This is an extract from the book The Complete Manual of Positional Chess- Volume 2 by Konstantin Sakaev and Konstantin Landa, published by New In Chess.

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This is the case of a pawn cut off in the enemy camp, but which can cause chaos there and mess up the opponent’s position.

Such pawns often die, but in return, they can destroy the coordination of the enemy pieces.

Alexander Khalifman 2649
Nidjat Agayev 2318
Nakhchivan 2012 (6)

1.d4 ♘f6 2.c4 c5 3.d5 e6 4.♘c3 exd5 5.cxd5 ♗d6

This system is a rare guest in tournament practice.

It relies chiefly on surprise value.

The main idea is to transfer the bishop via d6 and c7, after which White can very reasonably reply d5-d6.

An interesting, non-standard battle then develops, in which White’s chances are nonetheless superior, thanks to the powerful pawn in the black position, on d6.

6.g3

The bishop transfer to c7 can be radically prevented by 6.e4, and now 6...♗c7?? simply loses after 7.d6 ♗a5 8.e5! ♘e4 9.♕g4 ♘xc3 10.♕xg7 ♘e4+ 11.♔d1 ♖f8 12.♗h6.

The bishop can only be transferred to c7 after 6.♘f3 ♗c7!?, and now things are not so clear after 7.d6 ♗a5 8.♗g5 ♕b6! 9.♗xf6 ♕xb2! 10.♗xg7 ♖g8 (or 10...♗xc3+ 11.♗xc3 ♕xc3+ 12.♘d2 b6) 11.♖b1 ♗xc3+ 12.♗xc3 ♕xc3+ 13.♘d2 ♖g6 14.♖b3 ♕d4⩱. 6...♗c7

The main line is 6...0-0 7.♘f3 ♗c7 8.d6 ♗a5 9.♗g2 ♘e4 10.♕d3 ♕f6 11.0-0! ♘xc3 12.bxc3 h6 13.♗f4!, which is also dangerous for Black.

7.d6 ♗a5 8.♗g2 h6 On 8...0-0, White can transpose to a favourable variation with 9.♘f3 (or 9.♘h3!?, which is also not bad).

9.♘h3 0-0 10.0-0 ♗xc3 11.bxc3 ♘c6

12.e4 White’s play is simple – he advances his pawns in the centre.

Black, cramped by the pawn on d6, has no chance of developing any activity.

His position is effectively lost.

12...♕a5 13.♕c2 ♖e8 14.f4 b5 15.e5 ♘h7 16.♗e3

The black pieces are almost invisible, and the rest is largely a matter of fairly simple technique.

16...♗a6 17.♗xc6 dxc6 18.♗xc5 ♘f8 19.♘f2 ♗c8 20.♘e4 ♗h3 21.♖fe1 ♘d7 22.♕f2 ♕a4 23.♗b4 a5 24.♘c5 ♘xc5 25.♗xc5 ♕c4 26.♕d4 ♕xd4+ 27.♗xd4 a4 28.♖ad1 ♖eb8 29.♗c5 ♖b7 30.♔f2 ♖d7 31.♔e3 ♔f8 32.c4 ♗e6 33.cxb5 cxb5 34.a3 ♖c8 35.♖c1 ♔e8 36.g4 g6 36...♗xg4 37.♖g1. 37.h3 ♖b7 38.♔e4 ♔d7 39.f5 gxf5+ 40.gxf5 ♗c4 41.♗b4 ♖bb8 42.♖g1 ♗b3 43.e6+ fxe6 44.♖g7+ ♔d8 45.♗a5+ 1-0

19
Konstantin Sakaev
Alon Greenfeld
Russia tt 1998 (1)

Weak squares 

The position looks roughly equal.

The e5-square is the wrong colour to serve as a convenient outpost for the white knight – Black simply takes on e5 with the bishop, and begin play on the light squares.

Therefore, White instead tries to seize the e-file, and is able to assist this with play on the kingside, by exploiting the barely-noticeable weakness of the g6-square.

19.♕g6! ♕f7 19...♘c6 20.♘g4 ♘e7 21.♕h5 (21.♘xh6+ ♔h8 22.♘f7+ ♔g8) 21...♘f5 22.♖he1, and White also keeps the initiative.

