Chapter 38

Blockading

Blockading is a tactical device that involves preventing pawns advancing, and thus causing the enemy problems. This occurs most often around the king, and prevents enemy pieces moving across to help defend it.

212 *

Grigory Ravinsky

Georgy Ilivitzky

Riga 1952

21.♗f6!

White blocks the f-pawn from moving.

21…♗xf6 22.e5 ♘xd3 23.exf6 ♘f2+ 24.♔g1 ♘h3+ 25.♔f1!

But not 25.gxh3 ♕c5+ 26.♔h1 ♕c6+ 27.♔g1 ♕c5+=.

25…♗c4+

On 25…♕c4+, White wins with 26.♔e1 (or 26.♘e2+–).

26.♘e2

Not 26.♔e1 ♕e5+, and Black wins.

Black resigned. There could follow 26…♗xe2+ 27.♔e1 (of course, not 27.♔xe2 ♖fe8+ 28.♔f3 ♕c6+ 29.♔g4 ♕xg2+–+) 27…♕a5+ 28.b4, with inevitable mate.

213 *

Robert Fischer

Pal Benko

New York ch-USA 1963 (10)

Black’s hopes are exclusively tied up with advancing the f-pawn. The following typical blockading sacrifice prevents this.

19.♖f6! ♔g8 20.e5 h6 21.♘e2

Black has no way of meeting the white attack, and so he resigned.

214 **

Vladimir Burmakin

2550

Konstantin Sakaev

2590

St Petersburg 1997 (6)

If Black exchanges the d5- and e4-pawns, the white pieces develop activity, exerting pressure on the d-file and the long diagonal. But after the temporary pawn sacrifice played by Black, he himself seizes the d-file and a complex of dark squares in the centre.

17…d4!

The white pieces are attacked with tempo, whilst the ♘d2 remains without prospects, as it is blocked by the e4-pawn, which Black has purposely left on the board.

18.♕xd4 ♗c5 19.♕d3 ♕b6 20.♕e2

On 20.♖f1, there would follow 20…♖fd8 21.♕f3 ♕c7, taking on e5.

And if 20.♕f3, then as well as taking on f2, Black can choose 20…f5!, with a crushing attack.

20…♗xf2+ 21.♕xf2 ♕xf2+ 22.♔xf2 ♖xc3 23.♘c4

More chances of a successful defence were offered by 23.♖ac1! ♖xc1 24.♖xc1 ♘xe5 25.♖c7 ♖b8 26.h3, activating his pieces.

23…bxc4 24.♖xd7 ♖c2+ 25.♔g1 ♗c6 26.♖d6 cxb3 27.axb3 ♖c5 28.♔f2 ♖b8 29.♖ad1 ♔f8 30.♖d8+ ♖xd8 31.♖xd8+ ♔e7 32.♖d4

32…♖b5

There was a simpler win with 32…♖c2+ 33.♔g1 ♖c3 34.♖d6 ♗b5 35.♖b6 ♖xb3 36.♖b7+ ♔e8 37.♖b8+ ♔d7 38.♖b7+ ♔c6 39.♖xf7 a4.

33.♖c4 ♗d7 34.♖c3 ♖xe5

White is not only pawn down, but also has a bad bishop. The realisation of Black’s advantage is lengthy, but not difficult.

35.♔e3 ♔d6 36.♖d3+ ♔c7 37.♖c3+ ♔b6 38.♔d4 ♖h5 39.h4 ♖b5 40.e5 f6 41.exf6 gxf6 42.♔e3 ♖e5+ 43.♔d4 ♖e2 44.♗f1 e5+ 45.♔d5 ♖d2+ 46.♔e4 ♗c6+ 47.♔e3 ♖b2 48.♗d3 h6 49.♗e4 ♗d7 50.♗d5 ♖b1 51.♔d2 ♖f1 52.♔e2 ♖g1 53.♔d2 ♗b5 54.♗e4 ♖f1 55.♖c8 ♖f2+ 56.♔e3 ♖b2 57.♖c3 ♗d7 58.♗d5 f5 59.♗f3 ♖b1 60.♔d2 ♖g1 61.♗d5 e4 62.♔e2 ♗b5+ 63.♔f2 ♖f1+ 64.♔e3 ♖f3+ 65.♔d4 ♖xc3 66.♔xc3 ♔c7 67.♔d4 ♔d6 68.♗f7 ♗d7 69.♗h5 ♗e6 70.♗d1 ♗f7 71.g4 fxg4 72.♗xg4 ♗xb3 73.♔xe4 a4 74.♔d4 a3 75.♔c3 ♗f7 76.♗e2 ♔e5 77.♗d1 ♔f4 78.♗e2 ♔g3 79.h5 ♔h4 80.♗f3 ♔g5 81.♗d1 ♗xh5 82.♗b3 ♔f6 83.♔b4 ♗f7

White resigned.

