How to attack with Isolated pawn – games by Pavasovic

Here are three games from Alapin Sicilian that illustrate the typical ideas in IQP positions – d4-d5 break and piece sacrifices around the Black king.

Pavasovic, Dusko - Podkriznik, Gregor
   1999 , B22

1. e4 c5 2. c3 d5 3. exd5 Qxd5 4. d4 Nf6 5. Nf3 e6 6. Be3 cxd4 7. cxd4 Be7 8. Nc3 Qd6 9. Bd3 Nc6 10. a3 b6 11. O-O O-O 12. Qe2 Bb7 13. Rad1 Rac8 14. Rfe1 Rfd8 15. Bg5 Qb8 16. Bb1 Rd7

17. d5 Nxd5 18. Nxd5 exd5 19. Bf5 +/-

19. ... Rcd8 20. Bxd7 Rxd7 21. Bxe7 Nxe7 22. Ne5 Rc7 23. Qf3 f6 24. Ng4 Qd8 25. Rd4 Rd7 26. Ne3 Nc6 27. Rd2 Ne5 28. Qg3 d4 29. Nf5 d3 30. f4 Ng6 31. Qe3 Kf8 32. h4 Nh8 33. h5 g6 34. hxg6 hxg6 35. Qh3 Kg8 36. Nh6+ Kg7 37. Ng4 Nf7 38. Nf2 Ba6 39. Red1 Qc7 40. Nxd3 Bxd3 41. Rxd3 Rxd3 42. Qxd3 Qxf4 43. Qd4 Qc7 44. Rd3 Qc1+ 45. Kh2 Qc7+ 46. Kg1 Qc1+ 47. Rd1 Qc7 48. a4 Qc6 49. b3 Qc2 50. Rd3 Qc1+ 51. Kh2 Qc7+ 52. Kh1 Qc1+ 53. Rd1 Qc2 54. Qd3 Qc5 55. Qd5 Qc2 56. Rf1 Qc7 57. Qe6 Qd8 58. Rc1 Qh8+ 59. Kg1 Qd8 60. Kh1 Qh8+ 61. Qh3 Qd8 62. Qc8 Qd2 63. Qc3 Qd8 64. Qc7 Qd2 65. Rc3 Qd4 66. Rf3 Qh4+ 67. Kg1 Qe1+ 68. Kh2 Qh4+ 69. Rh3 Qd4 70. Qc3 Qf4+ 71. Kg1 Qd6 72. Rd3 Qe6 73. Re3 Qd6 74. Re8 Qd1+ 75. Kf2 Qd7 76. Rc8 Qf5+ 77. Kg1 Qd5 78. Rc7 a6 79. Qc4 Qd1+ 80. Kf2 Qd2+ 81. Kf3 Qd1+ 82. Kg3 Qe1+ 83. Kh2 Qe5+ 84. g3 Qh5+ 85. Kg2 g5 86. g4 Qg6 87. Qc2 Qh6 88. Qf5 Qh8 89. Qe6 Qa8+ 90. Kg3 Qf8 91. Qe7 Qg8 92. Rb7 1-0

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Pavasovic, Dusko - Horvath, Csaba
   2000 , B22

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 e6 3. c3 d5 4. exd5 Qxd5 5. d4 Nf6 6. Be3 cxd4 7. cxd4 Nc6 8. Nc3 Qd6 9. a3 Be7 10. Bd3 b6 11. O-O Bb7 12. Qe2 O-O 13. Rad1 Rad8 14. Bg5 Qb8 15. Bb1 Rfe8 16. Rfe1 g6 17. Ba2 Nh5

18. d5 exd5 19. Rxd5 Bf8 20. Ne4 Rxd5 21. Bxd5 Nd4 22. Bxf7+ Kxf7 23. Nxd4 Qe5 24. Nc3 Qxe2 25. Rxe2 Rxe2 26. Ndxe2 Nf6 27. Be3 Nd7 28. Bd4 Nb8 29. f3 Nc6 30. Kf2 Nxd4 31. Nxd4 Kf6 32. Ke3 Bh6+ 33. Kd3 Bc1 34. Kc2 Bf4 35. g3 Be3 36. Kd3 Bc1 37. Kc2 Be3 38. Kd3 Bg1 39. Ne4+ Ke7 40. Ne2 Bxh2 41. Ke3 h5 42. Kf2 h4 43. gxh4 Be5 44. N2c3 1/2-1/2

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Pavasovic, Dusko - Groetz, Harald
   2002 , B22

1. e4 c5 2. c3 d5 3. exd5 Qxd5 4. d4 e6 5. Nf3 Nf6 6. Be3 cxd4 7. cxd4 Nc6 8. Nc3 Qd6 9. a3 Be7 10. Bd3 b6 11. O-O O-O 12. Qe2 Bb7 13. Rad1 Rfd8 14. Rfe1 h6 15. Bb1 Bf8 16. Bc1 g6 17. Ba2 Ne7 18. Ne5 Nf5 19. Bf4 Qe7

20. Nxf7 Kxf7 21. Bxe6+ Kg7 22. d5 Kh7 23. Qf3

It turns out that Black can't hold on to his material advantage.

