FIDE – TRG SURVEYS – EFSTRATIOS GRIVAS

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Efstratios Grivas:

The Weak Passed c-pawn

Concept
A passed pawn can be proven either
a very important asset or a weak
target; everything depends on its
ability to move forward. A passed
pawn that finds no obstacles on its
movement to its queening square
proves strength, while if it is blocked
shows weakness.
We will examine endings where a
‘passed’ c-pawn and all rooks are
present on the board; a very rare
strategical theme that netherless also
occurs in top-level.

Gelfand B. : Grischuk A.
Sochi 2004

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So, White has got what he had
wished for - all Black's pawns are
weak and isolated and furthermore
the back king is lucking protection.
Of course Black has at his disposal a
passed c-pawn, but the main question

is: is it really a strong passed one or a
weak target?
22.Rc4?!
A superficial move which allows
Black to exchange queens, reducing
White's attacking ideas. It was more
accurate to go for 22.Rc1! (22...Rd3?
23.Rc4 Qd2 24.Rc5!). Another idea
that deserved attention was 22.Rb1!?.
22...Qd2 23.Rc1
If 23.Qe4, then 23...Rcd8,
threatening ...Qe2 and ...Rd1.
23...Qc2 24.R1c2

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So, a four-rook ending has appeared
on the board and it is important to
clarify some things.
1. If Black succeeds to exchange one
pair of rooks and his a- & c-pawns
for White's a-pawn, then a draw
would be the outcome.
2. With all rooks on the board the 4:3
pawn ratio on the kingside will offer
White excellent winning chances, as
he will able to combine attack on the

FIDE – TRG SURVEYS – EFSTRATIOS GRIVAS

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weak opponent pawns and mating
threats.
3. If White manages to win the c- &
f6-pawns in return for his a-pawn, he
would win.
4. In general, exchanging one pair of
rooks favours the weaker side.
5. If White manages to activate his
second rook, all Black's pawns will
become targets.
24...Rc6
A good move, preventing White
from occupying the b-file. If
24...Kg7 25.Rb2 Rc6 26.Rb7±.
25.Kg2?!
A weak move, as weak would be
25.Rb2?! Rb6. White had to go for
25.Ra4! Rc7 and only then 26.Kg2 f5
27.Kf3± , when he would at least be
able to exchange rooks on the d-file
(Ke2, Rd2) under favourable
circumstances.
25...Ra6!
Now Black's rook got good activity.
26.a4
After 26.Kf3 Ra3 it is not clear how
White will make progress.
26...h6?!
A better idea was to put the pawn on
f5, by continuing with 26...Kg7
27.Kf3 Kg6 28.Ke2 (28.Rg4 Rg5)
28...f5 29.Rd2 Rad6 (29...Re5
30.Rd8±; 29...Rd2 30.Kd2±) 30.Rd5
Rd5 31.Rc2 Kf6 32.Rb2, when
White remains on the driver's seat,
but there is a long way to go ... The
immediate 26...f5? is losing: 27.Rc5
Rc5 28.Rc5 Ra4 29.Rf5 a5 30.Kf3
Ra1 31.h4 a4 32.Ra5 a3 33.h5 h6
34.g4 Kg7 35.e4 Ra2 36.Ke3 Ra1
37.Ra6 Ra2 (37...a2 38.Kf4) 38.e5

Ra1 39.Kf4 Rf1 40.f3 Ra1 41.Kf5 a2
42.f4+-.
27.Kf3 Kf8 28.Ke2

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28...Ra5?
This allows the white rook on c2 to
get in on the action. This is the main
problem in such positions - it may be
possible to defend them during home
analysis, but on the board it is
difficult to understand what threats
are real and what are illusory.
28...Ke7? loses a pawn to 29.Rc5
Rc5 30.Rc5 Ra4 31.Rh5 and White is
winning: 31...Ra1 (31...Kf8 32.Rh6
Kg7 33.Rh5 Ra1 34.h4 a5 35.Kf3 a4
36.Ra5 a3 37.g4! (37.Kf4? Ra2 38.f3
Ra1 39.h5 a2 40.g4 Kh7 41.e4
Kg7=) 37...Rh1 (37...a2 38.h5+-)
38.h5 Ra1 39.Ra6+-) 32.Rh6 a5
33.h4 a4 34.Rh8 a3 35.Ra8+-. But
the best defence was 28...Rh5,
keeping the king and the other rook
in their best positions: 29.h4 Rd5
30.R2c3! (30.Rb2? Rb6 31.Rb5 Rb5
32.ab5 Kg7 33.Kf3 Rd6 34.Rc5
Rb6=) 30...Kg7 31.Rd3 Rd3
32.Kd3±.

