PAWN FORK TRICK

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Kibitzing

PAWN FORK TRICK
Compiled by notyetagm

There are two prerequisites for decoys into pawns forks:

1) a pawn can move forward (possibly by capturing) and attack an enemy piece, i.e., the pawn can strike out at an enemy piece

2) what is preventing this advance is an enemy pawn in the outpost alignment (e.g., ♗c5/♙e5) that happens to be the base of the pawn chain

When these two requirements are met, decoys into pawn forks become possible. These two prerequisites essentially mean that a pawn is defending a pawn forking square, the same kind of tactical liability that results from a knight defending a knight forking square (<destruction and decoy>).

As an example, take the position in Fischer vs P Lapiken, 1956 after 14 ... ♖b8, shown below:

click for larger view

The White c4-pawn can advance via capturing to d5, from where it attacks the Black e6-knight (condition 1). The advance of the White c4-pawn to d5 is opposed by a Black c6-pawn which just happens to be the base of the pawn chain (condition 2).

Since both conditions are met, the position is ripe for a <DECOY> into a pawn fork, which Fischer delivers with 15 ♘xc6! ♕xc6 16 cxd5, as shown below:

click for larger view

White (Fischer) wins a pawn and rips open the position for his two bishops, creating an easily winning position.

Be careful when your pieces can be attacked by the enemy's pawns!

15 Nd4xc6! Qd7xNc6 16 c4xd5 forks the Black c6-queen,e6-knight
Fischer vs P Lapiken, 1956
(A04) Reti Opening, 19 moves, 1-0
10 ... Bf5xc2! 11 Ne1xBc2 d4-d3 decoy into a pawn fork
Fischer vs Smyslov, 1970
(A02) Bird's Opening, 64 moves, 1-0
White e5-pawn has tactical target Black e7-king, 31 Rxg7+!
J Polgar vs Korchnoi, 2006
(C12) French, McCutcheon, 39 moves, 1-0
Black b4-pawn has tactical target White c2-rook, 37 ... Rxa2!
Smilga vs Petrosian, 1946
(B13) Caro-Kann, Exchange, 46 moves, 0-1
12 ... Nxf4! 13 Qxf4 g5 forks White f4-queen and h4-bishop
Korchnoi vs Nunn, 1988
(E70) King's Indian, 48 moves, 0-1
37 ... g5? 38 Nxh5! and then 38 ... Nxh5 39 g4 wins on the spot
Radjabov vs D Zoler, 2006
(E11) Bogo-Indian Defense, 49 moves, 1-0
Black f7-pawn has tactical target White g5-bishop, 14 ... Nxe5!
Navara vs Aronian, 2007
(D38) Queen's Gambit Declined, Ragozin Variation, 22 moves, 1/2-1/2
40 Bg6+! Kxg6?? second tactical target for pawn fork 41 f5+
B Larsen vs J Penrose, 1969
(A01) Nimzovich-Larsen Attack, 44 moves, 1-0
34 ... Nxf4! 35 Nxf4 e5 pawn forks White d4-bishop, f4-knight
Kamsky vs Sasikiran, 2007
(D27) Queen's Gambit Accepted, Classical, 46 moves, 0-1
27 .. Nf4xg2! 28 Kg1xNg2 28 e4xf3 standard decoy into pawn fork
M Porges vs Lasker, 1896
(C67) Ruy Lopez, 33 moves, 0-1
41 Nd6xb7! Na5xNb7 42 c5-c6 is standard decoy into a pawn fork
Bacrot vs B Meissner, 2008
(E91) King's Indian, 45 moves, 1-0
17 ... Nxc4! wins a pawn since 18 Qxc4? d5 forks c4-Q and e4-R
I Rabinovich vs Alekhine, 1920
(E43) Nimzo-Indian, Fischer Variation, 39 moves, 0-1
40 ... Nc5xa4! 41 Bc2xNa4 b7-b5+ forks White c4-king,a4-bishop
Sakaev vs Kasparov, 2003
(D18) Queen's Gambit Declined Slav, Dutch, 41 moves, 0-1
40 e7! Bxe7 decoys Black bishop into pawn fork with Black g7-Q
Avrukh vs S Megaranto, 2006
(A64) Benoni, Fianchetto, 11...Re8, 41 moves, 1-0
15 ... Bc6xe4! Black d6-pawn has White c4-bishop target
Kamsky vs Ivanchuk, 2009
(B90) Sicilian, Najdorf, 32 moves, 0-1
22 Bf4xc7! White d5-pawn has Black e7-bishop tactical target
Anand vs Kramnik, 2007
(C42) Petrov Defense, 65 moves, 1/2-1/2
48 Nd6xb7! White c5-pawn has Black d7-king tactical target
Miles vs S T Ansell, 1996
(A00) Uncommon Opening, 49 moves, 1-0
13 Nb3xa5! White c3-pawn has Black c5-bishop tactical target
Le Quang Liem vs Mamedyarov, 2009
(A40) Queen's Pawn Game, 60 moves, 1-0
22 ... Bh4xf2+! 23 Rf1xBf2 e4-e3 forks White d2-knight,f2-rook
Short vs Nakamura, 2010
(B58) Sicilian, 43 moves, 0-1
31 Nb5xd6! Ne8xNd6 32 f4xe5 forks *both* Black d6-,f6-knights
A Korobov vs I Cheparinov, 2010
(E93) King's Indian, Petrosian System, 61 moves, 1/2-1/2
29 ... Bf5xd3!
Caruana vs Korchnoi, 2011
(C77) Ruy Lopez, 46 moves, 0-1
33 Bd6xe5! Ng6xBe5 34 f2-f4 forks Black g5-queen,e5-knight
Navara vs A Moiseenko, 2011
(E32) Nimzo-Indian, Classical, 41 moves, 1-0
21 ... Ba6xc4!
I Krush vs Q Huang, 2012
(A37) English, Symmetrical, 46 moves, 0-1
26 Nb5xd6!
N Firman vs Shirov, 2012
(B90) Sicilian, Najdorf, 39 moves, 1-0
27 ... Ne6xg5!
McShane vs Carlsen, 2012
(C67) Ruy Lopez, 62 moves, 0-1
22 Qc2xe4!? based on fork 24 f2-f3 hitting exposed g4-bishop
Kasimdzhanov vs Dominguez Perez, 2013
(E11) Bogo-Indian Defense, 39 moves, 0-1
26 games

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