FIDE Surveys – Jeroen Bosch

1

Jeroen Bosch:

Passed pawn(s)

As a chess game progresses pawns gain in
importance (they are no longer sacrificed
for opening files, or to gain a lead in
development they become a power in
themselves). Indeed, in the endgame a
passed pawn (or pawns) will often
constitute a decisive advantage. In this
short article we will encounter several
aspects of the passed pawn.
We will not concern ourselves with the
gradual creation of a passed pawn (or the
realization of a positional advantage like,
say, a majority on the queenside). We will
investigate instances where a passed pawn
already exists; concentrating on the
techniques that are available to realize the
advantage or defuse the pawn by defending
accurately.

Promotion with check

Timing is of the essence in check. Let’s see
why White failed to realize his advantage
in the next example:

Michielsen J. : Miedema D.
Dutch tt 2010/2011

XIIIIIIIIY
9-+-+-+-+0
9+P+-vL-+-0
9-+-+-+-mk0
9+-mK-+-+-0
9-sn-+-+-+0
9+-zp-+-+-0
9-+-+-+-+0
9+-+-+-+-0
xiiiiiiiiy

66.Kb4?
White takes the annoying knight which
prevents the promotion of his passed pawn.
Yet this logical move throws away the win.
White had to calculate to see that after
66.Ld6! Kg5 (66...Sa6 67.Kb6+-) 67.Kb4

(or the immediate 67.Lf4 ) 67...c2 he can
promote with check due to 68.Lf4! Kf4
69.b8D and wins. Of course not 66.b8D?
Sa6.
66...c2 67.b8D c1D
Now however, an extra bishop is of little
importance. The game was drawn after
68.Dh8 Kg6 69.Df6 Kh7!
Not 69...Kh5? 70.Df5 Kh6 71.Lf8 mate!
70.Df5 Kg7! 71.Lf6 Kh6! 72.Lg5 ½.

Minor promotion

Nearly always a passed pawn aspires to
become a queen. However, it is essential to
always keen an open mind. Sometimes the
win can only be achieved with minor
promotion.

Hermeling C. : Gosman T.
Dutch tt 2011/2012

XIIIIIIIIY
9-+-+-+-+0
9+-zP-+-+-0
9-+-+-+-mk0
9+n+-+K+P0
9-+-+-sN-+0
9+-+-+-+-0
9-+-+-+-+0
9+-+-+-+-0
xiiiiiiiiy

White to move saw that he could not
promote his pawn due to a knight check
and resigned himself to its loss. However,
keeping an open mind would have
undoubtedly led to the right solution and a
full point!
60.Kg4?
Correct was 60.c8S! and with an extra
piece and an extra passed pawn (note that
the passed pawn is a rook's pawn - the
natural enemy of a defending knight in an
ending) White wins easily. The table bases
confirm a mate in 20. Try out for yourself
to see that there is no way in which Black
can bring his knight towards the h-pawn.
60.c8D? Sd6.
60...Sc7 61.Sg2 Se8 and draw agreed - ½.

FIDE Surveys – Jeroen Bosch

2

Connected passed pawns

If one is good than two is better! Passed
pawns increase in strength when they are
connected. They can protect and support
each other. Often two connected passed
pawns on the sixth (or third) rank can be at
least as strong as a rook. Let’s look at a
classical example:

Smyslov V. : Botvinnik M.
Leningrad/Moscow 1941

XIIIIIIIIY
9-+r+-+-+0
9+r+-+-+k0
9PzP-+-zp-+0
9+R+-+P+p0
9-+-zpP+-zp0
9+-zp-+P+-0
9-zp-+-+-+0
9+-+-tR-+K0
xiiiiiiiiy

