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