Passed Pawn pandemonium | Dr.Dave, Exeter Chess

Studies:

A familiar breakthrough:

  [Event "Sandbox: Chapter 45"]  [Date "2026.09.25"]  [Result "*"]  [Variant "Standard"]  [ECO "?"]  [FEN "k7/5ppp/8/5PPP/8/8/8/K7 w - - 0 1"]  [SetUp "1"]   *

Chess Choice Challenge

  [Event "Sandbox: Chapter 45"]  [Date "2026.09.25"]  [Result "*"]  [Variant "Standard"]  [ECO "?"]  [FEN "5n2/7p/4pNp1/4P1P1/5P1P/4k3/1K6/8 w - - 0 1"]  [SetUp "1"]   *

{Our analysis ran:}
1. Nxh7 ( 1. h5 Kxf4 ( 1… gxh5 2. Nxh7 Nxh7 ( 2… Ng6 ) 3. g6 ) 2. Nxh7 Nxh7 3. hxg6 ) 1… Nxh7 2. f5 ( 2. h5 Nf8 3. f5 ) 2… Nf8 ( 2… exf5 3. e6 ) ( 2… gxf5 3. g6 ) 3. h5 ( 3. fxg6 Nxg6 4. h5 Ne7 5. g6 ( 5. h6 Ng6 ) 5… Ng8 ) 3… exf5 ( 3… gxf5 4. g6 ) ( 3… gxh5 4. g6 ) 4. h6 ( 4. e6 Nxe6 5. h6 Nf8 ) 4… f4 5. e6 Nxe6 6. h7 f3 7. h8=Q f2 8. Qh3+ ( 8. Qe5+ Kf3 ) 8… Kd2 ( 8… Ke2 9. Qxe6+ ) 9. Qf3 ( 9. Qf1 Ke3 10. Kc2 Nxg5 11. Kd1 ) ( 9. Qg2 Ke1 )
{The book gives h7 first, queening on e8 with check}

Staunton’s exercise:

  [Event "Sandbox: Chapter 45"]  [Date "2026.09.25"]  [Result "*"]  [Variant "Standard"]  [ECO "?"]  [FEN "4k3/ppp5/8/8/8/8/5PPP/3K4 w - - 0 1"]  [SetUp "1"]   *

I had a fairly amusing evening being beaten up by Simon in this position. Try it!

