Pawns have to be well supported

Pawns have to be well supported

Chess Checks

Indiscriminate movement of pawns can be destructive as these are the only units on the chessboard which cannot retreat.

In the game which follows, an ending without queens appears unclear and with the rooks and knights on board, a draw would well be on the cards. White however has a passed pawn which he pushes without much thought and his whole game collapses
White: Klaudiuz Urban (2470) – Black: Michael Krasenkow (2590)
Lubniewice, 1995
King's Indian Defence
1.d4 g6 2.c4 Bg7
The King’s Indian Defence
3.Nc3 d6 4.e4 Nc6 5.Be3 e5 6.d5
If 6.dxe5 dxe5 7.Qxd8+ Nxd8 8.0–0–0
6...Nce7
Here Black can also think about 6...Nd4
7.c5
If 7.g4 f5 8.gxf5 gxf5 9.Qh5+ Kf8
7...f5
Aggressive stance by Black
8.cxd6 cxd6 9.Bb5+ Kf8
Black decides to forego castling. If 9. ..Bd7  10.Bxd7+ Qxd7 11.Nh3 fxe4  12.Ng5
10.f3 Bh6 11.Bxh6+
If 11.Bf2 Nf6
12.h3 Kg7 13.Nge2 Rf8 14.Ng3 Rf7 15.Qb3 Qa5 16.Bd3 fxe4 17.fxe4 Nd7 was played in a previous game
11...Nxh6 12.Qd2
An indication that White is keen on castling on the queen side.
12. ..Nf7
If 12...Kg7 13.f4  fxe4 14.fxe5 Ng4 15.e6 Nf5 16.Nxe4 Nge3 17.Nf3 with advantage for White
13.Nge2
If 13.exf5 Nxf5 14.Nge2 Qb6 15.a4 Qe3 16.Nd1 Qxd2
13...Kg7
The players were following a previously played game till this time but here Black opts for a new move. If 13...f4 14.h4 h6 15.g3 g5 16.hxg5 hxg5 17.0–0–0 Rxh1 18.Rxh1 Ng6
14.Bd3 White ahs a dilemma whether to castle on the King side or the queen side?
14...Bd7 15.0–0–0
He finally decides on the long side
15. ..Rb8 16.Kb1 b5
Starting the action on the queen side
17.Rc1 Qb6 18.Nd1
If 18.h4 f4 19.h5 g5 20.g4 fxg3 21.h6
18...f4
A good move!
19.Rc2
If 19.g3 g5 20.gxf4 exf4 21.h4 h6 22.hxg5 hxg5 23.Rg1 Ng6 24.Qc3 Nge5 with advantage for Black And if 19.g4 h5
19...g5
Good play by Black
20.Nc1 Ng6 21.Qf2 Qxf2 22.Nxf2 Rbc8 23.Rd1
If 23.Rxc8 Rxc8
24.Nb3 Nh4! 25.Rg1 h5 26.Be2 Kf6 27.g3 Ng6
23...Rxc2 24.Kxc2 h5 25.h3 g4
Black is pushing on the King side after exchanging queens
26.hxg4 hxg4 27.Nxg4 Bxg4 28.fxg4 Ng5 29.Nb3 If 29.Bxb5 Rh2 30.Rd2 Nxe4 31.Re2 Ng3 32.Rf2 e4
29...Rh2 Entering the seventh rank
30.Rd2 Nh4 31.Kc3 a5 32.a4
If 32.Nxa5 b4+
33.Kc2 (33.Kxb4 f3) 33...Nxg2 34.Kb3 Nf3 35.Rf2 Nge1 36.Rxh2 Nxh2 37.Be2 f3 38.Bxf3 Nhxf3 39.Kxb4 Nd3+ 40.Kc4 Nf2
32...bxa4 33.Nxa5 Kf6 34.Nc4 Ke7 35.Kb4 Nxg2 36.Kxa4 f3 37.Ne3 Kf6 38.Nf5
If 38.b4 Rh3 39.Nf5 Nf4 40.Nxd6 Nxd3 41.Rxd3 f2 42.Rd1 Re3 43.Rf1 Nh3 44.b5 Re1 45.Rxf2+ Nxf2 46.b6 Rb1 47.Nb5 Nxe4 48.b7 Nc5+
38...Rh8 39.Nxd6 Ne1 40.Bb5
Here 40Bb1 looks better.
If 40.Kb3 Nxd3 (40...Rd8 41.Nf5 Nxd3 42.Rxd3 f2 43.Ng3) 41.Rxd3 f2 42.Rd1 Rd8 43.Rf1 Rxd6 44.Rxf2
40...Rd8 41.Ne8+
If 41.Nf5 Nxe4
41...Kf7
Diagram 1
42.d6 This advance does not help and is a mistake. Perhaps better is 42.Nc7
42. ..Rxe8 43.Bxe8+ Kxe8 44.Rh2 Nxe4 45.Rh5 Nd3 46.Rf5 f2 0–1
Diagram 2
White to play and win
1.Rxd7+ Kxd7 2.Nc5+ and White wins.

Get a round-up of the day's top stories in your inbox

Check out all newsletters

Get a round-up of the day's top stories in your inbox