A tale of woe

IM Malcolm Pein October 26, 2023

 

A SORRY tale from the Qatar Masters. Isolated queen’s pawn positions can arise from many openings, and defending them requires great care.
The player with the isolated pawn will often aim to advance it, to open lines for a kingside attack.
The defender should try and control the d5-square to prevent that.
An isolated queen’s pawn can be a liability in an endgame, or in a position with reduced material, as it cannot be defended by another pawn.
Therefore, Black should try and seek exchanges. This was beautifully illustrated in the game below from the world championship match between Anatoly Karpov and Viktor Korchnoi.
If Black plays inaccurately, disaster can strike.

P Shyaamnikhil – A C F Manish
Tarrasch Defence

1.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 d5 3.c4 e6 4.e3 c5 5.a3 cxd4 6.exd4 dxc4 7.Bxc4 Be7 8.Nc3 0–0 9.0–0 b6 10.Re1 Bb7 11.Bg5 Re8?
(12...h6 13.Bf4 Bd6! seeking exchanges to reduce White’s attacking chances is a good plan and if 13.Bh4 Nh5! as below, also looks quite playable) 
12.Ne5 (White seizes his chance)
12...a6? (Evidently oblivious, but it’s too late to turn back the clock with 12...Rf8 13.Nxf7 Rxf7 14.Bxe6 Nbd7 15.Qb3 Qf8 16.Bxd7 Nxd7 17.Rxe7)
13.Nxf7 Kxf7 14.Rxe6 Kf8

White to play and win. The idea is concealed. There are many strong moves, but the right idea wins quickly.

Show Answer

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V Korchnoi – A Karpov
30th WCC, Merano (9), 1981
Queen’s Gambit Declined

1.c4 e6 2.Nc3 d5 3.d4 Be7 4.Nf3 Nf6 5.Bg5 h6 6.Bh4 0–0 7.Rc1 dxc4 8.e3 c5 9.Bxc4 cxd4 10.exd4 Nc6 11.0–0 Nh5! 

12.Bxe7 Nxe7 13.Bb3 Nf6 14.Ne5 Bd7 15.Qe2 Rc8 16.Ne4 Nxe4 17.Qxe4 Bc6 18.Nxc6 Rxc6 19.Rc3 Qd6 20.g3 Rd8 21.Rd1 Rb6 22.Qe1 Qd7 23.Rcd3 Rd6 24.Qe4 Qc6 25.Qf4 Nd5 26.Qd2 Qb6 27.Bxd5 Rxd5 28.Rb3 Qc6 29.Qc3 Qd7 30.f4 b6 31.Rb4 b5 32.a4 bxa4 33.Qa3 a5 34.Rxa4 Qb5 35.Rd2 e5 36.fxe5 Rxe5 37.Qa1 Qe8 38.dxe5 Rxd2 39.Rxa5 Qc6 40.Ra8+ Kh7 41.Qb1+ g6 42.Qf1 Qc5+ 43.Kh1 Qd5+ 0–1

 

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