Metamorphosis: The promotion of passed pawns

by Jonathan Speelman
6/21/2020 – Jonathan Speelman explores an overriding aim in most endgames — the promotion of passed pawns. He explains: “One could see this as a form of parthenogenesis, as the piece (like Athena from Zeus's head) springs fully formed onto the board, sadly and inevitably killing the pawn in the process”.

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A case of parthenogenesis

[Note that Jon Speelman also looks at the content of the article in video format, here embedded at the end of the article.]

After two weeks of death in the form of Reginacide we move on this week to rebirth: the promotion of passed pawns.

As far as I know, pawns have no sexual organs so one could see this as a form of parthenogenesis, as the piece (like Athena from Zeus’s head) springs fully formed onto the board, sadly and inevitably killing the pawn in the process: though perhaps metamorphosis would be a better metaphor.  

Either way, the promotion of passed pawns is the overriding aim in most endgames and also features very heavily in some middlegames, endgame studies and problems.

Every experienced chess player must at one time or another have suffered at the hands of a vicious passed pawn which totally changed the course of the game. This can lead to scarring and I’m beginning in a moment with a game which made me very wary of enemy infantry.

In a perfect world, it shouldn’t have had any long term effects, but even today, nearly 50 years later, I feel that I remain slightly over-concerned about enemy passers, and this can have an effect both on your level of risk-taking in the middlegame and endgame and choice of openings. For instance, I’ve hardly ever played the Grünfeld, a lovely opening but one which invites White to set up a passed d-pawn. Of course this can be weak or strong, but in the abstract it tends to give me mild conniptions as I imagine a vile late middlegame with a queen and rook each and the d-pawn deep in my guts — rather than a delightful ending in which my king in Venus-Flytrap mode digests the delicious morsel.  

In any case, here first is a cautionary tale which begins with trapping the enemy queen but ends in disaster. I included it in my Best Games book (since it had such a formative effect) and I’m reproducing the notes here with just a couple of additions. (I have a feeling I may have used it in this column before but can’t find it in my list.)

