Ch 22, Rabid Passed Pawns

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This page contains four exercises taken from Chapter 22, Rabid Passed Pawns which feature the raid of a rabid pawn into enemy territory, a raid that ends with the pawn capturing an enemy piece on the back rank and simultaneously promoting, usually to a Queen.

This “capture plus promotion” move is powerful because it wins two pieces in one move. Thus if a White pawn captures a Black Rook on the back rank and simultaneously promotes to a Queen, White will net a Queen and Rook in a single move.




644. Visualize the position after the moves 14 e5 Nxb3 15 exf6 Nc5 16 fxg7 Nxd3 17 gxf8=Q+ Kxf8 18 Rxd3. What is the material balance?




645. Visualize the position after the moves 13 e5 Bb7 14 exf6 Bxf3 15 fxe7 Bxd1¹ 16 exf8=Q+ Rxf8 17 Rxd1. What is the material balance?

¹ White has three minor pieces for the Queen after 15...Rfe8 16 Nxf3.



654. Visualize the position after the moves 13 e5 Bxg2 14 exf6 Bxf1¹ 15 fxe7 Bxe2² 16 exd8=Q+ Kxd8 17 Ndxe2. What is the material balance?

¹ White is up a piece for a pawn after 14…Bxf6 15 Kxg2. ² 15…Qxe7 16 Rxf1 is similar to the game, except that the Queens remain on the board.



656. White is up two pawns. Visualize the position after the moves 25 d5 Bd8¹ 26 dxe6² Bxc7 27 e7 hxg4 28 exf8=Q+ Kxf8 29 hxg4 Bxe5. What is the material balance?

¹ 15…Qxd6 drops a Rook to Nxe7+. ² Black resigned here.

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Sources:

644. Trescher-Heinl, Bad Laasphe, 1994.
645. Williams-Van der Stricht, 36th Olympiad, Spain, 2004.
654. Zulfugaryi-Najer, Swidnica Open, 1999.
656. Euwe-Kramer, Match, Game 5, 1940.

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