5/27/2024 – Most of the time, chess pieces can rely on the pawn structure. Pawns serve as a shelter, as a support, and as a natural barrier. However, sometimes all the central pawns get exchanged. The pawn structure evaporates, and the pieces are hovering in an open, empty, pawnless space. What does change in the lives of chess pieces when pawns disappear? | Photo: David Baron
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Well, two things. Firstly, pieces (except of knights) are more powerful on an empty chessboard. Secondly, they are also more vulnerable, as they lack outposts naturally created by pawns. Again, knights suffer most, as they are much slower than bishops, rooks, or queens.
Positions with a pawnless centre are very tactical and the price of every move is high. Therefore, you should play actively and dynamically. In open positions, there is little space for fear or hesitation!
****
In the first example, we will have a look at the game of a genius of dynamical play, Garri Kasparov:
Kasparov-Kasimdzhanov, Wijk aan Zee 1999, White to move:
The pawn structure on both wings is symmetrical, and the centre is fully open. White's pieces don’t seem to stand very actively, so many club players would simply assess this position as equal.
And yet Kasparov has some initiative. Firstly, he is to move. Secondly, the a5-knight is badly placed and vulnerable. And thirdly, the bishops are operating on different diagonals. That gives White the chance E.g. to attack the opponent's queenside, and black bishops might have difficulties to join the defence.
These pluses are very small and might vanish soon. Therefore, Kasparov needs to act quickly. I think that many players would more or less automatically play something like 15.Rc1, giving Black the precious time to recover.
However, Kasparov knew that he must act quickly. He played: 15.Ne4! Now after 15...Bxa1 16.Qxa1 Nd5 (covering both the a5-knight and f6) 17.Bh6 White regains the sacrificed material and keeps the edge. Therefore, Black responded 15…Nc6. And again, Kasparov went for the most active move: 16.Bg5 Qxd1 17.Raxd1.
White harmoniously developed his pieces and is going to secure his knight a strong outpost on d6.
After almost 20 moves of an interesting fight, the following position with White to move appeared on the board:
White's edge is now rather obvious. All his minor pieces are active, and Black's pawns are vulnerable. However, even here it is not too late to spoil the advantage. For example, the materialistic 34.Bxb7?? leads after 34…Ne5 only to an equal game. Black's pieces might get fairly strong on the open chessboard.
However, Kasparov knew better. In fact, White is winning by force, making use of the vulnerability of both the black rook and the bishop. He played 34.Bc1 Rb1 (34...Rc2 35.Bxe6 fxe6 36.Nd4) 35.Be4 Ra1 36.Ne7+ and Black resigned, as any retreat of his king will be answered by a check of the c1-bishop, followed by Rxa1.
Here's the complete game:
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1.d4Nf62.c4g63.g3Bg74.Bg2d55.cxd5Nxd56.e4Nb67.Ne20-08.0-0Nc69.d5Na510.Nbc3c611.b3cxd512.exd5Bg413.Bd213.f3Bd714.Ba3!14.Be3e6!?14...Re815.Rc1e616.d6Bc617.Nd4?!17.Kh1!Nd518.Nxd5exd519.Nd4±17...Nd518.Nxd5Bxd5!19.Rc7!?Nc620.Nxc6bxc61/2-1/2 Obukhov,A-Kotsur,P/Kurgan/1994/ (28)13...e613...Nd714.h3Bf515.Be3Rc816.g4Bxc317.Nxc3Rxc318.gxf5Nf619.Bd4Rc720.Bxf6exf621.Rc1Rxc122.Qxc1Qd61/2-1/2 Hirschhorn,J-Feldman,V/Sydney 1995/
