The option to advance a pawn or to capture with it – is hard currency.
Don’t spend it without good reason.
David Gross White
Christian Strobel Black
Regensburg 1996
French Defense, Winawer Variation C18
1 e4 e6 2 d4 d5 3 ♘c3 ♗b4 4 e5 c5 5 a3 ♗xc3+ 6 bxc3 ♕c7
Black foresees tactics on the c-file (7...cxd4 8 cxd4 ♕c3+ 9 ♗d2 ♕xd4).
7 ♘f3 ♘c6
But 7...cxd4? 8 cxd4 ♕c3+ 9 ♗d2 doesn’t work.
8 ♗d3
This is the best square for the bishop and it poses a dilemma for Black. Should he kick it back by ...c4? That kills his play on the c-file and opens a diagonal for White’s other bishop.
Or should he open the c-file? One thing is certain: He shouldn’t undouble White’s pawns without a very good reason.
8...cxd4? 9 cxd4
The strategic problem with 8...cxd4? is illustrated by 9...♗d7 10 0-0 ♘ge7 11 ♖b1 0-0-0 12 a4! and ♗a3! seizes the a3-f8 diagonal.
Question 165: Why not 11...0-0 ?
9...♘xd4? 10 ♘xd4 ♕c3+
Black’s bad positional decision was based on a miscalculation.
11 ♕d2! ♕xa1 12 c3! resigns.
The queen will be trapped by 13 ♘b3.
Fidel Corrales White
Orelvis Perez Black
Badalona 2010
1 e4 e6 2 d4 d5 3 ♘c3 ♗b4 4 e5 c5 5 a3 ♗xc3+ 6 bxc3 ♕c7 7 ♘f3 ♘c6 8 ♗d3 c4 9 ♗e2 ♗d7 10 a4 f6 11 0-0!? ♘ge7 12 ♗a3 fxe5 13 dxe5 ♘xe5 14 ♘d4 ♘5g6 15 ♗h5 0-0-0 16 ♘b5! ♗xb5 17 axb5 ♘f5 18 ♖e1 ♘f4? 19 ♗g4 ♘d6 20 ♗xd6 ♕xd6 21 ♕d4! h5 22 ♗f3 ♖hf8 23 ♖xa7 ♖f7 24 g3 ♘h3+ 25 ♔g2 ♘g5 26 ♗xh5 ♖f6 27 f4 ♘e4? 28 ♖xe4 resigns.