DAY 208 Pawn Reputation

The poor reputation of doubled pawns is deserved if you look only at the pawns, not the pieces they help.

Eduard Mnatsakanian White
Vladimir Simagin Black
Kiev 1965
Caro-Kann Defense B15

1 e4 c6 2 c3 d5 3 d4 dxe4 4 xe4 f6 5 xf6+ exf6 6 c4 e7 7 h5 0-0 8 e2 g6

One Black bishop may safely go to f5 now. The other can reposition itself on g7, after ...e8, ...f8 and ...f5. But note that 9 f3 f5?? allows 10 h6! e8 11 b3! with a double attack on f7 and b7.

9 h6 f5!

illustration

Now 10 c3 e8 11 0-0 f8! 12 f4? b5 (13 b3 xe2).

10 b3 c5 11 e3 c6 12 0-0-0

White would be worse after 12 d5? e5 and 13...c4 or 13...b5.

12...c4!? 13 xc4 b4 14 b3 c8?

Better is 14...a5 (15 a3? a4 16 xf7+ xf7 18 axb4 a3!).

15 c3 a5 16 b1??

Mandatory was 16 d2 and then 16...fd8 (17 a3? xc2 18 xc2 xa3!).

16...xc3! 17 bxc3 xc2+ White resigns.

The end would be 18 xc2 xa2+ or 18 c1 xb3 19 axb3 a2!.

Chulkov White
Haveman Black
Soviet Union 1947

1 e4 c6 2 c3 d5 3 d4 dxe4 4 xe4 f6 5 xf6+ exf6 6 c4 e7 7 h5 0-0 8 e2 g6 9 f3 d7 10 h6 e8?.

Question 237: How does White win material?

Georgs Bezruchko White
Salo Flohr Black
Riga 1939

1 e4 c6 2 d4 d5 3 c3 dxe4 4 xe4 f6 5 xf6+ exf6 6 c3 d6 7 d3 0-0 8 h5 g6 9 h6? e8+! 10 e2 d7 11 e3 b6 12 0-0-0 d5 13 d2 g4! 14 g3 (14 he1 h5! and ...f8) f5 15 f3 f8! and wins.