Up a Pawn, But Cramped (xx29 v. Erika Nu, Game ID 14776015)
02 Aug '22 23:45A recent game at this website between xx29 and Erika Nu, Game 14776015, involved Black's accepting a gambit pawn, obtaining a solid but cramped position in the center, gaining a space advantage on a wing, and using that space advantage to launch a decisive attack.
The game began as depicted in the following chess movie.
What was the purpose of White's ninth move?
White plans to play f5... so that whether Black's g-pawn captures or advances, the e8/h5 diagonal will have been weakened.
If Black were to play 9...f5 to halt the advance of White's f-pawn, what squares would be weakened?
9...f5 would weaken the e5 and g5 squares, which the f-pawn had controlled while at f6.
How might White try to exploit the weakening of those squares?
White might answer 9...f5 with 10.Nf3, threatening the e-pawn and 11.Ng5.
If Black were to play 9...Ne7 to halt the advance of White's f-pawn, how might White respond?
9...Ne7 would allow 10.fxe5 fxe5 11.Rxe5! (If Black replies 11...dxe5, then 12.Bf7+ wins Black's queen.) 11...Bg4! (By connecting Black's a-rook and queen, Black threatens 12...dxe5.) 12.Rxe7+ Bxe7 13.Qxg4 Bxh4 14.Bh6 Be7 15.Bg7 Rf8 16.Bxf8 (If now 16...Kxf8, then 17.Rf1+ Kg7 18.Rf7+ wins a piece after 18...Kh8 19.Qd4+ or 18...Kh6 19.Qh3+ Kg5 20.Qe3+.) 16...Bxf8 17.Rf1 Qe7 18.Bf7+ Kd8 19.Be6, impeding Black's queen along the e-file and intending Rf7... This line (starting with 10.fxe5) is depicted in the next chess movie.
Returning to the position after 9.f4,
If Black were to permit 10.f5, how might the g-pawn be adequately protected so that Black could maintain the tension at f5/g6 (and thereby not weaken the e8/h5 diagonal)?
Black's queen could act as a second defender of the g-pawn by moving to e7 and then to g7.
How might the pawn position be altered so that Black's queen at g7 would support a constructive plan?
If White were play fxg6... and Black recaptured with the h-pawn, Black would obtain a half-open file against White's king, and the eventual advance of Black's g-pawn would gain further space and thus impair White's ability to defend.
Would Black have a way to compel White to make this exchange?
Yes. After maneuvering the queen to g7, Black can use pieces to attack the f-pawn so as to threaten it without having to play ...gxf5. Then in order not to lose a second pawn, White would exchange pawns at g6.
For the game continuation after 9.f4, see the following chess movie (which begins with that move).
Here Black finished off nicely with 21...Rxh2!. 22.Qxd5 would be met by 22...Bxe3+ (If White replied 23.Kxh2, then 23...Qh4 mate.) 23.Rxe3 Qxe3+ 24.Kxh2 O-O-O, when White would have no good way to prevent Black's rook from reaching the h-file. See the next chess movie for the remainder of the game after 21...Rxh2.
(A list of the threads I've initiated at this forum is available at http://www.davidlevinchess.com/chess/RHP_my_threads.htm .)
The game began as depicted in the following chess movie.
After 9.f4
What was the purpose of White's ninth move?
White plans to play f5... so that whether Black's g-pawn captures or advances, the e8/h5 diagonal will have been weakened.
If Black were to play 9...f5 to halt the advance of White's f-pawn, what squares would be weakened?
9...f5 would weaken the e5 and g5 squares, which the f-pawn had controlled while at f6.
How might White try to exploit the weakening of those squares?
White might answer 9...f5 with 10.Nf3, threatening the e-pawn and 11.Ng5.
If Black were to play 9...Ne7 to halt the advance of White's f-pawn, how might White respond?
9...Ne7 would allow 10.fxe5 fxe5 11.Rxe5! (If Black replies 11...dxe5, then 12.Bf7+ wins Black's queen.) 11...Bg4! (By connecting Black's a-rook and queen, Black threatens 12...dxe5.) 12.Rxe7+ Bxe7 13.Qxg4 Bxh4 14.Bh6 Be7 15.Bg7 Rf8 16.Bxf8 (If now 16...Kxf8, then 17.Rf1+ Kg7 18.Rf7+ wins a piece after 18...Kh8 19.Qd4+ or 18...Kh6 19.Qh3+ Kg5 20.Qe3+.) 16...Bxf8 17.Rf1 Qe7 18.Bf7+ Kd8 19.Be6, impeding Black's queen along the e-file and intending Rf7... This line (starting with 10.fxe5) is depicted in the next chess movie.
Returning to the position after 9.f4,
If Black were to permit 10.f5, how might the g-pawn be adequately protected so that Black could maintain the tension at f5/g6 (and thereby not weaken the e8/h5 diagonal)?
Black's queen could act as a second defender of the g-pawn by moving to e7 and then to g7.
How might the pawn position be altered so that Black's queen at g7 would support a constructive plan?
If White were play fxg6... and Black recaptured with the h-pawn, Black would obtain a half-open file against White's king, and the eventual advance of Black's g-pawn would gain further space and thus impair White's ability to defend.
Would Black have a way to compel White to make this exchange?
Yes. After maneuvering the queen to g7, Black can use pieces to attack the f-pawn so as to threaten it without having to play ...gxf5. Then in order not to lose a second pawn, White would exchange pawns at g6.
For the game continuation after 9.f4, see the following chess movie (which begins with that move).
After 21.Qd2
Here Black finished off nicely with 21...Rxh2!. 22.Qxd5 would be met by 22...Bxe3+ (If White replied 23.Kxh2, then 23...Qh4 mate.) 23.Rxe3 Qxe3+ 24.Kxh2 O-O-O, when White would have no good way to prevent Black's rook from reaching the h-file. See the next chess movie for the remainder of the game after 21...Rxh2.
(A list of the threads I've initiated at this forum is available at http://www.davidlevinchess.com/chess/RHP_my_threads.htm .)