FIDE – TRG SURVEYS – EFSTRATIOS GRIVAS

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29.Rb2! Rd6 30.Rb8 Ke7 31.Rh4
Now Black is unable to protect all
his weaknesses. Also possible was
31.Rc8 Rda6 32.Rc7 Ke6 33.R7c5
Rc5 34.Rc5 Ra4 35.Rh5.
31...Rb6
Or 31...Rc6 32.Re4 Re6 33.Rb7!
Kd6 (33...Kf8 34.Rh4 Rc6 35.Rh6
Kg7 36.Rh4 c4 37.Rb4 c3 38.Rhc4)
34.Rf4+-.
32.Rc8 Kd7 33.Rh8 Rb4

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34.R4h6
Black's weak pawns started to fall -
the end is near.
34...Rb6
Also hopeless was 34...Raa4 35.Rf6
Rb2 36.Kf3 Raa2 37.Kg2 Ke7
38.Rf4+-.
35.R6h7 Ra4 36.Rf7 Kc6
36...Ke6 37.Rhf8+-.
37.Rf6 Kb5 38.Rb6 ab6 39.h4 Ra2
40.Kf3 c4 41.h5 Ra7 42.Rc8 Rf7
43.Ke2 Kb4 44.g4 Rh7 45.f4 1:0.

A very similar case, although a bit
improved as Black’s king was not
weak, appeared in the next example.
This time Gelfand was handling the

back pieces - he even stated that this
was the game that taught him how to
handle such cases and handed him
the win in the previous game!

Karpov A. : Gelfand B.
Linares 1991

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It looks like Black is having a good
position - he even occupies the only
open file of the board, but the reality
is that it is White who can put-up the
real pressure.
26.c4! dc4 27.Rc4 Kg7 28.Rdc2
Rc7 29.g4!
White gains more space on the
kingside. If 29.Rc5 then 29...Ra6
with the idea ...Ra4, is interesting.
29...hg4 30.hg4 Kf6
Giving-up the c-pawn in return for
some activity with 30...c5 31.Rc5
(31.Kg3 Ra6 32.a4 Kf6) 31...Rc5
32.Rc5 Ra6 33.Rc2 Ra4 34.Kg3±, do
not solve Black's problems.
31.Kg3 Ke6

FIDE – TRG SURVEYS – EFSTRATIOS GRIVAS

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32.a4!
Threatening 33.a5.
32...Kd7
After 32...Kd6 White retains his
advantage: 33.Rd4 Ke6 34.Rc5! Rd7
35.Re5!±.
33.g5!
Fixing another target - the f7-pawn
and securing the e5-square for the
king (see the game continuation).
33...Ra6 34.Rd4 Ke8
In case of 34...Ke6 White continues
35.Rc5 Rd7 36.Rdc4 (36.a5?! Rd5!)
36...Kd6 37.Kf4±.
35.Rc5 Rb6 36.Kf4 Rd7?!
Helping White's task. 36...Rb2 37.f3
Kf8± was a more 'fighting'
continuation.
37.Rd7! Kd7 38.Ke5!
Full domination!
38...Ke7 39.f4 Rb4 40.Ra5 Rb7
41.e4 Rc7
After 41...Rd7 White can win with
42.Rc5 Rd6 43.f5 gf5 44.ef5 f6
45.gf6 Rf6 46.Ra5+-.
42.Rc5! Rc8 43.Rc3 Re8 44.Rc4
44.Rc6? falls into a cheap trap:
44...Kd7 45.Kd5 Re4!=.

44...Rc8 45.Rb4 Rc7 46.a5!
Planning a6, with the threat (among
others) Rb7.
46...Kd7 47.Rb3!
Puts Black into zugzwang.
47...Ke7
47...Kc8 48.Kd6+- and 47...c5
48.Kd5+- were not worthy options ...
48.a6! Kd7
Again 48...c5 fails to 49.Kd5 c4
50.Rb7 Kd7 51.Rc7 Kc7 52.Kc4 Kb6
53.f5 Ka6 54.e5! Kb6 (54...gf5 55.e6
fe6 56.g6+-) 55.e6 fe6 56.fg6+-.
49.Kf6 Kc8

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50.Rh3
50.f5+- was winning as well.
50...Rd7 51.f5 gf5 52.ef5 c5 53.Rc3
Rc7 54.g6 fg6 55.fg6 Kd7 56.g7
Rc8 57.Rg3
57.Rg3 And Black resigned, as after
57...Rg8 58.Kf7 Rc8 59.g8Q Rg8
60.Rg8 is curtains. Did you ever
notice that Black's c-pawn was a
passed one? 1:0.

