56_IPC = Irish Pawn Centre/middlegame-structure

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56_IPC = Irish Pawn Centre/middlegame-structure
Compiled by whiteshark

What exactly is defining an 'Irish pawn centre', and what crime have the Irish people committed that their name is related to this pawn formation?

An approach:

- An isolated triple pawn, usually on the c- or f-file. - Short uses this expression to characterise the (unfavourable) black pawn formation with tripled pawns. - Tripled pawns were named the Irish Pawn Centre by Tony Miles when he saw E Keogh vs F J Sanz Alonso, 1978 won by the Irish player Keogh.

"It was a joke made - in good humour - by the late Tony Miles. He was playing in a Zonal tournament alongside the Irish player Keogh, who had a game with tripled pawns. Miles christened this the 'IPC' - and proceeded to beat Keogh in the next round, using - what else? - tripled pawns. Miles vs E Keogh, 1978

The article by Miles was reprinted in the book It's Only Me." as narrated by User: Domdaniel

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A recent example of Ireland's contribution to chess is what has erroneously been called the "Irish Pawn Centre". Technically, it is actually the "Irish Pawn Formation" - to give it its correct term - as this pawn structure can occur anywhere on the board.

There are arguments in both academic and ecclesiastical circles as to whether this pawn formation is due to Ireland being a Roman Catholic country, where the Holy Trinity is a pillar of Christian belief – perhaps due to the formation resembling a pillar comprised of a trinity of pawns.

There are dark rumours that the Irish "school" is working (in secret) on the "Shamrock" or "Four-leafed Clover Formation" - featuring quadrupled pawns - which may soon be unleashed on some poor unsuspecting GM or World Champion in a tournament or simul. It's believed that this is a "black" project - under the code-name "Seamróg" - led by IM Sam Collins, into obscure opening lines which might lead to this even more frighteningly lethal pawn formation.

Another example of how Christianity in Ireland may be influencing chess, according to academia, is the popular belief in the extraordinary power of the bishops – whether one on its own or, especially, with two in communion.

Of course, there's also the other side of the coin – concerning the influence of alcohol on chess, resulting in premature and violent attacks involving unsound sacrifices.

Perhaps the "Goal" of the Irish "school" could be described as "belief and spirit"!? http://www.icu.ie/articles/display....

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The Irish pawn centre - A club players view by Paul Taaffe

Recently I read an article by Alexander Baburin in the Irish Chess Journal entitled One risky idea in the opening or The Irish pawn centre, and later came across an expanded version in Kingpin No.30 called Winning with the Irish pawn centre?! As Baburin explained the Irish pawn centre is a position with triple isolated pawns. It was Tony Miles who named it thus after witnessing Eamon Keogh use the structure in the Amsterdam zt, 1978. Miles then had the cheek to use it to beat Eamon in a later round of the same tournament. Even the great Smyslov used it to beat Botvinnik twice in world championship matches!

Right now you're probably asking yourself "What has all this got to do with me? I'm only an ordinary club player". The answer is, it has a lot to do with you, and I am going to show you that the Irish pawn centre can be just as devastating in the hands of a so called "ordinary club player". The story begins just after I had finished reading the above mentioned copy of the ICJ. I was lying on my sofa thinking "I know I have seen that structure somewhere before". Then it came to me, I used the Irish pawn centre myself to beat Tony Duffy two years ago, and I didn't even know what it was called then! <Now I don't mean any disrespect to Keogh, Miles or Baburin, but when I heard that Smyslov used the IPC to defeat Botvinnik I thought to myself "Now I'm in GOOD company".> Anyway, enough talk, lets look at the game. http://www.gmsquare.com/Baburin/new...
See the game: http://www.gmsquare.com/Baburin/che...

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There's a bunch of French (Winawer) Defense games, mainly ECO C15, C18 and C19 where a c2/c3/c5 IPC appears. This was a dangerous weapon in the hands of former World Champion Vasily Smyslov check out the collection for his games.

