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Dealing with pawn pushers

Dealing with pawn pushers

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A
Woodpusher

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Hi everyone. This is my first post here. Nice looking site.

Recently I took up chess again, I played alot in my youth and was pretty good way back then. Now after not playing for like 15+ years I see that I suck. lol...

Anyway, I play a guy fairly regularly who pretty much destroys all theory on natural openings, and me as well.

He will just ram his pawns completely down my throat crushing my opening position with pawns.

I can't stop him I've managed one draw in about 10 games.

Now I know his playstyle is weak and an experienced player would crush him. But I don't know how.

What should I do? I can't post any games as I have none recorded, just put it this way he will move maybe one or two pieces in the opening, the rest are pawn moves generally up the middle wreaking havoc making me move the same pieces 2-3 times in the opening.

It's quite annoying.

C

East London

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Originally posted by Adept
Hi everyone. This is my first post here. Nice looking site.

Recently I took up chess again, I played alot in my youth and was pretty good way back then. Now after not playing for like 15+ years I see that I suck. lol...

Anyway, I play a guy fairly regularly who pretty much destroys all theory on natural openings, and me as well.

He will just ram his p ...[text shortened]... wreaking havoc making me move the same pieces 2-3 times in the opening.

It's quite annoying.
if you're moving your minor pieces dude to pawns in the opening then stop putting you minor pieces on squares that can be attacked by pawns.

And its not bad to develope the center pawns as it gives you a space advantage .. and strong pawn centre.

X
Cancerous Bus Crash

p^2.sin(phi)

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Blockade his pawns. Use your better piece development to attack.
If he's sacrificing pawns take them and look for ways to trade to an endgame where your extra pawns make the difference.
If he has a strong centre because of the pawns look for a pawn break.

Without an example game I can't really give more specific advice.

A
Woodpusher

Oregon

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Originally posted by CenterNut
if you're moving your minor pieces dude to pawns in the opening then stop putting you minor pieces on squares that can be attacked by pawns.

And its not bad to develope the center pawns as it gives you a space advantage .. and strong pawn centre.
It's not that.

I can't read his mind, tho I can nearly now. I'm developing my pieces normally. I can't help it if he decides to move his pawns 2-3 times and push my pieces around. He presents a threat that I have to counter, other then retreating back to my starting square, I generally end up in a square where in 1 or two moves he will be attacking my piece with a pawn.

I understand developing center pawns, but he moves all of his pawns in the opening, well most of them.

We just played a game on ICC. I will try to find the recording. I'm new there so I don't know if they store games or not.

buffalobill
Major Bone

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Originally posted by XanthosNZ
Blockade his pawns. Use your better piece development to attack.
If he's sacrificing pawns take them and look for ways to trade to an endgame where your extra pawns make the difference.
If he has a strong centre because of the pawns look for a pawn break.

Without an example game I can't really give more specific advice.
After blockading him, look for a way punch a hole through his pawns and getting a powerful piece like a rook behind them Then you can cleanup. Not the best example but here's one of mine that illustrates how effective it can be Game 1072542

A
Woodpusher

Oregon

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Originally posted by XanthosNZ
Blockade his pawns. Use your better piece development to attack.
If he's sacrificing pawns take them and look for ways to trade to an endgame where your extra pawns make the difference.
If he has a strong centre because of the pawns look for a pawn break.

Without an example game I can't really give more specific advice.
ok here is our last game, at least the first 8 moves which illustrate my point.

1. e4...e5
2. Nf3...d6
3. Nc3...c6
4. Bc4...h6
5. d3...Nf6
6. Qe2...b5
7. Bb3...a5
8. 0-0...a4

How can I counter that? He's not rated much higher than me, but he crushes me. I can't beat him and I think I'm losing the game in the opening.

How can I make him pay for neglecting the development of his pieces in favor of his pawn fetish?

buffalobill
Major Bone

On yer tail ...

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Originally posted by Adept
ok here is our last game, at least the first 8 moves which illustrate my point.

1. e4...e5
2. Nf3...d6
3. Nc3...c6
4. Bc4...h6
5. d3...Nf6
6. Qe2...b5
7. Bb3...a5
8. 0-0...a4

How can I counter that? He's not rated much higher than me, but he crushes me. I can't beat him and I think I'm losing the game in the opening.

How can I make him pay for neglecting the development of his pieces in favor of his pawn fetish?
5. d4 and you've got no worries

buffalobill
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Originally posted by buffalobill
5. d4 and you've got no worries
or 8. a4 - you know what's coming. He's also wrecking his pawn structure for you.

X
Cancerous Bus Crash

p^2.sin(phi)

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Originally posted by Adept
ok here is our last game, at least the first 8 moves which illustrate my point.

1. e4...e5
2. Nf3...d6
3. Nc3...c6
4. Bc4...h6
5. d3...Nf6
6. Qe2...b5
7. Bb3...a5
8. 0-0...a4

How can I counter that? He's not rated much higher than me, but he crushes me. I can't beat him and I think I'm losing the game in the opening.

How can I make him pay for neglecting the development of his pieces in favor of his pawn fetish?
Bill is right.
4. d4 would have given white a clear advantage.
So would 5. d4.
I don't really see the point of 6. Qe2, the game hasn't progressed far enough to know if that is the right square for the queen. Why not just castle? Or play 6. d4?
8. a3 would still leave white in at least an even position.

You lost this game as soon as you played 8. 0-0 as it loses a piece. You should have realised that the next move would be a4 leaving your bishop with nowhere to go.

C

East London

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Originally posted by Adept
It's not that.

I can't read his mind, tho I can nearly now. I'm developing my pieces normally. I can't help it if he decides to move his pawns 2-3 times and push my pieces around. He presents a threat that I have to counter, other then ...[text shortened]... rding. I'm new there so I don't know if they store games or not.
You may not be able to read his mind.. but you can see where his pieces can go and can't go. When playing black you start out defending so you setup a defense but at the same time you're looking to steal the initiative, If you have to move your knight back to starting square or any other square during the opening you're losing tempo.. and they're gaining it. DO NOT LET THIS HAPPEN! you will lose every game if you do.

Take XanthosNZ advice and block his pawns I say the best thing to block a pawn during the opening is another pawn, this will stop it advancing and pushing you around. so ie

1w d4 1b d5
1w e4 1b e5
meet might with might! 😉

X
Cancerous Bus Crash

p^2.sin(phi)

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Originally posted by buffalobill
or 8. a4 - you know what's coming. He's also wrecking his pawn structure for you.
Compare the position after:
8.a4 b4 9. Nd1
and
8. a3 a4 9. Ba2

I prefer the latter. The bishop is protected and strong on the a2-g7 diagonal (perhaps it will later put pressure on a castled king). A knight on d1 does nothing and will have to moved again at some point.

A
Woodpusher

Oregon

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Thanks guys.

I've got to go to work, but I'm paying attention. I'll check all this out in detail tonight.

I appreciate all of your comments!

W
Instant Buzz

C#minor

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I'll give you the perspective of someone who is hopeless at chess and seems to be getting worse. I used to get quite a few games where ranks of pawns would come bearing down on me, it was more like playing space invaders than chess. I am sure the other guys here have sound advice but for what it's worth my strategy became one of trying getting a knight in behind the pawns. For me, it is the easiest piece to do it with. I also found that it is important to nip the whole thing in the bud, making a few pawn moves of your own, not panicing and enjoying every time your opponent ends up with doubled pawns. I haven't suffered the irritating pawn attack game in ages now.

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