Finally a case which I find very
instructive and impressed me a lot in
my younger years, when I started to

FIDE – TRG SURVEYS – EFSTRATIOS GRIVAS

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understand that chess is something
more than pure calculation …

Andersson U. : Rivas Pastor M.
Hastings 1981

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The isolated e-pawn which appeared
at the 18th move was no real burden
to Black; it could not conveniently be
brought under fire and was actually
depriving the white pieces of certain
useful squares in the centre. White
therefore exchanged it off within a
few moves and now plans Re7 plus
Rg3. However this will require some
preparation, and if Black remains
reasonably active he has nothing to
fear at this stage.
29...c5
29...Qd2! looked as a bit more
accurate, keeping an even game.
30.bc5 Qc5?!
30...bc5 was perfectly sound, as the
exchange of the queens is a mistake
which leaves White with a strong
endgame initiative. It was essential
for Black to preserve the queens on
the board, as then it would be not
easy for White to activate kingside

majority and expose his king. After
this alternative play might continue
31.Rg3 a5 32.Re7 Rd3 33.Rgg7 Rf4
34.Rh7 Kg8 35.Reg7 Kf8 36.Qe7
Qe7 37.Re7 Ra3.
31.Qc5 bc5 32.Re7
White's advantage lies in the simple
fact that his rooks are more active
and that he can activate efficiently
his kingside pawn-majority. At the
same time Black's passed c-pawn is
going nowhere.
32...Rd4
Black is obliged to counterattack, as
the obvious 32...a5?! 33.Rg3 Rg8
34.Ra7 loses material and 32...a6
33.Rg3 Rg8 (33...Rf4?! 34.Reg7+-)
34.Rg6 Rd4 35.f5± is not advisable
either.
33.Rg3 Rg8 34.f5
Of course White must preserve his
active majority: 34.Ra7? Rf4 35.Rc7
Ra4 36.a3 c4 37.Rc3 Rga8=.
34...Rf4 35.Rf7 a5
35...Ra4 36.a3! c4 37.Rc7 Ra5
38.Rf3 Rf8 39.g4±.
36.Rg6

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36...c4?!

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Black missed his best defence:
36...Ra4! 37.Rc6 (37.f6 Ra2 38.Rfg7
Rg7 39.fg7 (39.Rg7 Rf2) 39...Kg8
40.Rh6 Kg7=) 37...Ra2 38.Rc5 a4
39.Rcc7 a3 40.Ra7.
37.Rc6! Rf2
37...a4 38.a3 Rd4 39.Rfc7± or
37...Ra8 38.Rcc7 Rg8 39.Rc5 Ra8
40.a3 a4 41.Rcc7 Rg8 42.Kg1±.
38.a4 Rf4 39.Kg3 Rd4 40.Ra7
This now wins material by force.
40...Rb8
There is no defence anymore:
40...Rd5 41.Kf4 Rf8 (41...Rd4
42.Ke5 Rd2 43.g4 Re8 44.Kf4 Rd4
45.Kg3 Re3 46.Kh4 Rdd3 47.Kh5
Rh3 48.Kg6 Rd8 49.Rg7+-) 42.g4
Rd4 43.Ke5 Rd3 44.Rc4 Rh3
45.Ra5±.
41.Ra5 Rd3 42.Kh2 c3 43.Rc7 Rf8
44.Rb5 h5 45.a5 Rf6 46.Rbc5 Ra6
47.f6 Rf6
Or 47...gf6 48.Rh5 Kg8 49.Rb5 Ra8
50.a6 c2 51.a7! c1Q 52.Rb8 Rd8
53.Rd8 Rd8 54.Rc1+-.
48.Rh5 Kg8 49.Rhc5 Ra6 50.Rg5
Kf8
Black is plain lost: 50...g6 51.Rb5
Ra8 52.a6 c2 53.a7 c1Q 54.Rb8 Rd8
55.Rd8 Rd8 56.Rc1.
51.Rgg7 Ra5 52.Rh7 Kg8 53.Rcg7
Kf8 54.Rb7 Kg8 55.Rhc7 Rf5
56.Rb3
The last black pawn falls ...
56...Rf2 1:0.

Conclusion
It is difficult to indentify the passed
pawn’s real potential; is it strong or
weak? The activity of both armies
must

be

taken

into

account,

regardless if we are in the endgame
or the middlegame.
Only the entire situation on the board
can really reveal the truth, but in
general blocked passed pawns should
be avoided - they can only be targets.