 
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1.e4 I'm publishing this traumatic game, partly for its therapeutic value. Following my the previous year in the Challengers, this marked the beginning of the tournament a year later, when I racked up the princely total of 3.5/10 - the collapse was to a great extent due to the trauma of the present encounter. Although I didn't play the opening well, I was quick: the one clock time I recorded shows me more than an hour ahead after 17 moves. Then my opponent played a desperate blunder, hurling his queen into a man (or woman) trap whence there was no escape. Queen for rook ahead and with a considerable time advantage, it looked like I should have been home and dry. But the blunder turned out to be, if not sound, at the very least inspired: for his rooks bishop and passed pawns were able to create enormous problems for my defenders. The conclusion, with it's initial double blunder in which I played a move losing immediately but he returned the compliment; and then he was still able to a promote s "space invader": left a scar, in the shape of a slight over-evaluation of such resources, whiich I am only exorcising today in April 1997: Though in the calm light of day it is clear that Black did have legitimate chances even before I allowed things to get out of hand. c5 2.Nc3 e6 3.g3 Nc6 4.Bg2 Nf6 5.d3 Be7 6.f4 d5 7.e5 Nd7 8.Nf3 Rb8 9.a4 a6 10.0-0 0-0 11.Kh1 b5 12.axb5 axb5 13.d4 Steering into something rather like the "Classical Variation" of the French. b4 14.Ne2 Qb6 15.Re1 cxd4 16.Nexd4 Nc5 17.Be3 Qc7 55 - 2:06! 18.Nxc6 Qxc6 19.Nd4 Qc7 20.Qe2 Ne4 21.Rf1 Bc5 22.Nb3 Bxe3 23.Qxe3
23...Qxc2?? Whte may have a pull but this is desperate. The lady is now devoured in just a few moves. 24.Rac1! Qxb2 25.Bxe4 dxe4 26.Rf2 Qa3 27.Ra1
27...Rd8 28.Rxa3 One should always consider alternatives, even to a move as obvious as this. But delaying capturing the lady doen't help since after 28.Rd2 Rxd2! 29.Qxd2 Bb7 threatening ...e3+ White is forced to commit his queen to d6 29...g6 30.Qd6 Ra8 31.Rxa3 bxa3 reaching an inferior version of a line he could have in the game. 28...bxa3
Despite or rather because of Black's blunder the position has become extremely interesting. In formal material terms, a rook and two pawns are totally insufficient compensation for the queen. But both are passed and potentially extremely dangerous. The white knight, at present en prise to ...Rd3 lacks an accessible support point; and h1 is the very worst square which one could reasonably choose for the king. On the other hand, Black's back rank is still vulnerable: so that he will have to spend an invaluable tempo making "luft" in many lines. Somewhat to my surprise, I have found no absolutely clear line for White but ratherbelieve that he can choose between two rather unclear endings. Many lines lead to a generic position with Black's bishop on d5 supporting the a pawn on a2, blockaded by the knight on a1. Normally, Black will have shed his passed e pawn to arrange this so the battle will be between the remaining major pieces. Lacking a psssed pawn or any immediate target for the queen, White must try either to penetrate with his king towards e7; or more likely a kingside attack probably involving f5-6 followed by somnething on the black squares. Obviously only White can be better but I'm not sure if it's enough. It seems that after the game continuation, White could also force an ending with queen knight and initially three pawns against queen and three. In order to evade perpetual, White would have to jettison the g pawn but this would still leave queen knight f4 and e5 against queen and four. White would have attacking chances but on the other hand the passed h pawn might become a serious problem. It's interesting to consider how the evaluation of the position would change if either position were improved. With the White king on g1, I'm sure he'd be winning: while if Black had played ...h6 then I believe that he would correspondingly be quite comfortable. 