"An isolated Pawn spreads gloom over the whole chess board" -- Xavery TARTAKOWER
- A Pawn with no pawns of the same side on neighbouring files
- Such a pawn can always be protected by pieces, and so may be a weakness
- Isolated Queen's Pawns (IQPs) are a special case, where the owner of the IQP has some compensation in space and mobility
- The pawn will always require protection
- So, at least one White piece will always be tied to defending
- So, if there are lots of exchanges, that one White piece will be a larger fraction of the White force
- So, endgames in general will be bad for White (i.e. the side with the IQP) -- perhaps not enough to lose the game by itself (Flohr-Capablanca), but surely if there is a second weakness (Hartmann-Yanofsky)
- The pawn offers a bit more space, more mobility for the White pieces, and an outpost on e5
- So, with more pieces on the board, especially Queens, White has chances of an attack, against the Black King castled King's-side
- I strongly recommend everybody learns how to play with the IQP and how to play against the IQP
Click [...] to see list of games
[Event "Moscow International-02"]
[Site "Moscow"]
[Date "1935.03.05"]
[Round "13"]
[White "Flohr, Salo"]
[Black "Capablanca, JR."]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[ECO "D62"]
[Annotator "IQP: weak in endgame"]
[PlyCount "104"]
[EventDate "1935.02.15"]
[EventRounds "19"]
[EventCountry "URS"]
1. d4 d5 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. Nf3 Nbd7 5. Bg5 Be7 6. e3 O-O 7. Qc2 c5 8. cxd5 Nxd5 9. Bxe7 Qxe7 10. Nxd5 exd5 11. Bd3 cxd4 12. Nxd4 Qb4+ 13. Qd2 Nc5 14. Bb5 Qxd2+ 15. Kxd2 a6 16. Bd3 Be6 17. Rac1 Rfc8 18. Rc2 Nxd3 19. Kxd3 Rxc2 20. Kxc2 Kf8 21. Kd2 Rc8 22. Rc1 Rxc1 23. Kxc1 {[#] the classic and critical situation: White has the better minor piece and a weakness to harry. Traditionally two weaknesses are regarded as decisive, but is the Bishop a 'weakness' or just a disadvantage? can White force others?} Ke7 24. Kd2 Kd6 25. Kc3 b6 26. f4 Bd7 27. Nf3 f6 28. Kd4 a5 29. Nd2 Bc8 30. Nb1 Be6 31. Nc3 Kc6 32. a3 h6 33. g3 {[#] White has optimised his pieces, but where next? Perhaps a King's-side pawn advance would have been worth a punt} h5 34. b4 axb4 35. axb4 Kd6 36. b5 g6 37. Na4 Kc7 38. Nc3 Kd6 39. f5 gxf5 40. Ne2 Bd7 41. Nf4 Be8 42. Nxd5 Bxb5 43. Nxb6 {[#] White has transformed his advantage but allowed simplification} Bc6 44. Nc4+ Ke6 45. Nb2 Bb5 46. Nd1 Be2 47. Nf2 Bf1 48. Nd3 Bxd3 49. Kxd3 Ke5 50. Ke2 Ke4 51. h3 Kd5 52. Kf3 Ke5 {Euwe says this game was a turning-point in players' perception of the IQP: if a technician like Flohr couldn't make the weakness tell, perhaps it wasn't a loss. The traditional recipe calls for TWO WEAKNESSES for a win in the ending.} 1/2-1/2
[Event "Canadian op"]
[Site "Edmonton"]
[Date "1985.??.??"]
[Round "9"]
[White "Hartman, Brian"]
[Black "Yanofsky, Daniel"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "C09"]
[WhiteElo "2350"]
[BlackElo "2420"]
[Annotator "IQP: endgame weakness"]
[PlyCount "99"]
[EventDate "1985.??.??"]
[EventRounds "10"]
[EventCountry "CAN"]
1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nd2 c5 4. Ngf3 Nc6 5. exd5 exd5 6. Bb5 Bd6 7. O-O cxd4 8. Nb3 Nge7 9. Bg5 O-O 10. Nbxd4 Qc7 (10... f6) 11. h3 Ng6 12. Bd3 a6 (12... Qb6) 13. Re1 Qb6 (13... Bd7) 14. Nb3 Be6 15. Be3 Qc7 16. Bc5 Nce5 (16... Rad8 {avoiding exchanges, is better}) 17. Nxe5 Bxc5 18. Nxc5 Qxc5 19. Qd2 Rfe8 20. c3 Rad8 21. Nf3 Bd7 22. Rad1 Rxe1+ 23. Rxe1 Re8 24. Rxe8+ Bxe8 25. Bc2 Bc6 26. Qe3 Qd6 27. Nd4 Bd7 28. Qg5 Bc6 29. Nf5 Qc7 30. Qg3 Qxg3 31. Nxg3 Ne5 32. b3 Bb5 33. f4 Ng6 $6 (33... Nd7) 34. Bxg6 hxg6 {Black now has two weaknesses} 35. Kf2 Kf8 36. Ke3 Ke7 37. Kd4 Kd6 38. a4 Bd7 39. a5 Bb5 40. h4 f6 41. Nh1 Bf1 42. g4 (42. g3 Be2 43. Nf2 Kc6 44. b4 Kd6 45. Ke3 Bb5 46. Ng4 Bd7 47. Nh2 Bb5 48. Nf3 Bd7 49. Kd4 Bg4 50. Ne1 Bf5 51. Ng2 Be6 52. Ne3 Kc6 53. Nf1 Bg4 54. Ne3 Be6 55. g4 Kd6 56. g5 Kc6 57. Nd1 Kd6 58. Nf2 Bf5 59. Nh1 Be6 60. Ng3 Bg4 61. gxf6 gxf6 62. Nf1 Bh3 63. Ne3 Be6 64. f5 gxf5 65. Ng2 Bg8 66. Nf4) 42... Bh3 43. g5 Be6 44. b4 Bf5 45. Ng3 Be6 46. gxf6 gxf6 47. f5 {[#] White has two points of attack.} Bxf5 48. Nxf5+ gxf5 49. h5 Ke6 50. Ke3 {+- 1-0 (48) Hartman-Yanofsky,D weak pawns IQP: in endgame - 1985 [Regis,Dave]} (50. Kc5 Ke5 (50... f4 51. Kd4 Kf5 52. Kd3 Kg5) 51. h6 f4 52. h7 f3) 1-0