Carlsbad pawn structure

	a	b	c	d	e	f	g	h
eight									eight
7									7
6									6
five									five
four									four
3									3
2									2
one									one
	a	b	c	d	e	f	g	h

Carlsbad option.

Such a structure is named after the Carlsbad version of the rejected queen gambit in which it arises. The very same version was so named after the international tournament of 1923 in Carlsbad , where he was popular.

Karlsbad option: 1. d4 d5 2. c4 e6 3. Кc3 Кf6 4. Кf3 Кbd7 5. Сg5 c6 6. cd ed 7. e3.

In addition to it, the structure arises in a variety of other openings after the exchange of the white pawn with the black pawn e (or vice versa with the change of color) in the center:

Nimzowitsch's defense : 1. d4 Кf6 2. c4 e6 3. Кc3 Сb4 4. Фc2 d5 5. cd ed;

Slavic protection : 1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Кc3 Кf6 4. Кf3 e6 5. cd ed;

The Grünfeld Defense : 1. d4 Кf6 2. c4 g6 3. Кc3 d5 4. Кf3 Сg7 5. Сg5 Кe4 6. cd К: g5 7. К: g5 e6 8. Кf3 ed;

Caro-Kann protection (with color variation): 1. e4 c6 2. d4 d5 3. ed cd (followed by c2-c3 and e7-e6 )

and etc.

The structure involves many typical plans for both sides. If we assume that the Carlsbad structure arises without a change of color (White has a pawn on e3, Black has c6), then the basic typical plans are:

For whites

• Attack of the pawn minority
• Breakthrough in the center of e3-e4
• Creating an outpost for a horse on e5 (by f2-f4 )
• Figured pressure on the queenside (setting the knight on c5)
• Attack on the kingside

Attack of the pawn minority

Main article: Attack of the pawn minority

Breakthrough in the center

The e3-e4 breakthrough is often carried out with the support of the pawn on f3 and the rook on e1, but it can also be carried out with the knight on f3, especially if Black is lagging behind in development.

In the game Botvinnik - Keres, White showed a classic example of a breakthrough in the center:

13. f3 Сe7 14. Лbe1 Кd7 15. С: e7 Л: e7 16. Кg3 Кf6 17. Фf2 Сe6 18. Кf5 С: f5 19. С: f5 Фb6.

Whites have strengthened their position and are effectively conducting a thematic breakthrough.

20. e4! de 21. fe hd8 22. e5 Кd5 23. Кe4 Кf8 24. Nd6.

White has a big positional advantage, and Black resigned on the 37th move. ^[one]

Outpost on e5

With this plan, White places his knight on e5 and reinforces his pawn with f4. The knight noticeably hampers Black's position, and when it is exchanged, White gets a strong pawn on e5 and a half-open vertical “f” for the rook.

Kasparov in the party with Pigusov implemented this plan as follows:

12. Кe5 Кd7 13. С: e7 Ф: e7 14. f4 Кdf8 15. e4 К: e5 16. fe Сe6.

White got a strong pawn on e5 and starts a figure attack on the kingside.

17. ed С: d5 18. К: d5 cd 19. Сf5 Фb4 20. Лd1 h6 21. Фf2 Лe7 22. Лd3 Лc7 23. Лb3 Фe7 24. Лg3,

and White won with a direct attack on the king on the 37th move. ^[2]

Figured pressure on the queenside

A less common, but possible plan, used when Black loosened his position on the queenside with a7-a6 . White tries to invade with knight or heavy pieces on the c5, d6 squares and, if possible, b6, restraining Black’s position as much as possible. The plan wins if the opponent has a bad white-squared elephant .

A classic example of the implementation of this plan was demonstrated by Capablanca in the game with Mises :

13. Ka4!

The horse goes to the weak c5 field.

13 ... Кe4 14. С: e4 Ф: e4 15. Фb4 Фg6 16. Фe7.

White invades in black fields, meanwhile pulling the rooks and second knight onto the queenside.

