Example 65
A Ruy Lopez, Janowski – Lasker, Paris 1912
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efgh+0.4
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Step through the moves with the arrows, or click a move.
Chapter 6 of 7
Further Openings and Middle-Games
Pawn formations and what they decide: the backward Pawn, attacking and defensive centres, passed Pawns, a Pawn on the fifth rank in a Ruy Lopez, and the influence of a "hole" in a complete game.
Every example is on its own board: click a move or use the arrows, and the notes appear beside the board. The number under the board is Stockfish's evaluation for White (minus means Black is better), or the exact result when few enough pieces are left.
31. Some salient points about Pawns
Before going back to the discussion of openings and middle-game positions, it might be well to bear in mind a few facts concerning Pawn positions which will no doubt help to understand certain moves, and sometimes even the object of certain variations in the openings, and of some manoeuvres in the middle-games.
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Example 63. In the position of the diagram we have an exceedingly bad Pawn formation on Black's side. Black's c-pawn is altogether backward, and White could by means of the open file concentrate his forces against that weak point. There is also the square at White's c5, which is controlled by White, and from where a White piece once established could not be dislodged. In order to get rid of it, Black would have to exchange it, which is not always an easy matter, and often when possible not at all convenient. The same holds true with regard to Black's e-, f- and g-pawns, which create what is called a "hole" at Black's f6. Such Pawn formations invariably lead to disaster, and consequently must be avoided.
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Example 64. In this position we might say that the White centre Pawns have the attacking position, while the Black centre Pawns have the defensive position. Such a formation of Pawn occurs in the French Defence. In such positions White most often attempts, by means of f4 and f5, to obtain a crushing attack against Black's King, which is generally Castled on the King's side. To prevent that, and also to assume the initiative or obtain material advantage, Black makes a counter-demonstration by …c5, followed by …cxd4 (when White defends the Pawn by c3), and the concentrating of Black's pieces against the White Pawn at d4. This in substance might be said to be a determined attack against White's centre in order to paralyse the direct attack of White against Black's King. It must be remembered that at the beginning of the book it was stated that control of the centre was an essential condition to a successful attack against the King.
In an abstract way we may say that two or more Pawns are strongest when they are in the same rank next to one another. Thus the centre Pawns are strongest in themselves, so to speak, when placed at e4 and d4 respectively, hence the question of advancing either the one or the other to the fifth rank is one that must be most carefully considered. The advance of either Pawn often determines the course the game will follow.
Another thing to be considered is the matter of one or more passed Pawns when they are isolated either singly or in pairs. We might say that a passed Pawn is either very weak or very strong, and that its weakness or strength, whichever happens to be in the case to be considered, increases as it advances, and is at the same time in direct relation to the number of pieces on the board. In this last respect it might be generally said that a passed Pawn increases in strength as the number of pieces on the board diminishes.
Having all this clear in mind we will now revert to the openings and middle-game. We will analyse games carefully from beginning to end according to general principles. I shall, whenever possible, use my own games, not because they will better illustrate the point, but because, knowing them thoroughly, I shall be able to explain them more authoritatively than the games of others.
32. Some possible developments from a Ruy Lopez
That some of the variations in the openings and the manoeuvres in the middle-game are often based on some of the elementary principles just expounded can be easily seen in the following case:
8721abcdefghThe backward c-pawn
The backward c-pawn
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Now we would have here the case of the backward c-pawn, which will in no way be able to advance to c5. Such a position may be said to be theoretically lost, and in practice a first-class master will invariably win it from Black. (If I may be excused the reference, I will say that I won the game above referred to.)
After a few moves the position may be easily thus:
The Black pieces fixed
The Black pieces fixed
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The Black pieces can be said to be fixed. If White plays Qc3, Black must answer …Qd7, otherwise he will lose a Pawn, and if White returns with the Queen to a3 Black will have again to return to b7 with the Queen or lose a Pawn. Thus Black can only move according to White's lead, and under such conditions White can easily advance with his Pawns to f4 and g4, until Black will be forced to stop f5 by playing …f5, and we might finally have some such position as Example 66.
Example 66. In this situation the game might go on as follows:
Example 66
The Pawn on the fifth rank
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Step through the moves with the arrows, or click a move.
Now suppose that in the position of Example 66 it were Black's move, and he played …Rf8. White would then simply defend his f-pawn by some move like Qf3, threatening Rxc6, and then he would bring his King up to g3, and when the time came, break through, as in the previous case. White might even be able to obtain the following position:
Example 66
White's King brought up
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Black would now be forced to play …Rc8, and White could then play Qc2, and follow it up with Kf3, and thus force Black to play …fxg4, which would give White a greater advantage.
A careful examination of all these positions will reveal that, besides the advantage of freedom of manoeuvre on White's part, the power of the Pawn at e5 is enormous, and that it is the commanding position of this Pawn, and the fact that it is free to advance, once all the pieces are exchanged, that constitute the pivot of all White's manoeuvres.
I have purposely given positions without the moves which lead to them so that the student may become accustomed to build up in his own mind possible positions that may arise (out of any given situation). Thus he will learn to make strategical plans and be on his way to the master class. The student can derive enormous benefit by further practice of this kind.
33. The influence of a "hole"
The influence of a so-called "hole" in a game has already been illustrated in my game against Blanco (Example 52), where has been shown the influence exercised by the different pieces posted in the hole created at White's e5.
Example 67. In order to further illustrate this point, I now give a game played in the Havana International Masters Tournament of 1913. Queen's Gambit Declined. White: D. Janowski. Black: A. Kupchick.
Example 67
Janowski – Kupchick, Havana 1913
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Step through the moves with the arrows, or click a move.
From now on to the end of the book I shall give a collection of my games both lost and won, chosen so as to serve as illustrations of the general principles laid down in the foregoing pages.