posi tion is tenable. 2S.�b3 Ac3
29.1!fh4 J:[c4 30.g41 a4 31.�bd4
.i.d4 32.�d4 The technique ofblock­
ading the isolated d-pawn, as demon­
strated here, will be dealt with in detail
later in the book. 32 ... ffe5?132 . . . ltJ c6
33.�3 1td6 34.l:(a5 l:(cS 35.Da4
�g6 36.1th5 1tf6 37.fff5 1tc6
3S.J:ta7 w-s 39.l:td7 d4 4o.nd4
lias 4t.a4, 1-0
 18 Middlegame Strategy

Another problem with the exchange of 15.Ad6 1Wd6 16.a5 Aa6 17.0 0 -

dark-squared �s is that Black does not We8 18.:f"d1 tt.)e4

have time for . . . a6 to slow down the
minority attack . 23 ...cb5 This deci­
sion is strategically poor under the cir­
cumstances, even a losing mistake. But
let's consider the resulting position if
Black allows a weak c6 pawn. White's
pieces are already in position to exert
pressure on the c6 pawn, then infiltrate
Black's position along the b-file while
preventing any counterplay by ... cS . Still,
a backward c-pawn would have held out
longer, but no doubt Capablanca would
have converted the position into a
win. 24. YWb5 l0e6 25.l0c3 J:[ed.S 19.Ae4! The idea behind this move is
26.YWb7 1Va3 27.lQd5 YWa2 28.lQb4 to prepare the isolated d-pawn's ad­
Yfa4 29.l0c6, 1-0 vance, creating strong squares for the
pieces to occupy. Tactics are important,
A common feature of our examples, and much easier to find when the posi­
therefore, is the classical use of the mi­ tion is understood! There are numerous
nority attack to weaken Black's c-pawn. variations here, but more important are
In the next game we see a slightly dif­ the positional factors which make the
ferent method of conducting the attack tactics possible -in this case, removing
and using it as a middlegame weapon. the c4 square from Black's grasp and
forcing changes in the pawn structure.
(010) Leininger, R-Wharry 19 ...de4 20.lQb4 il.b7 21.a6 Ac8
22.d5 cd5 23.l0b5 1fb8 24.lQc6,
USA 1996
1-0
1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.l0c3 l0f6 4.g3
b6 5.Ag2 Ah7 6.Ag5 Ae7 7.cd5
When planning a defense against the
ed5 8.ffa4 ffd7 9.YWb3 c6 10.l0f3
minority attack, one of the questions to
0-0 ll.a4 Starting the minority attack
answer is whether to open the a-file. As
with the a-pawn versus the b-pawn
basic as it sounds, doing so should be
gives White several advantages on the
avoided unless it brings some concrete
Queenside . First, he thre a tens to
advantage. Larsen's use of the a-file in
weaken the enemy pawn majority, forc­
our next game is very enlightening.
ing Black to divert his pieces to defend
the pawns. Notice the awkward posi­
tion of Black's 'if, and if Black had his (011 ) Larsen, B--Seirawan, Y
CiJ on d7 the game would be positionally Mar del Plata 1 981
equal. Second, a possible advance to l .d4 ttif6 2.c4 e6 3.l0c3 Ab4
aS hinders Black's plan of pushing 4. YWc2 d5 5.cd5 ed5 6.Ag5 h6
. c5 in the future. ll ...h6 12.Af4
. .
7.Af6 YWf6 8.a3 Ac3 9.ffc3 0-0
Ad6 13.1Cie5 1te7 14.1Cid3 1Cibd7 IO.e3 c6 11./0f3 Af5 12.Ae2 lQd7
 • ··- J • ···�---
······�· ..

13.0-0 a5 Larsen considers this natu-
r a l looking move a mistake, a nd
White's position slightly better. 14.b4
ab4 15.ab4 lfd6 16.J::(fc1 Ji.g4
17.h3 Ah5?! B e t t e r is 17 ... �[3 .
18.b5 :la1 19. 1ta1! .tlc8 20. \'fa7
Db8 ??
J::(d 7 48.J::(c 1 Ji.gS 49.l:lc5 Ji.e6
50.f3 Ji.gS 51.e4 Ji.e6 52.e5 fe5
53.c;Ye5 Ji.f5 54.gf5 J::(e7 55.c;Yd5
.tle3 5 6 .f4 l:lh3 5 7 . c;Ye6 c;Yb6
58.c;Yf7 :ld3 59.Wg7 .ttd4 60.l:lc1,
1-0
In the next game, Taimanov halts the
minority attack, preventing counter­
play so he can attack on the Kingside.
Instructive is his use of the Carlsbad
formation's natural strengths.

(012) Troianescu-Taimanov,M
Szcawno Zdroj 1 950
l.d4 /l)f6 2.c4 e6 3./l)f3 d5 4.e3
/l)bd7 5./l)c3 c6 6.Ad3 Ab4 7.a3
Aa5 S.,i.d2 0-0 9.0-0 .i.c7 10.tifc2
a 6 l l . c d 5 e d 5 1 2 . /l) e 2 l:(eS
13./l)g3 /l)fS 14.Af5?! lt)e4 One of
21.�e5U The result of the following
the strong points of this pawn structure
complications is that White wins a
(from Black's view) is its control of the
pawn and control of the seventh rank
e4 square. 15 ..i.cS Not 1 5 .te4 de4
giving him an overwhelming position :
.

1 6.tt:Jel when Black's space advantage

21 ...Ae2 22./l)d7 �d8 23.bc6 bc6 offers several possible plans to increase
24.�e5 Ah5 25.l:lc6 tiffS 26.l:[c7
t h e K i n gs i d e p r es s u r e . 15 ... l:(cS
White's control of the seventh rank is
16.Wcl /l)d7 17. .i.el lt)df6 18.b4
temporary, yet an important step on the
/l)g4 1 9 . /l)f l ,t1e6 20.h3 �h6
road to victory. 26 ... f6 27.�d7 tifeS
21.a4 g5 22./l)1h2 f5 23. lfe2 1teS
28.�c5 Af7 29.l:te7 tiffS 30. tifc7
24.l::[abl b5 Stopping any counter­
Des 31.:ld7 :laS 3 1 . . . l:tc8?? 32. l:tf7!
play on the Queenside while the attack
�c7 33.l:f8 �f8 34.tt:Je6 winning eas­
tly. 32.g4 Larsen has all the time in the is building on the Kingside. Otherwise,
White would use the minority attack to
world and uses it to restrict Black's
open lines of attack on the Queenside.
pawns and � even further. This tech­
nique is very important in positional 25./l)d2 g4 26.lt)e4 .l:te4 27.g3 gh3
play - attaining the advantage, then 2S. 'fffl f4 29. \lh3 fg3 30. 1th6
m an euve ring to s e c ur e t h e w i n . gh2 31.c;Yhl �4. 0-1
32···l:le8 33.c;Yg2 :laS 34.h4 tifeS
Taimanov's game is a good introduction
35·De7 1tcS 36. 'ffcS l:(cS 37.h5
to the typical defenses and counterplay
�fs 38.:la7 :lc6 39.wg3 c;YeS
:: d3 :ld6 41./l)f4 l:td7 42.l:(a6
available against the minority attack.
The maneuvers seen there are among
43.�g6 c;YcS 44.il)h4 c;Yb7
the strongest defenses available against
45-Dat Ae6 46.c;Yf4 �c7 47./l)f5
the minority attack. To summarize:
1) Use the strong e4 square. �d6 43.l:lb6 �e4 44.z:lb7 �d6
2) Attack the Kingside. 45.Ild7 J::[a 6, 1/2-1/2
3) Defend c6 aggressively
With our previous game we introduced
The main point to remember about the the important concept of fighting the
minority attack is that it is a maneuver. minority attack by guiding the pawn
It does not guarantee an advantage structure changes, trying to minimize
over the opponent. It does ensure that their resulting disadvantages. The next
certain changes in the pawn structure game expands on this idea.
will happen, which will determine the
course of the game. (014) Gligoric,S-Reshevsky, S
New York 1952
In our next example, Black converts his l.d4 lQf6 2.c4 e6 3.tQc3 �b4 4.e3
backward c-pawn disadvantage into an 0-0 5.lQge2 d5 6.a3 �e7 7.cd5
isolated d-pawn, what Nimzowitsch ed5 8.b4 J::[e8 9.l0g3 c6 10.�d3
referred to as the isolani. This posi­ b5 A common method of defending
tional theme is very complex, and as against the minority attack is to prevent
Nimzowitsch pointed out, its "lust to White's bS break altogether, accepting
expand" can be a dangerous weapon. a weak c6 pawn for control of the c4
K a s p a rov fo ll ows t h e a d v i c e of square. ll.�d2 lQbd7 12.0-0 lQb6
Nimzowitsch and maintains a blockade 13.a4
of this pawn to prevent its advance.

(01 3) Kasparov,G-Khalifman,A
Paris 1 991
1.c4 lQf'6 2.lQf3 e6 3.l0c3 d5 4.d4
�e7 5.�g5 h6 6.�f6 �f6 7.e3
0-0 8.�c1 c6 9.�d3 lQd7 10.cd5
ed5 ll.b4 a6 1 2.a4 �e7 13.b5
ab5 14.ab5l0!6 15.bc6 bc6 16.0-0
c5 Otherwise the maneuver ltJa4-cS
would force Black into a defensive pos­
ture, to nurse his weak c-pawn. 17.dc5
�c5 18.lQb5 �b6 19.1Vb3 �d7
20.lQbd4l!b8 21. YWa3 Ila8 22.1fb2 The continuation of the attack is nec­
l:[b8 23. YWa3 l:[a8 24. 1Vb4 J:[b8 essary. Otherwise, Black could hold his
25.1Vd6 �d4 26.lQd4 1Vb6 27. 1Vf4 outpost on c4 and shield the backward
J:[bc8 28.h3 1Vb8 29. 1Vb8 J:[b8 pawn on c6. The object of the text
30.nc7 Wc8 31.l:la7 �a8 32.Wa1 move is to leave Black's a-pawn back­
I:lc 1 33.�c1 Ila7 34.g4 W f8 ward. 13... a6 14.ab5 cb5 As normal
35.]abl !la3 36.�f5 g6 37.�d7 in the minority attack a backward en­
l0d7 3s.nbs lQr6 39.nbs wg7 emy pawn has been formed. 15.lQce2
40.�b7 lQe4 41.lQe6 Wg8 42.tQd8 l0c4 Black occupies the strong c4 out­
post, essentially forcing White to make
 I IIC JVIIIIUIUY ftlli:t\,;1\. ..(;J

another change in the pawn structure.

This time the change favors Black,
however, and the position is an even
struggle from now on. 16..i_c4 bc4
17.b5 @b6 18./l)c3 .i.d7 19.ba6
Da6 20./l)h5 l:la1 2 1./l)f6 .i,f6
22. @a1 .i_c6 23.1:lb1 tfc7 24.h3
h6 2 5 . 1t b 2 D aB 2 6 . f3 ff d 7
27.1:la1 l:la1 28.1fa1 1fb7 29. ffb1
'tlb 1 3 0 . /l) b 1 .i.e 7 3 l .Wf2 f5
32..i.a5 wf7 33.4lc3 ¢>e6, 1/2-1/2

Pawn Structures

So far we seen what the minority attack

is and can do, along with ways of react­
ing to the attack. Now let's review what
pawn structure changes White is striv­
ing for.

As with any well planned attack, spe­

cific objectives must be established.
This is especially true when the minor­
ity attack is launched in the Carlsbad
structure. Done correctly, White
should expect one of the following
pawn structures to be the result of his
actions.
Naturally, in the last two diagrams there
could be an a-pawn on the board for
both sides. In fact, one of the more
ingenious defenses is to keep the a­
pawns on the board (at a5 and a4),
giving the pawn structure seen at the
top of the next page. This position offers
additional counterplay for Black by
controlling the b4 square, and hinders
White from occupying the c5 square
with a Knight, because the maneuver
l2Ja4-c5 is no longer possible. Grand­
master Boris Spassky came up with this
imaginative idea.

(see next diagram)

22 Mtaa tegame �trategy

ponent's defense of multiple weak­

nesses , don't if the opposing Queen is
tied d own defending a single weakness.

Let's see what each piece offers in the

position. With a Knight against the
white-squared Bishop, it is easy to see
that the Knight will have targets which
the Bishop will have to defend. When
the minor pieces are all Knights, the
inherent Carlsbad outposts in Black's
pos i t i on are improved. The major
pieces contribute force to any attack on
weak points, along with speed in attack­
ing multiple targets.
Material Situations
Obviously, as with any principles of
When White is conducting a minority chess strategy, this advice should not be
attack, Black's best chances occur blindly followed. As Pachman once
when there are still several pieces (es­ wrote, "Never underestimate the im­
pecially minor pieces) on the board. portance of comprehensive analysis of
This material gives him the opportunity each i ndividual position."
to counter White's Queenside action
with a Kingside attack. The position
becomes difficult for Black when the White Plays b5
minor pieces have all been exchanged.
With both minor and major pieces on
the board, the prospects vary according
to the combination of pieces. White has
good chances with a combination of
Queen, 2 Rooks and a Knight versus
Queen, 2 Rooks and a white-squared
Bishop. White is also better if both sides
have another Knight. Black, however,
has the better chances when both sides
have a Queen, 2 Rooks and a Knight.

Regarding major pieces, the side with

the advantage should recall the axiom Now we look at the options available
that two Rooks are better than one. after White's bS thrust. The coming
Exchanging the Queens forms an inter­ pawn exchanges can be made on bS, or
esting question that has two answers for allowed on c6. If the pawn is exchanged
the player holding an advantage. Ex­ on bS (or taken with a piece on c6) the
change when doing so reduces the op- resulting structure has weak pawns on
 J ne JVJinOfii)' AUaCK LJ

d5 and b7. The other option, in theory (01 5) Flohr, S-Lasker,Em

considered better, is to permit the
exchange on c6, resulting in only one
weak pawn, the backward c6 pawn.
Neither option is correct all of the time,
and positional judgment is required to
determine which is best for the position
at hand. However, having two weak­
nesses to defend instead of one will very
often be the difference between a hard
fought draw and losing the game.
Nottingham 1 936
1./t)f3 d5 2.d4 lt)f6 3.c4 e6 4./t)c3
.i.b4 5.cd5 ed5 6 ..i.g5 1fd6 7 ..i,f6
gf6 8. 1fc2 /t)c6 9.e3 /t)e7 10.a3
.ac3 11.Ylc3 f5 12.g3 .i.d7 13./t)e5
,.ae6 14./t)d3 0-0 15 ..i.e2 ,�ladS
16.0-0 _ac8 17.J:tacl c6

Typically, then, Black will permit the

exchange on c6, leaving only one weak
pawn instead of two. However, if the
weak pawn cannot be defended effi­
ciently on c6, shielded by an outpost on
c4 or pushed to c5, perhaps the other
option is better. One key to making the
correct choice is to answer the ques­
tion, "Can the pawn be defended effi­
ciently?" By "efficient" we mean, while Lasker has several positional problems.
defending the weak pawn will our He has a "bad .i." versus a "good �." the
pieces be active (placed on desirable safety of his r:; is questionable and he
squares) and eventually support the has weak Kingside pawns. But how to
elimination of this disadvantage? The improve White's position? Flohr uses
Carlsbad calls upon us to make long the minority attack to weaken the
term strategic decisions which require a enemy Queenside pawns . 18.ffc5
deep understanding of the position. 1fc5 19.:lc5 Wg7 20.b4 a6 2l.a4
However, by recognizing the patterns of Wf6 2 2 .%:tc 2 we6 2 3 . b5 a b 5
the minority attack the decision be­ 24.ab5 Wd6 25.bc6 bc6
comes easier.

In fact, Black should select his overall

plan well before allowing the b5 thrust,
when other defensive maneuvers are
possible, such as . . . b5 or . . . a5 (which we
will review later in this book) .

In the following game Flohr illustrates

clearly the use of the minority attack
as a positional maneuver to convert a
strong position into a winning posi­
tion.
24 Middlegame Strategy

By understanding the pawn formations

that the minority attack produces,
Flohr could have easily seen this posi­
tion in his mind's eye from the last
diagram. In the meantime, Lasker still
has not solved any of his positional
problems and now has another weak
p a w n t o defe n d . 26.�c5 !IdeS
27.1la1 Ae6 2S.x:Ica2 J:[hS 29.l::ta7
J::tb6 30.Ah5 ,Wbs 31.Af7 l:lh1
3 l . .j. f7 32. l:td7 mate. 32.l:[h1 .J::[b1
33.1it>g2 �cS 34.l:[h7 l:th7 35.�h7
we7 36.Ae6 we6 37.wf3 �e7
3S.�c5, 1-0. For if 38 . . . �d6 39. �f4, White plays this position brilliantly,
making it look like a simple win due to
or 38 . .'� f6 39.lLld7 'iit e6 40.lL\f8 win­
ning a pawn. Infiltration on the King­ the weak pawn on c6. 31.@h7 l:[cS
side is deadly. 32.l:[c3 tWeS 33 . .tlcl g6 34.l:[a1
l:lhS 35. @c7 l:[cS 36. 1Wf4 l:[aS
Our next game is an exceptional exam­ 37.l:[c1 l:::tcS 3S.@f6 @e6 39.'1Ve6
ple of winning Grandmaster technique, fe6 40.Iit>g2 lit>g7 4t .wf3 wf6
after producing the classical weak pawn 42.1it>f4 l:[c7 43.f3 ncs 44.g41 hg4
on c6. 45.fg4 t{hS 46.g5 we7 47.c;Yg4
wd6 4S.�fl c;Ye7 49.I!f6 ags
50.h5 gh5 51.c;Yh5 c5 52.dc5r'(cS
(01 6) Savon, V-Mochalov,E
53.l:lf3 l::tc 5 54.g6 l:lc1 55.af7
Orel 1995
c;Yd6 5 6.g7 llg 1 57.c;Yh6 l:lg3
1.d4 �f6 2.c4 e6 3.�f3 d5 4.�c3
5S.:t'6 :h3 59.c;Yg6 l:te3 60.c;Yf7
Ah4 5.cd5 ed5 6.Ag5 �hd7
f!g3 61.l:le6 wc5 62.I!g6 r!f3
7."fWc2 h6?1 S.Af6 Ac3 8 . . .lL\f6??
63.we7 I:te3 64.wd7, 1-o
9.fV a4 9.@c3 �f6 IO.h4 �e4
ll.@b2 c6 12.e3 @d6 13.a3 0-0
14.Ad3 I!eS 15.0-0 Ae6 16.1:tfc1
�:lacS 17.a4 The minority attack will Spassky's ... a5 Idea
produce a weak pawn on c6. 17...a6
1S.Afl "fie7 19.�e5 �d6 20.�d3 In contrast to the previous game, we
Af5?! 20 . . . b5! 21.�c5 �e4 Black is present one in which White's tech­
already struggling to find active moves. nique is poor, and he loses the game
22.�e4 @e4 23.h5 ah5 24.ah5
after reaching a superior position with
Ad7 25.g3 r'(aS 26.bc6 Ac6 I f
the minority attack. Also, take careful
26 . . . bc6 27. �b7 : a l 28. na l : ds
nnte of the ... aS idea, one of the latest
defensive schemes against White's
29.�c7 �e7 30.l::t a7 ..t>f8 3 1 .j.h3! and
White's pressure is overwhelming. minority attack.
27.h4 h5 2S.Ah51 Eliminating the
defender of the weak pawns. 2S...1te6
29.I:laS :laS 30.Ac6 bc6
 IIIC JVlliiUI ny ru.. L.a."'"'n.

(017) Sotnikov,I-Pushkov, N 36.wf1 wg6 37.we2 g4 3S.h4 f6

Elista 1 995 39.ltlb6J:(e8 40.ltlb3 ltlf5 41.ltld7
t.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.ltlc3 Ae7 4.ltlf3 Ag311 42.fg3 ltlg3 43.wf2 ltle4
ltl{6 5.cd5 ed5 6. .i,g5 c6 7.1fc2 44.wg2 cod6 45.l:lc7 !'le3 46.!'lc6
ltla6 s.a3 ltlc7 9.e3 ltle6 10. .i,h4 coe4 47.cobc5 l:lg3 4s.wf1 .af3
g6 tt.Ad3 ltlg7 12.0-0 Af5 The 49.we1 !'le3 50.wd1 g3 51.!'lc8
point of Black's opening plan, exchang­ wf5 52.!'lg8 'Of2 53.Wd2 lla3
ing the "bad" �. 13.b4 a6 14..i,f6 54.we2 cog4 55.wfl wt4 56.cof6
.i,f6 15.a4 0-0 16.b5 a51? Wf3, o-1

The following game clearly demon­

strates the possibilities available with
Spassky's idea.

(01 8) Korchnoi, V -Spassky,B

This is an idea of former World Cham­
pion Spassky. By keeping a pawn on a4
the White CU has a difficult time of
reaching the c5 outpost. Also the Black
pawn on aS allows possible counterplay
by controlling the b4 square. 17.,!:iab1
Ad3 18.'«fd3 ltlf5 19.Jlfcl I:leS
20.bc6 bc6 21.ltle2 t'#d6 22. fic3
l:la6 23.ltlf4 I:!bS 24.ltld3 ,!:ib1
2 5.J:lb1 ttc7 26.'«fb3 Ads 27.coc5
l:la7 28.t'#bSI Wg7 29.coe5 'Oe7
30.coed7 ttbs 31.I(b8 Ac7 The
endgame favors White, who can attack
two potential targets: the pawns on a5
and c6. The actual result of the game
is due to poor play by White. 32.l:(bl?
As Baburin points out in his annota­
tions to this game, White can win a
pawn here by 32. l:tb7! l::t b7 (32 . . . l:U c8
Beograd 1 977
1.c4 e6 2.'0c3 d5 3.d4 Ae7 4.cof3
cof6 5 . .i.g5 h6 6.,i.h4 0-0 7.e3
b6 S.!'lcl Ab7 9.�f6 .1i.f6 10.cd5
ed5 ll.b4 c6 12 ..1i.d3 ];le8 13.0-0
'Od7 14.'fWb3 'Of8 15.ID'd1 !'lc8
16 ..1i,b1 t0e6 17.a4 Aa8 18.J\a2
l::tc7 19.t:fb1 a5 20.ba5 ba5 21.'fWb6
J:lb7 22. t:fd8 Obviously, White can­
not take the pawn on c6, e.g. 22.'ii'c6??
l:tb6 a n d W h i t e l o s e s m a t e r i a l .
2 2... !'ld8 23.'0e1 Repositioning his
t:tJ to guard the c5 square. Without the
pawns on a4 and a5, White would sim­
ply move the other t:u allowing the n
(and possibly CU) to guard c5. 23 ... l::tb6
24.'0d3 l:[db8 25.h3 Ab7 26.�e5
Ae5 27.de5 !'lb4 One of the uses for
the strong b4 square in this formation:
infiltration into White's position, with
the added bonus of attacking the weak
pawn on a4. 28.f3?1 .1i,a6 29.l:ld2
�c4 30.f4 t0c5 31.J:(d4 'Od3 Using
simple tactics Black improves his posi­
tional advantages. With the CU reposi­
tioned at b2 and the .. c5 push, Black
.

33.l:ta7 l:Ua7 34.l:U b7) 33.l:U b7 l:U c8 could continue to advance the center
3 4.l:Udc5, planning l:U c5-b3. 32 ... .i,d6 pawns and win the game without too
33.nb7 nas 34.g3 h5 35.h3 g5 many problems. Whites resorts to a
26 Midd legame Strategy

poor sacrifice in an attempt to prevent

the oncoming march of the pawns.
32.J:[d1 l0b2 33.Jlc1 c5 34.Jld5?1
Ad5 35.Ad5 c4 36.l0e4 l0a4, 0-1.
Korchnoi did not want to test Spassky's
endgame technique.

While pursuing an advantage with the

minority attack on the Queenside, al­
ways look out for a Kingside attack by
the opponent. This idea is the strongest
and most successful defense to the
minority attack.
Black's attack is developing quickly, al­
(019) Mozny,M-Dumitrache, D ready he threatens 23...�!!. 23.l:;Ub3?
23.'iJg3! 23 l0g21 Beautiful; White is
Odorheiu 1 995
..•

los t . 24.l:la3 lOel 25.1i'cl 1i'f3

1.c4 e6 2.l0f3 d5 3.d4 c6 4.cd5 ed5
26.1i'el, 0-1. There is no defense to
5.l0c3 l0f6 6. 'ti'c2 Ae7 7.Ag5
26 ... �h3 and mate on g2.
l0bd7 8.e3 0-0 9.�d3 �e8 10.0-0
l0f8 ll.�f6 One of many standard
moves for White in this position. The
idea of the text is b4, without the pre­ The c5 Square
paratory move ttbl . ll ...�f6 12.b4
a6 13.a4 �g4 14.l0d2 Ae7 15.b5 Before pushing the pawn to b5, it i:s very
a5 Another . . . aS plan would begin important for White to control the
here wi th l S . . . cbS 1 6.abS aS, and c5 square. If Black can reply ... c5 in
Black will have a protected passed response to b5, then the minority attack
pawn. There is little experience with does not produce the desired pawn
this idea, but Black's b- and d-pawns structure advantages. Not to mention
look very weak. 16.bc6 bc6 17.l0a2?1 that a pawn on b5 can prove to be very
Played in the spirit of the minority weak. In addition, with the c-file open
attack, preventing . . cS which would
.
(after deS) White's control of squares
remove the typical weakness. However, along this file is lessened with the pawn
the iLJ is badly placed. This clearly illus­ on b5 instead of b2.
trates one of the advantages of the . . aS
.

idea, removing the a4 square from the
l:LJ's reach. Instead, 1 7.�fS!? was possi­
ble. 17 �d6 18.Wc1 1i'f6 19.l0fl
.•.
Jlac8 2U.l:labl l0g6 2l.llb6 �a3
22.J:lcbl l0h4
(see next diagram)
These observations apply mainly to the
minority attack. The complicated
theme of the isolated d-pawn will be
discussed later in the book. However,
the concept of weak squares should
especially be noted. Now, let's look at
some games which illustrate the . . . c5
thrust as a defense to the minority
attack.
 I lit;
(020) Cramling, P-Tisdall,J
Reykjavik 1 995
t.d4 d5 2.l0f3 �f6 3.c4 c6 4.�c3
e6 5..i.g5 h6 6..i,f6 "'f6 7.e3 �d7
s.Ad3 g6 9.0-o .i.g7 to.cd5 ed5
l l.b4 1td6 12.1fb3 Black is pre­
pared to play . . c5 if White continues
. 1 2 . .l:tabl!? 12...g6 13.a3 l0b6 14.b4
the minority attack with b5. This factor
costs White time, since he has to find a
way to prevent . c5, either by control­
..
ling the square or putting pressure on
the d-pawn. 12 ... �b6 13.a4 .i,e6
t4./lld 2 0-0 15.!V'cl l0d7 16.l0e2
J:(fe8 17.Dabl f5 18.'tfc3 Dac8
1 9 ./ll b 3 b6 20.a5 llc7 2 1 .�c2
£f7 22.tfd2 ltif6 23.1l'fcl l0e4
24. /ll c 3?! 2 4 . g3!? slows down the
attack. 24... l0c3 25.l:lc3 f4! The
Kingside attack begins. 26.ab6 ab6
27.Ah5 fe3 28.fe3 �e6 29.Ae2 h5
30 .i.f3 Ah6 31.ltial g5! 32.g4
• blockade of Black's isolated d-pawn by
�, hg4 33.Ag4 .U,e4 34 . .i.f3 !ih4
35.J:(b2 .i.e8 36.b5 g4 37.I!g2
Dg7 38 . .i.dl cb5 39 . .i.b3 .11Lg6
40.J:(c8 Wh7 4t ..i.c2 .ID13 42.l:le8
&3 43 .De 5 D h 2 44.nh2 g h 2
45.¢'h2 ,i.e4 46.Ae4 de4 47.1l'ffl
•a6 48.'iff5 1tf5 49.l:lf5 Ae3
50./l)c2 .11Ld 2 51.Db5 �c7 52.l0b4
Dc4 53.l0d5 J:ld4 54.wg2 Ag5
55./llb6 wg6 56.Dd5 Db4 57.l0d7
.i.f4 58.l0e5 wf6 59.l0c6 .r!b2
60.\Pfl e3 61./lld4 W2 62.c;Yel
.tg3 63.wdt Dd2 64.wct Ae5
65.J:le5 we5 66.l0f3 c;Yf4 67.l0d2
e2,0-1
Here is an example of White allowing
c5, with a stimulating twist which the
...
serious student should study.
lVJHIUIILY J-\.ll(:U.;J\. L.l
(021) Piket,J-Timman,J
Wijk aan Zee 1 996
l.d4 ltif6 2.c4 e6 3.l0f3 d5 4.l0c3
l0bd7 5.cd5 ed5 6 ..i.g5 c6 7.e3
.i.e7 8 . .i.d3 l0h5 9.Ae7 1We7
10.0-0 ltihf6 11.'itc2 0-0 12.Wel
DeS 15.b5 We have seen that before
the minority attack can achieve its
pawn structure goals, the move . . . c5
must be prevented in answer to the text
move. With that in mind, 15.li:Jd2
(planning li:Jb3) would better support
the basic ideas of the minority attack.
However, White has an interesting plan
in mind. 15 ...c5 16.dc5 1Wc5 With
the b-pawn so far advanced, the squares
along the c-file are severely weakened.
If the pawn were still on b2 the position
would be in White's favor after the
li:Jd4. 17.e4! The point of this strange
idea of allowing Black to play . . . c5 in
the minority attack. This move offers
Black a couple of tactical ways to go
astray.
17 ... 1l'ff8 Not 17 ... de4? 18.li:Je4 li:Je4
1 9.�c5 li:Jc5 20 . .l:te8 and with the
Exchange up White has a won game.
No better is 17 . . . d4? 18.li:Jd5 winning a
piece and the game. 18.1l'fd2 Now the
28 M 1001egame �rraregy

game simplifies into a draw. 18 ... Ae6 19 ..J:lal?! The minority attack would
19.a4 .J:lad8 20.1Vg5 de4 2t.Ae4 be better served with 1 9 . l::tfc l , applying
l0bd5 22.ll:\d5 l0e4 23.De4 Dd5 pressure along the c-file. 19 ....J:la5
24. fie3 1Wc5 25.l:lc1 tffe3 26.fe3 20.l0d2 l:la1 21.l:la1 c5 22.dc5
wrs 27.ll:\d4, 112-112 d4 23.l0ce4 de3 24.tf(d8 l:ld8
25.l0f6 Wg7 26.ll:\fe4 ed2 27.l:ld1
Generally, if Black manages to play ... c5 l0d4 28.l:ld2 f5 29. l0d6 l0e6
it is due to an error in White's handling 30.g3 wrs 31.l:lc2 l0c5 32.l0f5
of the minority attack, and the position .J:ld1 3 3 . Wg 2 b 6 3 4 . l0e3 l:lb1
equalizes. Keeping in mind, however, 35.Da2 Db5 36.l:(a7 h5 37.h4
the isolani that usually results from ... c5, l0e4 3 8 . l0c4 Df5 3 9 . f4 Df7
and the dynamics of each position, no 4o..=as wg7 41.wf3 ltlf6 42.tQb6
general rule can be correct every time. Db7 43.Da6 Dc7 44.Da3 Dc6
45.l:lb3 Dc2 46.l0a4 tl)g4 47.l0c3
(022) Dreev,A-Beliavsky,A l:ld2 4s.we4 l0f6 49.we3 Dd7
Reggio Emilia 1996 50.l0e2 ltlg4 51.we4 .tte7 52.wf3
1.d4 l0!6 2.c4 e6 3.l0f3 d5 4.ll:\c3 l0h2 53.Wf2 tl)g4 54.we1 l0e3
Ae7 5.cd5 ed5 6.Ag5 c6 7.1fc2 ss.ltlg1 ltlg4 s6.wd2 Dd7 s7..ttd3
ll:\bd7 8 . e 3 tl)f8 9 . A d 3 tl) e 6 Dd3 58.Wd3 l0h6, 1/2-1/2
10.Ah4 g 6 With the solid plan of
exchanging light- squared �s a ft e r We will now look at more examples in
...tiJg7 and . . .�. u.o-o o-o l l . . . 'Llg7?! which White mistakenly allows ... c5. In
12.b4! i.b4? 13.'Lld5 cd5 1 4.fia4 and the next two games White missed his
White has a strong position after recov­ opportunity to play b4, resulting in an
ering his piece. 12.Dab1 a5 13.a3 effective . . . c5 break. In both cases,
ll:\g7 14.b4 ab4 15.ab4 Af5 16.b5 Black equalized with little trouble.
�d3 1 7. 1fd3 l0f5 B l a c k t r i e d
1 7 . . 'Lld7 18.bc6 bc6 1 9 . �e7 �e7
. (023) Capablanca,J-Euwe,M
20 . ..Wc2 with the better position for 1 931
White in Szabo-Stahlberg, Zurich 1 .d4 l0f6 2.c4 e6 3.tQc3 �b4
1 953. 18.Af6 �f6 4.Oc2 d5 5.cd5 ed5 6.�g5 1rd6
7.Af6 1ff6 8.a3 �c3 9.1rc3 0-0
10.e3 c6 ll.l0f3 �f5 12.�e2 l0d7
13.0-0?1 Missing his chance to play
13.b4 and prevent Black's next move.
13 ...c5 14.b3 ,tlac8 15.Dfc1 tlb6
16.l0d2 cd4 17.ed4 1fd4 18.ed4
ti)f6 1 9 .f3 A c 2 2 0 . .t:la2 �f5
21.l:(aa1 �c2, 1/2-1/2

The next game, between Byrne,D­

Reshevsky,S, is left for the student to
analyze and observe the Queenside
pawns in the Carlsbad. Study of the
 .. .. .. ._
.
.. .. .. .. .. ....... .. .. ..J .. .. ... ...-- .. ...

next game will show how much has 14...Ji.f5?1 The opportunity to play
already been learned. . .. cS is now, converting this pawn struc­
ture into an isolani formation. For ex­
(024) Byme,D-Reshevsky,S ample, 1 4 . . . c5!? l S.dcS 'iVcS 16.llfdl
New York 1 954 (16.lL:la4 'iVd6 17.lL:lb6?! ab6 when his
1.d4 li)f6 2.c4 e6 3./t)c3 iLb4 4.e3 pressure along the a-file gives Black the
0 -0 5./t)ge2 d5 6.a3 ile7 7.cd5 advantage) 16 . . . �e6 1 7.lL:ld4 ( 17.lL:la4
lt)d5 8./t)d5 ed5 9.t0!4 c6 10.ild3 'iVe7 18.lLlc5 .l:tac8 19.lLle6 'iVe6 with
lt)d7 1 1 . 0 - 0 a 5 1 2 . il, d 2 li)f6 the idea of 20 . . . lL:lc4) 17 . . . �d4 18 . .l:td4
13.f3 c5 14./t)e2 ffb6 1 5 . �c3 l:tac8 and the position is slightly in
cd4 16.li)d4 iLd7 17.ffe1 l:[fe8 Black's favor, based on his control of the
1s.84 h6 19.wg2 l0h7 2o.h4 tOts c-file. However, play against the isolani
21. 1!fg3 Ac5 22.f4 li)e6 23. fff2 offers White dynamic posibilities also.
lt)d4 2 4 . ed4 �f8 2 5 .f 5 � b 5 15.a4 /t)d7 16.a5 !Iab8 17.1\Va2
26.Ab5 tfb5 27.I!fe1 �e4 28.l::[e4 l:[fc8 1 8.a61 li)f6 1 9 . ab7 l:lb7
de4 29.f6 g6 30.:e1 l:[e8 31.fff4 20.bc6 l::[c6 21./t)e5 The demon of
.d5 3 2 . h 5 e 3 3 3 . fff3 l::[ e4 two weaknesses rears its head. The
34.wh1 l:td4 35.trd5 xtd5 36.hg6 weak pawns on d5 and a 7 give White
fg6 37 . l:[ e 3 'iYf7 3 8 . l:( e 4 b 5 targets for attack, and the advantage.
39.Aa5 wf6 40.W4 c;Yg7, 1/2-1/2 21...l::[cb6 22./t)a4 �b4 23./t)c6 a5
24./t)b4 ab4 25./t)c5 �b6 26.1\Vb3
The following game provides an example h5 27.l:la1 iLg4 28.l:la8 'iYh7
in which Black discards the ... c5 plan. 29.Jlg4 ll)g4 30.g3 h4 31.,Jla7 h3
32.:d7 1\Vf6 33. 1\Vd5, 1-0
(025) Manor,I-Polgar,S
Rishon le Zion 1 996 Next is a case in which the . . . c5 thrust
l.d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.l0f3 li)f6 4./t)c3 is used to continue the initiative, after
e6 5.Ag5 h6 6.Jlf6 fff6 7 .e3 shutting down the possibility ofWhite's
pawn play on the Queenside and in the
tld7 8.�e2 g6 9.0-0 Jig7 9 . . . dc4!?
center.
10.cd5 ed5 11 .b4 ffd6 1 2.1\Vb3
0-0 13.b5 /t)b6 14..t:lac1
(026) Rudakovsky,I-Botvinnik,M
USSR 1 945
t.d4 l0f6 2.c4 e6 3.l0c3 �b4
4. 1\Vc2 d5 5.a3 iLc3 6.1\Vc3 l0c6
7./t)f3 lLle4 8.1\Vb3 l0a5 9.1\Va4 c6
10.cd5 ed5 1 1 .e3 iLf5 1 2.Jid3
1\Vb6 13.1\Vc2 lLlb3 14.l::(b 1 c5 By
controlling the Queenside with his out­
post on b3, Black maintains the initia­
tive. 15.lQh4?1 Jie6 16.0-0 �c8!
Adding pressure on the c-file. 17.�e4
cd4 18.1\Vd3 de4 19. 1\Ve4 0-0 Black
has managed to gain some time in his
30 JVI JOO iegamt: ;:nnuegy

position by precise play. Once again the tenable. Sometimes, e ven losing this
awkward placement of White's 'ti' al­ pawn might not lose the game.
lows Black to maintain the initiative.
20.ed4 We8 21.d5 Ad7 22. fid3 The following game was an interesting
1fb5 23.1fd1 23.'Wb5 �bS 24 . .Udl discovery for me. Many times I have
.ie2 25.l:tel ..td3. 23...'ftc4 24.Ae3 recommended the book Pawn Power by
!te5 Hans Kmoch, and still do. So naturally,
while researching the minority attack, I
looked up what I had read many years
before, expecting to see a wealth of
material. Imagine my shock when I
discovered that the following game is
the book's only example of a minority
attack . Grandmaster Robert Byrne
plays a nice game, although it isn't a
perfect example of the theme and fails
to show any of Black's countermea­
sures. More than anything else, it dem­
onstrates how inexact defense can be
punished.
Black uses the clumsy placement of
White's pieces to regain the pawn and (027) Byme,R-Eliskases
infiltrate White's position. The text
Helsinki 1952
highlights the dubious n a t u re of
1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.�c3 �f6 4.cd5
1 5.lLlh4; had the lL\ been on f3 the text
ed5 5.Ag5 Ae7 6.e3 c6 7. lrc2
would not have been possible. 25.g3
�bd7 8.Ad3 �h5 9.Ae7 ffe7
Ag4 26.f3 Ah3 27.l:le1 g5 28.f4
10.�ge2 �b6 11.0-0 g6 12.�a4
Jl d 5 2 9 . 'ftf3 gh4 30.g4 � d 2
�a4 13.lta4 0-0 14.b4 a6 15.ffb3
31.Ad2 !Id2 32.1fh3 fif4 33. ffh4
White avoids lS.bS? cbS 16.-tbS .tfS
�cc2 34.ffg3 ffd4, 0-1
winning the ..t. 15 ... R,e6 16.a4 l:[fc8
17. tlb2 �g7 18.b5 ab5 19.ab5
Af5?! 19 . . . c5! equalizes for Black .
Weak c6 Pawn
20.�f4 Ad3 21.�d3 �f5 22.!la8
}'laS 23.bc6 bc6 24.1:1c1 �h4 Black
Our next couple of games contain an
is desperately trying to avoid a passive
important lesson. The backward c­
defense of his c-pawn, but he is doomed
pawn in itself is not a losing disadvan­
to failure. His disadvantage here is seri­
tage, but White can use it to maintain
ous but not necessarily decisive. How­
the initiative while creating further
ever, this rash attempt to avoid a passive
weaknesses in Black's position. True, we
defense is actually an error, leading to
have already seen games where losing
even more difficulties - and eventually
this pawn does in fact lose the game. Yet the dreaded passive defense. 25.1fe2
if Black does not lose this pawn (and
25.llc6 lLlg2 26.<;t>g2 �e4. 25 ... Ita3
with very careful defense ! ) the game is
26.g3 't:fe4 27.�e1 �f5 28.1fc2!
 1 l i t: IY1 1 1 1U1 1 LY ft llill.,;ll. J 1

Forcing the exchange of 'ti's and reduc­ g6. But there is not enough time to
ing Black's ability to create counterplay carry out this plan. 35.l:(b8 Wf7
and defend his position. A pass1ve de­ 36.l:[h8 wg7 If 36 . . . �g6 37.h3 llc7
fense with 'tWs on the board would offer 38.'ltd2 .7:k8 39.1:l:c8 EiJc8 40.c;;.c 3 �f7
.
Black better chances to defend h1s mul­ 4 1 .�b4 c;;.e6 42.'ltc5 �d7 43.f3 EiJe7
tiple weaknesses. Ergo, Byrne highlights 44.e4 h6 45. EiJb4 de4 46.fe4 c;;. c7
the error of Black's last maneuver. 47.d5 cd5 48.EiJd5 EiJd5 49.ed5 �d7
28 ... 1lc2 29.l:lc2 l;)e7 30.wfl 50.d6 the pawn ending is easily won for
White. 37.l:td8 lac7 38.li)c5 Wf7
39.'ft7f3 l;)g6 4o.wg3 .t::la7 4t.�d6
Dc7 4 1 . . . EiJe7?! 42.EiJd7 EiJg8 43.EiJb8
wins a pawn and the game easily.
42.li)a6 acs 43.�d7 li)e7 44.li)c5
:as 45 .l:[d6 l;tal 46. l;)d7 f5
47.li)e5 CiYg7 48.h3 fg4 49.hg4
k[cl 50.l:e6 l;)g6 51.J::(c6, 1-0. The
concluding moves are not available, but
it seems clear that with the extra pawn
White should win the ending without
too much trouble.

30 f6 To take the e5 square from The following game also shows that,
.•.

White's EiJ, and open a path for the with careful defense, Black's game is
Black cofi>. Yet both of these ideas could tenable in spite of the backward c6
have waited a move. Better was pawn. Korchnoi's defense of this weak
30 h5!, with Kmoch's "exclam" signi­ pawn is superb. However, without coun­
...

fying that the game is not lost yet, only terplay even Korchnoi cannot hope to
difficult to defend. Black now loses not win this type of position.
because of the weak c-pawn, but be­
cause he ends up with two weaknesses: (028) Lutz,C-Korchnoi,V
his c-pawn and h-pawn. Not recogniz­
Ptuj 1 995
ing this basic concept, Black fails to see
t.d4 l;)f6 2.c4 e6 3.ltlf3 d5 4.ltlc3
that he can still draw with correct play.
c6 5.Ag5 h6 6.Af6 '@f6 7.e3 ltld7
31.¢'e2 'ft7f7 32.li)d3 we6 33.l:lh2
lla7 Since Black will not be able to sll.b4 . .a,d3 g6 9.0-0 .a,g7 10.cd5 ed5
l;)b6 The EiJ is in an awkward
maintain control of his second rank,
position here. Where is it going to go?
33 h5 should be played, which would
Also the dark-squared A would be
...

still (barely! ) save the game. 34.g4!

better placed on d6, promoting the pos­
Now Black is doomed. No matter what
happens he will have two weaknesses, sibility of a Kingside attack. 12.llcl
his c- and h-pawns. These pawns will be Ag4 t3 .Ae2 .a,r3 t 4.Af3 o-o
Slightly better would be 14 ... a6. 15.b5
too distant from each other for the c;;.
to protect both. 34...g5 With the idea
'tt d6 16.1td3 tia3 16 . . . EiJc4? 17.e4!
of exchanging the h-pawn after . . .<�f7-
wins. 17.l:(bl Dfd8 18.Dh3 1Je7
19.bc6 bc6 20.lldl h5 2l.g3 h4
 J :L NI IUU I Cgi:tl l l t:: .:I ll i:ttt:: gy

22. 1!fa6! 1!fe6 23. .Q.g2 hg3 24.hg3
.Q.fS 25./0a4 Preventing . . . c5, which
would ease Black's position. 25 ...l:ldbS
2 6 . !1 d b 1 .Q. d 6 27 . /O c 5 VieS
2S. 'ffcS l:[cS 29./0b7 iLe7 30./0a5
l:[c7 31.l:[c1 c5 32.dc5 !Ic5 33.1:lc5
iLc5 34./0c6 DeS 35./0a7 liaS
36.l:[b5 l:[a7 37.lac5 !Ia2 3S.l:[b5
l:Ia1 39.wh2 l:ta6 40.l:[b1 wg7
41.Afl /Oc4 42.Ac4, 1/2-1/2
on the chessboard. The minority attack
introduces laws into play governing the
Queenside pawns, and is the introduc­
tory step to inflicting a pawn weakness
on the opponent. And the minority
attack is certainly enterprising!
Extremely instructive is Reshevsky's
preparation for the delayed minority
attack in the following game.

Finally, one more example of this sub­ (030) Reshevsky,S-Cruz, W

ject for the reader to review. Hollywood 1 945
1.d4 �f6 2.c4 e6 3.�c3 d5 4.Ag5
(029) Tischendorf, M-Braun,P iLe7 5.e3 0-0 6.l:(c1 c6 7.Wfc2 �e4
Wiesbaden 1988 S.iLe7 YWe7 9.�f3 t0c3 10. YWc3
l.c4 e6 2./0c3 d5 3.cd5 ed5 4.d4 lQd7 U.cd5 ed5 12.Ad3 f5
�f6 5.Ag5 iLe7 6.1fc2 0-0 7.e3
c6 S . Ad3 �bd7 9 . �ge2 l:(eS
10.0-0 �fS 11.,Jlab1 a5 12.a3 lQe4
13.Af4 �c3 14.�c3 g6 15.b4 ab4
16.ab4 �e6 17.Ji.g3 �g7 1S.b5
iLf5 1 9.Af5 �f5 20.bc6 bc6
21.tQa4 �g3 22.hg3 l:[a6 23.�c5
Ji.c5 24.tfc5 ViaS 25.Wc1 f;[bS
26.wh2 Dh1 27.l:lb1 J:ta5 2s.ytb6
�a7 29.J::[c 1 :la2 30.l:lc6 �f2
31.ttc5 YWa2 32.J:(cS 'iYg7 33.ttrs
wr6 34.wh3 l:lg2 35. tths wg5
36.tte5 wh6 37.ttf4 'iYg7 3S.tte5
wh6 39.ttf4 'iYg7 40.ffe5 wh6, A very valid plan in the Carlsbad is to
1/2-1/2 weaken the e3 square. This proposed
thrust of Black's f-pawn to f4 is a
maneuver in support of this plan. But
The Initiative here Black does not continue with . .f4, .

and so weakens his position without

The initiative is an interesting term, compensation. 13.0-0 t0f6 14.b4 a6
used by annotators everywhere. But 15.a4 Another idea behind the .f5 ..

what does it mean? Webster defines it move is to use the strong e4 square as
as 1 ) an introductory step, 2) self-reli­ an outpost. With his next few moves,
ant enterprise and 3) a process by which however, Black is simply responding
laws may be introduced. All three defi­ to the minority attac k . 15 ...Ji.d7
nitions work well as a term for activity 16.lQe5 Using the minority attack as
a slight diversion, White prepares to
 answer Black's occupation of the e4
square (with f3) and keeps the initia­
tive. t6... IDc8 17.'ifb3 g6 18.)lc2
,Ae8 Black's problem is playing with­
out a plan. White has responded to
Black's possible pawn structure changes
by preparing for the positions that
might result. For example, Black's .. .f4
plan would still weaken e3, but White
has already established a shield for
the weak pawn. Reshevsky is defend­
ing against Black's countermeasures be­
fore launching the minority attack .
19 ..J:tfcl l0d7 20.l0f3 White avoids
the exchange of eus, knowing the gen­
eral minority attack principle concern­
ing the distribution of material (see
p.22) . White wishes to exchange his �
for Black's CU, enhancing his remaining
eu's advantage over Black's white­
squared �. 20 ... l0f8 21.I:lc3 A n­
other subtle preparation for the attack,
placing the ll on a square which pro­
tects a possible weak e3 pawn needed.
21 ... l0e6 22.b5 Finally the attack
begins. Jim Wright always made a point
of calling this maneuver the "delayed
minority attack." White has spent most
of his opening moves simply preparing
to execute this plan. 22 ...ab5 23.ab5
l0d8 Black is forced to defend without
counterplay, seeing that his pawn struc­
ture reduces the scope of his own ii.,
and that White controls c5 along with
infiltration squares for the 1:!. (the a l - a4
squares) . 24.h3 l0f7 25. 'ifb2 'ifd6
26.�b3 ,Jla7 27.bc6 bc6 28. .1:lal
One of those difficult moves when play­
ing by general principles. Two .l:!.s are
better than one; however, in this posi­
tion Black has only one active piece -
the l:t on a7. 28 ...:ca8 29.I:la7 �a7
30.�b8 l:[al? A mistake, probably
caused by time pressure. Black's posi-
tion was already beginning to deterio­
rate before this tactical error. After the
forced reply 30 . . .l:!.e7, White's infiltra­
.
tion with the � would increase the
bind on Black's pieces, e.g. 30 . . . .l:!.e7
31.'ti'b6 �g7 32.g3 and White is on
top. 3 t .Afl 'ifbS 32.'ifb8 wrs
33.g3 �dl 34.1tb4, 1-0
Black Plays . b5 . .
The strategic thought behind this plan
is quite simple. Recognizing that even­
tually the pawn on c6 will be weak,
Black stops the b-file from opening and
establishes firm control over the c4
square, which will be used as an outpost
to shield the weak pawn on c6.
a) The c4 Outpost
(031) Fairhurst, W-Smyslov,V
Hastings 1 954
l.d4 l0f6 2.c4 e6 3.l0c3 Ab4 4.e3
0-0 5.l0ge2 d5 6.a3 Ae7 7.l0g3
b6 8.cd5 ed5 9.Ae2 Ab7 lO.lOf5
1:1e8 ll.l0e7 'ife7 12.0-0 l0bd7
13.b4 c6 14.Jld2 a6 15.1fb3 b5
Black has made the strategic decision to
prevent the minority attack, accepting
34 M IOO iegame ;:,trau:: gy
a pawn weakness on c6 in exchange
for control of the c4 square. t6.l::[ael
tl)b6 17.,1tcl a5 18.f3 ab4 19.ab4
.i,c8 20.Ad3 .i,e6 21. YWbl /llc4
The main objective when defending
against the minority attack in this way
is to use the c4 outpost. 22.e4?! White
needs to play this move sometimes,
which opens the position for his �s and
weakens the c4 outpost. However, here
the move loses a pawn and the game.
22 ...'.a7 23./lle2 de4 24.fe4 �g4
25.Ac4 bc4 26./llg3 1fd4 27.�e3
ed3 28.1fb2 tl)e4 29./lle4 .k[e4
30.fff2 f6 31.Ac5 .i.e2 32.):la1
J:lae8 33.:fe1 c3 34.1ff5 c2 35.h4
1fd5 36.1Wf2 h5 37 . .t:[ac1 .i.d1
38.l:le4 �e4 39.l:la1 1We5, 0-1
With this pawn structure the c4 outpost
is very important. In the following game
Black is not able to establish an outpost,
and so has an awkward defense.
(032) Reshevsky,S-Horowitz
USA 1 941
1.d4 tl)f6 2.c4 e6 3./llc3 d5 4.Ag5
c6 5.e3 /ll bd7 6.cd5 ed5 7.1fc2
.i,e7 8.Ad3 0-0 9./llf3 l:le8 10.0-0
/l)f8 11.!£le5 !£lg4 1 2.Ae7 1te7
1 3 . f£l g4 A g 4 1 4 . f£le 2 J:[ a d 8
15.f£lg3 tffh4 16.b4 J:ld6 17.Af5
J:[f6 18.Ag4 tffg 4 19.Dab1 a6
20.a4 b5?1
(see next diagram)
The problem with the text move now is
that Black cannot use the c4 outpost.
Perhaps Horowitz expected to play
. . . liJd7-b6-c4 and overlooked the
maneuver l:lal-a6. Instead 20 . . . liJd7
(with the idea of . b5, . liJb6 and
. . ..
. . . liJc4) 2 l .b5 ab5 2 2 .ab5 l:tc8! and
After 20 . . b5?!
.
White cannot stop the . . . cS pawn
advance. 21.ab5 ab5 22.l:la1 l£lg6
23..t:[a6 J:lc8 24.Dfa1 h5? 25.h3
1td7 After 2S . . . 'i!Yg5?! 26.l:.a8 lla8
27.lla8 �h7 28Jk8 not only is the
c-pawn lost, but Black will also lose the
b-pawn. 26.!£lh5 ne6 27. 1tc5 1te8
28.tffc3 c,Yh7 29.1:ta7 l:le7 30.J:[7a6
.t:le6 31.1£lg3 !£lh4 32. 1fc2 Dg6
33.l::ta7 f5 34. 1td1 Wt6 35.D1a3
1ld8 36.c,Yh2 Dd7 37. 1ta1 :la7
38.l:[a7 'fte6 39.'ftc3 Dg6 40. 'itc2
tvf6 41.c,Yh1 1fe6 42.'1Vb1 wgs
43.l:b8 wh7 44.W"8 W6 45.Db8
g 6 4 6 . Db7 Df7 4 7 . J:f7 1ff7
48. !£le2 g5 49. f£lg1 wh6 50.g3
l£lg6 51.wg2 tve6 52.!£lf3 f£le7
53.!£ld2 f4 54.ef4 gf4 55.!£lf3
1We4 56.1fc1 l£lg6 57.1fc6 fg3
58.Wg3 c,Yg7 59.'1Vd7 1fe7 60.f£le5
'1Vd7 61.f£ld7 !£le7 62.f£lb6 wf6
63.h4 we6 64.h5 wf5 65.f4 f£lc6
66.!£ld5 !£ld4 67.!£le3 c,Yf6 68.c,Yg4
!£lc6 69.f£ld5 wf7 70.wf5 wg7
71 .wg5 f£ld4 12.h6 wh7 73.f5
i£lf3 74.wh5 !£le5 75.!£lc7 i£lf7
76.!£lb5 !£lh6 77.f£ld6 1£lg8 78.1£le8
l£lh6 79.wg5 !£lf7 so.wf6 wgs
81.c,Ye7 !£lg5 82.b5, 1-0
One may rightly wonder, what is the
difference whether . . . b5 is played, since
in any case Black will have a weak pawn
on c6? Why is the outpost so much
more important after we play ... b5? The
answer is that when exchanges happen
on c6, one of Black's main plans is to
eventually push . . . c5, ridding himself of
the weak pawn. After . . . b5 this plan is
essentially non-existent due to White's
complete control of the c5 square. Ergo,
with ... b5 Black is accepting a perma­
nent weakness instead of a temporary
liability. To compensate for this posi­ 2S ... abbs 29.l0a6 ::tbcs 30. trf4
tional debit the outpost on c4 is much !laS 31.'bc7 Da2 32.l0b5 J:[b2
stronger with . . . b5, and any exchange 33.l0a7 h6 34.l0c6 �eS 35.h4
on this outpost square would improve wh7 36.h5 ttg5 37.@g 5 hg5
Black's pawn structure (protected 3S.l0f5 .biaS 39.l0e3 l0e3 40.l:[e3
passed pawn) . Daa2 4 1 . 1lf3 f6 42.J:[el Ag4
43.1lg3 Ad7 44.'be7 Db4 45.l0g6
The outpost on c4 plays an important wh6 46.r4 wh5 47. tOrs Ag4
role in the following game, which is left 4S.fg5 J:ld4 49.gf6 gf6 50.}le7
for the reader to annotate. Please do Ddt 5 t . wh 2 f5 52.l:lb3 ndd2
so, as it is a fascinating game which 53.1lg3 wg5 54.W/ Da6 55.�7
involves a rare but important positional wh6 56.Dh7 wg5 57.J:tg7 wr4
theme: the King March. 5S.l0g6 c,Ye4

(033) Santos, L-Abreu,J

Luzem 1 982
l.ttlf'3 d5 2.d4 'bf6 3.c4 e6 4.'bc3
.i.e7 5 ..i.g5 0-0 6.e3 'bbd7 7.!Icl
b6 S.cd5 ed5 9.�b5 �b7 10.'(ta4
a6 l l .Ad7 'bd7 1 2.�e7 '(te7
13.b4 :;tfdS 14.0-0 c6 15.1tb3
DabS 16.!lfdl b5 17.l:(el lbb6
1S.e4 '(tfS 19.ed5 cd5 20.'be5
/Qc4 21.'bd3 t:fd6 22.'bc5 AcS
23.'be2 Af5 24.1Jg3 1Vb6 25. 1tg5
'lfg6 26.1ff4 �b6 27.'bg3 Ae6 59.J:le7 wd4 60.l0f4 �6 61.c,Ygl
2S.@c7 Dc6 62.l:ta3 wc4 63.l:.ta4 wb5
6 4 . }lea7 l:l b 6 6 5 . .1l4 a 5 w c 6
(see next diagram) 6 6..tle7 .tlb5 67.naa7 Wc5 6s.wh2
Af3 69.l:Iac7 wb4 70.wh3 Ae4
J6
7t.g4 nr2 72.�d5 J:td5 73.gf5
nd3 74.wh4 .a.r5 75.Hg7 Udf3
76.Dgl Wl2 77.Wg5 ::thS 78.Hgc1
ngs 79.wf6 Ac2 so.we5 l':leS
st.wd6 nr6 s2.wd5 Ah3, o-1
The Knight is the piece most often em­
ployed to occupy the c4 outpost, but it
is not the only piece suited for this
assignment.
(034) Nordstrom, F-Hartman,C
Rilton 1988
l.d4 f5 2.g3 e6 3.Ag2 �f6 4.�f3
d5 5.0-0 Ae7 6.c4 0-0 7 .�c3 c6
s.Ag5 �bd7 9.e3 h6 10.Af6 :£6
ll.cd5 ed5 12.�e2 Ad6 13.�c1
fie7 14.�d3 b6 1 5 .1ta4 Ab7
16.b4 a5 17.ba5?! Allowing Black to
open the a-file and conduct an attack
on the Queenside. 17...l:[a5 18.1tc2
l:la3 19.Dab1 Aa6 20.k(b3 Ac4 It
is unusual for a i.. to occupy the c4
outpost, but it does the job well in this
position. 21.U.a3 Aa3 22 ..J:[b1 Ad6
23.a4 IDS 24.�fe5 Ae5 25.�e5
�e5 26.de5 b5 27.ab5 cb5 Black's
passed pawn gives him a clear advan­
tage. 28. 1tc3 l:[b8 29. 1Vd4 1te6
30.,1!ld1 b4 31.f4 b3 32.):ld2 l:tb5
33.Afl 'ftb6 34.):lb2 1td4 35.ed4
l:la5, 0-1
One of the strongest advantages of the
c4 outpost is an eventual improvement
in pawn structure once the occupying
piece is exchanged.
(035) Garcia, R-Marinelli , T
Linares 1995
1.d4 �f6 2.Ag5 �e4 3.Af4 d5
4.l0d2 l0d2 5. 1td2 c6 6.e3 Af5
7.l0f3 e6 8.Ad3 l0d7 9.0-0 Ae7
10.c4 -'.d3 11 .1fd3 0-0 12.cd5
ed5 13.a3 a6 14.b4 l0b6 15.�d2
fid7 16.)lab1 �a4 17.fic2 b5
The positional battle is going in
Black's favor. White cannot prevent
the eventual posting of the ttJ on c4, or
the opening of the a-file. 18.�3 f6
Na turally Black wants to prevent
19.tt::le 5. 19.Dfe1 �b6 20.�d2 �c4
21.�c4 A difficult move to make
since the resulting pawn structure gives
Black the initiative, especially after
. . a 5 and exchanging b-pawns. 21 ...dc4
.
22. 1Vd2 a5 23.e4 ab4 24.ab4 The
weak b - pawn will be a disadvantage
to White for the rest of the game.
Black offers the exchange of As to
remove a defender of this weak pawn.
24 ... Ad6 25.l:[ed1?? As clear as the
positional struggle may seem, always
be on the alert for tactics. Instead of
the text, 25.�d6 'tlfd6 26.l:tal still
leaves Black the advantage based on
his strong c4 pawn and White's weak
b-pawn.
25 ...c3, 0-1. If 26.'i!Yc l , then 26 ... c2
wins.
 1 1 1� l Yi lli Vl iiL.y I""l. LLU."" n..

b) Prophvlaxis venting the opponent's attacking

moves when defending is a good idea,
In our next two games, White prevents and it also demonstrates prophylactic
the use of the c4 outpost and through­ thinking.
out each game concentrates on winning
the c-pawn. This is a fair assessment of (036) Gligoric,S-Liberzon
both games, and a reasonable plan in Baden-Baden 1980
this pawn structure. Bur what else is l.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.ttlf3 l0f6 4.l0c3
White's intention, besides a plan? Is it Ae7 5.Ag5 h6 6.Ah4 o-o 7 .e3
a failsafe maneuver that prevents Black b6 s.Ae2 Ah7 9.Af6 Af6 to.cd5
from realizing his advantages in this ed5 11.0-0 l:le8 12.l:lcl c6 13.b4
pawn structure? No, it is a plan like all ttld7 14.1tb3 b5 15.a4 a6 16.a5!
plans and one that has its time and
place. The answer to any positional
problem can be as simple as proper
piece placement, or as complex as long
term prophylactic maneuvering - our
current positional theme.

