FIDE Surveys – Mihail Marin 1

Mihail Marin:

Small paradoxes of the blocked French
positions

Several centuries after Phillidor, pawns are
still considered to be the soul of chess, at
least in a very wide range of positions.
The clearest situation seems to arise if the
central structure is blocked, as this
frequently happens in the French Opening.

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The orientation of the central chains strongly
suggests that White should launch a kingside
attack with f2–f4, g2–g4 and f4–f5,
sometimes with the aid of h2–h4–h5, while
Black should do the same on the queenside
(...a7–a5, ...b7–b5–b4). White disposes of
more files for the attack on "his" wing,
which yields more of consistence to his
attack, but on the other hand Black's attack is
less time consuming, since it focuses on a
narrower area and involves less pawn
moves. But these are abstract considerations
only and the evaluation of the mutual
chances for success depends on many
concrete factors.
In the present article I will try to highlight
some curiosities regarding the attacks on
opposite wings. which may seem to go a bit
against the common sense.

In the two examples below, Black will be
happy to block the queenside, where he is
supposed to attack, and White would have
done best not to allow it!

Geller E. : Seirawan Y.

Phillips and Drew London, 1982

1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.e5 Ne7 5.Nf3
b6 6.Bd2 Bxc3 7.Bxc3 a5 8.h4 Qd7 9.h5 h6
10.Bd2 Ba6 11.Bxa6 Nxa6 12.0–0 a4
13.Nh4 c5 14.Qg4 Rg8 15.c3 Nc7 16.Be3

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Black has achieved certain strategic goals
with the minor piece exchanges in the
previous phase of the game, but is slightly
underdeveloped and faces some problems
maintaining the tension in the centre.
Yasser's next move must have come as a
surprise for his legendary opponent.
16...c4!
With the a-pawn just one step back, this
could be considered the start of the standard
attack based on ...b6–b5–b4. The way it is, it
allows White to freeze the queenside:
17.a3?!
Geller wrongly assumed that he would have
the better chances if the fight was restricted
to one wing only.
It would have been wiser to keep both wings

FIDE Surveys – Mihail Marin 2

under tension with, say, 17.Rab1 when
Black would have to permanently count with
b2–b3, which would have made castling
long a risky business.
17...0–0–0!
Phillidor may not have considered ensuring
the kings' safety as part of the pawns' task,
but his axiom maintains its validity in the
current position. White's space advantage
will turn against him as a boomerang,
making pawn contacts and the subsequent
opening of the kingside inevitable, offering
Black excellent attacking chances precisely
on White traditional territory.
18.Rae1
Hoping for a slow regrouping with Bd2,
Re3–f3, but Black will be faster.
18...Nf5 19.Qh3
19.Nxf5 exf5 would kill any white hope for
a successful f4–f5 and clear the excellent
blockading e6–square for the knight.

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19...g5!
Under different circumstances (with the
white king on b1, for instance), this would
leave Black with chronic pawn weaknesses.
The way it is, the pawns gladly display their
natural tendency to advance (described by
Nimzovich in a suggestive way) before
being blocked, since their eventual loss
would clear files for the attack.

20.hxg6 fxg6 21.Nf3
Once again, the exchange 21.Nxf5 exf5
plays into Black's hands. Pawn grabbing
offers little joy: 22.Qxh6 Ne6 followed by
...Qf7 and ...Rh8. The extra pawn does not
make itself felt and the attack along the h-
file will become dangerous.
21...g5
White faces concrete problems already: his
most active pieces from just few moves ago
are threatened with a fork.
22.g4
Aiming to push the knight back and leave
Black with a backward pawn on h.
White's hopes for a blockade with 22.Nh2
followed by Qh5 and Ng4 prove illusory
after 22...h5!µ 23.Qxh5? Rh8 followed by
...Qh7 soon.
Or if 22.Qh5 g4 23.Nh4 Nxh4 24.Qxh4
Rdf8µ planning ...Rf5, ...h6–h5, with
excellent play on light squares, when pawn
grabbing once again has fatal consequences:
25.Qxh6 Rh8 26.Qg6 Rfg8 27.Qc2 Qf7
followed by ...Qh5.
22...h5!
The perfect illustration of Nimzovitsch'
views about pawn dynamism.
23.Nxg5
23.gxf5 would lead to a strategically
interesting position if the white king was on
some other area of the board, but the way it
is Black gets a strong attack: 23...g4 24.Qh2
gxf3+ 25.Kh1 exf5 26.Rg1 Ne6 followed by
...Rg4 soon. The point is that taking the h5–
pawn is unthinkable.
23...hxg4
Strategically, the most natural decision,
aiming to prove the superiority of the knight
over the bishop.
23...Nxe3 24.Qxe3 hxg4 was an interesting
alternative, though: 25.f4 gxf3 26.Rxf3 Qg7
27.Rg3 …Ne4 27...Qg6 …Rh8, Rdg8, Rh4,
Qh5.
24.Qxg4 Rh8 25.f4 Rh4 26.Qg2 Rdh8
27.Rf3 Qg7 28.Bf2 R4h5 29.Bg3 Qg6