Black to move faces two connected passed
pawns on the sixth. However, he may boast
of three connected passed pawns himself.
Thus the solution is to sacrifice the rook
gaining sufficient time to promote his
pawns
1...Tb6! 2.Tb6 d3
Not 2...c2 3.Tb2 d3 4.Tc2 (or 4.Tb7) with
a draw.
3.Tg1
White faces the hopeless task of holding up
three connected passed pawns. 3.a7 d2
4.Tg1 c2 5.Tb8 c1D–+.
3...d2 4.Txf6 Tc7
Black still has to take care. Not 4...c2?
5.Tf7 Kh8 (5...Kh6? 6.Tg6 mate) 6.Tf6
Kh7 (6...Tc7? 7.Th6 Th7 8.a7!+-) and the
game ends in a draw.
5.Tfg6 d1D!
An excellent 'queen sacrifice'. Smyslov
resigned for taking on d1 loses to 6...c2.
Meanwhile 5...c2? still allowed White a
draw with 6.T6g5 Tc6 7.Tg7 Kh6 8.Tg8.
0:1.

Protected passed pawn

If an ordinary passed pawn is already a
prized possession than a protected passed
pawn is a real pride of joy. In our next
example Kasparov converts his endgame
advantage by sacrificing a piece for a
protected passed pawn, thus gaining all the
time in the world to win the game.

Kasparov G. : Timman J.
Linares 1993

XIIIIIIIIY
9-+-+-+-+0
9+-+-+-mk-0
9p+-sN-zpp+0
9+-+-+-+P0
9-zP-+-mKP+0
9zP-+-+-+-0
9-+-+-+-+0
9+-+l+-+-0
xiiiiiiiiy

50.Se8! Kf7 51.Sf6! Kf6 52.g5 Kf7 53.h6
and Black resigned. White's king just
walks over to the queenside, creating a
passed pawn and thereby winning the
bishop. Next the pawn ending with a
protected passed pawn is easily won. 1:0.


Intermediate move

Schone R. : Bagirov V.
Berlin 1996

XIIIIIIIIY
9-+-+-+-+0
9+PmK-+-+-0
9-+-+-+-tR0
9+-+-+p+-0
9-+-+-zPk+0
9+r+-+-+p0
9-+-+-+-+0
9+-+-+-+-0
xiiiiiiiiy

FIDE Surveys – Jeroen Bosch

3

White to move can only win by playing the
intermediate:
1.Tg6!
1.Tb6 Tb6 2.Kb6 h2 3.b8D h1D and the
queen ending is even lost!
1.Th8 Kg3 (1...Tc3 2.Kd6 Tb3=) 2.b8D
Tb8 3.Tb8 Kf4 4.Th8 Kg3 ends in a draw.
1.b8D Tb8 2.Kb8 Kf4 3.Th3=.
1...Kf4
And now we have another instance of
promoting with check. White wins Black's
queen after either 1...Kh5 2.Tb6 Tb6 3.Kb6
h2 4.b8D h1D 5.Dh8+-, or 1...Kf3 2.Tb6
Tb6 3.Kb6 h2 4.b8D h1D 5.Da8+-.
2.Tb6 Tb6 3.Kb6 Kg3 4.b8D Kg2 5.Dg8
1:0.

Mate after promotion

We already saw examples in which the
stronger side promoted with check, or
could win the opponent’s queen at the end
of a pawn race. Our next example
combines several techniques and
introduces the silent move to force mate.

Berkvens J. : Van Beek L.
Dieren 2000

XIIIIIIIIY
9-+-+-+-+0
9+-+-+-mKP0
9-+-+k+-+0
9+-+-+-+-0
9-+-+-vL-+0
9+-+-+-+r0
9-+p+-+-+0
9+-+-+-+-0
xiiiiiiiiy

Black is an exchange up, but White is
about to promote his passed pawn. It seems
as if the draw is at hand. Or what do you
think?
1...Tg3!
Or 1...Kf5 2.Ld2 (2.Lh6?? Th6–+) and the
game ends in a repetition: 2...Tg3 3.Kf7
Th3 4.Kg7.
2.Kh6

A crucial line is 2.Lg3 c1D 3.h8D Dg5
4.Kh7 (4.Kf8 De7 5.Kg8 Df7 mate)
4...Kf7! and mate follows!
2.Kf8 Tf3 3.h8D Tf4 4.Ke8 c1D–+.
2...Kf7
Also winning is 2...Kf5 3.Lc1 (3.h8D Th3
4.Kg7 Th8–+) 3...Tg6! 4.Kh5 Tg1.
3.Lc1 Th3 0:1.