215 **

Viktor Kortchnoi

2650

Anatoly Karpov

2660

Moscow ch-URS 1973 (6)

The knight on d5 takes the important c3-square from the white bishop, and blockades the pawn on d4, which only disturbs White, by restricting his minor pieces.

39…♗g5!

He could also keep the advantage with 39…♗b4, threatening to penetrate the white position from the queenside.

40.♕f1

More tenacious is 40.♕b2, but even then, after 40…♕e1+ 41.♔g2 h5!…

there is a threat to break up the white kingside with …h5-h4. At the same time, 42.h4 loses to 42…♗xh4! 43.gxh4 ♕e4+ 44.f3 ♕xh4, and Black develops a decisive attack.

40…♕f3 41.h4

White resigned, without waiting for 41…♗e3 42.♕g2 ♗xf2+ 43.♕xf2 ♕xb3 – the superiority of the knight over the bishop is too great.

216 ***

Arkadij Naiditsch

2707

Daan Brandenburg

2522

Germany Bundesliga 2011/12 (13)

The black king is under close attention from the white pieces, and is defended only by pawns and the ♗e7. An important potential defender is the queen on e8, which, after a possible sacrifice by White, is prepared to join the defence after a move of the f-pawn. Thinking along these lines, one can find the typical blockading idea…

20.♘f6!,

but the main point is seen at move 23 (20.♘e3 was played in the game).

20…gxf6 21.exf6 ♗xf6 22.♕h5!

There is only perpetual check after 22.♘xh7 ♔xh7 23.♕h5+.

22…♗xg5 23.♗f5!

This is the key idea. After…

23…exf5 24.♗xg5 ♕e6 25.♖xe6 fxe6 26.b3! ♘c3 27.bxc4 ♘xb1 28.♕h6 ♖ce8 29.cxd5

the decisive role in the attack is assumed by a modest pawn, which has already gone from b2 to d5. Despite Black’s even formally having a material advantage, it is not hard to see that his position is collapsing.

217 ***

Viswanathan Anand

2790

Boris Gelfand

2712

Monaco blindfold 2001 (4)

The plans of the two sides are obvious – Black is attacking on the kingside, and White on the other wing. Playing blindfold, Black did not find the correct way to proceed with the attack, which involves bringing in the bishop to a more active role:

27…♗f4!!

The pawn is fixed on the passive f3-square and the threat to transfer the knight via …♘f6-h5-g3 now gains many times in strength.

Not 27…♘h5, because White gets a valuable square to bring in his queen with 28.♕g4.

In the game, Black played more straightforwardly, and after 27…♖g5 28.♕f2 ♕h3 (it was essential to play 28…h3 29.♕h4 ♔g7 30.♖de1 ♖xe1 31.♕xe1 ♕f5, still with sufficient counterplay) 29.♖fe1, the initiative started to fade, and White’s extra material told.

An interesting position with mutual chances could arise after 27…h3 28.♕g3 ♗e3.

28.♘d3

The attempt to conduct the defence without the knight is even more hopeless, e.g.:

A) 28.♖f2 ♖g5 29.♕f1 ♘h5 30.♘d3 ♗e3 31.f4 ♖g4 32.♖g2 ♘g3+;

B) 28.♕f2 ♗e3 29.♕xh4 ♔g7;

C) 28.♖g1 ♗e3 29.♘c6 ♖g5 30.♕xg5 ♗xg5 31.♖xg5 ♖e3.

28…♖g5 29.♕f2 ♗e3 30.♕xh4 ♔g7 31.♖de1 ♖h8 32.♕xh8+ ♔xh8 33.♖xe3 ♕c7

Black wins the a5-pawn, and has excellent chances to convert his extra material, with White having few chances of establishing an unbreachable fortress.