- A weakness is typically a pawn that can be attacked (Chekhover-Rudakowsky) or a square that can be used (a hole or outpost) (Smyslov-Rudakowsky) [Sorry, Master Rudakowsky!]
- The King's position can be weak, when an attack is more likely to succeed (Tarrasch-Mieses)
- The principle of two weaknesses in the endgame says that one weakness may not be enough to lose (it gets attacked twice, you defend it twice) but two weaknesses will be much harder to manage, particularly if they are not close together (Hartmann-Yanofsky)
- A similar thing can happen in the middlegame: switching between targets can upset the defences (Chekhover-Rudakowsky)
Click [...] to see list of games
[Event "URS-ch14 Semifinal"]
[Site "Baku"]
[Date "1945.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Chekhover, V."]
[Black "Rudakovsky, Iosif"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "D60"]
[Annotator "pawns: backward"]
[PlyCount "77"]
[EventDate "1945.??.??"]
[EventRounds "15"]
[EventCountry "URS"]
1. d4 d5 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. Bg5 Be7 5. e3 O-O 6. Nc3 Nbd7 7. Qc2 c6 8. Bd3
dxc4 9. Bxc4 Nd5 10. Bxe7 Qxe7 11. O-O b5 {[#] Now the c-pawn is backward
Black must undertake to advance it.} 12. Be2 a6 13. Ne4 Bb7 14. Ne5 Rac8 15.
Nxd7 Qxd7 16. Nc5 Qc7 17. Rfd1 Rcd8 18. Rac1 Bc8 19. Qe4 Nf6 20. Qh4 Qa5 21. a3
b4 22. a4 Nd7 23. b3 Nxc5 24. Rxc5 Qb6 {[#] The Rook stops the advance of both
the c- and e-pawns, which means Black's Bishop and other pieces will remain
constrained.} 25. Rdc1 Bb7 26. a5 Qa7 27. Bd3 {[#] Chernev suggests adding up
the legal moves of the pieces of each side. He reckons White's pieces are
worth twice as much as Black's! We now enter a new phase, where a second front
is opened on the King's-side.} (27. Bf3 $1) 27... g6 28. Qf6 Rd6 29. Qe7 Rfd8
30. h4 R8d7 31. Qf6 Qa8 32. Be4 Qe8 33. h5 Rd8 {[#] Something has to give.} 34.
Bxc6 Bxc6 35. h6 Kf8 36. Rxc6 Rxc6 37. Rxc6 Rd7 (37... Qxc6 38. Qxd8+ Qe8 39.
Qd6+ Kg8 40. Qxa6 {threat Qb7} Qe7 41. Qb6) 38. Rc8 Qxc8 39. Qh8+ {1-0 (39)
Chekhover,V-Rudakowsky,I weak pawns: backward pawn 1945} 1-0
[Event "Moscow"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1945.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Smyslov, V."]
[Black "Rudakovsky, Iosif"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "B83"]
[Annotator "strategy: knight outpost"]
[PlyCount "55"]
[EventDate "1945.??.??"]
{[%mdl 2064]} 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 e6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 d6 6. Be2 Be7 7.
O-O O-O 8. Be3 Nc6 9. f4 Qc7 10. Qe1 (10. Ndb5 Qb8 11. Qd2 a6 12. Nd4) 10...
Nxd4 11. Bxd4 e5 12. Be3 Be6 13. f5 {[#]} Bc4 $2 {? Black needs that Bishop.
White now has a simple plan: exchange off the other defender of the d5 square,
improve the position of his pieces, and look for the win!} (13... Bd7 14. Rd1
Bc6) 14. Bxc4 Qxc4 15. Bg5 {!} Rfe8 16. Bxf6 Bxf6 {[#]} 17. Nd5 {!} Bd8 (17...
Qxc2 18. Rf2 Qc6 (18... Qa4 19. b3) 19. Rc1 Qd7 20. Nc7) 18. c3 b5 19. b3 Qc5+
20. Kh1 Rc8 {[#] White now transfers his attention to the King} 21. Rf3 Kh8 22.
f6 gxf6 23. Qh4 Rg8 24. Nxf6 Rg7 (24... Bxf6 25. Qxf6+ Rg7 26. Rg3 Rcg8) 25.
