Variations on a Theme- Sacrifice Your b6-Pawn for Initiative!

Patterns, patterns.....a great part of a GM's strength is patterns! This was demonstrated in the following documentary, "My Brilliant Brain" :

Recently my good friend Suren (Torfi Leosson),  from Iceland, gave me a wonderful gift: John Watson's "Secrets of Modern Chess Strategy"

It is a wonderful book on modern aspects of positional chess; new interpretations of established concepts.

While perusing through the book, a particular pattern caught my eye.

On page 121, in the section of the book titled "Modern Pawn Play", Watson writes:

"In the Grunfeld Defense, there is a standard pawn sacrifice for open lines and light-square control on the queenside. Here's an early example:"

Watson gives another example:

Again, Watson gives a more recent example:

Another example, in a different variation:

Again, another great example:

And, finally, here is a great example of this same concept, in the game Psakhis-Geller. Yerevan Zonal 1982:

As Grandmaster Gufeld says, "Chess is a human activity". Peace, health and joy to all.