28...Rd1+? 29.Kg2 bxa3 30.Qa7! Rxb3 31.Qa4 29.Nc5! Trying to dominate the bishop and quite possibly the best move. 29.Rd2 Rxd2 29...Bb7?! Black at best gets an inferior version of the generic position mentioned above. 30.Rxd8+ Rxd8 31.Qa7 31.Qb6 Rd7 32.Nc5? 32.Kg1 h6 32...e3+ 33.Nxb7 e2 34.Qa5 Rd1+ 35.Kg2 h5 31...Ba8! is the only defence. 31...Bd5? 32.Qxa3 31...Bc6? 32.Qc7 Rd1+ 32...e3+ transposes 33.Kg2 Be8 34.Qb8 Kf8 35.Qb4+ Kg8 36.Qxa3 e3 37.Qa8 Kf8 38.Kf3+- 31...e3+? is what Black wants to play but the back rank is his undoing. 32.Qxb7 e2 33.Qe4! Rd1+ 34.Kg2 e1Q 34...e1N+ 35.Kh3+- 35.Qa8+ 32.Kg1 e3 33.Kf1 Bf3 34.Qxe3 Bd5 reaches the generic position, though in a form where White has more tempi than usual. He might, for instance, play 35.Na1 a2 36.g4 30.Qxd2 g6 30...Bb7 31.Qb4 e3+ 32.Kg1 a2 33.Qb6 g6! 33...h6 34.Qc7 Ra8 35.Qxb7 a1Q+ 36.Nxa1 Rxa1+ 37.Kg2 e2 38.Qc8+ Kh7 39.Qc2+ 34.Na1 Kg7 35.Qxe3 35.Qa7 Rd8-+ 35...Bd5
36.Qc3 36.Qd4 Rb1+ 37.Kf2 Rh1 38.h4 Rh2+ 39.Ke3 Rg2 36...Rb1+ 37.Kf2 Rh1 38.h4 38.Ke3 Rxh2 39.Kd4 h5 40.Kc5 Rh3 41.Kd6 h4 42.Ke7 hxg3 43.Qc8 Rh8-+ 38...h5 39.Ke3 Rd1
31.Kg2 31.Qa2 Ra8 32.Nc5 Ra5 31...Kg7 32.Qc3 a2 33.Na1 Black has even kept the e-pawn.
29.Nc1 Rb2 30.Kg2 Bb7 31.Kh3 31.Na2 g6 31...Rd3 32.Qa7 32.Rxb2 Rxe3 33.Rxb7 g5 34.Kf2 Rf3+ 35.Ke2 gxf4 36.gxf4 Rxf4 37.Rb3 Rf3 32...e3+ 33.Kh3 g6 34.Rxb2 axb2 35.Qxb7 e2 31...Rxf2 31...Bd5? 32.Rxb2 axb2 33.Qb6 32.Qxf2 Bd5 29...Rb2! 30.Rxb2?? 30.Kg2 a2 30...Rxf2+ 31.Kxf2 a2 32.Qa3 Rd2+ 33.Ke3 Rc2 34.Nxe4 31.Qa3 Rdd2! 32.Rxd2 Rxd2+ 33.Kh3 e3!
34.Qa8! I thought that this didn't work until I checked it with an engine much later. 34.Qxe3?! Rxh2+! 34...a1Q 35.Qxd2 Qf1+ 35...h5 36.Qd8+ Kh7 37.Qxc8 Qf1+ 38.Kh4 Qe2 39.h3 35...g6 36.Ne4 Qa3 37.Qd8+ Qf8 38.Nf6+ Kg7 39.Ne8+ 36.Kh4 g6! 37.Ne4! 37.Qd8+ Kg7 38.Qxc8 Qe2= 37...Kg7 38.Nf6 h6 39.Qd8 g5+ 40.fxg5 hxg5+ 41.Kxg5 Qf5+ 42.Kh4 Qxe5 43.Nh5++- 35.Kxh2 a1Q 36.Qd2
36...g6 36...h6 37.Qd8+ Kh7 38.Qxc8 Qd1 38...Qb2+ 39.Kh3 Qc1 40.Qc6 g6 41.Qb7! 38...Qf1 39.Qc6 Qf2+ 40.Kh3 Qf1+ 41.Qg2 41.Kh4 g5+ 42.fxg5 hxg5+ 43.Kxg5 Qf5+ 44.Kh4 Kh6 45.g4 Qxe5 46.Kh3= 39.Qc6 Qh5+ 40.Kg2 Qe2+ 41.Kg1 Qd1+ 42.Kf2 Qd2+ 43.Kf3 Qd1+ 44.Ke3 Qe1+ 45.Kd4 36...h5 37.Qd8+ 37.Ne4 Ba6! 37...Bb7? 38.Qd8+ Kh7 39.Ng5+ Kg6 40.Qd3+ f5 41.exf6+ Kxf6 42.Qd8+ Kf5 38.Ng5 Qa3 37...Kh7 38.Qxc8 Qb2+ 38...Qd1 39.Qb7 39.Kh3 Qc2 40.Qb7! 40.Qc6 Kh6 40...Qxc5 41.Qxf7 Qc6 42.Qxh5+ 37.Qd8+ 37.Ne4 Bb7 38.Nf6+ Kg7 37...Kg7 38.Qxc8 Qd1 38...Qb2+ 39.Kh3 Qc1 40.Nxe6+ 39.Qc6 Qh5+ 40.Kg2 Qe2+ 41.Kg1 Qd1+ 42.Kf2 Qd2+ 43.Kf3 Qd1+ 44.Ke3
44...Qg1+ 44...Qe1+ 45.Kd4 Qf2+ 45...Qxg3 46.Kc4 Qxg3 47.Nd3 h5 48.Qc5 h4 49.Qf2 45.Ke2 Qh2+ 46.Kf1 Qxg3 47.Qe4 h5 48.Nd3 h4 49.Nf2 h3 50.Ke2 h2 51.Qf3 Qg1
34...g6!
34...h6 35.Qxc8+ Kh7 36.Nb3 e2 37.Qc1 Rb2 38.Qxb2 e1Q 39.Qxa2 35.Ne4‼ In earlier analysis I looked at Qxc8+, but when I looked again in 2017 Houdini pointed out that this is winning by improving the knight first: 35.Qxc8+ Kg7 Of course White can easily draw by perpetual but he doesn't seem to have more since the two passed pawns are just too much. 35...Kg7 35...Rc2 36.Nd6 36.Nf6 Rc2 37.Qa4 37.Ne8+ Kf8 37...a1Q 37...Bb7 to prepare Rc8 38.Ne8+ Kg8 38...Kh6 39.Qa3 39.Nd6 Rc8 40.Nxc8 Bxc8 41.Qxa2 37...Bd7 38.Nxd7 e2 39.Qa8 38.Qxa1 e2 39.Qa5 Bb7 40.Ne8+ Kg8 41.Nd6 Bg2+ 42.Kh4+-
30...axb2? 30...Rd1+! 31.Kg2 axb2 wins immediately! 31.Qb3 e3 32.Kg2? 32.Nd3 e2 33.Qxb2 33.Kg2? Rxd3 34.Qxd3 e1N+ 33...Rxd3 34.Qxe2 Bb7+ 35.Kg1 Rd8 and White is better since he can try to mount a kingside attack. But without any queensdie left it must be drawn. 32...e2 33.Kf2 Rd1 34.Kxe2 Rh1! 35.Qb8 h5! and not 35...h6? 36.Qxc8+ Kh7 37.Nd7 b1Q 38.Nf8+ Kg8 39.Nxe6+ Kh7 40.Nf8+= 36.Qxc8+ Kh7
A queen and knight for a rook and pawn ahead, White is totally lost. 37.Qb8 b1Q 38.Qxb1+ Rxb1 39.Kf3 Rb2 40.h3 Ra2 41.Ne4 Ra3+ 42.Kg2 Kg8 43.Ng5 Kf8 44.Kf2 Ke7 45.Kg2 f6 46.exf6+ gxf6 47.Ne4 Re3 48.Nf2 Kf7
0–1
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Speelman,J-Schauwecker-0–11972B24Hastings challengers1

