Emptying the Queenside

A position devoid of queenside and central pawns is very rarely seen in practice. This
happens because the majority of chessplayers tend to think that such positions do not offer
anything more than a draw, and that the limited pawn presence mostly benefits the weaker
side. Even though there is a fair amount of truth behind this thinking, strictly adhering to
this mind-set would be completely wrong. We must keep in mind that every position is
unique and that the pieces also have a say in the position!

A Chess Odyssey

A position with pawns on one wing but full of other pieces is actually hard to handle,
because the pieces have more territory in which to operate, providing more of an
opportunity for a full-scale tactical battle. In such cases, the weaker side should opt for the
following:

Efstratios Grivas

Exchange pieces to make the task of holding the draw easier.

When under pressure, consider sacrificing a pawn, if it means that you can
exchange some pieces. Then, by opting for an ending with 3:4 or 2:3 pawns on the
same flank, one has fair chances of holding the draw.

However, it then becomes a question of which type of ending is the most acceptable for
the defending side: knight, bishop, rook or queen (with one piece on each side). In our first
example things went easy for both sides, offering a normal result.
Timman,Jan - Spassky,Boris
Montreal 1979
Ruy Lopez [C91]
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.00 Be7 6.Re1 b5 7.Bb3 d6 8.c3 00 9.d4 Bg4
10.d5 Na5 11.Bc2 c6 12.h3 Bc8 13.dxc6 Qc7 14.Nbd2 Qxc6 15.Nf1 Nc4 16.Ng3 Re8 17.
a4 Bb7 18.Bd3 Bf8 19.Qe2 d5 20.axb5 axb5 21.Rxa8 Bxa8 22.exd5 Nxd5 23.Nf5
23...e4!
With this neat combination Black succeeds in
exchanging most of the pieces and the queenside
pawns, making the draw easier to achieve.
24.Bxe4 Nxc3 25.bxc3
25.Bxc6 Rxe2 26.Bxa8 Rxe1+ 27.Nxe1 Ne2+ 28.
Kf1 Nxc1 is preferable for Black.
25...Rxe4 26.Qxe4 Qxe4 27.Rxe4 Bxe4 28.N5d4
b4
28...Nd6 29.Ba3.

29.Nd2!
Securing the draw.
29...Nxd2 30.Bxd2 bxc3 31.Bxc3
With pawns only on the kingside and too few
pieces to create any threats, a draw is the natural
result.
Kramnik,Vladimir Kasparov,Garry
Moscow rpd m (5) 2001
Queens Gambit Accepted [D27]
(Notes based on Kasparovs)
1.d4 d5 2.c4 dxc4 3.Nf3 e6 4.e3 a6 5.Bxc4 c5
6.00 Nf6 7.Bd3 b6 8.dxc5 Bxc5 9.a3 Bb7 10.
Qe2 00 11.Nbd2 Nbd7 12.b4 Be7 13.Bb2 a5
14.bxa5 Rxa5 15.Bb5 Qb8 16.a4 Rc8 17.Rfc1
Ra7 18.Rxc8+ Qxc8 19.Rc1 Qa8 20.Nd4 Nc5
21.Nc4 Nd5 22.e4 Nf4 23.Qg4 Ng6 24.Nxb6 Qd8 25.Nc4 Nxa4
Our second example is quite instructive. Of
course, there are no queenside pawns, but this is
not an important factor, as only one pair of rooks
has been exchanged.
26.Bxa4?
Wrong! White should have played 26.Nxe6!,
when Black must play 26...Qc8! (26...fxe6? is
weak: 27.Ne5! Nxe5 (27...Qd6 28.Nxg6 hxg6 29.
Bxa4 Rxa4 30.Qxg6 Bf8 31.Bxg7 Bxg7 32.Qe8+
+/) 28.Bxe5 Bf6 29.Rc7 Kh8 30.Rd7 Qxd7 (30...
Qg8 31.Bxf6 gxf6 32.Qf4 Qf8 33.Qc7 +) 31.
Bxd7 Nc5 32.Qh5 Ra8 33.Bb5 +/) 27.Nb6! (27.
Bxa4? Rxa4 28.Nb6 Qxc1+ 29.Bxc1 Ra1 30.g3 Rxc1+ 31.Kg2 Rc6 =+) 27...Qxe6 (27...
Nxb6? 28.Rxc8+ Bxc8 29.Qd1! Bxe6 30.Qd4 +) 28.Qxe6 fxe6 29.Nxa4 Bxe4 achieving
a drawn endgame.
26...Rxa4 27.Qd1
Other options are no better: 27.Qf3 Rxc4! 28.Rxc4 Ne5 29.Qb3 Nxc4 30.Qxc4 Bxe4 /+
and 27.Qe2 Bg5 28.Rd1 Qc7 /+.
27...Rb4!
28.Ba3?
Although unpleasant, White had to enter a worse
position minus a pawn: 28.Qc2 Bg5 29.Rb1 Bxe4
30.Qxe4 Rxc4. Then he would have chances to
achieve a drawn ending with 3:4 pawns on the