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click for larger view

after <22.bxc4> in

Event "Balatonbereny op"
Site "Balatonbereny"
Date "1994.??.??"
Round "8"
White "Kovacs, Gabor"
Black "Barth, Rainer"
Result "1/2-1/2"
ECO "B02"
WhiteElo "2225"
BlackElo "2305"
PlyCount "87"
EventDate "1994.09.??"
EventType "swiss"
EventRounds "9"

1. e4 Nf6 2. Nc3 d5 3. exd5 Nxd5 4. Bc4 c6 5. d4 g6 6. Nge2 Be6 7. Bb3 Nxc3 8. bxc3 Bxb3 9. axb3 Bg7 10. O-O O-O 11. f4 Na6 12. Ba3 Re8 13. Qd3 Qb6 14. f5 c5 15. fxg6 fxg6 16. Qc4+ e6 17. dxc5 Qc6 18. Rad1 b5 19. Nd4 Qxg2+ 20. Kxg2 bxc4 21. Nb5 Reb8 22. bxc4 Rc8 23. Nd6 Rc6 24. Ne4 Rac8 25. Rd7 R6c7 26. Rd6 Rc6 27. Rfd1 Bf8 28. Rxc6 Rxc6 29. Rd8 Kf7 30. Rd7+ Be7 31. Rxa7 h6 32. Bc1 g5 33. h4 gxh4 34. Bf4 e5 35. Bxe5 Re6 36. Nd6+ Kg6 37. Bd4 Nb8 38. Ra8 Nc6 39. Rg8+ Kh5 40. Nf5 Rg6+ 41. Rxg6 Kxg6 42. Nxe7+ Nxe7 43. Kh3 Nc6 44. Kxh4 1/2-1/2

Worth reading: All About Doubled Pawns by IM Larry Kaufman http://home.comcast.net/~danheisman...

IPC story and a puzzle (in German) https://perlenvombodensee.wordpress...

Finally here is one of the most unknown facts in chess history for you: Augustus J. Dirp (1841-1907) was of Irish descent! Game Collection: DIRP! :D