Yes, prophylaxis is a positional theme.

The secret of prophylactic thinking
lies in preventing the opponent from
accomplishing his goals, in being ready
ahead of time to counter any of his
plans. Nimzowitsch coined this term in
his book My System, and expounded Preventing the CiJ from ever reaching
its importance at great length. For ex­ c4. Now the c-pawn will be weak for the
ample, "neither attack nor defense is rest of the game. 16 ...lQ.f8 17.lQdl
in our opinion a matter of positional J:lc8 18.lQb2 Itc7 19.l0d3 Ae7
play; the essence of which lies in the 20.J:lc2 Ad6 21.l'::'tfcl l0g6 22.Afl
energetic and planned execution of 1tf6 2 3 . l0f e l h 5 2 4 . J:lc3 h 4
prophylactic measure s . " A bold and 25.1fdl l0e7 26.1Jf3 1fg5 27.l0c5
thought-provok i n g statement. Acs 28.1fdt 1fh6 29.Ad3 aa7
30. 1fc2 Ab8 31.ltlf3 1fh5 32.Ae2
Our concern with prophylactic meas­ h 3 3 3 . g 3 Ag4 3 4 . 1f d t Ild8
ures need not be all-consuming, as it 3 5 . w h l ? l Y!'ff5 3 6 . lQh 4 A e 2
was with the great Nimzowitsch. How­ 37.l0f5 Adl 38.l0e7 :e7 39.J:ldl
ever, the deeper we look into any posi­ aa7 40.J:ldcl l:(d6 41.l0d3 l:lc7
t i o n a l t h e m e t h e m o r e we s e e 42.l0e5 :t6 43.wgt l:lh7 44.l0d3
prophylactic concepts. The blockade is l:t c7 4 5 . c;Yf l , g5 4 6 .c;Ye2 c;Yg7
an obvious preventive thought, as is 47.l0e5 l:lb7 48.�c6 Ad6 49.l0d3
pushing the isolated d-pawn to preempt l:[a7 50.1:[b6, 1-0
the blockade - both common ideas in
the isolani structure. Obviously, pre-
38 M iddlegame Strategy
(037) Euwe,M-Alekhine, A
Zurich 1934
1.c4 e6 2.d4 d5 3./Llc3 a6 4.cd5
ed5 5.Af4 /Llf6 6.e3 Ad6 7.Ad6
1'fd6 8. Ad3 /Llc6 9. /Llge2 0-0
10.a3 /Lle7 11.fic2 b6 12.b4 Ab7
13.0-0 :feS 14./Llg3 /Llg6 15.1:tfc1
/Llh4 16./Llce2 c6 17.:ab1 l:[e7
18.a4 l:[ae8 19.a5! b5 Black cannot
exchange on aS due to the weak pawn
on a6 and pressure on the b-file.
20.ltlf4 1:tc7 21.tfc5 tfd7 22.l:[e1
ltlg6 23.Af5 1fd8 24.ltld3 Acs
25.l:lbc1 ltle7 26 ..1tc8 ltlcS If the
Black lZ:l could reach c4, Black would
have a good position. However, he
doesn't have enough time to accom­
plish this maneuver. 27 .ltle5 l:[e6
28.e4! ltle4?! 29.ltle4 de4 30.l:[e4
f6
31.ltlf7! 1fe8 3l . . .'it;>t7? 32.�h5 'it;>e7
33. l:te6 'it;>e6 34. l:t e l 'it;>d6 35.�c5
'it;>d7 36. 't!Vf5 'it;>d6 37 . �e6 m a t e .
32.l:[e6 1We6 33./LldS tfe4 34./Llc6
h6 35.d5 ffd3 36.h3 tfd2 37.g3
whs 38.�g2 tfd3 39.f!el �h7
40.l:[e3 ._d2 4t.l:[e8 tfd3 42. 1fd4
't!rc4 43. Ve4 1Je4 44.�e4 <;Yg8
4 5 . /0bS Wf7 46./Lla6 ad7 47.�d4
/O e 7 48.d6 /Llf5 49 .f!d5 ltld6
50.l0c5 l:(d8 5I.l0e4 l0h7 52.a6
<;Ye6 53.:ld8, 1-0
c) Exchanges on c4
When exchanges are made on c4,
Black can get a dangerous passed pawn
instead of the outpost.
(038) Seirawan, Y-Kasparov,G
Dubai 1986
l.d4 /Llf6 2.c4 g6 3.ltlc3 d5 4.ltlf3
.1tg7 5.Ag5 /Lle4 6.cd5 ltlg5 7.ltlg5
e6 8.ltlf3 ed5 9.b4 ffd6! Kasparov
observes in his annotations that this
move was a novelty. 10.a3 0-0 ll.e3
c 6 1 2 . .1t e 2 Af5 1 3 . 0 - 0 ltld7
14.lt}a4 Kasparov suggested the classi­
cal 14. 'tWb3 to maintain the equilibrium
of the position. The text move is an
awkward placement of the lt:l, since on
lZ:lcS Black has . . . b6 which improves his
position by preparing the . . . cS break.
14 ... a5 15.tfb3 b5! Securing the c4
square, and planning to route his lZ:l to
this outpost and exert pressure on the
a3 pawn. 16.�c5 a41 17.ffc3 'Ob6
18.'0d2 I:(ae8 Both sides are devoting
their attention to the e4 square, where
the next significant pawn structure
change could occur. Although this
break is never played, the threat lures
Black into making a mistake. 19.IDel
Jle7 20.Af3 Jlfe8 2 l .g3 .1th3
Kasparov suggested the logical im­
provement 2 l . . .g5!. Having prevented
the e4 break, Black should increase his
space advantage and begin to pressure
the White 'it;>. 22.Ag2 Ag2 23.�g2
f5? 24.h41 The pawn structure now
favors the White lt:ls, and Black's �
has no a c t i v e p l a n or placement
 ... · · -
. . . . . . ...... .. · -J
available. 24...lQe4 25.ltlf3 Af6 The
position is equal. Both players now be­
gin maneuvering to prepare for the
transition to the endgame. 26.!le2
l:tg7 27.l:h1 1fe7 28.l:ee1 h6
29.1fd3 WS 30.lt)d2 1te8 31.lt)e4
An error in positional j udgment, prob­
ably caused by continual annoyance
from the Black CiJ. Now, however, the
passed pawn will cause White more
problems than the CiJ ever could .
31 ...de4 32.'«fd1 l:te7 33.l:tefl 1Wf7
34.fif3 '«fd5 35.1fld5 ed5 Kasparov
has used pawn structure changes to re­
move his weak c6 pawn and create a
strong c4 pawn, in addition to prevent­
ing the e4 break . Truly, no more can
Black expect out of the Carlsbad.
36.wf3 ..\1.g7 37.�d1 Jlff7 3s.:d2
lieS 39.1:ldd1 Afs 40.�dg1 Ag7
41.:ld1 wrs 42.l:Id2 rJJe7 43.l:ldd1
¢'d6 44.l:lh2 ¢'e6 45.kthh 1 ..\1.f8
46.Dd2 ..\1.d6 Black should now pre­
pare . . . gS and . . .f4 to increase his pres­
sure. 47.l:.(dd1 JiLeS? Too anxious to
convert his advantage into a win, Black
allows the position to drift into an equal
ending. 48.de5 l:le4 49.�e1! )ld7
50.l:(d4! It's amazing how often we see
the concept of blockade in action.
50...g5 51.hg5 hg5 52.l:,ted1 r!d4
53.Dd4 l:.th7 s4.we2 flh3 54 . . . l:thl
SS.l:tdl (The � and £!, ending is also
drawn) SS . . . l:tdl 56.�dl. 55.g4 f4
56.ef4 Da3 57.fg5 .t:la2 ss.wf3
c3?? The losing move according to
Kasparov. 58 ... l:ta3! 59.'it>g2 .r!.a2! 60.g6
%le2 6 1 . l:tf4 l:te8 62 . l:tf6 is equal.
59.I:ld1 d4 6o.g6 d3 61.we3 W'2
62.g7, 1-0
� - -- - - - -
d) Exchanges on c5
The exchange on c5 has the drawback
of allowing a blockade on the d4 square,
as our next game demonstrates.
(039) Nikolic, P-Short,N
Manila 1 990
1.d4 lt)f6 2.e4 e6 3.ltlf3 d5 4.ltlc3
Ae7 s.Ag5 h6 6.Ah4 o-o 7.e3
b6 s.Ae2 Ab7 9.Af6 Af6 10.ed5
ed5 11.0-0 l::le8 12.b4 c6 13.1Wb3
1f d 6 14.a4 lL)d7 1 5 . a 5 DadS
16.ab6 ab6 17.I;la7 1flb8 18.]da2
Control of the a-file allows White to
infiltrate Black's position at a time of
his choosing. Notice how long White
waits before using this asset. 18 ...b5
19.lbe1 Ae7 20.lL)d3 Ad6 21.g3
lbb6 22.Af3 Acs 23.Jlfa1 Af5
24.lbc5 lbc4 25.lL)e2 !';le7 26.'ftd1
l:ldes 27.lbf4 wh7 28.Ag4 Ag4
29.'«fg4 JiLeS 30.dc5 g6 31 .'t'ff3
wg7 32.lL)e2 l:[e6 33.lbd4 Perfect
placement for a blockading piece, since
it attacks c6 as part of its duties.
33 ... I;lf6 34.1fle2 'f!Ve5 35.r!e1 tie4
36.l:ta6 lL)e5? This mistake leads to
an interesting loss of material. 37.I;lf1
h5 Black would also lose after 36 . . . CiJf3,
and when the exchanges are over the
pawn on c 6 will fall . 38.f3 1fd4
39.ed4 �f3 40. 1ff3, 1-0

Now review closely the game above,

before playing through the next en­
counter between these Grandmasters
in the same variation. What positional
improvements have the contestants
prepared?

(040) Nikolic,P--Short,N
Beograd 1 989
1.d4 lDt'6 2.c4 e6 3.�f3 d5 4.�c3 After 18.b4
.i.e7 5 . .i.g5 h6 6 . .i.h4 0-0 7 .e3
b6 8.,i.e2 .i.b7 9 . .i.f6 �f6 10.cd5 J:[a1 23.fi'a1 �a4 24.l:[c1 ffe8
ed5 11.0-0 J:[e8 12.b4 c6 13.1Vb3 25.Dc2 g5 26.Da2 De7 27.�c5
1f d 6 1 4 . a4 �d7 1 5 . a 5 J:[ac8 �c5 28.bc5 J:tb7 29.J:[a8 ft'd7
16.ab6 ab6 17.l:[a7 1fb8 18 ..b[fa1 30.�d2 wh7 31.�b3 b4 32.,i.d6
b5 19.�e1 �b6 20.�d3 �a4 Ar6 33.g4t? Ads 34. 1Wb1 wg7
21.Da5 ,ild4 22.ed4 �c3 23.ffc3 35.�d2 1We6 36.�fl b3 37.�3
l:(e2 24.�e5 f6 2 5 . 1t d 3 l:(b2 b2 38.Wg2, 1-0. Black lost on time.
26.1fc3 l:le2 27.1fd3 Db2, 1/2-1/2
The next game is a fascinating study on
Exchanges on c5 can also enhance the what happens after the exchange on c5,
pawn structure, as seen in the following combined with the weakness of Queen­
game. side castling in this formation. It is also
a game which is difficult to classify, as
(041) Gligoric,S-Hort,V i t also illustrates the strength of the
Palma de Mallorca 1970 c4 outpost. Once again we see the
1.d4 lDt'6 2.c4 e6 3.�c3 d5 4.lDf3 intimate relationships between various
,ile7 5 ..i.g5 �bd7 6.e3 h6 7 .,i.h4 positional themes in the Carlsbad.
0-0 8.Dc1 a6 9.cd5 ed5 10. .ild3
l:(e8 1 1 . 0-0 c6 1 2 . .i.g3 ,ilf8!? (042) Miles,A-Portisch, L
1 2 ... lbh5?? 1 3.ltJd5. 13..ilb1 g6 14.h3 Reggio 1 984
.i_g7 15.a3 a5 16.�a4 �e4 17.,ile4 l.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.�c3 .ile7 4.cd5
J:(e4 18.b4 ed5 5 . .i.f4 c6 6.e3 .i.f5 7.g4
,i.g6 8.h4 h5 9.g5 ,i.d6 10. 1tf3
(see next diagram) �e7 1 1.�ge2 .ilb4 12.0-0-0 b5
13.a3 .i.a5 14.b4 ,i.b6 1 5 . .i.e5
18 ... ab4 This exchange must be con­ o-o t6.Ah3 �d7 t7..ild7 1td7
sidered an error, since it leads to White 18.li)g3 .ilc7 19 . .ilc7 ffc7 20.li)h5
controlling the a-fi l e . 19.ab4 b5 a5 2t.wb2 ab4 22.ab4
20.�b2 l:(e6 21.�d3 �b6 22.l:[a11
 - ---
22...c5U An incredible positional
pawn sacrifice ! Both of Black's Queen­
side pawns are weakened to allow
... li)c6, which will support the attack on
White's 'it> along the a-file. 23.dc5
lt)c6! 24.1tf4 24. lL:Jf4 lL:J b4 2S. lL:Jcd5
l:a2 26.'it>b3 �c2 27.'it>b4 �aS mate.
24...l0e5 25.l0f6 gf6 26.wb3 l0c4
Threatening 27 ... l:ta3 mate. 27.l:ta1
The only move . 27 ... 'ef4 28.ef4
lt)d2 29.c;Yb2 l0c4 Gaining a little
ti�e on the clock before proceeding
wtth a complicated winning maneuver.
3o.wb3 tOd2 3t.c;yb2 1:1fd8 32.l0b5
32.l:a8 l:ta8 33.lZ:Jd5 lL:lc4 34.'it>cl l:tal
mate. 32... l:lab8 Now Portisch dem­
onstrates the quickest road to victory by
sacrificing his material advantage to ac­
tivate his lls. 33.l0a7 �b4 34.wc3
Ddb8 35.Wd2 .tlb2 36.c;Ye1 l:lb1
37.c;Yd2 !1Sb2 3B.CiYe3 rlb3 39.we2
D1b2 40.c;Ye1 Ae4 4 1 .c6 J:lc3
42.f3 hte3 43.wfl :lf3 44.we1
De3 45.Wfl Ad3, o-1
Kingside A ttack
It has been said many times before, but
the best defense really is a good offense.
We have seen that while the minority
- - - - - - - - -.; - - ---- - -
attack is developing on the Queenside
opportunities for Black exist to attack
on the Kingside. Our next game is per­
haps not the best example of this axiom
but more an example of misplaying th�
minority attack.
(043) Speelman,J-Lputian,S
Kropotkin 1 995
1.d4 d5 2.'0f3 'Of6 3.c4 e6 4.Ag5
Ae7 5.e3 h6 6.Ah4 0-0 7.l0c3
b6 s.Ae2 Ab7 9.Af6 Af6 1o.cd5
ed5 U.b4 c6 12.0-0 a5 13.a3 l0d7
14.1tb3 l:le8 15.Dad1 ab4 16.ab4
b5 17.l0e1?! White is aimimg to oc­
cupy cS . A better plan is to prepare a
break in the center by e4, to weaken the
c6 pawn even further. So 17.�d3!? im­
proves on the text. 17...l0b6 18.l0d3
Ac8! Since White is not trying to take
advantage of the weak c6 pawn, Black
repositions his j;_ to the more active fS
square. 19.l0c5 Af5 20.l:la1 Ae7
Now the other .t is headed for d6,
where it can pressure the Kingside.
Note that White's lZJ on cS is not caus­
ing Black any problems. Its only produc­
tive hope is to support an e4 central
break. 21.l:la2 l:[a2 22.1ta2 Ad6
23.l:ta1 'eh4! 24.g3 YWg5 25.Ad3?
White overlooks the coming combina­
tion. However, his position was already
becoming difficult owing to the attack
brewing against his Kingside. Black was
probably planning to push his h-pawn
to h4, continuing the attack. 25 ... Ad3
26.l0d3
(see next diagram)
26... l:te3! 27.fe3 fi'e3 28.1tf2 1td3
29.l0e2 .i,b4 With a small material
advantage and his passed pawns Black
42 Nl iOOJeganu; � ll i:1 LC�)'

After 26. lLJd3

now has a won game, and it is only a

technical matter to convert it. 30.,Jla7
ttbt 3t.wg2 1Je4 32. 1Jf3 Ves
33.lQf4 lQc4 34. t'fe2 'ife2 35.lQe2
Ad2 3 6 .I:�b7 wfs 3 7 . wf3 b4
38.lQf4 Ac3 39.lQd3 b3 40.lQe5
lQe5 4t.de5 b2 42.we3 c5 43.wd3
Ae5 44.wc2 wes 45.g4 g5 46.h3
t6 47 . .J:tb5 Ad4 4s.Jib7 wds
49.wbt wcs 50.l:la7 Ac3 51.,Jla3
d4 52..J:[a6 d3 53.l:[c6 wd7 54.l:[c5
d2 55.U.d5 we6, 0-1 . White needs
his 1:. to stop the d-pawn from advanc­
ing, and to prevent the Black 'it> from
approaching the Kingside pawns. Un­
fortunately the ll can't do both jobs at
once.
 ing pawns, " the second produces an
Botvinnik ' s Pawn "advanced center" and the third is the
famous "isolated d-pawn." The last op­
Center tion (balanced pawn structure) is not
necessarily a positional theme, but even
a completely equal pawn structure has
possibilities which need to be under­
stood.

With the exception of hanging pawns,

each outcome listed above could be
expected if White supported the e4
thrust with his pieces instead of the
f-pawn. We will incorporate this system
of play in our other discussions.

Naturally, one of Botvinnik's games

This interpretation of the Carlsbad should lead this section, and the follow­
(straightforward central expansion) be­ ing game offers a smooth transition to
came popular with its adoption by M. our subject. Here Botvinnik changes his
Botvinnik, when he was at the height strategy from a minority attack to the
of his fame. The idea pictured in the Botvinnik pawn center midstream,
diagram, however, was used long before without any apparent reason. Very un­
he played it, and his student Kasparov usual for the man renowned for his long
has made spectacular use of it since.
term strategic play. Yet such a fine exe­
cution - you wonder, maybe it was all
Common sense tells us there are four planned!
possibilities after the White pawns ad­
vance in this way: (044) Botvinnik,M-Keres,P
USSR 1 952
I) Pawns will be exchanged on e4. l.d4 �f6 2.c4 e6 3.�c3 d5 4.cd5
2) White will push his e-pawn to e5. ed5 5.Ag5 Ae7 6.e3 0-0 7.Ad3
3) White will have an isolated d-pawn, �bd7 8.1Wc2 l:le8 9.�ge2 �f8
· when pawns are exchanged on e4 (or 1 0 . 0-0 c6 l l .I::[ a bl I nteresting.
d5) , and retaken with a piece. Clearly Botvinnik is planning to initi­
· 4) There will be a balanced pawn struc­ ate the minority attack. Yet within a
ture (see Chapter 4) after pawns are couple of moves changes his mind with
exchanged on d5. no apparent reason. Feint? ll ...Ad6
12.<;Yhl Black was threatening 12 ... i..h2
We will examine each of the positional followed by 13 . ltJg4. 12 ... �g6 13.f3
. .

themes that this system of play with Ae7 14.l:[bel �d7 15.Ae7 l::le7
the pawns will create. The first option 16.�g3 �f6 17.'fff2 Ae6 18.�5
; leads to the positional theme of "hang- Af5 19.Af5 "b6 20.e4 de4 21.fe4
l:[d8 22.e5! White now maintains the
44 M IOct iegame :::. trategy

initiative for the rest of the game. An optimal version ofBotvinnik's pawn
22...�d5 23.�e4 ll)f8 24.�d6 \Wc7 center. The pawns are well protected
25.il.e4 �e6 26.YWh4 g6 27.Ad5 and gaining tempi by attacking pieces
cd5 28.1:lc1 Reducing Black's counter­ as they move. 16... �g7 17.Ag3 Ap­
play to nil. 28 ... YWd7 29.Jlc3 W8 plying pressure against the opposing �
30.l0f51 We8 31.�h6 wf8 32. t'ff6 while preparing to highlight the dark­
�g7 33 . .l:kf3 !lc8 34.�f71 �e6 squared weaknesses in Black's position.
35.Ylg5 l0f5 36.�6 ffg7 37.g4, 1-0 17 ... ll)ge8 18.Ae5 llf8 19.ll)cl
Heading for b3 to underscore the bad
Bronstein's handling of the next game placement of Black's �- Notice how
shows how overwhelming this system of fe w s q u a res th� � has available.
pawn play is against poor defense. The 19...de4 20.fe4 �d7 21.Ah2 l0b8
coordination of pieces and pawns in the 22.d5 il.,d7 23.t0b3 Ylb6 24.d6,
attack is very instructive. How many 1 -0. On 24 . . �d6 25.'Lld5 wins the �-
.

positional themes can you find ?

If we count the positional themes in
(045) Bronstein, D-Medina,A Bronstein's game, is "overprotection"
Goteborg 1955 one of them? Time and again this idea
1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.�c3 ll)f6 4.il.,g5 turns out to be the key strategic concept
t0bd7 5.cd5 ed5 6.e3 c6 7.il.d3 in this system. The pawns are overpro­
il.,e7 8. 'll c 2 ll)f8 9.t0ge2 ll)e6 tected on the central squares, and their
10.,i.h4 g6 11.0-0-0 t0g7 12.f3 advance is coordinated with pieces that
Played with multiple ideas in mind. are protecting the pawns.
Preventing the exchange of his dark­
squared �. establishing a strong center The move . . . b6 by Black is a two-edged
a nd preparing a Kingside a t tack . sword; you get a square for your Bishop's
1 2 . . . taf5 13.,i.f2 '1Va5 14.wb1 development, and also a weak c-pawn.
.i,e6 15.h3 0-0-0 If Black castles In the following game the b-pawn also
Kingside, he will need to defend against proves weak, and is exploited instruc­
a pawn storm with g4, h4-h5 and so tively by Wor l d Champion Gary
forth. 16.e4 Kasparov.

(046) Kasparov,G-Short,N
London 1993
1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.t0c3 ll)f6 4.cd5
ed5 5.il.g5 .i_e7 6.e3 0-0 7.Ad3
ll)bd7 8.ll)ge2 g[e8 9.0-0 l0f8
10.b4! Tactically creating the classical
pawn structure. 10 ... a6 1 1.a3 c6
1 2.'1Vc2 g6 13.f3 ll)e6 14.Ah4
t0h5 15 ..i.e7 l:le7 16. 'lld2 b6 Not
best, if Black cannot later continue with
. . . c5 or . . . aS. 17.1lad1 .i.b7 18..i.b1
�hg7 19.e4 An instructive pattern
 to r e c o g nize in this system is the Hanging Pawns
positional theme of "overprotection."
Nimzowitsch wrote, "On the subject of
overprotection . . . . only strong points
which are positionally important, and
no t weak poi n t s , a re to be over­
protected." The center pawns not only
need overprotection, they thrive on it.
19...,t:lc8 20.Jla2 J:(d7 21.li)f4 lt)f4
22. 1tf4 lt)e6 23. tfe5 �e7 24. tWg3
flc7 25.1trh4 l0g7 26.1:[c1 ffd8
27.l:tfd1 I:lcc7 28.lt)a4 de4 29.fe4
treB 30.li)c3 b[cd7 31.1trf2 lt)e6
32.e5 c5 33.bc5 bc5 34.d5 lt)d4
35.l0e4 ffd8 36.l0{6 c;Yg7 37.li)d7 Black's first option after White's central
l:td7 38.:c5 l0e6 39.ldcc1, 1-0 push is ... de4, which leads to the forma­
tion called "hanging pawns." This now
The next example, left for the reader to common term, however, was not always
annotate, is a very complex form of the commonly used. L. Pachman referred to
Botvinnik pawn center. The delayed e4 them as relatives of the "isolated pawn
push does not work well for Karpov in couple , " while H. Kmoch had two
the following game. names for them, "hanging duo" and
"passer duo," depending on whether
(047) Karpov,A-Kasparov, G they were opposed by an enemy c- or
Moscow 1985 f-pawn. Kmoch also used the term "iso­
1.l0f3 l0f6 2.c4 e6 3.d4 d5 4.l0c3 lated pawn couple," referring only to
c6 5.Jlg5 l0bd7 6.e3 "9Ja5 7.cd5
Black pawns on c6 and d5 and similar
l0d5 8.'@d2 l07b6 9.l0d5 ffd2 structures. In Nimzowitsch's version
10.lt)d2 ed5 1 1 .Ad3 a5 1 2.a4
the term "hanging pawns" is not so re­
Jlb4 13.c;Ye2 Jlg4 14.f3 Jl h 5 stricted, which is probably the best way
15.h4 0-0 16.g4 Jlg6 17.b3 Jld3
to understand them. It is interesting
18.c;Yd3 WeB 19.l:{ac1 c5 20.Jlf4 that Nimzowitsch thought of the hang­
l:tac8 2 1 . dc5 lt)d7 2 2 .c6 bc6 ing pawns descendants of the isolani.
23.:hdt l0c5 24.wc2 f6 25.l0f1 Here we will consider the isolated pawn
lt)e6 26.Jlg3 Jaed8 27 .Af2 c5 couple to be defined as Hans Kmoch
28.li)d2 c4 29.bc4 li)c5 30.e4 d4 described them.
31.l0b1 d3 32.wh2 d2, o-1
Before we explore how this positional
theme relates to the Carlsbad, let's
consider the strengths and weaknesses
of t h e h a n g i n g p a w n s . Or, a s
Nimzowitsch wrote, " that curious mix­
ture of static weakness and dynamic
strength," (referring actually to the
46 M l dd legame Strategy

isolani) . Although he considered hang­ he concluded that in a middlegame

ing pawns to be descendant from the with minor pieces the hanging pawns
isolani, they should really be considered constitute an advantage. Unless, he
brothers because each formation can stipulated, the opponent is ahead in
descend from the other. A minor but development, enabling him to win a
useful point in understanding either pawn or break up the hanging pawns.
pawn structure. The truth of this observation is sup­
ported by many of our following exam­
In general, the side playing with hang­ ples.
ing pawns should:
Our next game does not feature the
1) Create tactical threats by opening Carlsbad pawn structure, but it is such
diagonals and establishing strong for­ a beautiful game and illustrates one
ward outpost squares. typical use of the hanging pawns so well
2) Post pieces to threaten the advance that it had to be included. Other games
of the hanging pawns, making a strong of this type are seen in the Supplemen­
passed pawn. tal Games, marked (HP) .
3) Use the wing pawns to undermine
the enemy pawns adjacent to one's (048) Barcza,G-Golombek,H
hanging pawns, again creating a passed Stockholm 1 952
pawn. 1.c4 �f6 2.d4 e6 3.�f3 b6 4.e3
4) Use the central space and free devel­ Ab7 s.Ad3 Ae7 6.o-o o-o 7.ltlc3
opmen t conferred by the han ging d5 8.b3 c5 9. 1fe2 cd4 10.ed4 lt)c6
pawns to mount a Kingside attack. 11 ..x::l.d 1 White is already preparing the
d5 break in the event that Black ex­
Playing against the hanging pawns also changes pawns. 11 ... .J::I.c8 Better is
offers several plans of action: l l ...llJb4, as it forces 1 2 . .i.bl , tempo­
rarily shutting in the l:t on a 1 . 12.Ab2
1 ) Post the pieces to either prevent the .x::l.e8? 1 2 ... llJb4 would still be better.
hanging pawns advancing, or prepare to 13 ..x::l.ac1 dc4 White's position is to be
blockade any passed pawn that may be preferred, e.g. 13 . . . llJb4?! 14.i.bl dc4
created. 1 5.bc4 i.a6 16.ttJb5 i.b5 17.cb5 and
2) Attack one (or both) of the pawns, White stands better. His control of c6
to tie down the opponent's pieces to is more important than Black's blockad­
defense. ing square on d5. 14.bc4 ffc7?! A
3) Attack the hanging pawns with ad­ dubious move, which allows a strong
jacent pawns, forcing one or the other b r e a k in t h e c e n te r. 15.d5! ed5
to advance and leave blockading 16.ltld5! Shrewd. Eventually Black
squares behind. will be forced to exchange his valuable
4) Trade pieces to exploit the endgame defensive llJ on f6 for this powerful ttJ.
weakness of the hanging pawns. At the same time White opens the al­
h8 diagonal for his .i. to pressure the
In 1933 ].Wertheim published an essay Kingside. 16 ...1Wb8 17. 1rd2 The only
in the Tijdschrift voor Schaak, in which error in White's game, but luckily this
mistake does not throw away the win.
Better was 17 . .tbl ! threatening 18.�f6
followed by 19.1Wd3 winning easily, e.g.
1 7 . . . tt::l d 5 1 8.cd5 �f6 1 9. 't!¥c2 �b2
20.dc6! �cl 2 l .'iWh7 �f8 22. 'Wh8
�e7 23. %:td7 �f6 24.'Wh4 g5 25.�h6
mate. 17... li)d5 18.cd5 li)b4 19. .iLe4
,Clc1 20.l:[cl �d8? Black could put up
stronger resistance, but he should still
lose even with 20 . . . .tf8 2 1 . tt::lg5 %:te4
(2 l . . .h6? 22 . .th7!! �h8 23 . .tf5 and
White's attack is overwhelming after
2 3 . . . hg5 2 4 . 'ti'g5) 2 2 . lt:J e 4 tt::l d 5 .
21.1td4 f6 2 l . . . .tf8 2 2 . .th7! �h7
23.'ti'h4 �g8 24. tt::lg 5 wins.
2 2 . A h 7 ! w h 7 2 3 . 'ff e 4 ! wgs
23 . . . �h8 24. ltJg5! fg5 25.'tWe7 %:tg8
26.1\Vg5 and Black cannot avoid mate
on the h-file. 24.tve7 li)d5 25. 'ffe 6
whs 25 . . . �f8 26. �a3 wins. 26.'ffh3
wgs 27.tDg5 fg5 28.'ffe6, 1-0. If
28. .. �h7, then 29.�f7 l::tg8 30.'tWh5
mate.
In the Carlsbad, hanging pawns come in
two forms. Black hanging pawns consist
of a c- and d-pawn, while the White
version has a hanging e- and d-pawn (the
Botvinnik pawn center) . The following
game illustrates the first group, Black's 1.d4 li)f6 2.c4 e6 3.li)c3 d5 4.cd5
hanging c- and d-pawns.
(049) Lasker, Em-Marco,G
Hastings 1 895
1.d4 d5 2.li)f3 e6 3.c4 li)f6 4.li)c3
Ae7 5.Af4 0-0 6.f!Vc2 c6 7.e3 b6
8.a3 Ah7 9.cd5 ed5 10.Ad3 c5
n.lt)b5 lt)c6 12.Af5 g6 13.Ad3
�c8 14.dc5 bc5 Compared to the last
game, here we have a different version
of the hanging pawns. With pawns on
the c- and d-files there are differences
in central control of the center, but the
dynamics of the formation are very
similiar. 15.0-0 f6d7 16.Ae2 :fdS
1 7 . ,Jlfd 1 li) e 4 1 8 . li) c 3 li) c 3
19. f6c3 d4?! 20.f6c2 li)a5 21.li)e5
1te6 22.fia4 Af6?! 23.Ag41 f6b6
24.Ac8 Ac8 25.b4 Ae5 26.Ae5
�c6 27.bc5 f6c5 28.Ad4 li)d4
29.l:[d4, 1-0
Center Control
In the following game, Kasparov dem­
onstrates that the hanging pawns' con­
trol of the center is a powerful force
throughout the game. One principle this
games illustrates is that if the "static
weakness" of hanging pawns is not
emphasized, their "dynamic strength"
can be overwhelming. Hanging pawns
control the center, and if this control
goes unchallenged then many favorable
possibilities arise . Their dynamic
strength is also revealed if they advance
- unless mistimed, when the resulting
blockade shows up their static weak­
ness.
(050) Kasparov,G-Spassky,B
Barcelona 1 989
ed5 5.Ag5 c6 6.e3 iJ..e7 7.Ad3
 JVl iUUJ t:gamt: ;:nraLt:gy
lt)bd7 8.lt)ge2 lbh5 9.�e7 YWe7
10.g4 lt)hf6 l l . lbg3 h6 1 2.h3
lt)b6 13.'¥Wd2 �d7 14.b3 g6 15.a4
a5 16.f3 h5 17.g5 t:fd6 18.tLige2
tLig8 19.e4 Black's position is becom­
ing difficult. True, White has essentially
three pawn islands against two, which
could be problem if he is forced to de­
fend them. However, his overprotec­
tion of the central squares reduces any
counterplay Black can generate. White
needs to plan on living with these pawn
islands, since it's unlikely that an e5
push will ever be a valid plan. A White
advance to e5 is easily blockaded, and
opens the f5 square to occupation by a
Ci'J or .,t. Therefore Black can leisurely
prepare his . . . c5 bre a k . 19 ... tLie7
20. t:ff41 Forcing the exchange of �s
shows excellent positional j udgment.
The Black � is the only piece which
can take advantage of the weak dark
squares in White's position. 20 ... t:ff4
If 20 . . . �b4 2 1 .�f6 the White �·s
infiltration into Black's position only
increases White's positional advantage,
while 20 . . . �e6 is a very awkward place­
ment of the �. 21.tLif4 0-0 22.tLice2
h4? This move fixes the pawn on h3
as a target for Black's .,t, but this artifi­
cially isolated pawn proves to be a
greater weakness than the White h­
pawn. A better plan is 22 . . . .te6, fol­
lowed by ... Ci'Jd7 and . . c5. 23.tLig2
.
cJ7g7 24.cJ7d2 24.Ci'Jh4? l:th8 25.Ci'Jg2
l:th3 and the weakness of the pawn at
h5 is dissolved. 24 ...de4? A poor posi­
tional choice. Black cannot attack the
hanging pawns effectively due to their
overprotection by the White pieces.
25.fe4 �adS 26.k[afl l::lh8 27.tLie3
l:lh5 28.1Ifgl ilcS 29.cot>c3 ,bthh8
30.lQf4 lad6 3 1.�c2 tL!aS I t is dif­
ficult for Black to find useful moves.
The text loses the a-pawn immedi ately,
but also prepares . . . lLlb6 to support
opening l i n e s on t he Quee nside.
32.tLic4 l:[ddS 33.tLia5 tL!c7 34.W"l
b5 35.!If3 .t:lhf8 36.I:thfl ba4
37.ba4 f6
38.tLig6! A beautiful conversion to a
won endgame. 38... tL!g6 39.gf6 cJ7h6
40.tL!c6 �d6 41.d5 l:lc6 42.dc6
l0e6 4 3 . e 5 l0 e 5 44 . .t:le3 l0g6
45.f7 l0gf4 46.ilb3 Wg7 47.�e4
l::lf7 48.Ae6 l0e6 49.:.lf7 Wf7
50.l:{h4 cot>e7 51.l:[h8 Aa6 52.h4,
1-0
Here is another example of hanging
pawns gaining the advantage by simply
maintaining control over the center.
(051) Reshevsky, S-Averbakh, Y
Zurich 1 953
1.d4 tL!f6 2.c4 e 6 3.tLic3 Ab4 4.e3
0-0 5.l0ge2 d5 6.a3 Ae7 7.cd5
ed5 8 . l0g3 Ae6 9.Ad3 l0bd7
1 0.0-0 c6 1 1 .Ad2 l:(eS 1 2.Ylfc2
a5 13.l0ce2 l0b6 14.l0f4 Ad7
15.We1 Af8 16.f3 Ac8 17.l:(ac1
g6 18.l0fe2 Ag7 19.h3 a4 20.e4
de4 21 .fe4 Once again we see over­
protection of t he hanging pawns .
White's pieces are ideally posted to
support them. 21 ... Ae6 It may seem
obvious to aim at the weak b3 square,
but this move also responds to posi­
tional factors created by the hanging
pawns. On the a2-g8 diagonal the .lt
helps prevent a d5 break, and could
serve as blockader if the e -pawn is
advanced. 22.Ae3 Ah3 23. 1td2
�d7 24.Ag5 f6 25.Ae3 �8
Black has achieved one of his goals
against the hanging pawns: their ad­
vance has been stopped. However, what
Black does not accomplish next is forc­
ing one of them forward, weakening the
structure. By simply maintaining the
hanging pawns White controls the
center, and now he seizes the initiative.
26.h4 Af7 27.h5 The advance of the
h-pawn is a maneuver to soften the
Kingside, but it is really a minority
attack. The defenses around Black's c;tr>
become a little weaker with the ex­
change of h-pawns. 27... /tle6 28.J:lfl
As in the minority attack, White ap­
plies pressure along the semi-open file.
28... Af8 29.l:lf2 /tld7 30.J:lcfl
c5?l Positionally the losing move.
Black's blockading square on e5 i s
weakened by the frail pawn at f6. With­
out an e5' blockade Black has lost the
battle of the hanging pawns. 3l.d5
/t.) c 7 3 2 . hg 6 h g 6 3 3 . l:lf4 b5
34.:It4 White's attack will be danger­
ous if allowed to penetrate along the
h-file. 34 ... /tle5 35.c;f;lhl Reshevsky
is preparing to attack, not rushing to
attack. Black answers 3 5 . .lth6? with
35 ... g5. 35 ... \'fd7 Hoping that com­
plications will solve the positional
problems of his weak £-pawn, open h­
fi le and coming Kingside a t t a c k .
36.Df6 /tlg4 37.Ag5 Ag7 38.Df4
/tle5 39.Af6 Af6 40.l:lf6 wg7
41. fi'g5 Db8 42.ftl!5 fi'f5 43.Df5
l:lh4 44.wgt, 1-o
The last two games show that control­
ling the center can be enough to win the
game. By definition, hanging pawns
control the center, as there are two
pawns in the center surveying all four
central squares. If the hanging pawns
can remain sid e - by-side then this
advantage can reap other benefits.
However, as the hanging pawns theme
is debated over the chessboard we can
often see their entire life cycle - ad­
vanced, isolated or passed.
Naturally, these pawns should be at­
tacked to disrupt their complete control
of the center, and if they advance the
hanging pawns must be blockaded.
Restrain. Blockade. Destroy. They
should be attacked as any weak pawns
are attacked, with the intention of
making them weaker and more vulner­
able to capture.
(052) Kottauer-Euwe,M
Amsterdam 1 950
l.c4 e6 2./tlc3 d5 3.d4 /tlf6 4.Ag5
tQbd7 s.e3 c6 6.cd5 ed5 7.Ad3
Ae7 8. \'f c 2 tQ h 5 9. Ae7 1Je7
lO.tQge2 g6 1 1 .0-0 0-0 1 2./tlg3
JV
. .. ... . - '"" . - o-· · · - ._, ... ..... ..._OJ

lbg3 13.hg3 lbf6 14.Wel W!Vd6 hanging pawns the initiative. I n view is
1 5 . a 3 wg7 1 6. b 4 a6 1 7 . lba4 a middlegame with well placed White
h 5 18. ffc5 ffe6 1 9.lbb6 ,ll b 8 minor pieces and no reasonable chance
20.f3 k[d8 21.e4 de4 22.fe4 On the for the opponent to break up his pawns.
surface it appears that White has a Black proceeds with a standard plan
dominating position, but it is about to against the hanging pawns, that of ex­
fall apart due to the weak hanging changing minor pieces and forcing the
pawns. pawns to advance. 14 ... ltlg4 15 . .!1Le7
ffe7 1 6 . ffd2 ffh4 17 .h3 ltlf6
18.e5 ltld5 19.ltld5 cd5 What has
Black accomplished, and at what cost?
Two minor pieces have been ex­
changed, the e-pawn has advanced and
the d-pawn is weak. It seems as if Black
has executed the basic action plan
against hanging pawns. The cost of this
plan - a change in pawn structure and
in the dynamics of the remaining
pieces. In this position the activity of
White's l:ts outweigh the importance of
the minor pieces, and Black now has
22 ... ltlg41 The point of this move is several pawn weaknesses - on d5, aS
to delay the White � from supporting and f7 . 20.l:[bc1 Ae6 21.l:tc5 b6
the hanging pawns . 23.Ac4 'fWd6 22.l:[c6 l:[abS The key factor here is
24. ffd6 l:[d6 25.b[ad1 25.d5?! cd5 the active White l:l.s vs. their passive
26. t2Jd5 25 ... Ae6 26.l::ld3 .b[bd8 Black counterparts. Hence exchanging
27.�ed1 Ac4 28.ltlc4 �e6 29.ltld2 minor pieces is now to White's advan­
29 . .l:te1 29 ... ltle51 30.d5 ltld3 31.de6 tage, and as a bonus he further weakens
ltle5 32.ef7 ltlf7 33.wf2 �d3, 0 - 1 . the Black pawn structure. 23.Ag6
The weak pawns spell the end to hg6 24.ltlf4 g5 25.ltle6 !Ie6 After
White's resistance. 25 . . .fe6 26.'ti'f2 'ti'f2 27. l:tf2 the win
should be simple against Black's various
Let's look at the mechanical use of an weak pawns. 26.k[c7 Two l:ts are better
otherwise good plan against the hang­ than one . 26 ... l:[f8 27.l:ld7 ,llg6
ing pawns, which rightly fails. 28. 'VWf2 't:ff2 29.�f2 g4 30.hg4
l:[g4 3 1 .l:ld5 l:icS 32.:d7 lac1
(053) Diez del Corral,J-Muco, F 33.�f l ac2 34.l::tf2 �c1 35.wh2
Luzern 1 982 l:ld1 36.d5 l::t e 4 37.l:[ff7 �e5
1.d4 ltlf6 2.c4 e6 3.ltlc3 d5 4.Ag5 3S.l:[g7 whs 39.flh7 wgs 4o.l::tdg7
il,e7 5.cd5 ed5 6.e3 0-0 7.Ad3 wrs 41.blb7 wgs 42.:hd7, 1-o
ltlbd7 8 . ltlg e 2 lieS 9 . 0 - 0 c 6
10.l:[b1 a5 1 1 . 'fWc2 ltlf8 12.f3 ltlg6 Black ignores the hanging pawns in our
13.e4 de4 14.fe4 We now have a next example. Ergo, the pawns advance
typical position which should give the at will.
 DULV I I I I I I K :S r<lWII L- C I I LCI
(054) Yakovich, Y --Geller, E
Elista 1995
1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.l0c3 il.e7 4.cd5
ed5 5.il.f4 c6 6.'91c2 g6 7.e3 il.f5
s.tfd2 l0d7 9.f3 g5 10.Ag3 h5
u.e4 de4? 1 2.fe4 il.g6 13.il.d3 h4
14.Af2 l0f8? Where is this Cjj going?
Possibly e6, but this square becomes
hot if White advances d5. If the Cjj
remained on d7, however, the d5 push
loses its sting after Black's . . . Cjj e S re­
sponse. Better was 14 ... 'iWa5!?. 15.0-0-0
tfa5 16.li::}f3 Ah5?1 Again Black
moves a piece away from the center
and ignores the hanging pawns. The
following punishment is well deserved.
17.d51 h3
18.il.d4! A common pattern seen in
both hanging pawns and the isolani,
which is pushing the pawn to clear
a square in the center for pieces to
occupy. 1 8 . . . l:(h6 1 9 . .r:lhg1 hg2
20.Ae2 li::}g6 21.ag2 l0{4 22.fff41
gf4 23.l:lg8, 1-0. Black lost on time,
probably contemplating the variation
23 . . . �f8 24.i..g7 0-0-0 25. llf8.
A fascinating attribute of hanging
pawns is their ability to effect positional
changes when one of the pawns ad­
vance. Both sides need to consider this
.J I
possibility a t every turn. The positional
weapons then available include block­
ade, passed pawns, space advantages
- not to mention open lines and King­
side attacking possibilities. Keep in
mind that after advancing the pawns,
much of the center is still under their
control.
Blockade
When facing the advance of hanging
pawns, the main idea to remember is
blockade. Obviously, the square in front
of the pawn which lags behind could
become a wonderful outpost for either
a Bishop or Knight. However, the best
blockade is the blockade of both pawns.
Nimzowitsch took the blockade seri­
ously enough to let it be the title of his
first book. Possibly his single most im­
portant legacy is our understanding of
this theme. Prior to Nimzowitsch we see
many games in which this concept is
debated. However, the theme did not
have a name, and the average chess­
player had little understanding of its
elements. Nowadays it's very different,
and most players know enough about
the blockading tactic to park a piece in
front of an eager pawn. We will discuss
the blockade below, and also in the
Isolani chapter.
Let's look at one more game outside of
the Carlsbad pawn structure, which is a
classic example of play against the
hanging pawns.
YL JVI IOOJegame � t�au:: gy
(055) Tarrasch,S-Nimzowitsch,A
Hamburg 1910
l.d4 d5 2.l0f3 e6 3.c4 c5 4.e3 l0f6
5.l0c3 l0c6 6.-'ld3 -'ld6 7.0-0
o-o s.b3 b6 9.-'lb2 -'lb7 to.ee2
dc4 l l . bc 4 cd4 1 2 . e d 4 lieS
13.l:ladl
Nimzowitsch calls this "a feeble move,"
which describes the text even better
than "weak. " Why did Tarrasch, a
Master of exceptional strength, make
this move? Well, it brings a strong piece
into action in the center, prepares to
advance the d-pawn, and plans to exert
pressure along the d-file. All of which
seems very logical. 13 ... lt)b4 14 . .i.bl
-'lf3 15.gf3 -'lb8! Black wins a pawn
by preparing the double threat along
the b8-h2 diagonal and against the
weak pawns. 16.a3 §c7 17.f4 lrf4
18.f3 lt)c6 White does not have
enough compensation for the pawn.
However, as Nimzowitsch points out in
Chess Praxis, Tarrasch has the two i.s
and " . . . the two hanging pawns promise
some attacking chances." Why? Be­
cause of the threat that the pawns will
advance, which could lead to an attack
on the Black � or against the e6 square
- or simply the creation of a passed
pawn.
Comparing the previous diagram with
the present position, it's instructive to
note how each player's plans have pro­
gressed. White's only success has been
the open file, but at a cost of threadbare
� protection. 19.l0e4 Jl{d8 20.'1tlhl
l0e7 2 1 .-tcl ec7 2 2 . lt)f6 gf6
23. §g2 lt)g6 24 . .i.a2 '1tlh8 25.f4
l0h4! Weak would be 2S . . .f5, when
White could justify his play by using the
a 1 -h8 diagonal with a well timed dS
advance. 26.Y!'fh3 l0f5 27.d5 Let's
consider the plans we've seen here, and
their effect on the position. White has
used the hanging pawns to maintain
control over the center squares, while
Black's defense has netted a material
advantage. Black has prepared counter­
action with his pieces ifWhite advances
his pawns. This energetic prophylaxis is
based on the premise that White must
push his hanging pawns and not simply
use them to maintain control of the
center. How else is White to activate
his attack? 27 ... l::tg8 28.-'lb2 .J:lg6
Actively defending and attacking.
29 ..J:lgl?! Exchanging l:ls allows Black
to consolidate by defending his weak
points while blockading the center
pawns. An improvement is 29 . .:fel !?.
29 . . . :cg8 30.�g6 �g6 3l .�fl
 llOIV J n n J K S r-awn Lt;ll tt;I J .)

ffc5 32.1Wf3 Ad6 33.1Wf2 'ef2 form of a strong Kingside attack.

34.l:af2 Ac5 35 ..t:tg2 wg7 36.�6 24 ... Ag5 25.l:lg5 "ftd8 26. 1te3
bg6 Now the pawn structure (and his ffe7 27 . lQe4 b6 2S.�fl J::[ fdS
extra pawn ! ) allows Nimzowitsch to 29.lQd6 l:td6! 30.ed6 J::[d6 31.l:lg3
win the endgame with relative ease. @d7 3 2.l:ld1 l0e7 3 3 . "fte 5 g6
37.wg2 Ad4 3S.Ac1 Ae3 39.Ae3 34.Ae4 Af5 35.l:le3 h5 36.b4 Ae4
�e3 4o.wf3 l0f5 41 .Ah1 l0d6 37.l:le4 l0d5 3S."fteS wg7 39.J:lc1
42.Ad3 e5! 43.ct>g4 f5 44.ct>g3 f6 1feS 40.):leS l0f4 4 1.):lcS l0e2
White was hoping for 44 . . . e4?, which 4 2 . l:[S c 6 ):l d 4 4 3 . l:l 1 c 2 ):ld 1
would give him drawing chances. 44.ct>h2 lQd4 45.):lc1 ):ld2 46.):lc7
45.h4 ct>f7 46.Ae2 lOeS 47.ct>f3 a5 47.ba5 ba5 4S.):la7 h4 49.ct>h1
ct>e7 4S.ct>e3 l0g7 49.Af3 ct>d6 iQe2 50.):lb1 l:ld5 5 1 .Wh2 l:lf5
50.Ad1 l0h5 51.fe5 fe5 52.c,t>d3 5 2 . ):l a b 7 ):lf4 5 3 . J:l 7 b 5 l0 c 3
wc5 5 3 . a4 l0f6 5 4 . A e 2 lOeS 54.):l1b3 l0b5 55.J:lb5 ):la4 56.J:lb3
55.ct>c3 l0d6 56.Af1 e4 57.ct>d2 f4 g5 57.ct>g1 c,t>g6 ss.wf2 t6 59.we3
5S.ct>c3 f3, 0-1 ):lc4 60.ct>d3 J:lf4 6 1.we3 ):lc4
62.CEt/d3 l:lc5 63.a4 af5 64.ct>c4
The side with the hanging pawns W2 65.g3 hg3 66.l:lg3 l:lb2, 0-1
should advance them only when condi­
tions permit either the creation of a Blockading pieces should be as active as
passed pawn, or considerable pressure possible. The following game provides a
on the opponent's position. clear demonstration of this axiom.

(056) Sokolov,I-Andersson, U (057) Ivanov,J-Samovojska , D

Reggio Emilla 1 988 Belgrade 1 988
1.d4 l0f6 2.c4 e6 3.l0c3 Ab4 4.e3 1 .d4 l0f6 2.l0f3 d5 3.c4 e6 4.l0c3
0-0 5.Ad3 d5 6.cd5 ed5 7.l0ge2 l0bd7 5.Ag5 c6 6.cd5 ed5 7.1fc2
l0c6 S.0-0 l0e7 9.f3 l0g6 10.Ac2 Ae7 8.e3 0-0 9 ..i.d3 ):leS 10.0-0
c 6 1 1 . W h 1 A e 6 1 2 . a 3 A d 6 lQf8 U.):lae1 l0e4 1 2.Ae7 1fe7
13.h3?! l0h5 14.e4 de4 1 5 . fe4 13 . .i.e4 de4 14.l0d2 f5 15.f3 ef3
l0g3 16.l0g3 Ag3 17.Ae3 Ac7 16.lQf3 l0g6 17.e4 f4
1S.e5 An interesting positional deci­
sion. White weakens his control of the
center and gives Black a strong outpost
on dS. In return, White blocks the b8-
h2 diagonal, opens the bl -h7 diagonal
and makes a strong outpost square on
d6. 1S ... Ab6 Applying pressure to the
weak link in White's pawn structure.
1 9 . tlf d 2 tlf d 7 2 0 .:[f3 :adS
21.J:ld1 "lfcS 22. tff2 �d7 23.Jk3
Ads 24.Ag5 Or 24.llf3!? 'Dh4?!
25.llf6 �f6 26.ef6 'Dg6 27.'De4 with
compensation for the Exchange in the
54 M 1ddlegame :strategy

IS.e5 1 8.d5!? IS... Ae6 The blockade

begins. 19.�e4 IDS Overprotection
of the strong point on f4. This pawn is
extremely valuable, restricting White's
use of the e3 square and retaining the
possibility of .. .f4-f3 to disrupt White's
Kingside. 20.�d6 .Ad5 Black is ma­
neuvering to increase the blockade's
e ffe c t 2 I .a3 ,ll a d8 2 2 . b4 Jld7
23.1Wf2 tWe6 24.Hcl �e7 25.�d2
tWg6 With the center under his control
Black can now proceed with the King­
side attack. 26.�2c4 b5 Restricting
After 1 9. �bl
White's counterplay on the Queenside.
27.l0e3 ,Ae4 28. tWh4 lOd5 29.l0g4 another of slightly less value. Gaining
29.ttJd5?? 1Wg2 mate. 29... �g2! 30.Wg2 an extra pawn brings the sacrifice that
h5 31.Wf2 hg4 The Black pawn duo much closer to material parity. In the
is overpowering. 32.l:lgl g3 33.hg3 present position we see the value of
fg3 34.wg2 l:tf4 35. 'Cth3 l0e3 Black's lL\ on e5 increase after this sac­
36.wht l:ld6 37.:Ig3 fie4 3S.wgt rifice because of his blockading func­
!:tg6 39. 'Ctc8 b[fS 40. fih3 'Ctf3, tion. Considering these factors, the
0-1 logic behind this small sacrifice is clear:
with a minor material concession Black
Sometimes the advantage of the block­ can maintain the initiative and increase
ade is more important than material. the activity ofhis pieces. 20.l0d4 '«fd4
The following positional sacrifice by 21.1te3 21 .'iti>h2 �d6! 21 ... 1fte3 Basic
Grandmaster Andersson is a thematic strategy - the material advantage be­
example of this situation. comes more important as pieces are re­
moved from the board. 22.1:le3 ads
(058) Gutman, L-Andersson, U 23.1:ldl J:[e8 24.g[d4 l0f6 25 ..Hel
Wijk aan Zee 1 987 Wf8 26.l:ta4 a6 27 .I;ld4 lOfd 7
l.d4 l0f6 2.c4 e6 3.l0c3 d5 4.cd5 28.Wf2 h5 29.l:lcl we7 Black's
ed5 5.�g5 c6 6.e3 ,Ae7 7.�d3 blockade of the e-pawn continues the
l0bd7 S.l0ge2 l0h5 9.Ae7 1We7 j ustify his sacrifice, giving Black the
10.'Ctd2 g6 11.0-0 0-0 1 2.f3 l0b6 initiative plus time to reposition his
13.l:(ael �e6 14.e4 de4 15.fe4 pieces. 30.l0e2 h4 3 1 .btd2 !lh8
�adS 16.h3 l0c4 1 7.ficl 1tb4 32.�c2 �h5 33.Adt l0f6 34.we3
1S.b3 l0e5 19.Abl lOfd7 35.l0d4 I:[h8 Notice how little
the l:.s can do in this position. There are
(see next diagram) no open files for infiltration, or weak
points along semi-open files to pressure.
19 ....J:ld4 What does it mean to s a c ­ 36.Ae2 �8 37.l0f3 l:ih8 38.l:td4
rifice the Exchange? Materially, i t is l0f3 39 .gf3 Ah3 40.l:[hl �e6
s i m p l y the t r a d e of o n e p i e c e fo r
41.f4 f6 42.f5 gf5 43.ef5 Af5
44.J:ldh4 l:lh4 45.l:lh4 The endgame
is finally reached, and we find the
material count close to even, actually
favoring Black a l i t tl e . 45... cet/d6
46.Ag4 Ag4 47.I:lg4 a5 48.cet/e4
we6 49.J:lg8 �c5 50.wd4 wd6
5 1.J:ld8 wc7 52.�a8 b6 53.J::le8
�d6 54.J::ld8 wc7 55.J::le 8 cet/d6,
1/2-1/2

The blockade in the next example is

against "pseudo" hanging pawns. The
pawns act like hanging pawns because
their neighbor, the f-pawn, does not
join the fight.
After 22.e5
36..r::tg l il.c5 37.li)g4 fid1 38. 'iVeS
l:(eS 39 ..t:ldl c3, 0-1

(059) Sielecki, C-Hohelj ,S

Porz 1992 Passed Pawn
1.d4 d5 2.c4 Af5 3.�c3 e6 4.li)f3
�6 5.Ag5 c6 6.e3 il.e7 7. ltb3 When we consider the passed pawn
b6 8.il,e2 0-0 9.0-0 h6 10.il,f6 as it relates to hanging pawns, it is
.i.f6 ll.J::l(d l tfd6 1 2.l:(ac1 J::ldS intuitively obvious that a passed pawn
13.a3 li)d7 14.ffa2 a6 15.b4 b5 created out of this structure can never
16.cd5 ed5 17.l0d2 ll:)b6 18.l0b3 be an outside passed pawn, which
l0c4 1 9 . l0c5 ltc7 2 0 . e 4 il,e6 would increase in value as we approach
21.il,c4 dc4 22.e5 If he cannot follow the ending. Instead, hanging pawns
up with f4 and f5, or use his forward will produce a central passed pawn,
outposts and Kingside space advantage, whose middlegame activity can be quite
this pawn structure will not be in energetic.
White's favor. Here his pawn weak­
nesses put White on the defensive, and Creating a passed pawn is one of the
give Black the initiative. strongest threats posed by hanging
pawns. Combined with the dynamics
(see next diagram) of pushing a center pawn into enemy
territory, this threat to make a passed
22...il,e7 23.lte2 a5 24.�3e4 ab4 pawn leads to highly charged, complex
25.ab4 Da3 26.ll:)e6 26. 'it'b2!? l:tda8 positions.
27.l:tal. 26...fe6 27.trfg4 fid7 28.l:lel
whs 29.l:le3 .t:ld3 30 ..t:(cel ytd4 If a pawn could dream, it would prob­
31. tfe6 il.b4 32.�f6 .t:le3 33.fe3 ably dream of becoming a passer. World
tfd3 34 . .t:(fl fie3 3 5 . W h l fid3 Champion Kasparov fulfills that dream
56 M JOa Jegarnt: .:nraregy
for his d-pawn (with style ! ) in the fol-
lowing contest.
(060) Kasparov, G-Andersson, U
Belfort 1 988
l.d4 �f6 2.c4 e6 3.l0c3 d5 4.cd5
ed5 5.Ag5 c6 6.tl\fc2 il.e7 7.e3
lt)bd7 s.Ad3 o-o 9.l0ge2 lieS
10.0-0 iOfS ll.f3 Ae6 12 ..C(ael
.C(cS l3.wht l06d7 t4..i,e7 l:[e7
15.l0f4 Uc7 t6.tl\ff2 i0f6 17.e4
de4 18.fe4 Many of the positional
terms used today were coined by
Nimzowitsch. However, this formation
was appropriately named by the god­
father of positional chess, Wilhelm
Steinitz, as "hanging pawns." They are
"hanging" in mid-air, requiring protec­
tion by pieces instead of their fellow
pawns. 18 ...l::tcd7
19.d51 Tactically creating a passed
pawn, an important goal of hanging
pawns. t9 ...cd5 20.Ab5 nc7 2t.ed5
Ad7 2 1 . .. lUd5?! 22J:tdl and the pin
will be devastating. 22.Ae2 Simple.
White wins a pawn due to the twin
threats of23.d6 and 23.1't'a7. 22 ...,ttc8
23.1fa7 b6 24.1Va6 it)e4 25.d6
�d6 26.lt)fd5 �e5 27.fib6 i0f5
28.\VdS J:ldS 29.Ad3 ,Jlel 30.net
�g6 3 l . a 4 �d4 3 2 . a 5 w fs
33._ag6 hg6 34.l;Idl �e6 35.�b6
_ac6 3 6 .l::[d 8 �dS 37 .b4 �e6
38.b5, 1-0
Passed pawns are always dangerous, and
"pawn grabbing" is always risky. The
next game is a good illustration of both
axioms.
(061 ) Cvitan, O-Kovacevic, V
Sarajevo 1988
l.d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.l0c3 i0f6 4.e3 e6
5.l0f3 l0bd7 6.il.d3 a6 7.b3 il.d6
8.0-0 0-0 9 . .i.b2 dc4 10.bc4 c5
11. 1fc2 cd4 12.ed4 For this pawn
structure to arise from the Carlsbad the
colors would have to be reversed. An
important part of understanding any
chess concept is the ability to apply it
in similar situations. 12 ...b6 Played to
develop the j_ and protect against b6
becoming a strong outpost for White.
13.l0e4 Ae7 14.it)f6 it)f6 15.l0e5
-'lb7 16.aael Threatening to lift the
.: to the third rank, adding its power to
the Kingside attack. t6 ... b5 17.c5
1fd5?1 Wins a worthless pawn while
the passed pawn begins its march.
18.f4 1Va2 19.l::te 3 ]:tadS 20.f5
Preparation is extremely important
when the passed pawn is used in the
middlegame. The pawn on e6 is a sig­
nificant defensive force in Black's posi­
tion, protecting against the White n's
infiltration and the advance of the d­
pawn. The text opens the e-file and
increases the white-squared �·s range
of fire. 20 ... ef5 21.Af5 h6 22.c6
il,c8 23.c7 l::[ d eS 24.il,c8 l:lcS
25.l0c6 il,d6 26. JV6! Black's pieces
are disorganized, and his � cannot
survive this rupture of his pawn cover.
26 . . . gf6 27.it)e7 whs 28.�h3
:lfeS 29.'itcl Af4 30.fff4 f!Vbl Preventing Black's .. .l:tc8 plan of infil­
3l.Acl, 1-0 trating along the c-file, but allowing
another maneuver to advance the
The next game presents a curious situ­ pawn. A subtle example of two weak­
ation in which play against the hanging nesses leading to defeat. 39...Af5
pawns results in a central passed pawn 40.l:[ddl .1\g4 4l.Df'l d3 42.R_g4
for the opposing side. hg4 43. 1fc4 d 2 44.l:[cdl Ah6
45.Df6 Wg7 46.Dffl l:[cS 47.1fe4
(062) Ostergaard,J-Kristensen, B f5 4 S . tf e 5 W h 7 4 9 . h 4 g h 3
Hillerod Politiken 1 995 50.wh2 Des 5 1 .lfc5 J:le2 52.Wh1
t.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.t0c3 t0!6 4.t0f3 b6, 0-1
,1\e7 5 . .1\g5 0-0 6.e3 h6 7 .,1\f6
,1\f6 S.l:[cl a6 9.cd5 ed5 10.Ad3 Reshevsky's use of the center pawns in
c6 U.O-O i0d7 1 2.b4 t0b6 13. fib3 the following game is very instructive.
DeS 14.a4 i1,g4 15.t0d2 .1\e7 16.a5
tOeS 17.t0a4 t0d6 1S.t0c5 .ti.f6 (063) Reshevsky,S-Guimard,C
19.lfb2 1fe7 20.Dfel .ti.f5 21.Afl New York 1951
Dads 22.l:lcdt g6 23.wht .1\g7 1.d4 t0!6 2.c4 e6 3.t0c3 d5 4.cd5
24.f3 Ylh4 25.g3 fig5 26.e4 de4 ed5 5 ..ti.g5 c6 6.ffc2 .ti.e7 7.t0f3
27.t0de4 t0e4 2S.fe4 After a lot t0bd7 S.e3 t0h5 9.h4 f6 10.g4
of maneuvering the hanging pawns iOfS 1 1 .g h 5 fg5 1 2 .hg5 .ti.g5
appear. 13.t0e5 R_f6 14.0-0-0 1fe7 15.f4
,1\e6 16.e4 de4 17.d5 Ae5 1S.fe5
An unusual version of hanging pawns.
1S... R_g4 After 18 ... ,j_d5 1 9.lLldS cdS
20 . .tb5 �f7 2 1 .l:d5 White's position
is very strong. 19.Ae2 .1\e2 20.1!fe2
t0d7 Or 20 .. .'9We5 2 1 .dc6 bc6 22.lLle4
and White's attack is overwhelming.
2 1 . lfe4 0-0 22.e6 cd5 23.t0d5
lrg5 24.wbt t0c5 25.1fc4 l:[acS
26.e7 J:l(eS 27.t0f6, 1-0

Next is a compelling example of the

power imbued in a passed pawn.
2 S . . . Ag4 2 9 . A e 2 .ti. c S 3 0 . e 5
30.i..f3!? 30...h5 31.t0e4 't'fe7 32.Af3 (064) Bareev, E-Raicevic, V
Ae6 33.t0d6 l:(d6! 34.ed6 fid6
Belgrade 1988
White's weak pawns and lack of � pro­
1.d4 e6 2.c4 t0f6 3.t0c3 d5 4.cd5
tection give Black compensation for the
ed5 5 . .ti.g5 c6 6.e3 Ae7 7 .Ad3
Exchange. 35.'ftc3 l:[dS 36.'ftc5
t0bd7 s.ttc2 o-o 9.t0ge2 Des
lfd7 37.d5 Trying to consolidate his
10.0-0 tOfS U.f3 t0h5 12.Ae7 l::te7
position by ridding himself of the weak
13.e4 de4 14.fe4 tOe6 14 . . . �e6!?
pawn. 37 ... cd5 3S.l:[d3 d4 39.l::tc l
 JO 1YJ. IUUI\,;o,00111� t,J LJ OL'"'5J

15.d5 Hanging pawns, l i ke t h e i r The next couple of games combine

brother the isolani, have a strong desire our study of the passed pawn with
to advance. 15 ... �c5 16.tladl Ag4 an introduction to the Kingside attack
17.Ac4 b5? 1S.dc6 lta5 19.Ab5 (see p.64) .
�e4 20.�d5 J:le5 21.a4 J:ld5 The
passed pawn is extremely dangerous (066) Sakaev,K-Johansen, M
with the iLl controlling the c7 square. Gausdal 1 992
22.J:ld5 ttb6 23.�d4 �hf6 24.a5 1.d4 �f6 2.c4 e6 3.�c3 d5 4.cd5
1fc7 25.Ac4 tieS 26.J:lb5 AcS ed5 5.Ag5 c6 6.e3 Ae7 7 .Ad3
27.tt�f3 wfs 2S.Ad3 Aa6 29.l:tb3 0-0 S . �ge2 �bd7 9 . 0 - 0 tieS
Ad3 30.J:ld3 eas 31.�d4 Yib6 10. ffc2 g6 ll.a3 �f8 12.b4 a6
32.tte1 �g5 33.�e8 �e8 34. ec3 13.f3 �e6 14.Ah4 �g7 15.c;Ph1
�e6 35.eb4 1fb4 36.J:[b4 �dS A f 5 1 6 . A f 2 e b s 1 7 . e4 de4
37.�d4 We7 3S.J:[b7, 1-0 1S.fe4 Ae6 19.Ag1 �g4 20.h3
�6 Instead, 20 . tL'lh6? hopes for .. .fS,
. .

The following is submitted as an un­ but after 2 1 . .ie3 g5 22.e5 Black's

usual and instructive use of the passed Kingside is an embarrassment. 21.l:lf3
pawn. h5 22.�a4 1fd8 23.�c5

(065) Filip,M-Urbanic
Czechoslovakia 1 954
l.d4 �f6 2.c4 e6 3.�c3 Ab4 4.e3
c5 5.Ad3 0-0 6.�f3 d5 7.0-0
�c6 8.a3 cd4 9.ed4 dc4 10.Ac4
Ae7 ll.Ag5 �d5 12.Ae7 �ce7
13.1fd3 �c3 14.bc3 �g6 1 5.l:lfe1
Ad7 16.�e5 J:[c8 17.Aa2 �e5
18.J:[e5 Ac6 19.J:lae1 'ifd6 20.c4
J:[fd8 2 1 .d5 ed5 2 2 . cd 5 Ad7
23.h4 J:[cl?l Giving up control of the
c-file lets White maintain the initiative
after exchanging l:ts. Passive defense 23 ... Ac5?1 Positionally an ugly move.
with 23 . . . l:te8 was required in this posi­ The dark squares on the Kingside are
tion. 24.J:[c1 Yle5 25. 1Wc4 1We8 weak and need this j_, Also, the new
Black cannot maintain his blockade of pawn structure increases White's space
the passed pawn, e.g. 25 . . . 'i!Vd6 26.'Wc7 advantage and allows him to create a
'Wc7 27.l:tc7 .Jtc8 28.d6 and the pawn passed pawn. 24.bc5 �h7 25.�f4
advances. 26.'ffb4 b6 27.J:le1 ers �g5 26.l:lff1 Ac8? 27.d5 1fe7
2S.l:le7 a5 29. ffe4 Af5 30. ees 2s.aae1 ll)h7 29.Ac4 whs 30.d6
A e 6 3 1 .l:lc7 AcS 3 2 . d 6 .rle8 't'fd7 3 1.Ad4 :gs 32.Yib3 ars
33.Yfe8, 1-0. In view of 33 ... 'fi'e8 33.'t'fc3 DgS 34.�d3 li)g5 35.li)e5
34.�f7 'fi'f7 35.l:tc8 'i!Vf8 36.d7. 1te8 36.�f7' 1-0
 &....I V L ¥ 1 1 11 1 1 1'- � & ... • .- a a - - • • •-•

(067) Vaisser,A-Mozny, M
Clichy 1 991
1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.lt�c3 /Of6 4.cd5
ed5 s.Ag5 Ae7 6.e3 c6 7.ffc2
ll:)bd7 s.Ad3 0-0 9.ltlge2 l:teS
10.0-0 ll:)fs 1 1 .f3 ltlh5 1 2.Ae7
ff e 7 1 3 . e4 d e 4 1 4 . fe 4 A g 4
1 5.l::lf2 ffg5 16.l:(afl l::le7 17.Ac4
ll:)e6 1 8.d5 ll:)dS 1 9.1fd3 1te5
20.ID5 'fld6 21.l::lg 5 Ae2 22.li)e2
ll:) f 6 2 3 . ltlg 3 g6 2 4 . 'fl d 4 h 6
25.e5 A duo on the fifth rank, control
of the center and an attack on the King­
22.gh3 1th3 23.ID2 ltlh4 23 ... .:tf8?!
side. What more does White need to
24.:cth2 ..Wg4 25.:ctg2 'iWh3 26.:ctg3 and
win the game? How about a passed
the e6 pawn falls. 24.f::lafl Defending
pawn and more open lines to the Black
against his opponent's threats and
�! 25 ... 1Vb4 26.llg6! fg6 27.d6
creating some of his own. 24... 1rg4
wh7 28.Ags ll:)gs 29.\'fb4 De5
2s.wh2 'ifhs 26.ltlg3 1th6 27.1fb7
30.IDS wg7 3t.d7 ltlf6 32.'ftd6
ltlf5 28.Wg1 28.�g2? lt::le3. 28 ... f::lab8
li)d7 33.W"1, 1-0
28 ... 'Llg3? 29.'iWf7 �h8 30.Wf8 wins.
29. ftc7 f::lbcS 30.ltlf5 ef5 30 .. .'ifg6
Our next example shows that the
3 1 .'iYg3 ef5 32.'i¥g6. 31.1ff4 1Jf4
a track should be considered very care­
32.l:1{4 fe4 33.f::le4 f::le4 34.ll:)e4
fully.
f::ld S 3 5 .f::l f4 h 6 3 6 . li)c5 f::ld 6
37.wf2 g5 38.f::le4 wf7 39.we3
(068) Gulko ,B-Bonsch, U h5 40.f::le 5 l::lg6 41.ll:)e4, 1-0
Thessaloniki 1 988
1.d4 ll:)f6 2.c4 e6 3.ltlc3 d5 4.cd5
ed5 s.Ag5 Ae7 6.e3 o-o 7.Ad3
Attack the Hanging Pawns
ll:)bd7 8 . li)ge2 �e8 9 . YWc2 c6
with Pawns
10.0-0 ltlfS 1 1 .a3 Ad6 1 2.CiYh1
ll:)g6 13.f3 Ae7 14.e4 de4 15.fe4
An i mpor t a n t method of playing
ll:)g4 16.Ae7 'fle7 17.Ac4 Ae6
against the hanging pawns is to attack
18.Ae6 fe6 19.'ftb3 1Vh4 20.h3
them with adjacent pawns. This tech­
li) f 2 2 1 . c;fl g 1 ltl h 3 B l a ck h a s
nique forces one of the pair to advance
achieved his aim of exposing the White
and be blockaded, or to exchange itself
� to attack. However, the only pieces
and leave behind an isolani to be
he has nearby are the 'iV and lt::l , which
blockaded.
will not be able to set up a mating net.

(069) Rechlis;G-Bykhovsky,A
(see next diagram)
Tel Aviv 1 995
l.d4 ll:)f6 2.c4 e6 3.ltlc3 d5 4.cd5
ed5 s.Ag5 Ae7 6.e3 c6 7.Ad3
60 M lamegame ;:)lfaregy

ltlbd7 8.ltlge2 ltlf8 9. tvc2 ltle6

10.il.,h4 g6 1 1 .f3 Jil.d7 1 2.0-0 0-0
13.wh1 �c8 14.tvd2 ltlh5 15.Jil.e7
11!fe7 16.e4 de4 17 .fe4 Black will
now attack the hanging pawns, be­
cause they cannot be allowed complete
control over the center. 17 ... l0eg7!?
18.l:[ae1 f5 Striking at the hanging
pawns with an adjacent pawn will cause
structural changes, and weaken their
control over the center. Here an isolani
appears, but the advance 1 9.e5 was a
serious consideration. 19.ef5 1 9.e5!?
After 14 . . . c5
�e6 or 19 . . . 'Lle6. 19 ... �f5 20.�f5
W5 21.W5 gf5 2 1 ...'Llf5? 22.g4 wins. 1 7 .d 5 ! .tdS 1 8 . 'Lld5 �d5 1 9 . �c4
22.d5 White must push the pawn if he 'i¥d8 20J:tf7. 17.ef6 dc3 18.bc3 gf6
is to rid himself of this weakness. With 19.l0d4 .i.d5 20.:lf2 l:tc8 21. l¥d2
few pieces on the board the static weak­ l:te5 22.�f5 �e6 23.l:lafl �f5
ness of an isolani outweighs its dynamic 24.W"5 ID'5 25.W5 1td6 26.:f3,
strength. 22 ...l:td8 23.l0d4 23J:tdl !? 1/2-1/2
23 ...'ifh4 24.l0f3 1tf6 25.wg1 a6
26.l:te5 h6 27.11!fc2 27.'i¥e3!? 27... lOf4 Let's now look at a similiar pattern of
28.1tb3 l0d5 29.l0d5 cd5 30."fib7 simplication by exchanges on d4, c3
d4 3 1 . l:l d 5 d3 3 2 . "tt b 3 � h 7 and f6, but which fails.
33 . .:ld3 l:[d3, 1/2-1/2
(071 ) Gutman, L-Rabiega,R
The following example of a flank blow
1 991
against hanging pawns results in simpli­
l.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.l0c3 �e7 4.cd5
fication, and the release of tension
ed5 5.�f4 l0f6 6.e3 0-0 7 . .i.d3
results in a draw.
c6 8.h3 �e8 9.l0ge2 9.'Llf3 �d6
l O . tt::l e S 'i¥e7 l l . 'iWf3 tt::l b d7 g a v e
(070) Malaniuk, V-Pigusov, E White a slight edge i n Huzman,A­
Sverdlovsk 1 987 Boi m , l Te l Aviv 1 9 9 4 . 9 . . . l0bd7
1.d4 i0f6 2.c4 e6 3.l0c3 d5 4.cd5 10.0-0 l0f8 11.1td2 i0g6 12 . .i,h2
ed5 5.�g5 �e7 6.e3 0-0 7.1tc2 .i,d6 13 . .i.d6 1Vd6 14.f3 1Ve7
l0bd7 8.�d3 �e8 9.l0ge2 iOfS 15.e4 de4 16.fe4 c5 Not 16 . . . b6?!
10.0-0 c6 U.f3 l0g6 1 2.e4 de4 17.e5 tt::l d5 18.tt::ld 5 cdS 19.l:tacl and
13.fe4 �e6 14.h3 c5 White has the better game. 17.e5 cd4
After 17 . . . tt::l d7 18.�c4 .l:tf8 19.tt::ld 5
(see next diagram) �d8 20. tt::l ef4 White maintains a
strong attack. 18.ef6 dc3 19.l0c3
15.Jil.f6 If l S.dS �d7 the hole at eS gf6 20 . .i.g6 hg6 2 1 . l0d5 1Vc5
will give Black an advantageous block­
ade. 1 5. . .il.,f6 16.e5 cd4 1 6 . . . it.gS?!
22.wht Wg7 23./tlf6 l::te3 24.l::tact
ffe5 25..1:lc8 .ticS 26.�g4, 1-0
It is a common pattern to prepare a
flanking strike against the hanging
pawns before they even appear on the
board. Such a course is prophylactic
thought in action.
(fJ72) Troeger,P-Lixenfeld,M
1 982
t.d4 d5 2.lof3 �f6 3.c4 c6 4.e3
.l,f5 5.l0c3 e6 6.i,.e2 i,.d6 7.l0h4
i,.g6 8 . l0g 6 h g 6 9 . h 3 � b d 7
10.i,.d2 J::[c8 l l.ffb3 ffc7 12.cd5
edS 13.Af3 l0b6 14.l0a4 l0c4
1 S . i. b 4 i,. b 4 1 6 . fi'b 4 ff e 7
t7.ee7 we7 t8.b3 l0d6 t9.Ae2
/Ofe4 20.l:[cl gS 21.0-0 fS 22.i.d3
J:l h 6 2 3 . f3 l0 f 6 2 4 . l:[fe 1 g4
2S.Afl .l:[ch8 26.l0c3 gh3 27.gh3
l0h7 28.e4 de4 29.fe4 The hanging
pawns make their appearance already
under attack by adjacent pawns. The
following transition through hanging
pawns is brief, yet important to con­
sider. 29...l0g5 30.ef5 cJ7f6 31.wf2
B l a c k w a s t h r e a t e n i n g 31 ...l2Jf3.
31 ... /0fs 3 L . wf5? ! 3 2 . Ad3 wf6
(32 . . . wf4?? 3 3 . l2Je2 m a t e) 3 3 . l:tf1 .
32.l0e4 l0e4 33.J:le4 Dh4 34.Db4
J:lh4 3 S . d 5 c d S 3 6 . f!c7 Db4
37.i.d3 l0d6 3S.l:ld7 .l:lh6 39.we3
w e s 4 0.l:tg7 d4 4 t . cJ7f3 Dc6
42.l:tg5 we6 43.:gl DeS, 1/2-1/2
As with any manuever, a flank attack
on hanging pawns is not always the
correct procedure. In the next game
we see an attack on hanging pawns by
adjacent pawns as the initial mistake
of the game.
(073) Gurevich,M-Cekro,E
Germany 1996
l.d4 l0f6 2.c4 e6 3.l0c3 Ab4 4.e3
o-o s.l0ge2 dS 6.a3 Ae7 7.cd5
edS 8.g3 c6 9.Ag2 i.fS 10.0-0
tfd7 11.f3 hSI? Previously played was
l l . . . Ah3 1 2 . �h3 'ti'h3 1 3 . e4 de4
1 4.l2Jf4 fid7 1 5.fe4 l2Ja6 16.e5 l2Jd5
17.l2Jcd5 cd5 18.�e3 with a slight edge
for White, as in Epishin,V-Anasta­
sian,A Tbilisi 1 989. 12.e4 de4 13.fe4
i,.g4 14.Ae3 Overprotection of the
hanging pawns is a reoccuring pattern.
14 ... l0h71? With the idea of 15 . . . h4,
pursueing an attack on the Kingside.
lS.ttell lOgS If 15 . . . h4 16.gh4 'ti'd8
17.�f2 White can defend the position
with ease. 16.�f4 l0a6 17.Whl
l0c7 18.1Jf2 i.f6 19.Dac1 Dae8
20.l:lc2 cS?I Here the strike by an
adjacent pawn is a mistake. White will
be able to use Black's Queenside pawns
to maintain an advantage. Superior
was 20 . a6 2 1 . l:td2 �c8 when Black's
. .
position is better than in the game.
21.e51 cd4 22 ..l,d4 i.eS 23.Ae5
De5 24.1:ld2 1We7 25. 1ta7 J:le1
26.Ddf2 b5 27 .):let 1!!Je l 28.):lfl
ffeS 29.l0d31 1td6 30.1!!Je3 ):le8
31.'ttg 5 ffd3 32.h3 i,.e6 32 . . . fig3?
33.hg4 h4 34.1Wf4 wins. 33.cJlh2 1!!Jc 2
 · · ..
34.li:}e41 li:}d5 35.Jlf2 V!lfc7 36. 'ffh 5,
1-0. White won on time in a winning
position , e.g. 36 . . . cue3 37.'t!Yg5 cug2
38.cuf6 wms.
The Advanced Center
The first game in this section has a
number of mistakes, yet several lessons
can be learned from this struggle be­
tween two titans of positional play. It is
too easy to understate Chigorin's con­
tribution to chess. He never was World
Champion, and his fame comes from
early in the game's development. Even
though he lost the following game, it is
clear that he was a fierce fighter with a
deep understanding of chess strategy.
(074) Steinitz, W -Chigorin, M
Havana 1 889
l.ltlf3 d5 2.d4 iLg4 3.c4 ltlc6 4.e3
e6 5 . ltlc3 A b4 6 .i!L d 2 ltlge7
• l:[h6 45.l:lcl l:[c8 46.l:lgc3 ltle6
7.Ad3 Af5 Not 7 . . . 0-0?? s . .th7 �h7
9. cug5 and White is clearly better.
8.Af5 ltlf5 9.cd5 ed5 1 0.1Jb3
Ac3 l l ..ilc3 l:tb8 1 2 . 0 - 0 0 - 0
13.l:[acl l:te8 14.,1ld2 Better would
be 14 . .l:!.c2!, with the idea of 1 5 . .l:!.fcl
and 16.�el . 14...ltlce7 15.:c2 1 5 . .ta5!
15 ...c6 16.Wcl ltlg6 17..i!Lel ltlfh4
· - - · - o-- - - - - �- - � - o.;
18.li:}h4 li:}h4 19.f3 li:}f51 19 . . . 'tWg5?!
20.�g3 l:.e3?? 2 l .�h4! wins. 20.Af2
V!lfg5 2 1 .l:lel l:[e6 2 2 . e4 !lbe8
23.f:lce2 ltld6 24.e5 Vllf d 8?1 This
leads to an unsound pawn sacrifice ;
better would be 24 . . . 't!Ye7. 25.wfl
ltlc4 26.V!ffb7 V!lfg5 27.V!ff b4 After
the mistaken 27.'t!Ya7? cud2 28.�gl
cuf3 White should lose. 27...klg6
28.-'ig3 h5 29.b3 ltlb6 Continuing
the attack doesn't work, e.g. 29 . . . h4
30.bc4 hg3 3 l .h3 and White's � can
be defended e asily. 30. Vlff d 2 Vllff5
31.Vlffc2 YWg5 32.1Jd2 vwrs 33.wgt
33.'t!Yf4!? 33 ... ltlc8? Where is the
Black ttJ goin g ? Better would be
33 . . . cua8, heading for e6, a plan that
Black discovers in a couple of moves.
34.V!ffc2 1Jd7 35 ..i!Lh4 ltlb6 36.1Jd3
ltla8 37.f4 A common plan with the
advanced center, supporting it with f4
and threatening to advance further.
37 ... ltlc7 38. .i!Lf2 As with all posi­
tional plans, watch out for tactics. For
example, 38.f5? l:tg4 39.g3 (39.�f2
.l:!.f4) 39 . . . cub5 and Black is better. He
will win back his pawn and White's
center will be weak. 38...1jg4 39 . .i!Le3
f5 Naturally, Black cannot allow White
to play f5, even if it didn't win the
Exchange. Now Black hopes for some
counterplay due to White's bad � and
the excellent blockading square e6 for
his cu . 40.l:[f2 lage6 41.Vlffe 2 V!ffg6
42.W3 V!fff7 43.�3 wh7 44. .i!Lf2
47.V!ffa6 �8 4S.,g[c6 Much better
than 48.g3?, which would lead to a
strong Black attack by either 48 . . . g5
or 48 . . . h5. 48 ... ltlf4
(see next diagram)

4?.Db6? The text helps Black develop
hts attack. Better is 49.�e3! l:tc6
50J:tc6 ttJg6 5 1 .fi'e2 lLle7 52.lk7 and
White's pressure is overwhelming.
49...gh6 50.�g3 r!g6 51.1tfl lt:)e6
52.fid3 l:lg4? As pointed out by
Hooper, Chigorin had the opportunity
to seize the initiative here with 52 . . . h4
53.�h4 J:g2 54.c�hl (54.wg2 cof4)
54 . . . 'iWh5! (54 . . . J:g4? 55.�f6!). 53.h3
l:ld4 54.1ta6 )ld2? A waste of time
and the last error. Black should have
played 54 . . . l:te4!, but now his position
is hopeless. 55.Ael l:{d4 56.l::tc6
:e4 57.J:::te 6 l:lel 58.Wh2 l::tc l
59.W6 ti'g7 60.tfe6 J:[fl 61.I;lt/,
1-0
Space Advantage - The Bind
Using the space advantage created by
the advanced center, White can estab­
lish a strong bind over the position.
Reshevsky gives his opponent a pawn
for a bind that spreads over the entire
board.
l.d4 l0{6 2.c4 e6 3.l0c3 �b4 4.e3
0-0 5.l0ge2 d5 6.a3 �e7 7.l0f4
(07 5) Reshvesky,S-Ginsberg, M
Lone Pine 1980
l.d4 l0f6 2.c4 e6 3.l0c3 �b4 4.e3
0-0 5.l0ge2 d5 6.a3 �e7 7.cd5
ed5 8 . lt:) f 4 c 6 9 . � d 3 lt:) b d 7
10.0-0 l::te8 ll.b4 �d6 1 2.f3 l0f8
13.lt:)fe2 1fc7 14.h3 a5 15.l::tb l
ab4 16.ab4 tfe7 White sacrifices a
pawn to achieve a strong bind with the
e5 advance. 17.e4 �b4 18.e5 l0h5
19.1tel �c3 20. ttfc3 g6 21.f4 A
common continuation of the e5 push
is to follow it by advancing the f-pawn.
Black's . . .f5 response might lead to
counterplay with a CO on the e6 square,
applying additional pressure to the
enemy f- and d-pawn. White's control
over cS, preventing any break there (so
defending the base of his pawn center)
must be frustrating for Black. 21 ... f5
22.l::ta l �:tal 23.1fal tlh4 24.wh2
l0e6 25.�d2 ttfd8 26.tla7 lt:)hg7
27.l::tbl h6 28.1ta3 l0c7 A problem
for Black is his inability to play . . . b5,
establishing an outpost on c4 to shield
the weak c6 pawn. Unless Black can use
his extra pawn, White will retain his
�old on the position. 29.�b4 g5 Hop­
mg that complications will free his
game. 30.g3 lt:)ce6 3 1 .l::tf l lt:)f8
32. 1fcl �e6 33.g4 gf4 34. 1rf4
1tb6 35.l:tbl lt:)g6 36. 1fh6 l0e5
37.�d2 /0f3 3S.wg3 tlc7 39.wf3
1Jh2 40.�f4 fg4 4 1 .hg4 �g4
42.wg4 tlg2 43./0g3 �:te6, 1-o
The next game also sees the bind lead­
ing to a better game for White.
(076) Johner,P-Reti ,R
Dortmund 1928
 ... .. . · - - · - c -.. .. . _. ._.. ... -.. _.oJ

c6 8.Ad3 1£ibd7 9.cd5 ed5 10. 'Vc2 It is clear that the doubled pawns are an
n e s 1 1 . 0 - 0 l£if8 t 2 . b4 A d 6 improvement in Black's pawn struc­
13.Ad2 ffc7 14.g3 g 5 1 5. f£1g2 ture. Opening the a-file adds to the
1Vd7 16.f3 1fh3 17.e4 ltlh5 18.e5 counterplay B l a c k c a n ge nerate .
Ae7 19.fi)d1 fi)g7 20.itlf2 1'fd7 14.Ab2 Af5 15.f3 Ad6 16.,tte 1
21.ltle3 h5 22.Ac3 Ads 23.g4 h4 l:le8 17.g4 Ag6 18.ltlg6 hg6 It very
2 4 . A f 5 ltl f e 6 2 5 . ltl h 3 itl f 5 instructive that Larsen also uses this
26.ltlf5 itlg7 27.ltlh6 c;Yh8 28.f4 semi-open file ro gain the advantage.
ltle6 29.fg5 l:lf8 30. 1'fd2 '¥fle7 19.e4 Af4! 20.e5 ltld7 21 .Afl
31.W6 1fe8 32.ID3 '¥fle7 33.l:[afl 2 L i.cl !? 21 ... '¥flh4 22.,tte 2 ltlf8
itlg5 34.ltlg5 '¥flg5 35. I!f7 l:(e8 23. '¥fle1 fi'e1 24.l:[ee1 ltle6 A per­
36.l:(e7 1fe7 37.ltlf7 c;Yg8 38.fi'h6 fect blockade. 25.Ad3 c;Yf8 26.l:(e2
1ff7 39.J:lf7 c;Yf7 40.fi'h7 c;Yf8 c;Ye7 This 'it march has two purposes:
41.Ad2 J:(e6 42.1Vh8 c;Yf7 43. '@'dS opening the h-file for the :, and bring­
h 3 4 4 . A g 5 l:l g 6 4 5 . c;Y f 2 b 6 ing the 'it over to protect the Queen­
46.we3 Ag4 47.ft'a8 l:lg5 48. Yic6, s i d e . 2 7 . A c 2 .tl h 8 2 8 . a 4 ba4
1-0 29.�a4 .tla4 30.Aa4 b5!, 0 - 1 .
White's position was about r o crumble
The space-grabbing advanced center anyway. The weak pawns on h2, d4 and
can also rebound against White. In the even f3 overstressed White's defenses.
following game Larsen uses the block­ After 31 .�dl .l:h3 32.l:C2 �d7 33.�h l
ade on e6, "helpful" doubled pawns and j_e3 Black wins.
the semi-open files ro constrict White's
position.
Kingside Attack
(077) Ramayrat,C-Larsen,B
New York 1 986 As with all variations of the Carlsbad
1.d4 ltlf6 2.c4 e6 3.ltlc3 Ab4 4.e3 structure, opportunities exist for attack­
0-0 5.ltlge2 d5 6.a3 il,e7 7.cd5 ed5 ing the King.
8.g3 c6 9.Ag2 itla6 10.0-0 itlc7
ll.ltlf4 a6 12.b4 ltlb5 13.ttlb5 ab5 (078) Kasparov, G-Beliavsky,A
Moscow 1 987
1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.loc3 ltlf6 4.cd5
ed5 5.Ag5 Ae7 6.e3 c6 7.ffc2
0-0 8.Ad3 ltlbd7 9.ltlge2 .tieS
10.0-0 ltlf8 ll.a3 g6 1 2.b4 We
have seen that this move establishes a
"set of rules" for the Queenside pawns.
12 ... ltle6 13.Ah4 a6 14.f3 Prepar­
ing the Bomivik pawn center. 14... ltlg7
15.Af2 h5 16.h3 Still planning the
central thrust while preventing the
annoying . .. t0g4. 16...ttlh7 17.e4 Ah4
18.1fd2 _at2 19 . .X:U2 h4 20.Ac2
l0h5? Allowing White to exchange
this piece before it can reach g3.
2l.l0f4 l0f4 22.1Vf4 1Vf6 23.1fd2
I f 23. 'flf6?! lt:\f6 24.e5 lt:\h 5 Black
would be better. 23... Ae6 24.e5 tfg7
25.l0a4 lOfS 26.1Vg5 'Wh8 27.f4
f6 Desperation in the face of White's
impending fS p u s h . 28.ef6 Af7
29..i.g6! After 29.f5?! �hS 30.'Wh5
ghS White is still better, but not as over­
whelming as in the game. 29 ... Ag6
30.f5 wf7 30 . . . 'Wh5!? 3t . .!Dc5 Ah5
32..!Dh7 .!Dd7 33 ..!Dd6 wts 34. tth4
lD{6 35.g4 ,J::le7 36.g5 :ld7 37.gf6
:ld6 38.:lel l:[e8 39.r!e8 wes
40..t:(e2 wfs 41."e6 1Vh6 42.:ld6
ffe3 43.'fff2 \'fh3 44.@f4, 1-0.
There follows 44 . . . �f3 45 . .:td8 'ittf7
46. l:td7 'itt e B 47. l:te7 'itt dB 48.'Wb8
mate.
In our next example the Kingside at­
tack is already in progress when the
advanced center is established.
(079) Yrjola,J-Hodgson,J
Kecskemet 1988
1.d4 o!Df6 2.c4 e6 3. .!Dc3 d5 4.cd5
ed5 5.Ag5 Ae7 6.e3 0-0 7 .Ad3
c6 8. 'trc2 .!Dbd7 9 . .!Dge2 :le8
10.0-0 o!DfS ll.Uab1 a5 1 2.f3 c5
13.r!bd1 c4 14.Af5 .i.f5 15.f!ff5
g 6 1 6. 1t c 2 .!De6 1 7. A f 6 .i.f6
1 s.wh1 .!Dc7 19.e4 .i.g5 20.f4
Ah6 21.f5! b5 22.e5 1fd7 23. .t:lf3
a4 24.a3 :a6 25.l;tdfl gf5 26 . .t:lf5
:g6 27 . .!Dg3 .!De6 28.1tf2 :lf8
29. .!Dh5 .i.g7 30.h3 whS 3l.W7
l:tf7 32. @f7 1Vf7 33.l:lf7 .!Dd4
34.J:te7 h6 35. .!Dd5 Jk5 36. .!Dhf6,
1-0
However, we cannot assume that a
Kingside attack is always a good idea.
In the next game Black does not have
the pre-conditions to justify his aggres­
sion.
(080) Tal,M-Van Geet,D
Wijk aan Zee 1 968
1 .e4 e5 2 . .!Df3 .!Dc6 3.Ab5 Ac5
4.c3 .!Df6 5.d4 .i.b6 6. t¥e2 ed4
7.e5 0-0 8.cd4 :leS 9.Ae3 .!Dd5
10 . .!Dc3 .!De3 1 1 .fe3 d5 1 2.0-0
Ag4 t3.flf2 .i.h5 t4.Aa4 Aa5
15.:lac1 Ac3 16.l:lc3 :le6 17.::tfc1
.!Db4 18 . .i.b3 Ag6 1 9 . 1Jd2 c6
20.a3 .!Da6 2 1.Ac2 Ae4 22.f!fe2 f6
23.ef6 'tff6 23 . . . gf6!? prevents the llJ
from shielding the weak pawn on e3.
24. .!De5
24 ... ffh4?1 Playing along general prin­
ciples, initiating a Kingside attack and
weakening White's pawn structure. But
what is there in this position to support
the idea of a Kingside attack? White
will be able to exchange the As, and
Black's lL\ is completely out of play,
leaving few pieces to conduct an assault
on White's Kingside. Instead 24 . l:le5!?
. .
should be consi dered, to r e move
White's best placed piece and weaken
the e3 square. The struggle would
uu

continue, but with more possibilities for seems like mere common sense that
Black than after the text. 25.g3 ffh3 pawns in a chain will be weaker when
26.�e4 de4 27.J::[b3 IV'S 27 . . . llb8? t he base is u ndermined . 25.t;)f3
28.lLlc6. 28.�b7 c5 29.�a7 cd4 25.e6? �d6. 25 ... �c8 26.dc5 bc5
30.ed4 1Wh6 31.W1 W'1 32.tffl The hanging pawns appear. It is amaz­
tfe3 33.wh1, 1-o ing how often the various themes in­
terweave in the Carlsbad structure.
27.�a2 il.e6 28.I[e2 l:td7 29 ..1ib3
The . c5 Break
. . 1ta5 30. YWa4 1Wb6 Black has the bet­
ter position, based on pawn structure
One methoJ of dealing with White's and piece placement. 31.l:d5?? White
advanced center is to attack its base. must have been expecting Black to take
Obviously, . . . c5 does this job - when it the ll and lose the Exchange. After
can be played. Black's reply the pin on the White ll is
devastating. 31 ...1:(ed8!, 0-1
(081) Yusupov, A---Short, N
Barcelona 1 989 In the following game the ... cS break
1.t;)f3 d5 2.d4 t;)f6 3.c4 e6 4.t;)c3 caused Black's downf2.ll, instead of giv­
�e7 5.�g5 h6 6.Af6 �f6 7.e3 ing him counterplay.
0-0 8.'@b3 c6 9.l:[d1 t;)d7 10.Ad3
b6 1 1 . 0-0 �b7 1 2 .1:(fe l :es (082) Kasparov,G-Nikolic,P
13.�b1 �c8 14.cd5 ed5 1 5.e4 Beograd 1989
t;)f8 16.e5 il.e7 17.1tc2 J:(c7 18.a3 l .d4 t;)f6 2.c4 e6 3.t;)c3 �b4
� c 8 1 9 . h 3 g6 2 0 . 1f d 2 c;Y g 7 4. @c2 d5 5.cd5 ed5 6.il.g5 h6
21.t;)h2 t;)e6 22.t;)e2 il.a6 7.il.h4 g5 8 .il.g3 t;)e4 9.e3 c6
10.il.d3 t;)g3 ll.hg3 Ae6 12.a3
iLfB 13.f4 gf4 14.gf4 Jl.g4 15.Jl.f5
il.f5 1 6 . tff5 t;)d7 1 7 . e4 'YWf6
18. @f6 t;)f6 19.e5 t;)d7 20.t;)ge2
ags 2 1 . wt2 l0h6 2 2 . h3 wd7
23.t;)g3 �cs 24.wf3

23.t;)f4 Normal strategy against the

blockade is to exchange the blockading
piece. 23 ... t;)f4 24.1!!ff4 c5 Attacking
the base of White's center, which
Nimzowitsch recommended in his
treatment of pawn chains. Today it
24...e5? The opening of this file leads already beginning to make itself felt.
to Black's downfall, because he cannot 26 ... 'ftd8 27./03a4 1'fh4 28.ffe3
use it to infiltrate the White position. �f8 2 9 . f4 .i.eS 3 0 . /0 b 6 /Oe6
Meanwhile the pawn on d5 becomes a 3l.�c8 J::lcS 32.�e6 fe6 33. 1tg3?!
handicap. 25.de5 l:le5 26.�ee2 By ffg3 34.hg3 J::lb7
controlling the c3 square White can
n u l l i fy B l a c k ' s c - fi l e o p e r a t i o n s .
26. . .l:(e6 2 7.l:(hel! Del 28.l:(el
.i.a3 29.l:lal .i.e5 30.�f5 l:[aS
Bett e r w a s 30 . . . 1:th8 3 1 . l:t h l �f8
32.g4, planning 33.lt)g3 and g5 to con­
tinue the pawn roller and win the h­
p a w n . 3 l . � h 6 w e 6 3 2 .g4 a 5
33.l:lcl �d7 34.�e3 J:la6 35.J:lel
d4 36.f5 ¢>e7 37.�d5 wfs 38.e6
fe6 3 9 . fe 6 �bS 4 0 . �f5 �e6
4l.g5, 1-0

In the following game the ... c5 break 35.¢>f2?! 35.1:tebl l:tcb8 36.�f2 c3
results from a tactical oversight. How­ 37. l:tc2 l:tb4 38. l:tb4 l:t b4 39. l:tc3.
ever, the game is still an interesting 35...e5 Spotting the weak point in
study of the Carlsbad. White's position. 36.dc5 J::lc5 37.We3
l:la5 38.¢>d4 l:lab5 39.l:lal a5
40.l:la4 l:lb4 4l.l:lba2 f:la4 42.f:la4
(083) Mohr, G-Vucicevic, M
f:lb4 43 .l:la3 ¢>f7 4 4 . g 4 hg4
Belgrade 1 988
45.l:lg3 l:lh3 46.l:lg4 l:ld3 47.wc5
l.d4 �f6 2.�(3 d5 3.e3 g6 4.e4
c3, 0-l
.i.g7 5.�e3 0-0 6.1tb3 e6 7.cd5
ed5 S. .i,e2 b6 9.�e5 .i.e6 10.0-0
e6 l l.f!ra4 'ifd6 1 2.b4 b5 13.ffb3
�bd7 14.�d3 �b6 15.�c5 ID"e8
The d5/j5 Formation
16.a4 a6 17.ffdl .i.f5 18.J:la2 h5
This idea of establishing pawns on d5
1 9. a 5 �e4 20 . .i.e4 be4 W h i t e
achieves good posts for his ltJs, yet little and f5 can be found in several vari­
counterplay. 2l.f3 This maneuver (the ations of the Carlsbad structure. Let's
Botvinnik pawn center) is used to gain start our discussion with a couple of
more control over the center and to games which do not conform to the
advanced center structure.
activate the dark-squared .i.. 2l ... J:la7
22.:e1 .i.h6 Black was faced with
h aving to defend t h e w e a k d a r k Korchnoi and Karpov have played each
other an incredible number of times. In
squares. Ergo, preparing t o exchange
my opinion the following battle is
the dark-squared As is a good posi­
Korchnoi's best win over Karpov.
tional plan. 23.e4 .i,el 24.e5 24. 't!t'cl?
de4 25.fe4 'Wd4. 24... ebs 25. eel
�d7 26.l:[b2 The weak b-pawn is
uo

(084) Karpov,A-Korchnoi, V
Dortmund 1 994
t.d4 /Of6 2.c4 e6 3.�(3 b6 4.a3
.i.b7 5.�c3 d5 6 ..i.g5 .i.e7 In round
5 of this tournament (Lutz-Kortchnoi) ,
Kortchnoi played 6 . . . dc4. 7.ffa4 This
move essentially forces the struggle into
the Carlsbad formation. After either
7 . . . c6 or 7 . . . ltJbd7, White can continue
with 8.�f6 and 9.cd5 to ensure that
Black recaptures with the e -pawn.
7 ...c6 8.Af6 .i.f6 9.cd5 ed5 10.g3
0-0 l l .Ag2 �d7 1 2 . 0 - 0 Ae7
22 ...g51 Korchnoi now turns his atten-
13.1::lfdl?! This is too slow for the
tion to the Kingside. 23.lte2 �8
position (better was 1 3.e4!?� . �la�k's
24.\t>f2 Haf8 25./0f3 h6 26.�fe5
.

reply gives Kortchnoi the tmttattve.

\t>h7 27.\t>gl Indecision? 27... tfie8
13 f51 This position is ideal for the
28. tfic2 c;.t}h8 29.�f2 �7 The bind
•..

d5/f5 formation. White's pieces are

gives Black time to maneuver and limit
awkwardly placed to generate any
White's offensive potential. 30.l[e2
counterplay against the s tructure.
Ac8 31.t'lcel Wg8 32.�c4 bc4
Karpov seeks to remedy the situation
33. Wta4 l:Ib7 Continuing to restrict
by repositioning the ltJ on c3 to d3.
play on the Queenside by preventing
However, the time this takes allows
34.b3. 34.�dl h5 35.\t>f2 Ad7
Black to restrict play on the Queenside.
36. \Yc2 \Yg6 37.\t>fl h4 38.&2 g4
Erasing White's pawn breaks and re-
Black wisely avoids 38 . . . hg3 39.hg3
clueing the activity of White's army will
gf4 40.gf4 when White will find a ha­
be central to Korchnoi's plans through-
ven for his � on the Queenside, and use
out the game. 14.e3 ild6 15.�e2
the open lines to initiate his own attack.
\Ye7 t6.�f4 a5 17.�d3 b5 A
39.\t>gl !Igb8 40.ffe2 h3 White is
strong master asked, "How many play-
so cramped that Karpov will do almost
ers would feel comfortable creating the
anything for a little activity. 4t.Afl
hole at c5 ?" Well, anybody who has
Ac7 42.b4 White's choice of moves
studied Black's options against the
is becoming very limited . 42 ...cb3
miniority attack. In this position an
43.�b2 Ad6 44.a4 ffe6 45.l::.tdl
outpost on c4 is enhanced by the Black
J:la7 46.l::.td3 \t>h7 47.\Ydl c5 What
a-pawn, which restricts White's crippled
can White do? If he takes on c5 the
Queenside even further. 18. fic2 34
weakness at e3 becomes weaker, but
19..§.el \t>h8 20.llacl �b6 2l.�fe5
not taking lets the opposing Queenside
�c4 22.f4 If there are exchanges on
pawns eat his lunch. 48.l:Ib3 ah3
e5, White needs to recapture with the
49.tfib3 c4 50.ltb6 aa8 51.e4 fe4
f-pawn. Capturing with the d-p �wn
52.f5 ffe7 53.�dl l[b8 54.1Va5
would make Black's Queenside maJor-
Ac6 5 5 .f6 ffe6 5 6 . �e3 l:Ib3
ity overwhelming.
 .L...J U I. V l l ll l l ftt. � & '-I. T 'I' I I ......., .., •• .,..,.

57.1Wa7 .Q.b7 58.a5 Af8 59.:£"4 26 ..1lf5 fe3 27..Q.e6 l::[e6 28.l::te3
.Q.h6 60.f7 .Q,f4 l::[e3 29.lQe3 Not 29.fe3?. The back­
ward pawn is not necessary and gives
Black additional counterplay. 29...fid4
30.1tg6 Now that White has warded
off the pawn storm, the weaknesses
in Black's position come into play.
30 . . . tfg7 3 1 . ffe6 1ff7 32. 1fh6
l:[e8 3 3 . 1fg5 Wf8 3 4 . h 3 g h 3
35.l0f5 );let 36.c;Yh2 tfc7 37.g3
l:[e6 3S.l0h6 wes 39. 'figS wd7
40.l0f5 );le2 4I.);lb7, 1-0

The ending in the next game demon­

61.f81W 6 1 .f8'Ll? �h6 62.'Lle6 �e3
63 .�hl l:tbl . 61 ...Ae3 62.wh1 Even
with two 'ifs on the board and a nude
enemy �. White cannot generate any
counterplay. Quite incredible! 62. Ab6
strates a basic mistake often made in
this pawn structure, when there is lim­
ited material on the board.
(086) Skalli,K-Faseyitan,F
.•

Dubai 1 986
6 3 . 'tt f 2 .Q.g7 6 4 . a 6 :lf3 S t i l l
1.ltif3 l0f6 2.c4 e6 3.l0c3 d5 4.d4
Korchnoi strives to shut down White's
.Q.e7 s.Ag5 l0bd7 6.e3 o-o 7.Dct
pieces. 65.'ttel Aa6 66. .Q,e2 nt"7
c6 8.cd5 ltid5 9 ..i.e7 ee7 10.l0d5
67.1tc5 c3 68.tlcc3 Ae2 69.1fe2
ed5 1 1 ..i.d3 l0f6 1 2 .ec2 .i.e6
1ff6 70.'ifc1 .Q.h6 71.'ifbl 1tf5
13.a3 h6 14.0-0 )VcS 15.b4 l0e8
72.wg1 J:tc7, o-1
16.l0e5 l0f6 17.f4 a5 1S.ttc5 1fd8
19.h3 l0d7 20.'trc3 tOeS 21.de5
An earlier example of Korchnoi's play
ab4 22.ab4 f5 23.J:la1 1fc7 24.);laS
with the d5/f5 formation is also of
);laS 25.Da1 );lal 26.tWal 1tb6
interest, showing the potential of this
27. 1fd4 f6d4 28.ed4
plan.

(085) Pachman, L-Korchnoi, V

Havana 1 963
t .d4 l0f6 2.c4 e6 3. l0c3 .Q.b4
4. ttc2 d5 s.cd5 ed5 6.Ag5 h6
7. .Q.f6 1tf6 8.a3 Ac3 9.tlc3 0-0
1 0.e3 c6 1 1.l0f3 l0d7 1 2 . .Q.e2
);le8 1 3 . 0 - 0 b6 1 4.);lfc l A b 7
15.b4 1fe6 16.1tb2 f5 17. .Q.d3 g 5
Korchnoi's style i s very aggressive.
lS.J::[c3 1tf6 19.a4 g4 20.l0d2 f4
21.a5 );ladS 22.ab6 ab6 23.J:la7
);lbS 24. l0fl l0f8 25. 1tc2 l0e6
 IV

28...g5?! This move is useless. Black !:lacS 27.l:lfd1 l:lc7 28.ffd2 a5

can never play . . . gf4 because of his own 29. ffc2 Wf7 30.Af2 ffd7 31.Ae1
resulting weak f-pawn, and the pawn �fe6 32.l:lcl r!dc8 33. 't:fd1 lla8
cannot advance . . . g5-g4 because the 34. 1tb3 b5 35.a4 b4 36.il.f2 Wl8
pawn formation after White's hg4 37.g3 l:la8 38.,ktd2 m.s 39.1i'd3
exchange would be unfavorable for 't:fc8 40.Wh2 1tb7 41. 't:fb3 ffa6
Black. 29.Wf2 b5 30.Wf3 Wg7 42. 1i'd1 't:fb7 43.b3 �cc8 44. ffh1
3 1 .g3 jld7 3 1 . . .gf4? 32.�f4 �g6 ffd7 45.l:[dc2 l:[c7 46.fff3 wes
33.g4 wins. 32.we3 Ac8 33.Ae2 47.�g2 Wf7 48.Ae3 �cc8 49.�e1
wg6 34.Ad3 wg7 35.Ac2 Ad7 .btc7 50.�d3 ffc8
36.Ad1 wg6 37.Ac2 wg7 38.Ad1
wg6 39.Ah3 Acs 39 . . . gf4 40.'it>f4
h5 4 L�c2 .te6 42.g4 hg4 43.hg4.
4o.wf3 Ad7 41.Ac2 wg7 42.Ad3
wf7 43.fg5 hg5 44.h4 wg6 45.g4
gh4 4 6 . w r4 w h 6 4 7 . gf 5 h 3
4s.wg3 wg5 49.e6 Aes 50.wh3
Ah5 51.wg3 Aes 52.wh3 Ah5
53.Ah1 Ae8 54.Ac2 Ah5 55.Ad3
Aes 56.wg3 Ah5 57.Wg2 Aes
5B.wf2 Ah5 59.Ae2 Ae8 6o.Ag41
wf6 6 t .Wf3 Wg5 6 2 .Wg3 c 5
63.dc5 Ac6 64.Ah3 Ae8 65.wf3
il.c6 66.we3 wf6 67.c;Yd4 Ah7 White's position is to be favored with
68.Ag2 wf5 69.Ad5 Acs 70.e7 his space advantage and better pawn
il.d7 71.Af7, 1-o structure. But how to continue? White
has the initiative because he controls
Now let's see what can happen in a the only logical break in the pawn struc­
closed position resulting from the d5/f5 ture (g4) , allowing him long maneuvers
formation. The following game will also to reposition his pieces. Malaniuk uses
introduce the positional theme of the this time to conduct a 'it> march.
King march. 5 1 .Wg2 tlfa6 After 5 1 . . .g5 52.fg5
ltJgS 53.-tgS .tg5 54.l:tfl Black's posi­
tion is falling apart. White will attack
(087) Malaniuk, V-Krogius,N
the weak pawns and secure control over
St. Petersburg 1996
e6 to continue the massacre. If instead
1.d4 il)f6 2.c4 e6 3.il)c3 d5 4.cd5
5 1 . ..h4 White plays 52.g4, and Black
ed5 5.Ag5 il.e7 6.e3 0-0 7.Ad3
cannot exchange because the resulting
il)bd7 8.il)ge2 �e8 9.0-0 il)f8
pawn center would blow him away after
10. 1tc2 c6 ll.f3 h6 1 2.Ah4 fl)e6
52 . . .fg4 53.hg4 h3?! 54.�h2. 52.l:td1
13.wh1 b6 14.b[ad1 Ab7 15.Af5
l:lccs 53.Wf21 Wt7 54.we1 wes
�d7 16.,i.f2 �df8 17.Ad3 't:fc8
55.wd2 wd7 56.wc1 1:1c7 57.wh1
18.e4 ,J:ld8 1 9.il.g1 il.a6 20.e5
Ad3 2 1 .tld3 f5 22.f4 g6 23.h3 l:!c8 58.wa2 �c7 59.il.c1 wcs
h5 24.a3 �7 25.�d1 ffe6 26.�e3 60.�e1 Wh7 61.�g2 ffa8 62.�e3
 DUl V I I I I I I I\. � r a w 1 1 '-\;; I I L'"'I

l:ld7 63.Jlb2 ttds 64.g4t hg4 26.�d4 �d4 27.1fd4 �e6 Black
65.hg4 ers 66.l:tdct �d8 67.�g3 has played well. He prepares to ad­
Wt6 68.�d5 cd5 69. 'fWd3, 1-0 vance the isolani, opening the a8-h 1
diagonal and eventually causing White
In our next game both sides play the problems with the passed pawn. How­
positional side of the pawn structure ever, Black misses his opportunity to
well, until Black stops thinking in posi­ push the pawn and drifts into a lost
tional terms and allows a tactical shot position. 28. 'fJf2 l:tac8 28 . . . d4!?
to end the game. 29.CiJe2 (29 . .1:tg3!?) 29 . . l:ad8 30.Ad3 .

Ae4 and Black clearly has the better

(088) Fedorowicz,J-Hracek,Z chances. 29.Aa4 tfd8 30.�e2 .e7
Novi Sad 1 990 31.iLb3 iLa6 32.�d4 Jlc4 33.Ac2
l.d4 �f6 2.c4 e6 3.l0c3 iLb4 4.e3 lt)d4 34.1td4 Ae2? 34 ...We6 is the
0-0 5.iLd3 d5 6.cd5 ed5 7.lt)ge2 only move; the pawn must be block­
c6 8.0-0 lt)a6 9.f3 l0c7 10.a3 iLe7 aded. 35.l:td2 Af3? 35 ... Ac4 36.e6
1 1 .¢>h 1 lt)e6 1 2.ii,c2 b6 13.e4 1Jf6 36 . . . l:tf6 37 . .i.f5 . 37.e7 Df7
ii,a6 14.e5 lt)e8 15.f4 f5 We now 38. tff6 Dt6 39.Aa4 b5 4o.Ab5
have a classical d5/f5 pawn structure. Ah5 41.l:td5, 1-0
Black's CD on e6 is the best piece for the
blockade, since it also attacks both In the next contest Botvinnik uses a
bases of the White pawn center. thematic s acrifice in this structure
16.iLe3 g6 17.l:tg1 l08c7 18.'t'fd2 which we would all do well to memo­
w h s 1 9 .h3 c5 20.l:tad1 iLb7 rize.
2t.c�h2 'fid7 22.g4 cd4 23.iLd4
An interesting mix of pawn structure (089) Botvinnik,M-Larsen,B
ideas: the isolani versus the advanced N ordwijk 1 965
center. 1 .c4 e6 2.l0c3 d5 3.d4 lt)f6 4.cd5
ed5 5.Ag5 c6 6.e3 Ae7 7.flc2
0-0 8 . Ad 3 lt)bd7 9 . /Qg e 2 h 6
10.Ah4 DeS ll.f3 c5 1 2.0-0 a6
13.J:tad1 b5 14.Af2 c4 1 5.Af5
lt)b6 16./Qg3 .i.f8 1 7 . a 3 Ah7
1 8.e4 g6 19.Ah3 a5 20.e5 b4
21.lt)ce2 l0h7 22.f4 Ac6 23.l:ta1
Aa4 24. 'trb1 f5?1 Allowing a po­
sitional sacrifice which activates the
White pieces.

(see next diagram}

23 ... Jlc5 Attacking the blockade and

25.ab4 ab4 26.�f51 Opening up
preparing the isolani's advance is a the Kingside shows how overextended
normal procedure in this kind of po- and disorganized Black's pieces are.
sit i o n . 24 .gf5 gf5 2 5 .b4 Ad4
72 M lao tegame �uau:gy

After 24 .. .f5?! from the Botvinnik pawn center ma­

neuver, and is the result of an exchange
26 . . . gf5 27.Af5 @e7 2 8 . ttlg3
on e5. This pawn structure offers an
White's pieces are marching to the .
advantage to White, if he can make
attack, while Black is stumbling to find
use of its attacking possibilities - as
active moves. The initiative gained by
Marshall does in the following sensa­
the sacrifice gives White the advantage.
tional demonstration.
28 . . . Ad7 29.Ad7 lQd7 30.@g6
Bad would be 30.f5, which would allow
(090) Marshall , F-Spielmann,R
30 . lL!gS and give Black counterplay.
..

30... @g7 31. @c6! Attacking dS and Moscow 1925

taking complete control of the a-file. 1.d4 ttlf6 2.c4 e6 3.ttlc3 d5 4.Ag5
31 ...l:la1 32.l:la1 1Jf7 33.�a7 ttle5 ttlbd7 5.e3 c6 6.cd5 ed5 7.�d3
33 ... l:f.d8? 34.e6. 34.de5 'We6 35. @e6 Ae7 8. 'Wc2 0-0 9.ttlf3 DeS 10.0-0
l:le6 36.tQf5 Now Botvinnik shows h6 1 1 .Af4 ttlf8 1 2 . GQe5 ttlh5
his endgame technique to secure the 13.Ag3 ttlg3 14.hg3 �f6 15.f4
full point. 36 ...l:lc6 37.wfl c3 38.bc3 Ae5 16.fe5 It would be easy to simply
bc3 39.Ae3 Ac5 40.Ac5 �c5 suggest that Marshall chose a pawn
41.J:la1 ttlf8 42.we2 tQe6 43.g3 h5 structure with attacking possibilities
44.wd3 d4 45.lQd6 Dc7 46.lQe4 suitable to his style. Which of course is
wh7 47.f5 tOds 4s.tQr6 wh6 true, in that lines are opened towards
49.ttld5 :lb7 50.e6 lQc6 51 .na6 the � and Black has a weak f7 square.
/Oe5 52.wd4, 1-o Marshall did love to attack, but his
decision also has a strong positional
basis; he will obtain a strong hold on
The e3, d4. e5 Pawn Triangle the center squares, to be maintained
with the e3, d4, e S pawn triangle.
(see next diagram) 16 . . . Ag4 17.�f4 'Wd7 18.�af1
l:ie7 19.b4 Slowing down counterplay
It is intuitively obvious that this pawn on the Queenside. 19 ... Ae6 20.1:[4f2
structure could not have descended Ag4 2 t .I:lf4 Ae6 22 .'Wf2 l0h7
N o w begins a typi c ally exciting
 L.I V I.. Y I I .I J I J n.. .:11 .1 &.& '1'1' 1 1 - '-' 1 1 11."""' 1

M arshall attack, for which he was fa­ does not offer either side many winning
mous. It is important to understand, chances. If one side had a ttJ instead of
however, that without his advanced a �. the position would favor the tt:J.
center to reduce Black's counterplay 17... \Yg5 18.yjf3 !Vf 19.1tf4 t'ff4
and to fight for control of f6, the attack 20.ef4 a5 21.Ae2 g6 22.c;Yf2 c;Yf8
would not be as strong. 23. 'f!Vf3 l0g5 23.we3 we7 24.h3 wd7 25.Wc1
24. \Yh5 b6 25.l:lh4 flc8 26.l0e2 l:[ff8 26.}lc5 I:Xfc8 27 . a4 I:Xg8
a5 27.W6! With the threat of28J:th6! 28.c;Yf2 J:[gf8 29.h4 h5 30.l:Uc3
winni ng. 27 . . . \YfS 28. l0f4 ab4 J!Lf7 31.l:lb3 l:ta7 32.l:tb6 wc7,
28 ... gf6 29.ef6 lld7 30.tt:Jg6!. 1/2-1/2

(092) Primavera-Golombek,H
Venice 1950
1 .d4 l0f6 2.c4 e6 3.a3 b6 4.l0c3
Ab7 5.t'fc2 d5 6.l0f3 Ae7 7.cd5
ed5 8.Af4 0-0 9.l0b5 l0a6 10.e3
c6 ll.l0c3 c5 1 2.Ad3 l0c7 13.0-0
l0 e 6 14 .Ag3 l:lc8 1 5 . Af5 g6
16.Ad3 l0h5 17.Ae5 f6 18.Ag3
l0g3 1 9 . hg 3 f5 2 0 . \Y e 2 Af6
21.J:(ad1 c4 22.Ab1 VWd6 23.:d2
l0c7 24.l0h2 h5 25.f4 b5 26.l0f3
a5 27.l0e5 Ae5 28.fe5 White has
29.l0g6 ! As Marshall managed to do
nothing to do in this position but wait
many ti m e s , he pl ays a spectacular
u n t i l B l a c k infi l t r a t e s . 28...t'fe7
move - which makes chess exciting.
29. 1\Vd1 f!Vg5 30.!'!f3? ! 30. 'ti'f3 is
29 ...fg6 Or 29 . . J!Yd8 30.lUe7 ffie7
a much better placement. 30...b4
3 1 J:th6! wins. 30.nt"8 WB 31.VWg6
31.ab4 ab4 32.l0e2 }laS 33.l0f4
l0e4 32.�e4 de4 33.l:lh6 Af5
l:ta1 34.l:[df2 Ac6 35.wh2 Aa4
34. flg5 l!e6 35.Ile6 Ae6 36. VWg6
36.1\Ve1 ,t!b8 37.l0g6 \Yg6 38.,W"5
Ad5 If 36 . . . �a2 37.'ti'c6 b3 �8.'ti'b6
Ac2 39.l:lf6 1\Vd3 40.I;[c2 1\Vc2
and it's only a matter of time until
41.ktfl 1\Vb2, 0-1
Whites wins with his passed pawns.
37.e6 J:tcs 38.1¥f7 wh7 39. VWd7
Our last game in this section combines
�a8 40.e7 Af7 41. \Yc6, 1-0
the previous two pawn structures in an
entertaining struggle from yesteryear.
(091 ) Schlechter, C-Maroczy, G
Monte Carlo 1904 (093) Saemisch, F-Bogoljubow, E
l .d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.l0c3 l0f6 4.Ag5
Moscow 1 925
J!Le7 5.e3 0-0 6.l0f3 l0bd7 7.]:lcl
1 .l0f3 d5 2.c4 e6 3.d4 l0{6 4.l0c3
a6 8.cd5 ed5 9.J!Ld3 c6 10.0-0
l0bd7 5.Ag5 Ae7 6.e3 0-0 7.f!c1
l0e4 1 1 . A f4 f5 1 2 . l0e 5 l0 e 5
c6 8.Ad3 a6 9.cd5 ed5 10.t'fc2
13.Ae5 Ad6 14.f4 Ae6 15.a3 l0c3
:Ies n.o-o l0f8 12.h3 g6 13.Ah6
16.l:tc3 Ae5 17.fe5 The material left
1 '-t lVI JUUJCgi:UJJC � � � i1Lc;; gy
lbh5 14.l:(fel lbe6 1 5 . 'fWdt f5
t6.lbe5 lbf6 17.'fWf3 �f8 18.Af8
l:(f8 19.Yie2 �d7 20.lL:)a4 1We7
2l .f4 IladS 22.a3 �eS 23.I:tc2
lL:)d7 24.!1fl lbe5 25.fe5 lbg7
26.flel �d7 27.!1f3 ID7 2S.b4
IldfS 29.lbc5 �cS 30.I:lcf2 g5
3 1 .fi'd2 h5 32.!1e2 h4 33.flc2
lbh5 34.!1ef2 lbg3 35.lbb3 whs
36.fi'c5 tfdS 37.lL:)d2 �e6 3S.tfcl
ngs 39.lbfl lL:)e4 40 . .t:[b2 Wg7
4t.lL:)h2 WS 42.1tel Ilgf7 43.a4
wg7 44.!1c2 1te7 45.flcl 1tb4
46. flat 1ta5 47.Wt lbg3 4S.J:lbl
g4 49. 1fb2 1fdS 5 0.�f2 1tg5
5t.W4 lbh5 52.!1bfl gh3 53.lbf3
trg2 54.trg2 hg2 55.wg2 ltlf4
56.ef4 wh6 57.!1hl Ilg7 5S.wf2
Ilg4 59.¢'e3 IlhS 60.lL:)h4 c;Yg7
6t.ltlf5 �t5 62.�r5 ng3 63.wt2
J:t h t 6 4 . w g 3 b 5 6 5 . a b 5 a b 5
66.�d7 b4 67.�c6 b3 6S.�d5 b2
69.�e4 J;!dl, 0-1
The e3. (4, e5 Pawn Triangle
This pawn structure offers blockading
squares on d4 and c5 for White, while
Black can use the c4 outpost to shield
his weak c6 pawn.
(094) Bachmann, K-Marian, R
1 983
t.lbf3 d5 2.c4 e6 3.d4 c6 4.cd5
ed5 5.lbc3 �d6 6.�g5 lbe7 7.e3
� f 5 s . � d 3 A d 3 9 . ffd3 o - o
10.0-0 f5 l l. lbe5 Ae5 1 2.de5
lbd7 1 3 .f4 lbc5 1 4 . ffd2 1feS
1 5.�e7 1te7 16.b4 lbd7 17.b5
lL:) b 6 1 S . a 4 w h s 1 9 . a 5 lbc4
20.1td4 a6 21.bc6 bc6 22.ntbl
�abS 23.lba4 lba5 24.lbc5 lL:)c4
25.lba6 Ilbl 26.I[bl h6 27.lbc5
)laS 2S.g3 lL:)d2? Black could main­
tain a suitable defense with ltJs on the
board. Since the text also loses a pawn,
we might guess this move was a mistake
caused by time pressure. World Cham­
pion Alekhine once criticized himself
for mishandling the clock, stating that
a master should consider it a blunder to
be short on time. 28 . l:l.a7 was better.
. .
29.'@d2 1tc5 30.J;!cl 1fb5 31. \1rc2
,ticS 32.1ff5 \'fbS 33.'ife6 l:tc7
34.I!c6 'ifbt 35.wg2 'ife4 36.wh3
)lc6 3 7 . 1W c 6 1Wf5 38 .g4 1We4
39.tfcS, 1-0
The blockading square at c5 can give
White a strong bind on the position,
as we see in the following interesting
contest.
(095) Dzevlan, M-Bahram, N
Rilton 1 995
l.d4 lL:)c6 2.lbf3 d5 3.�f4 lL:)f6
4.e3 a6 5.c4 e6 6.lL:)c3 �e7 7.lbe5
0-0 S.�e2 lL:)eS 9.cd5 ed5 lO.lL:)c6
b c 6 1 1 . 0 - 0 � d 6 1 2 . �g 3 f5
13.�e5 lbf6 14.llcl �e5 15.de5
lL:)g4 1 6 .fld4 1te7 1 7 .f4 J:(bS
1S.h3 lL:)h6 19.lba4 tlb4 20.ft'dl
..Q.d7 21 .a3 Ile4?! Possibly Black's
plan is to sacrifice the Exchange and
 fight against a coming pawn storm on
the Kingside, looking for compensation
in the weakness ofWhite's �. However,
White is not obligated to start a pawn
storm and can take advantage of other
possibilities in the position. 22.l:lc3
l:(b8 23.b4 :as 24.Af3 a5 24 . . . :C:c4
25.l:lc4 dc4 26.'ii'c 2 and Black's shat­
tered pawn structure gives White the
advantage. 25.Ae4 fe4 26.ltlc5 ab4
27.ab4 Ae8 28. 'fi'c1 ltlf5 29.l:la3
i0g3 30.)lel abs 31.1fd2 An ex­
cellent square for the 'ii' , guarding b4,
Nter 22 . . .f6
d4 and e3. 31 ... h5 32.l:lea1 wh7
33.aas .r;;[b6 34.1::[8a7 Zeroing in on further problems in defense. 23.ef6
the weak point in Black's defense. ltlf6 24.g5 ffd7 25.fig6 ltlh7
34...h4 35.e61 Opening a path for the 26.,W'3 lle6 27.ffh5 hg5 28.fg5
'IV to enter the field of battle. 35 ...Ah5 ffeS 29. 'fi'g4 ae3 30.l:[afl llf3
36.ae1 1fd6 37.J:(a8 ltlf5 38.ffc3 31.W3 1fe1 32.wg2 1fd2 33.wh1
tt'e7 39. ffe5 ltlg3 40.J:(c8 ffd6 :es 34.l:lfl fig5 35.1fd7 ffe7,
41.l0d7 fie5 42.fe5 l::lb 4 43.e7 0-1
iLf7 44.e6, 1-0
As in all situations, there is no substi­
When Black refrains from playing .. .f5, tute for tactical alertness.
the breakup of White's pawn structure
by .. .f6 can cause all the center pawns (097) Sidig,H-Rolle,P
to fall.
Dubai 1 986
1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.ltlf3 ltlf6 4.ltlc3
(096) Kool, G-Karolyi,T e6 5.Ag5 Ae7 6.e3 h6 7 .Ah4
Brussels 1 987 0-0 8. 'fi' c 2 ltl bd 7 9 . A d 3 dc4
1.c4 e6 2.ltlf3 d5 3.cd5 ed5 4.d4 10.Ac4 ltlb6 11.Ad3 t0fd5 12.Ae7
c6 5.ltlc3 Af5 6.Af4 ltlf6 7.e3 't:f e 7 1 3 . a 3 l0d7 1 4 . 0 - 0 J:leS
Ae7 8.h3 fib6 9. ffc1 h6 10.,1le2 15.l0e5 l0e5 16.de5 1fg5 17.l0d5
ltlbd7 ll.g4 Ah7 1 2.ltle5 ffd8 ed5 18.f4 1fh5?1 This misplacement
13. ffd2 a5 14.0-0 0-0 15.Ad3 of Black's 'iW is criminal and the punish­
Ad3 16.ffd3 �es 17.Ag3 Ab4 ment is swi ft . M uch s uperior was
18.f3 ltle5 19.Ae5 Ad6 20.fff5 18 ... 'iWe7. 19.af3 fih4 20.�fl .!lg4
Ae5 21.de5 ltld7 22.f4 f6 21.l:tg3 whs 22. 1ff2 t:le7? 22 . . �d7
.

23.h3 Ah5 24.wh2 l:lg8 24 J iee8 . .

(see next diagram) 25. l:tg7 wins. 25 ..tlg7 1fh3 26.gh3,

1-0
Basic strategy is to disrupt the pawn
center. After exchanging pawns on f6,
the weak e3 pawn will cause White
76 M JOOJegame �rraregy

(098) Kaspersen,M-Sorensen,B Ae7 s.Ad3 �bd7 9./0f3 lLlh5

Copenhagen 1988 1 0.Ae7 1re7 1 1 .0-0-0 0-0 Or
1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.cd5 ed5 4.lQc3 l l . . . lLlb6 with the idea of castling
c6 5.Af4 Af5 6.e3 lLl!6 7.Ad3 Queenside. 12.«;Ph1 lQg7 13.h3 lLlf6
Ad3 s. fi'd3 lLlhd7 9.lLlf3 Ae7 13 .f5!? 14.g4 h5?1 Why would Black
. .

10.h3 0-0 1 1.0-0-0 h5 1 2. lQe5 open files on the Kingside? 15.lLle5

lQe5 1 3.de5 lQd7 14.wh1 lieS hg4 16.hg4 Ag4 17.lldg1 Ah5
15.il.h2 18.f4 lLld7 19.Ae2 lLle5 20.de5
Ae2 2 1 . 1te2 fi'e6 2 2 . 1th 2 f5
23.\1rg2, 1-0

This pawn structure offers several King­

side attacking possibilities. In the fol­
l o w i n g g a m e t h e o p e n h - fi l e i s
overpowering.

( 100) Miles,A-Short,P
Dublin 1 993
1.d4 d5 2.lQf3 lQf6 3.c4 e6 4.lQc3
il.e7 5.Af4 0-0 6.e3 c6 7.1fc2
· lQ bd7 8 . c d 5 e d 5 9.Ad3 )le8
White is planning to launch a pawn 10.h3 lQfS 1 1 .0-0-0 Ae6 1 2.g4
storm with f4, following with g4 even- b5 13.Wh1 a5 14.lLlg5 a4 15.Ae5
tually. White also has the option of g6 16.f4 lQ6d7 17.lQe6 lQe6 18.h4
breaking up Black's center with e4. lQe5 19.de5 As soon as White can
However, these ideas are doomed to open the h-file, the 'if and l:t battery will
failure considering White's lack of time determine the outcome of the game.
and support for such an advance. Black's desperate Queenside attack
15 ...Af8 16.f4 lLlc5 17.tfc2 ffa5 which follows confirms this assessment
The Queenside attack is swiftly gather- of the position. 19 ... b4 20.lQa4 ffa5
ing force. 18.e4 Trying to create coun- 21.b3 lLlc5 22.lQc5 ffc5 23.1fe2
terplay in the center. 18 ... b41 19.ed5 .J:1a3 24.l:td2 ffa7 2 5 .l:tb2 c5
bc3 20.d6 l:teb8 21.h3 ffa3, 0-1. 26.h5 c4 27.hg6 fg6 28.Ag6 hg6
The threat of 22 . . . lLlb3 is unstoppable. 29.1fh2
, 1-0

It is clear that to achieve this pawn

structure a strong outpost must be es­
tablished on e5, encouraging the oppo­
nent to exchange pieces.

(099) Hort,V�'Donnell,T
Thessaloniki 1988
l.c4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.cd5 ed5 4.lQc3
c6 5. 1Wc2 lQf6 6.il.g5 g6 7 .e3
 of this pawn is a mere matter of tech­
The Isolated nique and accuracy. On the contrary, in
practice it is seen that in nine cases out
d-Pawn of ten the isolani holds out. In view of
this, the isolated pawn would not ap­
pear to constitute such a serious weak­
ness. This conclusion is, however,
equally fallacious; the drawback of the
isolani lies not so much in the danger of
its being lost as in the commitments
which it entails and the constant
thought and attention required. The
units which are necessary for the de­
fense of the pawn will not as a rule be
less in number than those concerned in
the attack, but while the attacker can
at any time switch over and concen­
trate on some other object, the de­
fender has no such discretion; he is
wholly dependent on his opponent's
course of action. Thus, although in
most cases the defense of the isolani will
be successful, it will usually be impossi­
ble to avoid damage on other fronts."

Nimzowitsch, in his great books, spends

a lot of time proving what a potent
weapon the blockade can be, that it
constitutes the isolani's most e ffec­
tive challenge. However, it was also
In an interesting Chess Life article about Nimzowitsch who explored the merits
the isolani, Grandmaster Robert Byrne of the isolani in depth. Possibly the most
stated that "Despising the isolated memorable words he ever wrote con­
pawn is one of the main principles of cerned the isolani's underlying "lust to
modern positional chess." He went on, expand." Combining his thoughts on
however, recalling a discussion he had the blockade and isolani, Nimzowitsch
with Grandmaster Max Euwe, in which wrote, "On the manner of laying siege
the former World Champion expressed to an isolani .... today we no longer con­
a liking for the isolani. sider it necessary to render an enemy
isolani absolutely immobile; on the con­
In his book Judgment and Planning in trary, we like to give him the illusion of
Chess, Euwe writes a thought provoking freedom."
description of the isolani, advising " . . . do
not imagine that the ultimate capture
 /0 1VliUUlt:!;; i1 11lt: �ll <lLt:gy

The isolated d-pawn is a subject of such In other words, and as further proof of
magni tude that the supplemental the positional depth available in the
games in this book include a few non­ Carlsbad, consider the following. There
Carlsbad games with isolani structures. are two types of pawn formations called
These are marked (IQP) . The repeti­ the isolani, mirror images of each other
tion of this theme will benefit the seri­ yet different. The isolani is either facing
ous student by relating the isolani to a hostile center pawn or flank pawn.
various openings. These differences and similarities will
be discussed as we explore the mysteries
As with many weak pawns, the isolani imbedded in the Carlsbad, which offers
should be defended aggressively while both types of formations.
preparing for its advance. By its nature,
when the isolani advances it strikes into
the very heart of the enemy position. The Center
Played well, isolani positions can be a
catalyst for dynamic attacking possibili­ When hanging pawns were discussed, it
ties in the center and on the Kingside. became obvious that they exert consid­
erable control over the center, being the
While organizing the themes contained only pawns in that sector. The isolani by
in the Carlsbad structure, one of the definition is the only pawn occupying
most difficult topics was the isolani - the four central squares, yet it only ex­
and the one with the most material erts control over half of the center.
available. To begin with, both sides can However, if allowed to advance it can
achieve this formation. Two sections or lead to control of the center by pieces,
one? In keeping with the concept of this and disrupt the opposing plans for the
book, learning by studying the theme, center.
one section was considered appropri­
ate. This section will discuss the isolani We are going to start with a simple game
theme regardless of color, examining in which the isolani becomes the only
any differences as they seem important concern of both players. Once the
to the subject at hand. "problem" of the isolani is solved there
isn't any fight left in the position.
The isolani must be considered as a
possibility when either side attempts to ( 101 ) Timman,J-Karpov,A
break in the center (e4 for White, . . . c5 Tilburg 1982
for Black) with his pawn on the semi­ t.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.foc3 iJ..e7 4.f0f!t
open file. Such a pawn break will pro­ ltlf6 5 .iJ.. g 5 h6 6.iJ.. h 4 0-0 7.e3
duce either an isolani on d4 opposed by b6 S . iJ.. e 2 iJ.. b 7 9 . iJ.. f 6 iJ.. f 6
Black's c6 pawn, or an isolani on d5 1 0.cd5 ed5 1 1 .0-0 iJ.. e 7 1 2.tfb3
opposed by White's e3 pawn. Note that c6 13.Dadl fQd7 14.J:lfel lilf6
the resulting isolani will face either a 15.ltle5 ffd6 t6.f4 c5 17.dc5 ffc5
wing or center pawn, which begins to
highlight the differences.
 As simple as that game was, let's think
about it a little more. Even when the
isolani was blockaded play still re­
mained in the center, either securing
the blockade or trying to dislodge the
offending piece. Why did the play re­
volve around the isolani's effect on the
position? Let's try and answer that with
a philosophical answer - play on the
wings should normally be restricted un­
til the center play is resolved.

Let's look at a game where the isolani is

Let's introduce the isolani with a posi­ the result of a positional pawn sacrifice.
tion peaceful in comparison to others, Since, the isolani was not challenged
yet rich in the elements which make up (due to a lack of time) action was al­
the complexity of this theme. It is clear lowed on the wings which won the
that if Black is able to push the isolani, game.
the a8-hl diagonal will become a line
of attack, and there is the added advan­
( 102) Reshevsky,S-Berliner,H
tage that the facing pawn on e3 is weak.
USA 1 962
Pushing the isolani at the right time
1.c4 e6 2.lQc3 d5 3.cd5 ed5 4.d4
could be dangerous for White. On the
Jle7 s.lQf3 lQf6 6.,1lf4 c6 7.f!Vc2
other hand, White has a strong post at
g6 s.e3 Af5 9 . .1ld3 Ad3 10.ffd3
e5 shielding his weak pawn, and he
�hs 1 1 .S.h6 Afs 1 2 . .a.ts wts
probably can maintain a blockade on
13.b4 1fe7 14.0-0 'ffb4 15.J::[ab1
d4. 18..1lf3 l:[ad8 Notice how play
'Ve7 16.e4 ECO judges this position
revolves around the isolani. 19.!1d4
t o b e in W h i t e ' s fa vor. 16 ...de4
S,d6 20.�d3 'Vc7 21.�b5 fibS
17.�e4 Why is this position so power·
22.�d6 The play continues to revolve
ful for White? For the sacrificed pawn,
around the isolani, and without the
White leads in development and will
dark-squared .! Black has a difficult
probably win back the pawn, due to
time removing the blockade, hindering
Black's weak Queenside pawns. Still,
t h e i s o l a n i ' s a d v a nc e . 22 ... l::(d6
one must judge the position closer to
23.lQb4 l:tfdS 24.l:[ed1 'ifc7 Now
dynamically equal. Reshevsky uses his
that the dynamic ideas of the isolani
advantage in development to create
have been neutralized, Karpov uses the
more pawn weaknesses which, when
weakness of the e3 square to equalize
combined with pressure against Black's
the position. 25.h3 f!Ve7 26.'ifa3
poorly protected �. gives White a
l:le6 Rather than submit to a defensive
strong edge in the position. 17 ...wg7
posture protecting the weak e-pawn,
18.,W"e1
Timman exchanges the weak pawns.
27.lQd5 �d5, 1/2-1/2
(see next diagram)
ISO lVI IUUlegann:: �u au;;;�y
18...�d8? True, this move is consis­
tent with the principles of the isolani.
Yet the resulting pawn structure is lost
for Black. Instead, 18 . . . 4Jf4! gives Black
more options in the struggle. 19.lQg3
1Wf6 20.lQh5 Now White's position
crumbles under the weight of his pawn
weaknesses. 20...gh5 21.Ite5 lQd7
22.W5! If 22.l:h5 then 22 . . . h6 re­
moves the option of lOgS. Reshevsky's
method is better since it creates more
pawn weaknesses in the position.
22 ... ffd6 23.lQg5 f6 24.lQe4 'fte6
25.l:lh5 lQf8 Black has no defense
and cannot afford to weaken his King­
side further with 25 . . . h6, e.g. 26.1Wg3
r;f;>f7 27.4Jd6 r;f;>e7 28.4Jf5 and the at­
tack is overwhelming. 26.lQc5 'fte8
27.J:[b7 ¢'g8 28.tflg3 tflg6 29.lQe4
lQd7 30.J:[d7 ltd7 3 1 . lQf6 ¢'f7
32.l:lh7, 1-0
The next game is intended solely as a
look at a very early battle over the iso­
lani. It is interesting to see how far chess
thought has advanced since this game
was played.
( 103)
La Bourdonnais-MacDonnell
London 1 834
1.d4 d5 2.c4 dc4 3.e3 e5 4.Ac4
ed4 5.ed4 lQf6 6.lQf3 Ae7 7.0-0
0 - 0 8 . h 3 lQ b d 7 9 . lQ c 3 lQ b 6
10.Ab3 c6 ll.Ae3 lQfd5 12.1fe2
f5 13 ..tlae1 f4 14.Af4 I:lf4 15.'fte7
1fe7 16.Ite7 ¢'f8 1 7.�e4 l:If6
18.lQd5 cd5 19.l'ae3 Af5 20.lQe5
h6 2 1 . .l:[ c 1 r!d8 2 2 .)lc7 Ac8
23.1:lg3 Ad7 24.Ad5 lQd5 25 ..fld7
l:[d7 26.lQd7, 1-0
"Lust to Exoand"
Nimzowitsch's memorable words. A
thought provoking phrase, yet perfectly
apt in describing the isolani's nature.
Let's now look at a complicated exam­
ple in which the isolated d-pawn is al­
lowed to gratify its lust to expand.
(104) Spielmann,R-Capablanca,J
Carlsbad 1 929
l .d4 lQf6 2.c4 e6 3.lQc3 d5 4.Ag5
lQbd7 5.e3 c6 6.cd5 ed5 7.Ad3
Ad6 8.lQge2 lQf8 A common move,
yet in this game the tO becomes mis­
placed and causes Black problems for
the entire game. 9. ffc2 h6 10.Ah4
1te7 ll.a3 .a,d7 1 2.e4 g5 13.Ag3
de4 14.lQe4 lQe4 15.Ae4 Ag3?!
Allows White to pressure the weak h­
pawn. 16.hg3 1fd6 17.0-0-0 Aeft
18.lQc3 1tc7 19.lDb5! 1fd7 20.d5!
Without these tactical complications,
Black could consolidate his position by
blockading the isolani with . .. i.dS.
20 . . . cb5 2 1 .de6 ffc8 2 1 . . .1\Ve6?
22.�f5 and White is clearly better.
22.ef7 Wf7 23.l:td6 Adding pressure
 ro h6, and restricting the mobility of
Black's CD. 23 ... 1tc2 24.wc2 Now
Spielmann demonstrates that his chess
understanding is not limited ro attack.
White proceeds to convert his active
pieces into a won endgame. 24 ... 1:(e8
25.Ah7 ae2 26.wd3 Df2 27.1:le1
W6 27 . . . l:tb2?? 28.�d5 'itg7 29J:te7
mate. 28.Ad5 wg6 29.l:tf6 wr6
30.l::te8 Restricting the CD in order to
win a pawn and the game. 30 ... h5
31.l:a8 h4 32.gh4 gh4 33.l:ta7
w e 5 34.ii.c6 h3 3 5 .gh3 �h3
After 1 4.�d3
36.cJ]c2 b4 There was no way to save
this pawn either. 37.ab4 �e6 38.Aa4 response to Black's last move. White
ft)f4 39.l:le7 wd6 40.�d7 we5 now threatens to soften the Kingside
41.Ac6 l:lh6 42.b5 ltd6 43.fle7 with 1 6.h5. 15 ... ytd6 16.Ag5 r!ad8
I:[e6 44.l::tc 7 wd6 45.l:';lc8 l:,te2 17.aad1 fibS 18.Ab3 a6?1 Occu­
46.wc3 t:le3 47.wc4 ,ble2 4S.l::[ds pying the blockading square with
wc7 49.�d7 wcs so.wc5 llb2 1 8 ... lLid5 was essential. 19.d51 ltla5
51.wb6 J;le2 52.l:tc7 wds 53.l:td7
wcs 54.fid4 ltle6 55.Ab7 wbs
56.I:[c4, 1-0

The following example shows how

complex is the isolani's lust to expand.
Yu�ov finally offers a Queen sacrifice
to satisfy the isolani's desire.

( 105) Yusupov,A-Lobron, E
Germany 1 996
1.d4 itlf6 2.c4 e6 3.ltlc3 ii.b4 4.e3
o-o s.Ad3 d5 6 . ltlf3 c5 7.0-o
cd4 8.ed4 dc4 9.Ac4 For this type
of pawn s tructure to arise in the
Carlsbad the colors would have to be
reversed. 9...b6 10.:te1 Ab7 1 1.Ad3
ltlc6 1 2 . a 3 Ae7 1 3 . A c 2 f:(eS
14.1td3
(see next diagram)
We will refer to this diagram in the
next game. 14 ... g6 1 5.h4!? A logical
20.de6!1 And the lust to expand ex­
presses itself in a most spectacular way.
20... ltlb3 20... l:td3 21.ef7 'itg7 22.fe8'W
'ii' e 8 2 3 . l:td3 lLi b 3 2 4 . l: d e 3 'it f7
2 5 . Af6 'itf6 2 6 . l:e6 ..t>f7 2 7 . CDg5
'itf8 2 8 . lLi h 7 'it f7 2 9 . lLi g 5 'it f8
30. l:te7 �c6 3 1 . l:t f7 'itg8 32 . CDd5!!
wins -Kristensen. 21.ef7 wf7 22. 'ifc4
c,tlg7 23.�e51 Now Black's weak ..t>
position seals his doom. ·23... ltlg8
24.l!ds flds 25.W/f7 whs 26.flh3
'fWd4 27.1:1e3 l:[f8 28._ae7, 1-0. If Sarajevo 1 988. 20..,af6 .i.c5 21.Vg5
28. . . 'Lle7 29.'Llf7 �g7 30.l:te7. wh7 22.,iLc2, 1-0
At the risk of confusing the issue, our
next game reaches the same diagram
after 14.'ifd3 in the last game, but from
a totally different opening (and gaining
a tempo in the process! ) .
( 106) Borik,O-Werner,D
1 981
1.e4 d5 2.ed5 /Of6 3.c4 c6 4./0c3
cd5 5.cd5 /Od5 6./0f3 /Oc6 7 .d4
e6 8.Ad3 Ae7 9.0-0 0-0 10 ..tle1
/O f 6 1 l . a 3 b 6 1 2 . A c 2 A b 7
13.1fd3 lle8
Compare this diagram with the first dia­
gram in the previous game. They are
identical, except here it is White's turn
to move. 14.d5! ed5 15.Ag5 /Oe4
16./0e4 de4 17.1te4 g6 18.fi'h4
'f!lc7 18 . . . .i.g5 1 9.'Llg5 hS 20.�g6 fg6
2 1 .'t'Vc4 'iPg7 2 2 . 'iff7 'iPh6 23.'ifb7
'ifgS 24.'ifc6 l:le1 2S.l:te1 l:td8 26.h3
'tW d 2 2 7 . l:l e 6 'tl' g S 2 8 . 't'V e 4 ll d 1
29.'iPh2 llf1 30.h4 f!Vg4 3 l . 'iVe3 'iPg7
32. l:le7 'iPf6 33.1We5, 1-0. Demarre,J­
Chaumont,G Paris 1 99 1 . 19.Ah3 h5
1 9 . . �d6 20. �f6 h5 2 1 . 'ii'g 5 'iPh7
.
22.�c2, 1 -0. Dizdar,G-Dizdarevic,E
We can even approach the same dia­
gram from yet another opening. Clearly,
the themes found in the Carlsbad
formation s tretch far beyond the
boundaries of any one opening.
( 107) Schmidt, W-Imanaliev, T
Moscow 1994
l.c4 c6 2.e4 d5 3.ed5 cd5 4.cd5
/Of6 5./0c3 /Od5 6./0f3 e6 7.d4
Ae7 8.Ad3 0-0 9.0-0 /Oc6 lO.:lel
/Of6 1 l . a 3 b6 1 2 .A c 2 A b 7
13.Yfd3 l:[c8 Now we have the same
position from the last diagram, except
the Black .: is on c8 instead of e8 - and
from a third opening! 14.d5 ed5
15.Ag5 /0e4 16./0e4 de4 17.1te4
g6 18.Ah6 lieS 19.:lad1 1tc7
20.Ab3 /OdS 21. 1Jd4, 1-o
Let's continue our look at the isolani's
lust to expand with an example played
by Grandmaster Kramnik, the young
man World Champion Kasparov has
predicted will himself be a future World
Champion.
( 108) Kramnik, V-Timman,J
Belgrade 1 995
1./0f3 /Of6 2.c4 e6 3./0c3 d5 4.d4
/Obd7 5.cd5 ed5 6.Ag5 c6 7.e3
Ae7 8 . Ad3 /Oh5 9 . Ae7 1Je7
10.0-0 0-0 ll.'ffb l!? A new idea in
this position is using the 'it' to support
the b-pawn's advance. Usually White
plays 1 1.l:t b 1 to accomplish that pur­
pose. 1 1 ... /0hf6 12.b4 lle8 13.llcl!
Pushing the pawn to b5 would be an
error due the reply 1 3 . . . c5. 13 ...a6
1 4.a4 g6 1 5.fib2!? a5 15 .. .lt::lf8
1 6.bS with an advantageous minority f5 2 4 . A d 5 ff d 5 2 5 .g4 Uads
attack. 16.ba51 ld.a5 17.ltld2 ltlg4?! 26.gf5 fff5 27.'t:fg3 l:[e1 28.ti'el
18.ltlb3 1fd6 19.g3 ld,a7 20.e41? tl¥d7 29.'t:fh4 ltle6 30.d5 The com­
The struggle will now revolve around mon maneuver of pushing this pawn to
the weak pawns in both players posi­ open a diagonal. 30 ...cd5 31. 't:ff6 d4
tion. Kramnik has prepared well to 32.1:le1 ]::te8 33.Ad4, 1-0
take advantage of the resulting pawn
formation. A premature advance of the isolani can
only lead to further problems. In the
following game the isolani is forced to
advance before adequate preparation.
Korchnoi's conversion of this advanta­
geous situation into a win shows the
remarkable positional judgment of this
outstanding player.

( 110) Korchnoi , V -Hector,J

Malmo 1 996
1.c4 e6 2.ltlc3 d5 3.d4 lt:}f6 4.Ag5
c6 5 .e3 ltlbd7 6.a3 Ae7 7.1fc2
e5 8.de5 ltle5 9.Af6 Af6 10.cd5
20 ... de4 21.li)e4 1ff8 22.f!e1 b6?!
cd5 We now have a pawn structure
Adds another weakness in the posi­
which could evolve from the Carlsbad.
tion. 22 ... ltJgf6 was better. 23.i0bd2
1l.Ab5 li:}c6 12.l:td1 a6 13.Aa4
,i.a6 24.Ac21 Repositioning the .t to
Ag4 14.lt:}ge2 Ae2 15.ltle2 0-0
the a2-g8 diagonal, where it will sup­
16.0-0 i0a5 17.li)f4 With the simple
port t he advance of the i s o l a n i .
threat of winning the pawn. 17 ... �c8
24...]::tb7 25 . .i.b3 ltlgf6 26.1:[acl
18.'t:fe2 d4 This attempt to assuage
l:(c8 27.li:}f6 li:}f6 28.d51 Opening
the isolani's lust to expand backfires on
up the al-h8 d i a go n a l . 28 li:}d5
Black. With the pin against the 't'¥,
.••

29.ltle4 !ld8 30.l:lc6 1fb4 31.li:}f6

wrs 32.ltlh7 wgs 33.ltlf6 c;Yfs
34.J:[e4, 1-0
( 109) Reshevsky, S-Bisguier, A
New York 1 959
1 .d4 �6 2.c4 e6 3.ltlc3 Ab4 4.e3
0-0 5.li)ge2 d5 6.a3 Ae7 7.cd5
ed5 8.b4 l:Ie8 9.i0g3 .i.fS 10.Ad3
/Oc6 1 1 . 0 - 0 ltl e 7 1 2. 1f c 2 a 6
13.Ab2 li:}g6 14.h3 c 6 15.llae1
A d 6 1 6 . e 4 A g 3 1 7 . fg 3 d e 4
18.li:}e4 lt:}e4 19.Ae4 Ae6 20.h4
.i.d5 21.h5 ltlf8 22.h6 g6 23.'t:ff2
Black cannot continue . . . de3, which
normally would weaken e3 or rid Black
o f t h e w e a k p a w n . 1 9 . ltlh5 b5
20.Ac2 ]::te8 Tactically protecting the
isolani with a pin against the White 'i'¥.
21.Af5 l::[c5 22.Ah71? A profound
judgment by Korchnoi, who sees that
after the following exchanges Black's W
will be in a precarious position. Also
playable is 22.'i'¥d3, e.g. 22 . . . g6 23.ltJf6
'iff6 24.i..d7 and White wins a pawn.
22... wh7 23.b4 !Ic3 24.ba5 lla3
25.ltlf6 Vf6 26.k!d4 Da5

As dangerous as Black's Queenside
pawns look, Korchnoi demonstrates
that White has the advantage. 27.fid2
l::la3 28. ficl 1\Ve7 29.,W'd1 c;Yg8
30.l::td7 White is winning due to the
pressure along the seventh rank.
30 . . . ffb4 3 1 .1Wc6 fic3 32.'tfd5
w-s 33.g4 g6 34.wg2 b4 35.l:td4
b3 3 6 .l::t f4 l::t a 5 3 7 . 'tfe4 l::t e 5
38. fif3 f5 39. 1Vb7 ,tle6 40.,tlc4
'Cfc4 Or 40 .. .'it'h8, when 4 1 .lkc7 wins.
41.1:lg7, 1-0
Blockading the Pawn
Blockading the isolani can lead not only
to winning the pawn, but can also cre­
ate considerable counterplay. Lasker
demonstrates this simple idea, and then
Marshall shows how complicated it's
execution can be in the following con­
test between the two Grandmasters.
( 111 ) Marshall, F-Lasker, Em
Moscow 1 925
1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.il)c3 fl)f6 4.Ag5
fl)bd7 5.e3 c6 6.cd5 ed5 7.Ad3
il.d6 8.il)f3 0-0 9. '«fc2 h6 10.Ah4
lleS U.0-0 fl)f8 1 2.e4 de4 It is very
difficult for Black to avoid the isolani.
If 1 2 . . . .lte7 1 3.e5 lLJ6d7 Black's posi­
tion will remain cramped for a long
time. 13.fl)e4 JJ..e 7 14.Af6 Remov­
ing the classical blockading piece before
it parks in front of the isolani. White
now expects an advantage by using his
lead in development. However, the lack
of weak squares in Black's position,
combined with the white-squared �·s
blockade of the isolani, gives Lasker the
better chances. 14 ... JJ..f6 15.ID"e1
Setting up an obvious trap and proceed­
ing with normal actions when holding
the isolani. White will use the open file
to initiate a Kingside attack. 15 ... Ag4
Not 1 S . . . �d4?? 16.t0d4 'Wd4 17.lLlf6
1Wf6 18.l:te8 (threatening 19.�h7!) ,
when White's material advantage, po­
sitional bind and pressure against the
Black � will win with ease. 16.fl)f6
fff6 17.il)e5 White has now achieved
the typical goals of an isolani: active
minor pieces and an impending King­
side attack. 17...JJ..e 6 Lasker plays with
deep understanding of the position. As
strong as White's attack appears to be,
it is an illusion; the weak isolani will
eventually give Black the advantage.
18.lle3 l::ted8 19.1Wc3 Ad5 20.Ae4
fl)e6 Basic positional policy against
an isolated pawn, blockading and
a ttacking. 2 1 .l::tf3 Now White has
the weak pawn on f7 to attack, b u t
Lasker has tactical responses t o in­
c r e a s e h i s a d v a n t a ge . 21 ... 1Wh4
22.Ad5 l::t d 5 This new blockad�
foretells the isolani's extinction. 23.l::te 1
If 23. l:tf7?! then 23 . . . t0d4 (threatening
both 24 ... l:te5 and 24 . . . t0e2) 24.'ii'c4
{24.l:tel l:te5) 24 . ..b5 follows. 23 ...fl)d4
24.ID"e3 �:ladS Both players have
similar advantages in the position, an
open file with doubled l:ts and central­
ized tO. Black does have an extra pawn,
 but it is the better placement of his
pieces that wins the game. The Black 'Ll
actually has more tactical possibilities
than its counterpart, and the Black 'W
can support an attack far more easily
than White's. 25.l::te4 Y!'!Vf6 26.�g4
1f g 6 2 7 . h 3 h 5 2 8 . � e 5 "t'f d 6
29.�e4 1Jb8 30.�e5 e 5 Now it is
clearly a matter of the technique to win
the game. Yet being the tactical genius
he was, Marshall has not given up fight­
ing yet. 31.'9Wel 1Ve7 32.b4 �e6
33.\Ja3 l:ldl Lasker demonstrates
that he is also no stranger to tactics.
34.bc5 1Je5 35. \Jf3 �g5 36. \Jh5
l':l8d21 37.�d3
37 ... �e411 Beautiful. The l:ts will be
too much for White's 'iW. 38.�e5
l:[et 39.wh2 �f2 40.\'Wf5 :es
Preventing the draw by perpetual
check. 41.�b7 �dl 42.\Je5 ,ble6
43.'ifel �3 44.YWc8 44.'N!Yd2?? lt:lfl .
44 . . . wh7 45.'«Je3 l::tg 6 46. 1t'e3
l:(dg2 47.wht bl2g3, o-1
The next game is a classic study in the
use of blockading strategy to maintain
the initiative.
( 112) Maroczy,G-Lasker, Ed
New York 1924
l.e4 e6 2.�f3 d5 3.d4 �6 4.�e3
�bd7 5.Ag5 Ab4 6.ed5 ed5 7.e3
e6 8.Ad3 0-0 9.0-0 ,ble8 10. 1Je2
h6 ll.Ah4 �f8 1 2.a3 Ae7 13.b4
g5 t4.Ag3 �h5 t 5 .Ae5 Ae6
16.b5 f6 17.Ag3 e5 18.de5 �g3
19.hg3 Ae5 20.�e2 Securing the
d4 square, which remains a prime stra­
tegic point throughout the game.
20... 1Je7 21."t'fb2 �d7 22.�ed4
� e 5 2 3 . A e 2 l:( a e 8 2 4 . b( f d l
White's plans have been centered
around the d4 square. Overprotection
of strategically important squares is an
i mportant principle in positional
thought, and was well known even 70
y e a rs ago. 24 . . . Af7 25.a4 Ab4
26.b(abl Ae5 27.@b3 1Jd7 Black
is playing without a plan of action. The
restriction of his choices by the oppos­
ing blockade places him in a totally
defensive posture. 28.b(bel Af8
29.a5 .tiel 30.b(el bleB 3 1.l:[e2
�e4 32.a6 ba6 On 32 . . . b6 3 3 . lt:lc6
B lack's difficulties become worse.
33.ba6 So far White has used his
blockade to maintain the initiative, re­
sulting in Black's weak a-pawn. This
weakness is highlighted by the ad­
vanced White a-pawn, which can also
support infiltration along the b-file with
its control of the b7 square. 33... 1fd6
34.,bla2 �e5 35.'1Jdl YWb6 Not
3 5 . . . lt:lf3?!, which would simply remove
Black's most active piece from the
board and weaken the isolani's defense.
36.l:tat .blbs 37.�f5 Vb3 38.trfl
.blb6 39.�3d4 1tb2 4o.�b5 Ah5
In order to indirectly protect the weak­
ness on a 7, Black is forced to weaken
his defense of dS. 4t.Ah5 l:tb5
42.Ae2 l:.tb8 43. 'tVdll Winning the
00 lVI IUU lt:gamt: ;:) Lrii l t:gy

isolani. 43...1fb3 If 43 . .l:td8 44. l::ta 5

.

and the weak pawn is lost. 44. 1fb3

l:lb3 45.l:ldt l:lb2 46.wfl l0c6
47.Dd5 tOM 4s.�dt wh7 49.g4
l0c6 50.l:ld7 whs 5t .Af3 nht
52.we2 Dh2 53.wdt Dht 54.wd2
l:(b2 55.wc3 l:lb6 56.Ae2 .i,b4
57.wc2 Aa3 5S.l:(b7 Ac5 59.l0h6
l0e5 60.Ad31 Avoiding a possible �s
of opposite color ending, which would
give Black drawing chances. 60 ... l0d3
6t . .t:lb6 l0et 62.wdt Ab6 63.wet
wg7 64.l0f5 wf7 65.c;Yd2 we6
66.wc3 wd5 67.wb4 wc6 6S.l0e7
c.Yd6 69.lOgS After 69. '0c8 �c6
70.cob6? �b6 the � and � ending is
d r a w n . 69 . . . Ads 70.wb5 wd5
7t.l0h6 Ab6 72.l0f5 Ads 73.f3
A b 6 7 4 . g 3 A d s 7 5 . e4 w e 5
7 6 . w c 6 A b 6 7 7 . l0 d 6 A f 2
7S.lOcS, 1-0
In the next game Black trys to remove
a possible blockading piece, but only
exchanges off the piece best suited to
his isolani's advance. After this dubious
idea he is doomed to live with the block­
ade on d4 without opportunities for
counterplay.
( 11 3) Rustemov, A-Filippov, V
Minsk 1 996
l.d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.e3 l0f6 4.l0c3
Alexander Baburin's interesting com­
ment here is worth repeating: "This is a
very dubious decision - the White �
was not particularly active, while the
Black one was rather useful, being able
to control the d4 square." Control of
the d4 square is important to both sides,
and both .is are able to exert pressure
on d4. White wishes to control d4 to
blockade the isolani; Black wishes to
control d4 to support his d-pawn's ad­
vance. Ergo, this exchange is dubious
for Black because White can replace
the � as a blockader with his l:l. Black
has a difficult time finding pieces to
support an advance of his isolani, pieces
which can control d4 like his dark­
squared .i. 25.l:(b2 flc7 26.�bd2
tfe5 The V is now trying to replace the
.i in support of a . d4 advance, but she
. .

is not nearly as effective. 27.tla6 l:lc7

e6 5.l0f3 l0bd7 6.t:fc2 Ad6 7.b3
2S.h3 Quietly preparing the threat of
0-0 S.Ae2 e5 9.cd5 l0d5 lO.lOd5
29.e4. 2S...f5 29.1:1d4 Besides simRl,y
cd5 ll.de5 l0e5 After a little trans­
blockading the d-pawn, the n prevents
position we again have a pawn structure
an . . .f4 advance (which would weaken
that could arise out of the Carlsbad.
e3) and cuts off a possible entry of
t 2.Ab2 l0f3 13.Af3 .i,b4 t4.wfl
Black's 'if into the White Queenside
Ae6 15.1fd3 Ae7 t6.we2 tld7
position . Notice how securely the
t 7 .J:lhd t J:lfdS t s . w f t 'lacs
t9.wg t b6 2o.�d2 f6 2 t .tle2 White ll acts as blockader in this posi­
tion. Which Black piece can dislodge
Ab4 22.l:(d4 .i,d6 23.l:tadl Ae5
the blockade and allow the isolani to
24.J:l4d2 Ab2
 advance ? 29 . . . J:[cd7 30.fld3 g6
31.g3 wg7 32.wg2 wr6 33.l:td2
wg7 34.b4!? Baburin points out that
White needs another target to win the
game. We have seen this principle in the
minority attack, when a weak c6 pawn
ties up the defending pieces yet doesn't
fall until another . weakness overloads
the defense. 34...wf6 35.'t'fb3 wg7
3 6 . tr d 1 wr6 3 7 . � 2 d 3 w g 7
3s. 't'fd2 wr6 39.wh2 wg7 4o.Ag2
rJ;Jf7 Possibly the previous maneuver­
ing was to achieve time control. Now
White continues with a logical plan.
41.a4 wf6 42.b5 wf7 Meanwhile
Black has no plan available to counter­
balance the White pressure. 43.l:[c3
•bs 44. 't'fc1 Adding control of the
c-file to White's list of advantages, but
since he is not able to make the file an
invasion route it is not of much value.
44 . . . 'fle5 45.il.f3 wg7 46.wg2
wf7 47.Ad1 'trbs 48.Ab3 One lux­
ury of having a bind on the position is
being able to calmly reposition your
pieces to slightly better posts. White has
not achieved a winning advantage, so
he attempts to squeeze as much as pos­
sible out of the position. It is clear that
the .t can achieve more on its new
diagonal, and still pressure the d-pawn.
48 . . . we7 49 . .J:c6 Jld6 50.l:tc7
U6d7 51.J:lc3 wf7 52.wg1 'fle5
53. ffd2 ffb8 54.I:lc6 .J:d6 55.l:lc3
U6d7 56.wh2 ffb7 57.J:tcd3 .r;td6
58.f31 Now the fight continues. It's a
difficult decision to proceed with the
break on e4, because White's advan­
tage is based on the isolani's blockade.
However, without this transfer of ad­
vantages White would have to settle for
a draw; besides, White actually gets to
keep the blockade.
58 ...we7 59.e4 ffc7 If 59 ... de4??
then 60.'ifg5 followed by 6Uld6 wins
easily. 60.�c3 ffb7 61 .e5 .1:6d7
62.l:[c6 il.g8 63.ffg5 weS 64.'flf6
J:lf7 65.J:le6 J;Ie7 66. 't'fh8 wfs
67.l:(c6 �7 68.�d5 1ld5 69.il.d5
't'fd7 70.k!f6, 1-0
The next game is a positional gem,
combining tactics with a clear example
of the blockade theme. White is able to
use his Queen as the blockader, based
on tactics which prevent Black from
dislodging the intruder to advance his
isolani.
(11 4) Portisch, L-Ivkov, B
Wijk aan Zee 1 972
1.d4 �f6 2.c4 e6 3.�c3 d5 4.Ag5
il.e7 5.e3 h6 6.il.h4 0-0 7.1:lc1
b6 8.cd5 �d5 9.�d5 ed5 10.Ae7
't'fe7 ll .il.e2 a5?1 Weakening his
s tructure without compensation .
12.Af3 ffb4 13.ffd2 c6 14.J:lc3
't'fd6 1 5.�e2 �d7 1 6.0-0 Ab7
1 7 . �f4 �fd8 1 8 .l:[fc 1 !labS
19.h4 c5 Black was faced with a diffi­
cult choice between passive play with
. . . g6, . . . 'iii>g7 etc. on the Kingside, or
active play on Queenside. Considering
that after White exchanges pawns on
 00 lVllUUIC!!,i:llllC
c5 Black has only a choice between
"lesser evils," passive play would have
been his best decision. 20.dc5 Now
Black must finally decide which is
the better of two evils, hanging pawns
or an isolani. Notice how the weak
pawn on aS makes accepting the hang­
ing pawns the wrong decision (2l..l:t.a 3
wins the pawn) . That leaves only the
isolani option, but it will immediately
be pressured and blockaded. 20...l0c5
21. 1td4 A subtle positional move
based on the tactical prevention of
2 1 . . . lt:l e6, which if possible would
j ustify Black's play by supporting the
isolani's advance.
21 ...J:(d7 Instead 2 1 . . .4Je6 22.4Je6
fe6 23.l:tc7! e5 (23 . . . l::t d7 24.l:td7 'iYd7
25.'i\Vb6) 24.'iYg4 'i\Vf6 25.l::t d l (with
the idea of 26.l:tb7!, winning a pawn)
2 5 . . . e4? 26. �e4 de4 27. l::t d 8 l:td8
28.l::tb7 wins. 22.il,g4 :le7 If 22 . . . lt:le6
23.�e6 fe6 24.lt:lg6, and with a secure
blockade of the center pawns after
25.lt:le5, White will dominate the posi­
tion. 23.Af5 J:(d8 24.l:(dt l:le5
25.Ab1 \1fe7 I f 25 . . . 4Je6 26.4Je6
fe6?? 27.g4!, one wonders how Black is
going to save the .J:l on e5. 26.l0e2 Continuing with the common pattern
DeS 27 .a3 Aa6 2 8 . l0g3 Ac4 of fixing the Queenside pawn structure
29.Ac2 a4 30.l0f5 1tf6 31.l0d6U prior to initiating pawn play in the
� l l i:llC I!;.)'
ffd6 32.l:c4 The tactics are used to
accomplish positional goals, here to
pressure the weak Queenside pawns.
32 ... 1fc7 33.:1c3 1fe7 34.g3 tlf6
35.1tf4J Black cannot defend all the
weak pawns if he exchanges 'it's, so
White uses this fact to reposition his
pieces against these very weaknesses.
35 ... tfc6 36.:1d4 'll b5 Beginning a
desperate countera ttack. 37.:1b4
1te2 38.:Ib6 l0e4 39.:1c7 :15e7
40.:le7 :le7 41.J:(b8 Wh7 42.Ae4,
1-0. After 42 . . . de4 43.�f5 g6 44.'i!Yf6
wins.
As demonstrated by Kasparov in the
following game, the blockade alone
does not constitute a successful re­
sponse to the isolani.
( 11 5) Kasparov, G-Huebner,R
Hamburg 1985
l.d4 l0f6 2.c4 e6 3.l0f3 d5 4.l0c3
Ae7 5.Ag5 0-0 6. •c2 l0e4 7 .Ae7
1te7 8.e3 l0c3 9.1fc3 b6 10.cd5
ed5 ll.b4 c6 12.J:(cl Ab7 13.Ad3
l0d7 14.J:(b1 'ffd8 15.0-0 a5 t6.a3
ab4 17.ab4 g() 18.lQd2 'fte7
center. 19.e4 de4 20.Jle4 ,1:1ac8
2t.Wel -erds 22./0c4 /0f6 23.�f3
�d5 24. -erd2 �a6 25./t)e5 iLb5
26.l:[ecl -erd6 Black has set up a
defense for his weak c6 pawn, and
against the advance of the isolani.
However, Kasparov now uses an attack
on the Kingside to. maintain the initia­
tive. 27.h4 l::[fd8 Worse is 27 . . . h5?!,
which weakens the Kingside further.
28.h5 [i)e7 29.l:tel l:ic7 30.iLg4
�d5 3l.hg6 hg6 32.�b3 f5?1 An
ugly move and a forlorne attempt at
counterplay. 33.iLdl l:g7 34.�h3 Black does not recognize the danger
ffb4--3 5.ffh6 ffet 36.Wh2 wrs that is brewing. Keres suggests the
37.[j)g6 c;t>gs 38. ffhB wf7 39. ffdB, correct 19 ... lLld5, blockading the pawn.
1-0 Basic Nimzowitsch philosophy, and
there might follow 20.ltJd5 i.d5 with
Kingside Attack security. Incidentally, not 19 ... 'iWd4?
when 20.ltJt7! wins. 20.iLf51 iLf5
The isolani often will set up conditions 21.fff5 g6 22.fff4 Wg7 23.ffh6!
for an attack on the Kingside, as can be wgs 24.iLh4 lilBh7 25.lilg6, 1-o
seen by the play of Paul Keres in the
next example. The isolani does not make its appear­
ance until late in the next game. When
it does so, however, it becomes the cata­
( 11 6) Keres, P-Kurajica
lyst leading to Black's downfall in an
Kapfenberg 1 970
already difficult position.
l.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.[i)c3 Ae7 4.cd5
ed5 5.iLf4 [i)f6 6.e3 0-0 7.iLd3
( 117) Karpov,A-Spassky,B
�d6 8.iLg5 c6 9.[i)f3 l:[e8 10.ffc2
h6 1 1 . iLh4 a5 1 2 . 0 - 0 [i) b d 7 Leningrad 1 974
lilf6 2.c4 e6 3.lilf3 d5 4.lilc3
13.l:(ae1 iLe7 14.iLg3 [i)f8 15.[i)e5 1.d4
iLe7 5 . .£lg5 h6 6 . .£lh4 0-0 7.e3
This is a fine move, but Keres also liked
b6 8 ..£le2 .£lh7 9 . .£lf6 .£lf6 10.cd5
1 5.h3. 15 ... lilh5 16.e4 de4 17.l:[e4
Now White has the isolani with the ed5 1 1.0-0 '@d6 12 ..r!c1 a6 13.a3
advantage of control along the e-file. It lLld7 14.b4 h5 15.lile1 c6 After
is very instructive to watch Keres use 1 5 moves a mutated Carlsbad structure
this advantage to pressure the weak has arisen. 16.lild3 lilb6 17.a4! Ob­
points t7 and e7. 17 ... iLe6 18.l::lfe1 viously Black cannot exchange this
pawn due to his resulting weak Queen­
lilf6 19.�4e3 l:lc8?
side pawns. Ergo, White will advance
to aS and increase his a-pawn's worth.
(see next diagram)
Notice that if the pawn had remained
on a3 it would be a target for the ltJ on
 � · - · - - ·-o-···-
c4. 17 ... Ad8 18.�c5 Ac8 19.a 5
ii,c7 20.g3 �c4 21.e41 Ah3 Black's
only hope for counterplay is to exploit
the weak white squares on the enemy
Kingside . 22.l:lel de4 2 3 .ltHe4
fig6 24.Ah51 Much better than
24 . .tc4 winning a pawn, which would
give Black counter chances against the
weak b- and d-pawns, in addition to
white square play. 24...fih7 25.fif3
f5 26.�c3 g6 27.fic6 gh5 28.ll:ld5
White is now winning because of the
activity of his pieces and the weak
pawns on Black's Kingside. 28...f4
29 . .r:1e7 \'ff5 30.l:lc7 l:lae8 3l.fih6
l:lf7 32.l:lf7 wf7 33. fif4 l:(e2
34.fic7 wf8 35.fl:lf4, 1-0
A powerful positional theme within the
Kingside attack is the Bishop pair. The
next struggle is an excellent example of
their power, and a simple model of over­
whelming attack.
( 11 8) Liao, Y-Hon Kah Seng , C
Luzem 1 982
l.e4 c6 2.d4 d5 3.fl:ld2 de4 4.fl:le4
ll:lf6 5.l0g3 e5 6.l0f3 ed4 7.l0d4
Ac5 8.c3 0-0 9.il.e2 Ad4 10.cd4
Now we have a familiar pawn structure
from the Carlsbad. 10 ... l0d5 1 1.0-0
A e 6 1 2 . a 3 il:ld 7 1 3 . l0 e4 h 6
14.Ad3 l07f6 15.fl:lc5 fic8 16. fic2
l:le8 17 .Ad2 a5?1 The beginning of a
bad maneuver. Black intends to play
... b6, which would be bad now due to
18.i.a6. However, this plan is very time
consuming, allowing White to set up
and execute a classic attack with the
two �s. 18.)::lael fl:lc7 19. Oct b6
20.Ah6 gh6 21.1rh6 bc5 22.Ile5
Af5 23.Df5 �e6 24.l:lh5, 1-0
...... ... -·-cJ
Whenever discussing an attack the
s ubj ect of defense should also be
considered. The defender's resouceful­
ness is always a factor.
( 11 9) Spassky,B-Portisch, L
Budapest 1 967
l.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.fl:lc3 ll:lf6 4.Ag5
Ae7 5.ll:lf3 0-0 6.e3 il:lbd7 7.l:lcl
a6 8.cd5 ed5 9.Ad3 c6 10.0-0
.t:le8 1 1 .1tc2 l0f8 1 2 . Af6 Af6
13.b4 Ae7 14.l:[b1 Ad6 15.):1fel
l:[e6 16.e4 Wt6 17.h3
17...Ah3 Stripping the Kingside of
pawn protection 18.gh3 l:th3 19.l:le3
.
l0e6 20.Afll Solid defense is the key
to winning. 20 ):1f3 2l ..r:1f3 l0d4
.•.
22. ffdt 'lfg5 23.Ag2 l0f3 24. 1Vf3
d4 25.fl:le2 1td2 26.a3 d3 27.fl:ld4
1tc3 28.l0f5 Afs 29.l:ldl l:[dS
30.ffg3 \'fb3 31.Af3 d2 32.l:ld2
DeS 32 . . . l:td2 33.lLlh6 �h8 34.ti'b8
w i n s . 33 . .tld7 g6 34 . .tlb7 fra3
-
35.wg2, 1-o
In the following example the attack
is repelled, a nd then the counter­
a ttack begins. Once more the defense
triumphs in difficult circumstances.
 ( 1 20) Timrnan,J--Short, N
Amsterdam 1 988
t.c4 e6 2.ltlc3 d5 3.d4 ltlf6 4.cd5
ed5 5 . .iLg5 .iLe7 6.e3 0-0 7.tlc2
c6 8.Ad3 ltlbd7 9.ltlf3 lle8 10.0-0
ltlf8 ll.tlael ltle4 12 . .i.e7 tle7
13.Ae4 de4 14.ltld2 f5 15.f3 ef3
t6.ltlf3 .i,e6 17.e4 fe4 18.:le4 h6
t 9 . .J:lfel �adS 2 0 . :l l e 3 '@f7
2l.ltle5 '@f5 22.�3 .f!d4 23.ltlg4
White's attack and impending sacrifice
will rob the Black � of his pawn protec­
tion, and so looks quite dangerous. Yet
Grandmaster Short defends the com­
-
plex position actively to turn back the
invaders.
23...whs 24.l0h6?! 24.lZle3 24 ...gh6
25.Y!'fcl ttf6 26.llee3 W"4! 27.ltle2
l:lf5 28.kief3 .i_d7 29.ltlf4 '@d4
30.wfl wh7 3t.tlh3 l:lc5, o-t
Let's continue our study of the Kingside
attack with an early example of World
Champion Kasparov's play.
( 1 21 ) Kasparov, G-Eolian
Tbilisi 1 976
l.ltlf3 ltlf6 2.c4 e6 3.l0c3 d5 4.d4
.i_e7 5.Af4 0-0 6.e3 b6 7.tlcl
.i,b7 8.cd5 ed5 9..i.d3 c6 10.h3
lt)bd7 1 1.0-0 �e8 12.,ah2 .i,f8
13.ffc2 a6 14.ltle5 g6 15.e4 de4
16.ltle4 c5 This break is a common
maneuver, and the reasoning behind it
is worth understanding. If pawns are
exchanged on d4 (or c5) and retaken
with a piece, the pawn structure will be
balanced and the isolani's influence
over the center will be neutralized.
17.l0f6 A two move combination lets
Kasparov accomplishes his positional
goal, preventing a piece from recap­
turing on c5. Now a weak pawn is cre­
ated on c5. 17 ... ltlf6 18.Ac4 l:te7
1 8 . . . ..td5 1 9.dc5 �c5 20J:tfdl and
W h i t e m a i n t a i ns a n a d v a n t age .
1 9 .dc5 bc5 2 0 . tlcd l '@b6 I f
20 . . . �c8 2 1 . �b3 the pawn on f7 falls.
21.ltlg6 Another two move combina­
tion to increase White's advantage.
21 ...hg6 22.l:[d6 1fb4 23.l:tf6 With
two simple combinations White has
achieved a technically won game.
Kasparov's conversion of his advan­
tages into a full point is worthy of seri­
ous study. 23 ... Ag7 23 . . . �e4 24.'iYb3.
24.W4 24.l:!.g6?? �e4 wins. 24... '@b6
25.:1g4 Simple threats (26.'iYg6) to
better position his pieces for the attack.
25 ... Wh7 26.b3 The one weak point
in White's position was the pawn on b2.
The text strengths the post at c4 and
eliminates this weakness. 26 ... l:(ae8
27.Af4! Repos itioning the dark­
squared � accomplishes two objec­
tives. First, the new placement brings
another piece into the Kingside attack.
Second, by bringing the � into battle
White can threaten to exchange more
p i e c e s , b r i n gi n g a b o u t t h e won
endgame White envisions. 27...'iVc6
28.Acl 1:(e4 29.J:(e4 l:le4 30.f3
Ad4 3t.c;yhl :!e7 32.'@d2 \Tid7
After 32 . . . �g7 33.l:td 1 infiltration into
the Black position is eminent. 33.1rh6
':IL tvi J o o t e g ame ;:,rra1e gy

wgs 34.1t'g6 whs 35. tWh6 wgs by playing against a weak pawn on c6.
36.Ag5 Ag7 37.tWh4 lle5 38.ffg3 Further, this initiative can provoke
whs 39. ffh4 wgs 4o. ,ar6 ars weaknesses or create other advantages
41.'ifg4, 1-0 to win the game. How does this idea
relate to the isolani, which is in itself a
Next is another example of the ... c5 weak pawn? The answer is dynamic
maneuver we saw in the previous game, strength, which in the isolani is based
which again doesn't survive the tactics on the initiative.
in the position.
When the opposing side has the initia­
( 1 22) Tal , M-Baillo , G tive based on blockade, or threats
Termas de Rio Hondo 1 987 against the weak isolani, the relation­
1 .c4 c6 2.d4 d5 3.lLlc3 ltlf6 4.e3 ship is clear. Yet an obvious motive in
g6 5.lLlf3 Ag7 6. Ylh3 o-o 7 .�d2 playing with the isolani is to seize the
e6 8.Ad3 b6 9.0-0 lLlbd7 10.cd5 initiative. The initiative generated by
ed5 ll.e4 de4 1 2.lQe4 c5 the isolani is based on piece activity,
the threat to advance and the possibili­
ties for attack. Elements not as concrete
as found in the initiative which the
minority attack produces, but just as
deadly. However, the side facing the
isolani can also hope for the initiative,
and has the added option of the block­
ade strategy.

The initiative is possibly the most diffi­

The same idea we saw in the previous
game, to eliminate the possibility of an
isolani. 13.lbd6! cd4 14.lQf7 lLlc5
14 . . . 'it'c7 1 5.lLl3g5 and the attack will advantage. Alexander Alekhine cer­
win. 15.lLld8 lLlb3 16.Ac4 c;Yh8
17.Ah3 l:(d8 18.lQe5 �d5 Black
cannot avoid losing the Exchange due
to check on f7 followed by discovered
check. 19.1:tfe1, 1-0
The Initiative
In the Minority Attack chapter we saw
how White can maintain the initiative
cult chess concept to fully understand,
yet it is the foundation of winning
almost all games. Another paradox of
the initiative is that most players can
tell who has the initiative, yet may not
understand why or how to use that
tainly knew how to handle the initia­
tive, however, and next are a few his
games relating to that topic.
-
Alekhine's own notes to the following
game reveal his appreciation for the
ever shifting initiative. Observe the
s ubtle influences as the initiative
changes sides.
 ( 1 23) Alapin,S-Alekhine,A
Carlsbad 1 911
t.e4 e5 2.lbf3 lbf6 3.lbc3 �b4
4.lbe5 ffe7 5.lbd3 �c3 6.dc3 lbe4
7.�e2 d5 8.0-0 0-0 9.lbf4J "White
now assumes the initiative," according
to Alekhine. 9 c6 Alekhine gives the
..•

following alternate variation to demon­

strate White's possession of the initia­
tive. We can see how the threat of ltJdS
has established the "rules" of the d­
pawn's defense. 9 . . . lld8? lO.ltJdS! 'iYeS
l l .c4 c6 1 2 . �f4 'i!fe6 1 3 . �g4!! fS
19 ... lbe51 Deep and subtle tactics
14.-tfS winning the 'i!¥. 10.c4 dc4
have handed the initiative to Black.
U. AC4 ..�.f5 12. ffe2 �e8 13.�el
20.1ffl 20.1Wd6 lt:lf3 2 1 .�f2 �d6
The pin on the e-file accents the subtle
22.l:td6 lt:lel 23J:td2! (many masters
nature of White's initiative. 13 ... ffd7
would disregard this variation, but
Black is forced to respond to the White
Alekhine was not j ust any master)
threats, a simple concept in the initia­
23 . . . g6 2 4 . l:t e 2 l:te3 2 5 . �e3 l:te8
tive. Instead, 13 . . . 'i!ff8 14.'i¥h5 weak­
26.�d2 lt:lf3 27.�c3 lle2 28.lt:le2 cS
ens the Black Kingside. 14.Ae3 h5
with a won endga m e . 20... lbdc4
15.1:tadl?l This obvious move, which
21.Acl 1Va5 22.1:le2 1Va2 23.J:ldel
continues to add threats against the
f 6 2 4 . lb d 3 l:t f S 2 5 . b3 lb d 6
Black position, is in fact dubious. Better
26.lbe5 fe5 27.1fg2 l:(ae8 28.f4!
w a s 1 S . �b3 lt:l a 6 1 6 . l:t a d l ff/c7
The struggle for the initiative continues
17.VWh5 when Alekhine gives White
with a fight in the center. If 28.l:te5?!
the better game. 15 ... t;'!Yc7 What dif­
l:teS 29.lle5 VWa l 30.l:tel 'tWf6 3 1 .l:tfl
ference is there between this position
aS and Black has a clear endgame ad­
and the variation given by Alekhine?
vantage. 28 ... e4 Not 28 . . . ef4? 29.l:te8
Timing. In the present situation Black
lOeB 30.'i'fc6 'i!fal 3 1 .'ii'e 6 and White
can deploy his ltJ via d7 instead of a6.
wins. 29.f5 tWal 30. 1Vg3?1 30.�f4!?
16.Ad3 The � would be better posted
30 . . lbf7 3l.c3 White's quest for the
with 16.�b3 than by the text place­
.

initiative is centered around keeping

ment. 16 . . . lbd7 17.f3?1 A s u b t l e
the Black VW out of play. 31 ...b4U
change i n the initiative begins with this
32.il_h2 1Va5 33.�e4 J:le4 34.ae4
attempt to maintain winning chances.
1fd5 35.l:le2 1fdl 3S . . . 'ii'b3? 36.cb4
After 17.g4 �g6 18.lt:lg6 hg6 19 . ..te4
'i¥b4 37.'ii' c3 �c3 and the game should
l:t e 4 2 0 . � b6 ! l:t e 2 2 1 . Ac 7 l:t e l
end in a draw. Not, however, 37 . . . 'ii'g4?
22.l:tel White keeps a slight initiative
38.l:tg2 'ii'd l 39.�f2 and White wins.
in a drawish position. 17... lbd6 18.g4
36.t;'!Yel t!'!Yh3 37.cb4 lbg5 38.t;'!Yc3
Ad3 t9.1fd3
lbh3 39-Wfl 'lfdl 40.1Jel '1Vd5
41.}le4 lbg5 The shortest road to
(see next diagram)
victory was 4 1 . .-.hS. 42.1tc3 U,f6
43.l:ld4 1Wh1 44.¢'e2 "h2 45.wd1
h 5 4 6 . l:l d 7 l0 f 7 4 7 . g 5 1Vg 1
48. fNe1 J:ld6 49.J:Id6 \Ye1 50.we1
l0 d 6 s t . r 6 gt6 s 2 . .a. r 6 w r1
53. .1ld4 a6 54.we2 wg6 55.wd3
wg5 56 . .1le5 lQf5 5 7.wc4 h4
58.,1lh2 wg4 59.wc5 wh3 60.,1lc7
wg2 6 t .wc6 h3 6 2 . wh6 lQg3
63.wa6 h2 64.h5 hUt 65.h6 lQe4
66.b7 lQc5, 0-1
The next game was chosen to intro­
duce the Isolated Pawn Couple. This
pawn structure can evolve out of the
Carlsbad, but is something of a rarity.
(1 24) Alekhine,A-Colle, E
Paris 1 925
l .d4 d5 2 .c4 lQc6 3 . lQf3 Ag4
4. 1'fa4 �.f3 5.ef3 e6 6.lQc3 Ab4
7.a3 Ac3 8.bc3 lQge7 9.):tbt l':(b8
10.cd5 'tfd5
The White pawn formation on c3
and d4 is known as the Isolated Pawn
Couple. 1 1.Ad3 0-0 12.0-0 '1Vd6!
Alekhine praised this move because it
makes d5 available for the liJ and pre­
vents �f4. 13.\Wc2 lQg6 14.f4 iQce7
15.g3 l:lfdS 16.):td1 b6 17.a4 Very
typical of Alekhine. He uses the entire
board, in this case initiating play on
both wings. 17 li)d5 18. ,1ld2 c5
.•.
19.f5 Indirectly weakening the block­
ade. 19 ...ef5 20.Af5 Now that the
position has opened up, the power of
t h e two As will be fel t . 20...cd4
Forced, otherwise White plays c4 and
d5. 2 1 .cd4 lQde7 22.Ab4 1tf6
23.Ae7! If 23.�h3 l?Jd5! the position
becomes an equal struggle of two l?Js
against two .i.s! 23 1te7 24.):tbcl
•.•
):td5 2 5 .Ae4 ):td7 26.d5 1!'ff6
27.Ilel �lxl8 28.1!'fc6 ffg5 29.Ag6
hg6 3 0.1!'fd7! T h e m o s t direct.
30 ):td7 31 .1:1e8 wh7 32.):tcc8
•..
�d8 33.J:[ed8, 1-0
The following intense encounter be­
tween two of the greatest players in
history features a struggle for the initia­
tive through all stages of the game.
( 1 25) Alekhine,A-Capablanca,J
Buenos Aires 1927
l.d4 lQf6 2.c4 e6 3.�c3 d5 4.Ag5
lQbd7 5.e3 c6 6.cd5 ed5 7.Ad3
Ae7 8.lQge2 An opening nove l ty
introd u c e d i n t h i s g a m e . 8 0-0
..•
9.lQg3 lQeS 10.h4 Alekhine consid­
ered this move "the natural conse­
quence of t he whole opening plan." It
is typical Alekhine, aggressive and
positional at once. 10 lQdf6 1 1.1lc2
•.•
Ae6 t2.lQf5 Af5 t3.Af5 �d6
14.Ad3 14 . .i.f6?! l?Jf5 gives Black
equality. 14 h6 A necessary weaken­
•••
ing of the Kingside. 15. -'f4 ):tc8 Ca­
pablanca intends to counter White's
Kingside attack with play on the
Queenside. However, he appears to
expect that White will castle Queen­
side before initiating an attack. 16.g4!
iQfe4 1 6. . . l?Jg4? 17.jLd6 'fld6 18 . .i.f5
wins the Exchange. 17.g5 Alekhine
responds to the attack on the h-pawn
 by continuing his Kingside assault. White � to join in supporting the cen­
17... h5 18.Ae4 l0e4 19.l0e4 de4 tral pawns. 48.Wg2!1 g6 48 . . J::!.e4??
20.1fe4 By maintaining the initiative 49.�f3 :C:c4 50J::!. e 5. 49.l:le5 Wd7
Alekhine has won a pawn, although 50.h5 gh5 5t.wf3 h4 52.1lb5 f1c3
the position still requires delicate 53.wg4 nc4 54.wf5! Aa5 55.bth7
technique to force Black's resignation. 55 . ..ta5? l:tc5 56.�g4?? .l::!. h 5 57.�h5
20 1fa5 21.Wfl 1fd5 Capablanca h3 and Black wins ! 55 wc6 56.Aa5
.•. •..

offers to exchange 'ifs because the cen­ l:lc5 57.we6 laa5 58.f5 l:la3 59.f6
tralized White 'if only adds to White's :t'3 60.f7 b5 61.�h5 h3 62.l':lf5
initiative. 22.1fd5 cd5 23.c;Yg2 Jlc2 W5 63.ef5, 1-0. Now 63 . . . h2 64.f8'i!\V
24.�hcl �fc8 24 . . ..l::!. b 2 25 . .l::!. c bl ! h l 'if 65.�a8 wins.
with the advantage . 25.l:lc2 Ilc2
26.�bt wh7 27.Wg3 Wg6 28.f3 ( 1 26) Alekhine,A-Brunner
f6 29.gf6 Af6 30.a4 Pushing the Mexico City 1 932
a-pawn is meant to release the l:t from 1.d4 l0f6 2.c4 e6 3.li)c3 d5 4.Ag5
supporting the Queenside pawns. li)bd7 5.cd5 ed5 6.e3 c6 7.Ad3
30 c;Yf5 31.a5 l:le2 32.l:lcl nh2 il.e7 8.t'fc2 0-0 9.li)ge2 h6 10.h4
•••

33.l:c5 we6 Striving to maintain the initiative, even

when planning a "retreat" of the �.
10...%1e8 ll.iL.f4 a6 Black bases his
plans for development on the . . . c5
break, and the text is necessary to pre­
vent ltJb5. However, since White leads
in development and is prepared to
blockade the resulting isolani, Black's
plan is in error. He should complete his
development before attempting this
central break. 12.0-0-0 c5 13.g4!!
Naturally this pawn is poisoned. Black
cannot afford to open files on the King­
side, yet he cannot stop White from
34.e4! Still holding the initiative and
eventually opening the g-file.
forcing Black to consider the weak­
nesses in his position. 34 jld4 After
..•

(see next diagram}

34 . . . de4 35.d5 �f5 36.d6 �e6 37.fe4
l::t b3 38.<�g2 �h4 39.:C:h5 Alekhine
13 ...cd4 14.ll)d4 li)c5 15.g5 li)d3
judged this position to be strongly in
16.!Id3 li)h5 17.gh6! Alekhine un­
White's favor, based on the central
derstands that the initiative and attack
passed pawns. 35.k!d5 Ac3 36.:b 5
are key to winning the game, not pawn
a 6 3 7 . Ac7 Ae 1 3 8 . Wg4 l:lg2
structure or the j_ p a i r. 17 ... ll)f4
39.Wh3 W2 4o.wg4 �2 4t.cJlh3
18.ef4 g6 19.h5 Wh7 Trying to de­
l:t f 2 4 2 . f4 Ilf3 4 3 . Wg 2 J:l f 2
fend against the problems White will
44.wh3 ID3 45.wg2 � 2 46.wgt
cause with llg3. A pure example of the
,Ctc2 47.J1Lb6 !Ic4 ? ! A l lows the
initiative in action; the White threats
 - - - - - - - - o-- - - - ..... ... ..... ... -oJ
After 1 3 .g4!!
dictate Black's response before a move
is even played. 20.hg6 fg6 21.1Ig3
�8 22.�hg1 1tb6 23.�d5! tffd4
24.llg6 ffc5 25.l:lg7 wh6 26.Wt7
mate, 1-0
Again we observe that handling the
initiative relates to one's personal style
of play. Why? Because in every decisive
game one side has the initiative, and
properly using this intangible element
will often determine the game's out­
come. This statement holds true at all
levels of play! Therefore, learning the
games of a great player who under­
stands this ephemeral element will help
our own comprehension of the initia­
tive. The student should pick a top level
player whose style he wishes to emulate,
and discover that player's characteristic
approach to the initiative.
Endgame Weakness o.fthe /so/ani
Without a doubt, an isolated pawn is a
disadvantage in the endgame. In the
following struggle, Grandmaster Flohr
uses the positional plan of exchanging
pieces to accent the isolani's weakness.
During this process he creates a second
weakness in his opponent's position, a
tactic we have seen before.
( 1 27) Flohr,S-Vidmar,M
Nottingham 1 936
1.c4 e6 2.�c3 d5 3.d4 �f6 4.Ag5
Ae7 5.e3 0-0 6.�f3 �bd7 7.'ffc2
c5 8.cd5 �d5 9.Ae7 1te7 10.�d5
ed5 ll.Ad3 g6 12.dc5 �c5 13.0-0
,ilg4 14.�d4 Based on the positional
factors of an isolani structure, White
has the advantage. The isolani here
offers Black only the possibility of weak­
ening White's e3, if it can advance.
14 ... ,tlac8 15.1td2 White begins set­
ting up to exchange as many pieces as
possible. The weakness of the isolani
increases as material comes off the
board. 15 ... a6 16.,ilc2 'ffg5 Black is
playing along general principles, and so
forces a weakening of e3. 17.f3 ,ild7
1 8. Dfe 1 I:lfd8 1 9.J:lad 1 fff6
20.Ab3 Aa4 21.,ila4 �a4 22.J:lc1
�c5 23 ..1:(ed1 'ffb6 24.�e2 �d7
24 . . . lbe6!? 25. 1td4 White continues
with the strategy of weakening the iso­
lani through exchanges . 25 ... 1Jd4
26.�d4 �e5 27.b3 Removing c4 as
an option for the Black lb. 27 ...Wf8
2s.wfl 28.'it>f2?? lkl 29.l:tcl lbd3.
28...Dc1 29.J:lc1 �c6 An error in
j udgment. Black is attempting to rid
himself of the weak isolani with this
offer to change the pawn structure, but
now he is left with two weak pawns
instead of one. 30.�c6 I:lc8 31.J:lc5
bc6 3 1 . . . .!:[c6 32 . .!:[d5 l:tc1 33.'it>e2 l:tc2
34.l:td2. 32.'it>e2 we7 33.wd3 wd6
34.J:la5 J:la8 35.'it>d4 f5
(see next diagram)
 1 ne t sOiaiea a-rawn 7/

game, exchanging pieces to highlight

the weak pawn. However, Black is able
to centralize his c;t> and secure the equi­
l i b r i u m . 19 . . . J:[c2 20.c;Yc2 wfs
21.wd2 l:lcS 22.J:[cl l:lcl 23.wct
White has achieved his goal of ex­
changing pieces, but still Black has
only one weakness and not the two
which lead to Black's downfall in the
previous game. 23 ... We7 24.Wd2 wd6
25.wc3 b6 26.f4 Ad7 27.tOf3 f6
2S.wd4 a5 29.t0d2 Acs 30.t0bt
Ae6 31.t0c3 c;Yc6 32.a3 h6 33.g3
Black probably had this position in h5 34.b4 ab4 35.ab4 c;Yd6 36.b5
mind·\vhen he altered the pawn struc­ g6 37.t0a4 wc7 38.t0c3 wd6 39.f5
ture on move twenty-nine. Unfortu­ gf5 40.t0e2 ,ad7 41.t0f4 .!le8 If
nately, however, the position is quite 4 1 . . . .tb5? 42.l2::lh 5 the outside passed
lost for him. 36.b4 l:lb8 37.a3 lda8 pawn would give White winning
After 37 . . . l:tb6 38.f4! the White � will
chances. 42.�d5 Ab5 43.tOb6 Ac6
infiltrate to finish the game. 38.e4 fe4 44.t0c4 c;Ye6 45.t0b2 Ah5 46.t0dl
39.fe4 de4 4o.we4 .t:la7 4t .wf4 Ae2 47.t0f2 Afl 48.�d3 Ad3
h6 42.h4 we6 43.wg4 .t:[aS 44.h5 49.wd3 we5 50.we2 we4 5l.h3
Fixing yet another target for attack. wd5 52.wf3 we5, 1/2-1/2
44 ...g5 45.g3 .t:la7 46.wf3 .t:tas
47.we4 .t:[a7 4s.wd4 wd6 49.we4 The two games given above teach an
we6 50 . .t:[e5 wd6 5 1 . l:le8 c 5 important principle. White was able to
52 ..t:[d8 wc6 53.l:':[c8 wb6 54..1:[c5 �n by playing against two weaknesses,
.t:[h7 55 ..1:[e5 wc6 56 . .t:[e6 wh5 but only came away with a draw against
57.wf5 w1 5s.:t6, 1-o a single weakness. An axiom brought
out in our discussion of the minority
Now let's see what happens when Flohr attack, but worth reviewing in relation
tries this same strategy against a renown to the isolani. Also, we see the more
endgame player. general truth that no plan will work
all the time. Plans should be chosen
( 1 28) Flohr, S-Capablanca, J based on the elements of the specific
Moscow 1 935 position.
l.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.t0c3 t0!6 4.t0f3
t0bd7 5.Ag5 Ae7 6.e3 0-0 7.tflc2 The following game is an interesting
c5 8.cd5 t0d5 9.Ae7 fie7 10.t0d5 extension of our study, played between
ed5 l l.Ad3 cd4 1 2. tOd4 tflb4 Alekhine and Capablanca in the same
13.tfld2 tOc5 t4.Ah5 tfld2 t5.wd2 opening as the previous two games.
a6 16.Ad3 Ae6 17.l:':[acl l:[fcS
lS.J:[c2 t0d3 19.wd3 Flohr has
adopted the same strategy as in the last
98 M iddlegame Strategy

( 1 29) Alekhine, A-Capablanca,J ( 1 31 ) Bronstein , D-Parker,J

Buenos Aires 1 927
t.d4 it)f6 2.c4 e6 3.ltlc3 dS 4.AgS
itlbd7 s.e3 Ae7 6.ltlf3 o-o 7.1tc2
cS S.cdS itldS 9.ltldS edS 10.Ae7
"tJe7 l l . .i.d3 g6 1 2 .dcS iD e S
1 3. .t:lcl itld3 14.tfd3 AfS 1S.Y!'fd4
Ae4 1 6 . 0 - o Af3 1 7 .gf3 tfgS
1s.wh1 ers 19.wg2 1Wgs 2o.wh1
'tJfS, 1/2-1/2
Returning to the subject of endgame
weaknesses, the next game merits care­
ful study.
Hastings 1 991
1.c4 itlf6 2.d4 e6 3.ltlc3 dS 4.cdS
edS s.AgS c6 6.1Wc2 Ae7 7.e3 o-o
8.Ad3 itlbd7 9.ltlf3 J:leS 10.0-0
itlfS 11.I:lae1 ltle4 1 2.Ae7 1We7
13.Ae4 de4 14.iQd2 fS 1S.f3 ef3
16.�f3 .iil. e 6 17.e4 fe4 18.�e4
Timman captured with the .l:t in Game
1 20. 18... h6 19.ltlcS �adS 20.tfa4
bS 2 1 .1WaS lldS 2 2 . iQd3 1Wb7
23.1Wc3 1:ldd8 24.b3 1Wb6 2S.itlde5
AdS

( 1 30) Mwange,B-De Vries,G

Luzem 1 982
1.d4 dS 2.c4 e6 3.itlc3 itlf6 4.ltlf3
iQbd7 s.cdS edS 6.g3 c6 7.Ag2
.i,d6 8.0-0 0-0 9.1lel l':le8 10.tfc2
iQfS l l . e4 de4 1 2 . iQe4 itl e 4
13.l:le4 J:[e4 14.'tJe4 1Wf6 1S.AgS
1re6 16.'t'fd3 ffg6 1 7.'t'fd2 h 6
18.Ae3 R,e6 19.a3 'tth S 20.Af4
.i,f4 2 1 . 1Wf4 ffbS 2 2 . 1Wd2 a S
23.l:le1 iQd7 24. ffc3 �f6 2S. 1Wc2
26.�h4 The defense of the isolani was
J:ldS 26. 1Wd2 AdS 27 .�eS Ag2
becoming too much of a burden. By
28.Wg2 't'fdS 29.itlf3 �e4 30. 1Wc2
transferring his pieces to the Kingside,
itlgS 31.'tJd3 �f3 32.1Wf3 1Wf3
Bronstein achieves enough counterplay
33.wf3 1Id4 34.�e8 wh7 3S.!Ie7
for his sacrifice to secure the draw.
J:ld3 3 6 . !le 3 l:le3 3 7 . w e 3 f6
26 ... h4 27.'«fg3 1Wd4 2s.wh1 ttd2
3s.wr4 wg6 39.g4 wf7 4o.h4 gs
29.l:le3 Ae6 30.h3 1td6 31.nfe1
41.hgS hgS 42.wfS a4 43.f3 we7
c S 3 2 . ¢> h 2 �d7 3 3 . 1tg6 �f8
44.f4 gf4 4S.wf4 we6 46.we4 cS
34.1tg3 �d7 35.tfg6, 1/2-1/2
47.wf4 hs 4s.we4 h4 49.wd3
wds so.we3, o-1 ...

Sometimes the best thing to do with a

weak pawn is simply let the opponent
have it, releasing the pieces from it's
defense.
Model Positions
The concept of model positions is al­
ready familiar from previous chapters.
Starting with the Carlsbad structure,
we have based our studies on this model
position. Such an investigation leads to
 1 ne Iso latea a-Yawn
other model positions, like the present
subject of isolani formations.
Most books on the middlegame do not
give the reader any direction for contin­
ued study after the final page. This sec­
tion is intended to remedy t h a t
omission, and point out avenues for
future study. A single "model" will be
discussed, which we hope will stimulate
the imagination and lead the reader to
other possible models.
When learning an opening we find that
certain crossroads are referred to as
"critical positions." This phrase means
that innovations and refinements in
theory will begin here. Let's create a
model of one possible "critical position"
with the isolani by adding an isolated
a-pawn to the picture. Further, let us
have these pawns (isolated a- and d­
pawns) face a duo on the b- and c-files.
First we will look at an opening position
in which tl)is model is present.
( 1 32) Lputian,S-Petrosian,A
Erevan 1 995
l.d4 l0f6 2.c4 e6 3.l0f3 d5 4.l0c3
Ae7 5.Ag5 h6 6.Ah4 o-o 7 .e3
b6 s.Ae2 Ah7 9.Af6 Af6 tO.cd5
ed5 l l.b4 c6 1 2.0-0 l:[eS 13.1tb3
a5 14.ba5 l:la5 15.1lfel l0d7 16.a4
Starting here, let's see how the isolani
develops and what effects it has on our
model.
(see next diagram)
16... Aa6 Or 16 . . . 'l!Wa8!? 17.tlabl �a6
18. �a6 'l!Wa6 19.h3 l:le6 20.e4 de4
2 1 . l:le4 l:te4 22.ltJe4 �e7 with equal
chances to both sides. Black's last move
is fo rced to preven t 2 3 . ltJd6, wi t h
I} I}
After 16.a4
threats on f7. 23.ltJc3 �d6 24. tlel
ltJf6?! 25.ltJe4 ltJe4 This ltJ was a very
valuable defensive piece. Take note
that on d7 the ltJ guarded e5, which is
a springboard for the coming White
tactics. 26.l:te4 l:td5?! (26 .. .l:ta4 27. l:te8
�f8 28.ltJe5 �a7 29.ltJc6 and White
wins. Better was 26 . . . �c8!?) 27.l:te8
�f8 28.ltJe5 �b7 29.a5! b5 (29 . . . l:ta5
30.ltJg6 wins ; 29 . . . l:tb5 30.a6! �c7
3 1 . �c4 wins) 30.'ifa3 c5 3 1 .a6 'ifa7
32. ltJc6 'l!Wd7 33.l:tf8 �f8 34.a7, 1-0.
Orr,M-Upton, 1 993; Another try from
the diagram is 16 . . . �e7?! 17. l:tabl
�d6, but repositioning the � to d6
allows White to gain a tempo when
creating the isolani. 18.e4! de4 19.�c4
l:tf8 20.ltJe4 and White has the better
chances according to Chekhov's analy­
sis of Mitenkov,A-Akhmadeev Russia
1994. Finally, 16 ...g6!? 17.l:tabl ( 1 7.e4?!
reveals subtle differences compared to
this maneuver in the game cited above.
The placement of Black's 'lW and dark­
squared � are better in the present
position. And very important to our
opening model is the presence of the
white-squared �- 17 . . . c5! 18.ltJd5 cd4
19.�b5 ltJc5 20. ltJf6 'WWf6 2 l .'Wb4 l:te4
 1 00 M IOategame ;:,uaregy
22. lle4 �e4 23. lLld4 l:ta8 24.'t!k3 lld8
25.lLle2 'Wg5 and Black had a slight
edge partly due to the activity of his .It
in Karpov,A-Short,N Monaco 1 993.)
17 . . . .ltg7 18 . .tfl �a6 19.�a6 l:.a6
20.l:tecl �f8 2 1 .ttJel il.d6 22.ttJd3
tt'Jf6 23.h3 was Epishin,V-Lutz,C Dort­
mund 1994, which is a model position
with the e4 break prevented. 17.Aa6
17.l:!.acl .te2 18.l:!.e2 c5! is similiar to
Karpov-Short quoted above, but with­
out the white-squared il.s on the board.
After 19.ttJd5 cd4 20.tt'Jf6 'Wf6 2 1 . ttJd4
tt'Jc5 22.�dl llea8 the game was equal
in Lutz, C-Lobron , E Munich 1 993.
1 7 ... l:[a6 18.e4!? 1 8 . l:!.ad l !? lla5
19.l:.e2 (19.e4 de4 20.tt'Je4 l:te6 Our
model features the common deploy­
ment of Black's l:!. to e6. Such observa­
tions allow us to expand our model and
continue the investigation. We see now
that models can be developed which
will direct our plans in specific posi­
tions. 2 1 .l:!.e3 lld5 We have already
seen one game in which this move was
an error. It is clear that we should be
careful in our j udgments when consid­
ering model positions or specific moves.
Under slightly different conditions, for
example, the move . . . l:td5 i s w e l l
played. 2 2 . tt'Jf6 'iWf6 2 3 . l:1e6 'i'Ve6
24.l:tel l:te5! 25.'it'e6 l:!.e6 was equal in
Gurevich,M-Van Der Sterren,P Wijk
aan Zee 1993) 1 9 . . . l:te6 20.l:!.c2 'f!Va8
with balanced chances. Epishin,V­
Goldin,A Novosibirsk 1 993. 18... de4
19.l0e4 l:le61? Here is the "novelty" in
this game, arriving at a piece placement
already observed in our model. If
19 . . .:ta8 20.l:!.adl 'it'c7 2 1 .'i'Vc4 White
. and judged it to be in White's favor.
held a slight edge in Brenninkmeijer,J­
Hedke,F Groningen 1 994. 20.l:la2!
20.l:te3?! bS!. 20...1:la5 21 ..J::[ae2 .J:Id5
A common placement we have already
noticed. 22.f!Vc4 22.lLlf6 't\ff6 23. l:!e6
fe6 24. 'i!t'c4 c5 25 .dc5 lLlc5 26.h3 with
White holding a slight edge. 22 ...l0f8
23.l0f6 Jlf6 23 .. .'iWf6? 24J:te6 tt'Je6
25.'f!Vc6 wins. 24.1:le8 trfd6 25.1i'b31
wh7?1 25 ... c5!? 26.h41 l0e6 27. 1i'b1
g6 28. tJb6 l0d4 29.l0e5 l0c2
3 0 . 1Wa71 it) e l ? l 3 1 . l0f7 1td7
32.l0g5 hg5 33..tle7, 1-0
Continuing our investigation, we will
dig deeper into a position from the
previous game and expand the possi­
bilities of our model.
(1 33) Mitenkov,A-Akhmadeev, V
Moscow 1 994
1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.l0c3 iJ..e7 4.l0f3
l0f6 5 . .fJ.. g 5 h6 6 .fJ.. h 4 0-0 7.e3
•
b6 S.iJ..e 2 iJ..b7 9 . .fJ..f6 Jif6 10.cd5
ed5 ll.b4 c6 12.0-0 J:(eS 13. 1tb3
a5 14.ba5 .J:Ia5 1 5.a4 l0d7 16.l:tfe1
JJ.. e 7 1 7.1:1abl iJ.. d 6 1 8.e4 de4
19.JJ..c4 l:tf8 20.l0e4
In our analysis of the Lputian-Petrosian
game above, we reached this position
N ow l e t ' s gather more evidence.
20...JJ..c7 2l.l:lbdl A logical move,
placing the l:t behind the isolani.
2 1 . lle2 (Planning to double l:.s on the
 J he Isolated d-t'awn
e-file) 2 1 . . . .lta6 (2l . . .'ifb8 is aimless,
e . g. 2 2 . l:t b e l 'ifa8 2 3 . lZl c3 �d6
24. l:te8! and again our model illustrates
the weakness off7) 22 . .lta6 l:ta6 with a
typical model position, offering equal
chances to both sides. Another path is
2 1 .lZlc3 'iff6 22.d5, setting up a natural
continuation of our model - the push of
the isolani. 21 ... ltlf6 22.ltle5 ltld5
22 ... �e5?! 23.de5 l2Jd5 24.l2Jd6 leaves
White holding the edge. 23.ltlc3 :es
24.ltld5 cd5 Our model has become
the battleground for a balanced pawn
structure (discussed later in this book) ,
with the addition of weak Queenside
pawns. 25.Jtb5 �e6 26.1fd3 Jle5
27.l:[e5 f!e5 28.de5 �aS 29.1fd4
l:[c8 30.h3 :c5 31.wh2 Vc7 32.f4
Ac6 33.Ad3 Va7 34.l.:ta1 Va5
35 ..J:[b1 After a long series of posi-
tiona! moves both masters overlook
tactics which should have determined
the outcome of this game.
35 ... Va4?? 35 . . . .td7 36. l:tb4 'i!Ya7
(36. . . g6) 37.'i!Yb2 l:tc8 38. l:td4 is equal.
36.ffa4?? After 36. l:tb6!! it becomes
clear that White will call the shots fol­
lowing 36 . . . l:tc4 (36. . . 'l!Wd4?? 37. l:tb8
.teB 38. l:te8 m a t e} 3 7 . l:t b 8 .t e 8
38.�c4 dc4 39.'i!Yd8 wins. 36. . . Jta4
37.l::tb6 llc8 38.�d6 Ab3 39.Ab5
IUJ
g6 40.ii,c6 Wg7 4I.c>filg3 d4 42.Wf2
h5 43.g4 hg4 44.hg4 ii.c2 45.We2
Jlb1 46.Wd2 l:lc7 47.Wd1 Jld3
48.Jlf3 After 48.l:td4 l:tc6 49.l:td3
l:tc4 White has a slight advantage.
48 ... Jtc2 49.Wd2 d3 50.f5 50.�d5!?
50 ... gf5 51.gf5 Jlb1 52.Ac6 l:ta7
53.Jld5 ac7 54.f6 wg6 55.we3
55 . .te4!? 55...wf5 56.e6 fe6 56 . . . 'iii>f6?
57.ef7 'itg7 58.l:tg6 'itg6 59.f8'i!Y win­
ning. 57.J;le6 d2 58.wd2 af7?!
58 . . . l:td7!? is the simplest way to draw
the game, e.g. 59.'iii>c3 (59.l:tel l:td5
60. 'iii> e 3 l:td3 6 1 . 'it e 2 'itf6 equal)
59 . . . l:td5 60.f7 'ite6 6 1 .f8'i!Y �f5 is
drawn. 59.l:(b6 Not best. Instead,
5 9 . l:t e l l:tf6 (59 . . . l:td7 60.f7 l:td5
6 1 .'iii>c l l:td8 62. l:te8 wins} 60 . .tg8
l:td6 6 1 .'iii>e 3 threatens 62 . .th7 with
the better pawnless ending. 59 ... l:(f6
60.ld,b1 .J:[d6, 1/2-1/2
Karpov makes the execution look easy
by concentrating on the strengths of his
model structure to win the following
game.
( 1 34) Karpov,A-Bonsch, U
Baden-Baden 1 992
1.d4 ltlf6 2.c4 e6 3.ltlf3 d5 4.ltlc3
Ae7 5.Ag5 h6 6.Ah4 o-o 7.e3
b6 s.Ae2 Jlb7 9.Af6 Af6 10.cd5
ed5 11.0-0 l:le8 12.b4 c6 13. 'ifh3
'ifd6 14 ..a,fe1 ltld7 15.Afl Ae7
1 6.f!ab1 a5 1 7.ba5 .J:[a5 18.a4
A a 6 1 9. A a 6 J:(a6 2 0 . e 4 de4
21.ltle4 At this point the data leads us
to add more features to our model.
Common charactoristics have been a
lZl on e4 and the 'it' along the a2-g8
diagonal. Looking closer at the a2-g8
diagonal, we notice how the weak f7
square has been uniformly unpleasant
for Black.
1 02 Middlegame Strategy

30 ... ltlf"6 3 1 .tfb3 tfc1 32.Wg2

tfal 33.J::lb 6 1ta3 34.§c4 .lidS
35.l:Ib7 Once again we see the target­
ing of Black's weak f7 pawn. 35 ... Df8
36.l:(b6 Dd8 37.�b5 1tb4 38.ffc6
Afs 39.Db7 1tb3 40.l0e5 l0d5
41.l0f7, 1-0

The "model position" has been briefly

discussed to offer direction for future
study. Now let's end the subject with a
few more examples, to expand our pos­
sibilities even more.
21 ... 1tfg6 22.l:(e31 A simple but beau­
tiful move. This l:t lift allows a couple of ( 1 35) Smyslov,V-Segovia,F
possibilities - action on the Kingside or
Las Palmas 1 972
doubling J:ls on the e-file. Instructively,
1 .c4 e5 2.l0f3 l0f6 3.l0c3 l0c6
Karpov ignores the misplaced "attack­
4.e3 g6 5.d4 d6 6.b4 Ag7 7.b5
ing" Black 'tW while strengthening his
ed4 8.ed4 l0e7 9.Ae2 0-0 10.0-0
own p o s i t i o n . 22 . . . l:lb8 23.l0c3
a6 ll.ba6 b6 1 2.a4 Aa6 13.'«fb3
Ad6?! 24.ffc4 b5?1 Black is continu­
l0c6 1 4.Dd 1 l0 a 5 1 5 . ffa 2 d5
ing his planned Kingside attack with
16.cd5 Ae2 17.l0e2 l0d5 18.Ad2
this pawn sacrifice. Even considering
tfd6 19.Dac1 We8 20.l0g3 l0b7
the flaw in this sacrifice, the thought
21.h3 1td7 22.�a1 c6 The model
behind it is worth reviewing. After cap­
position from a non-Carlsbad opening,
turing White will have a passed pawn,
but offering an example with Black's
though many obstacles lie before the
� fianchettoed Kingside . 23.'iVb3
conversion of this advantage into a win.
l0d6 24.Dac1 l0e4 25.l0e4 De4
The '@'s on the board offer attacking
26.1tc2 De6 27.l0e5 Ae5 28.de5
possibilities if the minor pieces can co­
)le5 29. 't'fc6 'fic6 30.l:c6 J::(a4
ordinate with her. Also the l:ts offer
30 .ciftf8!? 31.Ah6 DaB 32.l:(d6 �5
..

attacking chances by infiltrating the

33.Acl l0e7 34.�b2 White will win
White position. 25.ab5 cb5 26.l:tb5
the Exchange, then play the endgame
Black's plan is falling apart because the
with flawless Grandmaster technique
White l:ts are just as active as their
to gain the full point. 34...l:le8 35.Dd8
counterparts. 26...l:(a1 27.,Cle1 lle1
wrs 36.Ag7 Wg7 37.l:te8 lOgS
28.l0e1 l:le8 Subtle aspects of the po­
38.,tlb1 b5 39.,tlb8 �f6 40.l:l8b5
sition keep Black's plan from working.
.ll b 5 4 1 . .ll b 5 h 5 4 2 .wfl �e4
On this file the l:t's entry squares (el ,
43 ..t:la5 l0f6 44.we2 l0h7 45.we3
e2) are guarded by the White lOs.
ltif6 46.wd4 lOgs 47.we5 l0h 6
29.�f3 tfc2 30.g31 The two weak
4s.wd6 wrs 49.wd7 wgs so.wes
links in White's defense were the back
wg7 5 1 . .tla7 wgs s 2 . 1itd7 wg 7
rank, and the great scope of Black's
53.f3 h4 54.l:la7 wgs 55.we7 wg7
� - The text improves both situations.
s6.wd6 wr6 57..tta4 l0f5 ss.wd 5
 I ne I s o l ated a-Pawn 103

w g 5 5 9 .we5 f6 6 o . we 6 ltlg7 10.e3 Ag4 1 1 . 1tc2 1!fd7 1 2.1Ucl

6t.c;Yf7 ltlh5 62.ng4, 1-0 Ue7 1 3 .a 3 A c 3 1 4 .Ac3 �e4
1 5.h4 a6 t6.a4 Af3 17.Af3 ltlc3
( 1 36) Brerminkmeijer,J-Hedke, F 18. 1Wc3 a5 19.ba5 /0a5 This lLl plays
Groningen 1 994 an interesting role in the development
t.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.li�f3 �6 4.�c3 of our model position. Placed on aS,
Ae7 5 .Ag5 h6 6.Ah4 o-o 7 .e3 the lO prevents White from using the
b6 s.Ae2 Ab7 9.Af6 Af6 to.cd5 a2-g8 diagonal as in previous examples.
ed5 U.b4 c6 1 2.0-0 l:[e8 13. t'fh3 20.'ifb4 c6 2t.Ae2 1ld8 22.l:[abt
a5 14.ba5 l:la5 15.a4 Aa6 16.Aa6 g6 23.Ad3 l:[e8 24.l:[et l:[b8 25.e4
l:[a6 1 7 .l:[fe l �d7 1 8.e4 de4 de4 26.Ae4 b6 Why play this move
t9.�e4 l:[a8 20.l:[adt YJc7 21. YJc4 when the c-pawn is weakened as a
l:[ac8 22.l:[ct Ae7 23.g3 t¥b7 result? Because it does improve the
24.Dbt Afs 25.De3 l:le6 26.trh3 pawn structure, and covers the dark­
c5 27.d5 squared weakeness on the Queenside.
27 .Ag2 A striking difference from
previous examples of our model is the
lack of pressure on the a2-g8 diagonal.
27...l:[et 28.Uet 1!ff8 29.trc3 c5
30.h4 Ud8 31 .dc5 'fJc5 32.1tf6
The model has changed considerably,
yet the weakeness of f7 is still a key
factor. 32 ...Df8 33.Af3 �c4 34.h5!
tfd6 35.1fd6 �d6 36.l:[bt /Qc4
37.Ad5 The reader may decide if it is
ironic or symbolic that reaching the
a2-g8 diagonal turns out to be the win­
ning stroke. 37 ... Dc8 38.h6 Uc5
Another candidate model position has 39 ..i.c4 l:lc4 40.:lb6 f5 4t.a5 :la4
arisen, each side having a passed pawn. 42.a6 Wf7 43.f4, 1-0
27...l:[ee8 28.'fJc4 f5 29.�c3 l:le3
30.fe3 DeS 31. 1Jf4 �f6 32.�h4 ( 1 38) Kamsky,G-Vidarsson,J
ea6 33.Ddt 'fJa5 34.�h5 l:le4 Reykjavik 1 990
35.1tf3 Da4 36.�c7 Dat 37.�f5 l .d4 /Of6 2.c4 e6 3 . /0f3 Ah4
ea4 38.l:(at 'Ctal 39.c;Yg2 'ifb2 4./0bd2 0-0 5.g3 d5 6 ..i.g2 /Oe4
4o.wh3 g6 4t./Od4 Ag7 42./0c6 7.o-o /Od2 s.Ad2 .i.d2 9.ffd2
g5 43.g4 h5 44.'fJf5 hg4 45.Wg3 �d7 1 0 . 1tc3 c6 l t .:lfel l:[e8
ee2, 1/2- 1/2 1 2.:ladt b6 13.e4 Ah7 14./0e5
�6 1 5.ed5 ed5 t6.b4 a5 17.a4
( 1 37) Gligoric,S-Rodriguez,A ab4 18. 1rb4 l:;la5 19.Dbl Aa8
Luzem 1 982 20.cd5 �d5 The blockade theme
l .d4 /Of6 2.c4 e 6 3 . /0f3 A h4 appears in the model. 2t.1Wb3 Da7
4. Ad2 'ife7 5.g3 /Oc6 6./0c3 d5 22./0c4 Del 23.Det g6 24.h4 h5
7.cd5 ed5 8.Ag2 0-0 9.0-0 Ile8
1 04 M iddlegame Strategy

25.l:le5 l:(a6?? 26.Ad5 , 1 -0. I f b6 s.Ae2 Ab7 9 .Af6 Af6 to.cd5

26 cd5 then 27.'ffb5 wins with ease. ed5 ll.b4 1fd6 t 2.1tb3 c6 t3.0-0
. . .

�d7 t4.l:lfet a5 t5.ba5 l:la5 t6.a4

( 1 39) Tesic, D-Maksimovic, D Ae7 t 7.l:[a b t Ads t S.e4 de4
Tivat 1 995 t9.�e4 fff4 20.�ed2 l:la7 2t.Ac4
t.d4 ltl{6 2.�f3 d5 3.c4 e6 4.�c3 c5 22.d5 ltlf6 23./0ft Aa6 24.l:lbct
Ae7 5.Ag5 h6 6.Ah4 o-o 7 .e3 l:(eS 25.�e3 J:le4 26.�d2 Dd4
b6 s.l:(ct Ab7 9.Af6 Af6 tO.cd5 27.g3 fic7 2S.Aa6 l:[d2 29.Ab5
ed5 1 l.Ad3 c6 t 2.0-0 l:(eS t3.l:(et 'lieS 30.1tb4 Da2 3t.\'fb3 l:[d2
�d7 t4.b4 a5 t5.ba5 l:la5 t6.a4 32. 'llb4 J:(a2 33. 1tb3, t/2-t/2
1taS t7.Af5 �f8 tS.fib3 1Ja7
t9.�bt Ads ( 1 41 ) Andresen, S-Foessmeier, U
1 995
t.c4 e6 2.�c3 d5 3.d4 Ae7 4.�f3
�f6 5.cd5 ed5 6.Ag5 0-0 7 .e3
c6 S . A d 3 l:(eS 9 . \'f c 2 � bd 7
t0.0-0 �f8 ll.h3 Ae6 t 2.l:[abt
a5 t 3 .l:[fct �g6 t 4 .Af6 Af6
t 5.b4 ab4 t 6.l:[b4 AcS t7.l:[a4
l:tbS tS.l:[bt Ae7 t9.l:ta7 Ad6
20.Af5 l:te7 2t.Acs ecs 22. eh3
b6 23.l:le7 �e7 24.a4 h6 25.l:[ct
1ta6

20.e4 de4 2t.�e5 AaS 22.�e4

l:ld 5 23. 1tc2 c 5 24 .�c3 l:(d4
25.�b5 1ta4 26.�d4 '@d4 27.�c4
l:[et 2S.l:(et Ac6 29.l:(dt f!Vh4
30.g3 ffe7 3t. 1td2 Ac7 32.J:(et
1Jf6 3 3 . Ae4 b5 34.Ac6 1Jc6
35.�e5 Ae5 36.l:[e5 �e6 37.ffd5
1Wc7 3S. 1\fa8 wh7 39. 1\fe4 g6
40.h4 Wg7 41 .l:[d5 b4 42. ffc4
ffb6 43.l:td7 1Wc6 44.J:la7 fib6
45.l:ld7 1Jc6 46.l:[a7 h5 47.l:[a6
1tb7 4S.l:ta5 1tf3 49.Da6 edt 26.e4 de4 27"!'it)e4 Af4 28.l:[c2
50.Wg2 ed4 5t.'ifb3 ffe4 52. 1Jf3, b 5 ? 1 2 9 . �c5 '§a7 30.g3 Ad6
t/2-t/2 3t.ab5 l:tb5 32.t!\fc4 Ac5 33.dc5
\'fat 34.wg2 l:lbl?? 35.l:ta2 1tf6
{140) Naumann, A-Pfleger,H 36.l:(aS '1Ph7 37.'§e4, t-O
1 995
t.d4 d5 2./0f3 i()f6 3.c4 e6 4.�c3
Ae7 5.Ag5 o-o 6.e3 h6 7.Ah4
 I I IC I:SUJ i1lCU U-ri1WII I U:>

Summing Uv the !so/ani ( 1 42)

Nimzowitsch,A-Jacobsen,E
By now it is clear that the isolani is Copenhagen 1 923
neither an advantage nor a weakness; l.d4 d5 2.�f3 �6 3.c4 e6 4.�c3
it is simply one element making up the Ae7 5 .Ag5 0 - 0 6.t:fc2 �bd7
position on the board. It is, however, the 7.0-0-0 c5 8.dc5 �c5 9.e3 At­
element around which play on both tempting to win the d-pawn here would
sides will pivot, and yet (as with any only expose White to an attack on his
element of a position) it is by itself 'it. 9 ... Ad7 to.wbt �ce4 u.�e4
meaningless. �e4?! Black is hypnotized by the
possible advantages of the isolani in
It is worth mentioning again that both this position. Best according to
possible types of isolani positions can Nimzowitsch was 1 1 . . .de4 with equal
appear from within the Carlsbad forma­ chances. 1 2.Ae7 fie7 13 . ..a,d3 �f6
tion. Ergo, all isolani positions are re­ 14. cd5 ed5 1 5. �d4 The classic
lated to the Carlsbad by their pawn blockade. As we know, Black will have
structure and positional ideas, without a difficult time dislodging the lL\ from
regard to the opening. its new post. 15 ... Wc8 16. t:fb3 b5
17.f3 In his notes Nimzowitsch states,
We have the "advantage of the isolani" "White's centralized structure can
when it stimulates our initiative and afford the small weakness at e3 . "
supports the activity of our pieces. We 17...g6 17 . . . �e3?? 18.�h7. 18.l:Dtel
have the "weakness of the isolani" when b4 19.Aa6 Slowing down Black's at­
its long term liability (blockade) comes tack on the Queenside and disrupting
into play, or the activity of our pieces is t h e c o o rd i n a t i on o f h i s p i e c e s .
hampered by the need to defend the 1 9. . .l:lcb8 20.g4 Reducing Black's
isolani. Nimzowitsch affirms this notion options for piece placement and favor­
in his refe rence to " the dynamic ably changing his Kingside pawn struc­
strengths and static weaknesses of the ture. 20 ... ,Clb6 21.Afl Ae6 22.l:[cl
isolani." Probably the most important a5 23.a4 �d7 Black's attack is run­
thought to keep in mind when playing ning out of steam, while White's pawn
with or against the isolani. storm is just starting to boil on the King­
side. 24.Ab5 �c5 25. 1Jc2 lieS
It is fitting to end this chapter with a 26.h4 l:[bb8 27.t:fh2 tWc7
tribute to the player who opened our
eyes to the mystery of the isolani, Aron (see next diagram}
Nimzowitsch. Below is a fine game
feat u r i n g t h e i s o l a n i , by w h i c h 28.t:fc7?! Nimzowitsch criticized this
Nimzowitsch chose t o illustrate the move because White was "stronger on
subj ect in his collection of games the diagonals," e.g. 28.'iff4 'i'lf4 29.ef4
entitled Chess Praxis. planning 30.f5 with advantage for
W h i t e . 28 . . . �c7 29.�c6 l:tb5?
Again Black overestimates his chances
 106 Middlegame Mrategy

After 27 . Wic7
. .

and neglects to consider the strength of

the White ltJ. Best would have been
29 . llc6, removing the blockader once
..

and for all. 30.ab5 �d3 3 1.�a5

J:la7 32.�c6 l:lb7 33.�d4 Now
the blockade dominates the position.
33 . . . �el 34.J:Iel Ad7 3 5.J:Icl
Ab5 36.1:tc5 Ad7 37.l:ld5 wts
38.fiYc2 b3 39.Wc3 we7 40.h5
Ae6 4t.l:tc5 wd6 42.1:[c6 Wd7
43.hg6 hg6 44.�e6 fe6 44 . .'�·c6.

