A blockader stays mobile

Step 1 of 6

Look first

An endgame from a game by Nimzowitsch, 1924. He has White; Giersing has Black.

You are playing White. Which black piece has to protect a pawn and can therefore hardly do anything else?

Arrow keys move the focus across the squares. Enter or Space marks a square or removes the mark.

87654321

abcdefgh

Which piece should the pawn become?

Queen Rook Bishop Knight

Cancel

Choose a square from a list

Square a8, emptyb8, emptyc8, emptyd8, emptye8, emptyf8, emptyg8, emptyh8, black rooka7, black bishopb7, emptyc7, emptyd7, black kinge7, emptyf7, emptyg7, emptyh7, black pawna6, emptyb6, emptyc6, emptyd6, emptye6, emptyf6, emptyg6, black pawnh6, emptya5, emptyb5, white pawnc5, emptyd5, emptye5, white pawnf5, emptyg5, white pawnh5, emptya4, emptyb4, white pawnc4, emptyd4, emptye4, white kingf4, white pawng4, emptyh4, emptya3, emptyb3, emptyc3, emptyd3, emptye3, emptyf3, emptyg3, emptyh3, emptya2, emptyb2, emptyc2, emptyd2, emptye2, emptyf2, emptyg2, emptyh2, white rooka1, emptyb1, emptyc1, emptyd1, emptye1, emptyf1, emptyg1, emptyh1, empty Mark or unmark

Position as a list

White

• King e4
• Rook h2
• Pawn b4
• Pawn b5
• Pawn e5
• Pawn f4
• Pawn g5

Black

• King d7
• Rook h8
• Bishop a7
• Pawn g6
• Pawn h7

Step 2 of 6

Decide

Another game from the same tournament. Nimzowitsch has White, Nilsson has Black. A rook is soon to go to the f-file.

You are playing White. The black pawn on a6 is weak, and soon one of your rooks is to go to the f-file. What do you play now?

Arrow keys move the focus across the squares. Enter or Space selects a piece and moves it to a highlighted square. Escape cancels the selection.

87654321

abcdefgh

Which piece should the pawn become?

Queen Rook Bishop Knight

Cancel

Position as a list

White

• King f2
• Rook a1
• Rook a2
• Pawn b4
• Pawn c5
• Pawn d4
• Pawn e3
• Pawn g2
• Pawn h2

Black

• King d7
• Rook a7
• Rook a8
• Pawn a6
• Pawn b5
• Pawn d5
• Pawn e4
• Pawn g7
• Pawn h7

What do you play now?

Ra1–f1: a rook to the f-file straight away Kf2–g3: the king forward first Ra2–a5: one rook blockades the pawn on a6, the other becomes free

Step 3 of 6

Try it

The same game, a few moves later. Your rook is still on a5.

You are playing White. With which move does your rook on f5 break into the black position along the f-file?

Arrow keys move the focus across the squares. Enter or Space selects a piece and moves it to a highlighted square. Escape cancels the selection.

87654321

abcdefgh

Which piece should the pawn become?

Queen Rook Bishop Knight

Cancel

Choose a move from a list

Move Rxa6+ – rook from a5 captures on a6Rxb5 – rook from a5 captures on b5Ra4 – rook from a5 to a4Ra3 – rook from a5 to a3Ra2 – rook from a5 to a2Ra1 – rook from a5 to a1Rf6 – rook from f5 to f6Rf7 – rook from f5 to f7Rf8 – rook from f5 to f8Rg5 – rook from f5 to g5Rf4 – rook from f5 to f4Rf3 – rook from f5 to f3Rf2 – rook from f5 to f2Rf1 – rook from f5 to f1Re5 – rook from f5 to e5Rxd5 – rook from f5 captures on d5h6 – pawn from h5 to h6Kf4 – king from g3 to f4Kg4 – king from g3 to g4Kh4 – king from g3 to h4Kh3 – king from g3 to h3Kh2 – king from g3 to h2Kf2 – king from g3 to f2 Play move

Position as a list

White

• King g3
• Rook a5
• Rook f5
• Pawn b4
• Pawn c5
• Pawn d4
• Pawn e3
• Pawn g2
• Pawn h5

Black

• King c6
• Rook a7
• Rook e6
• Pawn a6
• Pawn b5
• Pawn d5
• Pawn e4
• Pawn g7
• Pawn h7

Step 4 of 6

Why does it work?

A piece that has to protect a pawn is often frozen. A blockader, on the other hand, ties down the opponent.

The rook on a5 blockades the pawn on a6 and ties down the black rook on a7. That lets the other white rook attack.

Step 5 of 6

New position, same idea

The game Nimzowitsch – Sämisch, Copenhagen 1923, which you already know. White has exchanged the black bishop that was blockading the passed pawn on d5. If a blockader has to leave or falls, the next one is needed.

You are playing Black. Your bishop, which was blockading the passed pawn on d5, has been exchanged. With which move do you prepare the next blockader?

Arrow keys move the focus across the squares. Enter or Space selects a piece and moves it to a highlighted square. Escape cancels the selection.

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hgfedcba

Which piece should the pawn become?

Queen Rook Bishop Knight

Cancel

Choose a move from a list

Move Ra7 – rook from a8 to a7Nd7 – knight from b8 to d7Nc6 – knight from b8 to c6Re8 – rook from f8 to e8Rd8 – rook from f8 to d8Rc8 – rook from f8 to c8Kh8 – king from g8 to h8Bc8 – bishop from b7 to c8Bc6 – bishop from b7 to c6Bxd5 – bishop from b7 captures on d5Qc8 – queen from c7 to c8Qd8 – queen from c7 to d8Qd7 – queen from c7 to d7Qe7 – queen from c7 to e7Qd6 – queen from c7 to d6Qe5 – queen from c7 to e5Qxf4 – queen from c7 captures on f4Qc6 – queen from c7 to c6Qc5 – queen from c7 to c5Qb6 – queen from c7 to b6Qa5 – queen from c7 to a5f6 – pawn from f7 to f6f5 – pawn from f7 to f5g6 – pawn from g7 to g6g5 – pawn from g7 to g5h6 – pawn from h7 to h6h5 – pawn from h7 to h5a5 – pawn from a6 to a5b4 – pawn from b5 to b4bxa4 – pawn from b5 captures on a4c3 – pawn from c4 to c3 Play move

Position as a list

White

• King g1
• Queen a3
• Rook a1
• Rook f1
• Bishop g2
• Knight f4
• Pawn a4
• Pawn b2
• Pawn d5
• Pawn f2
• Pawn g3
• Pawn h2

Black

• King g8
• Queen c7
• Rook a8
• Rook f8
• Bishop b7
• Knight b8
• Pawn a6
• Pawn b5
• Pawn c4
• Pawn f7
• Pawn g7
• Pawn h7

Step 6 of 6

Nimzowitsch and today

Aaron Nimzowitsch: looking at the board differently