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Hi guys, this is Grandmaster Levan Aroshdize and today, we'll have another video lesson.
Our theme is "Corner Pawn Attack". This is a very famous, powerful and dangerous weapon
in chess and it could be used in the different stages of the chess game. For example, starting
from the opening without all pieces at the board finishing with deep, limited material
endgames. This happens because, Corner Pawn Attack may have various purposes. Everything
depends on a concrete situation at the board, concrete pawn structure and the position.
What we could say is that, generally in most of the cases, Corner Pawn Attack starts when
opponent has a fianchettoed pawn structure. This is the one of the most effective ways
to create problems for this fianchetto and you will try to explore the weaknesses of
the structure. I like fianchetto. I make this in many various opening systems, when I play
g6 (with Black) or g3 (with White) and place the bishop on g7. It's a really very nice
diagonal for the bishop of course. Also, king feels quite safe in this little flat/little
house when I castle in a fianchetto. But from another
point as we already mentioned, this provokes Corner Pawn Attack that can cause serious
problems to the King, on general, to the structure. So let's start, let's see practical
examples when these Corner Pawn Attack works well and what could be the purposes of this
idea. First example is my own game, I was playing with White and my opponent decided
to play this Pirc Defense with the fianchetto as we see. So I thought I'm going to castle
longside and attack that king - the Black's kingside. Bg7, Qd2,
c6. Okay, it's obvious that now Black wants to prepare b5. Well, he realized that I'm
going to castle longside and also trying to create some pawn storm on this flank. So,
castles (both). Kb1 - this is a good prophylaxis. If we have time for this move, it's always
a good idea to play this move in all kinds of longcastle-positions. Now a2-pawn will
be better protected, c1-square is free for some concrete cases. For example, at some
point, Knight could go to e2-c1 and support the a2-pawn even more. So, it's really a good
move. b5 - now we see Black created threat of playing b4 and then wants to win the e4-pawn.
So obviously, we will play f3. b4 - Now, if Black would start with Qa5, we see one more
purpose of this Kb1. Now, Qxd2 will not be captured with a check. And we can simply play
Nd5 - very strong move! And Black already has serious problems because, in this case,
we make intermediate check, winning the material and then already taking the queen. So Black
already played b4, Ne2, a5, and here we go, h4. Okay, this was possible to prepare also
with g4 but I don't want to waste the time. And I wanted to immediately push this h-pawn,
and open my rook to create direct mating attack over the King. This is probably the most simple
purpose of this Corner Pawn Attack in the opening stage of the game. Also, I want to
weaken the opponent's King's position. My opponent decided to play h5. Okay, letting
me to play h5 by myself - it never gives good result to defensive side because, for example,
Qb6 protecting the pawn, planning a4, we will play h5, we don't care about this pawn - we're
ready to sacrifice it in order to open the rook as we mentioned before and attack immediately.
So after Nxh5, g4, Nf6, Bh6, another typical way of weakening opponent's king, exchanging
this fianchettoed bishop and after that exchange, dark squares around the Black king will become
very weak. a4, Bxg7, Kxg7, Qxh6+, Kg8, g5 and the game is finished. Now, we have a typical
sacrifice Rxh5 or it's even not necessary - it's just a one-sided game. I don't see
how Black will defend from this mating attack. So my opponent decided to play h5. This also
a well-known trick against the corner pawn attack in many opening systems because Corner
Pawn Attack is used for Dragon, Pirc, Samisch, Kings Indian and many other well-known opening
systems. So h5 is also a known plan but it doesn't actually stop it for the long time
because we make this sacrifice (g4) - also famous and typical pawn sacrifice. We're ready
to give 2 pawns, after hxg4, White is going to play Ng3. Actually, I don't care about
gxf3, it could be taken with Nxf3 but I think much more powerful will be simply h5. Finally,
advancing this Corner Pawn, entering into the contact, and opening our rook and it should
bring decisive advantage. It doesn't change the case for example Nh5, well Nxh5, gxh5,
simply Bh6 - I want to weaken even more opponent's king's position. f6, avoiding Qg5. And just
Ne2, knight will just go to g3 - h5-pawn has problems, the game should be finished quite
quickly. So, my opponent decided to play Nbd7 after h4. Probably the idea was that if I
will play gxh5 now, Nxh5, and let's say in order of Nf4. Okay, there is this Ng3 move
which should be calculated but also, simply Ndf6 and somehow, Black still keeps here the
blocking structure on g5. I believe here also, White should be better. But there is no need
to go in this variation because White has a much stronger continuation. Ng3 - just increasing
the pressure on h5-pawn and I want to take it. So hxg4 is forced, and h5 - again this
famous idea that we already were talking about. Everything for the rook who want to open it.
