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| drtimer 11/30/2004 13:20:00 [ report this post ] |
 Subject: scared of pawnsMessage: I never know what to do when my opponent starts advancing with pawns in the middle game even when I 'think' they are wrong to do so. They freak me out! Can anyone offer some study material, do other learners feel this way. When I first started playing I moved pawns all the time, too early, when I should be doing something else etc then recently I started to learn 'properly' and stopped this but now I don't think about pawn play/attack until too late in the game. |
| wulebgr 12/02/2004 06:58:30 [ report this post ] | pawns are Message: battering rams One type of study material might be games where such pawn storms are frequent, such as the Keres Attack against the Scheveningen, or any Sicilian game where players castle on opposite wings. Often the faster pawns prove decisive. |
| philaretus 12/02/2004 07:58:57 [ report this post ] | Volume 1... Message: ....of "The Middle Game" by M.Euwe & H. Kramer, is devoted to 'Static Features', that is, mostly, pawn-structure. I've learned more from this book than from any other, though I daresay some might consider it old-fashioned now. |
| soikins 12/03/2004 00:10:43 [ report this post ] | Nimzowitsch Message: "My System in Praxis" has a chapter "The relative harmlessness of a pawn storm". Thought, the subject is also discussed in Nimzowitsch "My System". Simple maxims: 1) When your opponent attacks you with his pawns on the flank hit him in the center. 2) Don't weaken your kingside with pawnmoves. 3) Don't panic. You stand better, thought it might look other way around. 4) Remember -- your opponenets pawns will become weakness in the endgame -- exchange. As simple as it sounds it is not. As chess itself. |
| drtimer 12/04/2004 03:54:55 [ report this post ] | Thanks Message: Thanks for the advice and comments much appreciated, I'll check out those references |
| peppe_l 12/04/2004 06:44:21 [ report this post ] | Suggestion Message: Post one of your games here, then others can check it out and hopefully point out where you went wrong. |
| drtimer 12/04/2004 07:33:38 [ report this post ] | re suggestion Message: don't have a good example that I can link too, there was this one gameknot.com/chess.pl?bd=2346136 where he started moving his kingside pawns, not sure if i did the right thing by moving my a2 pawn, but the game timed out by my opponant as i was attempting to sacrifice my knight, don't know if it would have worked out but i felt out of ideas. Would appreciate any criticism |
| brunson 12/04/2004 11:10:11 [ report this post ] | Suggestion Message: I'm not an incredible player, so take this for what it's worth. I think I would have started early by exchanging pawns on d5 around move 7. Trading a flank pawn for a center has always felt good to me for the same reason you decline the gambit and counter it by supporting the center pawn with a flanking. Trading on on d5 would have left him with a serious weakness in the center in exchange for the minor nuisance of his control of c6 and e6. It also opens up that c-file which I'm better prepared to take advantage of with my QR. From there my short term strategy would probably have centered around attacking that d5 pawn by finachetto of my QB and exploiting the rooks attack on his QN with a long term goal of opening the long diagonal to attack his King side with my white bishop. I'm only a 1300 player, but Chernev's books have ingrained these concepts into my play. I'd love to hear others comment on your game as well as my suggestions. |
| mormel12 12/04/2004 14:00:47 [ report this post ] | drtimer Message: i like your position there:) especially if you kkep in mind there's a second sec on c2 (on the right time):) i'm no expert as well, but i think as black i'd not take that knight. Greetings |
| peppe_l 12/04/2004 15:43:19 [ report this post ] | Re: game Message: To me it looks like you employed very logical strategy (4...c6, 7...b5, etc). I am not sure whether you missed 8...b4 9...Nxe4...? White may have some compensation there, though. I am not so fond of 10...c4 because even though it (temporarily) blocked White bishop it killed your queenside initiative. But instead of backing off your opponent gave a piece for no reason at all. Then things looked really good until you returned the favour by giving a piece with 15...Na4?? Then you missed (18...Bxa4?) 19.Rxb8 and lost an exchange. In the end you battled back and gained a powerful initiative (Bd8-b6 was very good maneuvre). Of course 25...Nxe4! wasnt really a sacrifice because the knight cannot be taken (26.Rxe4? Qxf2+ 27.Kh1 Bxc2), so I assume you were planning to play 26.Qd3 Nxf2!? with interesting position.Overall IMHO your difficulties were related to tactical consistency, not to pawn play. Sure there are small nuances here and there, but such stuff is only marginally relevant as long as pieces are won and lost. Interesting game! |
