Hi there.
In this lecture, we see Michael Adams against John M.
So both grandmasters, this is 1991, the 15 points pointsbet masters open round ten D four from Adams.
We have D five from M's
c469c3956c Saints D five now Saints D five.
Here we have e49c3b takes C five 9 to 3, C takes D four, C takes four.
So let's have a look at the pawn structure.
Black actually has a 2 to 1 pawn majority.
If we split the board in two sections this section.
But why?
It has a majority on this side of the board and it's interesting to consider fundamentally how do we
make these two connected past pawns If we're going to dream about them becoming past pawns, we'd want
to lure this pawn away from E six and we want to lure that one away from F seven, because then both
of these pawns could step up and step up without any interruption.
You can imagine that scenario.
So bear that in mind as a structural plan to try and create to pass pawns in the center, we'd need
to distract these two guys.
These are the blockers.
These two guys are blocking the two pass pawns in the center.
Bear that in mind, because we see a very interesting game which kind of demonstrates this fundamental
plan to pass pawns In the center, we see 96 Bishop D free Bishop before Shaq.
Of course not 1964.
Well, I'll show it.
Nine takes the fall Queen takes the fall.
There's Bishop B five check winning the queen.
So that's not a good idea for black.
So Bishop B for Jack.
Bishop dd two Bishop takes D to check Queen takes DD to Black Castles.
Now, Bishop see to protecting that pawn on D four Queen A five while the Kingston Center simplification.
Maybe John Adams wants to draw queen takes a596a5 Bishop D free A draw of black would be a good result.
Bishop D seven But now King D two This is very nice.
The king kept in the center usefully.
Rook 895.
Now here some interesting choices.
We have Bishop a four It turns out here on detailed analysis that the King on D two is a good way,
as is a good ingredient for black to use to try and equalize.
Bishop A4 doesn't really help blacks cause it seems the nature of the game.
It seems a bit one way.
If Bishop e eight rook hc1 here White's getting a small edge with King E free.
The king is not really a problem on E free here on Rook D eight though this seems to be a critical test
just to play rook d eight Now if white takes on D seven, that's not a good idea.
Black can build up on RD for Elche.
These are now targets and drop ones Dropping off the pawns dropping off.
So imagine this situation and let's say white plays a for a six has a good point to it to play Bishop
B five so say rook one, Bishop B five king E free.
It seems as though blacks should be able to equalize here after F 693, rook 88 and blacks on the way
to equalizing, you can see that the king is a little bit shakier in the center.
And for example, check an F five.
Make sure that white's not getting past pawns in the center.
This is actually isolating White's Queen's pawn and it blacks should be fine.
Taking this a bit further, these are territories which we have just equality after 94.
Check b five.
Yeah, there's no big problem with past pawns in the center.
Now, I wanted to labor this point because actually it does seem as though from this point on it seems
mysteriously simple Whites play.
We have Rook who won 96 pair of knights come off rooks cb1c2 is guarded here.
So what's the problem, Rook C seven rook before Bishop C six king E free rook D eight Rook c one now
rook cc eight and h four.
This gives the idea.
This starts to give the idea that hold on if White can play g4f for f five take away this pawn.
And, you know, think things are starting to be interesting there, that kind of thing.
And there are possibilities of undermining F seven.
If this port creeps up, it's allowed to creep up.
So bear this stuff in mind.
The key goal here to take away these guys, these stoppers of the past -- potential, we have King
of eight.
If H now if h five, there's a target.
Bishop e to g six.
We can play like this Bishop if free and careful with advantage.
So King Fe is played.
We have G 486 and F four and we see this first undermine trying to get rid of this E six, b five,
f five.
We have bishop e eight rook b one protecting that rook A six, e five.
And now things are getting worrying after G five.
There's a worrying idea of f six as well.
We have h text g five, H two, G five and now E takes f five.
So one of the stoppers has gone.
Remember about taking out these guys.
So these guys are two connected pawns.
If Bishop c six though, how does might proceed?
It turns out here a four is strong.
So here if for example king of fate, then F six is leads to winning end games, the king is really
restricted there.
So white can play like this.
Bishop takes B five and these are just winning rook and pawn endings because the king is so restricted.
As example D five Ruby seven King takes D five here.
This is just winning after say, King C seven and an E six is a winning breakthrough because taking
check F seven and the pawn is going to be queening.
So here, if E takes a five, bishop takes out five.
This position is also fun.
More fun for white with these dangerous pawns.
G six can occur here to take out that blocker.
And this scenario look at black's pawns.
Compared to one, black has two extra pawns, but White's pawns, centrally connected, are really strong
here.
For example, check.
And here the king is making progress.