Click […] to see list of games

   [Event "?"]  [Site "?"]  [Date "1985.??.??"]  [Round "?"]  [White "Arkell"]  [Black "Teichmann"]  [Result "0-1"]  [ECO "D31"]  [PlyCount "56"]   1. d4 d5 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 c6 4. Nc3 dxc4 5. a4 Bb4 6. e4 b5 7. Bd2 a5 8. axb5  Bxc3 9. Bxc3 cxb5 10. b3 Bb7 11. d5 Nf6 12. bxc4 b4 13. Bb2 Nxe4 14. Bxg7 Rg8  15. Bd4 exd5 16. cxd5 Qxd5 17. Rc1 Nc6 18. Bc4 Qf5 19. Be3 Nc3 20. Qd2 Rd8 21.  Qb2 Rxg2 22. Rxc3 Qxf3 23. Be2 Qf6 24. Rc2 Qxb2 25. Rxb2 Nd4 26. Rd2 Rg6 27.  Rf1 Nxe2 28. Rxe2 Ba6 0-1   [Event "?"]  [Site "an endgame principle: differe"]  [Date "1996.??.??"]  [Round "?"]  [White "Turnkey/Fritz 4"]  [Black "Hodgson, J (East Kilbride Op"]  [Result "0-1"]  [ECO "D10"]  [PlyCount "69"]   1. c4 c6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. e3 a6 {Keeping it solid, avoiding a tactical  free-for-all. Good strategy against a computer - or against Hodgson.} 5. Bd3 b5  6. cxd5 cxd5 7. Qb3 Nc6 8. Nf3 e6 9. Bd2 Na5 10. Qc2 Nc4 11. Rc1 Bb7 12. O-O  Rc8 13. Rfd1 Bd6 14. b3 {("Dare I say it? White's position is lacking any  byte!")} Nxd2 15. Qxd2 O-O 16. Ne2 Ne4 17. Qe1 Qe7 18. a4 Bb4 19. Qf1 {("A  sure sign that all is not well in RAM-land")} bxa4 20. bxa4 a5 21. Rxc8 Rxc8  22. Rc1 f6 23. Rxc8+ Bxc8 24. Qb1 Bd7 {[#]} 25. Bxe4 $2 {"Astonishing... the  computer places a higher value on centre Pawns than outside Pawns"- fine  advice for the middle-game!} dxe4 26. Qxe4 Bxa4 27. Nf4 Be8 $1 {[#]} 28. Nxe6  a4 29. Qd5 Qd7 30. Qc4 Qb5 31. Qc2 a3 32. Qa2 Bf7 33. d5 Qd3 34. g3 Bg6 35. d6  {[#]} (35. d6 Bxd6 $1 36. Nf4+ Bf7 37. Qxf7+ Kxf7 38. Nxd3 a2) 0-1   [Event "How Good is Your Swindling?"]  [Site "How Good is Your Swindling?"]  [Date "1933.??.??"]  [Round "?"]  [White "Alatsortev, Vladimir"]  [Black "BotvinniK, Mikhail"]  [Result "0-1"]  [ECO "E52"]  [PlyCount "86"]   1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. Nf3 b6 5. e3 Bb7 6. Bd3 O-O 7. O-O d5 8. cxd5  exd5 9. a3 Bd6 10. b4 Nbd7 11. Nb5 Be7 12. Ne5 a6 13. Nc3 c5 14. bxc5 bxc5 15.  Rb1 {[#]} Qc7 $4 16. Nxd7 Nxd7 17. Qb3 Rab8 18. Nxd5 Bxd5 19. Qxd5 Rxb1 20.  Bxb1 {[#] How Good is Your Swindling?} c4 $1 {White has (1) an important  decision to make, which is taxing anyhow...