(53)14.dxe6Bxe615.Ne415.Nf4Bf516.Ncd5Nc617.Rc1Re818.Bc3Nxd519.Nxd5Be420.Bxg7Kxg721.Rc4Bxg222.Kxg2Re523.Ne3Qxd124.Rxd1
1/2-1/2 Mozny,M-Kalod,R/CZE/1997/ (24)15...Nc615...Bxa116.Qxa1Nd516...Nd717.Bh6f618.Bxf8Qxf819.Rd1±17.Bh6f618.Bxf8Qxf819.Rd1±16.Bg5Despite symmetrical pawn position white exercises better
control of the center, especially his knight on e4 is annoying for black.16.Bc3Re817.Bxg7Kxg718.Nd616...Qxd116...f6!?17.Be3f517...Bg418.f318.Nc5Bxa119.Nxe6Qxd120.Rxd1Rf621.Nc7Rc822.Nd517.Raxd1h617...f618.Bf418.Be318.Bf6Bxf619.Nxf6+Kg720.Ne418...Rad818...Nd519.Bc5Rfd820.Nd6b621.Ba319.Nd6Bg419...Nb420.Nxb720.Nf4!?20...Rxd121.Rxd1Nxa222.Nc520.f3Bc821.Bc5Bf621...Nd722.Ba322.f4!Logical continuation,
white's plus is in maximum pressure against black position.Bg422...Be723.Nxb7Bxb724.Bxe7Nxe725.Bxb7±23.Ne4Bxe223...Bg7?24.Bxf8Rxf825.Rfe1+-24.Nxf6+Kg725.Rxd825.Bxf8+Rxf826.Bxc6Bxd127.Rxd1bxc628.Rd6Rc825...Rxd826.Re1Rd2Kasimdzhanov can claim first
success, he managed to generate some counterplay.26...Kxf627.Rxe227.Bxc6bxc628.Rxe2Rd727...Rd1+28.Kf2Nd529.Bf326...Rd127.Ne8+Kh728.Rxd1Bxd129.Nd6±27.Ne8+Kg828.Nd6Nd728...Rxa229.Nxb7Nb830.Bd4±29.Be3Rxa229...Rxd630.Rxe2a631.Kf2±30.Bd5Nd830...Kf8!?31.b4Rc231...Rb232.Bc1Rb133.Be4Ra134.Bxc6bxc635.Kf2+-32.Bxf7±31.b4Rb232.f5! Kasparov has
excellent feeling for the dynamics of the position, black pieces are badly
coordinated and white's bishop's pair dominates.32.Bc1Rb132...Rc2?33.Be4Ra234.Bb1Ra635.Nc8!Re635...Ra136.Bb2+-36.f5!+-33.Be4Ra1∞32...gxf532...Nf6?33.Bd4+-32...g533.Rc1!Nc633...Nf634.Rc8Nxd535.Rxd8+Kh736.Bd4Rb1+37.Kf2+-34.Nxf7Nxb435.Rc8+Kg736.Bd4++-33.Nxf5Ne633...b634.Bc1Rb135.Be4Ra136.Ne7++-34.Bc1Rb134...Rc235.Bxe6fxe636.Nd4Rxc137.Rxc1Bg438.Rc7+-35.Be4!Ra136.Ne7+36.Ne7+Kf837.Bxh6+Kxe738.Rxa1Ba639.Be3+-1–0
Please, remember: in an open positions, even seemingly unimportant differences in the activity of the pieces might be decisive. Without the pawn structure, pieces are stronger than they seem to be, and the differences between them are also far more important than they seem to be.
***
Keeping your pieces active is thus the most important task in an open position. Let us have a look at an example from the highest possible level.
Kasparov-Anand, World Championship Match 1995, White to move:
It is great that such a position can arise in a World Championship Match! Black is an exchange up, but his centre is collapsing, and his pieces are not cooperating at all. In fact, except of the king they are all standing in corners.
Anand was out of book at this stage, and he took twenty minutes to find the best move. But he found it. After a long thought, he played 15...0-0-0!!.
It seems to be totally crazy to castle right into all this mess on the queenside. However, long castling is the most effective way of getting the rooks into play. The d8-rook is already centralised, and the other rook will get to e8 with a check.
After 16.Rxc6 Rhe8+ 17.Kd3 Rd7 Black was fine and the game was drawn five moves later.
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1.e4Benjamine52.Nf3Nc63.d4At this time, Kasparov hadn't yet found
the solution against my Open Ruy Lopez, that he employed in game 10, so he
deviates a bit earlier. Garry, for at least the time being, has decided not to
test Anand's Open variation to the Ruy Lopez.exd44.Nxd4Nf65.Nxc6
This variation was played twice in the 1990 World Championship match between
Kasparov and Karpov, with the champion scoring a win and a draw.bxc66.e5Qe77.Qe2Nd58.c4Ba69.b3g5!The point of thie move is very simple.
