Playing with an IQP

--------
pp---ppp
----p---
--------
---P----
--------
PP---PPP
--------

If you have an Isolated Queen's Pawn:

  • You have a bit more space
    • So don't swap off
  • You can get from side to side a bit more easily
    • So you might get an attack going
  • You have a bit of an outpost on e5
    • So stick a Knight there
  • Your Pawn will always need protecting by a piece
    • Which is sort of OK if it's one piece out of seven
    • but not if it's one out of two
    • So, really don't swap off into an endgame
    • and don't make any other weaknesses if you do get to an endgame
  • Your more active pieces will benefit from open lines
    • If you get a chance to play d4-d5, do it!

Botvinnik does all this so clearly in the following game:

[Event "Nottingham"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1936.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Botvinnik, Mikhail"]
[Black "Vidmar, Milan Sr"]
[Result "*"]
[ECO "D60"]
[Annotator "QGA/IQPm: sacrifice on f7 by N"]
[PlyCount "47"]

1. c4 e6 2. Nf3 d5 3. d4 Nf6 4. Nc3 Be7 5. Bg5 O-O 6. e3 Nbd7 7. Bd3 {[#]White
does not try to save a move by delaying Bd3} c5 {With a B on d3, d4 is a
little less protected and d5 is a little less attacked, so this is better than
usual} (7... dxc4 8. Bxc4 c5 9. O-O cxd4 10. exd4) 8. O-O cxd4 9. exd4 dxc4 10.
Bxc4 {[#]The classic IQP position.} Nb6 11. Bb3 Bd7 12. Qd3 (12. d5 {is a good
idea when it doesn't lose a pawn} exd5 13. Nxd5 (13. Bxf6) 13... Nfxd5 14. Bxd5
) 12... Nbd5 (12... Nfd5 $1 {achieving exchanges}) 13. Ne5 {It's nice to get
into e5 without worrying about it being swapped off} Bc6 14. Rad1 Nb4 15. Qh3
$1 Bd5 (15... a6 16. Nxf7 $1) 16. Nxd5 {Now White has two Bishops and will
attack the weakened light squares.} Nbxd5 17. f4 $1 Rc8 18. f5 exf5 19. Rxf5
Qd6 $2 {[#]} 20. Nxf7 $1 Rxf7 21. Bxf6 Bxf6 22. Rxd5 $1 Qc6 {[#]Lots of things
now win} 23. Rd6 (23. Rc5) (23. Rd7) 23... Qe8 (23... Qxd6 24. Qxc8+ Qd8) 24.
Rd7 {'1-0 (24) Botvinnik,M-Vidmar,M Nottingham 1936'} *


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