} (20... cxd4 21. exd4 Nf6 22. Qf5  Rd8) 21. Bxh7+ $2 (21. Qe4 $1 Nf6 22. Qc2 {with the advance of the central  Pawns. Black's position here is worse than if he had chosen 20...cxd4.}) 21...  Kxh7 22. Qe4+ Kg8 23. Qxe7 {[#] with two Pawns, but...} c3 {(2) Black has  counterplay.} 24. e4 (24. a4 c2 25. Ba3 Rb8 26. Rc1 Qc6 27. h3 Qxa4 {which is  comfortable for Black}) 24... c2 25. d5 $2 Rb8 26. g3 Qc8 {[#] Not over yet,  but Black's practical decision has transformed his chances.} 27. Qg5 Qc4 28. f3  Rb3 29. Qd2 Rd3 30. Qe2 Ne5 31. Kg2 Rd1 32. Qxc4 Nxc4 33. d6 Kf8 34. a4 Ke8 35.  Kf2 Nd2 36. Re1 Nxf3 37. Rf1 Nxh2 38. Re1 Nf3 39. Rf1 Nd2 40. Re1 Nb3 41. Ba3  c1=Q 42. Bxc1 Rxc1 43. Rxc1 Nxc1 0-1   [Event "model ending: passed pawns mus"]  [Site "model ending: passed pawns mu"]  [Date "1960.??.??"]  [Round "?"]  [White "fischer, rj"]  [Black "berliner (usa ch'p) [t50"]  [Result "1-0"]  [ECO "B03"]  [PlyCount "71"]   1. e4 Nf6 2. e5 Nd5 3. d4 d6 4. c4 Nb6 5. exd6 cxd6 6. Nc3 g6 7. Bd3 Bg7 8.  Nge2 Nc6 9. Be3 O-O 10. O-O e5 11. d5 Ne7 12. b3 Nd7 13. Ne4 Nf5 14. Bg5 f6 15.  Bd2 Nc5 16. Nxc5 dxc5 {[#] White has a passed pawn. Usually this is an  endgame theme, but here we see it throughout a middlegame with Queens.} 17.  Bxf5 Bxf5 18. f4 exf4 19. Nxf4 Qd6 {[#] not the best blockader, and the other  potential blockaders are quickly exchanged.} 20. Nh5 {It's not a very good  bishop, but once it is exchanged White's own dark-squared bishop will have no  opposition in its prosecution of the advance of the d-pawn} Rae8 21. Nxg7 Kxg7  22. Bf4 Qd7 23. Qd2 Rf7 24. Bh6+ Kg8 25. Rae1 Rfe7 26. Rxe7 Qxe7 27. h3 Qe4 28.  Qf2 Qe7 29. g4 Bd3 30. Rd1 Be4 31. d6 Qe5 32. Bf4 Qc3 33. d7 Rd8 34. Qe2 Qf3 (  34... Qxh3 35. Qxe4 Qxg4+ 36. Kf2 {(threat Qe8+)}) 35. Qxf3 Bxf3 36. Bc7 {[#]  simple as that} 1-0   [Event "pawn mobility: Queen's-side majority"]  [Site "New York m"]  [Date "1909.??.??"]  [Round "23"]  [White "Marshall, Frank"]  [Black "Capablanca, JR."]  [Result "0-1"]  [ECO "D33"]  [PlyCount "98"]   1. d4 d5 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 c5 4. cxd5 exd5 5. Nf3 Nc6 6. g3 Be6 7. Bg2 Be7 8. O-O  Nf6 9. Bg5 Ne4 10. Bxe7 Qxe7 11. Ne5 Nxd4 12. Nxe4 dxe4 13. e3 Nf3+ 14. Nxf3  exf3 15. Qxf3 O-O 16. Rac1 {[#] "He should have advanced his King's-side pawns  at once to counterbalance the advance of Black on the Queen's-side. White's  inactivity on his stronger wing took away all the chances he had of drawing  the game." CAPABLANCA} (16. Qxb7 Qxb7 17. Bxb7 Rab8 18. Bf3 Rxb2) 16... Rab8  17. Qe4 Qc7 18. Rc3 b5 19. a3 c4 20. Bf3 Rfd8 21. Rd1 Rxd1+ 22. Bxd1 Rd8 23.  