Black wants to stop f4 which is quite good against 9...g6. A theoretical
novelty. The usual choices are 9...Qh4 and 9...g6. Karpov tried 9...O-O-O
against Garry.9...g610.f410.Ba3After a reasonable think, Kasparov
decided to follow an idea he had against g6 the previous move, reaching a
position which he had prepared with the only difference being the pawn on g5.
The champion thought for 15 minutes here, and then played his next few moves
at a rapid tempo. As will be seen on move 15, the two players are following a
game where 9...g6 was played. It seems likely that Garry spent his time here
trying to decide whether ...g5 makes a big difference compared with ...g5.The
latter move, which seems Speelmanesque, allows not only ...Bg7 but ...Nf4 as
well.d610...c511.g3Nb412.Bg20-0-013.0-0Bg714.Bb2!/\ a311.exd6A forcing line.Qxe2+12.Bxe2Bg7!13.cxd5Bxe213...Bb7??14.dxc7!Bxa114...cxd515.Bb5+Bc616.Bxc6#15.d6+-14.Kxe2Bxa115.Rc1This position was reached (with the pawn on g6) in Kuksov-Aleksandrov
Smolensk Cup 1991.
15...0-0-0‼Found after a 20-minute think. The point
is that Black needs the open centre for his rooks and any pawn capture (cxd6,
cxd5) closes the file and gives White time to bring his N to c4. A substantial
improvement over Kuksov-Aleksandrov,A., Smolensk Cup 1991, (remember the Black
pawn was on g6 instead of g5) which saw 15...cxd6 16. Rxc6 O-O 17.Bxd6 Rfd8 18.
Nd2 Rd7 19.Kd3 Re8 20.f4 f6 21.b4 with a considerable advantage for White.15...cxd516.Rxc7±15...cxd616.Rxc6Be516...0-017.Bxd6±17.Nd2!/\ Nc4+/-15...Be516.Rxc6Bxd617.Bxd6cxd618.Na3!Kd719.Nc4±16.Rxc6Rhe8+16...Rd7!17.Nc317.Kd3Be518.dxc7Rxc718...Rxd5+19.Ke4Rb520.Nc3Bxc321.Rxc3Re8+White still has an uphill
struggle to draw.17...Bxc318.Rxc3Re8+This leads to a position
that I wanted to reach in the game. Black has some chances.17.Kd3The
best move and one which cost Garry 37 minutes on the clock. The alternative 17.
Kf3 is strongly met by 17... Re5.Rd718.Nc3!It was Kasparov's turn to
sink into long thought (40 minutes!) here and he finally found a way to keep
the balance. If White has any chances to improve it has to be here. Two
alternatives to the game continuation are: (1) 18.Bc5 Kb7 19.Rxc7+ Rxc7 20.
dxc7 Kxc7 21.Bxa7 Kd6; (2) 18.Nd2 Be5! (less clear is 18...Re5 19.Nc4 Rxd5+ 20.
Ke4 Rd4+ 21.Ke3 Rd1 22.Bc5) 19.Nc4 Bxh2 20.g3 h5 21.dxc7 Rxd5+ 22.Kc3 h4 23.
Nd6 + Rxd6 and Black has all the chances. These lines are not meant to be
exhaustive, but rather to show that Anand seems to have found a very good
antidote to the Scotch.18.Nd2Re519.Nc4Rxd5+20.Ke4Probably
White has enough ~/= here, but the method chosen in the game ismore efficient.18...Bxc3?!18...Re519.Nb5Rxd5+20.Kc4Rd221.Bc5!Be5!19.Kxc3!I had underestimated this move. I only expected 19.Rxc3.19.Rxc3Re519...Re520.Kc4Re4+If Black tries to play 20...Re2 it will still
be a draw. Play might continue 20. ..Re2 21.Bc5 Rxa2 22.b4 and now there are
two possibilities: (1) 22...Kb7 23. dxc7 Rxc7 24.Rf6 (or 24.Rh6); (2) 22...a5
23.b5 Kb7 24.Ra6 cxd6 25.Ra7+ Kc8 26. Ra8+ Kb7 27.Ra7+. White can even win if
Black overpresses - 20...Kb7 21.dxc7 Rxc7 22.Bd6!20...Re221.Bc5Rxa222.b4Now White is completely safe.Kb723.dxc7Rxc724.Rf621.Kd3Re522.Kc4Re4+½–½
The last example is from a game that I saw live, playing in the same hall. In the diagrammed position, I was unsure how Black is going to tame White's obvious initiative. The task was also complicated by the fact that the white army was led by Magnus Carlsen…
Carlsen-Movsesian, European Club Cup 2008, Black to move:
White's pieces are well placed in the centre. Once the a1-rook joins the rest of the army, Carlsen's initiative might become unbearable. Therefore, Black must act now. And Movsesian was up to the task.
