Chapter 2
The protected passed pawn
A protected passed pawn is one that is guarded by another of its own pawns. This frees the player from the need to defend the pawn with pieces, and allows him to play on the other side of the board. A protected passed pawn is like a Sword of Damocles, hanging over the opponent’s position, since it is invulnerable and may advance at any moment. Because it is impossible to attack it, it has to be blockaded. As a rule, the piece that does this best is the knight, which in many cases can also attack the pawn that defends the passed pawn, or assist in its undermining.
8 *
Darmen Sadvakasov
2485
Konstantin Sakaev
2645
Dubai 1999 (2)
White’s compensation for the pawn consists in his control of the square e5, and his pressure on the open files and the long diagonal. In one move, Black changes the character of the struggle:
25…b5!
In the event of the quiet 25…♖a7 26.a4 b6 27.♖ae1 ♕f6 28.f4, Black also has the advantage, although finding any sort of plan here is not simple, as his dark-squared bishop is very restricted.
26.♗xa8
He loses after 26.♘xa5 ♗d6!, whilst in the event of 26.♘d2 ♖ae8, White has no positional compensation for the exchange, since his knight has lost the strongpoint c4. Black is ready to set his pawn centre in motion, by first kicking the white rook with …♗c5-d6.
26…bxc4 27.♗g2 c3
Now, White has a small material advantage, but his position is bad, as Black has obtained control of the centre and an extremely strong protected passed pawn, only a short step from promoting.
28.♕e2
28…♖c8!
Black spots the weak point in his opponent’s defences – from here the rook supports the passed pawn.
It would be an inaccuracy to play 28…♖b8 29.♗d5! ♗d6 30.♗c4 – having defended his queenside weaknesses, White can still fight on.
29.♖a2 ♖b8
But now, the white bishop raid loses in strength, so Black allows it.
Another good possibility was 29…♕d6.
30.♗d5 ♗d6 31.♖xe6
Here, there is not the move 31.♗c4, because after 31…♗xe5 32.♕xe5 Black exploits the…
Weakness of the back rank
analysis diagram
32…♕g5!!, and the queen bursts into White’s camp, combining with the bishop to set up a mating attack.
31…♗xe6 32.♕xe6 ♕xe6 33.♗xe6
♖e8!
The rook comes to the rear of White’s position, not worrying about the pawn loss – the most concise way to win.
34.♗xf5+ g6 35.♗d7
35.♗e4 ♖xe4 36.dxe4 d3–+.
35…♖e1+ 36.♔g2 ♗xa3 37.♖c2 ♖b1 38.♗a4
38…♗b4!
Not even allowing b3-b4. There is no defence against …♖b1-b2, so White resigned.
9 **
Alexander Beliavsky
Boris Gulko
Linares 1990 (1)
White has a protected passed pawn on d5, typical of the Grünfeld Defence. The further White can push it, the greater his threats, because the ♗g7 does not hold up the pawn’s progress. But there is a danger – the moment the pawn moves forward, it ceases to be protected by its own pawn, and the enemy pieces can try to surround and capture it. In this example, White manages without a sharp advance of the pawn.
18.♘g3! ♕d7 19.♖fe1 f5
Black makes a practically forced move. Of course, he weakens the e6-square and irreparably damages his king’s pawn cover, which later allows White to carry out a combination. But what else could Black do?
19…♘b7 does not help, after which there is the unpleasant 20.♖xe8! (20.♘e4 f5! 21.♘d2 h6 22.♗f4 g5 23.♖xe8 ♖xe8 24.♕a3 ♘a5 25.♗e3 ♗f8, with good chances of a successful defence) 20…♖xe8 21.♘e4 ♘d6 22.♘f6+
.
20.♘e2!
The white knight immediately heads to the weakened square e6.
20…♘b7 21.♘f4 ♖xe1+
21…h6 22.♘xg6 hxg5 23.♘xf8.
22.♖xe1 ♖e8 23.♘e6 ♗h8
23…♘d6 24.♘xg7.
24.♘c7!!
An accurately calculated tactical blow.
24…♖xe1+ 25.♕xe1 ♕xc7 26.♕e8+ ♔g7 27.♗d2!
27.♗c1+–.
27…♕d8
28.♗c3+ ♔h6 29.♕e3+
But not 29.♕xh8? ♕xh8 30.♗xh8 ♘d6=.
29…♕g5
29…g5 30.♕h3+ ♔g6 31.♕xf5+ ♔h6 32.♕h3#.
30.f4! ♕g4 31.♗xh8 ♕d1+ 32.♗f1 ♘d6 33.♕h3+ ♕h5 34.♕c3 ♘e8 35.d6! ♕d1 36.♕h3+
Black resigned.
10 ***
Magnus Carlsen
2861
Pentala Harikrishna
2698
Wijk aan Zee 2013 (4)
White is two pawns down, but at the moment, this deficit is not really felt. Instead, one’s eye is struck by the blockade on the dark squares and the protected passed pawn on e6.
21.♘c5 ♘d6 22.♕f3 ♕e7 23.♖f2 ♖a5
Also possible is 23…♖xf2 24.♔xf2 (24.♗xf2 g6!?) 24…g6 25.g4 ♘b5, trying to somehow reduce White’s pressure.
24.♘b3 ♖b5 25.♗c5 ♗h5 26.♕c3! ♕e8 27.♕e3
An equal endgame results from the exchanging operation 27.♘d4 ♘e4 28.♘xb5 ♘xc3 29.e7 ♖f7 30.♘xc7 ♕xe7 31.♗xe7 ♖xe7 32.♖xc3 ♖xc7=.