Bf3 g6 24. Qc6 Qe5 25. Qe4 Qxe4 26. Bxe4 Rd1+ 27. Kg2 a5 28. Rc2 b4 29. axb4  axb4 30. Bf3 Rb1 31. Be2 b3 32. Rd2 Rc1 33. Bd1 c3 34. bxc3 b2 35. Rxb2 Rxd1  36. Rc2 Bf5 37. Rb2 Rc1 38. Rb3 Be4+ 39. Kh3 Rc2 40. f4 h5 41. g4 hxg4+ 42.  Kxg4 Rxh2 43. Rb4 f5+ 44. Kg3 Re2 45. Rc4 Rxe3+ 46. Kh4 Kg7 47. Rc7+ Kf6 48.  Rd7 Bg2 49. Rd6+ Kg7 0-1   [Event "Devon vs. Notts"]  [Site "Palm Handheld"]  [Date "2011.07.02"]  [Round "7"]  [White "Regis, D."]  [Black "Antunes, Andre"]  [Result "1-0"]  [ECO "A14"]  [BlackElo "1975"]  [PlyCount "99"]   1. c4 e6 2. g3 d5 3. Bg2 Nf6 4. Nf3 c6 5. b3 Nbd7 6. Bb2 Be7 7. O-O O-O 8. d3  b6 {Thus far, the same opening as on the top board. Here Brian Hewson  exchanged on d5.} 9. Nbd2 Bb7 10. Rc1 (10. a3 {1-0 Fabregas,O-Jorgensen,R/  Internet Section 08A g/8'+2" 2004/CBM 099 ext (21)}) (10. Qc2 {1-0 Sieglen,  J-Becking,S/Boeblingen op 14th 1997/EXT 2001 (23)}) (10. Re1 {Farkas,L-Boehm,M/  Banc Post A2 2002/CBM 089 ext/1-0 (35)}) (10. d4 {1-0 Compagnie,L-Chabeaud,J/  Naujac op 03rd 2000/EXT 2001 (36)}) (10. e3 {Polugaevsky,L-Janosevic,D/  Budapest2 1965/EXT 1999/1-0 (39)}) (10. h3 {Schloetterer,H-Muehlbauer,M/  Regionalliga NO 9697 1996/EXT 1999/1-0 (46)}) (10. cxd5 {Kleissl,H-Kondrak,C/  AUT-chT2W 0102 2001/EXT 2002/1-0 (53)}) (10. e4 $1 dxe4 (10... c5 11. e5 Ne8  12. Qe2 Nc7 13. h4 b5 14. Rfc1 a5 15. a4 bxc4 16. bxc4 Qe8 17. Nb3 f6 18. exf6  Bxf6 19. Bxf6 Rxf6 20. Nh2 {Szilagyi,P-Wagman,S/Budapest 1990/1-0 (40)}) 11.  dxe4 Qc7 (11... Nc5 12. e5 Ng4 (12... Nfd7 13. Qe2 a5 14. Nd4 Qc7 15. Rae1 Rfe8  16. a3 Bf8 17. f4 g6 18. h4 Bg7 19. h5 Rad8 20. Rd1 Nf8 21. b4 axb4 22. axb4  Na4 23. Ba1 Nd7 24. Ne4 Bf8 25. Nd6 Bxd6 26. exd6 Qc8 (26... Qxd6 27. Nxc6) 27.  hxg6 hxg6 28. Nf3 f6 29. Qc2 {1-0 Timman J-Gunnarsson Gunnar/14, Reykjavik 1972  }) 13. Ne1 Nh6 14. Qc2 Qd7 15. Ne4 Rad8 16. Nf6+ gxf6 17. exf6 Bd6 18. Nf3 Kh8  19. Rad1 Rg8 20. b4 Na6 21. c5 {Khasin,A-Estrin,Y/Moscow 1968/1-0 (34)}) (11...  c5 12. Qe2 Qc7 13. e5 Ng4 14. h3 Nh6 15. g4 Rad8 16. Rad1 Nb8 17. Ne4 Nc6 18.  