History Of The Carlsbad Structure
First of all, I would thank all the members who commented on the previous blog which has helped me immensely for preparing this blog.
After searching for the pawn structure that is shown in the picture of the thumbnail. I found the game between Janowski vs Schlechter, 1895 to the first match (link to results) , I might be wrong so might just have to check with the Mega database or something. Unfortunately I don't have the best software to access Mega database right now.
Janowski vs Schlechter, 1895
David Janowski đấu với Carl Schlechter
1-0 Hastings Hastings ENG 30 Aug 1895 Vòng: 19 ECO: D51
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1. d4 d52. c4 e63. c3 f64. g5 bd75. cxd5 exd56. e36. xd5 ?? xd57. xd8 b4+8. d2 xd2+9. xd2 xd8is a trap you shouldn't fall for6... e77. f3 O-O8. d3 c6I guess we found the first match for the pawn structure which is known as the Carlsbad structure9. O-O e810. c110. c2is the move that will be played instantly nowadays10... e4 !this solves most of the problems for black to complete development rapidly11. f411. xe7 xe7gives white nothing11... xc3 ?just opening the b file for white and allows white to push c411... df6and seems like the light square bishop for black will find a place on g4 or f511... g512. g3 xg313. hxg3 g414. d2 f6is one crazy engine line12. bxc3 f813. b1 d614. xd6 xd615. e5 f616. f3 e717. c4 dxc418. xc4+ e619. b3 h820. d2 xc421. xc4 ⩲white chances are slightly better21... d522. fc1 ae823. a3black has to protect its queen side all the time23... g624. d6by trading the most active black piece white will make the position more unpleasant for black24. xa7 ?? b524... d824... xd625. xd6 b826. xc625. g325. xd5 xd5white has slight advantage but nothing more25... f526. g5 de8seems like the best square since black wants to play f4 to create back rank threat but26... f827. h4 f4was enough for black to equalize because now28. xd5 cxd529. d6the night doesn't hit the rook on e827. h4 f428. xd5 cxd529. d6as the rook is on e8 white has time and now wins the game29... f829... d830. xb7 xb731. xb7 ±30. h5 h431. exf4 h631... xf4 ??32. c8+32. f132. g3 f3+33. g2 xd434. xb7should win32... xf433. g3 f634. c8 ef735. gxh4 xf2+36. g1 xa237. f1 c738. bc1 xc139. xc11-0
Historically, the main early source of this particular pawn formation, which is now generally known as the Carlsbad structure, was the Exchange Variation of the Queen’s Gambit. At the end of the 19th century, the famous American player Pillsbury gave an exemplary demonstration of one of the typical plans in this structure (...). Then in the first decade of the twentieth century the Exchange Variation was played by various strong players, especially Marshall, who wrote that he often used it to avoid the Cambridge Springs Defense 1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.Bg5 Nbd7 5.e3 c6 6.Nf3 Qa5; instead, after 6.cxd5 exd5, the structure under discussion arises. At the present time, the exchange of pawns in the center usually occurs slightly earlier, using the move order 4.cxd5 exd5 5.Bg5; in this way, White also avoids certain variations of the Queen’s Gambit and the Semi-Slav Defense, in particular the sharp Botvinnik System 4.Bg5 c6 5.Nf3 dxc4 6.e4 b5 7.e5 h6 8.Bh4 g5 or the modern line 5...h6 6.Bh4 dxc4.
However, the big rise in the popularity of this pawn formation, and hence the name, began with the great Carlsbad (now Karlovy Vary) tournament of 1923, where the exchange on d5 was used specifically as a way for White to avoid the so-called Swiss Defense, then in fashion, which was based on an early ...a6, intending the manoeuvre ...dxc4, ...b5, ... Bb7,...c5, in the style of the Queen's Gambit Accepted or the Meran Semi-Slav.
Source: Zlotnik’s Middlegame Manual(2020)
Let's look at a game from the 1923 Carlsbad Tournament where this structure was popularized and name after.