He played 16...Bg4!, attacking the queen as well as the d5-bishop. White had to take the bishop: 17.Nxg4 Nxd5. And now it was Carslen's time to be annoying. He played the surprising 18.Nh6+. Now after 18...gxh6 19.Bxh6 Kh8 20.Bxf8 Bxf8 21.Qb3 White has a strong initiative. Therefore, Black correctly answered 18…Kh8, and after 19.Nf5 Nxf4 20.Rxe7 g6 21.Qxd8 Raxd8 the game transposed to an almost equal endgame.
Here's the complete game:
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1.e4
1,166,623
54%
2421
---
1.d4
947,298
55%
2434
---
1.Nf3
281,602
56%
2441
---
1.c4
182,102
56%
2442
---
1.g3
19,702
56%
2427
---
1.b3
14,265
54%
2427
---
1.f4
5,897
48%
2377
---
1.Nc3
3,801
51%
2384
---
1.b4
1,756
48%
2380
---
1.a3
1,206
54%
2404
---
1.e3
1,068
48%
2408
---
1.d3
954
50%
2378
---
1.g4
664
46%
2360
---
1.h4
446
53%
2374
---
1.c3
433
51%
2426
---
1.h3
280
56%
2418
---
1.a4
110
60%
2466
---
1.f3
92
46%
2436
---
1.Nh3
89
66%
2508
---
1.Na3
42
62%
2482
---
Please, wait...
1.d4d52.c4c63.Nf3Nf64.Nc3a65.a4e66.Bf4This move is rare,
harmless, but quite playable, of course.c5Other options seen in practice:6...Be76...Bb46...a56...dxc47.e3Nc68.Be2dxc4≤8...Be79.dxc5Bxc510.0-00-011.cxd5Nxd512.Nxd5exd513.Rc1Bd614.Bxd6Qxd615.Qb3Rb816.Qb61/2 Arbutina,S (2320)-Guzsvany,A (2049)/Senta
2007/CBM 119 ext (54)9.Bxc4cxd410.exd4Be711.0-0With a
transposition of moves a well-known QGA position has arisen.0-012.Re112.Qd2is another popular option.12...Nb412...b6?!13.d512...Nd513.Bg3Ncb414.Ne5b615.Nxd5exd516.Bb3Bf517.Qf3Be618.Rac1Rc819.Rc3Bg520.Bf4Qf621.Bxg5Qxg522.Qe2Qf423.Qd1Qh624.h31-0 Sokolov,
I (2690)-Simutowe,A (2442)/Tripoli 2004/CBM 102 (82)12...Qb6!?13.Ne513.Qb3Nc6!14.Qd1Nb413...Bd714.d5Leads to
simplifications.14.Re3!?Rc815.Rg3Re816.h4Bc617.h5Bf818.Bh6Be419.Be219.Bg5!?Bf520.Qe219...Nc220.Bg5Bf521.Ng4Bxg422.Qxc2Bxe223.Qxe2Be7?23...Bd6!24.h6g625.Qe5Rf826.Re1Ne827.Bxe7Qxe728.d5±1-0 Epishin,V (2599)-Velicka,P (2445)/Werther 2002/CBM 087
ext (32)14...exd515.Nxd5Nbxd516.Bxd5Bg4!17.Nxg417.Bxf7+Rxf718.Nxg4Qxd119.Nxf6+Bxf620.Raxd1Bxb2=17...Nxd518.Nh6+!?Kh8≤18...gxh619.Bxh6Kh819...Bf6?20.Qg4+Kh821.Bxf8Qxf822.Qf3+-19...Nf620.Qf3Ne821.Qxb7±20.Bxf8Bxf821.Qb3Nf622.Qxf7±19.Nf5Nxf420.Rxe7g621.Qxd8Raxd822.Ne3 /= White's advantage in this endgame is largely symbolic but he
continues fighting.b523.axb523.a5?!Nd323...axb524.Rb7Rb824...Nd3!?∆25.Rxb5Rb825.Rd7Kg725...Rbd8!?26.Rad1Rxd727.Rxd7Rc828.h4Kg729.Kh2Ne630.Rd5Rc5=26.g3Ne627.Raa7h528.h4Rbd829.Rdb7Nd430.Kg2Rb831.Nd5Nc632.Rxb8Rxb833.Rc7Nd434.Rd7Ne635.Nc3Nc536.Rd5Na437.Nd1Kf638.Kf3Ke639.Ke4f5+40.Kd4Rc841.Re5+Kf642.Ne3b443.Nd5+Kf744.Re7+Kf845.Rb7Nxb246.Rxb4The draw is not