Black IPQ
Botvinnik vs E Zagoryansky, 1943
(A13) English, 42 moves, 1-0
f2/f3/f5
Polugaevsky vs Korchnoi, 1977
(A10) English, 59 moves, 0-1
e2/e3/e5
D Harika vs E Danielian, 2013
(A15) English, 42 moves, 1-0
f7/f6/f3
J Sloth vs G Sanakoev, 1992
(A28) English, 53 moves, 0-1
e7/e5/e4 - central IPC
V Malakhatko vs G Welling, 2009
(A40) Queen's Pawn Game, 47 moves, 1-0
f7/f5/f4 - really bad for Botte
Gligoric vs Botvinnik, 1965
(A40) Queen's Pawn Game, 41 moves, 1-0
e5/e4/e3 cuts the board lately
Yusupov vs Anand, 1991
(A46) Queen's Pawn Game, 40 moves, 0-1
f2/f3/f5
Rubinstein vs Schlechter, 1918
(A54) Old Indian, Ukrainian Variation, 4.Nf3, 49 moves, 1-0
c2/c3/c5
J Curdo vs S Rabinowitz, 1996
(B00) Uncommon King's Pawn Opening, 12 moves, 1-0
actually not really an IPC
V Vepkhvishvili vs T Zoltek, 1992
(B02) Alekhine's Defense, 64 moves, 0-1
e5/e4/e3 final pos
R Murray vs L Day, 1982
(B06) Robatsch, 28 moves, 0-1
c2/c3/c4/c5 Quadrupel
G M Kovacs vs R Barth, 1994
(B02) Alekhine's Defense, 44 moves, 1/2-1/2
c2/c3/c5
E Keogh vs A Grinza, 1976
(B15) Caro-Kann, 41 moves, 1/2-1/2
c6/c6/c2 - unusual
B Nijman vs R J Sutton, 1989
(B21) Sicilian, 2.f4 and 2.d4, 32 moves, 0-1
c2/c3/c5
Navara vs Sasikiran, 2009
(B25) Sicilian, Closed, 25 moves, 1-0
f7/f6/f5 vs f2/f3
V Cibulka vs Bobotsov, 1966
(B21) Sicilian, 2.f4 and 2.d4, 35 moves, 0-1
c2/c3/c4 by Yates already in 1929!!
Yates vs Nimzowitsch, 1929
(B29) Sicilian, Nimzovich-Rubinstein, 43 moves, 1-0
actually not really an IPC *b3/b4/b5 (31.cxb5)
W Von Holzhausen vs Nimzowitsch, 1926
(B32) Sicilian, 42 moves, 0-1
f3/f4/f6
Ehlvest vs Andersson, 1988
(B46) Sicilian, Taimanov Variation, 19 moves, 1-0
OMG the late IPC wins !!! (46...dxe3+)
Vasiukov vs Korchnoi, 2011
(C02) French, Advance, 47 moves, 0-1
f7/f6/f5
Taimanov vs Koblents, 1944
(C11) French, 44 moves, 1-0
c2/c3/c4 lol
V Gashimov vs Korchnoi, 2008
(C12) French, McCutcheon, 87 moves, 0-1
IPC against Lasker!! (c2/c3/c5)
McCutcheon vs Lasker, 1903
(C12) French, McCutcheon, 36 moves, 1-0
c2/c3/c5 mit Auflösungserscheinungen
Smyslov vs Botvinnik, 1954
(C15) French, Winawer, 50 moves, 1-0
c2/c3/c5 ->xd6
Smyslov vs Botvinnik, 1957
(C15) French, Winawer, 62 moves, 1/2-1/2
DOUBLE IPC on c+f-file
Smyslov vs Botvinnik, 1954
(C15) French, Winawer, 41 moves, 1/2-1/2
c2/c3/c5 - nicht weltmeisterlich
Smyslov vs F Kohn, 1976
(C15) French, Winawer, 19 moves, 0-1
c2/c4/c5
D Charochkina vs D Drozdova, 2013
(C15) French, Winawer, 26 moves, 1-0
c2/c3/c5
J Rowson vs Vaganian, 2000
(C18) French, Winawer, 48 moves, 1/2-1/2
c2c3c5
Leko vs Khalifman, 2000
(C18) French, Winawer, 38 moves, 1/2-1/2
c2/c3/c5
Carlsen vs Pelletier, 2005
(C18) French, Winawer, 25 moves, 1/2-1/2
c2/c3/c5
Stein vs A Lein, 1964
(C18) French, Winawer, 70 moves, 0-1
f7/f6/f5 --> French IPC
Efimenko vs S Reutsky, 2010
(C18) French, Winawer, 45 moves, 1-0
c2/c3/c5
Smyslov vs Botvinnik, 1957
(C18) French, Winawer, 42 moves, 1-0
actually not really an IPC *g7/g6/f5/g4
Smyslov vs Botvinnik, 1954
