Lesson 3: The Principle of Two Weaknesses
in Middle Game Strategy:

Playing Against the Isolated Pawn

Guest lecture by UMBC Chess Coach Igor Epshteyn

An isolated pawn is a pawn that cannot be supported by other pawns. Isolated pawns can be weak because they can be subject to attack by minor pieces, especially by rooks. To win against an isolated pawn, it is useful to do the following: blockade the pawn; trade one enemy knight (knights and isolated pawns work well together); and subject the pawn to attack from all directions. Especially in the middle game, this scheme, however, is not always sufficient to win. Therefore, often it is helpful to create and exploit a second weakness.

The isolated pawn is not always bad: it can support a knight outpost; it can be thrust forward in a ``strategic breakthrough;'' and it can facilitate open lines of attack against the enemy king. For example, in Game 1, White converts Black's weak isolated pawn into a strong isolated pawn for White. The next lesson examines how to play with the isolated pawn.

Game 1: Karpov-Spassky (Montreal, 1979)

1 d4 Nf6
2 c4 e6
3 Nf3 d5
4 Nc3 Be7
5 Bf4 O-O
6 e3 c5
7 dc Nc6
8 Qc2 Qa5
9 a3 Bc5
10 Rd1 Be7
11 Nd2 Bd7
12 Be2 Rfc8
13 O-O Qd8
14 cd ed
15 Nf3! h6
16 Ne5 Be6
17 Ne6! Rc6
18 Bf3 Qb6
19 Be5 Ne4
20 Qe2 Nc3?!
21 Bc3 Rad8
22 Rd3! Rcd6
23 Rfd1 R6d7
24 R1d2 Qb5
25 Qd1 b6
26 g3 Bf8
27 Bg2 Be7
28 Qh5! a6
29 h3 Qc6
30 Kh22 a5
31 f4! f6
32 Qd1 Qb5
33 g4 g5
34 Kh1 Qc6
35 f5 Bf7
36 e4! Kg7
37 ed Qc7
38 Re2 b5
39 Re7 Re7
40 d6 Qc4
41 b3!
1-0

Position 1: Hoga-Fuster (1937)

White (to move): Kg1, Qh3, Rd1, Rf5, Bb3, Bg5, Ne5, a3, b2, d4, g2, h2
Black: Kg8, Qd8, Rc8, Rf8, Be7, Nc6, Nf6, a7, b7, f7, g7, h7

Position 2: Kamsky-Short (1995)

Central Breakthrough
White (to move): Kg1, Qf3, Rd1, Re1, Bb3, Bh6, Ne4, Nh5, a3, b2, d4, f2, g2, h4
Black: Kg8, Qd8, Rc7, Re8, Bb7, Be7, Nd5, Nf6, a7, b6, e6, f7, g6, h7

Position 3: