When the center is blocked, the player who seizes more kingside space usually has an advantage.
Andre Lilienthal White
Adolf Hamming Black
Zandvoort 1934
Queen’s Gambit Accepted D31
1 d4 d5 2 c4 e6 3 ♘c3 dxc4 4 e4! c5 5 d5
White gets a great outpost on d5 after 5...exd5 6 ♘xd5.
5...a6 6 a4 ♘f6 7 ♗xc4 e5? 8 f4!
Now 8...exf4 9 ♗xf4 ♗e7? 10 d6! is awful.
8...♗d6 9 ♘f3
And here 9...exf4? 10 e5 costs a piece.
9...♘bd7 10 0-0 0-0 11 f5!
By seizing much greater kingside space, White can throw everything at the king.
11...♕c7 12 ♗g5! ♘b6 13 ♗xf6!
Now 13...gxf6 14 ♘d2 followed by ♕h5 and ♖f3 is hopeless.
13...♘xc4 14 ♘g5!
So that 14...gxf6 15 ♘xh7! and 15...♔xh7 16 ♕h5+, 17 ♕g4+ and 18 ♖f3 followed by ♖h3 mate.
Another finish is 15...♘e3 16 ♘xf6+ ♔g7 17 ♕h5! and wins.
14...h6 15 ♕h5!
It’s mate after 15...hxg5 16 ♕xg5 (16...g6 17 ♕h6). Or 15...gxf6 16 ♕xh6 fxg5 17 f6.
15...♖e8 16 ♗xg7! resigns.
And here it is 16...♔xg7 17 f6+ and mates.
Viktor Korchnoi White
Stanislav Bogdanovich Black
Odessa 2006
1 c4 e6 2 ♘c3 d5 3 d4 dxc4 4 e4 c5 5 d5 exd5 6 ♘xd5 ♗d6 7 ♗xc4 ♘c6 8 ♘f3 h6? 9 e5! ♗b8 (9...♘xe5? 10 ♘xe5 ♗xe5 11 ♕e2 wins a piece) 10 ♗e3 b6 11 ♕a4 ♗b7 12 0-0-0! ♕c8 13 ♖d2 ♘ge7 14 ♘f4 0-0 15 e6 f6 16 ♖d7 a6 17 ♘d5 b5 18 ♕c2 bxc4 19 ♖xe7! resigns.
Question 26: Why resign?