(C18) French, Winawer, 41 moves, 1/2-1/2
c2/c3/c5
R Teschner vs Uhlmann, 1957
(C18) French, Winawer, 58 moves, 0-1
c2/c3/c5
Khachiyan vs Lputian, 1998
(C18) French, Winawer, 67 moves, 0-1
c2/c3/c5
K Piorun vs G Froewis, 2008
(C18) French, Winawer, 31 moves, 1-0
c2/c3/c5
M Steinbacher vs Short, 1991
(C18) French, Winawer, 36 moves, 0-1
c2/c3/c5
Z Sanner vs A Aminta, 2000
(C18) French, Winawer, 50 moves, 1/2-1/2
c2/c3/c5
S Das vs S S Manigandan, 2011
(C18) French, Winawer, 33 moves, 1-0
c2/c3/c5
Y Gruenfeld vs T Haimovich, 2001
(C18) French, Winawer, 30 moves, 1/2-1/2
c2/c3/c5
C Aravindh vs O Johannesson, 2014
(C18) French, Winawer, 37 moves, 1-0
c2/c3/c5
Shamkovich vs Gipslis, 1961
(C18) French, Winawer, 27 moves, 1-0
c2/c3/c5
V Atlas vs M Ruf, 1996
(C18) French, Winawer, 36 moves, 1-0
c2/c3/c5
Shabalov vs G Fant, 1991
(C18) French, Winawer, 75 moves, 1-0
M Zumsande vs S Praczukowski, 2014
(C18) French, Winawer, 23 moves, 1-0
c2/c3/c5
Morozevich vs Pelletier, 2003
(C18) French, Winawer, 30 moves, 1-0
c2/c3/c5
Smyslov vs Levenfish, 1940
(C19) French, Winawer, Advance, 40 moves, 1/2-1/2
c2/c2/c5
E Arnlind vs A Khasin, 1975
(C19) French, Winawer, Advance, 24 moves, 1/2-1/2
c2/c3/c5 - I don't savvy French.
Beliavsky vs Uhlmann, 1982
(C19) French, Winawer, Advance, 17 moves, 1-0
c2/c3/c5
Shirov vs S Polgar, 1994
(C19) French, Winawer, Advance, 34 moves, 1-0
c2/c3/c5
Stein vs V Doroshkievich, 1970
(C19) French, Winawer, Advance, 55 moves, 1-0
c2/c3/c5 - Auflösungserscheinungen
Bondarevsky vs Levenfish, 1940
(C19) French, Winawer, Advance, 20 moves, 1/2-1/2
c2/c3/c5
Vasiukov vs Korchnoi, 1965
(C19) French, Winawer, Advance, 43 moves, 0-1
c2/c3/c5
O Lie vs O Haugseth, 1985
(C19) French, Winawer, Advance, 39 moves, 0-1
c2/c3/c5
Smyslov vs Uhlmann, 1966
(C19) French, Winawer, Advance, 60 moves, 1-0
c2/c3/c5
D King vs S Kindermann, 1989
(C19) French, Winawer, Advance, 22 moves, 1/2-1/2
c2/c3/c5
Hort vs S Kindermann, 1989
(C19) French, Winawer, Advance, 45 moves, 0-1
c2/c3/c5
M Lecroq vs S Khlusevich, 2000
(C19) French, Winawer, Advance, 19 moves, 1/2-1/2
c2/c3/c5
Spassky vs Korchnoi, 1977
(C19) French, Winawer, Advance, 65 moves, 0-1
c2/c3/c5 (late IPC)
Sadvakasov vs Shulman, 2009
(C19) French, Winawer, Advance, 34 moves, 0-1
c2/c3/c5
F El Taher vs Shulman, 1999
(C19) French, Winawer, Advance, 28 moves, 1/2-1/2
c2/c3/c4 (tripple K~)
E Keogh vs F J Sanz Alonso, 1978
(C28) Vienna Game, 32 moves, 1/2-1/2
c7/c6/c5
Alekhine vs O Tenner, 1911
(C30) King's Gambit Declined, 23 moves, 1/2-1/2
DDD = d3/d4/d5, it's not a S&P rating
J Gallagher vs G Lane, 1990
(C34) King's Gambit Accepted, 55 moves, 1-0
c7/c6/c4
U Gass vs H Schichtel, 1982
(C35) King's Gambit Accepted, Cunningham, 58 moves, 0-1
c2/c3/c5
Short vs Shirov, 2002
(C42) Petrov Defense, 36 moves, 0-1
c7/c6/c5
Naiditsch vs M Roiz, 2009
(C45) Scotch Game, 22 moves, 1-0
c7/c6/c4
Kupreichik vs I A Zaitsev, 1969
(C45) Scotch Game, 57 moves, 1-0
c2/c3/c4 in the late middlegame
Tarrasch vs Rubinstein, 1922