Ernst Gruenfeld đấu với Jacob Bernstein
1-0 Karlsbad Karlsbad CSR 02 May 1923 Vòng: 4 ECO: D65
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1. d4 d52. c4 e63. c3 f64. g5 e75. e3 bd76. f3 O-O7. c1 c68. c2 a69. cxd5 exd510. d3We are looking at the game of the tournament where this structure was very popular and hence the name Carlsbad Structure10... e811. O-O f812. h3 e413. f4 xc314. bxc3 d615. xd6 xd616. c4 dxc417. xc4just as the first game white has slight edge and pressure on the quuenside17... e618. d2 e719. b1 ab820. b3 g521. c521. xe6 xe622. fc1with pressure on th queenside was good enough21... xh321... xc422. xc4 b523. c2 a524. fc1 ±it seems white can only make progress due to strong queenside pressure22. f4 h422... g323. f322... f623. gxh3 xe324. h2 xd425. bd1 f626. d7 xd727. xd7 e728. xe7 xe7with three pieces for a piece but this is a engine first line and I doubt anyone can play like this23. gxh3 xe324. f5a scary view but white is safe as its attacking and defending at the same time24... e625. b3 !deals with all threats25... g3+26. h1 xd427. xf7+ h828. xe3 xe329. h5 f830. d3White's extra piece is making full impact and white won30... h631. g2 f632. e5 xe533. fxe5 xf134. xf1 b635. xa6 g836. f2 f837. e3 e638. b8 g539. h4 f740. xc6 g541. h5 e842. e6 d643. g6+ f844. e7+1-0
So Let's look at the game mentioned above in the quotation and the game mentioned in the Tournament book of the 1923 Carlsbad Chess Tournament. There is also game similar to the theme of Pillsbury and Showalter.
Harry Nelson Pillsbury đấu với Jackson Whipps Showalter
1-0 Pillsbury - Showalter US Championship New York, NY USA 09 Mar 1898 Vòng: 5 ECO: D60
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1. d4 d52. c4 e63. c3 f64. g5 e75. e3 bd76. f3 O-O7. cxd5 exd58. d3 c6The main setup starts here9. c2 e810. O-O f811. e5 g412. xe7 xe713. xg4 xg4black has traded tow minor pieces but has not been bale to solve its light squared bishop's problem (to get it a decent square and to free the f8 knight14. ae1 f615. a4 e716. b4the minority attack16... ae817. b5the theme that this pawn structure is most related with17... g518. f4white has created a backward pawn which was not necessary at all18. e2was the best alternative18... f619. d2 f520. a5 g620... xd321. xd3 d7and the weakness on e3 makes white stuck but black missed this and tried to force issues which gave white time21. xf5 xf522. a6 cxb523. xb5 d724. axb7 a625. c3 xb726. b1 c627. fc1 d627... xe328. e428. d1 g629. g3 h530. e2 h431. h5 hxg332. hxg3 f8 ?black had taken over white 's initiative but now white's job is easier33. c5 d834. bc1 g634... h7with idea of nf6 to e4 was good and must needed35. f3 e636. c8 g737. xd8 xd838. c5 e6suddenly black'sfocus on e3 and kingside has been shifted and white just cashed in its advantage39. xd5 b640. c1 b441. f2 d242. e5+ f643. xf6+ !! xf644. e4+ f545. xd2 g546. d5 gxf447. gxf4 xf448. exf4 xf449. c5 d750. c4 e451. d6 d452. c7 d853. d7 d554. c854. c8 xd755. b6+1-0
Carl Schlechter đấu với Johann Nepomuk Berger
0-1 Barmen Meisterturnier A Barmen GER 24 Aug 1905 Vòng: 10 ECO: D60
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1. d4 d52. c4 e63. c3 f64. g5 e75. e3 O-O6. f3 bd77. d3 a68. cxd5 exd59. c1 c610. O-O e811. c2 h612. f4so far the natural moves have been played in th opening12... b4not the move you want to make in such structure12... c513. h3 e714. e5 xe515. xe5 d716. g3 d617. ce117. xd6 xd618. ce1 ⩲17... xg318. fxg3 d6 ?18... f619. f2 e6and black is rock solid19. f3 ??19. h7+ h819... f820. e4 dxe421. xe4 xd4+22. h2with huge pressure on black20. xf719... f820. ef1 e621. f2 ad822. e2 f623. g4White has created a different way of attacking in such structure23... h724. f4 e725. h4 de826. g3 c727. h5 e7so far white's move were building pressure but just one move and black has taken over28. f3 ?? xg429. xg7 xg730. g3 h531. f5 h832. xg4 hxg4and white is a piece down33. f5 g834. f4 d735. h50-1
WHITE
BLACK
RESULT
VÒNG
NĂM
Carl Schlechter
Johann Nepomuk Berger
0-1
10
1905
Wilhelm Steinitz
Francis Joseph Lee
1/2-1/2
11
1899
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