Peasant chain
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Pawn chain is an expression from the game of chess . According to Aaron Nimzowitsch, a pawn chain is a diagonal row of white and black pawns shifted one inside the other .
The chain divides the board in two halves that are diagonal to each other. Figures usually fail to overcome them without sacrifice . The chain must be bypassed on the right or left.
The pawns in front of a chain who have crossed the middle of the board take the opponent out of space to maneuver his pieces. Nimzowitsch was of the opinion that this inhibiting power of the chain must be combated in order to prevent a permanent disadvantage. He saw the attack on the base of the chain as the only effective means of neutralizing the inhibition and therefore based his strategy on it. Nimzowitsch developed the following concept, which he mainly demonstrated using the French advance variant , which arises after moves 1. e2 – e4 e7 – e6 2. d2 – d4 d7 – d5 3. e4 – e5:
- The base should be attacked several times by figures.
- This creates an aggressive position for the attacking pieces, which causes the defender to develop difficulties.
- The pressure on the grassroots has to be maintained until new weaknesses arise as a result of the development difficulties.
- Then the battle plan is modified, the original weakness released and the new one attacked by all means.
- When reaching an endgame with a chain, Nimzowitsch sees a weak point in the chain base. The base farmer can easily be attacked from the sides.
- The attacker must also pay attention to his own base.
In his book Secrets of Modern Chess Strategy, John Watson examines the development of the pawn chain strategy from the time of Nimzowitsch to the present day.
Nimzowitsch's one-sided view is marked by the radical change in the chain's strategy. Today the chain is often attacked and broken at its tip. This leads to backward pawns (for example 3. Nb1 – d2 Ng8 – f6 4. e4 – e5 Nf6 – d7 5. Bf1 – d3 c7 – c5 6. c2 – c3 Nb8 – c6 7. Ng1 – e2 c5xd4 8. c3xd4 f7 –F6 9. e5xf6 Nd7xf6 10. Nd2 – f3 Qd8 – b6 11. 0–0 Bf8 – d6), which was the reason for Nimzowitsch to judge the resulting positions as bad. The search for new ways and strategies and many results obtained through practical exams have led to rethinking. The breaking of the chain from the top frees the spatially restricted figures suddenly. They have active fields available and develop attack powers. This activity is enough to offset the disadvantage of the backward farmer . Nimzowitsch's strategy of covering the peasant base has literally forced the opponents to look for new ways, as the attacks get bogged down very quickly.
Watson also goes into the development of the chain strategy of other opening systems such as the King's Indian Defense , the Old Indian Defense , Benoni Defense , etc. and comes to the conclusion that no one -size-fits- all strategy can be established. Each formation has its own laws and thrives on the possibility of an attack from the top or the base. The assessment of the position can only be made through an analytical consideration of the position and subsequent practical testing.
literature
- John Watson: Secrets of Modern Chess Strategy. Gambit Publications, London 2002, ISBN 1-901983-75-7 .