The middlegame often favors the player who changes the pawn center.
John Watson White
James Thibault Black
Lone Pine 1979
Dutch Defense A96
1 c4 f5 2 ♘f3 ♘f6 3 g3 d6 4 d4 e6 5 ♘c3 ♗e7 6 ♕c2 0-0 7 ♗f4 ♕e8! 8 0-0-0
White will be better if he can play e2-e4 – but Black will be at least equal if he can play ...e5 first. For example, 8...♘c6 9 ♗g2 ♘g4 threatens ...♘xf2 but also readies ...e5!, e.g. 10 ♖hf1 e5!.
8...♘g4 9 e3
Black gets to carry out his plan after 9...♘c6 10 ♗g2? e5! and stands well.
But 10 h3! ♘b4 12 ♕e2 is double-edged.
9...♕c6?
This could only be good if White had to defend his attacked knight (10 ♗g2 ♕xc4; 10 ♗e2 ♘xf2).
10 d5!
While eyes were on the rival e-pawns, this push detonates a positional bomb. White would dominate the center after 10...exd5 11 ♘xd5 ♗d8 12 ♗g2 (12...♘a6 13 h3 or 13 ♘d4).
10...♕c5? 11 dxe6 ♗xe6 12 ♘d4!
Now 12...♗xc4 is met by 13 ♘a4! with threats of ♘xc5 and ♗xc4+.
Question 96: How does Black avoid huge material loss then?
12...♗d7 13 ♘d5!
Time to set ’em up for the next game (13...♗d8 14 b4!).
13...♘c6 14 ♘b3! ♘b4 15 ♕d2 resigns.
Stefano Rosselli del Turco White
Eugene Znosko-Borovsky Black
Nice 1931
1 d4 f5 2 g3 ♘f6 3 ♗g2 e6 4 ♘f3 ♗e7 5 c4 0-0 6 0-0 d6 7 ♘c3 ♘c6 8 d5! exd5 9 cxd5 ♘b8 10 ♘d4 ♘a6 11 a3 ♘c5 12 ♕c2 ♘h5 13 ♗f3 ♗f6 14 e3 g6 15 b4 ♘a6 16 ♘ce2 ♘g7 17 ♗b2 ♗d7 18 ♖ac1 ♖c8 19 ♕b3 ♕e7 20 b5! ♘b8 (20...♘c5 21 ♖xc5! dxc5 22 d6+) 21 ♖c2 ♗e8 22 ♖fc1 ♗f7 23 ♕a4 ♘d7? 24 ♕xa7 ♖a8 25 ♕xb7 ♘c5 26 ♕c6 ♖fc8 27 ♖xc5! dxc5 28 ♘xf5 ♘xf5 29 ♗xf6 resigns.