And we've got lots of threats like this D six check D seven.
And we're crashing through here with the pawn.
One of the key parts past pawns.
Yeah, it's.
It's a lot of fun stuff there.
So, anyway, he takes was played here.
Bishop takes up five.
Bishop D, seven F rook, six C, one rook.
Take one.
This possession with rook C seven check G six taking out that stopper.
And here Bishop E six is strong.
And now this position is is really dominating.
For example, here Black's going to be run out of moves.
White's going to scoop up these pawns.
And if King, the king isn't given G seven, then it's pretty much game over.
After Rook our free check, taking out F seven, taking out G seven.
So let's imagine G six.
Here again.
The two connected past pawns in the center are absolutely wonderful.
So we have Bishop dd seven, but now Bishop takes these seven, King takes these seven, the King E4.
Slight inaccuracy here.
G six is pretty dramatic in this position, even though there's F six and it's like challenging one
of the two pawns here, it seems Rook taking eight rook takes out we get another pawns pawn there.
And actually this scenario is in White's favor.
For example d5d6 check and the king's far far away from g eight So Rook G one threatening g seven is
winning here.
So this position is absolutely winning.
We're coming through with the king and then we're going to play rook shape winning.
So anyway, yeah, so but King E four we have rook H eight.
It does.
It would have been a bit trickier if Black had played King E seven.
So this position rook takes C one, rook take 1g6, check King 8d51.
That has the advantage, sure, but black can actually cause a little bit more trouble there if we just
have a look at that again with King E seven.
If Rook hates this would press white after Rook takes eight, rook takes, let's say g six.
There's F six and here the only move.
Why?
Guess what is the only move?
Basically for advantage in a technical sense, the only move would be rook f one for advantage.
Because if e takes a six, this position is not particularly good.
Rookie eight indirectly defending.
If Rook takes King F six check winning the rock that would be check winning the rook.
So what does white do?
Rook a seven.
Then there's check and this position is draw.
So rookie fun with the only move here and this situation.
Sure why it's still in the driving seat with advantage here but you know it's just a bit trickier than
when it needed to be rook tanks before and once on the way context of queening.
So say rook rook for king takes and rook is coming So anyway but rook hey was played this makes things
much more clear cut Rook takes the eight rook takes now this g six this dramatic g6f takes g six if
f six, e takes f six.
The two past pawns here, even though they're separate, they're very strong after D five, g7d6 check
playing time.
That's winning here.
If King f7d7 blacks tied down can't really take on G seven.
This one's going to Queen and here rook D one king The eight king takes F six winning so och so F takes
is played.
We have rook g one and yeah, this situation is amazing.
King d five b4 rook f one rookie to e six check king e seven rook have seven checking eight And now
after King D six black actually resigned.
If rook takes a two that's a good rook takes a two first, then rook seven is actually threatening.
Checkmate.
So say rook C2 that's mating.
And if rook c one let's try rook c1d5a5 rook tanks g7a4.
There's checkmate there.
Yeah, it's trouble.
So yeah, it's all pretty much trouble.
Let's have a look at that again.
If Rook takes G seven now, let's say king for eight here, Rook takes G six again.
This situation with E seven.
Check.
We have rookie six here and this situation King D seven and now.
Yeah, White's crashing through up to eight.
What else?
What does Black do here?
What is black actually do here?
Because we're going to nudge the king away from the rock.
So yes, absolutely.
Winning, you know, be free.
Check taking out that it's hopeless.
So, yes, a fascinating game.
We can see a structural kind of campaign, lucrative, beautiful opportunity, actually, even if we
just look at the pawn structure.
And this is a nice thing about positional chess.
It's like we don't have to you know, we know it's about to rain by looking at the clouds accumulating.
We don't have to take concrete measurements like, you know, scientific instruments to know it's going
to rain.
You know, we get an intuition and here there is an intuition out of the opening.
If we look at the clouds here, how the board split in two sections where one has this majority and
we can even see actually if we entertain imagination that these guys are the stoppers of two central
past pawns.
So two are better than one here.
And when you have one central point, it can be sometimes blockaded.
So it's a nice thematic demonstration.
Actually.
What happened in this game, I don't think Capablanca could have done any better than Adams on this
occasion.
But yeah, Black had some opportunities here to play Rook to a more tactical A six Bishop B five plan.
But the way it's played, yeah, it's like a beautiful one way road game.
This game in my view, showing that structural liberation of the two central past pawns.
So really wonderful stuff.
I hope you enjoyed this as much as me.
This is a really good lesson in handling pawn structure and having very, very exciting ingredients
in mind from a distance.
Look at the clouds forming.
There's going to be rain, there's going to be pass pawns in the center.
OC has so much.