ChessPub Forum - How Pawn Breaks Work in the Sicilian?

(UTC)

ChessPub Forum › Chess Publishing Openings › Open Sicilians › How Pawn Breaks Work in the Sicilian?

(Moderator: proustiskeen)

‹ Previous Topic | Next Topic ›

Pages: 1

Topic Tools

How Pawn Breaks Work in the Sicilian? (Read 4592 times)

ErictheRed God Member Offline USCF National Master Posts: 2534 Location: USA Joined: 10/02/05	Re: How Pawn Breaks Work in the Sicilian? Reply #3 - 05/01/17 at 17:13:43	Post Tools	Print Post
	I'd start by reading Pawn Structure Chess and go from there. I'm reminded that one of Dvoretsky's books (I forget which one now) had a brief section about the ...e6-e5 followed by ...d6-d5 pawn break in the Scheveningen, with some very strong players not timing things correctly. It certainly isn't a trivial matter and will just take a lot of study and experience.


	IP Logged

LeeRoth God Member Offline I love ChessPublishing.com! Posts: 1520 Joined: 10/22/05	Re: How Pawn Breaks Work in the Sicilian? Reply #2 - 04/30/17 at 23:28:55	Post Tools	Print Post
	The Classical Scheveningen is one of the hardest openings to play. If you are trying to understand the e6-e5 maneuver, I suggest playing through the Karpov-Kasparov world championship games in chronological order. Even Kasparov, the greatest Scheveningen player of all time, didn't get it right the first time. IMHO, it is a mistake to think of e6-e5 as a "pawn break" in the sense that its something to always aim for or something that can be played on auto-pilot. e6-e5 is appropriate in some Scheveningen positions, but not all. And even in positions where it might look ok, it doesn't always equalize. You have to calculate. Generally speaking, when White plays Be2 without a4, Black seeks counterplay with ..b5. When White prevents ..b5 with a4, Black needs another plan. A standard idea is 1..Nxd4 2.Bxd4 e5 3.Be3 exf4. The point is to contest the center. White is left with control of the d5-square, but Black gets the e5-square and can usually play Ne5. The Black d6 pawn is weak, but so is White's e4 pawn. Once the dust settles, Black can try for ..d6-d5, liquidating the center completely.


	IP Logged

kylemeister God Member Offline Posts: 4989 Location: USA Joined: 10/24/05	Re: How Pawn Breaks Work in the Sicilian? Reply #1 - 04/29/17 at 07:47:58	Post Tools	Print Post
	I remember that game from the first edition of PSC (1970s). I also remember that it came up in Vlastimil Jansa's "Dynamics of Chess Strategy" (2003), which had a ~30-page chapter on "The Mysterious 'Scheveningen' Sicilian." He gave 20....Qd7 as "?!", but thought Black should have improved earlier. As the answer to a test question he wrote (translated from Czech, I believe): "It cannot be said that in this game Black succeeded in finding the nerve center -- the strategic point of all pros and cons in the deployment of both white and black pieces. It is probable that most of you did not succeed either ...However, there is an ideal solution of all the tasks! It consists of the masterly 13...g6! (3 points). This move, recommended by the well-known Russian trainer Dvoretsky in one of his books, seems to fully satisfy both the defensive and counterattacking ambitions of Black. It takes the f5-square away from the white knight while intending e6-e5, e.g. 14. g4 e5 15. Nde2 Nc5! and Black is completely O.K. Also, 13...g6 comes in handy after 14. e5 Ne8 since the g7-square will be available. In addition, the f4-f5 advance will remain just a dream for White."


	IP Logged

SouthofGrey

YaBB Newbies

Offline

How does this thing move
again?

Posts: 20
Location: Out There
Joined: 02/13/14
Gender: Male

How Pawn Breaks Work in the Sicilian?
04/29/17 at 04:00:33

Post Tools

Print Post

I am currently learning about the Scheveningen but I'm not sure how to really time pawn breaks in this opening. I have an idea more or less about when it's a good idea to play the move ...d5 but the move ...e5 doesn't make a lot of sense to me. I see it played in many master games but I don't understand it's importance.

With the ...d5 break I can tell about the possible pawn structures that can arise (French structures) and so it's easier to tell when ....d5 is ok. But with ...e5 I don't know what kind of positions can arise or how to play them. I was looking at a game in Pawn Structure Chess on this structure and although Black lost, the engine thinks that Black missed a chance to play the ...e5 break:

In this game Smyslov - Hort, Petropolis 1973, Hort played 20...Qd7 21.Nf3 Nb4 22.Ne5 and got into some trouble. But the engine gives the move 20...e5 which would completely change the nature of the position. But I don't really understand what Black wants to do with this break or the positions that can arise from it. How can I learn these things so I can use them in my games?

IP Logged

Pages: 1

Topic Tools

‹ Previous Topic | Next Topic ›

Bookmarks:

« Board Index ‹ Board Top