same wing.
28...Rxc4!
Black wins two pieces for a rook.
29.Rxc4 Bxa3 30.Qb3 Ba6! 31.Ra4 Bc5 32.Rxa6
What else? If 32.Nxe6, then 32...Qd2! wins on the spot.
32...Qxd4 33.Ra8+ Nf8 34.Qc2
Two pieces vs. rook with four pawns for each
side on the same flank and a healthy pawn
structure are nearly always a win for the pieces.
The first step for Black is to activate all his pieces.
34...g6 35.g3 Kg7 36.Kg2
36.Rc8 Qa1+! 37.Kg2 Bd4 38.Rc7 Qe1 39.Rb7
e5 +, as the black knight has the excellent e6square.

Qb8 44.Ra8 Qc7!

36...e5 37.Ra4 Qd6 38.Qc4 Ne6 39.Qd5 Qb8!

40.Ra8 Qb2 41.Ra2 Qc3 42.Qd2 Qb3 43.Qd5

After repeating some moves, testing White, Black returns to the proper path.
45.Ra6 Bd4 46.Qc6 Qe7 47.Ra8
47.Qc2 Qg5 +.
47...Qf6 48.Qc2 Ng5 49.Ra3
49.Qe2 Qc6 +.
49...Qe6 50.h4 Qh3+ 51.Kg1
51...Ne6
Black is attacking the white king with three
pieces, while White is defending with two. So,
the rest of the game was not that difficult.
52.Rb3
Or 52.Qe2 Nf4 53.Qf3 Nh5 54.Rb3 Nf6 55.Rb7
Qe6 56.Rc7 Qa2 57.Kg2 Ng4! +.
52...Qg4 53.Qd3?!

Best is 53.Kh2, but the e4-pawn is lost after 53...Nc5 54.f3 Qh5 (54...Qd7 55.Ra3 Qb7 +)
55.Ra3 g5 56.Qg2 g4 +.
53...Nc5 54.Qf3 Qxf3 55.Rxf3 Nxe4 01
Timman,Jan Kasparov,Garry
Hilversum m (1) 1985
Ruy Lopez [C93]
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.00 Be7 6.Re1 b5 7.Bb3 d6 8.c3 00 9.h3 Bb7
10.d4 Re8 11.Nbd2 Bf8 12.a3 h6 13.Bc2 Nb8 14.b4 Nbd7 15.Bb2 g6 16.c4 exd4 17.
cxb5 axb5 18.Nxd4 c6 19.a4 bxa4 20.Bxa4 Qb6 21.b5 cxb5 22.Bxb5 d5 23.Rxa8 Bxa8
24.Qa4 Nc5 25.Qc2 Rb8 26.exd5 Nxd5
The only difference between this and the
previous example is the absence of the e-pawns.
This means that even if any side loses a pawn, by
exchanging all the pieces (but one!) he can be
guaranteed a draw.
27.Nc4?!
Too ambitious. White should defend by 27.Ba1
Nf4 28.Bf1 =.
27...Qc7
28.Ne5?!
One inaccuracy follows another. White should
have played 28.Re8! Rxe8 29.Bxe8 Qe7 (29...
Nb4? 30.Qc3! Bg7 31.Qxb4 Nd3 32.Qa3 Nxb2
33.Bxf7+ Kxf7 34.Nd6+ Kg8 35.Qxa8+ Kh7 36.
Qc6 +/; 29...Bg7? 30.Nb5! Qe7 31.Nbd6 +/;
29...Nf4 30.Ne3 Be4 31.Qc4 Qe7 32.Ba3 =) 30.
Qe2 Qxe2 31.Nxe2 Nc7 32.Nb6 Bb7 33.Bd7,
when he can hold the draw.
28...Bg7 29.Nec6?!
White has lost his way. Also wrong would be 29.Bc6? Bxe5 30.Qxc5 (30.Bxa8 Nb4 31.
Qe2 Nbd3 +) 30...Rxb2 31.Qxd5 Bxd4 32.Re8+ Kh7 33.Qxd4 Rb1+ +, but White had
to accept a worse position with 29.Nef3 Nf4 30.Ba3 Nxg2 31.Re8+ Rxe8 32.Bxe8 Ne6 /
+.
29...Bxc6 30.Bxc6
30.Nxc6 Rxb5 31.Bxg7 Kxg7 +.
30...Nf4! + 31.Bb5
Also discouraging is 31.Re8+? Rxe8 32.Bxe8