45.4Jd8. 45.l:lc5 wd6 46.J:Ig5 J:lg7

47.f4, 1-0
 l i lt; Di:lli:lll�t;; U r i:I W I I � ll UI,;LUI <:;
The Balanced Pawn
Structure
Here the positional themes and dynam­
ics of the Carlsbad are simplified,
making it difficult to create the tension
and complexity normally needed to
win. However, since both sides have a
weak d-pawn, chances go to the player
whose d-pawn is healthiest. Also, the
use of strong outposts could shift the
position's balance.
Attack and Defense
Spielmann makes progress in the fol­
lowing game by posting his pieces better
than his opponent, whose weaker d­
pawn ties him down to defense. Spiel­
mann is able to combine arrack with the
defense of his own weak pawn. As al­
ways, the best defense is a good offense.
However, in a balanced pawn structure
the best piece placements contribute to
both arrack and defense.
IVI
( 1 43) Spielmann,R-Kmoch,H
San Remo 1 930
1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.lt�c3 �f6 4..i.g5
�bd7 5.e3 c6 6.cd5 ed5 7 . .i.d3
.i.e7 8. 1ic2 h6 9..i.h4 0-0 10.�3
l:le8 ll.�d2 �f8 12.h3 c5 13.0-0
cd4 14.ed4 �h5 1 5 .Ag3 �g3
16.fg3 A player of Spielmann's style
welcomes the opportunity to open a file.
1 6 . . . Af6 17.�f3 Ae6 1 8.c;Yh2
l:lc8 19.tfb3 J:le7 20.J:lae1 1Va5
21.�e5 �d7?! The Black ltJ was the
best defender of the weak Kingside
white squares. 22.�d7 l:ld7 23.Ah1
tfh6 24.tfc2 J:le8 25.�e2 Wf8
26.VId3 r!d6 27.�f4 we7 28.tfa3
Ad4 29.�d5, t-o
The next game is a wonderful example
of endgame technique, in addition to
illustrating our arrack and defense
theme.
( 1 44) Meulders,R-Larsen,B
Brussels 1 987
1.d4 �f6 2.c4 e6 3.�c3 Ah4 4.e3
0-0 5.Ad3 d5 6.�ge2 c5 7.cd5
ed5 8.0-0 b6 9.a3 Ac3 10.�c3
Ag4 ll.f3 Ae6 1 2.b4 cd4 13.ed4
�c6 14.�e2 h 6 1 5.Ad2 �e7
t6.1Wb1 tld7 17.b5 Af5 18.l:lc1
:fc8 19.'tth3 Ad3 20.ffd3 �f5
2l.Ab4 l:(e8 22.�g3 �g3 23.hg3
J:lac8 24.g4 h5 25.g5 �h7 26.g6
�g5 27 .gf7 �f7 28.J:lc8 1Vc8
29.c;Yf2 .l;te6 30.:h1 g6 31.l:le1
c;Yg7 32.l:(e6 tfe6 33. 1Vc3 fff6
34.1fe3 �h6 35.c;Yf1 �5 36. 't'fe5
ffe5 37.de5
(see next diagram)
! OK M l d dlegame :Strategy

37 ... c;t>f7 38.c;t>f2 c;t>e6 39.f4 d4 Combining defense of his weak pawns
40.c;t>f3 c;t>d5 41.g4 'tle3 42.gh5 with an attack on Black's position.
gh5 43.a4 'tlf5 44.�e1 d3 45.a5 30 . . . ffd1 3 1 .Afl l:ic7 3 2 . �c7
'tld4 46.c;t>f2 h4 47.ab6 ab6, 0-1 � f7 3 3 . �ds f5 3 4 . Jlf6 c;t>gs
35.Jle5, 1-0. White has the unbeat­
Here is another example of attack and able threat of 36.�f6, and if 35 . . . .tg7
defense revolving around the mutually 36.�d8 kf8 37.�f6 wins.
fixed d-pawns.
Now let's look at an example where the
( 1 45) attack and defense of the d-pawn is a
Speelrnan,J-Maksirnenko, A minor element in the position.
Copenhagen 1 996
1.c4 e6 2.'tlf3 d5 3.d4 c6 4. ffc2 ( 1 46) Trikaliotis, G-Barry, C
'tlf6 5 . �g 5 'tl b d 7 6 . e3 ff a 5 Luzem 1 982
7. 'tlbd2 'tle4 8.�f4 �e7 9.h4 1.d4 'tlf6 2.c4 e6 3.Gtlf3 d5 4.'tlc3
'tld2 1 0 . 'tld 2 dc4 1 1 . �c4 e5 Jle7 5.Jlf4 0-0 6.e3 c6 7.cd5
1 2 . �g3 ed4 13.0-0 0-0 1 4.ed4 ed5 8.�d3 'tlbd7 9.ffc2 l:[e8
As mentioned in the isolani chapter, 10.h3 'tlf8 1 1.g4 Jle6 12.'tle5 l:tc8
this pawn structure could arise out of 13.Ag3 c5 14.0-0 a6 15.a4 'tl6d7
t h e C a rlsba d . 14 . . . 'tlb6 15.�d3 16.:lad1 cd4 17.ed4 In terms of
ffh5 1 6.�ae1 'tld5 17. 'tlf3 f6 attacking and defending the d-pawn,
18.a3 WI 19.�c4 Ag4 20.'tld2 White seems to be achieving a posi­
.b[d8 21.'tlb11 Preparing to challenge tional plus. However, as with all princi­
the blockading ttJ on d5. 21 ... iU8 ples in chess, this"fu.ctor does not stand
22.'tlc3 c;t>h8 23.'tld5 cd5 Now we alone on the chessboard. In the present
have the balanced pawn structure, the position White's Kingside pawn struc­
t,ubject of this chapter. 24.Ad3 g6 ture is weakened.
25. 'tta41 a6 26. ffa5 l:lc8 27.l:lc1
.b!c1 28.l:[c1 c;t>g7 29.�c7 Ae6 (see next diagram)
30.1fb6
 1 ne tlaiancea rawn �tructure I U'J

two likely pawn structures here (bal­

anced or isolani) , White would prob­
ably prefer the balanced due to his weak
e3 pawn. So what is wrong with Black's
plan in this position? 20.ltld3 White's
response even seems to encourage
Black's plan of . . CDe6. Controlling the
.

b4 square delays Black's idea, but even­

tually White's CD can be exchanged for
the Black .,t and his plan can go for­
ward. 20 ... ltle6 20 . . . cd4 2 l .ed4 �d6
22.nes is clearly in White's favor.
21.ltlf5 Another delay for the oppo­
17...� 18.Ae5 18.de5?? d4. 18... h51 nent. 21 ... '§f8 22. 'ifg3 g6 23.dc5
19.Af5 hg4 20.hg4 l:(c6! Transfer­ Now Black's game plan begins to fall
ring the .1:[ to the Kingside is essential apart. White still has the weak e3 pawn,
to Black's attack. 21.l:ld3? 2 l .�g2, but the Kingside attack is becoming
with the idea of 22.l:.hl, would defend more important than long term disad­
the Kingside better. 21 ... Af5 22.gf5 vantages. 23 ... ltlc5 2 4 . ltld4 ltle6
Ah4 23.�h3 mt6 24.wh2 ltlh7 25.ltle5 ltld4 26.ed4 Black has fi­
25.Af4 ltlg5 26.Ag5 fig5 27.1Wd3 nally achieved his structural goals, but
Af2 28.ltld5 :e3, 0-1 the dynamics of the position will over­
whelm him. 26 ... ltlh5 Forced in view
In the next game the battle of ideas of W h i t e ' s Kings i d e a t t a c k , e . g.
surrounding the creation of a balanced 26 . . . �b4 27 . .,tg6!! �d4 28.�hl wins.
pawn structure is very instructive. 27.'@f2 ltlf6 28.l:e3 ltld7 O n
most other Black moves White would
( 1 47) Christiansen, L-Bayer, E continue as in the game. 29.f4 ltlf6
Porz 1 988 30.1::Ig3 ltle4 31.Ae4 de4 32.f5 g5
1.c4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.ltlc3 ltlf6 4.cd5 33.ltlg4 '@d6 34.d5 h5 35. '@e3 f6
ed5 5.Ag5 c6 6.e3 Ae7 7 .Ad3 36.ltlh6 wfs 37.�5 fg5 3B.'@g5,
0-0 8.'§c2 ltlbd7 9. ltlge2 l:[e8 1-0
10.0-0 ltlf8 ll.�ae1 Ag4 12.ltlg3
h6 1 3 . Af4 Ad6 14.Ad6 1Wd6
15.f3 Ae6 16.fif2 l:[ad8 17.ltlce2 Changing the Pawn Structure
tre7 18.Ab1 Ac8 19. ltlf4 c5?1
Bayer has a plan of attack and defense This chapter deals with the simplest
for the d-pawn. If White does nothing Carlsbad structure, yet here is a good
Black will position his CD on e6, create place to bring up the most complex
the balanced pawn structure and pro­ point in our understanding of the
ceed to attack the d4 pawn (e.g. with Carlsbad. During the fight that sur­
.. .'t'i'b4) . The position would then favor rounds this pawn structure, several
Black based on the central pawns. By pawn structure changes must be fore­
the way, if given a choice between the casted when composing a plan of
 1 10 MJddlegame :strategy

action. As we saw in the minority square. What pawn structures should

attack, certain maneuvers require each side plan for? 7 ... lt)c6 8.l0c3
responses that may change the pawn 1Wd6 9.a3 The struggle surrounding
structure. However, this thinking is the isolani is equal. The contest over
limited in its view of the Carlsbad. The the d5 square offers Black a solid de­
true test of the struggle lies in estab­ fense and White a slight initiative.
lishing a structure which either evolves 9 ... Ae7 to.Ad3 o-o u.o-o b6 The
with the game, or can withstand the basic anti-isolani principle is to control
counterplay associated with various the square in front of it, here the d5
positional themes. square. Black dutifully prepares for the
. . . -tb7 deployment. 1 2 . @e2 Ab7
This subtle lesson is brought out in My 13.l:adl White is also playing along
System, where Nimzowitsch describes basic principles by positioning his pieces
various pawn structures as a "family to support the d5 advance. 13 ... l:l,ad8
tree" of the isolani. The pawn structures 14.Ag5 g6 15.Ac4 l:fe8 16.l:fel
are related because they evolve from l0d5!? By maintaining control over d5
one another, but we have seen that without actually occupying the outpost,
there is no real head of the family. Black can keep his equilibrium. The
text offers White the option of chang­
The Carlsbad structure evolves as the ing the pawn structure. 17.ltld5 ed5
game progresses, possibly through many This pawn structure could have come
interrelated structures. The study of from the Carlsbad, producing the
this formation reveals connections be­ balanced pawn structure. 18.Ab5
tween many pawn formations, a point
underlined by Games 1 47 and 1 48
which do not spring from the Carlsbad.
Yet the pawn structure changes seen in
those games relate to the Carlsbad very
closely, and at some point either game
could be m i s t a ke n for an a c t u a l
Carlsbad position. Our previous game
features a number of structural changes
we've seen before, and the next is of­
fered to further advance this complex
subject.

The tactics resulting if Black now plays

( 1 48) Emms,J-Akesson,R
18 .. �g5 are beyond our scope, but
Copenhagen 1 996
.

ce.r.t ainly wortll, exploring. 18...f6

l.e4 c5 2.c3 d5 3.ed5 1td5 4.d4 e6
5.lt)f3 l0f6 6.Ae3 cd4 7.cd4 We
now have the classic isolani. White
should expect to gain tempi since the 'iV
is not a good blockader, but Black will
keep control of the important d5
19 ..i.d2 wf7 20..i.b4 1fd7 2t ..i.e7
l:e7 22. ed2 l:[de8 23.l:l,e7 l:l,e7
24. tff4 Positioning the 'if to support
the weak pawn while harassing the
Black �. Yet this outpost cannot be
 1 ne oa1ancea rawn ::nrucmre
maintained, and she must retreat to
sustain any winning chances in the
position. 24 . . . wg7 25.l:Icl 1fc7
26.1td2 1td6 27.h3 ltldB 28.Ad3
,btc7 29.l:tc7 Vc7 30.1fte3 Vd6
3l.ltlh2 .i,c8 32.ltlfl ltle6 33.ltlg3
'trf4 34.ltle2 ffe3 35.fe3 Another
pawn structure change to catalog.
35...ltlc7 3 6 .c,Yf2 A a 6 3 7 . A a 6
�a6 3 8 . ltlf4 ltlc7 3 9 .g4 wf7
40.wf3 g5 41 .ltle2 ltle8 42.ltlc3
we6 43.b3 ltld6 44.a4 a6 45.e4
de4 46.ltle4 Finally a passed pawn is
created, but the specifics of this ending
lead to a draw. 46 ... ltle8 47.we3 ltlc7
4s.wd3 ltld5 49.wc4 ltle3 so.wd3
� d 5 5 1 . a 5 ba5 5 2 . wc4 ltl e 3
53.wc5 h 6 54.wc6 ltlc2 55.c.Yc5
�e3 56.Wc6 ltlc2 57.wc5, 1/2-1/2
Our next game is a true Carlsbad, in
which the pawn structure changes flow
according to the rhythm of attack.
( 1 49) Reshevsky, S-Simonson,A
New York 1951
l.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.ltlc3 ltlf6 4.cd5
ed5 5.Ag5 ltlbd7 6.e3 c6 7.Ad3
Ad6 s./Qge2 h6 9.Ah4 g5 10.Ag3
A e 7 l l . h 4 .t:[g8 1 2 . h g 5 h g 5
13.@c2 /Qf8 14.0-0-0 .i.e6 15.f3
I l l
Now the Botvinnik maneuver is initi­
ated in the center, and so begins the
clash of ideas within the Carlsbad.
Black has decided to build a fortress for
his � in the center, which adds more
spice to the position - for both sides.
15 ... b5 With his own � barracaded
in the center, Black can freely attack
the White monarch. 16.c;Ybt ffb6
17 ..t:lcl a5 18.e4 Focusing on his
pawn structure transformation. Which
pawn structure has Reshevsky pre­
pared for with his preceding moves ?
18 ... /Qg6 19.ed5 The answer is the
balanced formation. Had Black ex­
changed with 18 .. de4, White would
.
have the option of hanging pawns. The
isolani might even be better due to
Black's weak c6 pawn. Ergo, Black
was essentially forced to accept the
balanced pawn formation. 19 ... ltld5
20.ltld5 cd5 O r 20 . . . �d5 2 l . liJc3
'fkd4 2 2 . liJd 5 'fkdS 2 3 . 't!Vc6 'Wc6
24.l:C6 b4 25.l:.el and White's posi­
tion is overwhelming. 2 1 .ltlc3 b4
22./Qb5 Once again we see the princi­
ple of attack and defense in action.
22 . . . c;Yf8 23./Qc7 .t:[d8 24 . .t:[cel
/Qf4 White was threatening 25.l2Je6
fe6 26 . .tg6 winning a piece. 25.Af4
gf4 26./Qe6 fe6 The structure is al­
tered further, and this new backward
pawn gives White another target for his
gathering initiative. Black's � begins to
feel the effects of his early decision to
remain in the center. 27.l:lh6 U,d6
28.1fc8 @dB 29.1fc1 Ag5 30 . .t:[he6
�e6 3 t.:e6 c;Yf7 32.1:1e5 ,bleB
33.Df5 c;Yg7 34. 1Vc6 Del 35.c;Yc2
1fte7 36.Dd5 De2 37.wb3, 1-0
Below is an interesting pawn structure
experiment by Alekhine.
1 1 .<: 1Vl lUU lt:game ;:o,uategy
( 1 50) Alekhine,A-Lasker, Em
New York 1 924
t.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.�f3 t0f6 4.�c3
�bd7 5.cd5 ed5 6.Af4 c6 7.e3
�h5 8.Ad3 8.�g3!? 8 ... �f4 9.ef4
Ad6 Alekhine's original intention was
ro now play l O.llJeS, according to his
own notes, but the "hostile reply" of
10 . . . �h4 prevented him from doing so.
He criticizes his inconsistent and vacil­
lating play in this game. 10.g3 0-0
11.0-0 l:te8 12.'t'fc2 �f8 13.�dl
13.llfel !? 13 . . . f6 1 4 . �e 3 A e 6
15.�h4?! Alekhine's comment here is
interesting in view of his strong attack­
ing style: "Loss of time ! From now on
White loses quickly because at any cost
he strives for an attack in utter disre­
gard of his inferior development."
t5...Ac7 t6.b4 Ab6 t7.�f3 Af7
18.b5 Alekhine considered this move
the decisive mistake. 18 ... Ah5 19.g4
Af7 20.bc6 l:tc8 21. 1Wb2 bc6 22.f5
ftd6 23.�g2 Ac7 24.l:lfel h5
25.h3 �h7 26.l:[e8 �e8 27.net
�b8 28. tiel �g5 29.�e5 fe5
30.1:fg5 e4 3 1.f6 g6 32.f4 hg4
33.Ae2 gh3 34.Ah5 nb2 35.�h4
1Wf4 36.1ff4 Af4, o-t
The next game is an instructive exam­
ple of pawn structure changes in the
center and on the Kingside.
( 151) Gyimesi, Z-Epishin, V
Parnu 1 996
l.d4 t0f6 2.c4 e6 3.�c3 Ab4 4.e3 emerges. If l6 \llltd41 Wh' d
0-0 5.�ge2 d5 6.a3 Ae7 7 .cd5
ed5 8 .g3 c6 9 Ag2 �a6 9 . . . 1:. e8 '. tsolam, e .g. 1 6 . . .tc5 1 7 .'ii'd 2 Wi e7
·
? . . . aS. 10. 0-0 �c7 l l .f3!.� �he text 1 8. 'Lld l d4! 1 9.e4 l:tad8 and Black
ts an openmg _ novelty! lnterestmg that -
a bas1c posmona 1 maneuver can still be 17.�a-�-e
· - -
.
a new openmg move. Instead, l l .h3 a6
1 2 . a4?! a5 is an idea reviewed in the
minority attack. Black achieved some
advantage on the Queenside by con­
trolling the b4 square in Torre ,E­
Larsen,B Bugojno 1 984. Another path
is l l . b4 lle8 1 2 f3 (So our main
.
game's novelty is really less than radi­
cal) 1 2 . . a5 13 . .l:tbl ab4 14.ab4 �e6
.
1 5 . �c2 �d7 16.g4 as in Christian­
sen,L-Kavalek , L Los Angeles 1 98 7 .
Finally, l l .'Llf4 a6!? 1 2.b4 ( 1 2 . .td2!?
-Larsen) 12 . . . 'Llb5 13.'Llb5?! Ths pawn
structure change only benefits Black.
13 . . . ab5 14 . .tb2 .tfS 1 5 .f3 Again this
maneuver! 1 5 . . . �d6 16.l:tel l:te8 was
Ramayrat,C-Larsen,B New York 1 986.
ll ... c5 Responding to the Botvinnik
manuever's threat of 1 2.e4, followed by
eS and f4 1 2.Ad2 After 1 2.dc5!? .tcS
.
1 3 . b4 the battle over the isolani offers
better chances to White. 12 ... b6
13.Ael !te8 14.1fd2 Aa6 15.Af2
cd4 16.ed4
Now the balanced pawn structure
. .s . tte �es not
.
� �
ave t e optton of play mg agamst the
·-·
.
· 1
IS d e fm1te y m contra 1 . t6 .a. A d6
- -
. ••
9"1'4' 1 h6"!
.
r ThIS move serves no
purpose, wea k ens t he K'mgs1-d e alld
 1 1 11: o<uau �..; o:; u r a w u �tru �..; ture
wastes valuable t i m e . B e t t e r was
1 7 . . . 'tWd7 ! ? 1 8 . tt::J f4 i.. c 4 1 9 . i.. h 3
(19.l:tacl !?) 1 9 . . . .,tf4 ! 2 0 . 'tWf4 �h3
2 1 . 'i!Wc7 'i!Vd7 with equal play. 18.ll:lf4
White has a slight advantage .
1 8 ... ffd7 19 . .1le3 l:le7 Or 19 ... 'Wf5
20 . .i.h3 'ilfh7 2 1 .tLlg2 and the Black 'ilf
is in an awkward position. 20..ilh3
tfc6 21.I:[acl ffb7 22.ll:lg2 h5? Be­
ginning a change in pawn structure
which weakens the Kingside dark
squares. Better is 22 . . . tt::J e6 23.tLlh4
l:c7 24.tt::J f5 i..f8 when White has a
slight advantage. 23.ll:lh4 g6 24.,ilg5
Del 25.lde1 GLlh7 25... tt::Jfe8!? 26.,ile7!
,ile7 27 .�e7 :tes 28. '4We3! J:te7
29.tfe7 tfc6? 30.f4! ll:lf8 31.ll:lf3!
f6 32.f5 g5? This change in pawn
structure should be fatal to Black. But
after 32 . . . gf5 33.tLlh4 'We6 34.tt::J f5
White's game is s till very s trong.
33.ll:lg5! ffe8 Or 33 .. .fg5 34.f6 tt::J ce6
35.�e6 tt::Je6 36.f7 �h8 37.'tWe8 win­
ning. 34.tfe8? Missing the merciful
34.tt::J d5! 'ilfe7 35.tLle7 �g7 36.tt::Je6
and wins . 34 ... ll:le8 35.ll:le6 ll:le6
36.fe6 ll:lc7 37.e7 Wf7 38.ll:ld5
ll:ld5 39.,1le6 We7 40 . .ild5 .ild3
41.Wf2 wd6? 42 . .ilf7 h4 43.gh4
we7 44.we3 ,ilc2 45 . .1ld5, 1-0
As seen in our next game the Carlsbad
has been around for a long time, and
pawn structure changes have been part
of the struggle since the beginning.
( 1 52) Pillsbury,H-Blackburne,J
Cable Match 1 898
1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.ll:lc3 ll:lf6 4 ..1lg5
Ae7 5.e3 ll:lbd7 6.l:(c1 c6 7.ll:lf3
0-0 8.cd5 ed5 9.Ad3 I!e8 10.0-0
GLlf8 ll.ll:le5 ll:l6d7 1 2.,ilf4 ll:le5
13.ii.e5 ,ild6 14.,ild6 tfd6
J Jj
15.e4 de4 16.ll:le4 tfh6 17.l:lc5 f5
18.ll:lg3 g6 19.li[e5 l:te5 20.de5
ii.e6 21.f4 tfg7 22. ffc2 tff7 23.b3
ll:ld7 24.ll:le2 ll:lb6 25.ll:ld4 l:(d8
26.ll:le6 ffe6 27.h4 c;Yg7 28.W3
ll:ld5 29.Ac4 Yl'e7 30 . .ild5 :Id5
31.fff2 b6 32.Ile3 h5 33.e6 J:[d6
34.ffe1 Wh7 35.g3 c5 36.tfe2
wgs 3 7 . 1fc4 wrs 3 8 . :l e 1 a5
39.ffe2 Wg8 40.ffe5 I:ldS 41.l:(e2
1:1d6, 1/2-1/2
To complete our subject of pawn
structure changes, let's look at a few
games where the backbone of the
Carlsbad structure never changes.
(1 53) Flohr,S-Capablanca,J
Margate 1 936
1.d4 d5 2.GLlf3 ll:lf6 3.c4 c6 4.ll:lc3
e6 5 . .1lg5 �bd7 6.cd5 ed5 7.e3
,ile7 8 . .1ld3 0-0 9. ffc2 l:le8 10.0-0
GLlfS ll.�e5 ll:l6d7 1 2.ii,e7 De7
13.�d7 .ild7 14.�e2 g6 15.ll:lf4
�e6 16.�e6 l:(e6 1 7.a3 17.b4!?
17 ... l::(e8 18.l:[fc1 a5 19.b4 ab4
20.ab4 1fe7 Now White begins a
series of exchanges that establishes a
lasting initiative, but not enough to
gain the full point. 21 .1!\Vc5 ffc5
22.bc5 k!a1 23.l:lal Wf8 Black
1 14 Middlegame Strategy

rushes to set up a defensive position on c;t>h8 22.!Ig2 1te6 23.�hg1 ltlgf5

the Queenside.24.c;t>f1 c;t>e7 25.c;t>e2 24.ltle2 ltl(7 25.1tc3 ltl7d6 26.ltlf4
c;t>d8 26.�a8 iLc8 27.wf3 c;Yc7 1th6 27.1td3 ltle4?? 28.�8, 1-0.
28.c;Yg3 h6 29.h4 l:[e7 30.Ae2 f5, After 28 . . . .l:tg8 29.lt:Jf7 wins.
1/2-1/2

( 1 54) Havasi ,K-Rubinstein,A

Budapest 1 929
1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.�c3 �f6 4.Ag5
�bd7 5.e3 Ae7 6.�f3 0-0 7.l:[c1
l:le8 8.1tc2 a6 9.cd5 ed5 10 . .i,d3
c 6 1 1 . 0 - 0 �f8 1 2 . � e 5 �g4
13.Ae7 l:le7 14.�g4 Ag4 15.�a4
1f d 6 1 6 . g 3 @f6 1 7 . h 3 .i. h 5
18.�c5 g5 19.!V"e1 l:lae8 20.b4 g4
21.hg4 Ag4 22.Ae2 Af5 23 ..i.d3
.i,c8 24. fle2 �g6 25.ffh5 whs
26.�b3 flg7 27.�d2 I f 27.'it'd l ,
t h e n 2 7 . . . tt'lh4 t h r e a t e n s 2 8 . . . �g4.
27 ... �f4, 0-1

( 1 55) Taimanov,M-Persitz
Hastings 1955
1.c4 e6 2.d4 �f6 3.�c3 d5 4.cd5
ed5 s.Ags c6 6.e3 .i.e7 7 . .i,d3
�bd7 8.'fWc2 �f8 9. �f3 �e6
10.Ah4 g6 u.h3 �g7 1 2.g4 o-o
1 3 . 0 - 0 - 0 �fe8 1 4 . A e 7 \'We7
15.:ldg1 �d6

16.h4 f5 17 .h5 fg4 18.ltle5 .i.f5

19.�g4 Ad3 20. 1td3 gh5 21.�e5
 1 ne K.mgside AttacK
The Kingside
Attack
The last game demonstrated that King­
side attacking possibilities must always
be considered. We have so far noted
these attacks as they happened, but this
chapter will focus entirely on the King­
side attack as it relates to the Carlsbad.
Let's continue with an example from
the current World Champion.
( 1 56) Kasparov, G-Yurtaev, L
Moscow 1 981
l.d4 'Llf6 2.c4 e6 3.'Llc3 Ab4 4.e3
0-0 5.Ad3 d5 6.cd5 ed5 7.'Llge2
'Llbd7 8.0-0 c6 9.f3 c5 10.a3 cd4
l l.ed4 Ae7 12.'Llf4 Attacking dS
directly. Kasparov uses the weakness of
this pawn to gain time and build a King­
side attack. 12 ... 'Llb8 Black's idea is to
reposition his ltJ on c6, where it will
pressure White's d-pawn. However,
Kasparov's aggressive response high­
lights the second player's lack of devel­
opment. 13.g4 Attacking dS indirectly
by threatening 14.g5, driving away the
defender. 13 ... Ad6 14.wh1 l:le8
15.g5 Af4 t6.Af4 'Llh5
1 15
17.Ab8! Using his advantage in time,
White attacks without any wasted
motion. Positionally, this move has
many attributes. The dark-squared �
was not helping the attack, and if
Black's ltJ had gotten to c6 it would
put irritating pressure on the d-pawn.
17 ...l:[b8 18.f4 g6 19.tlf3 b6 20.f5
b!b7 20 . . . 1fWg5? 2 l .fg6 hg6 22.Wf7.
21.f6 White's position is overwhelm­
ing, so that now simple technique
suffices to convert his advantages.
21 ... Ae6 22.l:[ae1 tid6 23.l:le5
lidS 24. 1fe3 b5 25.Ae2 b4 26.ab4
l::l b 4 27 . A h 5 g h 5 2 8 . g 6 hg6
29.l:le6 fe6 30.•h6, 1-0
Next we see an attack which lasts the
entire game. A brillant use of sustained
initiative by Grandmaster Tal.
( 157) Tal ,M-Saeed
Taxco 1 985
1.c4 e6 2.d4 lLl{6 3.'Llc3 d5 4.Ag5
'Llbd7 5.e3 c6 6.cd5 ed5 7.Ad3
Ae7 8. f(fc2 0-0 9.'Llf3 J:[e8 10.0-0
'Llf8 1 l .a3 'Llg6 1 2 . 'Ll e 5 'Llg4
13.Ae7 1fe7 14.lLlg4 Ag4 15.J:[ae1
Preparing to continue with either f3
or f4. 15 ... Ad7 16.f41 Carving out a
space advantage on the Kingside.
16 ... 'Llf8 17.f5 1fd6 18.1ff2 c5
19.f6 g6 20.'f!'fh4 cd4 21. 1th6 'Lle6
22.ed4 •fs Forced, since 23 . .l:te6
was threatened. 23. tih4 'Llc7 After
2 3 . . . � c 6 2 4 . l: e 5 l:t a d8 2 5 . l: f3
White's attack is crushing, e.g. 25 ... l:d7
26. l:th5!! wins. 24.tfg3 Tal has been
using minor tactical threats to disorgan­
ize Black's pieces, while he prepares
the main attack. 24 ... J:[ac8 24 ... ttJe6
25.ltJd5 ltJd4 26.ltJe7 c;;.hs 27.' ..h4
threatening 28.�g6. 25.De8 fle8
26.D,e1 Ae6 Forced, to keep the l:.
 1 16 M iddlegame Strategy

from infiltrating via e7. 27.h4 'flf8 pres e n t posi t i o n , e s p e c i a l l y with

28. 1Wf4 h6 29.Abl Wh8 30.1:1e3
b6 3 t .Ad3 wgs 3 2 . �e 2 c;Yhs
33. 1!fe5 Ag4 34.lt)f4! Now all of
White's pieces are ready for the attack.
Notice that 35.�g6 is threatened.
34...1:1e834...1We835 ...We8 .!:te8 3 6 . tLl d S .
35.trfc7 l:1e3 36.�g6! fg6 37.Ag6
1fg8 38.'t'!Vf4 llel If 38 . . . 'ti'g6? 39.f7
and the pawn will become a new 'if.
39.Wh 2 ltfS 40.f7 l::[e6 40 . . . i.e6
4 l .'tWf6. 41.1tg4 l::[f6 42.'fig3 J:(e6
After 42 . . .l:tf7 43.�f7 'flff7 44. 'ifeS
wh7 4S.h5 the e nding is won for
White. 43.h5 J:(e7 44.1fg4 1td8
45.Wg1 trrs 46.c;Yf2 ttds 47.g3
lffS 48.Wg2 tldS 49.'fif5 Wg7
50.Ah7 J:tf7 51.ffg6 wrs 52.tlh6
J:lg7 53.Af5 1te7 54.wh3 '4l'g5
55. frg5 ng5 56.Ag6! The sim-
plest road to victory. Black will run
out of pawn moves, and then the .!:t is
lost. 56 ...wg7 57.wh4 wh6 58.a4,
1-0
White's � at h6, White is justified in
launching a pawn storm to increase his
advantage. 12...Ae6 13.�e2 �bd7
14.Ag2 �b6 15.b3 Once again play­
ing prophylactic moves, preventing the
Black pieces from using important out-
post squares. Now Black cannot play
... tLlc4. 15 ...Dc8 16.0-0 l:lc6 A re­
sourceful and imaginative move, with
the idea of attacking White's .t on h6
and improving the Kingside pawn
structure. The concept does not work,
b u t only by a hair. 1 7.h3 �fd7
18.lt)d1 J:lgS 19.�f2 f5 Here is the
position Black was planning for with
16 . . . .!:tc6. By exchanging pawns and
forcing the White .t back (by threaten­
i n g . . . gS a n d . . . i.f7, winning the
piece) , Black can continue the attack
with . . . hS, opening files for his .!:ts.

The next two examples look at a pro­

phylactic manuever in two different
ways. In Kasparov-Short it is merely a
preventive measure which has little to
do with the rhythm of the game. In
Gulko-Beliavky the weakeness caused
by the maneuver grows as the game
progresses.

(1 58) Kasparov, G---Short,N 20.1:1ae1! This simple move ends the

discussion. By adding the pin of the
Thessaloniki 1 988
dark-squared .i. into the equation,
1.c4 e6 2.lt)c3 d5 3.d4 Ae7 4.cd5
Black's position is in ruins. 20...g5
ed5 5.Af4 c6 6.ffc2 g6 7.e3 Af5
21.gf5 Af7 2 1 . . .�f5 22.tLlg3 j_g6
8. frd2 �f6 9.f3 c5 10.Ah6! cd4
2 3 . � g 5 tLl f6 (2 3 . . . l:c2 2 4 . 'tWb4)
ll.ed4 a6 For l l . . . tLlc6 see the next
24.tLlg4. 22.�g4 Ah5 23.�g3, 1-o.
game. 12.g4 Depriving the Black i.
If 23 . . . .tg4 then 24.�g5 wins.
of the fS square is very important,
although a weakening move like g4
should be weighed carefully. In the
 1 he K.mgs1<1e Attack 1 17

( 1 5 9) Gulko, B-Beliavsky,A are fighting for the initiative. 23. 1!!Vd l

Linares 1 989 .Hl.d7 24.�h5 �h7 25.1!!Vf3 l:[e1
1.c4 e6 2.ltlc3 d5 3.d4 .Hl.e7 4.cd5 26.l:[e1 .Hl.c6 27.YWg3 �f6 28.�g7
ed5 5 . .Hl.f4 c6 6. YWc2 g6 7.e3 .Hl.f5 Wg7 29.h4 �h5 30.'ftg4 Ue7 In­
8. flYd2 �f6 9.f3 c5 10 . .Hl.h6 cd4 stead 30 . . . ttJf6 is equal. 31.l:[e7 1te7
ll .ed4 �c6 12.g4 .Hl.e6 13 . .Hl.b5 32.hg5 1tg5 33. 1tg5 hg5 34.b4!
�d7 14.0-0-0 Logical play, moving Not 34.�gl? aS with equal chances.
the � away from the field of battle. The text gives White the initiative on
14 ...b[c8 15.�ge2 a6 16 . .Hl.c6 b[c6 the Queenside. 34 . . .g4 35.a4 b6
1 7 . � b 1 �b6 1 8 . b 3 A p a t t e rn 3 5 . . . ttJf4 3 6 . -tfl �f6 3 7 . b5 abS
similiar to the previous game, prevent­ 38.ab5 ..te8 39.ltJb7 �fS?? 40.ttJd6.
i n g . . . ttJc4. However, the initiative
passes to Black partly because of the
weak dark squares created by this move.
1 8 . . . .Hl.b4 1 9 .�c1 YWe7 20. �f4
iLg4 21.fg4 iLc3 22. YWd3 22.l:k3??
'iVe4. 22 ... Wd7 Heading for a safe
haven before launching the offensive.
23.�e2 iLb4 24.l::tc6 wc6 25.l:tf1
25.lkl !? 25 . . . �c8 26.iLg7 J:[e8
27.iLe5 wb6 28.YWf3 YWd7 29. YWf7
:!e7 3 0 .YWf3 Wa7 3 l . h 3 �e8
32.�f4?! IDS 33.l:tc1 �e7 34.h4?!
34.'iVd3!? 34 ... iLa3 35.l:[d1 35.l:tc7!?
36.iLa6! This long term endgame
'iVb5. 35...�6 36.flYg3 �b4 37.�d3
co mbi n a t i o n d e c i d e s t h e g a m e .
�d3 38.l:td3 af1 39.Wc2 Ilc1
36 ...bc5 37.b5 iLaS 38.dc5 �g3
40.Wd2 na1 41.we3 YWcs 42. YWg2
39.Wg1 �f5 40.b6 d4 41.b7 Ab7
h5 43.wf4 .W1, o-1
42.Ab7 d3 43.Wf2 �d4 44.we3
d 2 4 5 .Wd2 �b3 46.we2 �c5
Now we have a game in which the
47.a5! f5 48.a6 �a6 49.iLa6 f4
attack is only one phase of the struggle.
50.Wd3 wf6 51.we4 Wg5 52.Acs,
1-0
( 160) Bareev,E-Yusupov,A
Munich 1 994 The next two games are examples in
1.d4 �f6 2.c4 e6 3.�c3 d5 4.cd5 which Black conducts the "Kingside"
ed5 5.iLg5 iLe7 6.e3 �bd7 7.iLd3 attack on the Queenside !
0-0 8.�ge2 �e8 9.0-0 c6 10. YWc2
�f8 1 1 .f3 �g6 1 2.:ad1 Ae6 ( 1 61 ) Hachian,M-Mirumian,V
13.�g3 �c8 14.l:(de1 c5 1 5.f4
Erevan 1 995
�f8 1 6 . W h 1 h6 1 7 . iL h 4 a 6
1.d4 �f6 2.�f3 d5 3.c4 e6 4.�c3
18. YWd2 cd4 19.ed4 �e4 20.�ce4
�bd7 5.cd5 ed5 6.Af4 c6 7.e3
Ah4 2 1 . �c5 blc7 22.f5 iLg5 At­
Ae7 8. 1tc2 0 - 0 9 . 0 - 0 - 0 .J:,te8
tack and counterattack; both players
10.Ad3 �f8 1 1./0e5 Ae6 12.h4
1 18 Middlegame Strategy

,t:tc8 13.g4 c5 14.g5 �h5 15.�h2 Carlsbad structure. Our study is divided
cd4 16.ed4 Wa5 17.wb1 �b4 according to the location of the Kings.
18.l:(cl Wb6 19. -evd2 g6 20.�e2
!tc3 21 .l:!c3 �c3 22.'ifc3 �f5
23.wa1 l:lc8 24. 'ife3 �c2 25.!lb1 a) 0-0-0 VS. 0-0
l:le2 26.-eve2 �b1 27.�b1 -evd4
28.�g4 lDf4, 1/2-1/2. I f 29.�f4 In any pawn formation where the Kings
'iWf4 30.lLlf6 �g7 3 1 . lLldS?? 'iWfS.
have castled on opposite sides, both
players must look after defense while
( 1 62) Mason,J-Chigorin,M preparing their own attack. In many
Monte Carlo 1 902 cases the first to attack will maintain
1.c4 lDf6 2.lDc3 e6 3.d4 d5 4.lDf3 the initiative, because the other must
c6 5.e3 lDbd7 6.�d2 �d6 7.'ifc2 spend valuable time responding in­
0-0 8.cd5 ed5 9.�d3 l::l,e8 10.h3 stead of attacking. In the following
lDfS 1 1.g4 'ife7 1 2.0-0-0 �d7 game Reshevsky uses a pawn sacrifice
13.Wb1 b5 14.lDh4 lDe4 1 5.�e4 to speed up his attack.
1th4 16.�f5 'iff2 17.�d7 lDd7
18.lDb5 cb5 19.'ifc6 lDb6 20.'ltd6 ( 1 63) Reshevsky, S-Monticelli ,M
lDc4 21. 'ifh2 lDd2 22.l:(d2 1te3 Syracuse 1 934
23.W1 l:lac8 24. 'iff2 f6 25.b3?1 b4 1.d4 lDf6 2.c4 e6 3.lDc3 d5 4.�g5
26.'ife3 �e3 27.W"5 k[e1 28.Wb2 lDbd7 5.cd5 ed5 6.lDf3 Ae7 7.e3
J:(cc1 29.a4 l:[b1 30.Wa2 l:(a1 c6 8. 'ltc2 0-0 9.�d3 l:[e8 10.h3
31.Wb2 k[a3 32.l:(d5 .ble3 33.�a5 lDfs 1 t.�f4 lDg6 1 2.�h2 Ad6
.t:[eb3 34.wc2 Wt3, 0-1 13.�d6 'ifd6 14.0-0-0 Typical of
this formation is a Kingside pawn storm
after castling long. 14 ... Ad7 15.g4
The Pawn Storm �ec8 A natural response to action on
the Kingside is counteraction on the
Queenside. 16.Wb1 b6 17.�hg1
lDe8 18.h41 'ltf6?! Black has fallen
for a deep trap. He wins a pawn, but the
resulting open lines give White more
than compensation. Instead, 1 8 . . . cS!?
was better. 19 ..tlg3 �g4 20.l:ig4
'ltf3 21 . .i.f5 b[d8 22.h5 The attack
continues with more force due to the
open g-file. 22 ... lDd6 23.hg6 Y§'f5
24.gh7 Wh7 Opening files will help
White's attack survive the dwindling
n u mber of p ieces o n t he b o a r d .
This pawn assault upon the opposing 25.1:1h4 Wg8 26.e41 lDe4 27.lDe4
monarch is a subset of the Kingside de4 28.b:tdh 1 f6 29.l:le4 'ifd5
attack, and is frequently seen in the 30.l:[eh4 f5 31."@'e2 kte8 32.'lth5
1fe6 33.Df4 1th6 To stop the attack, a valuable piece; it protected the pawn
Black is forced to return the extra pawn on d5, prepared . . . c5 and prevented the
- and more. 34. Vh6 gh6 35.l:Ih6 advance of White's h-pawn. 25 ...1ff7
lle4 36.11e4 fe4 37.llc6 Reshevsky 26.h4 lieS 27 .l:th3 lle4 2S.h5 gh5
displays excellent endgame technique 29.Ah5 l0h5 30.I:ldh1!! White's
to finish the game. 37...11dS 3S.l:lc4 control of the only open file is devastat­
b 5 3 9 . 11b4 c.t1f7 40 .IIb5 �d4 ing for Black. 30 ...IIc4 31. 1fd3 Af4
41.llb7 we6 42.wc2 a5 43.1:[b6 32.Db5 .s!Le5 33.Wt7 Ag7 34.t0d4!
c;P d 7 44 . .1:( b 5 a4 4 5 . a 3 w c 6 lld4 34 . . . l:tf8 35.l0e6!! 'iVe6 36Jlg7
46.1:(bS wc7 47.l:lfS c;Pd7 4S.I:If4 <iti>g7 37."ifh7 m a t e . 35.ed4 l:lfS
llc4 4 9 . c;P d 2 c;Pd6 5 0. f3 J::t d 4 36.c;Pa1 Avoiding the exchange of "ifs ,
5 1.we3 lld3 52.we4 llb3 53.wf5 which would reduce White's advan­
llb2 54.11a4, 1-0 tage. 36...1tf5 37.1rd1 Ad4 37 . . . �g5?
38.l:g7, followed by 39.l:gl. 3S.I:lb7
The next game is a powerful display of c5 39.a3 a5 40. 1re2 1fe4 41.ffh5
the Kingside pawn roller in action. 'tlfd3 42.ffh7 Now the exchange of
'i!Vs allows White to control the seventh
(164) Miles,A-Hartston and maintain a winning advantage.
Great Britain 1 985 42 ... 'tlfh7 43.Wth7 c4 44.J:Ihc7 a4
1.d4 ti)f6 2.c4 e6 3./0f3 d5 4./0c3 45.c;Pa2 lieS 46.11b4 Ag7 47.11a4,
t0bd7 5.cd5 ed5 6.Af4 c6 7.t;fc2 1-0
Ae7 S.e3 t0h5 9.Ae5 /Oe5 10.de5
g6 1 1 .0-0-0 tlfa5 1 2./0d4 Ae6 In the following game Black defended
13.Ae2 t0g7 14.g4 Ab4 1 5./0b3 with little effort, generating counter­
1tb6 1 6 . 4)a4 1fc7 1 7. f4 Ae7 play in the center and on the Kingside
1S.c.t1b1 f6 19./0ac5 Af7 20.ef6 to thwart White's efforts.
Af6 2 t .g 5 A e 7 2 2 . A g4 o - o
23.t0d7 ( 1 65) Tukmakov-Duric
Vmjacka Banja 1 979
1.d4 ti)f6 2.c4 e6 3.t0f3 d5 4.t0c3
t0bd7 5.cd5 ed5 6.Af4 c6 7.tfc2
Ae7 s.h3 tOtS 9.e3 ti)g6 10.Ah2
Ad6 u.Ad6 1rd6 1 2. Ad3 Ae6
13.0-o-o o-o 14./0g5 Ad7 15.h4
IDeS 16.h5 tOtS 17.h6 g6 At first
glance it appears that White has
achieved a favorable result from the
advance of the h-pawn. However,
Black's Kingside is solid, leaving few
chances for the attack to develop .
1S.c;Pb1 lQg41 19.e4 ffe7 20.lt:)f3
Miles in his notes suggests that 23.l0d4 de4 21.Ae4 lt:)e6 22. 1fd2 DadS
is better. 23 ...r!fdS 24.l0e5 .s!Ld6 23.d5 l0c5 24. '«fd4 'tWf8 25.Ac2
25.l0f7 Black's white-squared � was b6 2 6 . l0g 5 A c 8 2 7 . d 6 l:(e5
 1 20 M iddlegame Strategy

27 . . . lLlb7? 28. lL:lce4. 28./t)f3 �:teeS

ing after f4 and fS. 22 ... de4 23./0e4
29./t)g5 .l:le5 30.tflf4? l:[g5 31.Vg5 l::tcc8 24.f3 /Oe4 25.Ae4 Using
ft)f2 32.b4 ft)e6 33.ee5 f6 34.ffe3 the weak pawn to encourage another
/Od1 35.Ad1 'f¥d6 36.Ab3 wts exchange, transforming the pawn
37.Jlfl /Od4 38./0e4 Af5, 0- 1. structure. 25 ... Ad5 26.ltlc3 Ae4?1
Black has the unstoppable threat of 27.fe4 /Oe6 28 ..1:lcdl !led8 29.d5
pinning the 'if. cd5 30.ed5 ltlc5 31 ..1:lhfl lQb7
32.h5 fig3 33.g6 fg6 34.b[g1 'f:fh3
Our next game shows that a space 35.hg6 hg6 36. 't¥g6 't¥h7 At this
advantage on the Kingside is only part point we might expect the game to
of the positional equation in this for­ end in a draw. However, the fight
mation. continues and Grandmaster Anders­
son fumbles in the end. 37.lQe4 1fg6
( 1 66) Gurevich, M-Andersson, U 38.)k6 /Oc5 39.lQg3 l:[c7 40.lQh5
Reggio 1 988 wh7 4t.Ddg1 rid5 42.J:lg7 J:tg7
1.d4 lQf6 2.c4 e6 3.ltlc3 d5 4.ltlf3 43.lQf6 wh6 44.I!ht wg6 45.lild5
/Obd7 5.cd5 ed5 6.Af4 c6 7.ttc2 l:[d7 46.lQb4 wf5 47.l;lh8 a5?1
iJ..e7 8.h3 0-0 9.e3 l:(e8 10.Ad3 48.lQc6 We6 49.l:lb8 Wd5 49. . l:tb7?? .

lQfS 1 t .g4 Ad6 1 2.Ad6 ttd6 SO. tUd8. 50.]:tb6 l:td6 51.lQe7 we6
1 3 . 0 - 0 - 0 Ae6 1 4 . w b 1 JlacS 52.1:[b5 /0e4 53.ll)g6 c;Pf6 54.lQf4
15.l::tc1 1fb8 16.g5 lQ6d7 17.1fd2 a4 55.a3 Dd2 56.ll)d5 We6 57.lQb6
J:(c7 18.h4 White has established a !ld4 58.J:(a5 lQd2 59.wa2 wd6
space advantage on the Kingside, but 60.}la4, 1-0
no weak points appear in the protection
of Black's �. White therefore decides Following is a classical elample of the
to maneuver for other advantages in­ Kingside attack by Botvinnik.
s t e a d of c o n t i n u i n g t h e a t t a c k .
1 8 . . . lQb6 19.ttc2 lQc4 20.lQd2 ( 1 67) Botvinnik, M-Alatortsev, V
lQd6 21.lQe2 b6 Leningrad 1 934
1.d4 e6 2.c4 d5 3.lQf3 iJ..e7 4.lQc3
lQf6 5.Ag5 0-0 6.e3 a6 7 .cd5
ed5 s.Ad3 c6 9.1fc2 lQbd7 10.g4
ll)g4?! Opening the Kingside is dubi­
ous when White can secure his 'it> on
the Queenside. ll.iJ..h7 c;Ph8 12.iJ..f4
l0df6 13.Ad3 ltlh5 14.h3 i0gf6
15.Ae5 White is regrouping his pieces
for the final offensive. He must only
round up the strays and secure his own
'it>. It is instructive how Botvinnik
carries out this attack, bringing every
piece into the fray. 15 ...ll)g8 16.0-0-0
22.e4! Black cannot allow 23.e5, as his
ltlh6 17.!ldgl Ae6 18.fie2 Af5
spacial deficiency would be overwhelm-
t9.Af5 l0f5 20.ll)h4, 1-o
 1 ne l'l.. m gs•u�;;
The next contest is an interesting
example of simultaneous pawn storms
on opposite wings.
(1 68) Kortchnoi, V-Eslon,J
Biel 1984
t.d4 e6 2.0!3 �f6 3.c4 d5 4.�c3
�bd7 5.cd5 ed5 6.Af4 c6 7.e3
Ae7 8.1tc2 0-0 9.Ad3 l::le8 10.h3
�rs n .o-o-o Ae6 1 2.wb1 a5
1 3.�g5 b5 14.Ae5 h6 1 5.�e6
�e6 16.g4 With Black attacking on
the Queenside, White must seek coun­
t e r p l a y on t he K i n gs i d e . 16 ... a4
17.Af5 /Od7 18.�e2 rlc8 After
18 . . . lbe5? 1 9.de5 the coming f4-f5
pawn storm would be murder. 19.Ae6
fe6 20./0g3 Af6 21.f4 c5 22./0h5
cd4 23.flg6 Jle5 23 . . . lbe5 24.fe5
�eS 25.ed4 .i.f6 26.h4 with the threat
of 27.g5. 24.fe5 1tg5 25.tffg 5 hg5
26.ed4 /Ob6 27.h41 Opening the h­
file is essential to White's position.
27 . . . gh4 28.1:lh4 !lfS 29.Ddht
t0c4 30.tl4h2 l:lf3 3 1 .g5 l:(cfS
32.g6 Wt 33.Wt :n 34.wc2 b4
35.a3 ba3 36.ba3 btf3 37.!lh 1
/Oa3 38.'iYd2 t0c4 39.we2 l:tb3
40.0(61 gf6 40. . . 'it>f8 4 1 . l:th8 'it>e7
42. l:te8 mate. 41.ef6 !lb8 42.11h7
t0d6 43.�g7 whs 44.btd7 �as
rt Uil\.:1\.
44 . . . ltJb5 4 5 . l:h7 'ifi>g8 46.f7 'ifi>f8
47 . .:hs. 45.J:td6 wgs 46.J:td7, 1-o.
With the obvious plan of answering
46 . . . a3 w i t h 47 J:th7 a 2 48.f7 'ifi>f8
49. :th8 winning.
From the following game we learn to
avoid weakening our pawn structure
when facing an enemy pawn storm.
(1 69) Baay-Euwe,M
Amsterdam 1 921
l.d4 /Of6 2.0!3 e6 3.c4 b6 4./0c3
Ab7 5.e3 d5 6.cd5 ed5 7. ..Q.b5 c6
8.Ad3 Ad6 9.�e5 Jle5 1 0.de5
/Ofd7 l l . f 4 0 - 0 1 2 . fi h 5 g 6
1 3.tfh6 tfe7 14.h4 �a6 1 5.h5
/Oac5 16.Ac2 Aa6! 17.Ad2 /Od3
18.Ad3 Ad3 19.0-o-o f6?! This
Kingside weakening only helps the
White pawn storm gather force. Better
was 19 . . �f5 with the idea of 20 . . . lbc5.
.
2o . ..Q.e1 Af5 2t.hg6 Ag6 22.g4
fe5 23 .f5 Ae8 24. YWc6 �f6 I f
2 4. . .�f7 25.�h4 wins. 25. \Ya8 1tc7
26.ID16 Aa4 27. trrs wrs 2s.:t6
'iYg7 29.f!e6 A d l 30.¢>dl d4
31.Ag3, 1-o
Q) 0-0-0 vs. 0-0-0
If Black manages to castle Queenside,
the monarch's new address does not
nullify White's idea of attacking the
Kingside. True, Black's King is out of
danger, but there are other targets such
as weak pawns. Grandmaster Taimanov
uses the attack in the foll�wing contest
to maintain the initiative for the entire
game.
1 22 Middlegame S trategy
( 1 70) Taimanov, M-Zamikovsky
USSR 1 954
1.c4 e6 2.�c3 d5 3.d4 �f6 4.cd5
ed5 5.Ag5 Ae7 6.e3 �bd7 7.1fc2
�f8 8.Ad3 c6 9.�f3 �e6 10.h4
�d7 11.0-0-0 Very often this move
signals a Kingside initiative for White
that can last the entire game. 11 ... Ag5
12.hg5 A good positional plan. White
is opening lines of attack, and using his
development advantage to create activ­
ity on the Kingside. 12 ... �g5 13.e4!
l3 ... �f3 After 1 3 . . . de4 14.ltJe4 ltJe4
1 5 . �e4 ltJf6 16.l:tde l White's attack
should at least win back the sacrificed
pawn, and maintain the initiative.
14.gf3 �b6 15.wb1 Avoiding a pos­
sible check on gS. 15 ...Ae6 16.e5
Now White has the standard plan in
advanced center positions of continu­
ing his attack with f4-f5. 16 ... tid7
17.f4 g6 18.Jlh6 Otherwise Black
could play 18 . . . h5, improving his King­
side pawn structure. 18 ... 0-0-0 Finally
Black's 'it;> is out of danger, but the
White attack continues full force
against his weak pawns. 19.l:tdh1
wbS Preparing the only counterplay
Black has in the position, hoping . . . cS
will break up White's center. 20.Db7
�h7 21.,Wl7 f!Vc8 22.f5 gf5 23.f4
c5 24.Db5 llg8 If 24 . . . cd4 25.ltJb5
't!Yc2 26.�c2 the weak Black pawns
would be exploited as in the game.
25.'1tf2 cd4 26.f!Vd4 �c4 27.Wt2
f!Vc6 28.b3 tfb6 29. f!Vb6 �b6
30.�e2 �d7 31.�d4 l:lg4 32.Wt8
wc7 33.1Dt7 wb6 Black also loses
the piece if he takes the pawn, e.g.
33 . . . l:l.f4 34.ttJe6 fe6 35.i.b5 wins. The
defensive move 33 . . . a6 was Black's
best chance to draw. 3 4 . �f5 l:l. g l
3S.c;i;>b2 �fS 36.ltJf5 l:tfl . 34.�e6 fe6
35.�d7 :t'4 36.�d6 wc5 37.,t1e6
wd4 3B.Ae2 �f2 39.Ad1 .l:.td2
4o.Ac2 f4 41.�e7 .f:'le2 42.e6 we5
43.�, 1 -0. Adjournment analysis
no doubt showed that White could win
the ending with his material advantage.
In the next game both sides use action
on the wings to fight for the center.
( 1 71 ) Piket,J-Timman,J
Amsterdam 1 �95
1.d4 �f6 2.c4 e6 3.l0f3 d5 4.�c3
�bd7 5.cd5 ed5 6.�g5 c6 7.e3
Ae7 s . Ad3 �h5 9 . �d2 Ag5
10.tfh5 Ae7 1 1 .h3 g6 1 2.t¥e2
�b6 13.a3 Ae6 14.g4 Ad6 15.f4
1fe7 16.�f3 f6 17.0-0-0 0-0-0
18.wb1 whs 19.tfg2 �c4 20.Ac4
dc4 21.�he1 Ac7 22.'ltc2 Af7
23.wa1 g5?! This move gives White
control over the center. 24.fg5 fg5
25.e4 Ag6 26.d5! J:Dtfs 27.�d4 A
typical pattern from our study of hang­
ing pawns. A pawn is first pushed to
clear its square for a piece. 27...cd5
28.�f5 Af5 29.ef5 'ltc5 Now the
battle over the center seems to have
shifted in Black's favor. However, this
is an illusion as the sequel reveals.
30.!le6 Af4 After 30 . . . d4 3 1 . ltJe4
the passed Kingside pawns give White
a winning advantage. 3l.b41 Forcing
Black to break up his center. 31 ... cb3
32.1tb3 J:(d7 33.l0e2 d4 34.!1d3
J::lcS 35.h4 Ae3? Black's position was
already difficult before this blunder,
which loses a piece. He should have
tried 35 . .. 'it'c7!?. 36.l:lee3 de3 37.Dd7
flc6 3S.l:Id3 gh4 39.l:le3 tlg2
40.'f!rd3 1fg4 41.f6 a6 42..t:lf3 h3
43.l:th3 1fe6 44.ID3 �S 45.l0c3
tfe5, 1-0
move's spacial grab is nullified by his
lack of pieces. For example, another
ttJ posted on e5 or f6 would be good,
or a dark-squared ..t working on the
color weaknesses in Black's position.
44 ... wa7 45.wb3 Dce7 46.Dcl
l0c4 47.wc3 l0d6

One problem with a pawn storm is the

possibility of overextending the pawn
structure, leaving behind weaknesses to
be exploited later.

( 1 72) Saidy,A-Campora
New York 1 987
l.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3./.0c3 /.Of6 4.cd5
4S.Dchl? The losing move. White
ed5 5.Ag5 c6 6.e3 l0bd7 7.Ad3
does not see that his c;1;> is in danger. It
Ae7 S. 1fc2 /.O h 5 9 . Ae7 1re7
was necessary to defend the· a-pawn
1 0 . l0ge2 l0b6 1 1 . 0 - 0 - 0 A e 6
(overprotection) with 48.l:al, so that
1 2.h3 0-0-0 13.g4 /.Of6 14.l0f4
the b-pawn can retake on c5 if Black
wbs t 5 .w b t g6 t 6 .Dct Acs
attempts to exchange ttJs . 48. . . 4Je4
17./.0ce2 /.OeS 1S.I.Og3 I.Od6 19.b3
4 9 . 'i1;>c2 .J:c7 5 0 . f4 .J:ce7 5 1 . l:a3.
l::lhfS 20.1fc5 :deS 21 .a4 I.Od7
4S ... f.Oe4 49.l0e4 Following 49.'i1;>b3
22. 1Vb4 WaS 23.g5 �dS 24.h4
4Jc5 50.dc5 d4 Black wins by acquiring
�fe8 25.�c2 /.OfS 26.a5?1 After
control ove r the seventh rank.
Black's reply this pawn remains weak,
49 ...de4 50.Dal White is forced to
and requires a further weakening (b4)
defend against the threat of 50 . . . c5!,
to maintain the advanced post. 26...a6
which allows the infiltration of Black's
27.wa2 Saidy is unsure of where to put
'tW. 50 ... Dd7 Black begins to set up a
h i s c;t>, ergo i t wanders aimlessly.
tactical breach of White's defense.
27...f.Oe6 2S./.Oe6 Or 28.4Jfe2!?, plan-
5l.l:lh4 tfe7 52.D.g4 l:ld5 53.hg6
ning 4Jc3-a4-b6. 2S... jle6 29.'fNb6
hg6 5 4 . 1:l b l c 5 1 5 5 . bc5 Dc51
t.Ocs 30.ffc5 ffd7 3t.wb2 Ag4
s6.dc5 'lt'c5 57.wb3 'ftb5 58.wa2
32. trb4 Af3 33.Wt2 'itc7 34.'Wet
ffa4 59.wb2 De5 6o.Wfl eb4,
f.Od6 35.:h3 ffd7 36.'fj'fl 1lc8
0-1
37.f.Oe2 Ae4 3S.Jle4 l0e4 39.t.Of4
tOd6 40./.0d3 1'ff5 41.f.Oc5 Dc7
In all themes we see maneuvers em-
42. 't'fg2 "ltcS 43.h5 ffdS 44.b4 The
played to convert one kind of advan­
overextended pawns in White's posi·
rage into another. Here Petrosion uses
tion make defense difficult, and the text
1 24 M iddlegame Strategy

the pawn storm to swap his extra pawn 1 0 . tLle4 V/ll e 7 1 1 .0-0-0 �f4 Black
for a passed pawn. clearly has the advantage. 9... �d7
10.i!d3 1fe7 An excellent positional
( 173) Petros ian, T-Radulesen move with several purposes. It allows
Bucharest 1 95 3 the transfer of the CiJ to f6, where it
1.d4 d 5 2.c4 e6 3.�c3 �f6 4.cd5 guards the e4 square, and it prepares to
ed5 5.�(3 Ae7 6.Af4 c6 7.'ttc 2 develop the white-squared � by pro­
�bd7 8 . e3 �f8 9 . A d 3 � e 6 tecting b7. 1 1.0-0-0 �f6 12.�e1
10.Ae5 Ad6 U.o-o-o Ae5 12.�e5 il,e6 13. tfc2 0-0-0
ffe7 1 3.g4 �c5 14.Ae2 �ce4
14 . ..l2Jcd7!? 15.�e4 �e4 16.Ad3
Ae6 16 .. .f6!? 17.f3 �d6 18.Ah7
Now Petrosian uses this material
a d va ntage to grind o u t the w i n .
1s ... o-o-o 19.Ad3 whs 2o.wh1
J::lc8 21.l:[c1 'ttc7 22.h4 The pawn
storm begins, and with it the threat
of creating a passed pawn. 22 ... f6
23.�g6 J::lhe8 24.g5 tfd7 25.gf6
gf6 2 6 . h 5 Af5 27 .!led 1 Ad3
28.'ttd3 tfh7 29.e4! To win White
c reate s additional p a s s e d p a w n s .
14.�e5?! Botvinnik puts it succinctly:
29... tfh6 30.e5 fe5 3 1.de5 �c4
"An inviting, but completely unsound
32.f4 l:lc7 33.e6 �d6 34.a3 Wl7
plan." 14 ... wbs 15.f4 I f 1 5.CiJa4?!
35.wa2 ttg7 36.f5 tff6 37.tff3
�e5 16.de5 CiJg4 17.fli CiJh2 Black
w c 7 3 8 . J::l d f1 c5 3 9 . h 6 1fd4
wins a pawn. 15 . . . c5 16.wb1 c4
40.,Wt4 1Jf6 41. tff4 wc6 42.�e5,
17.Af5 The alternate move, 17.�e2,
1-0
is not much better than the text. For
example, 17.!Ji..e 2 g6 (played against
In our next game the pawn storm never
the threat of 18.f5, hoping to slow down
gets started. Botvinnik's strategic play is
the pawn storm) 18.g4 h5 19.h3?! hg4
brilliant, and leaves· us wondering
20.hg4 l:th2 and White's game is very
which move actually lost the game for
difficult. 17 . . . Af5 1 8 . tff5 Ab4
White.
19. fic2 lld6 20.!le2 Ac3 Strategi­
cally, Black now has a won game.
( 1 74) Lilienthal-Botvinnik,M
21.bc3 �e4 22.c;t>a1 Jla6 23. fict
USSR 1 945 l::tdS 24.Hc2 �dd6 25.�g4 �6
t.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.�c3 �f6 4.cd5 26.h3 h5 27.�e5 l:lgb6 28.�3
ed5 5.Ag5 c6 6.�(3 h6 7.il,f6 tfa3 29.�g5 �c3 30. tfa3 !1a3
Botvinnik criticized this exchange in 31.l::tdc1 �b5 32.� l:le3 33.�e5
his collection of best games, because
wc7 34.g4 �d4 3 5 .!ld2 �e2
it gives Black the two �s. 7 ... tff6 36.He1 �c3, 0-1
8.1tb3 .i,d6 9.e3 After 9.e4 de4
 C) 0-0 VS. 0-0 ( 1 76) Chekhover, V-Botvinnik,M
Leningrad 1 932
Logically, a pawn storm advances on 1.d4 lL!f6 2.c4 e6 3.lLlf3 b6 4.g3
the wing opposite it's own castled King. �b7 s.�g2 �e7 6.0-0 0-0 7.lL!c3
However, the true beauty of chess lies dS S.cdS edS 9.�f4 lLlbd7 10.lL!bS
in the exceptions. lL!eS 1 1 . l:l c 1 c6 1 2 . /0c3 /Od6
13.1\Vc2 fS 14.�h3 g6 1S.Dfd1
( 1 75) Schlechter, C-Marco, G lLlf7 16.�g2 gS 17.�d2 The dark­
Stockholm 1 906 squared j_ leaves the field of battle,
1.d4 dS 2.c4 e6 3.lLlc3 lL!f6 4.�gS never to return. 17 ... lL!d6 18.lL!e1
�e7 s.e3 lLlbd7 6.lL!f3 0-0 7.\1'c2 � f6 1 9.e3 fi'e7 20. lLld3 lL!e4
a6 S.cdS edS 9.�d3 h6 10.�f4 2 1 . A e 1 D a c 8 2 2 . 1t b 3 DfeS
c6 ll.h3 lLle8 12.0-0 �d6 13.�g3 23.Ah3 g4 24.Ag2 lL!fS 2S./Of4
�g3 14.fg3 lL!d6 1S.g4 bS 16.nae1 lL!e6 26.lL!e6 1\Ve6 27.lL!e2 AgS
�b7 28. \1'a3 aS 29. 1tb3 Aa6 30.lL!c3
l:lbS 31.\1'c2 l:(bcS 32./0e2 1i'f7
33./0f4 iU4 34.gf4 1\VhS, 0 - 1 .
Black won o n time before h e could win
on the board.

