As pawns advance – they gain in offensive power.
But they become harder to defend.
Alexander Khalifman White
Vadim Popov Black
Kazan 1995
Sicilian Defense, Najdorf Variation B92
1 e4 c5 2 ♘f3 d6 3 d4 cxd4 4 ♘xd4 ♘f6 5 ♘c3 a6 6 ♗e2 ♘bd7 7 ♗e3 g6 8 ♕d2 b5?
Black seems to be threatening 9...b4 (10 ♘-moves ♘xe4).
9 a4!
The b-pawn becomes a liability after 9...b4 10 ♘d5!. White threatens it – and also the queen, 11 ♘c6!.
He would stand better after 10...♘xd5 11 exd5, e.g. 11...♗b7 12 ♘c6! ♗xc6 13 dxc6 ♘e5 14 ♗d4, threatening 15 f4.
9...bxa4
The key alternative was 9...b4 10 ♘d5 ♘xe4 11 ♕xb4.
Black apparently rejected it because the tactics are in White’s favor, e.g. 11...♖b8 12 ♘c6 ♖xb4 13 ♘xd8 ♖xb2 14 ♗d4!.
10 f3 ♗b7 11 ♖xa4 ♘b6?
White was going to attack the queenside after 0-0, ♖fa1 and ♘b3-a5!.
12 ♖b4! ♘fd7? 13 ♘b3!
This clears d4 for the queen (14 ♗xb6 ♘xb6 15 ♕d4! followed by ♕xh8 or ♕xb6).
For example, 13...e5 14 ♗xb6 ♘xb6 15 ♕e3 or 13...a5 14 ♖xb6 ♘xb6 15 ♕d4.
13...♗g7 14 ♗xb6 ♘xb6 resigns, before 15 ♕e3 won a piece.
Anatoly Bykhovsky White
Mikhail Yudovich Black
Moscow 1969
1 e4 c5 2 ♘f3 d6 3 d4 cxd4 4 ♘xd4 ♘f6 5 ♘c3 a6 6 ♗e2 ♘bd7 7 ♗e3 g6 8 ♕d2 b5? 9 a4! b4 10 ♘d5 ♗b7 11 ♘xf6+ ♘xf6 12 f3 ♖b8 13 a5 e5 14 ♘b3 d5 15 ♘c5! ♗xc5 16 ♗xc5 dxe4 17 ♕xb4 exf3 18 gxf3 ♘d7 19 ♗d6 ♗xf3 20 ♗xb8 ♗xh1 21 ♗d6! ♕g5 22 ♗xa6 ♕e3+ 23 ♗e2 ♕g1+ 24 ♔d2! ♕xa1 25 ♕c3 ♗b7 26 ♗b5! resigns.
Question 57: Why resign?