27…♕a8?
Maybe, he should have decided on 27…♘e4! 28.♖fc2 ♕b8 (28…♘xc5 29.♘xc5) 29.♘d4 ♖xc5 30.♖xc5 ♘xc5 31.♖xc5 (31.♘xc6?! d4 32.♕a3 ♕b3! (32…♕b6 33.♘e7+ ♔h8 34.♘d5 ♕b8 35.♕xc5) 33.♕xc5 d3
) 31…♗e8 32.♖c1!? – in this position, White has the advantage, but it is not apparently how he can crack Black’s defences.
28.♘d4 ♖xc5 29.♖xc5 ♘e4 30.♘xc6 ♘xf2 31.♔xf2
Now, Black does not obtain sufficient counterplay.
31…♕a2+ 32.♔g3 ♖e8
33.h3!
A nice move. White intends to drop his king back to h2 and play g2-g4.
33…♕a6 34.♕c3 ♗e2 35.♖xd5 ♗b5 36.♘b4 ♕b7 37.♕c5 ♗a4
To save his bishop, Black transfers it from h5 to a4, but on the latter square, it is out of play.
38.♖d7! ♕e4
38…♗xd7 39.exd7 ♖d8 40.♕e7 ♕a8 41.♘c6+–.
39.♖xc7
Not so long ago, Black had pawns on the squares c7, c6 and d5.
39…h5 40.♔h2 ♔h7 41.♕f2 ♖g8 42.♘a6 ♗e8
The bishop returns to the square from which it started its journey. But nothing has changed for it – the powerful passed pawn on e6 still poisons its existence.
He also loses after 42…♕e5+ 43.♕g3 ♕xf5 44.♖c5 ♕g6 45.♕h4 ♗e8 46.♘c7 ♔h6 47.g4+–.
43.♖c5 ♕d3 44.♘b4 ♕d6+ 45.♔h1 ♕d1+ 46.♕g1 ♕d6 47.♘d5 ♖f8 48.♕d4 ♔h8 49.♖c8 ♗c6
Black resigned.
11 ***
Anatoly Karpov
Viktor Kortchnoi
Baguio City Wch match 1978 (14)
The black king is blocked in by its own pieces, and White seals it up even further:
17.♘f6+! ♗xf6
More tenacious is 17…gxf6 18.exf6 ♖d8! (he loses after 18…♗d6 19.♖d4! – the rook goes to h4), preventing the transfer of the white rook to the kingside. However, Black’s position is still difficult, of course, as his king is exposed, and his dark squares are creaking.
18.exf6 ♕c8 19.fxg7 ♖d8
The king is protected by the enemy pawn on g7, a well-known defensive device. Black would like to capture it later, when things have simplified, and his king is not under threat.
20.h4!
On the way to help its neighbour. The white pawn is heading to h6, to secure a decisive advantage in the endgame, as the black king will be completely tied down to covering the passed pawn.
20…c5 21.♖ac1
Black also has only a few practical chances after 21.♖xd8+ ♕xd8 22.♖d1 ♘d4 23.♗xd4 cxd4 24.♕e4+–.
21…♕c7 22.h5 ♕e5 23.h6 ♕xb2 24.♖d7 ♖xd7 25.♕xa8+ ♖d8 26.♕xa6 ♕e2 27.♖f1
A more precise win was 27.g3!, ensuring his king an escape on g2 from the checks. 27…♘d4 28.♗xd4 cxd4 29.♕f6 ♕e8 30.♖c7 ♖d7 31.♕c6 ♖d8 32.♕xe8+ ♖xe8 33.♖d7+–.
27…♖d1 28.♕a8+ ♖d8 29.♕c6! b4
30.♕a4!
White solves his main task at this moment, organising a blockade on c4, for which purpose his queen retreats to b3.
30…♕d3 31.♖c1 ♕d5 32.♕b3
32…♕e4
There were more practical chances of a successful defence with 32…♕h5! 33.♕c4 ♖d1+ (otherwise, White gradually strengthens his centralisation) 34.♖xd1 ♕xd1+. Now, the winning path is thorny: 35.♕f1! (but not 35.♔h2 ♕h5+ 36.♔g3 ♕g6+ 37.♔f3 ♘g5+ 38.♔e2 ♕xh6 – Black breaks up the group of kingside pawns, and obtains drawing chances) 35…♕c2 36.♕b5! (strangely, with his queen further away the white king escapes the checks) 36…♕d1+ 37.♔h2 ♕h5+ 38.♔g3 ♕e5+ 39.♔g4 ♕e4+ 40.♔h3 ♕f5+ 41.g4 ♕f3+ 42.♔h2+–.
33.♕c2 ♕xc2
White has been ready for a queen exchange for some 20-23 moves, ever since he finished the march of his rook’s pawn! Black had to keep the queens on, choosing, for example, 33…♕g4 – White would face greater technical problems there.
34.♖xc2 f5 35.f4 ♔f7 36.g4! ♖d5 37.gxf5 ♖xf5 38.♖d2 ♖f6 39.♖d7+ ♔g8 40.f5 ♖xf5 41.♖e7 ♘xg7 42.♖xg7+ ♔h8 43.♖c7 ♔g8 44.♗xc5 ♖g5+ 45.♔f2 ♖g6 46.♗e3
Black resigned.