Rg3 Bxf6 26. Qxf6 Rcg8 27. Rd1 {Black's position cracks.} d5 28. Rxg7 {! 1-0
(28) Smyslov,V-Rudakovsky,I Moscow 1945} (28. Rxg7 Rxg7 29. Rxd5 Qf8 30. Rd8)
1-0
[Event "Berlin"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1916.??.??"]
[Round "3"]
[White "Tarrasch, S."]
[Black "Mieses, Jacques"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "C10"]
[Annotator "attack: weakening defences"]
[PlyCount "39"]
[EventDate "1916.09.09"]
[EventRounds "13"]
[EventCountry "GER"]
1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 dxe4 4. Nxe4 Nd7 5. Nf3 Ngf6 6. Bd3 Be7 7. O-O Nxe4 8.
Bxe4 Nf6 9. Bd3 b6 {[#] White's advantage looks slight, a matter of a move or
two.} 10. Ne5 O-O 11. Nc6 Qd6 12. Qf3 Bd7 13. Nxe7+ Qxe7 14. Bg5 Rac8 15. Rfe1
Rfe8 {[#] Black still looks solid, but now White is able to turn his space and
bishop pair to attack. Black insists on retaining material, but loses the King.
} 16. Qh3 Qd6 17. Bxf6 gxf6 18. Qh6 f5 19. Re3 Qxd4 20. c3 {[#] Suddenly Black
is full of holes and dead in the water. 1-0 (20) Tarrasch,S-Mieses,J Berlin
1916} 1-0
[Event "Canadian op"]
[Site "Edmonton"]
[Date "1985.??.??"]
[Round "9"]
[White "Hartman, Brian"]
[Black "Yanofsky, Daniel"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "C09"]
[WhiteElo "2350"]
[BlackElo "2420"]
[Annotator "IQP: endgame weakness"]
[PlyCount "99"]
[EventDate "1985.??.??"]
[EventRounds "10"]
[EventCountry "CAN"]
1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nd2 c5 4. Ngf3 Nc6 5. exd5 exd5 6. Bb5 Bd6 7. O-O cxd4 8. Nb3 Nge7 9. Bg5 O-O 10. Nbxd4 Qc7 (10... f6) 11. h3 Ng6 12. Bd3 a6 (12... Qb6) 13. Re1 Qb6 (13... Bd7) 14. Nb3 Be6 15. Be3 Qc7 16. Bc5 Nce5 (16... Rad8 {avoiding exchanges, is better}) 17. Nxe5 Bxc5 18. Nxc5 Qxc5 19. Qd2 Rfe8 20. c3 Rad8 21. Nf3 Bd7 22. Rad1 Rxe1+ 23. Rxe1 Re8 24. Rxe8+ Bxe8 25. Bc2 Bc6 26. Qe3 Qd6 27. Nd4 Bd7 28. Qg5 Bc6 29. Nf5 Qc7 30. Qg3 Qxg3 31. Nxg3 Ne5 32. b3 Bb5 33. f4 Ng6 $6 (33... Nd7) 34. Bxg6 hxg6 {Black now has two weaknesses} 35. Kf2 Kf8 36. Ke3 Ke7 37. Kd4 Kd6 38. a4 Bd7 39. a5 Bb5 40. h4 f6 41. Nh1 Bf1 42. g4 (42. g3 Be2 43. Nf2 Kc6 44. b4 Kd6 45. Ke3 Bb5 46. Ng4 Bd7 47. Nh2 Bb5 48. Nf3 Bd7 49. Kd4 Bg4 50. Ne1 Bf5 51. Ng2 Be6 52. Ne3 Kc6 53. Nf1 Bg4 54. Ne3 Be6 55. g4 Kd6 56. g5 Kc6 57. Nd1 Kd6 58. Nf2 Bf5 59. Nh1 Be6 60. Ng3 Bg4 61. gxf6 gxf6 62. Nf1 Bh3 63. Ne3 Be6 64. f5 gxf5 65. Ng2 Bg8 66. Nf4) 42... Bh3 43. g5 Be6 44. b4 Bf5 45. Ng3 Be6 46. gxf6 gxf6 47. f5 {[#] White has two points of attack.} Bxf5 48. Nxf5+ gxf5 49. h5 Ke6 50. Ke3 {+- 1-0 (48) Hartman-Yanofsky,D weak pawns IQP: in endgame - 1985 [Regis,Dave]} (50. Kc5 Ke5 (50... f4 51. Kd4 Kf5 52. Kd3 Kg5) 51. h6 f4 52. h7 f3) 1-0