Passed pawns are potential queens and hence need to be protected, nurtured and escorted to the last rank where they get promoted.
These pawns have to be carefully and cautiously advanced as they cannot retreat and even the slightest mistake can tilt the balance of the King.
In the game which follows, play is totally concentrated on the queen side where White has a passed pawn. It is interesting to note how White protects and escorts the passed pawn to gain a winning position and then the game.
White: Viktor Gavrikov (2555) - Black: Christer Hartman (2345)
Gothenburg , 1998
English Opening
1.c4 The English Opening
1..e5 2.g3 Nf6 3.Bg2 Nc6 4.Nf3 g6
If 4...e4 5.Ng5 d5 6.Nc3
5.Nc3 Bg7 6.d4
White can also castle here
6...exd4 7.Nxd4 0-0
If 7...Nxd4 8.Qxd4 0-0
8.Nc2 White can still castle . If 8.Bf4 Nxd4 9.Qxd4 d6 10.Qd2 Qe7
8...d6 9.0-0 Re8 10.Bg5
If 10.e4 Nd7 11.Qd2 a6 12.b3 Rb8 13.Bb2 b5 14.Ne3 bxc4
10...h6 Black immediately wants to get out of the pin
11.Bd2 Bd7
If 11...Ne5 12.b3 c6 13.Rc1 Qe7 14.h3 Kh7 15.Nd4 Ned7
12.b3 a6 If 12...Qc8 13.Re1 Bh3 14.Bh1
13.Ne3
Both knights are aiming for the d5 square
13...Rb8 14.Rc1 Nd4
Anchoring the knight at the centre. If 14...b5 15.cxb5 axb5 16.Nxb5 Rxb5 17.Bxc6 Bxc6 18.Rxc6 Qa8 19.Qc2 works better for White
15.Ned5 Nxd5
If 15...b5 16.e3 Nf5 (16...Nc6 17.cxb5 axb5 18.Nxf6+ Bxf6 19.Nxb5 Rxb5 20.Bxc6 Bxc6 21.Rxc6) 17.Nxf6+ Bxf6 18.Nd5 Bg7 19.Ba5
16.cxd5 Nb5
Black offers to exchange the second knight also
17.e3 If 17.Nxb5 Bxb5 18.Re1 Rc8
17. .. Bf5 If 17. ..Na3 18.Re1 b5
18.Re1 h5
This move Better appears 18. ..Na3 19.e4 Bd7 20Be3 Rc8
19.a4 Nxc3 20.Bxc3 b5
A big mistake by Black! He had much better options in 20. ..Bg4 or 20. ..h4 or 20...Rc8 21.Bxg7 Kxg7 22.Qd4+ f6
Another mistake! Black should have interposed the queen 22. .. Qf6 23.Qxf6 Kxf6 24.Rxc7 bxa4 or Black can even play 22...Kg8
23.Qa7 The White pieces have started infiltrating
23. ..Re7 24.Qxa6 Rb6
If 24...bxa4 25.bxa4
25.Qa5 If 25.Qa7 c5 26.Qa5 b4
25...bxa4 26.bxa4 Qb8 27.Qd2
If 27.Rc4 Bd3 28.Rd4
27. .. Rb4 The position is already difficult for Black and he makes another mistake. Perhaps better is 27...Rb2 28.Qc3 which though is still better for White
28.a5 White can also play 28.e4
28. ..Qb5 If 28... 29.Ra1 Rxa1 30.Rxa1
29.a6 Ra4 30.Bf1
A good move!
30...Qb3 31.Ra1 Be4
Diagram 1
32.a7 White has been supporting and nurturing this pawn and it is this pawn which is the architect of his victory
32. ..Re8 Black hardly has any choice as he has to stop the passed pawn
33.Rxa4 Qxa4 34.Qd4 Qa5
If 34...Qxd4 35.exd4
35.Rd1 Bf3 36.Rb1 Ra8 37.Rb7 Qxd5
This finishes the game rather abruptly. If 37. ..g5 e4
38.Rxc7+ Kh6 39.Qxf6
Weaving a checkmating net for the King
39...Be4 40.Qf4+ And Black resigned for if 40.Qf4+ Qg5 (40...g5 41.Qf6+ Bg6 42.Qg7 checkmate) 41.Rh7+ Kxh7 42.Qxg5
Diagram 2
White to play and win
1.Rf8 Rxe5
If 1...Rxf8 2.Rxh7 checkmate
2.Rxh8 h6 3.Rxb7 a5 and White wins.