23. ... Ng7 24. Bg8+ Nxg8 25. Rxe7 Bxe7 26. Be5 Rf8 27. Qd3 Bc5 28. Ne4 Rad8 29. Bxg7 Kxg7 30. Nxc5 bxc5 31. Qc3+ Nf6 32. Qxc5 Rxd5 33. Rxd5 Bxd5 34. Qxa7+ Rf7 35. Qc5 Bb7 36. b4 g5 37. a4 Rd7 38. h3 g4 39. Kh2 gxh3 40. Kxh3 Rd3+ 41. f3 Kg6 42. a5 Rd5 43. Qc4 Rd2 44. b5 Bd5 45. Qb4 Rc2 46. Qb1 Be6+ 47. g4 1-0

d4-d5 pawn break as a theme from various openings

I wrote a couple of books on this subject – one about pawn breaks in general, and one about positions with isolated queen pawns (where pawn breaks are common) specifically, and these topics still come up in games that I study.

 

Here are a few more examples with some instructive positions and ideas highlighted:

Zvjaginsev, Vadim - Popov, Valerij
Moscow-ch blitz   2004.09.05 , D42

1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nd2 h6 4. Ngf3 Nf6 5. Bd3 c5 6. c3 Nc6 7. O-O cxd4 8. cxd4 Be7 9. Re1 dxe4 10. Nxe4 Bb4 11. Nc3 O-O 12. a3 Be7 13. Bc2 Re8 14. Qd3

The early h6 move seems entirely out of place in the current structure.

14. ... Kf8 15. Bf4 b6 16. Rad1

( 16. d5 exd5 17. Nb5 Ba6 )

16. ... Bb7 17. Qd2

Setting up the not so subtle threat against h6.

17. ... Ng8

( 17. ... Rc8 18. Bxh6 gxh6 19. Qxh6+ Kg8 20. Ng5 Nxd4 21. Bh7+ Kh8 ( 21. ... Nxh7 22. Qxh7+ Kf8 23. Qxf7# ) 22. Nxf7# )

18. d5!

Taking advantage of Black's last move which defended h6 but gave up control over d5.

18. ... exd5 19. Nxd5

Black gave up because there is no good way to meet Nc7. If Rc8 then Bf5 adds fuel to the fire.

1-0

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Spassky, Boris V - Mnatsakanian, Eduard A
   1959 , D15

1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. Nc3 dxc4 5. e4 b5 6. e5 Nd5 7. Ng5 h6 8. Nge4 e6 9. a4 b4 10. Nb1 Ba6 11. Qg4 b3 12. Bd2 Nb4 13. Na3 h5 14. Qf4 Be7 15. Be2 Nd3+ 16. Bxd3 cxd3 17. Rc1 O-O 18. O-O f5 19. Nd6 Qd7 20. Rfe1 Rd8 21. Bb4 Bxd6 22. exd6 Qb7

White to move

Solution:

23. d5 1-0

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Pia Cramling - Nana Dzagnidze
FIDE Women's Grand Prix Tehran   2016.02.21 , D44

1. Nf3 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 d5 4. d4 dxc4 5. e3 a6 6. a4 c5 7. Bxc4 Nc6 8. O-O cxd4 9. exd4 Be7 10. Bg5 O-O 11. Qd2 Qa5 12. Rfd1 Rd8 13. Rac1 Bd7 14. Qe2 Be8 15. Bxf6 Bxf6

16. d5! +/- exd5 17. Nxd5 Rd6 18. b3 h6 19. h3 Rad8 20. Nxf6+ Rxf6 21. Rxd8 Qxd8 22. Rd1 Qc8 23. Ne5 Nxe5 24. Qxe5 Kf8 25. Re1 Qd8 26. Qe4 g6 27. Qxb7 Kg7 28. Qe7 Qxe7 29. Rxe7 Kf8 30. Ra7 Rd6 31. Rxa6 Rd1+ 32. Kh2 h5 33. Ra7 h4 34. a5 Rd2 35. f3 f5 36. Rc7 g5 37. a6 Bh5 38. Kg1 1-0

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Vladimir Kramnik - Anish Giri
Zurich Chess Challenge   2016.02.14 , A07

1. Nf3 d5 2. g3 g6 3. Bg2 Bg7 4. d4 c6 5. O-O Nf6 6. b3 O-O 7. Bb2 Bf5 8. c4 a5 9. Nc3 Ne4 10. cxd5 Nxc3 11. Bxc3 cxd5 12. Ne5 Nc6 13. Qd2 a4 14. Nxc6 bxc6 15. b4 Bc8 16. e4 Ba6 17. Rfe1 dxe4 18. Bxe4 Bb5 19. Rac1 e6 20. a3 Qd6 21. Bb2 Rfd8 22. Red1 Rac8 23. Rc5 Qb8 24. Rdc1 Qb7 25. Qg5 h6 26. Qf4 Qd7 27. Bf3 g5 28. Qe3 Rc7 29. Qc3 Rdc8 30. Be4 Qd6 31. Bb1 Kf8 32. Qc2 Ke7 33. Re1 Kf8

White to move

Solution:

34. d5! e5

( 34. ... cxd5 35. Bxg7+ Kxg7 36. Qh7+ Kf8 37. Qxh6+ Ke7 38. Rxb5 +- )

35. Rc1 Bf6 36. Qf5 Bg7 37. dxc6 Bxc6 38. Qc2 Qe6 39. Qf5 Qd6 40. Ba2 Be8

41. Qxc8!? Rxc8 42. Rxc8 Qd2 43. R1c7 Qxb2 44. Rxf7+ Kg8 45. Rxe8+ Kh7 46. Bd5 1-0