Chapter 8
Backward pawns
A backward pawn is one whose neighbouring pawns on the two adjacent files have moved ahead of it, and which itself cannot move forward, because the opponent’s pieces are blockading it or the square is under attack. A backward pawn is a serious static weakness, and so it is a rarity in games involving strong players. But of course there are exceptions, although they are usually associated with the obtaining of some other, compensating advantage, such as the bishop pair or active pieces. Having been landed with such a weakness in one’s own camp, one must strive to exchange it or advance it, to correct the pawn structure. And when playing against such a pawn, conversely, one need not especially strive to win it, but just to blockade it, and not allow its advance or exchange. Having to defend such a pawn can be highly unpleasant for the defender.
43 *
Vasily Smyslov
Arnold Denker
Moscow tt 1946 (1)
The d6-pawn is Black’s main problem. But to press on it conveniently, White needs to secure some space on the light squares, and this task is achieved by…
25.♗d5!
With the exchange of light-squared bishops, Black loses his last hopes of counterplay. White can put his rooks on d3 and d1, and Black can no longer hassle them with a bishop from f5 or g4. In another situation, Black could try to activate his position a little with …b6-b5, but in this position, such a break is impossible.
25…♔h7 26.♗xe6 ♕xe6 27.♖d3 ♖c7 28.♖cd1 ♖f7 29.♘e4 ♗f8 30.♖d5 ♕g4 31.♖1d3
White gradually seizes space for his pieces – the rook on d5 assists the advance of the a-pawn, if White wishes.
31…♗e7
32.♘xd6!
This wins at once, so White is able to dispense with further manoeuvring and strengthening of his position. But now imagine that the d6-pawn was defended. In this case, White can strengthen his position with the moves ♔g1-g2 and a2-a4. Later, depending on circumstances, he can play a4-a5, or advance the h-pawn with h2-h4, further restricting the black bishop, and creating the potential threat of h4-h5.
32…♗xd6 33.♖xd6 ♖df8 34.♕xe5 ♖xf2 35.♖d7+ ♖8f7 36.♖xf7+ ♖xf7 37.♖d8 ♖g7 38.♕e8 g5 39.♕h8+ ♔g6 40.♖d6+ ♔f7 41.♕xh6 ♕f5 42.♖d1 ♕c5+ 43.♔g2 ♕e7 44.♖f1+ ♔g8 45.♕f6 ♕e8 46.♕f5 g4 47.♖f2 ♕e7 48.♕d3 ♖g5 49.♖e2 ♕f8 50.♕e4 ♖g7 51.♕d5+ ♕f7 52.♖e6
1-0
44 **
Isaak Boleslavsky
Salomon Flohr
Budapest ct 1950
Because of the backward pawn on c7, White has the advantage. However, if Black can play …♘d8-e6, his position will already not be so bad – in the first place, there is the idea of …c7-c5. To stop this freeing break, White can play b2-b4, but this move restricts his own bishop, and he does not wish to do this unless absolutely necessary. Therefore, while he has the chance, White carries out a favourable exchange of dark-squared bishops:
17.♗g5! ♗xg5 18.♘xg5 c6 19.♖ac1 ♖c8
20.♕d3!
White forces …g7-g6, because simple variations show the benefits of weakening the square f6.
20…g6 21.♕a3 ♘e6
Not 21…h6, because of 22.♘h7! – here, we see the weakness of f6.
22.♘xe6 fxe6 23.♕xa6
White has won a pawn without any compensation, and the rest is technique.
23…♕f7 24.♖f1 ♖a8 25.♕xc6 ♖xa2 26.♕xb5 ♕a7 27.♕b4 ♖a6 28.♖c5 ♖b6 29.♕c3 ♖f7 30.b4 ♖a6 31.b5 ♖a2 32.♖c6 ♕e7 33.b6 ♕b7 34.♖xe6 ♕a6 35.♕e3 ♔g7 36.♖f6 ♖b7 37.♖b1
Black resigned.
45 **
Anatoly Karpov
John van der Wiel
Tilburg 1988 (2)
White’s task is to prevent the freeing move …c6-c5. The white knight aims to control the c5-square, at the same time freeing up f3 for his bishop, from where it can successfully attack the enemy weakness:
19.♘d2! a4?
A mistake, after which White also obtains the b4-square, which makes it even easier to control a whole complex of dark squares.
He should have chosen 19…♗e7, and then …♖d8-c8.
20.♗f3 ♖a6 21.♘e4 ♗e7 22.a3 ♖a7
23.♗b4! ♗xb4 24.axb4 ♘b6 25.♘c5 ♗a8 26.♖a1!
One weakness on c6 may not be enough to win, and so White intends to open a second front – by playing b2-b3, he gets the open a-file to enter with his rooks. If this plan had not been available, White would have advanced his kingside pawns to seize space, and combine threats on that flank with pressure on c6.
26…♔f8 27.♔f1 ♘d7 28.♘d3
White has more space, and therefore he refrains from exchanges that do not bring him any concrete benefits.
28…♔e7 29.♖a3 ♘b6 30.♔e1 ♖c8 31.b3 ♖cc7 32.♖da1 ♗b7 33.♗d1 ♗c8 34.bxa4 bxa4 35.♗xa4 f6 36.♗b3 ♖xa3 37.♖xa3 g5 38.♔d2 ♔d6 39.♖a5 ♖e7 40.♘c5 f5 41.♘d3 ♘d5 42.f3 ♖b7 43.♗xd5 exd5 44.♖a8
1-0
Additional material
Kasparov-Dolmatov, Minsk 1979