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 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, 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
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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
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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
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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.

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

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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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 Blacks king was not weak, appeared in the next example. This time Gelfand was handling the
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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

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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!=.
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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
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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
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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 pawns real potential; is it strong or weak? The activity of both armies must be taken into account,
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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.