Qe3 Kh8 19. Nd6 Ng8 20. Nxb7 Qxb7 21. Ng5 h6 22. Rxd8 Bxd8 23. Ne4 Qc7 24. Nd6  Nge7 25. Rd1 Nc8 26. Qf3 Nb8 27. Nb5 Qe7 28. Qa8 Bc7 29. Qb7 {1-0 Kavnatsky,  V-Smith,M/Southfield ch-MI M/X 1982}) 12. e5 Ng4 13. Qe2 Rfd8 14. Nd4 Ngxe5 15.  f4 Ng6 16. f5 exf5 17. Nxf5 Bf6 18. Bxf6 Nxf6 19. Nh6+ gxh6 20. Rxf6 Qe5 21.  Rxg6+ {1-0 Schwartzman,G-Fehling,M/Berlin op 1986/EXT 86op}) 10... c5 (10...  Rc8 {1-0 Bernhoeft,E-Straesser,G/Wuerttemberg-ch Seniors 15th 2003/EXT 2006  (23)}) (10... Re8 {1-0 Graciov,A-Ruikys,M/Klaipedai 750 jub 2002/EXT 2005 (40)}  ) 11. d4 (11. cxd5 Nxd5 (11... exd5 12. d4 Re8 13. Re1 Rc8 14. Bh3 Rc7 15. Ne5  Nxe5 16. dxe5 Nd7 17. e3 Nf8 18. Qe2 f6 19. Red1 fxe5 20. Bxe5 Bd6 21. Bxd6  Qxd6 22. Bg2 Rf7 23. Nf1 Qe5 24. Rd2 Ng6 25. Rcd1 Ne7 26. b4 Rc8 27. bxc5 bxc5  28. Qb5 Qc7 29. Bh3 Bc6 30. Qa6 Bd7 31. Be6 Bxe6 32. Qxe6 Qb6 33. Qe5 Qf6 34.  Qxf6 Rxf6 35. Rc2 Kf7 36. Nd2 Rfc6 37. e4 dxe4 38. Nxe4 Ke6 39. Re1 Nf5 40.  Rxc5 Rxc5 41. Nxc5+ {Dinu,D-Gheorghe,C/Bucharest Revolution mem 2003/EXT 2008/  1-0 (84)}) 12. a3 (12. Nc4 Rc8 13. Nfe5 N7f6 14. Qd2 b5 15. Na5 Ba8 16. a4 a6  17. axb5 axb5 18. Ra1 Qb6 19. e4 Nc7 20. Rfd1 Rfd8 21. Qe2 Na6 {Koch,  J-Velazquez,G/Villa Ballester op 54th 2004/CBM 098 ext/1-0 (63)}) 12... Bf6 13.  Qc2 Rc8 14. Nc4 b5 15. Nd6 Rb8 16. Bxf6 N5xf6 17. Nxb7 Rxb7 18. Nd4 Rb6 19. Nc6  Qc7 20. Na5 Nd5 {Estrada Martinez,C-Arauz Alonso,F/Madrid Moratalaz op 2007/  EXT 2008/1-0 (52)}) 11... dxc4 12. Nxc4 b5 13. Nce5 cxd4 14. Qxd4 Nxe5 15. Qxe5  Qd5 16. Rfd1 Qxe5 17. Nxe5 Bxg2 18. Kxg2 {White's pieces are all a little  better than their Black counterparts.} Rac8 $2 {Played quickly.} 19. Nc6 Nd5 $2  20. Nxe7+ $2 {I was grateful to find this "simple win of the exchange".} (20.  Nxa7 $5 {was my original idea but seems unclear} Ra8 21. Nxb5 Rxa2 22. Rb1 Rb8  23. Nc3 (23. Nd4 Bf6 24. e4 Nb4) 23... Nxc3 24. Bxc3 Rxe2) (20. e4 $5 {seemed  to invite needless complications, but wins material easily enough} Bg5 (20...  Bf6 21. exd5 Bxb2 22. Ne7+ Kh8 23. Rxc8) 21. exd5 Bxc1 22. Ne7+ (22. Rxc1 $1)  22... Kh8 23. Nxc8 $2 (23. Bxc1 Rcd8 24. d6) 23... Bxb2 {was my analysis}) (20.  Rxd5 Rxc6 21. Rxc6 exd5 22. Rc7) 20... Nxe7 21. Ba3 Rxc1 22. Rxc1 {(Expecting  Black to resign)} Rc8 $1 {(Missed that one)} 23. Rxc8+ Nxc8 24. Bc5 $1 {White  now has to work to exploit the advantage of B vs N. White wants to run Black  out of moves then exchange BxN under favourable circumstances.