Pinned Pawns

Recently in ICC blitz games, my opponents have had a rash of pinned pawns that allow me to win a pawn. Perhaps they've always been there and I'm just noticing them now that I'm intensively focusing on tactics.

I'm not claiming that grabbing the pawn was the best move; Fritz tells me it wasn't, but it was definitely there, it was definitely a good move, and in every case, having seen it, I took it.

If this is the result of tactical study, then let me have more tactical study!

Look for pinned pawns. Easy points for the taking.


White to move

HardDaysKnight (1416) - F (1346) [C03]
ICC 7 0 Internet Chess Club, 10.06.2007

1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nd2 Bb4 4.c3 Ba5 5.b4 Bb6 6.e5 a5 7.Nb3 axb4 8.cxb4 Bd7 9.Nc5 Qc8 10.Nxd7 Qxd7 11.a4 c6 12.Nf3 Ne7 13.Bd3 h6 14.0-0 0-0 15.Bc2 Na6 Diagram # The important thing in this position is to defend the b4 pawn. This would accomplish two things: (1) it would make the Black knight on a6 look rather foolish, and (2) it would hinder the pawn break c5. Of course, I don't defend it, but move it. 16.b5 Nb4 17.bxc6 bxc6 18.Bd2 Nxc2 19.Qxc2 Nf5 20.Be3 Rfc8 21.Rfb1 Ba5 22.g4 Nxe3 23.fxe3 Diagram # The issue here is Black's pawn break, c5. This may well be THE issue for positions with this pawn structure: support and execute the pawn break. 23...Qa7 A move that indicates a deeper understanding of the position than I had. Specifically, Black realizes that the issue here is supporting and executing the move c5. The draw back of his move is that it neglects White's g5 pawn push. As such, Qe7 was called for, supporting both c5 and defending g5. 24.g5 hxg5 25.Nxg5 g6 26.Qf2 Not horrible, but Rf1 was crushing. [ 26.Rf1 Rf8 27.Rf6 Qe7 28.Raf1 Ra7 29.Nxe6] 26...Kf8 There is the pinned pawn. Hard not to take it, but Fritz says that Rf1 is by far the best move. 27.Nxe6+ Ke7 28.Nc5 Bb6 29.Qf6+ Ke8 30.e6 Bxc5 31.dxc5 Qxc5 32.Qxf7+ Kd8 33.Qd7# Black checkmated 1-0

White to move

(135) HardDaysKnight (1347) - r (1314) [B50]ICC 2 12 Internet Chess Club, 08.06.2007

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.c3 Nf6 4.Bd3 Nc6 5.Bc2 Bg4 6.h3 Bh5 7.g4 Bg6 8.d3 Qb6 9.Na3 e6 10.Nc4 Qc7 11.Bf4 b5 12.e5 bxc4 13.exf6 cxd3 14.Bxd3 gxf6 15.Bxg6 fxg6 16.Nd2 h5 17.Ne4 Rd8 18.Nxf6+ Kf7 19.Ne4 hxg4 20.Qxg4 Bg7 21.Nxc5 Ne5 22.Qxe6+ Black resigns 1-0

Black to move

(136) r (1300) - HardDaysKnight (1361) [B76]ICC 2 12 Internet Chess Club, 08.06.2007
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 g6 6.Be3 Bg7 7.f3 Nc6 8.Qd2 0-0 9.0-0-0 d5 10.Nxc6 bxc6 11.e5 Ne8 12.Bh6 Rb8 13.Bxg7 Nxg7 14.h4 h5 15.Be2 Qc7 16.Qg5 Qb6 17.Na4 Qb4 18.b3 Qa3+ 19.Nb2 Qxa2 20.g4 Qa1+ 21.Kd2 Qxb2 22.gxh5 Rxb3 23.hxg6 Qc3+ 24.Kc1 Qe3+ 25.Qxe3 Rxe3 26.gxf7+ White resigns 0-1

White to move

(110) HardDaysKnight (1357) - i (1409) [B50]ICC 5 5 Internet Chess Club, 29.05.2007
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.c3 Nc6 4.Bb5 a6 5.Bxc6+ bxc6 6.0-0 Bg4 7.d3 Nf6 8.Nbd2 e6 9.Qa4 Qc7 10.Ne1 Be7 11.f3 Bh5 12.Nc4 h6 13.Bf4 0-0 14.Qa3 Rfd8 15.Qxc5 dxc5 16.Bxc7 Rd7 17.Bg3 Bg6 18.Ne5 Rb7 19.Nxg6 fxg6 20.b3 a5 21.Nc2 a4 22.b4 cxb4 23.cxb4 Bxb4 24.Nxb4 Rxb4 25.Rab1 c5 26.Bd6 Rd4 27.Bxc5 Rxd3 28.Be7 Rd2 29.a3 Nd7 30.Rfd1 Rxd1+ 31.Rxd1 Ne5 32.Rd8+ Rxd8 33.Bxd8 Kf7 34.Ba5 Nd3 35.Kf1 e5 36.Ke2 Nc1+ 37.Kd1 Nd3 38.Kd2 Nb2 39.Kc3 Nd1+ 40.Kb4 Nb2 41.Bb6 Ke6 42.g3 h5 43.h3 g5 44.g4 g6 45.Kc3 Nd1+ 46.Kd2 Nb2 47.Kc2 Nc4 48.Bc5 Nxa3+ 49.Bxa3 Kd7 50.Kc3 Kc6 51.Kc4 Kb6 52.Kd5 Kb5 53.Kxe5 Kc4 54.Kf6 Kb3 55.Bd6 a3 56.Bxa3 Kxa3 57.e5 Black resigns 1-0