Pin

A pin can be a useful defensive technique.

Fridstein : Lutikow
Riga 1954

XIIIIIIIIY
9-tR-+-+-+0
9+-+-+-+-0
9-+-+-+-+0
9+-+-+-+-0
9-+-mk-+K+0
9+pzp-+-+-0
9-+-+-+-+0
9+-+-+-+-0
xiiiiiiiiy

White unexpectedly resigned here! He
missed the intermediate:
1.Tb4
1.Tb3 c2 2.Tb4 Kd5 3.Tb5 Kd6 4.Tb6 Kc7
was the line which made Fridstein resign.
1...Kd3 2.Tb3 when the c-pawn is pinned -
½.
In our next example the stronger side uses
a pin to promote his passed pawn.

Ljubojevic L. : - Leko P.
Monaco 2003

XIIIIIIIIY
9-tr-+-+k+0
9+-+-+pzp-0
9-+R+l+-zp0
9+-+-+-+-0
9-+-+-zP-+0
9+Pzp-+LzP-0
9-+-+P+KzP0
9+-+-+-+-0
xiiiiiiiiy

FIDE Surveys – Jeroen Bosch

4

Black to move can win back a pawn, but it
would be difficult to promote his passed
pawn.
1...Tc8!
1...Tb3 2.Kf2 will end in a draw.
2.Tc8 Lc8 3.Le4
The bishop turns out to be bad defender
after:
3...Lb7
pinning it and thus securing the advance of
the passed pawn – 0:1.


Pawn race

We already noted the relevance of what is
going on at the end of a pawn race. Here is
a special case with White forcing a
theoretical draw in a queen versus pawn
ending:

XIIIIIIIIY
9-+-+-+-+0
9+-+-+-+-0
9-+Kzp-+-+0
9+-+-zp-+-0
9-+-+-+-+0
9+-+-+-+-0
9-+P+-mk-+0
9+-+-+-+-0
xiiiiiiiiy

1.Kd5!
Luring Black's king to f3. Black wins after
the straightforward 1.Kd6 e4 2.c4 e3 3.c5
e2 4.c6 e1D 5.Kd7 Dd1 6.Kc8 Dg4.
1...Kf3 2.Kd6 e4 3.c4 e3 4.c5 e2 5.c6 e1D
6.Kd7
Not 6.c7? De8 and now we see the
relevance of the first move. After:
6...Dd1 7.Kc8
Black cannot check on g4. Thus, he is
unable to prevent 8.c7, with a theoretical
draw - ½.

Zugzwang

Zugzwang is an important technique in our
next study:

Duras, 1906

XIIIIIIIIY
9-+-+-+-+0
9mKPvl-+-+-0
9P+-+-+-+0
9+k+-+-+-0
9-+-+-+p+0
9+-+-+p+-0
9-+-+-vL-+0
9+-+-+-+-0
xiiiiiiiiy

1.b8D Lb8 2.Kb7!
And now Black is in Zugzwang after:
2...Ka5 3.Lh4 Kb5 4.Le1
and has to give up a pawn. After:
4...g3 5.Lg3 Lg3 6.a7 f2 7.a8D f1D 8.Da6
is a skewer that wins the queen.

Khalifman A. : Leko P.
Budapest 2000

XIIIIIIIIY
9-+-+-+k+0
9+-+-+-zPR0
9-+-+K+-zp0
9+-+-+-vl-0
9-+-+-+-+0
9+-+-+-+-0
9-+-+-+-+0
9+-+-+-+-0
xiiiiiiiiy

Black to move appears to be in Zugzwang.
How can he safe himself?
1...h5!
The only move that draws, due to a
stalemate trick.
1...Ld8 2.Th8;
1...Lh4 2.Th6;
1...Ld2 2.Kf6.
2.Th5 Lf6! 3.Th3
3.Kf6 stalemate.
3...Lg7
With a theoretical draw. The remaining
moves are not interesting for our purposes.

