<p>Passed pawns if handled carefully can tilt a chess game decisively. The opponent then has a restricted game as he has to deploy his forces to prevent the passed pawns from marching merrily towards the last rank to gain promotion.<br /><br /></p>.<p>In the game which follows, Black has a passed pawn on the queen side while White’s pawns are all on the King-side. Black starts rolling his pawn and White misses a chance to defend actively by marching his centre pawn. While Black is in an advantageous position, White blunders and ends up losing a piece and the game.<br />White: Nigel Davies (2460) – Black: Igor Khenkin (2530)<br />Tel Aviv, 1992<br /><br />English Opening<br />1.c4<br />The English Opening<br />1..e5 2.g3 c6 3.d4<br />If 3.d3 d5 4.Nd2 Nf6 5.Bg2 Bd6 6.Qb3?! 0–0 7.cxd5 cxd5 8.Ngf3 Nc6 9.0–0 a5 And if 3.Bg2 d5 4.cxd5 cxd5 5.d4 exd4 6.Nf3 Bb4+ 7.Bd2<br />3...Bb4+<br />If 3...exd4 4.Qxd4 d5 5.Bg2 Nf6 6.Nf3 Be7 7.cxd5 cxd5 8.0–0 0–0 9.Nc3 Nc6 10.Qa4 Qb6 11.Qb5<br />4.Bd2 Bxd2+ 5.Qxd2 d6<br />Black can play 5. ..e4 6.d5 Nf6 And if 5. ..exd4 6.Qxd4 Nf6 7.Qe5<br />6.Bg2. If 6.dxe5 dxe5 7.Qxd8+ Kxd8 8.Nf3 f6<br />6...Qe7 7.Nc3 Nf6 8.e4<br />If 8.dxe3 dxe3 And if 8.e3 0–0 9.Nge2<br />8...d5. Black can also castle here<br />9.cxd5<br />If 9.dxe5 Nxe4 (9...Qxe5? 10.f4 Qe7 11.cxd5 cxd5 12.e5 0–0 13.Nge2) 10.Nxe4 dxe4 11.Qd6 Nd7<br />9...exd4. If 9...cxd5 10.dxe5 Nxe4 11.Nxd5 Qxe5 12.Nf3±]<br />10.Qxd4 cxd5 11.Nxd5 Nxd5 12.Qxd5 0–0<br />Black decides to castle in an interesting position. Black’s queen side is still undeveloped while White needs to get his knight out before thinking of castling<br />13.Ne2 Rd8. Gaining control of the open file and not hurrying to bring out his queen side pieces<br />14.Qb3<br />White can also play 14.Qc4 or 14.Qb5<br />14. ..Be6 15.Qe3. Once again forced to move! If 15.Qc3 Nc6 16.0–0 Rac8<br />15...Qb4+ 16.Qc3<br />The Queen moves again! White can consider 16.Nc3<br />16. ..Nc6 17.0–0<br />White can finally castle<br />17. ..Rd2<br />18.Qxb4 Nxb4 19.Nc3 Rxb2 20.Rab1 Rxb1 21.Rxb1 Nxa2 22.Nxa2 Bxa2<br />Suddenly there has been a flurry of exchanges and the game has quickly transposed into the ending<br />23.Rxb7. White captures one of the two passed pawns on the queen flank.<br />23. ..a5<br />Even though Black has a passed pawn on the queen-side, it is not easy to convert this into victory<br />24.e5 Rc8 25.Be4<br />If 25.Bc6 Kf8 26.Rb6 Bc4<br />25...a4 26.Ra7 Bb3 27.f4 g6 28.Kf2<br />The King starts marching out to join the action<br />28. ..h5 29.Ke3 Rc1<br /><br />Diagram 1<br /><br />30.Kd2<br />White could have played actively with 30.e6 Bxe6 31.Rxa4 Kxg7. The elimination of the outside passer would have improved /white’s chances of holding the game<br />30. ..Ra1 31.Kc3 Ra2 32.h4 Ra1<br />Better appears 32. ..Be6 33.Kb4 Re2<br />33.Rd7 Rc1+ 34.Kb2 Re1 35.Bb1 Be6<br />A good move!<br />36.Rd3,. Another mistake! But things were getting difficult for White. He could have tried 36.Ra7<br />36...Rxb1+<br />And White resigned for if 37.Kxb1 Bf5 38.Kc2 a3 39.Kb3 Bxd3<br />0–1<br /><br />Diagram 2<br /><br />White to play and checkmate<br /> 1.Rf5+ Rxf5 2.Nee checkmate.<br /><br /><br /></p>