20.h5!

The black pawns are fixed on the same colour squares as his bishop, which is useful in the long term.

White has also realised that after the exchange on g6, the white pawn appearing on that square is a strength, not a weakness.

It seriously cramps Black, and cannot easily be attacked.

20.♕xf7+ ♔xf7 does not offer anything serious.

20...♕xg6 20...♗e7 21.♕xf7+ (21.♘g4!? ♕f3+ 22.♔h3 ♕xc3 23.♘xh6+ ♔h8) 21...♘xf7 22.♘g4. 21.hxg6

The g6-pawn disturbs Black and in the end, decides the game.

21...♘c6 22.♘g4 ♖ae8?

Bad is 22...♘e7? 23.♗b4 – the pin on the knight decides.

It was worth considering 22...a5!?, but after 23.♖he1 or 23.♖c1, Black still experiences problems.

23.♘e3 ♖e4

More tenacious is 23...♗g5, but here too, after 24.♘xd5 ♖e2 25.♖hf1 ♖xa2 26.♘xc7 ♖c2 27.♖d3! (he can keep the pawn with 27.♘d5, but here Black’s drawing chances are greater) 27...♘xd4 28.♖xd4 ♖xc3 29.♘e6 ♖e8 30.♖e1 ♗f6 31.♖d7, White retains his domination, and every chance of winning – Black suffers from... Back-rank weakness 24.♘xd5 ♗xd4 25.♗xd4 ♘xd4

26.♖he1!

White is not distracted by the pawn on c7 – it is more important to seize the e-file.

26...♖xe1 27.♖xe1 c6 28.♘e7+

Even more convincing and simply winning was 28.♘f4!, bringing the knight to h5.

28...♔h8 29.♖e4 c5 30.♘d5 ♘c6 31.f4 ♖c8 32.f5 ♔g8

The black king is in a cage, and White finds a way to shut it in completely: 33.♖e7! ♖d8 34.f6! ♘xe7 35.fxe7 ♖e8 36.♔f3

The white king rules the board.

36...b5 37.♔e4 c4 38.bxc4 bxc4 39.♔d4 ♖c8 40.♔c3

Black resigned.

It is never too late to go wrong – after 40.♘c7?? c3, the result changes 180 degrees.

20
Alexei Shirov 2751
Veselin Topalov 2702
Sarajevo 2000 (3)

There followed... 14.d6!

Surely Alexei Shirov isn’t counting on queening his pawn?

No, of course not.

By advancing to d7, the pawn cuts the black position into two halves, and is also prepared to lay down its life in due course.

The other important thing is that he opens a group of squares for the attack – d5 for the knight, d6 for the white queen, and also the a2-g8 diagonal.

14...♘c6

The knight heads for d4, but this does not bring great benefits, since the other black pieces are uncoordinated, especially his rooks.

It was stronger to open up the bishop with 14...e4, or stop the white pawn by 14...♘d7. 15.d7! ♗b7

16.♕d6

Another tempting possibility was 16.♖h3, first including the rook in the attack.

Black has to move the king into the corner with 16...♔h8, when White can choose between two promising squares for his queen – d5 or d6 (Black loses after the direct 16...♘d4 17.♕h6 ♗g7 18.♖g3 ♘e6 19.♖xg7+ ♘xg7 20.♘g5).

16...e4

If the bishop moves away from the ♘d5 in advance, with 16...♗g7, there is the strong 17.♖h3!.

17.♘d5 ♗g7 18.♘g5

Thanks to the knights, a mating net is forming around the black king.

18...♘d4 19.♘e7+ ♔h8 20.♖h3 f4

Dynamics. Prophylaxis / ‘quiet’ moves in the middle of an attack

21.♔b1!

Black has no moves to strengthen his position, so White permits himself some prophylaxis – the king moves away from the knight check.

21...b4 22.♗e2!

The inclusion of the bishop in the attack settles things.

22...f3 23.gxf3 ♘xe2 24.♕xc5 ♘f4 25.♕f5 ♘g6 26.h5 ♕xe7 27.hxg6

Black resigned.

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