FIDE Surveys – Jeroen Bosch

5

A bishop as defender

A bishop can defend against a passed pawn
from a long distance. As such it is a more
suitable defensive piece than a knight. A
bishop can get into trouble against more
than one passed pawn, when it is torn
between two diagonals.

Iljin-Genevsky : Myasoedov
Leningrad 1932

XIIIIIIIIY
9-+-+k+-+0
9+-+-+p+-0
9-+-zPp+-+0
9zP-+-+-+-0
9-+-+-zp-zP0
9+-+l+P+P0
9-+-+-mK-+0
9+-+-+-+-0
xiiiiiiiiy

1.Ke1
The bishop is excellently placed on d3 to
defend against the march of the passed
pawns. So, White chases it away. Black is
on time after 1.h5 Kd7 2.h6 Kd6 3.a6 Kc6.
1...e5
1...Kd7 2.Kd2 Lb1 3.a6.
2.Kd2 e4 3.h5 Lb1 4.h6 e3 5.Ke2 Kd7
6.a6 – 1:0.

Being on the right diagonal is crucial as
witness the next example:

Fridman D. : Ernst S.
Dutch tt 2011/2012

XIIIIIIIIY
9-+-+-+-+0
9+-+-+-+-0
9-+-+-+-+0
9+-+-mKP+-0
9-+-zP-+-mk0
9+-+-+-+P0
9-+-vl-+-+0
9+-+-+-+-0

xiiiiiiiiy

44...Kg5?
44...Kh5! - this move draws. The point is
that the bishop has to be able to operate
along the diagonal h4-d8 to stop White's
passed pawns. After 45.Ke6 Lg5! 46.f6
Kg6 47.f7 Kg7 48.d5 Lh4 49.d6 Kf8 we
reach a position similar to the game. White
cannot win. In this line nothing is changed
by 46.d5 Lh4! (46...Ld8 is the correct
diagonal, but White can either cut off the
bishop with f6, or gain a tempo by means
of Kd7. 47.d6 Kh6 (47...Lh4 48.d7 Ld8
(48...Kh6 49.f6; 48...Lg5 49.f6) 49.h4 Kh6
50.f6 (50.Kf7) 50...Kh7 51.f7 Kg7 52.h5+-
and the pawns have passed the crucial
diagonal.) 48.f6 Kg6 49.f7 Kg7 50.Kd7!+-
gaining a tempo!) 47.d6 (47.f6 Kg6 48.f7
Kg7 49.d6 Kf8 is again simple.) 47...Kh6
with a draw.
45.f6?
Returning the compliment! 45.Ke6! would
have won, after 45...Lc3 (45...Le1 46.f6
Kg6 47.f7 Kg7 48.Ke7! Lb4 49.Ke8 La3
and the bishop is on the wrong diagonal as
50.h4+- demonstrates.) 46.d5 La5 47.d6
Ld8 48.d7 Lc7 (48...Kh6 49.h4 (49.f6;
49.Kf7) 49...Kg7 (49...Lxh4 50.f6) 50.h5+-
) 49.f6 (49.h4 also wins) 49...Kg6 50.f7
Kg7 White either controls f8 with
51.Ke7+- or pushes his h-pawn 51.h4+-.
45...Kg6 46.Ke6 Lg5!
Back on the right track! The bishop
prevents further mayhem from this
diagonal.
47.f7 Kg7 48.d5 Lh4 49.d6 Kf8 50.d7
Ld8 and draw agreed after a few more
moves - ½.

Stalemate

In our previous example Black used a
stalemate motif to obtain the draw. Here is
another example of this defensive
technique:

Goldstein : Shamkovich
Moscow 1946

FIDE Surveys – Jeroen Bosch

6

XIIIIIIIIY
9-mk-+-+-+0
9+-+-+-+-0
9-zPP+-+-+0
9+-+-mK-+-0
9-+-+L+p+0
9+-+-+P+-0
9-+-+-+-+0
9+-+r+-+-0
xiiiiiiiiy

1...gf3! 2.Lf3
White also does not win after 2.c7 Kc8
3.Lf5 Td7 4.Lh3 f2 5.Ke4 f1D 6.Lf1 Tc7.
2...Td7!
An excellent move that draws.
3.Ld5
3.cd7 is stalemate!
3...Tb7!
And this further stalemate trick saves the
day. Instead 3...Tg7 4.Kd6 Tg6 5.Le6
would win for White - ½.


