<p>Pawn advances in a game of chess, be it the opening, the middle-game or the end-game, have to be carefully calculated, deliberated and then executed. <br /><br /></p>.<p>The pawns are the only pieces which cannot retreat in a game of chess and an advance without proper calculation can prove detrimental as it opens up diagonals and offers possibilities on the rows and files also for the opponent’s pieces.<br /><br />In the game which follows, white is slightly better but a wrong advance by black, gives a winning edge to white. The bishop pair then becomes active and seals the game.<br /><br />White: Sergei Shipov (2658) – Black: Nigel Short (2675) <br />Port Erin, 1999<br />1.d4 e6 2.c4 Nf6 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.Qc2 d5 5.cxd5 Qxd5 6.e3<br />White can also think of 6.Nf3<br />6...c5 7.Bd2 Bxc3 8.Bxc3 <br />White can also play 8.bxc3, <br />8...cxd4 9.Bxd4 . Interesting position! White’s entire Kingside is undeveloped while Black’s queenside is also entirely undeveloped<br />9. ..Nc6 10.Bc3 0–0 <br />If 10...e5 11.Nf3 0-0 12.Be2 Be6<br />11.Nf3 b6. If 11...e5 12.Be2 (12.Rd1 Qxa2 13.Nxe5 Nxe5 14.Bxe5 Bg4) 12...Bg4 13.0–0 <br />12.Be2 Bb7 13.0–0 Rac8 <br />If 13...Rfd8 14.Rfd1 (14.Bxf6 gxf6 15.Rfd1 Qh5 ) 14...Qc5 15.Rac1 Rxd1+ 16.Rxd1 Rc8 <br />14.Rfd1 . If 14.Bxf6 Nd4 15.Qd1 Nxe2+ 16.Qxe2 gxf6 with more or less a balanced game <br />14...Qe4. An invitation to swap queens! If 14...Qc5 15.Rac1 Nb4 16.Qb3 Nbd5 17.Bd2 And if 14...Qh5 15.Bxf6 gxf6 16.Qa4<br />15.Qxe4. White is naturally interested as the ending offers him better possibilities to go for a win. If 15.Bd3 Qg4 (15...Qd5 16.Bxf6 Nb4 17.Bxh7+ Kh8 18.Qb1 Qh5 19.Be4 Bxe4 20.Qxe4) 16.h3 Qh5<br />15...Nxe4 16.Be1 <br />White has the bishop pair advantage<br />16. ..Rfd8 17.Rxd8+ Rxd8<br />Here Black should have captured with 17...Nxd8 18.b4 Nc3 19.Bxc3 19...Rxc3 20.Rd1 Rc8<br />18.Rc1. Better appears 18.Rd1 to invite exchange of rooks<br />18. ..a5 19.Bb5 Rd6<br />Not exactly the right move! If .Na7 20.Rc7 Nc5 21.Be2 Rc8 22.Rxc8+ Nxc8 23.Nd4<br />20.Kf1 f6 21.Ke2 e5 22.a3 <br />Better appears 22.Nd2 Nxd2 23.Bxd2 Na7 24.Bc4+ Kf8 25.f3<br />22...Kf8 23.Nd2<br />If 23...Na724.Bd3 Nxf2 25.Bxf2 e4 26.Bc4 exf3+ 27.gxf3 Nc6<br />23...Nxd2 24.Bxd2 h6 <br />If 24...Na7 25.Rc7 Bf3+ And if 25...Nxb5 26.Rxb7<br />25.f3 Ke7 26.b4 axb4 27.axb4 Kd8 28.Bd3 Ne7 29.b5 <br />Vacating the square for the bishop<br /></p>.<p><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />29. ..e4, A wrong pawn advance! If 29...Nd5 30.g3 Nc7 31.e4 Ne6 32.Bb4 Nd4+ 33.Ke3 Rd7 34.f4 and White has a slight edge<br />30.fxe4 Re6 31.Rc4 Nc8<br />Though the position is better for White, Black could have offered stiffer resistance with 31...Ng6<br />32.Rd4+ Kc7<br />Once again the wrong square ! Worth a thought is 32...Ke8 33.Bb4 Ne7<br />33.Be1 Nd6. This loses straight away. If 33...Ne7 34.Bg3+ Kc8 35.Bd6 Ng6 36.Kf2 Ne5 37.Be2 also is better for White <br />34.Bg3 Kd7 <br />If 34...g5 35.Bc4 Re5 36.Bd5 And if 36.Bxe5 fxe5 37.Rd1 Nxc4 38.Rc1 <br />35.Bc4 Re5 36.Bxe5 fxe5 37.Rd2 Bxe4 38.Bd5 Bxd5 <br />If 38...Bg6 39.Bc6+ Ke7 40.Ra2 <br />39.Rxd5 Ke6 40.Rd3 Nxb5 <br />If 40...Kd7 41.e4 Ke6 42.Rc3 <br />41.Rb3 Nd6 42.Rxb6 e4 43.g4 g6 1–0.<br /></p>.<p><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />White to play and win<br />1.Bb5 Qxb5 2.Rxh7+ Kxh7 3.Qh5+ Bh6 4.Qxh6 check-mate.<br /><br /></p>
