Lesson 5: Blockade in general

The aim of prophylaxis is to take away possibilities from the opponent. Blockade, the simplest prophylaxis, will be treated. If a piece is placed before a pawn, three advantages exist: the pawn cannot advance, the pawn gives some protection to the blockader and the blockader restricts the hostile mobility (Nimzowitsch ). The example shows the advantages of blockade in an elementary way.

[More problems sets Kd6 60. Rf6+ Ke7 61. g5 hxg5 62. hxg5 Rc7

[ Rd6 63. Rxd6 Kxd6 64. Ke4 and White wins the pawn ending (Gligoric ) ]

63. Kc3 Rc8 64. Kb4 Rh8 !

[ Ra8 The attack on the queenside is stopped. 65. d5 ! cxd5 66. cxd5 Rd8 67. Kc5 +- ]

65. a6 ! bxa6 66. Rxc6 Rh5 67. Rxa6 Rxg5 68. Ra7+ White has an advantage in time. Probably, this will suffice for the win. ]

60. Rf6 The advantages of a blockade can be noticed: the f-pawn cannot be moved, the blockader cannot be attacked and the blocader pressures on the sixth rank. Ka7 61. h5 Ka6 62. g5 !White has a nice decision. hxg5 63. h6 Kxa5 64. h7 Rd8 65. Rxf7 b5 66. cxb5 Kxb5

[ cxb5 creates a second passed pawn for White. ]

67. Rb7+ !White gains a tempo. Ka6 68. Rg7 Rh8 69. Ke4 Kb5 70. Kf3 Kc4 71. Rd7 Kd3 72. Kg4 Rxh7 73. Rxh7 Kxd4 74. Rd7+

[ 74. Rd7+ Again White wins a move. Kc4 75. Rc7 Kd5 76. Kf3 +- ]

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