Correct pawn advances can be vital

Well thought-out and correct pawn advances at the appropriate time can decide the fate of a chess game. It is important to try and break through the defensive barricades of your opponent by pawns so that the other pieces can infiltrate and target either the king or the weakness in the enemy ranks.

In the game which follows, balance is maintained for most part but one slight inaccuracy by white and black immediately gets into aggressive mode. The correct pawn advance ‘f5’ then helps in sealing the game in black’s favour.

White: Vyacheslav Ikonnikov(2550) – Black: Alexei Kornev (2384)

Samara, 2000

Queen’s Gambit

1.d4 g6

Not playing the usual  1...Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 Bg7 4.e4 d6 5.Be2 0–0

2.Nf3 Bg7 3.c4 d6 4.Nc3 Nd7 5.e4

Aiming at the centre. He can also play 5.h3

5. ..e5

Black can also think about 5. ..c5

6.Be2

White had a better option in 6.Bg5 Bf6  7.h4 exd4  8.Nxd4

6. ..Ngf6

Black could have tried to settle things in the centre with 6. ..exd4 Nxd4  7.Ngf6

7.0–0

White too had an option in 7.dxe5

7. ..0–0 8.Qc2 Nh5

Both players steadfastly deciding against exchanges at the centre

9.Bg5 f6 10.Be3 Nf4 11.Bxf4

If 11.Rad1 Nxe2+ 12.Qxe2 Rf7 13.dxe5 dxe5 14.c5 Qe8

11...exf4 12.Rad1

If 12.h3 c6  13.Qd2 g5  14.Qc2 And if 12.b4 Kh8 13.c5 dxc5 14.dxc5 c6 15.Rad1 Qe7 16.Qd2 f5 17.exf5 Rxf5  had ended in a victory for Black in a previous game

12...c6 13.Rfe1

If 13.c5 dxc5 14.d5 Kh8 15.dxc6 bxc6 16.Rd6 Qc7 17.Rfd1 Nb6 18.Na4 Re8 19.Nxc5 Nd5

13...g5 14.c5

It would have been better for White to advance 14.b4 Kh8  15.h3

14...dxc5 15.dxc5 Qe7 16.b4 Kh8

Getting out of the dangerous diagonal

17.Nd4 Ne5 18.Nf5

Entering enemy territory

18. ..Qf7

If 18...Bxf5 19.exf5

19.Nd6

The knight infiltrates some more into enemy territory but it does not get him the advantage he aims for. He could have tried 19.Rd6 g4 20.Bf1 Qh5 21.Red1 even though the going is not easy with this move

19...Qg6

Perhaps he could have tried to swing to queenside with19. ..Qc7

20.Nxc8

Traveling all the way and exchanging an unmoved piece!

20. ..Raxc8 21.Rd6 g4 22.Kh1

Worth a thought is 22.g3

22. ..Qh5

More aggressive is 22. ..f3

23.Bf1

White has strengthened his defence

23. ..Rce8 24.Ne2 g3 25.fxg3

If 25.h3 gxf2 26.Red1 Ng4 27.Nxf4 Qe5 28.Qd2 Bh6 29.hxg4(29.g3 Qxe4+ 30.Bg2 Qe1+) 29...Bxf4 30.Qxf2 Qg5 31.R6d3 Rxe4 and Black is better

25...Ng4 26.h3 fxg3 27.Nf4

If 27.Nxg3 Qh4 28.Red1 Qxg3 29.hxg4 Bh6 30.R1d3 Be3

27...Nf2+ 28.Kg1 Qe5 29.Nd3 Nxd3 30.Bxd3

If 30.Qxd3 f5

Diagram 1

30...f5

Black has taken control of the game

31.Rd7 fxe4 32.Be2

If 32.Bxe4 Rf4 33.Re3 (33.Rd2 Qc3) 33...Qd4

32...Rf2 33.Rxb7

Here 33.Qd1 is necessary even though the position is still not good

33. ..Qf4 34.Qd1 Rxg2+ and White resigned for if  35.Kxg2 Qf2+  36.Kh1 Qh2 checkmate

0–1

Diagram 2

Black to play and checkmate

 1.   .. Nh4+ 2.gxh4 Qf3 checkmate