<p>Pawn advances in a game of chess, be it the opening, the middle-game or the end-game, have to be carefully calculated, deliberated and then executed. <br /><br /></p>.<p>The pawns are the only pieces which cannot retreat in a game of chess and an advance without proper calculation can prove detrimental as it opens up diagonals and offers possibilities on the rows and files also for the opponent’s pieces.<br /><br />In the game which follows, white is slightly better but a wrong advance by black, gives a winning edge to white. The bishop pair then becomes active and seals the game.<br /><br />White: Sergei Shipov (2658) – Black: Nigel Short (2675) <br />Port Erin, 1999<br />1.d4 e6 2.c4 Nf6 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.Qc2 d5 5.cxd5 Qxd5 6.e3<br />White can also think of 6.Nf3<br />6...c5 7.Bd2 Bxc3 8.Bxc3 <br />White can also play 8.bxc3, <br />8...cxd4 9.Bxd4 . Interesting position! White’s entire Kingside is undeveloped while Black’s queenside is also entirely undeveloped<br />9. ..Nc6 10.Bc3 0–0 <br />If 10...e5 11.Nf3 0-0 12.Be2 Be6<br />11.Nf3 b6. If 11...e5 12.Be2 (12.Rd1 Qxa2 13.Nxe5 Nxe5 14.Bxe5 Bg4) 12...Bg4 13.0–0 <br />12.Be2 Bb7 13.0–0 Rac8 <br />If 13...Rfd8 14.Rfd1 (14.Bxf6 gxf6 15.Rfd1 Qh5 ) 14...Qc5 15.Rac1 Rxd1+ 16.Rxd1 Rc8 <br />14.Rfd1 . If 14.Bxf6 Nd4 15.Qd1 Nxe2+ 16.Qxe2 gxf6 with more or less a balanced game <br />14...Qe4. An invitation to swap queens! If 14...Qc5 15.Rac1 Nb4 16.Qb3 Nbd5 17.Bd2 And if 14...Qh5 15.Bxf6 gxf6 16.Qa4<br />15.Qxe4. White is naturally interested as the ending offers him better possibilities to go for a win. If 15.Bd3 Qg4 (15...Qd5 16.Bxf6 Nb4 17.Bxh7+ Kh8 18.Qb1 Qh5 19.Be4 Bxe4 20.Qxe4) 16.h3 Qh5<br />15...Nxe4 16.Be1 <br />White has the bishop pair advantage<br />16. ..Rfd8 17.Rxd8+ Rxd8<br />Here Black should have captured with 17...Nxd8 18.b4 Nc3 19.Bxc3 19...Rxc3 20.Rd1 Rc8<br />18.Rc1. Better appears 18.Rd1 to invite exchange of rooks<br />18. ..a5 19.Bb5 Rd6<br />Not exactly the right move! If .Na7 20.Rc7 Nc5 21.Be2 Rc8 22.Rxc8+ Nxc8 23.Nd4<br />20.Kf1 f6 21.Ke2 e5 22.a3 <br />Better appears 22.Nd2 Nxd2 23.Bxd2 Na7 24.Bc4+ Kf8 25.f3<br />22...Kf8 23.Nd2<br />If 23...Na724.Bd3 Nxf2 25.Bxf2 e4 26.Bc4 exf3+ 27.gxf3 Nc6<br />23...Nxd2 24.Bxd2 h6 <br />If 24...Na7 25.Rc7 Bf3+ And if 25...Nxb5 26.Rxb7<br />25.f3 Ke7 26.b4 axb4 27.axb4 Kd8 28.Bd3 Ne7 29.b5 <br />Vacating the square for the bishop<br /></p>.<p><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />29. ..e4, A wrong pawn advance! If 29...Nd5 30.g3 Nc7 31.e4 Ne6 32.Bb4 Nd4+ 33.Ke3 Rd7 34.f4 and White has a slight edge<br />30.fxe4 Re6 31.Rc4 Nc8<br />Though the position is better for White, Black could have offered stiffer resistance with 31...Ng6<br />32.Rd4+ Kc7<br />Once again the wrong square ! Worth a thought is 32...Ke8 33.Bb4 Ne7<br />33.Be1 Nd6. This loses straight away. If 33...Ne7 34.Bg3+ Kc8 35.Bd6 Ng6 36.Kf2 Ne5 37.Be2 also is better for White <br />34.Bg3 Kd7 <br />If 34...g5 35.Bc4 Re5 36.Bd5 And if 36.Bxe5 fxe5 37.Rd1 Nxc4 38.Rc1 <br />35.Bc4 Re5 36.Bxe5 fxe5 37.Rd2 Bxe4 38.Bd5 Bxd5 <br />If 38...Bg6 39.Bc6+ Ke7 40.Ra2 <br />39.Rxd5 Ke6 40.Rd3 Nxb5 <br />If 40...Kd7 41.e4 Ke6 42.Rc3 <br />41.Rb3 Nd6 42.Rxb6 e4 43.g4 g6 1–0.<br /></p>.<p><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />White to play and win<br />1.Bb5 Qxb5 2.Rxh7+ Kxh7 3.Qh5+ Bh6 4.Qxh6 check-mate.<br /><br /></p>