17.e4 Opening lines in preparation for
the Kingside attack. 17 ...de4 18.lL!e4
lL!e4 19.�e4 tWaS 20.gS 1Wa2 Or
20 . . . hg5 2 l . �h7 �h8 22.l2Jg5 with
many threats. 21.gh6 gh6 22.�fS
1tdS 23.De7 lL!f6 24.�e6 1thS
2S.g4, 1-0. If 25 .. .'t\Vh3 then 26.'ifg6
wins.
Another exception occurs when Black
launches a pawn storm on the Kingside.
The next couple of examples demon­
strate this interesting possibilty.
( 1 77) Leonov-Tal ,M
Latvia 1 950
1.lLlf3 lL!f6 2.d4 e6 3.c4 b6 4.g3
iLb7 s.Ag2 �e7 6.o-o o-o 7.ft:lc3
lL!e4 S.lL!e4 �e4 9.b3 fS 10.Ab2
,ilf6 1 1 . /t:} e 1 Ag2 1 2 .'tYg2 d6
13.lLlf3 lLld7 14.1fc2 fieS 1S.e4
1rhS 16.Dae1 gS 17.lLlg1 f4 18.f3
eS 19.deS AeS 20.AeS ft:leS 21.g4
1rh4 2 2.Dd1 h S 23.ghS 1thS
24.h3 wg7 2S.DdS wf6 26.1i'c3
we6 27.Wd1 DbS 28.1td4 l:[ad8
29.b4 1th4 30.1\Vc3 1Wg3 31.wfl
g4 3 2 . hg4 J:(h 1 3 3 . l:l e S d e S
34.Dds 1tg1, o-1
Next we find Marshall using tactics to
achieve small positional goals, whi ch
accumulate into victory. Only the un­
initiated think of tactics as a "knockout
punch. " Grandmasters see tactics as a
sheathed sword, a weapon available if
needed to win the encounter.
1 :2 6 M 10 0 1 egame �Irarc gy

( 1 78) Marshall , F-Reti , R time here, but his position is hopeless.

Mannheim 1 91 4
1.d4 d 5 2.c4 e 6 3.ltlc3 ltlf6 4.Jig5
Jie7 5.e3 0-0 6.I:[c1 ltle4 7 .Jte7
YWe7 8.cd5 ltlc3 9 ..U.c3 ed5 10. YWc2
c6 1 1 . ltlf3 ltld7 1 2 .�d3 ltlf6
13.0-0 �g4 14.ltle5 �h5? Oddly,
this move loses ! Why?
After 32 . . . 'iWf5 33. l:tf5 .l:te7 34.�g2
wha t can Black d o ? A .l:t move loses
a pawn to 35 . .l:te5 or 35.llf7, and a
pawn move lets the White � march to
Black's e-pawn. On the other hand,
34 . . . �h8 gets mated !
The next game features the battle of a
piece versus three pawns, which has
many attributes of a pawn storm.

( 1 79) Lasker,Em-Janowski ,D
London 1 899
1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.ltlc3 a6 4.cd5
ed5 5.'Wb3 c6 6.ltlf3 Jid6 7.�g5
.i. e 7 8 . � f4 ltlf6 9 . e 3 ltlbd 7
10.Ad3 0-0 11.0-0 ltlh5 12.'�c2
ltlf4 1 3 . A h 7 c;Y h 8 1 4 .ef4 g6
15.�g6 fg6 16.flg6 A classic tab­
leau for a piece versus pawns. If Black
This position ought to be studied care­ can organize his pieces into an attack
fully before looking at Marshall's execu­ on the White �. he can attain the
tion. Remember, the following series of upper hand. Also, the two �s are a
tactical threats is made to accomplish powerful force against the pawns -
positional goals. 15.f4 Threatening to whichever color weak�ess develops as
w i n a p i e ce by 1 6.h3 a n d 17.g4. the pawns advance can be exploited by
15 ... ltle4 1 5 . . . �g6?? 16.f5. 16.Jie4 one of the �s . 16 ... W6 16 . . . l:tf4??
de4 17.g4 1 7.'iYe4?? f6. 17 ... Jtg6 17.1Wh6; 1 6 . . . 'Llf6? 17.'Llg5. t7.YWh5
18.f5 f6 Black has escaped losing his c;Yg7 18.ltlg5 ltlf8 It is clear that
� at the cost of a pawn, but the game White's attack has reached its limit.
is decided because White's major pieces The pawns cannot advance, and bring­
coordinate in their attack on the Black ing more pieces to the attack is difficult.
�. 19.ltlg6 hg6 20.fg6 Threatening
White's next move eliminates the
1Wg2-h3-h7. Once again, simple tactics only clear chance to do so, e.g. the
keep the initiative. 20 ... f5 The only
.l:tel-e3-g3 lift. 19.g3 19.'Wh4?! .l::th 6
move which gives Black any chances.
20.'il!Vg3 :tg6. 19...iU5 20.Wet �6?!
2t.gf5 ttg5 22.flg2 JV5 23.W5 20 . . �d6 21.ltlf7! By exchanging iLl
.

"Wf5 Marshall now delivers a good for �. White speeds the launching of
pounding with his maj o r p i e c e s . his pawn storm. 2l ... c;Yf7 22. 'Wf5
24.l:[c5 YWf6 25.�h5 .tle8 26. YWg4 �f6 23.§adl White's pieces are very
l:le6 27.r!g5 ad6 28.h4 �e6 29.h5 well placed, while Black's are still disor­
.tieS 30.§f5 1We6 31.§f4 1fd5 g a n i z e d . 23 . . . 1W d 6 24.g4 c;Yg8
32. 1tf5, 1-0. Reti might have lost on
25.f!e3 lld8 26.ltle2 �d7 27.h3
 ILl

:lf7 28. 1Jd3 i!,h4 29.!le8 Jlgg7
30. Wg2 1Wd7 31.1We3 l:te7 32.l::[e7
l:[e7 33. 1Wf3 �g6 34.c;Yfl l:tf7
35.f5 iLdB 36.�g3 �h4 37.'fff4
YWe7 38.YWe3 On the principle that
White's advantage increases with each
exchange. Lasker now proceeds to win
with perfect technique. 38... iLc7
39.1%e1 1We3 40.�e3 iLb6 41.�e2
R, c 7 4 2 .f3 c;Yf8 4 3 . c;Y f 2 ,hl e 7
44.l::[e7 c;Ye7 45.f4 .a.a5 46.�cl
R,b6 47.�b3 c;Yf6 48.c;Yg3 �f5
49.gf5 c;Yf5 50.c;Yf3 .a.c7 51.�c5
b6 52.l0a6 Ad6 53.a4 c;Ye6 54.b4
c;Yf5 55.�c5 Af4 56.l0d7, 1-0
Next we see a pawn storm of a different
color.
or, in the case of an exchange on e4,
a strong advanced center after .. .fe4.
13.�d2 �df6 14.f3 �c3 15.bc3
f41 16.g4 1 6.gf4?! �f4 1 7 . e4 de4
18.fe4 tt::lg4 with a very strong attack.
16 ... b6 Preparing to attack the base
of White's pawn chain at e2, and also
planning the . . . cS break in the center.
17.l0f1 1Wc7 18.,1ld2 Aa6 19.c;Yf2
c5 20.l:tact �e6 21.g5 White is de­
sparate to give his pieces some scope.
21 ... l0h5 22.Ah3 !lg6 23.Ag4
l::[g5 24.h4 lag41 Destroying the White
defensive fortress. 25.fg4 l0f6 26.c;Yf3
26.it::lh2 f3 27.tt::lf3 tt::lg4 28.�g2 .th2
with the threat of 29 ... 'ii'g3.

( 1 80) Mwange,B-Kamuhangire, S
Luzem 1 982
1.l0f3 l0f6 2.c4 e6 3.l0c3 d5 4.cd5
ed5 5.d4 .a.e7 6.g3 0-0 7.Ag2 Why
is this game in our section on the pawn
storm? An enemy .t on g2 (or g7)
normally makes it awkward to launch a
pawn storm, presenting an obstactle to
one's attacking l:ts. Here, however,
Black does have the logical plan of using
26 ... l0g411 27.'ilf5 27.�g4 'ifd7
his pawn storm to attack the g3 square.
28. 'ii' fS (28. �f3 'ii' h 3 29. �f2 l:t£8
7 . . . l:te8 8.0-0 l0bd7 9.1Wc2 c6
and the push 30 .. .f3 will be devastat­
10.�e1 Straightforward, and a little
ing) 28 . . . 'ii' f5 29.�f5 .tc8 30.�g5
too mechanical. Instead, 10. �f4!? was
.te7 3 1 .�h5 .tfS with mate in two by
possible. 10 ... ,1ld6 ll.Ad2?1 White
32 ...g6 and 33 ... .tf8. 27...l0f6 28.Af4
is making the unforgivable mistake of
l:[e8 28 ... .l:tf8! 29.l0g3 Ac8 30.Ad6
playing planlessly. His intention was
1Wd6 31. ifd3 l0e4 32.c;Yg2 lfg6
l i k e l y t o c o n t i n u e 12. l:tadl a n d
33.dc5 bc5 34. ifd5 c;Yh8 35. 'lld3
1 3 . .tcl , to better position his pieces for
fig4 36.l:(h1 �g3 37.1Wf3 l:le2,
a central break. In that case l l .�gS
0-1
would have been a better attempt.
11 ... l0e4 Again we see this pattern of
As with each theme we have examined,
using the e4 square to attain the initia­
these ideas are still actively discussed
tive. 12.Ac1?1 1 2 . l:tadl 12 ... f51 Giv­
at the top levels of chess.
ing Black the option of a pawn storm
1 :2 6 M 10 0 1 egame �Irarc gy

( 1 78) Marshall , F-Reti , R time here, but his position is hopeless.

Mannheim 1 91 4
1.d4 d 5 2.c4 e 6 3.ltlc3 ltlf6 4.Jig5
Jie7 5.e3 0-0 6.I:[c1 ltle4 7 .Jte7
YWe7 8.cd5 ltlc3 9 ..U.c3 ed5 10. YWc2
c6 1 1 . ltlf3 ltld7 1 2 .�d3 ltlf6
13.0-0 �g4 14.ltle5 �h5? Oddly,
this move loses ! Why?
After 32 . . . 'iWf5 33. l:tf5 .l:te7 34.�g2
wha t can Black d o ? A .l:t move loses
a pawn to 35 . .l:te5 or 35.llf7, and a
pawn move lets the White � march to
Black's e-pawn. On the other hand,
34 . . . �h8 gets mated !
The next game features the battle of a
piece versus three pawns, which has
many attributes of a pawn storm.

( 1 79) Lasker,Em-Janowski ,D
London 1 899
1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.ltlc3 a6 4.cd5
ed5 5.'Wb3 c6 6.ltlf3 Jid6 7.�g5
.i. e 7 8 . � f4 ltlf6 9 . e 3 ltlbd 7
10.Ad3 0-0 11.0-0 ltlh5 12.'�c2
ltlf4 1 3 . A h 7 c;Y h 8 1 4 .ef4 g6
15.�g6 fg6 16.flg6 A classic tab­
leau for a piece versus pawns. If Black
This position ought to be studied care­ can organize his pieces into an attack
fully before looking at Marshall's execu­ on the White �. he can attain the
tion. Remember, the following series of upper hand. Also, the two �s are a
tactical threats is made to accomplish powerful force against the pawns -
positional goals. 15.f4 Threatening to whichever color weak�ess develops as
w i n a p i e ce by 1 6.h3 a n d 17.g4. the pawns advance can be exploited by
15 ... ltle4 1 5 . . . �g6?? 16.f5. 16.Jie4 one of the �s . 16 ... W6 16 . . . l:tf4??
de4 17.g4 1 7.'iYe4?? f6. 17 ... Jtg6 17.1Wh6; 1 6 . . . 'Llf6? 17.'Llg5. t7.YWh5
18.f5 f6 Black has escaped losing his c;Yg7 18.ltlg5 ltlf8 It is clear that
� at the cost of a pawn, but the game White's attack has reached its limit.
is decided because White's major pieces The pawns cannot advance, and bring­
coordinate in their attack on the Black ing more pieces to the attack is difficult.
�. 19.ltlg6 hg6 20.fg6 Threatening
White's next move eliminates the
1Wg2-h3-h7. Once again, simple tactics only clear chance to do so, e.g. the
keep the initiative. 20 ... f5 The only
.l:tel-e3-g3 lift. 19.g3 19.'Wh4?! .l::th 6
move which gives Black any chances.
20.'il!Vg3 :tg6. 19...iU5 20.Wet �6?!
2t.gf5 ttg5 22.flg2 JV5 23.W5 20 . . �d6 21.ltlf7! By exchanging iLl
.

"Wf5 Marshall now delivers a good for �. White speeds the launching of
pounding with his maj o r p i e c e s . his pawn storm. 2l ... c;Yf7 22. 'Wf5
24.l:[c5 YWf6 25.�h5 .tle8 26. YWg4 �f6 23.§adl White's pieces are very
l:le6 27.r!g5 ad6 28.h4 �e6 29.h5 well placed, while Black's are still disor­
.tieS 30.§f5 1We6 31.§f4 1fd5 g a n i z e d . 23 . . . 1W d 6 24.g4 c;Yg8
32. 1tf5, 1-0. Reti might have lost on
25.f!e3 lld8 26.ltle2 �d7 27.h3
 ILl

:lf7 28. 1Jd3 i!,h4 29.!le8 Jlgg7
30. Wg2 1Wd7 31.1We3 l:te7 32.l::[e7
l:[e7 33. 1Wf3 �g6 34.c;Yfl l:tf7
35.f5 iLdB 36.�g3 �h4 37.'fff4
YWe7 38.YWe3 On the principle that
White's advantage increases with each
exchange. Lasker now proceeds to win
with perfect technique. 38... iLc7
39.1%e1 1We3 40.�e3 iLb6 41.�e2
R, c 7 4 2 .f3 c;Yf8 4 3 . c;Y f 2 ,hl e 7
44.l::[e7 c;Ye7 45.f4 .a.a5 46.�cl
R,b6 47.�b3 c;Yf6 48.c;Yg3 �f5
49.gf5 c;Yf5 50.c;Yf3 .a.c7 51.�c5
b6 52.l0a6 Ad6 53.a4 c;Ye6 54.b4
c;Yf5 55.�c5 Af4 56.l0d7, 1-0
Next we see a pawn storm of a different
color.
or, in the case of an exchange on e4,
a strong advanced center after .. .fe4.
13.�d2 �df6 14.f3 �c3 15.bc3
f41 16.g4 1 6.gf4?! �f4 1 7 . e4 de4
18.fe4 tt::lg4 with a very strong attack.
16 ... b6 Preparing to attack the base
of White's pawn chain at e2, and also
planning the . . . cS break in the center.
17.l0f1 1Wc7 18.,1ld2 Aa6 19.c;Yf2
c5 20.l:tact �e6 21.g5 White is de­
sparate to give his pieces some scope.
21 ... l0h5 22.Ah3 !lg6 23.Ag4
l::[g5 24.h4 lag41 Destroying the White
defensive fortress. 25.fg4 l0f6 26.c;Yf3
26.it::lh2 f3 27.tt::lf3 tt::lg4 28.�g2 .th2
with the threat of 29 ... 'ii'g3.

( 1 80) Mwange,B-Kamuhangire, S
Luzem 1 982
1.l0f3 l0f6 2.c4 e6 3.l0c3 d5 4.cd5
ed5 5.d4 .a.e7 6.g3 0-0 7.Ag2 Why
is this game in our section on the pawn
storm? An enemy .t on g2 (or g7)
normally makes it awkward to launch a
pawn storm, presenting an obstactle to
one's attacking l:ts. Here, however,
Black does have the logical plan of using
26 ... l0g411 27.'ilf5 27.�g4 'ifd7
his pawn storm to attack the g3 square.
28. 'ii' fS (28. �f3 'ii' h 3 29. �f2 l:t£8
7 . . . l:te8 8.0-0 l0bd7 9.1Wc2 c6
and the push 30 .. .f3 will be devastat­
10.�e1 Straightforward, and a little
ing) 28 . . . 'ii' f5 29.�f5 .tc8 30.�g5
too mechanical. Instead, 10. �f4!? was
.te7 3 1 .�h5 .tfS with mate in two by
possible. 10 ... ,1ld6 ll.Ad2?1 White
32 ...g6 and 33 ... .tf8. 27...l0f6 28.Af4
is making the unforgivable mistake of
l:[e8 28 ... .l:tf8! 29.l0g3 Ac8 30.Ad6
playing planlessly. His intention was
1Wd6 31. ifd3 l0e4 32.c;Yg2 lfg6
l i k e l y t o c o n t i n u e 12. l:tadl a n d
33.dc5 bc5 34. ifd5 c;Yh8 35. 'lld3
1 3 . .tcl , to better position his pieces for
fig4 36.l:(h1 �g3 37.1Wf3 l:le2,
a central break. In that case l l .�gS
0-1
would have been a better attempt.
11 ... l0e4 Again we see this pattern of
As with each theme we have examined,
using the e4 square to attain the initia­
these ideas are still actively discussed
tive. 12.Ac1?1 1 2 . l:tadl 12 ... f51 Giv­
at the top levels of chess.
ing Black the option of a pawn storm
 1 2K M l d d legame �trategy

( 1 81 ) Karpov, A-Kasparov, G Jlf5 3 9 . l:le4 c.tl h 7 40 .l:le7 b5

Moscow 1985 41.l:la7 b4 42.c.f1g4, 1-0
l.d4 dS 2.c4 e6 3.�c3 .\le7 4.cd5
ed5 s.Af4 �f6 6.e3 o-o 7.�f3 The next example contains many of the
Af5 8.h3 c6 9.g4 il,g6 10.�e5 pawn structures reviewed earlier. A
l0fd7 ll.l0g6 fg6 12.�g2 l0b6 home analysis of this game will rein­
13.0-0 c.tlh8 14.l0e2 g5 1 5.Ag3 force what has been learned.
Ad6 16.ffd3 l0a6 1 7 . b3 ffe7
t8.Ad6 1Vd6 ( 1 82) Collas, D-Izsak, G
Budapest 1 994
l.d4 l0f6 2.c4 e6 3.l0c3 d5 4.cd5
ed5 s.Ag5 Ae7 6.e3 c6 7.�d3
l0bd7 s.ec2 o-o 9.l0ge2 J:teB
10.0-0 lOtS ll.l:tabl a5 12.a3 b5
13.b4 ab4 14.ab4 �d7 15.f3 1Vb8
16.h3 l0h5 17.Ae7 �e7 18.e4
l0f4 1 9 .e5 't'!fb6 20.c;Yh2 l0e2
2 1 .l0e2 .\le8 22.f4 f6 23. ed2
l:ta3 24.J:tf3 't'!fa7 2s.nb2 �h5
26.g4 Aes 27.c;Yg2 Ua1 2B.Ah1
fe5 2 9 . d e 5 l0g6 3 0 . J;lfl l0f8
3 L ff d4 l:l a 3 3 2 . e a 7 J:t e a 7
19.f41 An aggressive move which re­ 33.l0d4 l:tc3 34.Ac2 �aa3 35.blf3
sults in a space advantage on the King­ W3 36.l0f3 l0e6 37.c.tlg3 g5 38.f5
side for White. 19 ...gf4 20.ef4 Uae8 l0f4 39.l:tb3 n a 2 40. l0d4 h5
21.f5 The attack begins to develop 41.gh5 Ah5 42.�3 l::la l 43.l:tc6
strength. The text threatens to estab­ l:tgl 44.c;Yf2 l0h3 45.we3 net
lish an e6 outpost! 2l ... l0c7 22.)V2 46.c;Yd2 l:te5 47.:h6 l0f4 48.l0e6
l0d7 23.g5 ffe7 24.h4 ffe3 Trying l0e6 49.l:th5 l0d4 50.ktg5 c;Yf7
to "hollow out" White's space advan­
51.l:tg6, 1/2-1/2
tage with exchanges. 25.l:tdl lObS
26.1Ve3 !le3 27.Wh2 Guarding the
Finally, let us end our examination of
g3 square to bring his lb into play, but
the Carlsbad structure with a look at a
White also has a long term plan to
Grandmaster versus Master struggle.
involve his 'i19> in the attack. 27... l0b6
28.l0g3 lOeB 29.l0fl l:te7 30.l:td3
( 1 83) Gurevich,M-Jakob,S
l0cd6 3l.l0g3 l0e4? Allows White
Bern 1 989
to exchange his �. which was not
l.c4 e6 2.l0c3 l0f6 3.l0f3 d5 4.d4
contributing to the Kingside pressure
iJ..e7 s.Ag5 o-o 6.cd5 ed5 7.1!lfc2
anyway, and then trades off the one
l0bd7 8.e3 c6 9.�d3 l:te8 10.0-0
weakness in White's position - his iso­
h6 1 l . A f4 l0 f 8 1 2 . h 3 l0 e 6
lated d-pawn. 32.�e4 de4 33.l:te3
13.Ah2 g6 14.l0e5 l0g7 15.g4
�d4 34.wh3 I!e5 35. c.f1g4 h5
36.whs �rs 37.W5 wrs 3B.l0rs
Prophylactic play, preventing Black
from using the fS square. 15 ... h5?!
16.f3 White's pawn structure is prefer­
able. 16...�e6 17.whl .t'!c8 18."@g2
�d6 19.l0e2 "@e7 20.l0f4 hg4 The
pressure along the g-file forces Black to
exchange, for if 20 . . . c5 2 1 .gh5 ltJfhS
2 2 . 4Jh 5 ltJ h S 2 3 . 4Jg6 a n d w i n s .
21.hg4 �e5 22.de5 l0d7 23.l0h3
l0c5 24.J1Lc2 :,(cd8 25.l:[adl f5?!
Opening up the Kingside to give his
pieces some air. Black should realize,
however, that W safety is not essential
to life, though it does rank very close to
oxygen. 26.ef6 "@f6 27.�f4 l:td7
28. "@h2 .f.V"8 29.l0g5 tOeS 30.�e5
"@g5 3t.t'fhs wf7 32."@h7 tOg7
33."@g7, 1-0. In view of 33 . .. c;t>e8
34. �g6 �f7 35.�f7 winning the �-
1 30 M l dd legame �trategy
Supplemental
Games
For many years I studied chess in what
I thought was every possible fashion. I
read the classics, engrossed myself in
technically unexplainable tactical posi­
tions and studied positional ideas until
I thought I understood them. I consid­
ered the study of an individuals' games
to be helpful in developing a style, and
looked at hundreds of games by my
favorite players. I also entertained my­
self by reviewing every game (in round
order!) of famous tournaments, watch­
ing the struggles and knowing the out­
side pressure upon the game. Naturally,
when studying openings, I combined
these methods of investigation.
Then in a recent issue of ChessBase
Magazine I read an article by Alexander
Baburin on the minority attack. Here I
learned that this pawn formation that
was very familiar to me had a name!
From this an idea struck me: study a
single pawn structure and its offspring
independent of any other distractions.
And hence the birth of this book and a
new method of study.
During my early development as a chess
player I had two teachers, both of whom
I consider the smartest men I ever had
the privilege to know. The first was my
father, who taught me to play when I
could barely walk. He was an extremely
tactical player, who loved to play the
wild sacrifices. From him I learned to
appreciate the beauty of chess and to
fight to the bitter end. His favorite
quote was that of Alekhine's, "To win
against me you must win in the opening,
middlegame and ending." The second
teacher was my good friend Jim Wright,
who introduced me to positional chess.
Jim showed me how even my favorite
player, the great tactician Mikhail Tal,
used his incredible tactical abilities to
achieve positional advantages . As
Botvinnik once said, "The ability to
evaluate a position is just as important
as the ability to calculate variations."
Along these lines it is noteworthy to
read Capablanca's opinion of Paul
Morphy: "Despite the universal opin­
ion, resulting from ignorance, Morphy's
main strength lay not in his combina­
tional gifts, but in his positional play
and general style. Combinations can
only be carried out when the position
allows." Without Jim's encouragement
to expand my knowledge into the area
of positional chess, I would never have
become a master of chess, or reached a
true appreciation of its depth and
beauty.
The games in this asection have been
choosen for their contribution to the
understanding of the isolani (IQP) or
the hanging pawns (HP) . Also games
have been choosen for their general
interest to the study of the Carlsbad
(CBD) . I hope the reader finds these
additions worthwhile.
( 1 84) Alapin,S-Chigorin,M
Petersburg 1 880 (CBD)
l.d4 l0f6 2.c4 e6 3.l0c3 d5 4.Ag5
.a.e7 s.e3 0-0 6.l0f3 b6 7 .cd5
ed5 8 . i! d 3 i!h7 9 . 0 - 0 l0hd7
lO.l:[cl lOe4 11.Ae7 \'te7 12.\'th3
c6 During our study of the Carlsbad, we
have seen many similar positions from
the late 1800's. 13.a3 whs 14.l0e2
 �u pp 1 e m e ma 1 uam e s
f5 I t seems obvious that Black has 15..i.d3 lbf6 16.Wcl l:tac8 17. .i_a6
better placed pieces, a strong center By forcing this exchange of �s White
and a space advantage on the Kingside. weakens the Black Queenside pawns.
But how can he increase his advantage? 17 ... Aa6 18.'fla6 Uc7 19.lbe5 c5
15.1ta4 1 S . 'i¥c2!? 15 ... g5 16.lifdl This pawn was lost anyway, but Black is
g4 17.lbd2 lbdf6 18.lbf4
18 ... g3! 19.hg3 lbf2 20.�e1 20.·;�>f2
tt:\g4 2 1 .�fl 'i¥e3 wins . 20 ... lbd3
Through the use of tactics Black has
achieved a positionally won game.
2l.lbd3 lbe4 22.lbfl �8 23.lbe5
lbg3 24. lbg3 l:lg3 2 5 .�e2 a 5
26.1:[c6 Desperate for counterplay. Yet
waiting for Black to mount an overpow­
ering attack will not save White either.
26 . . . Ac6 27.1tc6 �dB 28. 1tb6
l:lc8 29.1ta5 riel 30.wf2 �2 It's
all over now. 3l.Wg2 'flg5 32.wf3
'flhs 33.wf4 'flh6 34.wf3 'flht
35.l:lg2 fih3 36.�f4 ,W"l 37.lbf3
Jaf3 3B.we5 l:le3 39.wd6 'flg2
4o.'flds wg7 4t.h4 'flg6 42.wds
fie6 43.wc5 fie7, o-1
( 1 85) Pillsbury, H-Mason, J
Hastings 1 895 (CBD)
l.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.lbc3 lbf6 4.�g5
Ae7 5.lbf3 b6 6.e3 Ab7 7. .t:lcl
dc4 8 . A c 4 lb b d 7 9 . 0 - 0 0 - 0
10. 'fle2 lbd5 ll.Ae7 'fle7 12.lbd5
ed5 1 3 . �b 5 'fld6 1 4 . ,tlc 2 c6
Jjj
attempting to gain some counterplay by
giving it up this way, rather than let
White take on c6 at will. 20.l:[c5 l:lc5
21.l:[c5 lbd7 22 ..J:,c6 Pillsbury proves
he is up to the technical task at hand.
22 ... lbb8 23.�d6 lba6 24.lbc6 g6
25.lba7 I:la8 26.lbc6 wg7 27.a3
l:(c8 28.g4 lbc7 2 9 . lbe7 l:(b8
30.J;Id7 lbe6 31.lbd5 :lc8 32.lbb6
Ilc2 33.b4 lbg5 34.a4 lbe4 35.a5,
1-0
( 1 86) Tarrasch, S-Maroczy, G
Nuremberg 1 896 (CBD)
l.d4 e6 2.c4 d5 3.lbc3 lbf6 4.Ag5
�e7 5.lbf3 b6 6.e3 Ab7 7.cd5
ed5 8.Ad3 0-0 9.0-0 lbe4 10.Af4
Ad6 u.Ad6 lbd6 12. 'flc2 whs
13.l:[acl f5 14.lbe2 c6 15.lbe5
fieB 1 6 . lbg 3 g 6 1 7 . f4 lbd 7
18.'fle2 lbe5 19.fe5 Another exam­
ple of the e3, d4, eS pawn triangle.
19 . . . lbf7 20. 'flf3 iLcB 2 1 . fif4
,ild7 22.lbe2 lbdB 23. fih6 lbf7
After 23 . . . tt:\e6 24.tt:\f4 White would
hold a slight advantage. 24.'flf4 lbd8
25.'flh4 lbe6 26.'flg3 fie7 27.lbf4
lbf4 28.ef4 c5 29.'flf2 c4! Best.
The Queenside majority gives Black
the advantage. However, winning the
position proves to be difficul t for
Maroczy. 30.Abl b5 3l.�c3 a5
32.h4 l:lg8 33.�h3 b4 34. fid2
ldg7 3 5 . A c 2 Ae8 36.h 5 'fle6
37.hg6 Ag6 38.W'f3 Af7 39.�2
l:a6 40.�3 'fld7 4t.whl aag6
42. fiet Ae6 43.ah5 I!g4 44.1te3
a4 45.Adl b(4g6 46.l:l5h3 'ttb5
47.wgt Acs 4s.Ah5 He6 49 .Wtt
1 32 Middlegame Strategy

I:lee7 50.Jle2 ffc6 51.1Wd2 1'tb7 43.ltle2 I:le4 44.ltlc3 f5 45.gf5 gf5
52.wf2 I:lb6 53.Wt6 't'fb7 54.fle3 46.ltle4 fe4 47.ltlf2 c5 48.bc5 bc5
I:lbg6 55.Jlg6 l:[g6 56.f6h3 ffa7 49.we3 we5 50.Ae4 de4 51.ltle4
57.fld1 ffg7 58.fff3 Jle6 59.I:Ih1, c4 52.h4 h6 53.ltlg3 Af5 54.ltle2
1/2-1/2 il.h7 5 5 . ltlg3 Ag6 56.ltlhl c3
57.ltlg3 wd5 58.h5 Ah7 59.ltle2
( 1 87) Charousek, R-Steinitz, W wc4 6 0 . wf4 c2 6 t .we3 wb3
Nuremberg 1 896 (CBD) 62.wd4 wh2 63.we3 Af5 64.wf4
1.d4 d5 2.ltlf3 ltlf6 3.c4 e6 4.Ag5 Ad3, o-1
Ae7 5.ltlc3 ltlbd7 6.e3 0-0 7.l:tc1
c6 8.cd5 ed5 9.il.d3 ltle4 10.Ae4 ( 1 88) Charousek, R-Alapin,S
Ag5 1 1 .il,b1 �e8 1 2.0-0 Ae7 Berlin 1 897 (CBD)
13.ltle2 Ad6 14.ltlg3 ltlf6 15.ltld2 1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.ltlc3 b6 4.ltlf3
Ac7 1 6 .l:le1 1fd6 1 7. f4 Ad7 Ah7 5.e3 ltlf6 6.cd5 ed5 7.il.h5
18.ltlb3?1 18.tt::l f3 18... ltlg4 19.1ff3 c6 8.il.d3 Ae7 9.0-0 0-0 10.ltle5
trh6 20.h3 ltlbd7 ll.f4 c5 12. 'itf3 ltle8? Loses
a pawn. 13.Ah7 wh7 14.1th3 wgs
1 5 . fl d 7 ltl d 6 1 6 . fi h 3 ltle4
17.l::ld 1 c4 18.l0e4 de4 19.il.d2
1fc8 20.f5 Af6 2 1 . ffh5 jLe5
22.de5 f6 23.e6 1fe8 24. 1Vg4 't!fa4
25.Ah4 1Ud8 Not 25 ... 't!\fb4?? 26.lld7
and threats to the � cannot be stopped.
26.r!d8 JldS 27.Ae7 :ts 28.Afs
wfS 29. 'ith5 'Cte8 30. tfeS, 1-0

( 1 89)
Rubinstein,A-ZnJsko Borovsky
20 . . . ltle31 2l .�e3 bte3 22. fie3
St. Petersburg 1 909 (HP)
1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.l0c3 l0f6 4.jLg5
Af4 23. 'itc3 jLc1 24. fic1 fic1
Ae7 5.e3 l0bd7 6.l0f3 0-0 7.f6c2
25.ltlc1 g6 Black wants to restrict the
h6 8.cd5 ed5 9.Ad3 Ah7 10.0-0-0
scope of White's pieces, and the text
l0e4 ll.h4 f5 12.wb1 c5 Instead,
removes f5 from White's control.
1 2 . . . h6 1 3 . �f4 �d6 1 4 . �d6 cd6
26.ltld3 b6 27.ltle5 jLeS 28.c;Yf2
leaves the position unclear. 13.dc5
a5 29.ltle2 f6 30.ltld3 wf7 The next
hc5 1 4 . l0e4 fe4 1 5 . il.e4 de4
step in Black's plan is to centralize his
16.1tb3 wh8 17.ffh7 ef3 18.Itd7
� to support the advance of his pawns.
't!fe8 19.Ile7 1tg6 20.c;f]a1 �ab8
31.ltlc3 we7 32.ltla4 1:1bs 33.Ac2
Wd6 34.a3 Ad7 35.b4 Otherwise 21.1te4 2 l .'ti'd5 fg2 22.�g2 'ti'c2
Black would play . . . c5 after 35 . . . �f5. 23.�f6! wins. 21 ... ffe4 22.l::le4 fg2
35 ...ab4 36.ab4 Af5 37.we3 l:les 23.l::lg 1 Jlf2 24.ID4 :c2 24 . . J::t bb2
38.wd2 l:le4 39.g4 il,e6 40.ltlc3 25.llf8 wins. 25.b3 h6 26.Ae7 }leS
lld4 4I .ltle2 �e4 42. ltlc3 l::ld4
 �upptementat uames 1 33

27.c;Ybt J:te2 28.Ac5 .J:ldS 29.Ad4

ticS 30.:lg4, 1-0

( 1 90) Jaffe--Suchting
Carlsbad 1 911 (IQP)
t.d4 d5 2.l0f3 l0t6 3.l0bd2 iH5
4.c4 e6 5. 1fb3 tOc6 6.a3 J:(bS 7 .e3
A e 7 8 . Ad 3 0 - 0 9 . c d 5 l0 a 5
10.\lc2 Ad3 1 1.\ld3 ed5 12.l0e5
\ld6 13.b4 l0c6 1 4.Ab2 l0d7
t5.f4 f6 t6.l0ef3 We8 t7.o-o Afs
ts.tOh4 1te6 t9.W3 Ad6 20.l0fl
l0e7 21 .l0g3 lOfS 22.J:(el \lf7 After 14 . . . 0-0
23.l0gf5 l0f5 24.l0f5 'ifd7 25.h4
l0e6 26.c;Yf2 c;YhS 27.h5 jl fS 22.Ae4 1te4 23.l0d6 tje2 24.l0c8
28.J:(hl c6 29.l:tg3 J:(bdS 30.l0h4 J:[cS 2 5 . 1td5 1te6 2 6 . 1!ff3 h 6
w g s 3 t . h 6 g 5 3 2 . l0 f 3 A d 6 27.Ad2 l0e5 28.J:(c8 tjcS 29.tJe4
33.l0e5 tfe7 34.l:tg4 whs 35.f5 l0d7 30.J:(cl 'trf8 30 . . .'Y!Wd8 3 1 .'i¥d5
l0f8 36.l0f3 l0d7 37.l0d2 l0b6 gives White a very strong position,
38.g3 f!ff7 39.e4 de4 40.J:(e4 \ld5 e.g. 3 l . . . l0f6?? 32.'ti'd8 �d8 33.lk8
4t.l:lfl tlf5 42.wgt \'tg6 43.I:les wins. 3l.Ah61 l0c5 3 1 . . .gh6 32.'tWg4.
\'te8 44.J:(f6 l0d5 45.J:(f2 \'tel 32. 'ffg4 f5 33.'ffg6 11f7 34. ef7
46.wg2 l0e3 47.wh3 g4 4s.wh4 wf7 35.Ag5 l0d3 36.J:tbt 36.l:tc2??
Ae7, 0-1 lOel wins , according to Tarrasch .
36 . . . we6 37.b3 wd5 38.f3 a5
( 1 91 ) Lasker, Em-Tarrasch, S 39.h4 l0c5 40.h5 d3 41.¢>fl a4
St. Petersburg 1 91 4 (IQP) 42.ba4 l0a4 43.Af6 we6 44.Ag7
l .d4 d5 2.l0f3 c5 3.c4 e6 4.cd5 wf7 45.Ae5 l0c5 46.J:tdt, t-o
ed5 5.g3 l0c6 6.Ag2 l0{6 7.0-0
Ae7 8.dc5 Ac5 9.l0bd2 d4 It is ( 1 92) Rubinstein,A-Lasker,Em
instructive to observe the changing Moscow 1 925 (IQP)
dynamics of the isolani when allowed l .d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.e3 l0f6 4.l0c3
to advance. 10.l0b3 Ab6 11. \'td3 e6 5.l0f3 l0bd7 6.Ad3 dc4 7.Ac4
Ae6 12.J:(dl Ah3 13.1th3 \'te7 b5 8.Ae2 a6 9.0-0 Ab7 10.b3
t4.Ad2 o-o Ae7 l t . A b 2 0 - 0 1 2 . l0 e 5 c 5
13.Af3 'trc7 14.l0d7 l0d7 15. �e4
(see next diagram) l:tadS 16.J:(ct 1tb8 17. 'tre2 cd4
18.ed4 J:(cS t9.g3 tras 20.«jpg2
15.a4!! l0e4 1 5 .. .'fi'e2? 1 6J1el �a6 J:(fdS 21.J:(c8 J:(cS 22.1:lcl l:lcl
17.�fl t r a p s t h e 'if; 1 5 . . . �c5!?. 23.Acl h6 24.Ab2 �b6 To carry
t6.Ael J:(ad8 17.a5 Ac5 18.a6 out basic blockading policy on the d5
b a 6 19.l:tacl J:(c8 20.l0h4 Ab6 square. 25.h3 tfcS 26. 0d3 l0d5
20 . . . l0b8!? -Teschner. 2l .l0f5 1te5 27.a3 Allowing Black to infiltrate via
 1 34 M iddlegame Strategy

b5 would be bad for White. 27 ... �b6 ( 1 93) Alekhine,A--Capablanca,J

28.'ltlb2 AdS Shifting the blockading Buenos Aires 1 927 (CBD)
piece is an important sub-theme of the 1.d4 dS 2.c4 e6 3.�f3 �d7 4.l0c3
blockade strategy. By shifting blockade �gf6 s. R.gs Ae7 6.e3 o-o 7.:ct
duty between the ltJ and i.. , Black pro­ c6 s.1tc2 a6 9.a3 b6 10.Ab4 nes
vokes a Queenside weakeness with the ll.cdS edS 1 2.Ad3 lObS 13.Ae7
ltJ and pressures it with the i.. . 29.c;t>g2 ae7 1 4 . 0 - 0 lt)bf6 1 S.b3 lt)eS
1fc6 30.�d2 aS 3 1 . fic3 Af3 16.lt)e2 lt)d6 17.lOg3 lOfS 1S.lOe5
32.�f3 fic3 33.Ac3 a4 f6 1 9. l0g 6 l0g6 20.Ag6 Ae6
21.l0e2 1Jd7 22.l0f4 Af5 23.Af5
1Vf5 24. 1JfS lOfS 2S.l0d3 lt)d6,
1/2-1/2

Now the weak Queenside pawns spell
out White 's doom. 34.ba4 34.b4?
ltJc4. 34 ...ba4 3S.c;t>fl The a-pawn is
lost in any case by the maneuver
... ltJc4-a3. 35 ...Aa3 36.c;t>e2 c;t>fS
37.c;t>d3 l0d5 3S.R,e1 Ad6 39.c;t>c4
we7 40.l0e5 Aes 4t .deS c;t>d7
42.Ad2 Or 42.�b4 when 42 . . . ltJb4
43.<;tb4 'itc6 44.'ita4 'itd5 45.f4 'ite4
wins. 42 ... bS Setting up the Kingside
pawns so that White doesn't have any
targets. 43.Ac1 c;t>c6 44.Aa3 lt)b6
4S.c;t>d4 wb5 46.AfS lOc4 47.¢'c3
47. i.. g7?? a3. 47 ... g6 4S.f4 l0e3
49.wd3 lOdS so.Aa3 h4 S1.gb4
l0f4 52.we4 lObS 53.wf3 wc4
54.R.b2 wb3 ss.Aa1 a3 s6.c;t>g4
wc2 S7.¢'g5 wd3, 0-1
( 1 94) Capablanca,J-Alekhine,A
Buenos Aires 1 927 (CBD)
1.d4 dS 2.c4 e6 3.l0c3 lt)f6 4.Ag5
l0bd7 S.e3 Ae7 6.l0f3 0-0 7.:c1
a6 S.cdS edS 9.Ad3 c6 10. 1Jc2
aes 1 1 .0-o lOfS 1 2.afe1 Ae6
1 3 . lt) a 4 l0 6 d 7 1 4 . A e 7 'ff e 7
1S.l0c5 lOcS 16.1fc5 fic7 17.b4
l0 d 7 1 S . tf c 2 h 6 1 9 . a4 fi d 6
2 o . a b 1 a e c s 2 t . l:l e c 1 A g 4
22.l0d2 ac7 23.l0b3 Ahs 24.l0c5
l0 c 5 2 5 . 1t c 5 1tf6 2 6 . b S a b S
27.ab5 Ag6 2S.Ag6 1fg6 29.aa1
nacS 30.b6 ad7 3 t.aa7 ¢'b7
32.aca1 f5 33. 1tc2 ae7 34.g3
aceS 3S.,JlaS �4 36.aes l:(eS
37.l:la7 nbs 3S.b4 hS 39.c;t>g2
1fe6 40.lrd3 c;t>g6, 1/2-1/2
Before accepting a hanging pawn posi­
tion, it is important to consider which
pieces are on the board. Minor pieces
are generally preferred when in posses­
sion of the hanging pawns. Our next
game is an example with only major
pieces on the board.

Presented next are two of the debates

Alekhine and Capablanca had con­
cerning the Carlsbad structure.
 .:� upp1emenra1 uames
( 1 95) Marshall,F-Rubinstein,A
Caflsbad 1 929 (HP)
1.d4 d5 2.�f3 �f6 3.c4 e6 4.�c3
il.e7 5 ..i.g5 �bd7 6.e3 0-0 7.l:ic1
l':[e8 8.a3 a6 9.cd5 ed5 1 0.ftb3
c6 1 1 . A d 3 �f8 1 2 . 0 - 0 � h 5
13.Ae7 l:le7 14.�a4 �f6 15.�b6
,klb8 16.�e5 �6d7 17.�c8 l:(c8
1B.Af5 l:lbB 19.Ad7 �d7 20.�d7
'fWd7 21.l�tc5 l:[e6 22.l:[fc1 l:[be8
2 3 . ft d3 l:lg6 2 4 . bl 5 c 2 'fWg4
25.1tfl h5 26.l:(e1 h4
27.f3 The Botvinnik pawn maneuver,
played late in the game. 27... 'fWf5
28.e4 de4 29.fe4 Without minor
pieces it is difficult to exploit the cen­
tral control conferred by the hanging
p a wns . 29 . . . ft f 1 3 0 . c;t>f 1 �g4
3 1.l:[ce2 �f4 32.¢>g1 f5 B l a c k
strikes a t the hanging pawns with his
adjacent pawns. 33.ef5 l:1e2 34.b[e2
k[d4 3 5 . g3 hg3 3 6 . h g 3 c;t>f7
37.¢>g2 kid5 38.g4 l:ld3 39.¢>f2
� b 3 4 0 . �d 2 a 5 4 t . c;t> e 1 a4
42.c;t>d1 c;t>f6 43.l:ld6 we7 44.�e6
wf7 45.¢>c2 i!g3 46.!1g6 �f3
47. .tld6 l:[f4 4B.I!d7 c;t>f6 49.g5
¢>f5 50.�g7 l:lc4 5 1 . ¢> d3 b 5
52.�8 c;t>g4 53.Ilg7 c;t>f5 54 ..tlg8
wg4 55.�7 wf5, 112-112
135
(196) Alekhine, A-Tylor,T
Nottingham 1 936 (IQP)
1.d4 �f6 2.c4 e6 3.�c3 d5 4.Jl.g5
il.e7 5.e3 �bd7 6.l:[c1 0-0 7.cd5
ed5 8.il.d3 c6 9. ffc2 l:teB 10.�3
�f8 1 1 .0-0 �h5 1 2.il.e7 l:te7
13.b4 b5 14.�e5 il.b7 1 5.�e2
.b[ e 6 1 6 . g 4 �f6 1 7 .f4 � 6 d 7
18.il.f5 �e5 19.de5 l:[e8 20.�d4
g6 21.il.d3 f6 22.�c6 il.c6 23. tWc6
fe5 2 4 . A b 5 l:[e6 2 5 . 1tc5 ef4
26.W4 l::ld6 27.'1rc7 tWc7 28.l:[c7
�e6 29.l:tc6 l:[c6 30.il.c6 l:[d8
3 1.];1fl c;Yg7 32.il.a4 l::[b 8 33.a3
a5 3 4 . b a 5 .b[ a 8 3 5 . il.d 7 �f8
36.Ab5 I:la5 37.a4 �e6 38.J;1c1
c;t>f6 3 9 . h4 .b[a7 4 0 . c;t> f 2 we5
41.c;Ye2 �c7 42..b[b1 I:lb7 43.wd3
c;Yd6 4 4 . e 4 �e6 4 5 . e d 5 � c 5
46.c;Yc2 �a4 47.wd3 wd5 48.il.c4
c;Yd6 49.I:lb7 �c5 50.we3 �b7
51.c;Yf4 we7 52.c;Yg5 �d6 53.il.d5
�f7 5 4 . c;Yf4 � h 6 5 5 .g5 �f7
56.c;t>e4 �g5 57.hg5 c;t>f8, 1/2-1/2
After the reign of Alekhine, there
came two positional giants. Presented
next are a few games from these
grea t players. Each is an interesting
contest, fea turing many themes of
concern to us here. The first player,
S a mu e l Reshevsky, never became
world champion - though he perhaps
should have been.
( 1 97) Reshevsky,S-Treystman, G
New York 1 936
1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.�c3 �f6 4.cd5
ed5 5.Ag5 �bd7 6.e3 il.e7 7.1tc2
c6 8.il.d3 0-0 9.�f3 D,e8 10.h3
�f8 1 1.il.f4 il.d6 12.il.d6 1td6
13.0-0 il.e6 14 ..b[fb1 .b[e7 15.b4
l:lc7 16.ffd2 1Je7 17.'1rc2 �e8
1 36 M iddlegame Strategy

18.a4 �d6 19.Dc1 Dac8 20. 'fWb2

�g6 2 1 . b 5 'fW f 6 2 2 . bc 6 b c 6
23.Aa6 ,J:td8 24.�b5 �b5 25.ab5
l:(b8 26. 'lfa3 Af5 27.l:(c5 1fd6
28. 'fWa5 Ae6 29.l:lacl :lb6 30.bc6
l:(bc6 31.Ab7 l:lc5 32.dc5 tffe 7
33.c6 Ac8 34.AcS l:[cS 35. ffd5
•e6 36.flc5 l:lc7 37.�d4 ffe7
3S.�b5, 1-0

( 1 98) Reshevsky, S-Toran

Havana 1 952 (IQP)
1.d4 l0f6 2.c4 e6 3.l0c3 Ab4 4.e3
0-0 5.ltlge2 d5 6.a3 Jte7 7.cd5
ed5 S.l0f4 JleS 9.Ad3 c6 10.0-0
a5 1 1 .Jld2 l0bd7 1 2.ffc2 l0f8
1 3 . U a b 1 A d 6 1 4 . l:[fe 1 l0 g 6
15.l0g6 hg6 16.f4 Ad7 17.b4 ab4
18.ab4 b5 19.e4 de4 20.l0e4 l0e4
21.Ae4 Ob6 22. ffc3 l:[e4 23.b[e4
�.f5 24.:1be1 Ae4 25.l:[e4 l:[d8
26.I:(e1 Af8 27.Ae3 'lfb7 2S.l:[cl
l:[e8 29.Af2 J:le6 30.I!a1 ffd7
31.:la8 I:le8 32.];1a1 l:[e6 33.h3
Ad6 34.g3 Afs 3 5 . ffb3 kle4
36.wg2 wh7 37.:1c1, 112-112
( 1 99) Reshevsky, S-Taimanov,M
Zurich 1 953
1.d4 l0{6 2.c4 e6 3.l0c3 Ab4 4.e3
0-0 5.l0ge2 d5 6.a3 Ae7 7 .cd5
ed5 8.l0g3 l:[e8 9.b4 c6 10.Ad3
b5 u.Ad2 l0bd7
After l l ...tt:Jbd7
ffb6 28. ffa3 l0f8 29.Ae3 AcS
30.g4 Ab7 3l.f5 g5 32.ffe7 h6
33.l0a4 ffc6 34.l0c5 Ac8 35. ffdS
wg7 36.Ad2 1tb5 37.ffc8 ffb2
3S.Wg2 ffc2 39.Ab4 l0e4 40.l0e4
ffe4 41.Wg3, 1/2-1/2
(200) Reshevsky,S-Lombardy, W
New York 1 956
1.c4 'bf6 2.'bc3 e6 3.ltlf3 d5 4.cd5
ed5 5.d4 c6 6.ffc2 Ae7 7.Af4 1
ffb6 S.a3 0-0 9.l:[b1 g6 10.e3
Af5 u.Ad3 Ad3 12.ffd3 ltlbd7
13.b4 a6 14.0-0 ,W'e8 15.h3 Af8
1 6 . ltl d 2 'b h 5 1; . A h 2 'b g 7
18.'bb3 ffdS 19.l0c5 b5 20.e4
l0b6 21.We1 de4 22.l03e4 'bd5
23.'bd2 Ac5 24.)leS ffeS 25.bc5
ffe6, 1/2-1/2

(see next diagram) (201) Reshevsky, S-Lombardy, W

New York 1 957
1 2.a4 Ab4 13.ab5 c5 14.0-0 c4 1.c4 l0f6 2.d4 e6 3.'bc3 Ab4 4.e3
1 5.Ac2 a5 16.ba6 :a6 17.l:[a6 0-0 5.l0ge2 d5 6.a3 Ae7 7.cd5
.i,a6 1S.1rfa1 lObS 19.ffa4 Af8 ed5 8 . b 4 )l e S 9 . 'b g3 l0 b d 7
20.J:lb1 kte6 21.)lb2 g6 22.l0ge2 10.Ad3 c 6 ll .b5 c 5 1 2.0-0 b6
.i.d6 23.l0f4 Af4 24.ef4 l0bd7 13.Ad2 AfS 14.a4 a5 15.ba6 Aa6
25.h3 Db6 26.'i!ra5 'fWbS 27.Jlb6 16.�b5 �e4 17.'be4 de4 1S.Ac4
lt'h4 19.1t'b3 ffh5 20.h3 )lacS
 ;:)Uppu:: r nennu uame:s
21.Wct l:tc6 22.Ae1 Jlds 23.1::td 1
Ab5 24.ab5 l::ld 6 25.aa7 �e5
26.de5 fid1 27.ed6 fie1 28.Afl
whs 29.ttf7 trd1 30.d7 fid6
3 1 .g3 h6 32.Ac4 c;Yh7 33.fie8
Ae7 34.Ags whs 35.Ad5, 1-o
When studying the games of any player,
it is instructive to look at his previous
encounters with the same opponent.
Included in the notes to our next game
are two previous contests between
these two American Grandmasters.
(202) Reshevsky,S-Evans,L
USA 1958 (IQP)
1.d4 �f6 2.c4 e6 3.�c3 Ab4 4.e3
0-0 5.�ge2 d5 6.a3 Ae7 7 .cd5
ed5 7 . . . 'Lld5 8 . 'Wc2 'Llf6 9 .g3 c 5
10.�g2 'Llc6 1 l .dc5 �cS 1 2.0-0 �d7
1 3.b4 �e7 14.�b2 lk8 1 5 .l:tfd 1 a6
16.'ti'b3, 1/2-1/2. Evans,L-Reshevsky,S
US 1 95 1 . 8.�f4 a5 8 . . . c6 9. �d3 l:te8
10.0-0 �d6 1 l .'Wc2 'Llbd7 1 2.b4 a6
13.f3 �f4 14.ef4 'Llf8 1 5 .f5 bS 1 6.a4
�b7 17.a5 'Wd6 18.'Lle2 l:te7 19.�f4
'li'd7 20.g4 'Lle8 21 .'li'c5 l:td8 22.'Llg3
f6 23.l:l.ae 1 l2Jd6 24.g5 l:te1 25J:te1
l:l.e8 26.l:le8 l2Je8 27.h4 'Wd8 28.c;;.f2
l2Jd7 2 9 . 'Wa7 'li' a 8 3 0 . 'W a 8 � a 8
3 1 . l2Jh5 �b7 32.g6 �c8 33.�g3 h6
34.l2Jf4 c;;.f8 35.l2Je6 c;;.e 7 36.�f4 l2Jf8
37.l2Jc5 l2Jd7 38. l2Je6 l2Jf8 39. l2Jc5
l2Jd7 40.'it>e3 l2Jc5 4l .dc5 �d7 42.c;;.f2
�c8, 1/2- 1/2. Reshevsky,S-Evans,L
New York 1 955. 9.Ad3 l:te8 10.0-0
c6 1 1 .f3 �a6 12. ffc2 g6 13.g4
�c7 14.1Jg2 b5 1 5 .Ad2 �e6
16.�e2 Aa6 17.�d1 c5 18.dc5
Ac5 19.b4 Making the pawn on bS
we a k . 1 9 . . . A b 6 2 0 . w h 1 ab4
21.ab4 �c7 22.�d4 A classic block­
ade with the additional advantage of an
attack on bS. 22 ... �d7 23.f4 .,a.d4
I .J I
24.ed4 fif6 25.fif2 h6 26.g5 hg5
27.f5! Dest roys the protection of
Black's w. 27 ... �f8 27 . . .gf5 28.�g5,
planning ·29.llg1 and wins. 28.1tg3
1fd4 29.fg6 fg6 29 . . . 'Wa1?? 30.gf7
c;;.g7 3l .�c3. 30.tfc7 1td3 31.1tf7
c;Yh8 32.ID3 1Jf3 Forced in view of
White's 33. l:th3 threat. 33.ft'f3 d4
34. fff6 ¢'h7 35.Da6 Da6 36. 1ta6
l::(e 2 37.fta7 c;t>h6 38.'ffd4 �e6
39. 'fth8 mate, 1-0
Moving on to Reshevsky's arch-rival,
we next spotlight Mikhail Botvinnik,
an incredibly strategic player. A thor­
ough study of his games would benefit
any student . Below are a handful of
his games relating to our study. Many
beautiful games from this world cham­
pion are left for the reader to discover
for himself.
(203) Botvinnik,M-Vidmar,M
Nottingham 1 936 (IQP)
l.c4 e6 2.�f3 d5 3.d4 �6 4.Ag5
.a.e7 5.�c3 0-0 6.e3 t0bd7 7.Ad3
c5 8.0-0 cd4 9.ed4 dc4 10.Ac4
�b6 u.Ab3 Ad7 12.'ffd3 �bd5
13.f0e5 Ac6 14.Dadl t0b4 15.'fth3
Ads 16.f0d5 t0bd5 17.f4!
138 Middlegame Strategy
Pachman's note to this position is worth
repeating: "This move deserves special
attention. In many positions with an
isolani it is a weakening move; here it is
combined with the irresistible threat of
18.f5." 17 ... !lc8 18.f5 ef5 19.W5
1Wd6 20.�f7 !lf7 2 t .Af6 J1Lf6
22.l:ld5 ffc6 23.I:td6 1!fe8 24.J::[d7,
1-0
(204) Lasker,Em-Botvinnik, M
Nottingham 1 936
l.d4 �f6 2.c4 g6 3.�c3 d5 4.�f3
Ag7 5.Ag5 �e4 6.cd5 �g5 7.�g5
e6 8.�{3 ed5 9.e3 0-0 1 0.Ae2
c6 11.0-0 ffe7 1 2.a3 Ae6 13.l::tc l
�d7 14.�el �b6 15.�d3 .t:lad8
16.�c5 Ac8 17.b4 �c4 18.�b1
b6 19. �b3 Aa6 20.l:[e1 l:lfe8
21.�1d2 b5 22.I[a1 Ac8 23.Afl
lfd6 24.�c5 lte7 25.�db3 l:tde8
26.ffcl f5 27.�d3 g5 28.'irc3 f4
29.ef4 gf4 30..t:le7 l::le7 31.a4 a6
32.ab5 ab5 33 ..J:la8 )le8 34. 1Vcl
:rs 35.1!fdt Af5 36.l:If8 Afs
37.ffh5 1Vg6 38.t;fg6 hg6 39.�f4
Ab4 4o.Ad3 �d2 41.�d2 Ad2
42.Af5 gf5 43.�e6 Ac3 44.wf1,
1/2-1/2
Next is another of the battles contested
between the two players we've chosen
to spotlight.
(205) Reshevsky,S-Botvinnik,M
AVRO 1 938 (CBD)
l.d4 �f6 2.c4 e6 3.�c3 Ab4 4.e3
0-0 5.�ge2 d5 6.a3 Ae7 7.cd5
�d5 s.�d5 ed5 9.g3 �d7 1o.Ag2
�f6 11.0-0 Ad6 1 2.�c3 c6 13.b4
a6 1 4 .1:(e1 l:[e8 1 5 . A b 2 Af8
16.frd3 Ae6 17.f3 �d7 18.�a4
b6 1 9 .l:(acl b 5 2 0 . �c5 � b 6
21.Ac3 l:la7 22.e4 �c4 23.I(al
� c 5 2 4 . d c 5 Ild7 2 5 . 1Wd4 f6
26.f4 de4 27.1We4 !ld3 28.1:[acl
.t::lc 3 29.J:lc3 Af7 30.Ild3 1!fb8
3l.J:ledl l:[e4 32.Ae4 1Vf8 33.!ld8
Ae8 34.l:(el Wf7 35.Ah7 �e5
36.fe5 1!fhs 37.Ac2 we7 38.Itcs
f5 39.Af5 1Vh5 40.g4 1Vg5 41 ..1::lc7
wds 42.l:tc8 we7 43.e6 g6 44.Ilc7
W d 8 4 5 .!l d 7 W c 8 4 6 . e 7 gf5
47.l:[d8 Wc7 48.l::le8 1Vg4 49.Whl
1Vf3 50.Wg1 ffg4, t/2-1/2
(206) Botvinnik,M-Flohr,S
Groningen 1 946 (IQP)
l.d4 d5 2.�f3 �f6 3.c4 e6 4.�c3
c5 5.cd5 �d5 6.e3 �c6 7 .Ad3
cd4 8.ed4 Ae7 9.0-0 0-0 10.l:[e1
�cb4 1 1 .Ae4 �f6 1 2.Ab1 b6
13.�e5 Ab7 14.1:le3 Initiating a
Kingside attack. 14 ... �bd5 15.l:th3
g6 1 6. A h 6 l:[e8 1 7 . 1td 2 lieS
1 8.Ad3 a6 1 9 .l:[e 1 b5 20.l:tg3
�h5 After 20 . . . f!Vb6? 2 l . ltJg6 hg6
22.Ag6 t h e attack is overwhelming.
2l.J:lh3 �hf6 22.Abl l:tc7 23.l:tg3 '
�h5 24.l:[h3 �hf6 25. @e2 �c3
26.bc3 The isolated pawn couple
(c3 and d4) appears.
I
26 ...b41 Attacking the foundation of
White's pawn center. 27.l:[g3 llc3
 �upptemental Liames
28. ltlf'7! 1fd5! Attack and counterat­
tack. 29.LOe5?! 29 . .l::tg 5! 1!t'c4 30.�g6!
hg6 3 1 ..l::t g6 'iti>f7 32 . .l::t g7 with a draw
by perpetual check. 29 ... l:lg3 30.fg3
1Wd4 3t.c;t>h1 Ad6 32.Af4 .!tlh5?
Loses a piece but not the game. Better
was 32 . . . lZ:ld5 in any case. 33.�d1
.!Qf4 34.gf4 1Wf4 35 . .bld6 Ad5
36.Ac2 I:lf8 37.h3 1Wfl 38.1Wfl
l:(f1 39.Wh2 !lf2 40.l:[d5 ed5
41.Ah3 wg7, 1/2-1/2
(207) Botvinnik, M-Bronstein,D
Moscow 1 951 (IQP)
1.d4 e6 2.e4 d5 3 . .!Qd2 c5 4.ed5
ed5 5 . .!Qgf3 .!Qf6 6 . Ab5 Ad7
7.Ad7 li::}bd7 8.0-0 Ae7 9.dc5
ltlc5 10.li::}d4 1Wd7 ll . .!Q2f3 0-0
12.li::}e5 1Wc8 13.Ag5 l:le8 14. .!Qd3
'tld3 15.'ffd3 1Wg4 16.Ae3 Ac5
17.h3 'ffg6 18.1Wg6 hg6 19 . .tlad1
l:[ e 4 2 0 . c 3 b 6 2 1 . .!Q c 2 .b[ e e 8
2 2..tld3 Wf8 23.afd1 we7 24.wfl
wd7 2 5 . Ag5 wc6 2 6.b4 Af8
27.'tle3 �e5 28.f4 l:te4 29.f5 l:e5
30.Af4 1:le4 31.Ag5 l:le5 32.Af4
l:e4 33.Ag5, 1/2-1/2
(208) Bronstein, D-Botvinnik, M
Moscow 1 951 (CBD)
1.d4 e6 2.c4 f5 3.g3 ll::}f6 4.Ag2
Ae7 5.'tlc3 0-0 6.e3 d5 7 .li::}ge2
c6 8.b3 li::}e4 9.0-0 .!Qd7 10.Ab2
ll::}df6 ll.'ffd3 g5 1 2.cd5 ed5 13.f3
'tlc3 1 4 . A c3 g4 1 5 . fg4 li::} g 4
16.Ah3 'tlh6 17.'tlf4 Ad6 18.b4
a6 19.a4 'ffe7 20.l::[a b1 b5 21.Ag2
'tlg4 22.Ad2 'tlf6 23.l:lb2 Ad7
24.l::(a 1 li::}e4 25.Ae1 W"e8 26.1Wb3
Wh8 27.];Iba2 'fff8 28. .!Qd3 l:ab8
29.ab5 ab5 30.l:ta7 Standard use of
the open a-file in the minority attack.
30 ... �e7 31.'tle5 Ae8 32.g4 fg4
1 39
3 3 . A e4 de4 3 4 . A h 4 l:le5 Or
34 . . . .l::ta7 35 . .l::t a7 �e5 36.de5 with the
threat 37 . .il..f6, winning. 35.de5 Ae5
36.W1 1tg8 36 . . . 1!t'h6 37 . .l::tf5 �g7
38 . .l:tg7 'iti>g7 39.�g3 wins. 37.Ag3
Ag7 38. 1Wg8, 1-o
As wonderful as his games are, perhaps
Botvinnik's greatest contribution to chess
was the coaching of two students -
World Champions Kasparov and Karpov.
Our next few games will continue
building on what has come before.
(209) Szabo,L-Van Seters
Hilversum 1 947 (IQP)
1 .d4 ll::}f6 2.c4 e6 3 . .!tlc3 AM 4.e3
c5 5 .Ad3 d5 6.'tlf3 0-0 7.0-0
li::}c6 8.a3 cd4 9.ed4 dc4 10.Ac4
Ae7 11.l:(e1 b6 If l l . . .a6?! 1 2 . .tg5
b5 1 3.�a2 �b7 1 4.'i!Vd3 lZ:ld5 1 5.lZ:le4
with the better game according to Pach­
man. 12.'ffd3 The pawn on a3 is im­
portant because it allows the text move
while preventing . . . lZ:lb4-d5, blockad­
i n g the pawn. 12 ... Ab7 13.Ag5
ncB?! 13 ... lZ:ld5!? 14.I(ad1 1tc7? Black
is playing the position very mechani­
cally. Best is still 14 . . . lZ:ld5, striving to
simplify the position. 15.Aa2 !Ud8
16.h3 l:ld7
 1 40 Mtddlegame :Strategy