(C49) Four Knights, 61 moves, 1/2-1/2
Toni's last move created an IPC (e3/e4/e5)
Miles vs E Keogh, 1978
(C53) Giuoco Piano, 30 moves, 1-0
IPC shifted to g *actually not really an IPC
Edelman vs I Mazel, 1928
(C57) Two Knights, 17 moves, 0-1
no intentional IPC - eingekerkert durch g2/g3/g4
Anderssen vs M Lange, 1859
(C61) Ruy Lopez, Bird's Defense, 19 moves, 0-1
c7/c6/c5 - Karjack's active IPC defence
Kamsky vs Karjakin, 2011
(C65) Ruy Lopez, Berlin Defense, 23 moves, 1/2-1/2
c7/c6/c5
Short vs Harikrishna, 2004
(C65) Ruy Lopez, Berlin Defense, 45 moves, 1-0
a recent top-level IPC game
Carlsen vs Shirov, 2010
(C78) Ruy Lopez, 65 moves, 1-0
f2/f3/f4
Caruana vs Mamedyarov, 2014
(D12) Queen's Gambit Declined Slav, 34 moves, 1-0
c3/c4/c5
V Tichy vs J Sosna, 2001
(D31) Queen's Gambit Declined, 52 moves, 1/2-1/2
c3/c4/c5
J Turn vs K Makarczyk, 1936
(D31) Queen's Gambit Declined, 35 moves, 1-0
Tarrasch missed to play the (best) IPC Defence (f7/f6/f5)
Schlechter vs Tarrasch, 1900
(D32) Queen's Gambit Declined, Tarrasch, 25 moves, 1-0
f2/f3/f4
G Borisenko vs R Kimelfeld, 1969
(D61) Queen's Gambit Declined, Orthodox, Rubinstein Attack, 54 moves, 1/2-1/2
e2/e3/e5 - central IPC!!!
R Edouard vs N Grandelius, 2013
(D85) Grunfeld, 40 moves, 1-0
e3/e4/e5 endgamish
Lputian vs Ivanchuk, 1998
(D92) Grunfeld, 5.Bf4, 34 moves, 0-1
f7/f6/f5 + wf3/f4
Seirawan vs Andersson, 1983
(E00) Queen's Pawn Game, 41 moves, 1/2-1/2
f2/f4/f7
P H Nielsen vs R Janssen, 2010
(E00) Queen's Pawn Game, 37 moves, 1-0
c3/c4/c5
Alekhine vs Keres, 1936
(E00) Queen's Pawn Game, 55 moves, 1/2-1/2
c7/c6/c4
Aronian vs Mamedyarov, 2009
(E04) Catalan, Open, 5.Nf3, 39 moves, 0-1
e2/e3/e5 - IPC-related
R Svane vs Harikrishna, 2016
(E04) Catalan, Open, 5.Nf3, 28 moves, 1-0
e2/e3/e5
Kramnik vs Anand, 1999
(E06) Catalan, Closed, 5.Nf3, 29 moves, 1/2-1/2
c7/c6/c4 Catalan n stuff
Shabalov vs Onischuk, 2017
(E06) Catalan, Closed, 5.Nf3, 44 moves, 0-1
c7/c6/c4 Catalan n stuff
So vs Nakamura, 2016
(E06) Catalan, Closed, 5.Nf3, 38 moves, 1-0
c7/c6/c4 Catalan n stuff blitz
C Li vs H Wang, 2016
(E06) Catalan, Closed, 5.Nf3, 29 moves, 1-0
Triple double: c3/c4+e3/e4+g2/g3
M Peek vs A Greet, 2006
(E12) Queen's Indian, 43 moves, 1/2-1/2
transitory IPC
Lenderman vs T Gareyev, 2009
(E21) Nimzo-Indian, Three Knights, 82 moves, 1/2-1/2
transient IPC - c3/c4/c5
A Saidy vs I Szabo, 1957
(E42) Nimzo-Indian, 4.e3 c5, 5.Ne2 (Rubinstein), 39 moves, 1-0
c6/c5/c4
Nisipeanu vs E Andreev, 2012
(E42) Nimzo-Indian, 4.e3 c5, 5.Ne2 (Rubinstein), 52 moves, 1-0
f7/f6/f5 (24...gxf6)
Botvinnik vs Ragozin, 1943
(E44) Nimzo-Indian, Fischer Variation, 5.Ne2, 41 moves, 1-0
f7/f6/f5
Kryvoruchko vs Motylev, 2011
(E54) Nimzo-Indian, 4.e3, Gligoric System, 45 moves, 1-0
c7/c6/c5
Nguyen Huynh Minh Huy vs F Malkawi, 2010
(E67) King's Indian, Fianchetto, 38 moves, 1-0
b6/b5/b4 ; e4/e5/e6; h6/h5
Larsen vs S Dittmann, 1957
(E97) King's Indian, 33 moves, 0-1
101 games

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