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Doubled pawns have a bad reputation in chess.
From the very beginning a chess player is warned
about their weakness and told that he should
avoid them at all costs. However, perhaps such
a bad reputation is undeserved. While doubled
pawns have well-known negatives, it would clearly
be a mistake to view them as a curse. There
are some positions in which doubled pawns are
quite acceptable – for instance, situations where
a player recaptures with a pawn instead of a
piece in order to win time for quick development,
or where he/she voluntarily accepts doubled pawns
in order to occupy an important square or to
gain access to an important file.
Here are even more doubled pawn positives: Sometimes
doubled pawns provide a King with an additional
layer of protection. Also, a piece can use doubled
pawns for support. In other situations a player
might agree to have a position with doubled pawns
in order to obtain a pair of Bishops. Such situations
are frequent in the Nimzo-Indian Defense. As
we can see, doubled pawns can have some positives
in several situations.
Negative sides of doubled pawns are well known.
They cripple the mobility of a pawn mass and
become an easy prey for opponent's pieces in
the ending, particularly if they are an isolated
pawn pair.
In our first game, White went for a position
with doubled pawns in order to obtain a pair
of Bishops. Later, using the strength of the
center, he created a strong attack on the kingside
and won.
GM David Bronstein - GM Miguel Naidorf
Budapest,
1950
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.a3
White chooses the line where he gets doubled
pawns in order to obtain a pair of Bishops.
4...Bxc3+ 5.bxc3 c5
A good move. Black fixes his opponent's pawn
mass in order to later attack it. What should
White do now? His opponent clearly established
that he will attack the weak pawns on the queenside,
particularly c4. Black can do that with ...Nb8-c6-a5
and ...b6, ...Ba6 and ...Rc8, followed by ...cxd4,
if necessary. White has a pair of Bishops. His
c3-pawn limits his dark-squared Bishop's activity
to the c1-h6 diagonal, but at the same time it
supports the center. White should castle and
then advance his central pawns. Later, he can
use the space to attack his opponent's King.
Bronstein does exactly that.
6.e3 Nc6 7.Bd3 0-0 8.Ne2
Also possible is 8.Nf3. On one hand, the Knight
influences the center more on f3; on the other
hand, it supports c3 and does not obstruct the
movement of the f-pawn.
8...d6?!
This natural move is a mistake. Better is 8...b6.
Time is very important in positions with a fluid
center mass. Black is not really afraid of dxc5
and playing ...e6-e5 may not be in his best interest.
Therefore, there is little, if any, need for
8...d6. Instead, after 8...b6 9.e4 Ne8 10.0-0
Ba6 Black is one step closer to attacking c4
and his King's Knight can use the d6-square at
some point.
9.e4 Ne8
The only move, otherwise the pin Bc1-g5 is unpleasant.
Also Black often counterattacks with ...f5.
10.0-0 b6 11.f4
White has started his kingside advance, while
Black has yet to create his own threats on the
queenside.
11...Ba6?!
Another dubious move. After losing an important
tempo, Black is falling behind. The text move
allows White to grab even more space on the kingside
and extend the influence of the dark-squared
Bishop. Sokolsky recommends 11...f5 here. Still,
after 12.d5 Ne7 13.Ng3 White retains the initiative.
Nevertheless, it was better than the text move.
12.f5 e5
Again, poor defense. Sokolsky recommends 11...h6,
taking the g5-square under control. After 12.fxe6
fxe6 13.Rxf8+ Kxf8 14.Be3, threatening Nf4, Qg4
and Rf1, White has a strong attack.
13.f6!
White sacrifices a pawn in order to open the
opponent's castled position.
13...Kh8
According to Sokolsky, 13...Nxf6 14.Bg5, followed
by Ne2-g3 would give White a powerful attack.
For instance, 14...exd4 15.cxd4 cxd4 (15...Nxd4
16.Nxd4 cxd4 17.e5! dxe5 18.Bxf6 gxf6 19.Qg4+
Kh8 20.Qf5 and White checkmates) 16.Ng3, now
17...Ne5 meets 18.Nh5 Ned7 19.e5! dxe5 20.Bxf6
Nxf6 21.Nxf6+ gxf6 22.Qg4+ Kh8 23.Qf5 and White
checkmates again. Also bad 13...g6 14.Bh6 and
White wins material.
14.d5!
This move pushes his opponent's Knight to the
corner, where it will be unable to help his King.
14...Na5 15.Ng3! gxf6?
Leads to a quick loss. More stubborn was 15...g6
16.Bh6 Rg8, although after 17.Qe2 White keeps
a large advantage due to a lack of counterplay.
16.Nf5
Now White attacks h7 and Black has no defense.
Here 16...Bxc4 17.Bxc4 Nxc4 18.Qh5 also loses.
16...Bc8 17.Qh5 Bxf5 18.exf5 Rg8 19.Rf3
Now White threatens a pretty checkmate. If 19...Ng7,
then 20.Qxh7+! Kxh7 21.Rh3+ Nh5 22.Rxh5+ Kg7
23.Bh6+ Kh7 24.Bf8 checkmates.
19...Rg7 20.Bh6 Rg8 21.Rh3, Black resigned.
In the next game Black purposefully went for
a position with doubled isolated pawns in order
to obtain access to a very important square.
GM Vladas Mikenas - Goldenov
Tbilisi, 1946
1.c4 Nf6 2.Nc3 d5 3.cxd5 Nxd5 4.e4 Nb4
An alternative line is 4...Nxc3 and here White
can choose between 5.bxc3 g6 6.d4 Bg7, transposing
into the Gruenfeld Defense, or play 5.dxc3 Qxd1+
6.Kxd1 with a marginally favorable ending.
5.Bc4 Be6!?
At first this move looks senseless. Black goes
for a position with doubled isolated pawns in
order to obtain control of d3-square. Possession
of that square gives him good attacking chances.
6.Bxe6 fxe6 7.Nge2
After this move Black's plans work out just
fine. Perhaps 7.d4!? Qxd4 8.Be3 deserved attention.
Now 8...Qxd1+ 9.Rxd1 Nc2+ 10.Ke2 Nxe3 11.Kxe3
with Ng1-f3 to follow looks more or less okay.
We can see that without Queens on the board Black's
doubled pawns severely impair his mobility. Another
line may go 8...Qc4 9.Nge2 Nd3+ 10.Kf1 Nxb2 11.Qc2
Nd3 13.Rd1. Here Black has two extra pawns, but
White's superior development guarantees some
compensation.
7...Nd3+ 8.Kf1 Nc6 9.Qb3
White tries to play actively, but his poorly
developed pieces and misplaced King have no chance
in the ensuing complications. Better was 9.g3
Qd7 10.Kg2, finishing his development.
9...Qd7 10.Qxb7
A logical continuation when you consider White's
9th move, but it only brings more
black pieces out.
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