| drtimer 12/05/2004 03:24:09 [ report this post ] | thanks Message: wow plenty to think about there, I shall go back over it with your comments, really nice of you to spend the time analysing my play, this kind of feedback in invaluable. |
| doctor_knight 12/13/2004 16:36:45 [ report this post ] | Message: I don't really mean to kind of shift the direction of conversation a little, but I thought I'd give a few pointers. When you see pawns moving forward, don't focus on them. In my earlier years of chess playing, I always saw a threat (such as pawns moving forward) and focused on them alone trying to deal with this problem. I later discovered how necesary it is to think three deminsionally. Keep the entire position in mind as you encounter a threat. You need to find where the real conflict is, where the real battle is going on and concern yourself with only (and all) the pieces and pawns that are in some way related to this central battle. Try to discover where the fight will be early on so you can develope all your pieces and plans towards this main conflict. Many times, I have utterly destroyed my opponents (even though they had eaten up the defenses around my position) because I simply made more important moves than my opponent. Yasser Araweign (can't remember how to spell his name) talks about an advantage in relative force (or relative material advantage. whatever you wan't to call it) in one of his books (can't remember which one). It basic principle is that how much material each person has in a certain area of the board. You need to find where the most important conflict is and gain the relative force advantage in this area, then you will most likely be victorious. I'm surely not an expert, but I have a strong enough analytical brain to give advice. |
| wulebgr 12/13/2004 18:38:49 [ report this post ] | Yasser Seirawan Message: has been the most successful US player after Bobby Fischer until the recent influx of Russians. Back when FIDE still held regular world championship qualifying cycles, instead of the circus they run now, Seirawan was a frequent Candidate. The current efforts toward reunification of the world championship title will work if the parties concerned make a real effort to adhere both to the letter and to the spirit of the agreement Yasser Seirawan hammered out with the principals. His books: Winning Chess Tactics, Winning Chess Strategies, Winning Chess Endings, ... are among the best general study manuals players from beginner up through expert. |
| gunnarsamuelsson 12/15/2004 08:46:45 [ report this post ] | ur right! Message: to be afraid of pawns. I think u have reached a certain level of understanding by putting this into question, this is a crucial question, many games will be lost/ won by using pawns the right way. Id say start using ur pawns in many ways to start elevating your game. 1. In the opening try as a rule to use one of the c and or f pawn along with the center pawns mobile and in front of pieces to block and inhibit enemy troop actions and occupy center terrain, this will make it harder in practice for your opponent to gain initiative. 2.Try in the opening to get the 2-pawn precense vs 1 if possible and use pieces to stop enemy from exchanging his "flank" pawn from breaking your 2 pawn center pawn-pair. 3.Try if possible to move f or c pawn to have more pawns then your opponent present in the center. This will give u an agressive position very dangerous for your opponent in practice. 4.Later in the game,Dont move the 1 pawn forwrd and alone but try and gain mobility for the pawn mass. then use bishops rooks well even queens to make your pawn mass mobile and moving with artillery support, and then it time to think again what is your opponents threats maybe u can prepare even bigger artillery behind and strengthening your attack before u actually go forward. Often ur opponent has nothing to do when u have initiative and preparing the forwrd moves maybe even with 3-5 more moves before u actually step forward will make ur opponents game 1000% harder. 5. The moves of pawns is about gaining terrain and inhibit/increase piece mobility on the flank/center where your chargin. |
| drtimer 12/18/2004 10:01:25 [ report this post ] | thanks gunnarsamuelsson Message: some insightfull tips there, especially the first one about using c or f pawns with the centre, that's opened a new chain of thought for me that I hadn't had before. My fear is reduced with each game I play but i still have much to learn about the power of the pawn |
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