TWO QUESTIONS ABOUT ROOKS AND PAWN STRUCTURE

DEAD ROOKS

A CHESS FAN ASKS:

My Rooks are the most difficult piece for me to get used to. I just have a difficult time using them effectively. Everything else comes out into the battle so quickly, but my Rooks, they seem to be a slow slug in the background.

Jeremy Silman replies:

You are not alone in this feeling that “something is wrong with the Rooks.” In fact, many players have this problem.

Everyone knows that Rooks belong on open or half-open files. Taking it for granted that this bit of chess wisdom has already been digested by you, I can only surmise that your real problem (and the problem that others also face) is your lack of ability to create these files in the first place!

In general,  “sowing the seeds of your Rook’s future success” occurs in the opening. Let’s look at a few common examples.

After 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 g6

HALF OPEN FILES FOR ALL

After just five moves of a Sicilian Dragon, we can see that both sides half open files to make use of. Black will eventually place a Rook on the c-file, while White will put a Rook on d1 or, if he wishes to attack the King, pry open another file via h2-h4-h5.

Another very common situation at the scholastic level comes about after 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.Nc3 Bc5 5.0-0 0-0 6.d3 d6 7.h3 h6

NO FILES!

Here both sides are staring at a position with no open files. Instead of just accepting this situation, an experienced player would actively play to create a file for his Rooks. In such structures, White will often play for a f2-f4 advance, giving himself kingside space and also allowing his f1-Rook to take part in the battle. In this exact position, though, an f2-f4 push is a bit hard to accomplish. Thus 8.Be3! makes real sense. What does this move do? Let’s look:

White is trying to exchange his passive Bishop for Black’s very aggressive Bishop on c5.

White is challenging Black’s control over the d4-square.

White is preparing to create a half open d-file by 9.d4.

White welcomes the doubled pawns that come about after 8…Bxe3 9.fxe3 since they give him excellent control over the important d4-, f4-, d5-, and f5-squares AND they immediately turn White’s passive f1-Rook into a happy piece. Imagine (after 8…Bxe3 9.fxe3) White following up with these moves: Qe1-g3, Rf2, Raf1, Nh4-f5. The Rooks look pretty good now, don’t they!

One more example:

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 Bg7 4.e4 d6 5.Be2 0-0 6.Nf3 e5 7.0-0 Nc6 8.d5 Ne7

STILL NO FILES!

This well known position comes from the King’s Indian Defense. Neither side has any open files, but both fully intend to do something about that fact! White will play for c4-c5 when a later cxd6 will create an open c-file. Black will move his f6-Knight and play for …f7-f5, when his f8-Rook is starting to see daylight.

As we have seen, the proper handling of Rooks is dependent on pawn structure and an insistence on the creation of files. This usually begins right in the opening and the battle for active Rooks can often carry on deep into the endgame.

STRUCTURE IN THE BOGO-INDIAN

Cameron Tangen asked:

I have a question about the Bogo-Indian. Based on that article on your site, I’ve decided to look into taking up the Bogo-Indian instead of the Queen’s Indian when white plays Nf3 instead of Nc3 after 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6. It seems to play a nice game for Black, have a nice and simple plan, and possibly might lead into the Nimzo-Indian, which is where I was going anyways after 2...e6. Anyways, I’ve been studying up some grandmaster games on this opening and have found a lot of people will play 4...a5 after 4. Bd2, and I can’t seem to figure out why. Can’t white take the bishop on b4 and give black weak doubled pawns on the b-file? I found on chessgames.com that never in high play has 5.Bxb4 been played. Why is that?

Jeremy Silman replies:

I guess you’re alluding to ANDREW MARTIN'S ARTICLE ON THE BOGO-INDIAN.

After 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 Bb4+ 4.Bd2 (4.Nbd2 is another important move), Black has the following playable choices:

A) 4...Bxd2+

B) 4...c5

C) 4...a5

D) 4...Qe7

Choice “D” (4...Qe7) is most popular because after 5.g3 Nc6 6.Bg2 Bxd2+ White must capture on d2 with his Knight, since 7.Qxd2? Ne4 followed by 8...Qb4+ is annoying. White’s Knight really belongs on c3, where it eyes the important d5 square.

This reasoning answers your question about 4...a5 5.Bxb4 axb4. The b4-pawn isn’t weak at all there (it can be defended by ...Qe7 and/or ...c5). In fact, let me ask you this: is Black’s a7-pawn happier on a7 or b4? The answer is clear since on b4 it opens the a-file for Black’s Rook AND takes away the important c3-square from the White Knight.

Note choice “B”. In that line, 4...c5 5.Bxb4 cxb4, again doubles a Black pawn, but again Black takes c3 away from White’s Knight (and Black also has access to the newly created half open c-file). This seems a bit strange, but 4...c5 is thought to be very playable.

Remember: doubled pawns are NOT necessarily weak! Many doubled pawns are excellent, as in the position from the second diagram above (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.Nc3 Bc5 5.0-0 0-0 6.d3 d6 7.h3 h6).