A big centre can become a fixed object for the pieces to work around

Anatoly Karpov — Garry Kasparov · World Championship, Seville, game 11 · 1987.11.09

Complete legal positionLoading progress…

Decision position · Black to move

Pawn structure and mobility

White occupies d4, e4 with pawns and controls d5, e5 with pawn attacks; Black occupies none of d4, e4, d5, e5 with pawns and controls none of those four squares with pawn attacks. Black has 9 legal pawn move choices in this position. Pawn control is geometric, including pinned pawns; legal mobility accounts for king safety. Neither count is an engine evaluation.

White

Isolated pawns: a2
Doubled files: g
Passed pawns: None
Blocked ahead: None
Pawn chains: None

Black

Isolated pawns: e7
Doubled files: None
Passed pawns: None
Blocked ahead: None
Pawn chains: g6–h7

Black's legal pawn moves: a6, a5, b6, b5, e6, e5, h6, h5, g5

Identify the chain's support

Black's pawn chain on g6, h7 has h7 at its base. Test whether pressure on that support changes the advanced pawns' stability; piece placement and tactics determine whether a break works.

Study this pawn idea

Count legal pawn choices

Black can currently move 5 of its 5 pawns legally (9 advance choices and 0 capture choices, counting promotion choices separately). More pawn moves do not by themselves mean a better position.

Study this pawn idea

Learn the plans behind these pawn structures →

Think before revealing

After 19...e5 20.d5, what can White’s central pawns actually do? Compare that with the activity available to Black’s knight.

Diagnose → choose → calculate → explain the transformation. Consider the opponent’s best resistance, not just the move you want them to make.

Your reasoning

What is the pawn situation?Your candidate and intended improvementOpponent’s reply; what changes after the final recapture?

4 · Reflect & return

Can you explain the gain, the concession and the opponent’s plan without reading the notes? Self-rate your understanding to schedule another look. This is a learning record, not an engine grade.

Sources & teaching context

Adapted from the supplied Pawn Play Atlas and Central Pawn Play materials. Unknown historical details remain unknown; illustrations are distinguished from full games.

Historical score / source 1

Transfer the idea

Try it in a different setting.

Study as a curriculum →

A big centre can become a fixed object for the pieces to work around

Anatoly Karpov — Garry Kasparov · World Championship, Seville, game 11 · 1987.11.09

Complete legal positionLoading progress…

Decision position · Black to move

Pawn structure and mobility

White

Isolated pawns: a2
Doubled files: g
Passed pawns: None
Blocked ahead: None
Pawn chains: None

Black

Isolated pawns: e7
Doubled files: None
Passed pawns: None
Blocked ahead: None
Pawn chains: g6–h7

Black's legal pawn moves: a6, a5, b6, b5, e6, e5, h6, h5, g5

Identify the chain's support

Black's pawn chain on g6, h7 has h7 at its base. Test whether pressure on that support changes the advanced pawns' stability; piece placement and tactics determine whether a break works.

Study this pawn idea

Count legal pawn choices

Black can currently move 5 of its 5 pawns legally (9 advance choices and 0 capture choices, counting promotion choices separately). More pawn moves do not by themselves mean a better position.

Study this pawn idea

Learn the plans behind these pawn structures →

Think before revealing

After 19...e5 20.d5, what can White’s central pawns actually do? Compare that with the activity available to Black’s knight.

Diagnose → choose → calculate → explain the transformation. Consider the opponent’s best resistance, not just the move you want them to make.

Your reasoning

What is the pawn situation?Your candidate and intended improvementOpponent’s reply; what changes after the final recapture?

4 · Reflect & return

Can you explain the gain, the concession and the opponent’s plan without reading the notes? Self-rate your understanding to schedule another look. This is a learning record, not an engine grade.

Sources & teaching context

Adapted from the supplied Pawn Play Atlas and Central Pawn Play materials. Unknown historical details remain unknown; illustrations are distinguished from full games.

Historical score / source 1

Transfer the idea

Try it in a different setting.

Study as a curriculum →