These pawns have to be carefully and cautiously advanced as they cannot retreat and even the slightest mistake can tilt the balance of the King.
In the game which follows, play is totally concentrated on the queen side where White has a passed pawn. It is interesting to note how White protects and escorts the passed pawn to gain a winning position and then the game.
White: Viktor Gavrikov (2555) - Black: Christer Hartman (2345)
Gothenburg , 1998
 |  |
English Opening
1.c4 The English Opening
1..e5 2.g3 Nf6 3.Bg2 Nc6 4.Nf3 g6
If 4...e4 5.Ng5 d5 6.Nc3
5.Nc3 Bg7 6.d4
White can also castle here
6...exd4 7.Nxd4 0-0
If 7...Nxd4 8.Qxd4 0-0
8.Nc2 White can still castle . If 8.Bf4 Nxd4 9.Qxd4 d6 10.Qd2 Qe7
8...d6 9.0-0 Re8 10.Bg5
If 10.e4 Nd7 11.Qd2 a6 12.b3 Rb8 13.Bb2 b5 14.Ne3 bxc4
10...h6 Black immediately wants to get out of the pin
11.Bd2 Bd7
If 11...Ne5 12.b3 c6 13.Rc1 Qe7 14.h3 Kh7 15.Nd4 Ned7
12.b3 a6 If 12...Qc8 13.Re1 Bh3 14.Bh1
13.Ne3
Both knights are aiming for the d5 square
13...Rb8 14.Rc1 Nd4
Anchoring the knight at the centre. If 14...b5 15.cxb5 axb5 16.Nxb5 Rxb5 17.Bxc6 Bxc6 18.Rxc6 Qa8 19.Qc2 works better for White
15.Ned5 Nxd5
If 15...b5 16.e3 Nf5 (16...Nc6 17.cxb5 axb5 18.Nxf6+ Bxf6 19.Nxb5 Rxb5 20.Bxc6 Bxc6 21.Rxc6) 17.Nxf6+ Bxf6 18.Nd5 Bg7 19.Ba5
16.cxd5 Nb5
Black offers to exchange the second knight also
17.e3 If 17.Nxb5 Bxb5 18.Re1 Rc8
17. .. Bf5 If 17. ..Na3 18.Re1 b5
18.Re1 h5
This move Better appears 18. ..Na3 19.e4 Bd7 20Be3 Rc8
19.a4 Nxc3 20.Bxc3 b5
A big mistake by Black! He had much better options in 20. ..Bg4 or 20. ..h4 or 20...Rc8 21.Bxg7 Kxg7 22.Qd4+ f6
Another mistake! Black should have interposed the queen 22. .. Qf6 23.Qxf6 Kxf6 24.Rxc7 bxa4 or Black can even play 22...Kg8
23.Qa7 The White pieces have started infiltrating
23. ..Re7 24.Qxa6 Rb6
If 24...bxa4 25.bxa4
25.Qa5 If 25.Qa7 c5 26.Qa5 b4
25...bxa4 26.bxa4 Qb8 27.Qd2
If 27.Rc4 Bd3 28.Rd4
27. .. Rb4 The position is already difficult for Black and he makes another mistake. Perhaps better is 27...Rb2 28.Qc3 which though is still better for White
28.a5 White can also play 28.e4
28. ..Qb5 If 28... 29.Ra1 Rxa1 30.Rxa1
29.a6 Ra4 30.Bf1
A good move!
30...Qb3 31.Ra1 Be4
Diagram 1
32.a7 White has been supporting and nurturing this pawn and it is this pawn which is the architect of his victory
32. ..Re8 Black hardly has any choice as he has to stop the passed pawn
33.Rxa4 Qxa4 34.Qd4 Qa5
If 34...Qxd4 35.exd4
35.Rd1 Bf3 36.Rb1 Ra8 37.Rb7 Qxd5
This finishes the game rather abruptly. If 37. ..g5 e4
38.Rxc7+ Kh6 39.Qxf6
Weaving a checkmating net for the King
39...Be4 40.Qf4+ And Black resigned for if 40.Qf4+ Qg5 (40...g5 41.Qf6+ Bg6 42.Qg7 checkmate) 41.Rh7+ Kxh7 42.Qxg5
Diagram 2
White to play and win
1.Rf8 Rxe5
If 1...Rxf8 2.Rxh7 checkmate
2.Rxh8 h6 3.Rxb7 a5 and White wins.