yet guaranteed as Black needs to consolidate his position.Nd147.f3Rd848.Ke5Nf249.Rb3Kg750.Nf4Re8+51.Kd451.Ne6+Kf752.Rb7+Re7=51...Re752.Rb6Looks formidable but...Rd7+53.Kc4Kh7!54.Ne654.Rxg6Nh355.Rf6Nxf456.gxf4Rd157.Rxf5Kh6=54.Nxg6Rg755.Nf8+Kg856.Ne6Rxg3and Black should not lose.54...Kh655.Nf8Rg756.Kd4Nh157.Ke5Nxg3White has given up a pawn but continues pushing for a
win!58.Ne6Rg8?58...Ra7=59.Kf6?Missing an excellent chance:59.Ng5!Re8+59...f460.Rb7Rg7??61.Rb8Re7+62.Kf6+-60.Kf6Rf8+61.Ke6!f461...Re8+?62.Kf7+-61...Kg762.Rb7+Kh862...Kg863.Nh7Re8+64.Kf663.Nh7!Re8+64.Kd5Rd8+65.Ke5Re8+65...Kg866.Nf6+Kf867.Ke666.Kf4Ne2+67.Kg5+-62.Rb7Re8+63.Kd5Rd8+64.Kc4Rc8+65.Kb3Rh866.Nf7+Kg767.Nxh8+Kxh868.Rb4
and White should win this ending.59...f4!Bringing the knight to
defense.60.Ng5Nf561.Nf7+Kh762.Ng5+Kh663.Rb7Rf8+64.Nf7+Kh765.Kg5Ng766.Nd6Rd867.Ne4Rd5+68.Kf668.Kxf4=68...Rf5+69.Ke7Ra570.Kf7Nf571.Nf6+Kh672.Ng8+Kh773.Nf6+Kh674.Ng8+Kh775.Kf8+??
Overconfidence is sometimes self-killing!75.Nf6+=75...Kh876.Nf6?A blunder but White is already lost:76.Rb8Ra7-+76...Ra8+with decisive material gains.0–1
So many blows and exchanges in only five moves! This is very typical for positions with an open centre. Pieces are both powerful and vulnerable, and therefore the fight often escalates quickly.
****
Let us summarize what we have learned about positions with an open centre:
Pieces are more powerful and more vulnerable at the same time.
Knights might suffer, as they are the slowest pieces on the board.
Even an optically small difference in the activity of the pieces might prove decisive.
Let us learn together how to find the best spot for the queen in the early middlegame, how to navigate this piece around the board, how to time the queen attack, how to decide whether to exchange it or not, and much more!
Jan MarkosJan Markos is a Slovakian chess author, trainer, and grandmaster. His book Under the Surface was the English Chess Federation´s 2018 Book of the Year. His last book, The Secret Ingredient, co-authored with David Navara, focuses on the practical aspects of play, e.g. time-management over the board, how to prepare against a specific opponent, or how to use chess engines during the training process.
Markos was the U16 European Champion twenty years ago. At present he helps his pupils from several countries to achieve similar successes. Apart from focusing on the royal game, he is also the author of several non-chess books, focused on critical thinking, moral dilemmas, and phenomenology.
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