There are any number of examples of rampaging passed pawns and rather than take them too seriously I searched the MegaBase for positions with black pawns on d2 and e2. Those suffering from the relevant unnamed phobia (any suggestions for a new coinage readers?) should look away.

The most famous of all of course is this one:

 
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1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 e5 5.Nxc6 bxc6 6.Bc4 Nf6 7.Bg5 Be7 8.Qe2 d5 9.Bxf6 Bxf6 10.Bb3 0-0 11.0-0 a5 12.exd5 cxd5 13.Rd1 d4 14.c4 Qb6 15.Bc2 Bb7 16.Nd2 Rae8 17.Ne4 Bd8 18.c5 Qc6 19.f3 Be7 20.Rac1 f5 21.Qc4+ Kh8 22.Ba4 Qh6 23.Bxe8 fxe4 24.c6 exf3 25.Rc2 Qe3+ 26.Kh1 Bc8 27.Bd7 f2 28.Rf1 d3 29.Rc3 Bxd7 30.cxd7 e4 31.Qc8 Bd8 32.Qc4 Qe1 33.Rc1 d2 34.Qc5 Rg8 35.Rd1 e3 36.Qc3 Qxd1 37.Rxd1
37...e2 The Chess Player's Chronicle 1843, p. 265
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McDonnell,A-De Labourdonnais,L-0–11834B32London m416

But I also found several hundred more, including one real game (a couple of kids played a game in a world under-16 championship where both sides got connected centre pawns on the seventh rank, but they were messing around) in which Black got pawns on e2 and d2 and resigned after White got passers on d6 and e6!

