Kotov — Unzicker

Interzonal TournamentStockholm, 1952

• Alexander Kotov (1913–1981)Soviet grandmaster, a Candidate for the world title, and author of Think Like a Grandmaster.
• Wolfgang Unzicker (1925–2006)West German grandmaster, six-time national champion, and the world's strongest amateur, playing top-level chess alongside a career in law — Karpov called him the "world champion of amateurs".

Info

This is the second of two examples of the e5-wedge pawn structure; the first is Forgács — Cohn. The closing paragraph below sums up both games together.

White intends to push the central pawn e3-e4-e5, then advance the f pawn and, having cramped Black, mount an attack on their king. This plan is typical of certain variations of the Nimzo-Indian Defense and the Queen's Gambit.

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1. 12.
2. 13.
3. Once again, to make the e3-e4 advance possible
4. 13.
5. Frustrating White's plan
6. 14.
7. Black attacks the d4 pawn, forestalling 15. e4
8. 15.
9. The fight over the e3-e4 advance goes on
10. 15.
11. 16.
12. As in the previous game, this weakening brings grave consequences
13. 17.
14. 18.
15. 19.
16. With a knight maneuver Black drives two white pieces back to the first rank, but achieves little
17. 20.
18. 21.
19. 22.
20. The programmed advance continues. White takes away the d6 and f6 squares and frees the e4 square for their pieces
21. 22.
22. Black defends the f6 point, which White's bishop has taken aim at
23. 23.
24. 24.
25. 25.
26. The attack builds, and all of White's pieces take part in it. Note that in both games, at the closing stage of the attack, the white queen stood in an excellent position on h5
27. 25.
28. 26.
29. 27.
30. 28.
31. 29.
32. 30.
33. Black resigned

The method of advancing pawns in the center, the role of the central pawn e5 during an attack on the flank, the use of central squares to route pieces to the kingside — all of this stands out clearly in the game. But you should not think that in the two examples we have looked at the pawn structure alone decided the success of the attack. The main condition was that the opponent had no counterplay; the black pieces stood in passive positions.