} f5 $6 25. Kf3  Kf7 26. Kf4 Kf6 27. Bd4+ Kf7 28. Ke5 Ke7 (28... Ne7 29. Bxa7 $4 (29. Kd6) 29...  Nc6+) 29. Bc5+ Kf7 30. h3 a6 $6 (30... Nb6 31. Bxb6 axb6 32. Kd6) 31. e4 $5 g6  32. exf5 gxf5 33. h4 h5 $6 34. f3 Ne7 35. Bxe7 Kxe7 36. b4 Kd7 37. Kf6 $5 (37.  a3 $1 Ke7 38. f4 $1 {is clearer:} Kd7 39. Kf6 Kd6 40. Kg5 Kd5 41. Kxh5 Kc4 42.  Kg6 Kb3 43. h5 Kxa3 44. h6 Kxb4 45. h7 Ka3 46. h8=Q b4 47. Qa1+ Kb3 48. Qb1+  Ka4 49. Kf6 b3 50. Kxe6 Kb4 51. Kd5 a5) 37... Kd6 38. Kg5 Kd5 39. f4 $1 (39.  Kxh5 e5 40. Kg5 e4 41. Kf4 Kd4 42. fxe4 fxe4 43. h5 e3 44. Kf3 Kd3 45. h6 e2  46. Kf2 Kd2 47. h7) 39... Kc4 40. Kxh5 (40. a3 {is similar} Kb3 41. Kxh5 Kxa3  42. Kg6 Kxb4 43. h5 a5 44. h6 a4 45. h7 a3 46. h8=Q a2 47. Qa1 Ka3 (47... Kb3  48. Kf6 b4 49. Kxe6 Ka3 50. Kxf5 b3 51. Qc3 Ka4) 48. Qc3+) 40... Kxb4 41. Kg5  Ka3 42. h5 b4 43. h6 Kxa2 (43... a5 44. h7 Kxa2 45. h8=Q b3 46. Qe8 b2 47.  Qxe6+ Ka1 48. Qxf5 b1=Q 49. Qxb1+ Kxb1 50. f5) 44. h7 b3 45. h8=Q b2 46. Qa8 $1  {The saving clause, which had to be anticipated before committing to Kf6} b1=Q  47. Qxa6+ Kb2 48. Qb5+ Kc1 49. Qxb1+ Kxb1 50. Kf6 1-0   [Event "Hastings 0102 77th"]  [Site "Hastings"]  [Date "2002.01.04"]  [Round "7"]  [White "Hebden, Mark"]  [Black "Kiriakov, Petr"]  [Result "1-0"]  [ECO "A46"]  [WhiteElo "2567"]  [BlackElo "2547"]  [PlyCount "133"]  [EventDate "2001.12.29"]  [EventType "tourn"]  [EventRounds "9"]  [EventCountry "ENG"]  [EventCategory "11"]  [Source "ChessBase"]  [SourceDate "2002.03.21"]   1. d4 e6 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. c3 b6 4. Bg5 Bb7 5. Nbd2 Be7 6. h4 Ne4 7. Nxe4 Bxe4 8.  Bxe7 Qxe7 9. Nd2 Bb7 10. e4 c5 11. a3 O-O 12. Bd3 d6 13. dxc5 bxc5 14. Qe2 Nd7  15. f4 Rab8 16. O-O-O Nb6 17. Nc4 Nxc4 18. Bxc4 Qc7 19. f5 d5 20. exd5 Qf4+ 21.  Kb1 exd5 22. Bxd5 Qxf5+ 23. Qd3 Qg4 24. Bxb7 Rxb7 25. Qd5 Rb6 26. Rd2 Qc8 27.  Rf1 h6 28. Rf5 Rd6 29. Qxd6 Qxf5+ 30. Ka2 Re8 31. Rd5 Qc2 32. Rxc5 Qxg2 33. h5  Qc2 34. Rb5 Qe2 35. Qd5 Qf1 36. Rc5 a6 37. a4 Rb8 38. Qc4 Qxc4+ 39. Rxc4 Rb6  40. Rc8+ Kh7 41. Rc7 Rf6 42. b4 g5 43. hxg6+ Kxg6 44. b5 axb5 45. axb5 h5 46.  Re7 h4 47. c4 h3 48. Ka3 Kg5 49. Re1 h2 50. c5 Rh6 51. Rh1 Kf6 52. b6 Ke7 53.  b7 Rh8 54. Rxh2 Rb8 55. c6 Kd6 56. Rh6+ Kc7 57. Rf6 Rg8 58. Kb4 Kb6 59. Kc4 Rd8  60. Kc3 Re8 61. Kd4 Rd8+ 62. Kc4 Re8 63. Kd5 Rd8+ 64. Rd6 Rf8 65. Rd7 f5 66. c7  Kxb7 67. Rd8 1-0