<p>Passed pawns if handled carefully can tilt a chess game decisively. The opponent then has a restricted game as he has to deploy his forces to prevent the passed pawns from marching merrily towards the last rank to gain promotion.<br /><br /></p>.<p>In the game which follows, Black has a passed pawn on the queen side while White’s pawns are all on the King-side. Black starts rolling his pawn and White misses a chance to defend actively by marching his centre pawn. While Black is in an advantageous position, White blunders and ends up losing a piece and the game.<br />White: Nigel Davies (2460) – Black: Igor Khenkin (2530)<br />Tel Aviv, 1992<br /><br />English Opening<br />1.c4<br />The English Opening<br />1..e5 2.g3 c6 3.d4<br />If 3.d3 d5 4.Nd2 Nf6 5.Bg2 Bd6 6.Qb3?! 0–0 7.cxd5 cxd5 8.Ngf3 Nc6 9.0–0 a5 And if 3.Bg2 d5 4.cxd5 cxd5 5.d4 exd4 6.Nf3 Bb4+ 7.Bd2<br />3...Bb4+<br />If 3...exd4 4.Qxd4 d5 5.Bg2 Nf6 6.Nf3 Be7 7.cxd5 cxd5 8.0–0 0–0 9.Nc3 Nc6 10.Qa4 Qb6 11.Qb5<br />4.Bd2 Bxd2+ 5.Qxd2 d6<br />Black can play 5. ..e4 6.d5 Nf6 And if 5. ..exd4 6.Qxd4 Nf6 7.Qe5<br />6.Bg2. If 6.dxe5 dxe5 7.Qxd8+ Kxd8 8.Nf3 f6<br />6...Qe7 7.Nc3 Nf6 8.e4<br />If 8.dxe3 dxe3 And if 8.e3 0–0 9.Nge2<br />8...d5. Black can also castle here<br />9.cxd5<br />If 9.dxe5 Nxe4 (9...Qxe5? 10.f4 Qe7 11.cxd5 cxd5 12.e5 0–0 13.Nge2) 10.Nxe4 dxe4 11.Qd6 Nd7<br />9...exd4. If 9...cxd5 10.dxe5 Nxe4 11.Nxd5 Qxe5 12.Nf3±]<br />10.Qxd4 cxd5 11.Nxd5 Nxd5 12.Qxd5 0–0<br />Black decides to castle in an interesting position. Black’s queen side is still undeveloped while White needs to get his knight out before thinking of castling<br />13.Ne2 Rd8. Gaining control of the open file and not hurrying to bring out his queen side pieces<br />14.Qb3<br />White can also play 14.Qc4 or 14.Qb5<br />14. ..Be6 15.Qe3. Once again forced to move! If 15.Qc3 Nc6 16.0–0 Rac8<br />15...Qb4+ 16.Qc3<br />The Queen moves again! White can consider 16.Nc3<br />16. ..Nc6 17.0–0<br />White can finally castle<br />17. ..Rd2<br />18.Qxb4 Nxb4 19.Nc3 Rxb2 20.Rab1 Rxb1 21.Rxb1 Nxa2 22.Nxa2 Bxa2<br />Suddenly there has been a flurry of exchanges and the game has quickly transposed into the ending<br />23.Rxb7. White captures one of the two passed pawns on the queen flank.<br />23. ..a5<br />Even though Black has a passed pawn on the queen-side, it is not easy to convert this into victory<br />24.e5 Rc8 25.Be4<br />If 25.Bc6 Kf8 26.Rb6 Bc4<br />25...a4 26.Ra7 Bb3 27.f4 g6 28.Kf2<br />The King starts marching out to join the action<br />28. ..h5 29.Ke3 Rc1<br /><br />Diagram 1<br /><br />30.Kd2<br />White could have played actively with 30.e6 Bxe6 31.Rxa4 Kxg7. The elimination of the outside passer would have improved /white’s chances of holding the game<br />30. ..Ra1 31.Kc3 Ra2 32.h4 Ra1<br />Better appears 32. ..Be6 33.Kb4 Re2<br />33.Rd7 Rc1+ 34.Kb2 Re1 35.Bb1 Be6<br />A good move!<br />36.Rd3,. Another mistake! But things were getting difficult for White. He could have tried 36.Ra7<br />36...Rxb1+<br />And White resigned for if 37.Kxb1 Bf5 38.Kc2 a3 39.Kb3 Bxd3<br />0–1<br /><br />Diagram 2<br /><br />White to play and checkmate<br /> 1.Rf5+ Rxf5 2.Nee checkmate.<br /><br /><br /></p>