FIDE Surveys – Mihail Marin 3

30.Bf2 Qg7 31.Bg3 R8h6 32.Kf2 Nxg3
33.Qxg3 Rh2+ 34.Ke3 Qg6 35.f5 exf5
36.Qf4

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The white king is in dire straits, but Black
misses the decisive blow now.
36...Rxb2?
36...Ne6 37.Nxe6 R6h4 38.Qxh2 (38.Qxf5
Re4+) 38...Rxh2 39.Nf4 Qg5 40.Rb1 Kd7
Zugzwang adds now to White's already
existing problems.
37.Qxf5+ Qxf5 38.Rxf5
And White managed to save the game.]
38...Rb3 39.Rf6 Rxc3+ 40.Kf4 Rh4+
41.Kf5 Rb3 42.e6 c3 43.e7 Kd7 44.e8D+
Nxe8 45.Rf7+ Kc6 46.Rxe8 Rxd4 47.Rc8+
Kb5 48.Ne6 Rc4 49.Nc7+ Kc5 50.Ne6+
Kb5 51.Nc7+ Kc5
The paradox behind the queenside blocking
in this game may be partly explained by the
previous exchange of the light-squared
bishops. This way, Black avoided certain
iremediable strategic problem.***However,
the next example shows that the absence of
the bishops is not absolutely relevant.]
½.

Grischuk A. : Vaganian R.
Fuegen 2006

1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.e5 Nfd7 5.f4 c5
6.Nf3 Nc6 7.Be3 a6 8.Qd2 b5 9.a3 Qa5
10.Ra2 Qc7 11.Bd3

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In his aim to restrict the black counterplay,
White has placed some of his pieces on far
from optimal squares. The rook's position on
a2 does not require detailed comments. The
bishop went to d3 in order to keep the e2–
square free for the c3–knight for the case of
an exchange on d4, but is rather exposed
there. These elements offer Black the
possibility to block the centre under
acceptable circumstances, given that White
will need several tempi to retrieve his
coordination.
11...c4 12.Be2 Ne7
With the white pawn on f4 already, Black
cannot think of launching a massive kingside
attack. Instead, he should aim for a blockade
on light squares; the knight manoeuvre is the
first step to it.
13.0–0 h5 14.Bd1
White initiates his long regrouping, lasting
for about 7 moves.
14...Nf5 15.Bf2 Be7 16.Ne2 Nf8!?
A somewhat mysterious move. The first
thing that comes up to mind is that Black

FIDE Surveys – Mihail Marin 4

prepares for the eventuality of an exchange
on f5, when after ...exf5 the reserve knight
would make use of the excellent e6–square.
The ulterior course of the game will prove
that the knight will be useful for other
purposes as well.
17.c3 a5

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It may seem as if Black prepared the
standard ...b5–b4 attack, although his
knights’ placement does not fit into this plan
too well. Had White understood his
opponent's real intentions, he might have
considered playing 18.b3, keeping the
tension on both wings, with reasonable
chances for a long term advantage. Instead,
he continued regrouping, which is actually
the same kind of inaccuracy as that
committed by Geller in the previous game.
18.Bc2 a4!
In principle, it would have also made sense
to prevent Bxf5 followed by Bh4 with
18...Qd8 , but this is a counter-developing
move which may have induced White to
choose the right plan of opening the
queenside with 19.b3!
19.Raa1
19.Bxf5 exf5 20.Bh4 is not too dangerous in
fact. While carrying out a favourable
exchange, it also improves the
communication between Black's wings:

20...Ra6! 21.Raa1 Bxh4 22.Nxh4 Qd8
23.Qe1 Ng6 24.Nxg6 Rxg6 25.Kh1 h4
followed by ...Be6 with a very safe position
for Black.
19...Qd8 20.g3

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White starts preparing the attack based on g4
and f5, but will never get to carry it out, as a
consequence of Black's good regrouping.
20...Nh6 21.Rae1 Kd7!
Under the given circumstances, this is a
much faster way of evacuating the king than
castling long.
22.h3 Kc6 23.Kg2 Kb7 24.Nh2

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Finally, White threatens g3–g4.

FIDE Surveys – Mihail Marin 5

24...f5!
Cutting the Gordian knot by one stroke.
25.exf6
This looks like the only way to keep
fighting, but it actually offers Black
excellent prospects. The e6–pawn is well
defended (the f8–knight!) and the h6–knight
gets a free access to e4.
Of course, White could have immediately
forced a draw with h3–h4, blocking the
position completely, but preparing a long
plan based on the king's transfer to b1 and
g3–g4 would not have been realistic. For
instance: 25.Be3 (Parrying ...g5) 25...Nh7
26.Nf3?! h4! and Black takes over the
initiative.
25...gxf6 26.f5!?
Thematic but insufficient.
26...Nxf5 27.Bxf5 exf5 28.Nf4 Bd6 29.Nf3
Bxf4 30.gxf4
30.Qxf4 Ng6 31.Qe3 f4 32.gxf4 Bf5µ
30...Ng6
This is an open invitation to a draw.
30...Ra6!? followed by ...Re6 would have
retained better chances for Black.
31.Nh4 Nxh4+
1/2
I do not believe that the apparent reversal of
parts featured by these examples does shake
Phillidor's axiom in any way. It just takes a
deeper understanding of the subtleties
regarding the pawn structure in general to
make the games fit into the general concept.