A knight as defender

A knight has more trouble defending
against passed pawns, especially when
they are rook pawns.

Barua D. : Korchnoi V.
Lloyds Bank 1982

XIIIIIIIIY
9k+-+-+-+0
9+-+-+p+P0
9p+p+-+n+0
9+-+-zp-+-0
9-+-+P+N+0
9+p+-mK-+-0
9-zP-+-+-+0
9+-+-+-+-0
xiiiiiiiiy

White to move wins in a straightforward
manner:
1.Se5 Sh8 2.Sf7 Sf7 3.e5 1:0.

Van Wely L. : Giri A.
Wijk aan Zee 2012

XIIIIIIIIY
9-+-vl-+-+0
9+-+-+-sN-0
9-zp-+-zp-+0
9zp-zp-mk-+-0
9P+P+-+KzP0
9+P+-+-+-0
9-+-+-+-+0
9+-+-+-+-0
xiiiiiiiiy

Realizing how slow a knight is in moving
across the board induced Black to sacrifice
his bishop, after
60...f5!
Passive defence just loses: 60...Le7 61.h5
Lf8 62.h6 f5 63.Kg5 f4 64.Kg6 f3 65.h7
Lg7 (65...f2 66.h8D f1D 67.Sf5 Kf4
68.Df8+-) 66.Kg7 f2 67.h8D f1D 68.Db8
Ke4 69.Db6+-.
61.Sf5 Lh4! 62.Sh4 Kd4
And Black easily manages the draw:
63.Kf3 Kc3 64.Ke3 Kb3 65.Kd3 Ka4
66.Kc3 b5 - ½.

Outside passed pawn

In pawn endings the outside passed pawn
will usually prove to be a decisive
advantage. Let us finish with a position
where at present there are no passed pawns
on the board:

Hug W.: Kortchnoi V.
Biel 1986

XIIIIIIIIY
9-+-+-+-+0
9+-+k+-+-0
9-+n+-zp-+0
9+-zp-+-zp-0
9p+-zpK+P+0
9zP-+P+-vLP0
9-+P+-+-+0
9+-+-+-+-0
xiiiiiiiiy

Black to move faces the threat of Kd5.

FIDE Surveys – Jeroen Bosch

7

However, neither 1...Ke6 nor 1...Se7
promise anything special. Considering
Black's space advantage and the fact that
both White's king and his bishop are far
removed from the queenside, we may hit
upon the right idea:
1...Sb4!
1...Ke6 2.Lc7 Se7 3.Lb6 Kd6 4.Ld8 Sd5
5.La5; 1...Se7 2.h4 gh4 3.Lh4 Ke6 4.Le1
f5 5.gf5 Sf5 6.c4.
2.h4?
White immediately loses after 2.ab4? a3–+.
However after 2.Lf2 Sc2 3.Kd5 Sa3 4.Kc5
Sc2 5.Ld4 Sd4 6.Kd4 Kd6 7.Kc4 Ke5 8.d4
(8.Kb4 Kd4 9.Ka4 Kd3–+) 8...Kd6 Black
wins because of his outside passed pawn.
2...gh4 3.Lh4 Ke6!
This is much stronger than 3...Sc2 4.Kd5
Sa3 5.Kc5 Sc2 6.Kc4 Ke6 7.Lg3 a3 8.Kb3
Sb4 9.Lf2 Ke5 10.Kc4.
4.g5 Sc2!
The idea was 4...fg5 5.Lg5 Sc2 6.Lc1.
5.gf6 Sa3 6.f7 Kf7 7.Kd5 Sc2 8.Kc4 Se3
9.Kc5 a3 0:1.