Nce6 33.Qxc7 Nxc7 34.Bc6 Bxd4 35.Bxd4 Ne2+

+ or 31.Qxc5 Rxb2 32.Nb5 Ne2+! 33.Kh1 (33.
Rxe2 Rb1+) 33...Qa5 34.Rf1 Nd4 +.
31...Rxb5?
Blacks position is so good that he can even
afford mistakes! With 31...Nce6! 32.Qxc7 (32.Qe4 Bxd4 33.Bxd4 Rxb5) 32...Nxc7 he
could win on the spot.
32.Nxb5 Qc6 33.f3 Qxb5 34.Bxg7 Kxg7
Black has won two pieces for a rook, but he still
has work to do! As in the previous example, he
should mount an attack against the white king,
because a potential queen exchange would
increase Whites chances for survival.
35.Qc3+ Kg8 36.Qe5 Nfe6 37.Ra1 Qb7 38.Qd6
h5 39.Kh1 Kh7 40.Rc1 Qa7 41.Rb1 Ng7 42.
Rb8 Nce6 43.Qe5 Nd4 44.Rb1 h4! +

The black knights are ready to occupy excellent

positions and coordinate with the queen to deliver
the final blow.
45.Qb8 Qe7 46.Qb4 Qf6 47.Qf8 Ne2 48.Rd1
Nf5 49.Qb8 Ne3 50.Qd8 Qf4 51.Re1 Nf1 01
51...Nf5 leads to a forced mate: 52.Rxe2 Ng3+
53.Kg1 Qc1+. But the text move is also good, as
after 52.Rxf1 Ng3+ 53.Kg1 Qe3+ the end is near.

Kramnik,Vladimir Karpov,Anatoly
Dos Hermanas 1997
Nimzo-Indian [E32]
1.Nf3 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.Qc2 00 5.a3 Bxc3 6.Qxc3 b6 7.b4 Bb7 8.Bb2 d6 9.e3
Nbd7 10.d4 Ne4 11.Qb3 a5 12.Be2 axb4 13.axb4 Rxa1+ 14.Bxa1 Ndf6 15.00 Qd7 16.
Bb2 Ra8 17.b5 c6 18.bxc6 Qxc6 19.Rc1 Nd7 20.Ne1 Qa4 21.Qxa4 Rxa4 22.f3 Nef6 23.
Bd1 Ra2 24.Nd3 Kf8 25.Bb3 Ra8 26.e4 Nb8 27.c5 bxc5 28.dxc5 dxc5 29.Nxc5 Bc8
It seems that black should be able to hold this
slightly inferior position, but it is easier said than
done! His pieces are placed passively, while
White has the bishop-pair and his pieces are
active and threatening.

30.e5!
Gaining more space.
30...Ne8?
A fatal mistake. Black had to play 30...Nd5! 31.
Bxd5 (31.Ne4 Bd7 32.Rd1 Bc6 +=; 31.Rd1 Na6! 32.Bxd5 exd5 33.Rxd5 Nxc5 34.Rxc5
Be6 =) 31...exd5 32.Nd3 Bf5!? (32...Nd7 33.Nb4 +/; 32...Na6 33.Nf4 Bb7 34.Ba3+ Kg8
35.Bd6 +/) 33.Nf4 Ra5 34.Bc3 Rb5 35.Bd4 Ke8 36.Nh5 Kf8 37.Rc7 Na6 38.Ra7, when
White stands better, but Black has fair chances to draw.
31.Ba4!
Threatening Ba3 or Rd1.
31...Nc7
Alternatives such as 31...Ke7 32.Ba3 Kd8 33.Rd1+ Kc7 34.Bxe8 Rxa3 35.Bxf7 or 31...f6
32.Bxe8 Kxe8 33.exf6 gxf6 34.Bxf6 do not help much.
32.Ba3 Kg8
33.Ne4! Rxa4
Black has no good moves: 33...Nba6 34.Bd6 Bb7
(34...Nd5 35.Bc6 +; 34...Ra7 35.Bb5! f5 36.exf6
Nxb5 37.Rxc8+ Kf7 38.Rf8+ Kg6 39.Be5 +) 35.
Bxc7 Bxe4 (35...Rc8 36.Nd6) 36.fxe4 Rc8 37.
Bb5 Rxc7 (37...Nxc7 38.Bd7) 38.Rd1.
34.Rxc7 Ba6
34...Bd7 35.Bd6 (threatening Rb7 or Nc5) 35...
Ra1+ 36.Kf2 Rb1 37.Nc5.
35.Nc5! 10
Black resigned because of 35...Rxa3 (35...Rc4 36.Nxa6) 36.Nxa6.

2007 Efstratios Grivas. All rights reserved.

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