 
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1.e4 d5 2.exd5 Nf6 3.d4 Nxd5 4.c4 Nb4 5.a3 N4c6 6.Be3 e5 7.d5 Ne7 8.Nc3 Nf5 9.Bd2 Nd4 10.Nf3 c5 11.Be2 Bf5 12.0-0 Bd6 13.b4 Nd7 14.Nxd4 cxd4 15.Na2 b6 16.f4 e4 17.Bc1 d3 18.Bg4 Bxg4 19.Qxg4 Qf6 20.Be3 h5 21.Qh3 Qb2 22.Qf5 Nf6 23.c5 g6 24.Qh3 Be7 25.d6 Bf8 26.Rfb1 Qe2 27.Bd4 Bg7 28.Re1 Qc2 29.Qh4 d2 30.Red1 0-0 31.Bxf6 e3 32.Nc3 Qd3 33.Qg5 e2
34.Nxe2 Qxe2 35.Bxg7 Kxg7 36.Qe5+ Qxe5 37.fxe5 bxc5 38.bxc5 Rac8 39.Rxd2 Rxc5 40.Re1 Rd8 41.Re3 Rc6 42.h4 Kf8 43.Rb2 Re8 44.Rd2 Rd8 45.Kh2 f6 46.Rf2 f5 47.Kg3 Kf7 48.Rb3 Ke6 49.Rb7 Rf8 50.Re7+ Kd5 51.Kf3 f4 52.Rd2+ Kc4 53.Ke4 Rcc8 54.Rb7 a5 55.Rd1 Kc3
56.e6 Kc2 57.Rd4 Rf6
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Skokan,Z-Stulik,V-1–01963B01CSR-ch sf 4.7

Of the divers endgame studies featuring passed pawns here is one of my own.

 
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1.b7 1.Kb5? Bd7+ 2.Kc4 2.Ka6 Bc8+ 3.Ka7 Nd6 4.Kb8 Kf4 5.b7 Bxb7 6.c8Q Bxc8 7.Kc7 Ke5 2...Bc8 2...Nd6+? 3.Kd5 Nb7 4.c8Q Bxc8 5.Kc6 Na5+ 6.Kb5 3.Kd5 Nd2 3...Bb7+? 4.Ke6! 4.Kc6 Nc4 5.b7 Na5+ 1...Nc5+ 2.Kb5 Nxb7 3.c8N Bxc8 4.Kb6 Nd6 5.Kc7 ½–½
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Speelman,J-White to play and draw-½–½1978

To conclude, a lovely study by the Polish mathematician and study composer Jan Rusinek.

 
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1.h8Q+ Qxh8 2.g7+ Qxg7 3.hxg7+ Ke7
The study can start here, but in that case there is no promotion to a queen. Over-the-board chess players tend to prefer this version but apparently problem composers and solvers tend to prefer to start here since the added introduction burns too many pieces too qucikly and is too "unrealistic"! 4.a7 Ba6+ 5.b7 Ne4 6.g8N+ Ke8 7.Nf6+ Nexf6 8.a8B Ne5 9.Kb8 Nc6+ 10.Kc8 Bf1 11.b8R Ba6+ 12.Rb7
½–½
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Rusinek,J-White to play and draw-½–½2017

Apparently (after consulting a glossary) this is an example of an Allumwandlung — a problem or study in which there is promotion to all possible pieces (in fairy chess there would be more than the standard four).



If you want to play successful chess you must pay great attention to the endgame. On this DVD, Rustam Kasimdzhanov analyses the type of practical endgames which tournament players encounter on a daily basis. He explains what has to be known in order to make the correct strategic decisions and to find the correct plan in such endings. Kasimdzhanov’s outstanding and easily understandable explanations will certainly help you to substantially improve your own performance in the endgame.


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Jonathan Speelman, born in 1956, studied mathematics but became a professional chess player in 1977. He was a member of the English Olympic team from 1980–2006 and three times British Champion. He played twice in Candidates Tournaments, reaching the semi-final in 1989. He twice seconded a World Championship challenger: Nigel Short and then Viswanathan Anand against Garry Kasparov in London 1993 and New York 1995.

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