Exercises

XIIIIIIIIY
9-+-+-+-+0
9zp-mk-+p+-0
9-zp-tR-+-+0
9+-+PvL-zP-0
9-+-+-+K+0
9+-+-+-+r0
9-+-+-zp-+0
9+-+-+-+-0
xiiiiiiiiy

Black to move.

XIIIIIIIIY
9-+-+-+-+0
9+k+-+-+-0
9p+-+-+-+0
9+-+-zPpzp-0
9-+-mK-+-+0
9+-+-+P+-0
9-+-+-+-zP0
9+-+-+-+-0
xiiiiiiiiy

White to move.

XIIIIIIIIY
9-+-+-+k+0
9+-mK-+-+-0
9-+-+-+p+0
9zp-zp-+-+p0
9-snP+-zP-+0
9+P+p+NzP-0
9-+-+-+P+0
9+-+-+-+-0
xiiiiiiiiy

Black to move.

XIIIIIIIIY
9-+-+-+k+0
9+p+-+-+p0
9p+-+-zp-+0
9zP-+-snp+-0
9-zPPvL-+-zP0
9+-+-+-+-0
9-+-+-+P+0
9+-+-+-mK-0
xiiiiiiiiy

White to move.

XIIIIIIIIY
9-+r+-+k+0
9+-zpN+-zpn0
9-zpP+rzp-zp0
9zp-+Rzp-+-0
9-+-+-+-zP0
9zP-+-+-zP-0
9-zP-+-zPK+0
9+-+R+-+-0
xiiiiiiiiy

White to move.

XIIIIIIIIY
9-+kvl-+-+0
9+-+-sn-zp-0
9p+-+-zp-+0
9+pzP-zpP+K0
9-zP-+L+-zP0
9zP-+-vL-+-0
9-+-+-+-+0
9+-+-+-+-0
xiiiiiiiiy

White to move.

FIDE Surveys – Jeroen Bosch

8

Solutions:

1. Koblenz : Moissejew
Riga 1955

1...f5!
1...Te3 2.Tf6 Te5 3.Tf7+.
1...f1D 2.Tf6+-.
After 1...f5! White resigned: 2.gf6 (2.Kf5
f1D; 2.Kh3 f1D) 2...f1D–+ 0:1.

2. Myasnikov : Kasparian
Erevan 1956

1.Le5 fe5 2.c5
2.b5 Kf7 3.c5.
2...Kf7 3.b5 Ke6
3...ab5? 4.c6+-.
4.c6 Kd6
4...bc6 5.ba6+-.
5.cb7 Kc7 6.b6
6.ba6? h5.
6...Kb7 7.h5+-
Not 7.Kf2 h5! and White wins as he can
always break up Black's pawn duo in the
centre with g4.

3. Ivanchuk : Giri
Wijk aan Zee 2012

52.f4!
52.e6?? Kc7 53.Ke5 Kd8–+;
52.Kd5 f4 53.h3 a5 54.Kd6 a4 55.e6 a3
56.e7 a2 57.e8D a1D 58.Db5 Ka8 59.Dg5
Da3 60.Ke5 Df3 61.h4 Dc3 62.Kf4 Dc1=.
52...gf4 53.h4 a5 54.e6 Kc7 55.h5 a4
56.e7 Kd7 57.h6 1:0.

4. Ragozin : Pinkus
USSR - USA 1946
1.Sb6! Tce8
1...cb6 2.Td8 Te8 (2...Td8 3.Td8 Kf7 4.c7)
3.Te8 Te8 4.c7+-.
2.Td8 Sf8 3.Te8 Te8 4.Sc4
With a (winning) positional advantage.

5. De Gleria : Fuhrmann
BL 96/97
1...Sc2 2.Kd6 Sd4 3.Sd2 Sb3 4.Sb3 a4
5.Sd2 a3 6.Kc5 a2 0:1.

6. Almasi : Kindermann
Plauen 2000
1.Lh6! gh6 2.Kh6 Kc7 3.h5 Sf5 4.Lf5 e4
5.Kg6 e3 6.Ld3 1:0.