SC Week 3/5: Karpov - Spassky, Spartakiad 1975 (Weak Pawns)
"A very good square for the knight. the pressure on Black’s d-pawn is obvious, but he is not without some counterchances based on his own well-placed knight."
Michael Stean
Notes and Observations
12 Ne5 Karpov uses the threat of occupying an outpost to draw Black’s pawn forward. It’s often the case that inducing a pawn advance will create weaknesses.
13 … Bxc5 Spassky decides to take on an isolated pawn rather than hanging pawns. This kind of decision is rather common on queen’s pawn openings.
15 … Re8, 16 … Ne4, 18 … Rac8 Stean never really covers the advantages of playing with an isolated pawn but Spassky’s play here gives a clue. Open (c-file) and semi-open (e-file) lines and a semi-outpost on e4. Even though he’s left with a passive minor piece, Black’s activity means he is able to whip up a very strong attack beginning with 20 … Nxf2.
Reminders
With 14 Nd3 and 15 Bf4, Karpov looks to trade dark-squared bishops. It’s a common strategy when playing against an Isolated Queen’s Pawn. See also Fischer - Petrosian (Weak Pawns/2).
Fischer - Bertok (his 34th Memorable Game) is good example of the potential advantages of hanging pawns.
Stean focusses on the isolated queen’s pawn as a weakness, but there are many openings - the Tarrasch defence, the Panov-Botvinnik attack in the Caro-Kann, the Queen’s Gambit Accepted for instance - when one voluntarily takes on an IQP. Look up Spassky’s games with the Tarrasch from the 1969 match with Petrosian as examples. Also Kasparov’s big plus score with that opening in the early 80s. Until he ran into Karpov in the early games of the 1984 World Championship match, at least.
I'd forgotten about it when I wrote the post, but RIOS has a chapter on hanging pawns in his Chess Structures book.
ReplyDeleteAgain an interesting game with a combination of outposts and playing against/with the pawnstructure of the opponent. I am gonna take a look at the Fischer game and how he handles the hanging pawns. My view in general as till now is that hanging pawns in most players' hand more likely become a liability rather than an asset.
ReplyDeleteMy notes:
- Catalan opening where 10. Nxd5 after 9..Nd7 (blocking the queen on the-file) is well timed. It makes sure that black has to take with the pawn on d5 and gets no outpost. This timing is also a good thing to remember.
The move 11. Rd1 is some nice prophylaxis and makes the ..c5 break less attractive in view of a potential weak d5-pawn.
- By playing 12. Ne5 Karpov threatens to land the knight on the outpost c6. This more or less forces black to play .. c5 after either gets and isolated d-pawn or hanging pawns.
- 15. Bf4 has the idea of exchanging one of Black's most active pieces. Exchanging light pieces is in general also something desireable when playing against your opponent's isolani.
- The game also showcases the incredibly well calculated defending of Karpov and with that achieving an endgame with a material advantage.
- To remember from this game 4 moves stand out for me:
x The perfectly timed Nxd5 after 9..Nd7
x The prophylactic Rd1 to make the ..c5 break much less attractive
x 13. dxc5 which creates either an isolated pawn or hanging pawns
x 15. Bf4 and trading of best black's potential piece
Hi Maxim, I know I owe you some replies. Bear with me.
ReplyDeleteNo worries! For me committing to replying to your posts and the games is also a way of forcing myself to finish the book. Also let me know if it is too much. :)
DeleteCheers!
It's never too much Maxim, that's for sure. Your comments will make the posts more interesting for other readers as they have another points of view to ponder.
Delete