Position objectively is lost. My opponent just made quick mistake here. The matter is
that we don't need to open now this file. We simply play h6 and after Bh8, h7+, the
game is lost. After Kg7, Bh6+, Kxh7 Bxf8+. So this is the most simple purpose of the
corner pawn attack - simply destroying fianchetto structure, opening the file for h1-rook. By
the way, I'd just like you to pay attention to this Sicilian Dragon line. Just to show
that this famous corner pawn attack is really used in many different openings. Bc4, 0-0-0,
Rc8, Bb3, Ne5, Kb1, a6 and how are we going to attack the Dragon? h4! - planning h5, and
opening our h1-rook. Generally, Black is stopping this h4-pawn and now White's answer will be
sacrificing that we already saw. And Rg1, now we intend to create some serious pressure
over this semi-open files. Now, also this is an example from my game. Here we played
French opening. It's a typical French pawn structure. Hope you stay in line when Black
takes on e4. And I wanted to do something on this diagonal. So, I just played Qe4, and
now Black is in a very tough situation. One possible move is g6. That was played actually
in the game. And if opponent plays just f5, we may go back (Qe2). Because, we provoke
weakness. Now, backward pawn (e6) is always under the attack. Bc4 also increases the pressure
over this pawn. And of course, I don't believe in this hxg5 because there is no way that
Black king would be able to survive this attack on the h-file. So, my opponent, after, Qe4,
decided to play g6, but what now? g6 is actually another move that we would like to provoke
to get f5. And now, h4-pawn enters simply into the contact and finally, will be exchanged.
Not only exchanged as in order to liberate the rook, but also, simply to weaken the king's
position. We already saw this similar idea. hxg5, hxg6, a lot of threats are coming now
against the Black king. And Black plays f5. Here, I was really lucky to make a very beautiful
combination. Also, I would say that simply Qe2 should be winning. But of course, you
already understood what combination started after f5. Rh8+, Kxh8, Qh1+, Kg7, Qh7+, Kf6,
g7. Okay, still this not a checkmate. But for now, the threat is taking the rook and
bishop cannot take because queen is also hanging. So Black decided to develop the bishop (c8).
And now I was thinking, "How to finish the game? " I need some additional attack over
the Black king. I thought I'm going to play Rh1-Rh6 but now if I play Rh1 immediately,
Black may take this pawn and suddenly King gets the square to escape somehow. So, then
I realized that I should just play Be2. This is a very nasty move. White threats this check
and if Kf7, then Bishop (Bh5) finishes the game. And if g4 will be played, then Rh1 because
there is no gxf4 move to liberate the square for the Black king. And now Rh6 is winning
the game. Well, my opponent played Bc6. But now as we already mentioned, Qh6+, Kf7, Bh5+
and after Kg8, Qh8 checkmate. Okay, let's take a look at another example. It's already
a middlegame position. Probably, it appeared from the English opening. But it could have
been something else. And fiancheto bishop is already exchanged. So, Black king is little
bit suffering with this weak dark squares. However, White doesn't have the dark-squared
bishop and so far nothing terrible can happen here. White saw the idea of the exchange sacrifice,
Rxd6, exd6, Qxf6, and now d6-pawn is also hanging. But let's say after Rd7, Black protects
everything, he is holding on so far. So, White thought that it wasn't slight clearly. And
first of all, he decided to go just h4. That's the fianchetto structure, so let's go for
pressuring it. So corner pawn attack also has the psychological pressure purpose. Because,
the opponent never know what we are going to do after h5. Maybe we will exchange on
g6 and simply weaken the pawn shelter of the Black king. Or, as there is no dark-squared
bishop, we cold push this pawn till h6 and then White simply starts to create this checkmate-threat
on the long diagonal and simply on g7-square. So, it's really very nasty and very often,
mechanical answer here is h5. But after h5, the combination that we already saw in the
beginning, works perfectly. Rxd6, exd6, Qxf6, and now if Black will go to protect d6-pawn,
after Bd5, we realize that h4 and h5 (including those two moves), what happend now after that?