16 ... f6 17. Lc3 Fe8 18. Fd6 Lf7 19. Lfc1 Ff8 20. F: f8 Kp: f8 21. Ke1 Kre8 22. Kd3! Лb8 23. f3 Лe7 24. Крf2 Кf8 25. Лb3 Кd7 26. g4 b5 ?? 27. Кac5 Кb6 28. Кb4.

Black has no useful moves, the clamp on the queenside greatly hampers their position.

28 ... Сb7 29. К: b7 Лb: b7 30. Л: c6 a5 31. Л: b6! ab 32. L: b7 L: b7 33. L: b4. Black resigned. ^[3]

For black

• Countering pawn minority attacks (by b7-b5 with knight transfer to c4)
• Exchange of light-squared elephants
• Undermining the center c6-c5
• Pawn assault on the kingside
• Figured occupation and pressure on the queenside

Sharing your light squared elephant

With the pawns standing in the b7, c6, d5, black light-squared bishop is bad and inactive. In this pawn structure, his exchange is to Black's advantage. After the exchange, Black is less afraid of the pressure on the queenside, and they can confidently start counterplay or seek simplifications with the transition to the endgame .

Pirtz managed to achieve a draw in the game with Trifunovic :

12 ... g6!

The beginning of the transfer of the horse to g7 in order to exchange the light-squared bishop to f5.

13. Кa4 Кe6 14. Сh4 Кg7 15. Кc5 Кd7 16. С: e7 Л: e7 17. b4 Кb6 18. a4 Сf5! 19. Kd2 C: d3 20. F: d3 Nf5. ^[four]

White has a minimal advantage, but Black has reduced the danger to a minimum. There was an agreement for a draw.

Counteracting the pawn minority attack

Opposition is expressed in the setting of the b7-b5 pawn shield, followed, if possible, by transferring the knight to c4. With such a construction, the attack of the pawn minority chokes, but Black needs to monitor the backward c6 pawn that is being formed and the possibility of the white rook invading along the revealed vertical in the event of an exchange on b5. The knight on c4 reflects the frontal threats to the c6-pawn, so White tries to keep him there. This plan should be carried out after the exchange of light-squared bishops, otherwise Black risks remaining in the endgame with a bad bishop.

Polugaevsky - Spassky :

White has already outlined a plan to launch a pawn minority attack with b2-b4. Therefore, Black is in a hurry to set a barrier:

13 ... b5! 14. a4 a6 15. a5!

Not allowing the knight on b6, from where he got on c4.

15 ... Le8 16. Кe2 Сe7 17. Фb3 Сd6 18. Кc1 g5 19. Кd3 g4 20. Кd2 Re6 21. Rfc1.

White doubles rooks vertically “c” to attack the backward c6 pawn.

21 ... Фg5 22. Лa2 Лae8 23. Lac2 Фh6 24. Кf1 Сb8 25. Кc5 К: c5 26. Л: c5 Лg6 27. Фc2 Лее6.

The c6 pawn is safe.

28. g3 Krg7 29. Ff5. There was an agreement for a draw. ^[five]

Undermining the center c6-c5

This subversion is a typical reaction to the white plan with e3-e4 . Black maintains tension in the center, and if the showdown is to their advantage, it is revealed. If White prepares to advance with f2-f3 , then the e3 pawn is weakened, which justifies the appearance of the isolated d5 pawn formed after the exchange on c5. The weak e3 pawn, if it does not move further, becomes the object of attack. .

Further locking of the c5-c4 center is often a bad plan, since after that, the e3-e4 breakthrough wins significantly .

• Robert Leininger. Middlegame Strategy: With the Carlsbad Pawn Structure. . - Pickard and Son Publishers, 1997. - 160 p. - ISBN 978-1886846074 .
• A. Karpov, E. Gik. All about chess. . - M .: FAIR-Press ,, 2001. - p. 161-166. - 496 s. - ISBN 5-8183-0181-8 .
• Sam Collins. Know the Terrain Vol. 1: The Carlsbad . - ISBN 978-3-86681-191-1 .
• Сonvekta (Chess Assistant). Karlsbad pawn structure // Encyclopedia of the middle game I / A. Kalinin.

ChessOK - Karlsbad pawn structure // Typical middle game structure.