17.d51 The lust to expand takes hold 31. 'fl"g1 ffg1 32.wg1 /0d5 33 ..lla 2
aga in. 17... /0d5 17 . . . ed5 18.�bl! g6 J:le5 34.h4 wfs 3 5 . Ad5 Ad5
19. lle7 Ci:Je7 20.�f6. 1S.Ad5 ffdS 36.,JV4 Ae6 37.Wf2 J:lc5 3S.J:ld4
19. tfe4 ed5 20./0d5 Ag5 21./0g5 we7 39.we3 J:lcS 4o.wf4 J:lc5,
g6 2 1 . . .'Wg5?? 22.'iVe8. 22.'ffh4 h5 1/2-1/2
23.ltlf6 1tf6 24.J:ld7 �dS 25.J:leS
'tYg7 26.J:lf7 lilf7 27.�e6, 1 -0 (212) Spassky,B-Aronin
Leningrad 1 957 (IQP)
(210) Stahlberg,G-Eliskases, E 1 .d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3./tlf3 c5 4.cd5
Mar del Plata 1 948 (HP) ed5 5.g3 /tlc6 6.Ag2 /Of6 7.0-0
1.d4 l0!6 2.c4 e6 3.�f3 b6 4.e3 .i.e7 S . d c 5 A c 5 9 . /tl b d 2 0 - 0
Ah7 5.Ad3 c5 6.o-o Ae7 7.b3 10./tlb3 Ab6 1 1./tlbd4 J:leS 1 2.b3
0-0 S . � c 3 d 5 9 . A b 2 � b d 7 Ag4 13.Ah2 �e4 14.'fi'd3 1td7
10. ffe2 �e4 ll.,JVd1 cd4 1 2.ed4 15.a3 h5 16.e3 Ah3 17.,JVd1 Ag2
�c3 13.Ac3 1tc7 14.J:lac1 dc4 1 S.Ciflg2 Ad4 ? 1 1 9 . /tld4 �:lacS
1 5 . bc4 J:lfeS 1 6 . A d 2 �:l a d S 2 0 . /tlf 3 J:ledS 2 1 . 1:l a c 1 1tf5
17.1:le1 Af6 1S.Ae3 e5 Break up 22.ffe2 g5 23.h3
the hanging pawns by attacking them
with adjacent pawns. 19.de5 /tle5
20./tle5 Ae5 21.c5 Ah2 22.Wfl
tfc6 23.f3 Ag3 24.Ae4 24.cb6
'ifdS with the idea of 25 ... 'Wh5 next.
24 ...J:le41 25.fe4 Ae1 26.we1 fle4
27.cb6 ab6 2S.J:lc4 1te6 29.J:ld4
l:ld4 30.Ad4 ffe2 31.Cifle2 .i.g2
32.Ab6 f6 33.a4 wf7 34.a5 Ah7
35.we3 g5 36.Ac7 wg6 37.Ad6
h5 3S.Ae7 f5 39.Ads f4 4o.wf2
wt5, o-1

Played in order to arswer 2 3 . . . h4 with

(211) Spassky,B-Flohr,S
24.g4, locking up the Kingside. 23 ...a6
USSR 1 954 (IQP)
24./tlh2 J:ld6 25.g4 hg4 26./0g41
1.d4 d5 2.c4 dc4 3./tlf3 /tlf6 4.e3
J::le6 27.f3 /tld6 2S.l:lc5 Using the
c5 5 .Ac4 e6 6 . 0 - 0 cd4 7.ed4
isolani's weakness to stall Black's at­
/tlc6 S./tlc3 a6 9.a3 Ae7 10 ..i.g5
t a c k . 2S . . . /tle7 29 .l:lcS �deS
o - o 1 t .'ff d 3 h 6 1 2 .Ah4 �h5
30.1fd2 l:lc6 31.1fd4 Now White's
13.Ae7 /tle7 14.�e5 �6 15.llad1
winning advantage is obvious. There is
h5 16.Aa2 Ab7 17.f4 tfb6 1S.g4
no stopping his attack on the Black c;i;>.
DadS 19.Ab1 �c6 20.�c6 fi'c6
2 1. 1rh3 'ff b6 22. 1fd3 g6 23.g5 31 ... J:lc2 32.wg1 wts 33.1fhs
h g 5 2 4 . fg 5 � h 5 2 5 . ff e 3 e 5 /tlgS 34.Ag7 we7 35. figS ft)d6
26.•e5 IDeS 27.1fc5 1fe6 2S.d5 36.Af6 we6 37.1fdS �cs 3S.e4,
1lg4 29.wht l:ld5 3o.nds ltlt4 1-0
 ;:,uppiemenrai uames 141

(21 3) Byme,R-Bisguier,A (21 5) Korchnoi , V-Tal,M

USA 1 962 (IQP)
1.d4 ltlf6 2.c4 e6 3.ltlc3 d5 4.cd5
ltld5 5.ltlf3 c5 6.e3 ltlc6 7.Ad3
Ae7 8.0-0 0-0 9.a3 cd4 10.ed4
Ad7 1 t .tfc2 g6 1 2.Ah6 J:tes
13.ltle4 :lc8 14.ft'e2 f5 15.ltlc3
Af6 16.Ac4 ltlc3 17.bc3 ltla5
18.Aa2 l:lc3 19.l:lfel ltlc6 20.d5
ed5 21 .Ad5 whs 22. 'lfd2 flf3
23 . .i.f3 Aa1 24.J::[a 1 't'lf6 25.l:(d1
iLc8 26.Ag5 't'le5 27.Ae3 Wg8,
1/2-1/2
Moscow 1 968 (IQP)
1.ltlf3 ltlf6 2.c4 e6 3.ltlc3 d5 4.d4
c5 5.cd5 ltld5 6.e3 ltlc6 7 .Ad3
Ae7 8.a3 cd4 9.ed4 The isolani's
nemisis, the blockade, is already estab­
lished. 9 ... 0-0 10.0-0 ltlf6 ll.Ag5
b6 1 2 . tre2 Ab7 13.I:tad1 l:(eS
14.l:lfel g6 15.Ac4 ltld5 16.Ad5
.i.g5 17.Ae4 Af6 18.ltle5 l:(c8
19.ltlc6 Ac6 20.Ac6 l:[c6

Gligoric executes a model minority at­

tack in the following game.

(214) Gligoric,S-Medina,A
Palma de Mallorca 1 967 (CBD)
1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.ltlc3 ltlf6 4.cd5
ed5 5.Ag5 Ae7 6.e3 ltlbd7 7.Ad3
ltlf8 8.ltlf3 ltle6 9.Ah4 g6 10.0-0
0-0 1l.b4 ltlg7 12.b5 .i.f5 13.ltle5
Ad3 14.ltld3 c6 15.bc6 bc6 Grand­
2 1.d5 White can no longer defend
master Gligoric conducts an attack on
the isolani, so it is pushed to remove
the weak c6 pawn ro maintain the
the w e a k n e s s e n t i re ly. 21 ... Dd6
initiative . 1 6.l:Ic1 ltld7 1 7.Ae7
22.ltle4 l:ld7 22 . . . l:td5? 23.l:td5, fol­
ee7 18.ltla4 Wcs 19.ltlac5 ltlc5
l o w e d b y 24.ltJf6. 23 .de6 l:(e6
2 0 . ltl c 5 ltl e 6 2 1 . f!V a 4 fl a b 8
24.ltlf6 \'ff6 25.Dd7 l:le2 26.De2
22.ltle6 f!Ve6 23.J::[c 2 f!Vd7 24.l:Uc1
ftc6 27.l:(dl g5 28.h3 Wg7 29.b4
�b6 2 5 . h 3 't'lb7 26.:c5 l:tb1
wg6 30.g3 h5 3t.De7 f6 32.De3
27.f!Vd1 l:(b2 28.l:l5c2 h5 29.:b2
wg7 3 3 . g 4 hg4 34.hg4 'ftc4
1Wb2 30.l:[c2 tfb4 31 .�c5 wg7
35.Dg3 Wg6 36.Ddd3 \'fct 37.CEflh2
32. \'fc1 1Wa4 33.tfb2 1Wa6 34.:c3
fff4, 1/2-1/2
J::[c 7 35.l:la3 1Wc8 36.J::[b 3 \'fd7
37.a4 a5 The second weakness ap­
(21 6) Balasov-Bronstein,D
pears, by which Black loses the game.
But he had to prevent the White a­ Moscow 1 971 (IQP)
l.d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.ltlf3 ltl£6 4.ltlc3
pawn's advance to a6, followed by infil­
dc4 5.a4 .i,g4 6.ltle5 Ah5 7.h3
tration via the b7 square. 38. tl'c3
ltlbd7 8.g4 .i,g6 9.ltlg6 hg6 10.e3
l:[a7 39.J:Ib6 �c7 40.1Wa5 wh7
41.ti'c5, 1-0 a 5 l l . A c4 e 6 1 2 . \'f b 3 1f b 6
13.fic2 g5 14.Ae2 ltld5 15.Af3
Ae7 t6.wfl ltlf8 17.ltld5 ed5
 1 42 M iddlegame Strategy

ts.,ad2 /t)g6 19.Ac3 it:}h4 20.,ae2

0 - 0 2 l . e 4 d e 4 2 2 . 1!f e 4 ,a f 6
23.,ad3 g6 24.Ac4 �:ladS 25.J:Idl
1!f c 7 2 6 . 1!f e 3 b 5 2 7 . j1L b 3 b 4
28._aet WeS 29.ffg3 1!fe7 30. ffe3
1tb7 31. Vet 1t'e7 32. 1t'c2 �d4
33-�1 'Of3, 0-1

(21 7) Petrosian, T-Spassky,B

Moscow 1 971 (IQP)
l.d4 d5 2.c4 dc4 3.'0f3 'Of6 4.e3
e6 5 .Ac4 c5 6 . 0 - 0 a6 7 .a4 'Oc6
S . ffe2 Ae7 9.�d 1 cd4 1 0.ed4
28... \'Wf6? B l a c k m i s s e s 28 ... �f2
0-0 ll.GQc3 'Od5 1 2.1te4 'Ocb4
29.�g2 �e7!! 30. l'ld8 'tWd8 3 1 .l:tf2
13.'0e5 l:ta7 14.Ab3 '0f6 15.1Jh4
l:tf2 32. cJilf2 'lWd2 33. cJilgl (33. cJilfl?? e3
b6 t6.tfg3 Ab7 1 7.Ah6 'Oe8
wins ! ) 33 . . . 'lWel draw. 29.ID5 \'Wh6
18.l:[act whs 19.d5 ed5 20.Ae3
30.W8 ID"S 31.fe3 \'Wf6 32. .i.h3,
l:[aS 21.lQc4 'Od6 22.Ab6 1jb8
1-0
2 3 . '0 a 5 'O f 5 2 4 . fi b S D a b S
25.'0b7 tlb7 26.a5 Ag5 27.l:(b1
(219) Tal ,M--Geller, E
d4 28.lQd5 'Oc6 2 9 . Aa4 l:(c8
30.f4 '0ce7 31.l:(bc1 1:1cb8 32.fg5 USSR 1 978 (MA)
'Od5 33.Ac6 }lb6 34.ab6 lQde3 1.c4 e6 2.'0c3 d5 3.d4 '0f6 4.Ag5
35.b7 'Od1 36.l:[d1 g6 37.g4 'Og7 Ae7 5.e3 0-0 6.'0f3 h6 7 .Af6
38.�d4 lQe6 39.ldd7, 1-0 iLf6 s.act c6 9.Ad3 'Od7 10.cd5
ed5 11.b4 Ae7 12.b5 Aa3 13.l:[c2
(21 8) Kuzmin, G--Gulko, B A d 6 1 4 . 0 - 0 'Of6 1 5 . bc6 bc6
16.lQa4 '0e4 17.lQe5 \'We8 18.f3 c5
USSR 1 974 (HP)
19.fe4 cd4 20.lQg4 de4 21.Ac4
1.'0f3 'Of6 2.c4 b6 3.d4 e6 4.a3
Ag4 22. \'Wg4 \'Wa4 23.1lf7 ltf7
d5 5.'0c3 Ae7 6.cd5 ed5 7 . .i.g5
24 . .i,f7 Wf7 25. \'Wf5 we7 26.\'We4
0-0 8.e3 c5 9.Ae2 'Oc6 10.0-0
Wd7 27.\'Wb7 we6 28.1Je4 wd7,
iLe6 1 1 .\'Wa4 'Oa5 1 2 .dc5 bc5
1/2-1/2 '
13.b4 Attack the enemy hanging
pawns with your own adjacent pawns.
(220) Kasparov, G-Lechtinsky,J
13 ...cb4 14.ab4 '0c4 15.'0d4 1jb6
16.b5 \'Wc5 17.IDcl 'Od7 18.lQe6 Baku 1980 (CBD)
fe6 1 9 .lQe4 de4 20.Ac4 1Jg5 1.d4 lQf6 2.c4 e6 3.'0c3 AM 4.e3
2 t . A e 6 whs 2 2 . A d 7 D a d s 0-0 5.'0ge2 d5 6.a3 Ae7 7.cd5
23.�d1 fie5 24.g3 Ac5 25.lta2 ed5 8.g3 c6 9.Ag2 Ad6 10.0-0
tfh5 26. V'b3 Ae31 27.�d5 Or �e8 1 1 .\'Wc2 'Obd7 1 2 .b4 �f8
27.fe3 �f3 28 . .ll a d2 l:td7 29 . .ll d7 't!lff2 13.f3 a5 14.llb1 ab4 15.ab4 '0e6
draw. 27... V'f7 28.Ae6 16.e4 \'Wb6 17.'0a4 �a4 18.\'Wa4
de4 19.Whl ef3 20.Af3 lQd4
21.lQd4 YWd4 22.Ab2 YWc4 23.Af6
 J upplii,;IJ JCJJL£11 \..J i:liJJt;� I Lt.)

gf6 24.Ag2 wg7 25.1Wd1 Ae5 23.Ae5 de4 24.fe4 ttlh5 25.a3
26.b5 .i.g4 27.1Wd2 cb5 28.,blb4 Ac5 26.'tla4 .i.d6 27.Ad6 1Wd6
1We2 29.W2, 1/2-1/2 28.ltlc5 itlg3 29.c,Yg1 ffe7 30.e5
ltlf5 3 1.ffc4 itlg3 32.ltle4 ttle4
(221 ) Browne, W-Fedorowicz,J 33 ..l:le4 1:d5 34.W4 ffg5 35.l:[dfl
USA 1 981 (CBD) ,hte7 3 6 . '¥Wc3 c5 3 7 . 1Vb3 I(d4
1.d4 ltlf6 2.ltlf3 d5 3.c4 e6 4.ltlc3 38. ,W/ c4 39.'¥Wb5 Ild2 40.l:I7f2
ltlbd7 5.cd5 ed5 6.Jlf4 c6 7.e3 l:lf2 4t .af2 "¥Wc1 42.c.Yh2 wg7
Jle7 8.Ad3 0-0 9.'¥Wc2 l:Ie8 10.0-0 43.ffc5 '¥Wg5 44.f!e2 '¥Wf4 45.c.Yh1
ltlfB 1 1 .l:[ab1 ltle6 1 2.Ae5 g6 fffl, 1/2-1/2
13.b4 a6 14.a4 itlg7 15.b5 ab5
16.ab5 �a3 17.bc6 bc6 18.l:[a1 (223) Kasparov,G-Andersson, U
l:la1 19.l::la 1 Jlg4 20.ltle2 '¥Wd7 Reykjavik 1 988 (HP)
21.l:[cl Jlf3 22.gf3 · 1.d4 itlf6 2.c4 e6 3.ltlc3 d5 4.cd5
ed5 5.Ag5 c6 6.'¥Wc2 Ji.e7 7.e3
ltlbd7 8.Ad3 ltlh5 9.Ae7 ffe7
10.ltlge2 g6 1 1.0-0-0 ltlb6 1 2.ltlg3
itlg7 13.c,Yb1 ,1i.d7 14.l:(c1 0-0-0
15.ltla4 ltla4 16.1Va4 c,Yb8 17.1:[c3
b6 18.,1i.a6 ltle6 19.fntc1 .IDleS
20. 1Wb3 1Vd6 21.ltlfl was 22.�d2
ltlc7 23 . .1i. f 1 ltl e 6 24.g3 J:(c8
25.Ag2 l:tc7 26.h4 l:ld8 27.ltlf3
Ac8 28. ffa4 c5 29.ltlg5 �g5
30.hg5 Ab7 31.dc5 bc5 32. \'ff4
fff4 33.gf4 d4 Black's problem is the
weakness of his hanging pawns, e.g.
22 ... "¥Wh3? 23.ltlg3 ltld7 24.Jlg7 33 . . . l:tdc8 34.Ah3 and Black still loses
c,Yg7 25. ffc6 itlf6 26.,1i.f1 '¥Wh4 a pawn. 34.J:(c5 .l:lc5 35.Ab7 c,Yb7
27.'¥Wb7 Jla3 28.l:[c7 WB 29."¥Wa6 36.1:[c5 de3 37.fe3 J:[e8 38 ..t:le5
Jlb4 30.1:[b7 Ae1 31.�b1 Jld2 l:te5 39.fe5 c,Yc6 40.c,Yc2 c,Yd5
32.'¥Wa2 Jlc3 33.ltle2 ,bleB 34.l:tc1, 41.b4 we5 42.a4 f6 43.gf6 c,Yf6
1-0 44.b5, 1-0

(222) Portisch,L-Beliavsky,A (224) Roeder,F-Wilke,M

Tilburg 1 986 (HP)
1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.ltlc3 Jle7 4.cd5
ed5 5.Jlf4 c6 6.e3 Jlf5 7.ltlge2
ltld7 s.h3 h5 9.ltlg3 Ag6 10.Ji.d3
Ji. d 3 1 1 . ff d 3 g 6 1 2 . 0 - 0 h 4
13.ltlge2 itlgf6 14.f3 0-0 1 5.e4
l:[e8 16.!lad1 itlf8 17.c,Yh1 '¥Wd7
18.Jlh2 ltle6 19.ltlf4 ltlf4 20.Jlf4
:ladS 21.Jlh2 Jlb4 22.,W'e1 1We6
Krumbach 1 991 (HP)
1.e4 e5 2.ltlc3 ltlf6 3.Ac4 Ac5
4.d3 d6 5 .Ag5 h6 6.Ae3 Ae3
7 .fe3 c6 8. ltlf3 0-0 9.Ab3 a5
10.0-0 b5 1 1 .a4 b4 1 2.ltle2 Ae6
13.ltlg3 Ah3 14.cb3 g6 15.d4 ed4
16.ed4 c,Yg7 17. ffc2 ffb6 18.f!ac1
l:ta7 19.c;Yh1 .l:[c7 20.\'fd2 �lxl7
 1 44 JVI IOU Jt:gamt: .:nrau:: gy
21."Vrf4 c5 Again the hanging pawns
are attacked with adj acent pawns.
22.'tlh4 lOgS 23.'tlhf5 wh7 Mis­
taken is 23 . . . gf5? 24.lLlf5 'iii>h7 25.�g4,
when mate on g7 is unavoidable .
24.lQd6 cd4 25.J;Ic7 'trc7 26.e5
1fc5 27 . 'tlf7 'frd5 28.e6 tle6
2 9 . fi h 6 �h6 3 0 . � g 5 c;Y g 8
31.�e6 J'If1 32.�fl d 3 33.\Yg1
c;Yf7 34.�d8 \Yf6 35.\Yf2 �c5
36.�d2 �g4 37.wf3 �e5 3S.we3
we7 39.wd4 wd6 40.h4 �ed7
41.g4 �e6 42.�e6 we6 43.h5 g5
44.�e4 we7 45.h6 wfs 46.wd3
�e5 47.\Yd4 �g4 48.h7 \Yg7
49.�g5, 1-0
(225) Vyzmanavin,A-Smagin,S
Elista 1 995
1.d4 �f6 2.c4 e6 3.�c3 d5 4.�g5
�bd7 5.e3 c6 6.cd5 ed5 7.�d3
� e 7 8 . 1f c 2 h 6 9 . A h 4 � h 5
10.�e7 1re7 1 1.�ge2 �b6 1 2.0-0
0-0 13.I:[ae1 l:(e8 14.�c1 �f6
15.�h3 �e6 16.�c5 1rc7 17.b4
�bd7 18.�b3 ltlb6 19.f3 J;'lad8
20.1iff2 �c4?1 21.�c5 ,i.c8 22.e4
b6 23.�h3 1fe7 24.e5 �h7 25.h5
cb5 26.�b5 �f8 27.�c3 1fh4
28.,1;lc1 Ah7
29.f4 .Clc8 30./t)bl .Clc7 31.f5 .1:1ec8
32 . .Clce1 f6 33.ef6 gf6 34. ffh4
�e7 35.Ue7 ffe7 36. ffh6 .cleS
37.h3 1re3 38.ffe3 l:.te3 39.�cl
�b2 40 . .i.b5 a6 4 t .A e 2 �e4
42.'tlc3 J::[d4 43.'tlh3 J;Ib4 44.Jlf3
d4 45.�d5 Jld5 46.�d5 wg7
47..1:lf4 �d3 48.1':Id4 �d4 49.�d4
wh6 50.g3 �d7 5 1 .\Yg2 �7e5
5 2 . c;Y f 1 � b4 5 3 . .i. e 6 � b d 3
54.we2 h5 55.�h3 �b4 56.�c5
wg7 57.wd2 a5 58.�h7 �bc6
59-�d6 �d4 6o.we3 �ec6 61.�e8
wfs 62.�f6 we7 63.�d5 wd6
64.�f4 b4 65.�e2 �e2 66.we2
a4 67.wd3 we5 68..i.d7 h3 69.a3
�d4 70.�a4 b2 7 1 . .1l c 2 �f5
72.g4, 1-0
(226) Piket,J-Dreev,A
Wijk aan Zee 1 996
1 .d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.�c3 �f6 4.�f3
e6 5 . .1lg5 h6 6 .,1lf6 tff6 7.e3
�d7 8.a3 g6 9.h4 .i.g7 10.cd5
ed5 1 1 . � d 3 0 - 0 1 2 . 0 - 0 �b6
13.fih3 1td6 14..1:(fcl �e6 15.�d2
IDbS?I 16.J;Iab1 a5 17.ba5 �d7
18.a4 .1:la5 19. tfc2 ,1;la7 20.�e2
�f8 2 1 .h3 �c8 2 2. �c3 �e6
23.Wh1 �d7 24..t:Ib6 1ifc7 25.l:lcb1
l:la5 26.f41? �c5? 27.dc5 .t:lc5
28 . .1:(6b3 h5 29.ah5 cb5 30.�d5
.t:(c2 3 1.l0c7 l:[d2 32 . .i.h5 Jlf5
33.�c6 .1:lb3 34.llb3 ,1;lc2 35.�d5
Wh7 36.l0b4 l:[c1 37.c;Yh2 JlfS
38.�d5 ,1;lc5 39.Jlf7 Wg7 40.Jle8
l:lc2?? 41.l0c2, 1-0
An interesting middlegame struggle of
two Knights versus two Bishops is seen
below, along with an instructive ending
in which the Queen and Knight pair
prove superior to the Queen and
Bishop.
 (227) Speelman,J-Brynell, S
Copenhagen 1 996 (IQP)
1 .d4 e6 2.li:}f3 li:}f6 3.i!.g5 h6
4.i!.f6 fif6 5.e4 d5 6.ll:}bd2 g6
7 .i!.d3 _ag7 8.c3 0-0 9.0-0 b6
10.l:le1 c5 1 1.a3 a5 1 2.i!.b5 .ab7
13.f!Va4 l:lc8 14.l:lad1 cd4 15.l0d4
ll:}a6 1 6.i!.a6 Aa6 1 7.ed5 ed5
18.li:}f1 Ab7 19.l0e3 l:ld8 20.,b1d2
h5 2 1 . f!Vd 1 l:ld7 2 2 . a4 DadS
23.li:}ec2 l:te7 24.l:le7 fie7 25.�e2
f!Vd7 26.l0a3 l:leB 27.l0ab5 !le2
28. fie2 Aa6 29.fie3 Ad4 30.l0d4
f!Va4 3 1 .h3 1fd7 3 2.ffe5 Ab7
33. 1Jf6 1Jc7 34.l0b5 ffc6 35.l0d6
'ffd7 36.f4 Jla6 37.f5 Ad3 38.g4
3B...hg4 39.hg4 1Jc7 4o.wf2 1Jd7
4t.we3 .ac2 42.chf4 gf5 43.gf5 b5
44.we5 b4 45.cb4 ab4 46. ffg5
Wf8 47.fih6 chgB 48.f6 fie6
49.wd4 fig4 50.wd5 Ab3 5t.wc5
Ae6 5 2. l0e4 b3 5 3 . wd6 1fdt
54. ffd2 fid2 55.l0d2 chfB 56.l0e4
weB 57.Wc7 .ad5 58.l0d6 WfB
59.wds .ae6 60.l0e4 Ad5 6t.l0c5
Jtc4 62.l0d7 wgs 63.we7 Jld5
64.l0e5 Ae6 65.l0c6 Ac4 66.ll:}d8
Ad5 67.wd6 Jtc4 6s.wc5 Ae2
69.l0c6 wrs 70.l0d4 _ad1 71.Wc4
wes 72.l0b3 _ab3 73.Wb3 Wd7
74.wa4 we6 75 .b4 wf6 76.b5
we7 77.¢>a5 Wd7 78.fj;Ja6 WeB
79.wa7, 1-o
(228) Hector,J-Bogdanovich,G
Copenhagen 1 996 (IQP)
1.e4 c5 2.l0f3 l0c6 3.l0c3 l0f6
4.Ab5 e5 5.Ac6 dc6 6.l0e5 l0e4
7.l0e4 'ffd 5 8.'ffe 2 'ffe 5 9.d4 cd4
1 0.f4 'ff a 5 l t ._ad2 Jlb4 1 2.c3
Ae7 13.l0d6 wfs 14.l0c8 l:[cS
15.0-0 l:te8 16.cd4 AM 17._ae3
'ff d 5 1 s . w h t f 5 1 9 . a 3 .a d 6
20.l:lael wf7 21.fih5 g6 22.fih3
h 5 2 3 . _ad 2 ,g( e 1 24.l:le l l:leB
25.l:le8 weB 26.'ffe3 wf7 27.Wgl
'ff e 6 28. 'ff d 3 b5 29.Wf2 ffd5
30.g3 i!,c7 3l.Ae3 a6 32.a4 f!Vc4
33. 1ta3 ba4 34.h4 1Wc2 35.c;Yg1
1Wb3 36.f!Val Ab6 37.Wf2 1tc2
3B.wg1 ttd3 39.Af2 i!.d4 4o._ad4
ttd4 4 t .c;Yh2 c5 42.Wh3 we6
43.lffl c4 44.tta1 ttd5 45.Wh2
tfd2 46.wh3 ttc2 47.'tfht tte4
4B.f!Vg1 Wd5 49.'ffdt chc5 50.c;Yh2
tfd4 51. tfal lfd2 52.Wh3 chd4
53. ffa3 ffc1 54.chh2 we4 55.c;Yg2
tfd2 56.wh3 'ffc 2 57.1\fal "lfe2
58.tta3 ftf3 59. f#al f#g4 60.Wg2
f#e2 6t.cit,h3 Wf3 62.ffht chf2
63.'tfg2 wet 64.tfd5 tfe4 65.'ffe 5
chf2, 0-1
(229) Emms,J-Tukmakov, V
Copenhagen 1 996 (IQP)
l.e4 c5 2.c3 l0f6 3.e5 l0d5 4.l0f3
l0c6 5.Ac4 l0b6 6.Ab3 g6 7.d4
cd4 8.l0g5 d5 9.ed6 e6 10. tff3
l0e5 1 1 .1:fe4 ffd6 1 2.cd4 li:}c6
13.0-0 Ag7 14.l:(d1 0-0 15.l0c3
tfe7 16.l0f3 White has the advan­
tage, due to his developm ent and
command of space. t6 ... l0a5?! 17.d5!
Seizing the initiative with this typical
1 46 M IClCllegame �trategy
thrust in the center. 17 ... l::(d8 18.iLf4!
Threatening to make a passed pawn out
of the isolani! 18 ... �b3 19.ab3 iLd7
20.Ac7 J::[dc8 21.d6 1Je8 22.�e5
Ae5? D e s p e r a t i o n . 22 lUdS w a s
. . .
steadier. 23. 1Je5 Ac6 24.Ab6 ab6
25.d7! The lust to expand consumes all
before it. 25 ... Ad7 26.):138 l:laS
27.�e4, 1-0
(230) Djurhuus,R-Jelling , E
Copenhagen 1996 (IQP)
l.e4 c6 2.d4 d5 3.ed5 cd5 4.c4
�f6 5.�c3 e6 6.�f3 Ae7 7.cd5
�d5 8.Ad3 �c6 9.0-0 0-0 10.�e1
1jd6 1 1 . a3 ladS 1 2 . �e4 1tc7
13.g3 Ad7 14.Ab1 Aes 15.1Jd3
g6 16.Aa2 1tb6 17.b4 a5 18.b5
�a7 1 9.a4 �b4 2 0 . 1fd2 �a2
21.�a2 J:ld5 22.Aa3 ttds 23.'t'fh6
Aa3 24.�eg5 Ab4 25.'t'fh7 wfs
26.l:le6 fe6 27 .�e6, 1-0
(231 ) Gofshtein,L-Hodgson,J
Ischia 1 996 (IQ P)
l.d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.�f3 �f6 4.�c3
a6 5.f0e5 b5 6.cd5 cd5 7.Af4 e6
8.e3 i0bd7 9.Ad3 �e5 10.Ae5
/Od7 u.Ag3 �b6 1 2.0-o Ad7
13.e4 b4 14.�e2 de4 15.Ae4 Da7
16. 10f4 Ae7 17.'1rf3 �c4 18.d5 e5
19.�e6 fe6 20.de6 Ae6 21.Ac6
Ad7 22.Ad5 �d6 23.Ae5 :rs
2 4 . tr e 3 1W b 8 2 5 . Df e t w d s
26.Dadt lte8 27.Af7 ms 28.Ab3
Db7 29.Ag7 l:le8 30.Ae5 Db6
31.Af7 :rs 32.Ad4 �c8 33.Ab6
't'fb6 34.Ae6, 1-0
(232) Strikovic,A-Lima,D
Leon 1 996 (IQ P)
1 .e4 c5 2.�f3 �c6 3.d3 e6 4.g3
d5 5.'fte2 �ge7 6.h4 de4 7.de4
�d4 8 . � d 4 c d 4 9 . A g 2 i0 c 6
10.e5 fic7 1 1 .0-0 �e5 1 2.Af4
Ad6 13.�a3 a6 14.�fd1 �c6
15.Ad6 fid6 16./()c4 1fc7 17.c3
0-0 18.cd4 Dd8 1 9.�ac1 Ad7
20. 1te3 �ac8 21.a3 Ae8 22.b4 h6
23.c;t.h2 wfs 24.d5! ed5 25.Ad5
�e7 26.1()b6 /()d5 27./()d5, 1-0
The last games of our supplement are
three discussions on the isolani from
the recent FIDE World Championship
match. Another example of the theme's
timeless appeal to even Grandmasters
of the highest rank.
(233) Kamsky,G-Karpov,A
Elista 1996 (IQP)
l.e4 c6 2.d4 d5 3.ed5 cd5 4.c4
�f6 5./()c3 e6 6./()f3 Ab4 7.cd5
�d5 s.Ad2 i0c6 9.Ad3 Ae7
10.0-0 0-0 1 1.t)'e2 l()f6 1 2./()e4
Ad7 13.�ad1 �c8 14.�e1 /()d5
15./()c3 l()f6 16.a3 't'fc7 17.Ag5
fi a 5 1 8 . d 5 e d 5 1 9 . Af6 Af6
20.Ah7 wh7 21.�d5 Ac3 22.�a5
Aa5 23.b4 c;YgS 24.ba5 Ag4 25.a6
ba6 26.1Je4 Af3 27.fff3 �fe8
28.�a1 �e6 29.h3 l:(d8 30. 'ftc3
�dd6 3 1 .Db1 Dd7 32.'ftc4 a5
33.Db5 Ddt 34.wh2 Dd2 35.�5
 ._. .... t"t" " - · · · - · · �.... . '-" .... . . . _. .....

lld4 36.1We3 l'ldd6 37.J:le5 ID"6 19.lt)e4 1Va6! W i t h t h e i d e a o f

3S.ne4 W"e6 39.l:te5 ld.f6 40. Y!Je3 2 0. . . �b5 next. 20.a4 iLe6 2l.'ftf4
We6 41.1Wg3 l:lg6 42.Y!Jb3 l:lgf6 Ad 51 2 l . . . �d4? The blockade is worth
43. 1Wb7 We6 44. t:fe7 ID"6 45.f4 more than the pawn. 22.�f5 �e3
g 6 4 6 . f 5 g f 5 4 7 . l:[f 5 l:[ d e 6 23.lLJe3 ef5 24.lLJf5! lldl 25.l:!.dl ii'a4
48.l:lh5 Wt6 49. Y!Jg3 c;YfS 50.l:(d5 26.lbe7 �g7 27. lLJf5 with equality.
Wtg6 51.Y!Jf2 �6 52.flb2 c;Ye7 22.lQe5 'ftb6 23.Af5 ef5 24.!Id2
5 3 . :l h 5 l:( h 6 5 4 . � b 5 l:( h f 6 Ag7 25.h4 l:Ife8 26. 'ftg3 lieS
55.ffe3 wrs 56.l:th5 Wt6 57.W"5 27.lQd7 'fte6 28.l:Oe5 b6 29.l:Od3
l:thg6 5S.Y!Jf3 J:tg7 59.flf4 wgs ffd 7 3 0 . a 5 !I e 4 1 Th r e a tening
60.ffe7 Wf8 61. Y!JeS rJ]e7 62.!Id5 3 1 . . . l:!.g4. 31.l:Of4 b5 32.r!dd1 Ae4
wf6 63. fi"h8 l::[e4 64.l:[h5 I:Oe7 33.l:ae1 h6 34.l:te3 b4 35.1:le2
65.IDt7, 1-0 �e61 36.l:[del Ab5 37.Wh2 c;Yh7
38.l:(e6 Ae6 39.l:te4 Af81 40.lQd3
(234) Kamsky,G-Karpov,A 1te6 Or 40. . . 'ifd5! and Black wins.
Elista 1 996 (IQP) 41.d5 Ad5 42.!Ie4 Ae4 43.Aa7?
1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.ed5 ed5 4.e4 Ad6 44.lQf4 1We5 45.l:Oh5 fle7,
lQf6 5.lQe3 e6 6.tof3 Ab4 7.ed5 0-1
lQd5 8.Ad2 lQe6 9 . .i.d3 Ae7
10.0-0 0-0 ll."(We2 lQf6 12.lQe4 (235) Kamsky,G-Karpov,A
YWb6 An improvement over 1 2 . . . �d7, Elista 1 996 (IQP)
played in game two of the match. 13.a3 1 .d4 lQf6 2.e4 e6 3.lQe3 Ab4 4.e3
Ad7 14.!Ifd1 :tadS The blundering e5 5.Ad3 I:Oe6 6.lQge2 ed4 7.ed4
14...'iWb2?? 15.lLJf6 gf6 (15 ... .tf6 16.�e4 d5 8.ed5 I:Od5 9.0-0 Ad6 10.I:Oe4
g6 17.l:!.dbl wins the 'tW) 16.l:!.dbl lLJd4 A e 7 1 l . a 3 0 - 0 1 2 . A e 2 'ife7
17.l:tb2 lLJe2 18.�e2 hands White a 13.1fd3 l:(dS 14.tog5 g6 15.Ab3
winning material advantage. 1 5.l:Of6 tof6 1 6.l:(d1 .a.rs 1 7.Af4 1fe7
Af6 16.1We4 g6 17. .i.e3 I:Oe7! 18. tl'e3 lQd5 19.Ad5 ed5 20.t:of3
fle3 21.fe3 f6 22.l:(acl .�.f5 23.h3
h5 24.lQe3 g5 25.Ah2 h4 26.lQd2
Wf7 27.l:Ob3 l:(ae8 28.l:Ob5 a6
29.lQe3 b5 30.lQe2 b4 31.a4 l:(eS
32.c;Pf2 c;Yg6 33.1:0gl I:Oa7 34.l:Oe5
l:(e6 3 5 . ftlf 3 !I e e 8 3 6 . b 3 a 5
37.c;Pe2 Ae4 3S.wd2 Ae5 39.dc5
De5 40.De5 De5 4 1 .Dc 1 Del
42.c;Pcl I:Oe6 43 . .i.e7 f5 44.c;Pd2
d41 45.ed4 f4 46.we2 Ad5 47.wf2
Ab3 48.l:Oe5 I:Oe5 49.de5 Aa4
50.Aa5 b3 5t.Ae3 wf5 52.Ab2
Ae6 53.wfl Ad5 54.wf2 we4
Basic blockade policy of controlling d5, 55.we2 Ae4 56.wd2 f3 57.gf3
plus the move prepares . . . lLJf5 with wf3 58.e6 Ae6 59.Af6 g4 60.hg4
pressure on the isolani. 18.l:Oe5 I:Of5 h3 6t.Ae5 Ag4, o-1
 I nut:x Ul r Iityt:n; . ... ,.

Campora 1 72
Index of Players
Capablanca,J 9, 23, 1 04, 1 2 5 , 1 28, 1 29,
1 53, 1 93, 1 94
Cardoso,R 6
Abreu,} 33 Cekro,E 73
Akesson 1 48 Charousek,R 187, 1 88
Akhmadeev,V 1 33 Chekhover,V 1 76
Alapin,S 1 2 3 , 1 84, 1 88 Chigorin,M 74, 1 62, 1 84
Alatortsev,V 1 67 Christiansen,L 1 4 7
Alekhine,A 3 7 , 1 2 3- 1 2 6, 1 29 , 1 50, Collas,D 1 82
1 93 , 1 94, 1 96 Colle,E 1 24
Andersson,U 56, 58, 60, 1 66, 223 Cramling,P 20
Andresen,S 1 4 1 Cruz,W 30
Aronin 2 1 2 Cvitan,O 6 1
Averbakh, Y 5 1 De Vries,G 1 30
Baay 1 69 Diez del Corral,] 53
Bachmann,K 94 Djurhuus,R 230
Bahram,N 95 Dreev,A 22, 226
Baillo,G 1 22 Dumitrache,D 1 9
Balasov 2 1 6 Durie 1 65
Barcza,G 48 Dzevlan,M 95
Bareev,E 64, 1 60 Eliskases,E 2 7, 2 10
Barry,C 1 46 Emms,J 1 48, 229
Bayer,E 1 47 Eolian 1 2 1
Beliavsky,A 22, 78, 1 59, 222 Epishin,V 1 5 1
Berliner,H 1 02 Eslon,J 1 68
Bisguier,A 1 09, 2 1 3 Euwe,M 1 , 23, 37, 52, 1 69
Blackbume,J 1 52 Evans,L 202
Bogdanovich,G 228 Fairhurst,W 3 1
Bogoljubow,E 93 Faseyitan,F 86
Bonsch,U 68, 1 34 Fedorowicz,J 88, 2 2 1
Borik,O 1 06 Filip,M 65
Botvinnik,M 26, 44, 89, 1 6 7 , 1 74, 1 76, Filippov,V 1 1 3
203-208 Fischer,R 3
Braun,P 29 Flohr,S 1 5 , 1 27, 1 28, 1 53, 206, 2 1 1
Brenninkmeijer,J 136 Foessmeier,U 1 4 1
Bronstein,D 45, 1 3 1 , 207, 208, 2 1 6 Garcia Paolicchi,R 35
Browne,W 2 2 1 Geller,E 54, 2 1 9
Brunner 1 26 Ginsberg,M 75
Brynell,S 22 7 Gligoric,S 1 4, 36, 4 1 , 1 3 7 , 2 1 4
Bykhovsky,A 69 Gofshtein,L 23 1
Byme,D 24 Golombek,H 9, 48, 92
Byme,R 2 7 , 2 1 3 Guimard,C 63
 1 50 Middlegame Strategy

Gulko,B 68, 1 59, 2 18 Kottauer 52

Gurevich,M 73, 1 66, 1 83 Kovacevic,V 61
Gutman,L 58, 7 1 Kramnik,V 1 08
Gyimesi,Z 1 5 1 Kristensen,B 62
Hachian,M 1 6 1 Krogius,N 87
Hartman,C 34 Kurajica 1 1 6
Hartston 164 Kuzmin,G 2 1 8
Havasi,K 1 54 La Bourdonnais 1 03
Hector,} 1 10, 228 Larsen,B 1 1 , 7 7 , 89, 1 44
Hedke,F 1 36 Lasker,Ed 1 1 2
Hodgson,} 79, 23 1 Lasker,Em 1 5 , 49, 1 1 1 , 1 50, 1 79, 1 9 1 ,
Hohelj,S 59 1 92 , 204
Hon Kah Seng,C 1 1 8 Lechtinsky,J 220
Horowitz,! 32 Leininger,R 1 0
Hort,V 4 1 , 99 Leonov 1 7 7
Hracek,Z 88 Liao,Y 1 1 8
Huebner,R 1 1 5 Liberzon 36
lmanaliev 107 Lilienthal 1 7 4
Ivanov,} 5 7 Lima,D 232
lvkov,B 1 1 4 Lixenfeld,M 72
lzsak,G 1 82 Lobron,E 105
Jacobsen,E 1 42 Lombardy,W 200, 201
Jaffe 1 90 Lputian,S 43 , 1 32
Jakob,S 1 83 Lutz,C 28
Janowski,D 1 79 MacDonnell 1 03
Jarecki 4 Maksimenko,A 145
Jelling,E 230 Maksimovic,D 139
Johansen,M 66 Malaniuk,V 70, 87
Johner,P 76 Manor,! 2 5
Kamsky,G 1 38, 233-235 Marco,G 49, 1 75
Kamuhangire,S 1 80 Marian,R 94
Karolyi,T 96 Marinelli,T 3 5
Karpov,A 47, 84, 1 0 1 , 1 1 7 , 1 34, 1 8 1 , Maroczy,G 9 1 , 1 1 2, 1 86
233-235 Marshall,F 90, 1 1 1 , 1 78, 1 95
Kasparov,G 13, 38, 46, 47, 50, 60, 78, Mason,} 5 , 1 62, 185
82, 1 1 5, 1 2 1 , 1 56, 1 58, 1 8 1 , 220, 223 Medina,A 45, 2 1 4
Kaspersen,M 98 Meulders,R 1 44
Keres,P 8, 44, 1 1 6 Miles,A 42, 1 00, 1 64
Khalifman,A 1 3 Mirumian,V 1 6 1
Kmoch,H 1 43 Mitenkov,A 1 33
Kool,G 96 Mochalov,E 1 6
Korchnoi,V 18, 28, 84, 85, 1 1 0, 1 68 , Mohr,G 83
215 Monticelli,M 1 63
 maex or P l ayers 151

Momy,M 19 , 67 Savon,V 1 6
Muco,F 53 Schlechter,C 9 1 , 1 7 5
Mwange,B 1 30, 1 80 Schmidt, W 1 07
Naumann,A 140 Segovia,F 1 3 5
Nikolic,P 39, 40, 82 Seirawan,Y 2 , 1 1 , 38
Nimzowitsch,A 55, 1 42 Short,N 39, 40, 46, 8 1 , 1 20, 158
Nordstrom,F 34 Short,P 100
O'Donnell,T 99 Sidig,H 97
Ostergaard,} 62 Sielecki,C 59
Pachman,L 6, 85 Simonson,A 1 49
Parker,} 1 3 1 Skalli,K 86
Persitz 15 5 Smagin,S 225
Petrosian,A 1 3 2 Smyslov,V 8, 3 1 , 135
Petrosian,T 7 , 1 73, 2 1 7 Sokolov,l 56
Pfleger,H 1 40 Sorensen,B 98
Pigusov,E 70 Sotnikov,l 1 7
Piket,J 2 1 , 1 7 1 , 226 Spassky,B 18, 50, 1 1 7, 1 1 9, 2 1 1 , 2 1 2,
Pillsbury,H 1 5 2 , 185 217
Polgar,S 25 Speelman,} 43 , 1 45, 227
Portisch,L 42 , 1 14, 1 19 , 2 2 2 Spielmann,R 90, 1 04, 1 43
Primavera 92 Stahlberg,G 2 1 0
Pushkov,N 1 7 Stein,L 3
Rabiega,R 7 1 Steinitz,W 74, 1 8 7
Radulesen 1 7 3 Strikovic,A 232
Raicevic,V 64 Suchting 1 90
Ramayrat,C 77 Szabo,L 209
Rechlis,G 69 Taimanov,M 1 2 , 1 55, 1 70, 1 99
Reshevsky,S 4, 14, 24, 30, 32, 5 1 , 63, Tal,M 2 , 80, 1 22 , 1 5 7 , 1 7 7 , 2 1 5 , 2 1 9
75, 1 02 , 109, 1 49, 1 63, 1 9 7-202 , 205 Tarrasch,S 55, 186, 1 9 1
Reti,R 76, 1 78 Teichmann,R 5
Rodriguez,Am 1 37 Tesic,D 1 39
Roeder,F 224 Timman,J 2 1 , 1 0 1 , 1 08, 1 20, 1 7 1
Rolle,P 97 Tischendorf,M 29
Rossetto,H 7 Tisdall,} 20
Rubinstein,A 1 , 1 54, 1 89, 1 92 , 1 95 Toran 1 98
Rudakovsky,l 26 Treystman,G 1 97
Rustemov,A 1 1 3 Trikaliotis,G 1 46
Saeed 1 57 Troeger,P 72
Saemisch,F 9 3 Troianescu 1 2
Saidy,A 1 72 Tukmakov,V 1 65, 229
Sakaev,K 66 Tylor,T 196
Samovojska,D 57 Urbanic 65
Santos,L 33 Vaisser,A 67
 l Yl Mtddlegame Mrategy

Van Geet,D 80
Van Seters 209
Vidmar,M 1 2 7, 203
Vidarsson,J 1 38
Vucicevic,M 83
Vyzmanavin 225
Wemer,D 1 06
Wharry 1 0
Wilke,M 224
Yakovich, Y 54
Yrjola,J 79
Yurtaev,L 1 5 6
Yusupov,A 8 1 , 1 05, 1 60
Zamikovsky 1 70
Znosko Borovsky,E 1 89
 Index of Open ings 1 53

D42 1 06, 107, 206, 2 1 3, 2 1 5 , 230

Index of Openings
D43 20, 25, 28, 226
D45 1 1 3, 1 62
D46 1 2, 6 1
A28 1 35 D47 1 92
A45 35 D5 1 1 10
A46 227 D52 47
A84 5 D53 1 42, 1 85 , 1 86
A91 208 D54 30, 1 14, 1 78
A95 34 D55 1 3 , 62, 8 1 , 1 1 5 , 1 84, 2 19
B 1 4 203, 233, 234 D58 18, 36, 39, 40, 43, 1 0 1 , 1 1 7, 1 32 -
B15 1 1 8 1 34, 1 36, 1 39, 1 40
B22 1 48, 229 D6 1 97, 167, 1 75, 1 89
B30 228 D62 1 27- 1 29
coo 232 D63 1 , 33, 4 1 , 86, 9 1 , 1 52 , 1 54, 1 95
COB 207 D64 1 93
C26 224 D65 93, 1 1 9, 1 94
C33 1 87 D9 1 38, 204
C42 1 23 D95 83, 1 22
C64 80 E01 10, 1 38
D02 95, 1 90 El l 1 3 7
D06 59 E12 84, 92, 2 18
D07 74, 1 24 E14 48, 1 69, 2 1 0
D12 72 E18 1 76, 1 7 7
D15 2 3 1 E33 26
D16 2 1 6 E35 2 , 1 1 , 23, 82, 85
D20 1 03 E46 1 4, 24, 3 1 , 5 1 , 73, 75-77, 1 09, 1 5 1 ,
D27 2 1 7 1 98, 1 99, 20 1 , 202, 205, 220
D30 1 45, 1 9 1 , 2 12 E48 56, 88, 144, 1 56, 235
D3 1 4, 37, 42, 54, 94, 1 58, 159, 1 79, E53 1 05
1 88, 222 E5 7 65, 209, 2 1 1
D3 5 3, 7 , 2 1 , 46, 50, 58, 7 1 , 96, 98, 1 00, E73 1 7 1
1 02 , 1 04, 1 08, 1 16, 1 25 , 1 30, 1 46, 1 49,
1 50, 1 6 1 , 1 64- 1 66, 1 68, 1 72 - 1 74, 1 80,
1 8 1 , 200, 2 1 4, 22 1
D36 6, 8, 9, 1 7 , 19, 22, 2 7 , 29, 3 2 , 44,
45, 52, 53, 5 7 , 60, 63, 64, 66-70, 78, 79,
87, 89, 90, 99, 1 1 1 , 1 20, 1 26, 1 3 1 , 1 4 1 ,
1 43, 1 47, 1 53, 1 5 5 , 1 5 7 , 1 60, 1 63 , 1 70,
182, 1 83, 196, 197, 223, 2 2 5
D37 49, 1 2 1
D38 1 5, 16, 1 1 2
D40 55
 1 54 M iddlegame Strategy
Index of Themes
Attacking the King
(Against 0-0)
4, 6, 1 1 , 1 2 , 1 9, 20, 26, 29, 43, 44, 48,
5 1 , 54, 56, 57, 6 1 , 63, 66-68, 72, 74,
78-80, 84, 89, 90, 99, 1 00, 1 02 , 1 05 -
1 08, 1 1 0, 1 1 4- 1 24, 1 26, 1 3 2 , 1 43 , 1 44,
1 46, 1 47, 1 50, 1 54- 1 5 7 , 1 63 - 1 65, 1 6 7 -
1 69, 1 7 7, 1 79 - 1 84, 1 90, 2 0 1 -203, 205 ,
209, 2 1 2 , 2 1 9, 230, 2 7 5
(Against 0-0-0)
42 , 45 , 98, 1 00, 142, 1 49, 1 59, 1 6 1 , 1 6 2 ,
1 68, 1 69, 1 74
King in the Middle
82, 85, 1 04, 1 49, 1 58, 228, 2 3 1
Backward Pawn
26-30, 3 2 , 36, 42 , 182, 1 96, 2 2 1
Bad Bishop
1 5 , 9 1 -93, 95, 1 70, 1 86
Blockade
8, 1 3 , 23, 55-59, 88, 9 1 , 1 1 1 - 1 1 5, 1 26,
1 39, 1 42 , 1 90, 202, 207, 2 1 2 , 227
Control of the Center
45, 48-5 1 , 54, 63, 66, 1 95
Control of the Seventh
1 1 , 1 3 , 25, 26, 29, 33, 42, 53, 89, 1 1 0,
1 1 1 , 132, 1 34, 1 50, 1 64, 1 89
Color Weakness
45, 50, 1 06, 1 07, 1 09, 1 56, 1 5 7
Endgame Lessons
2, 1 5, 1 6 , 20, 2 2 , 2 7 , 33, 35, 43 , 50, 5 2 ,
54-5 6, 58, 59, 68, 72, 82-86, 89, 9 1 , 94,
1 04, 1 1 2 , 1 23 , 1 25 , 1 2 7, 1 28, 1 30, 1 44,
1 46, 1 48, 1 5 1 , 1 60, 1 63 , 1 66, 1 73 , 1 79,
187, 1 9 1 , 1 92 , 2 1 4, 223-225, 2 2 7 , 228,
235
Hanging Pawns
4, 3 1 , 44, 45, 46, 48- 73, 8 1 , 1 69, 1 89,
1 95, 2 1 0, 2 1 8, 222-224
Isolated d-pawn
8, 1 3 , 2 1 -23, 26, 28, 42, 65, 69, 72, 82,
88, 1 04- 1 42 , 1 45 , 1 47, 1 48, 1 52 , 1 75 ,
1 90- 1 92 , 1 96, 1 98 , 202, 203 , 206, 207,
209, 2 1 1 -2 1 3, 2 1 5 -2 1 7 , 227-235
King March
33, 38, 47, 87, 1 23 , 1 59, 205, 207, 228
Outposts
1 4- 1 6, 25, 2 7 , 3 1 , 33 -44, 47, 52, 56, 58,
59, 80, 83, 93, 95, 1 03 , 1 1 2 , 1 1 7, 1 47,
1 5 5 , 1 60, 1 72 , 1 73 , 1 8 2 , 1 84, 204, 2 1 1 ,
2 1 2 , 2 1 7, 225
Open Lines (files and diagonals)
4, 1 7 , 20, 26, 30, 32, 33, 39, 40, 42-48,
5 1 , 53, 54, 65, 7 2 - 74, 79, 87, 90, 94, 96,
99, 103, 105, 1 08, 1 1 3 , 1 20, 1 2 1 , 1 23,
1 24, 1 43 , 1 44, 1 46, 1 49, 1 64, 1 7 1 , 1 83 ,
1 84, 201 , 208, 2 1 1 , 2 1 2 , 23 1
Overprotection
44-46, 48, 50, 5 1 , 66, 7 1 , 73, 8 1 , 1 1 2 ,
1 1 3 , 1 47 , 222
Passed Pawn
1 7 , 1 8 , 20, 3 1 , 33, 34, 37, 38, 4 1 , 45-47,
50, 59-69, 82-84, 88, 95, 1 2 5 , 1 33 , 1 36,
137, 1 57 , 1 73 , 1 89, 20 1 , 205, 2 1 7 , 229
,
Positional Pawn Sacrifices
42, 75, 1 02 , 1 34, 1 63
 Space Advantage
74-78, 84, 87, 1 66, 1 76, 1 84

Tactical Lessons
5, 1 0, 1 1 , 1 9, 26, 35, 39, 40, 43, 48-5 1 ,
57, 59, 60, 63, 65, 67, 7 1 , 78, 80, 8 1 , 90,
97, 1 04, 1 05, 1 08, 1 1 1 , 1 1 5, 1 16, 1 1 8 ,
1 20, 1 22 , 1 3 2 , 1 38, 1 4 1 , 1 45, 1 47, 1 49,
1 5 1 , 1 54- 1 56, 1 58, 1 65, 1 67, 1 80, 1 83,
1 88, 203, 208, 209, 2 1 7, 2 1 8, 23 1 - 234

Two Bishops
4 1 , 43, 66, 1 1 8, 1 2 1 , 1 24, 1 43 , 1 45 , 1 50,
1 60, 1 83, 1 99, 204, 2 1 3, 220, 234

Weak Pawns
1 , 6-9, 1 1 , 1 4- 1 6, 25-27, 29, 32 , 3 7 , 52,
54, 55, 59, 6 1 , 62, 69, 70, 7 7 , 92, 95,
1 02 , 1 08, 1 25, 1 2 7, 1 30, 1 3 1 , 1 37 , 1 56,
1 70, 1 74, 1 85, 1 97, 2 1 4, 2 2 1