- g6 is weak! There is no h7-pawn already which was supporting this g6-pawn. So I want
to simply take Qxg6 and finish the game. Of course, if Kh7, simply Bxf7 and Black is already
lost. So, another purpose/another idea of the h4-corner pawn attack is that somehow,
in truth we weaken King's position, the pawn chain after ANY kind of blocking move. It
is always like this. So Black decided to play Rf8. He gave d6-pawn, wants to protect the
kingside pawns after Bd5. Okay, White took Rxd6, and it's already enough material - very
strong bishop that probably will go to d5, plus 2 pawns against 1 rook. It's more than
just enough. The matter is that now also g4 is coming - another well-known attacking idea.
He could take hxg4 but now after h5, Black's king position will just be destroyed. However,
also after Qa3, I don't see the escaping line for Black. Bxf7 and there is no material left
at the board at all. So, let's go for another example. This is my own game. (Dragon), well
White has a better pawn structure, typical advantage, strong knight on d5 which is difficult
to push away because if Black plays e6 and knight goes away (to c3-b5) then d6-pawn starts
hanging. So I realized that here I could play Bh6 (for example), exchange fianchettoed bishop
to weaken the opponent's king. Also with the same idea to play Bd4. But finally, I decided
to go for h4! To be honest, I did not have concrete idea of what I was going to do after
h5 as I mentioned, it's also a psychological attack. We'll decide later, we'll exchange
here or push h4 till h6 but it really makes no risk. He decided ignore h4-pawn and I guess
he just played Rd8. But if he would play h5 for example, (already well-known answer),
then what happens. King's pawn structure is weaker especially, g6-pawn is weaker because
it has less protection. So, White is going to play Bd4. Okay, let's say Black starting
to create some consensus or search for those consensus. And f4, because now f5 attack and
exchanging on this g6 will weaken even more the Black king as we already provoked h5 move
by playing h4. Pawn takes on b3, Nd7, Rf1, Nf6, f5 was clearly better position for White.
As I mentioned, my opponent just played Rd8. And of course, h5! e6 - well, we already mentioned
the disadvantage of this move, Nc3 and terrible continuation. Well, I realized my opponent
also started to be a little bit worried about the position. Also there was a time trouble.
So probably this is the reason for gxh5. But it opens the king and destroys simply the
pawn structure. Better was, just to wait and somehow try to hold on here. After gxh5, Nb5....and
now of course Bh6. Now various threats are coming. And another decisive mistake (Be5).
Probably Nb7 should be played here. Bxg7, Kxg7, Qg5+. Well, I have to mention that Qg5
immediately looks like it's winning but it's not. Because there is Qc5+ and Black will
exchange the queens. So it's much more clever and smart to play like this....and simply
f4. Anyway, Black's position is terrible here! In the game, he played Be5, Qg5+....and now
what happens - we get access to those squares to checkmate the king. Because, there is only
1 bishop who protects those squares. So, Nxd6! Bishop is hanging already but bishop cannot
take the knight because Qg7 is checkmating!