INTERACTIVE MASTER CHESS: PAWN PLAY HOMEWORK WEEK 1: TELL THE STORY OF THE PAWN PLAY I have chosen a number of games that illustrate pawn play in different types of positions. You can find the games in the PGN file: Aronian – Andreikin Hansen – Ziegler Berg – Hansen Nielsen – Schandorff What is the story of the pawn play? The idea of this exercise is to make you pay attention to how pawn play affects the flow of the games. These are some of the things you should pay attention to: How the pawn structure develops How the pawn structure decides which strategy to choose Squares and square complexes: Where do the pieces belong? Which pieces to trade and which to keep? Changes in the pace of the game: Which pawn structures require slow positional play, and which structures demand fast active play? You can write your notes directly into the games in the attached game file. We will discuss the games in the first session, so have your notes ready – to compare and expand. As an example of how you could do it, I have commented the first game: Aronian, Levon (2776) - Andreikin, Dmitry (2723) A42 Russian Team Championship, 05.05.2015 Comments by Lars 1.c4 e5 2.Nc3 Nc6 3.Nf3 g6 4.d4 exd4 5.Nxd4 Bg7 6.Nxc6 bxc6 7.e4 Ne7 8.Be3 d6 9.Bd4!² The right exchange with this pawn structure. When the dark-squared bishops are traded, Black will be left with holes on the dark squares around his King. 9...Bxd4 10.Qxd4 0–0 11.c5! Absolutely necessary. White needs to hurry before Black has time for c6-c5. This would lead to a favorable pawn structure for Black with a nice outpost on d4 for the knight. 11...dxc5 12.Qxc5 Qd6 13.Qxd6! A very interesting and instructive decision. At first sight it might seem surprising that White voluntarily corrects Black's pawn-structure, but the point is that the pawn is much easier to www.OrlandoChessHouse.com 1 INTERACTIVE MASTER CHESS: PAWN PLAY attack on d6 than c7. As Lasker used to say: A pawn is only a weakness if it can be attacked. 13...cxd6 14.0–0–0 Rd8 15.Rd2! The position has settled and White has a small, but lasting edge. Why? Because of the better pawn structure. He only has two pawn islands where Black has three, and more importantly, he can easily tie Black up to a passive defense of the hanging pawns on c6 and d6. That is the first step of exploiting weak pawns: tie your opponent's pieces to a passive defense of the pawns. 15...Be6 16.Be2 Rd7 17.Bd1! A strong maneuver that optimizes all pieces! This is much better than the automatic 17 Rhd1, because the bishop belongs on a4 in order to put pressure on c6. 17...Nc8 18.Ba4 Rc7 19.Rhd1 Rb8 20.h3 Rb4 21.Bc2 The bishop has finished its mission on a4, Black is now passively tied up to defending the pawns. White now uses the principle of two weaknesses to initiate play on the kingside, threatening f2-f4-f5. By advancing the kingside pawns White gains more space and takes away squares from Black's pieces. 21...g5 22.h4! h6 23.hxg5 hxg5 24.Rh1!± White uses the newly opened file. 24...Kf8 25.Rh5 Rcb7 26.b3 f6 27.g3! Plans f2-f4-f5 to take away squares from Black's minor pieces. 27...Rg7 28.f4 Rbb7 29.f5 Bg8 30.e5!! A brilliant pawn break, reminiscent of Lasker-Capablanca, 1914. White changes the pace of the game from slow positional maneuvering to active play. Why now? Because all his pieces are on good squares while Black's are disorganized. Note that they have been forced to passive squares because of White's previous forceful pawn-related strategies. 30...fxe5 Only move 30...dxe5? 31.Rd8++- 31.f6 Rgf7 32.Ne4?!± 32.Bf5!+- was even stronger, exploiting the "Sitting Duck Principle" of attacking a defensive piece that cannot move because it is tied to the defense of the d6-pawn. 32...d5?! 32...Rh7 33.Rxh7 Rxh7 34.Nxd6 Rh1+ 35.Kb2 Nb6± was Black's only chance. 33.Nc5+- Nd6 After 33...Rb5 34.Ne6+ Ke8 35.Rxg5+- the bishop on g8 is lost 34.Rxg5 Rxf6 34...Rb5 35.Ne6++- 35.Nxb7 Nxb7 36.Rxe5 Nd6 37.Rd4! Good technique, White wants to trade rooks with Rf3, the right strategy when you are an exchange up. 37...Bf7 38.Rf4 Rh6 39.g4+- Rh1+ 40.Kb2 Rh2 41.Rf6! Ne4 42.Rxc6 Nf2 43.Ka3 You have to be focused and accurate to the very end! Not 43.g5?? Nd3+ 43...Nxg4 44.Rc8+ 1–0 My comments are just an example. Make your own notes about things YOU found interesting, new or instructive. You may include diagrams and draw arrows in them if this would help you memorize a pattern or an idea. ALL APPROACHES ARE GOOD AS LONG AS YOU ARE LEARNING! www.OrlandoChessHouse.com 2 .