Dr Siegbert Tarrasch once said: "Whoever is afraid of playing with an isolated queen pawn should give up chess." You need to learn how to play with and against the isolated queen pawn. Also basic is learning to play with and against hanging pawns. Playing these structures is fundamental chess. They come up again and again in many openings. A good place to start learning is Nimozwitsch's My System
Queen's Gambit Accepted: What should White do?
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Dec 24, 2010
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Fezzik wrote:
One of my favorite games involving the Isolated Queen Pawn is Smyslov-Karpov, 1971.
This may give you some idea of what to do with your IQP:
The advice to start with Nimzo's My System is spot on! There is also a more advanced book on the subject, Winning Pawn Structures by Baburin, if you want to really delve into the matter.
nice game!
The game is nice enough but it's the English Opening and not the Queen's Gambit (Accepted). Also, some explanations and commentary would help, or the game risks being just another game. For example: the isolated Queen's pawn is the center of attention in this thread and the focus of our discussion, right? Then explain why white can play 11. a3 instead of defending the d-pawn (it is attacked twice and defended once). Black responds with 11. ... b6 so there is obviously a reason not to play 11. ... Nxd4, seemingly winning the d-pawn. Anyway (if anyone wonders) the reason is that after 11. ... Nxd4 12. Nxd4 Qxd4 white can play 13. Bxh7+! winning the black Queen.
It is a nice game but it will not be of any use if the way Smyslov plays with his isolated Queen's pawn is not explained.
NovaStar: Try YouTube, there are loads of uploaders of chess videos there, including tutorials on most openings, middle game tactics, end games, and a lot of games with great audio commentary on why certain moves are played and why certain moves are not played etc. I don't know how experienced You are in chess but if You're not super-experienced and You want good, thorough tutorials on openings, search for videos (on whatever opening) uploaded by "thechesswebsite" on YouTube. There are many others as well though.
Forget about 3.Nf3, real men take the center with 3.e4! This allows black to hold onto a pawn for a while with 3...e5 4.Nf3 exd4 5.Bxc4 but white gets good compensation. Learn the lines and you will get a strong initiative!
yes its the english opening but it transposes to the same IQPpositions that the queens gambit have. its a nice example:) and i agree with bigty. its nothing wrong with 3.Nf3 but 3.e4 is so much fun! and just as good
Fezzik wrote:
Dragonbice, if you play through the game, you will notice two pertinent features:
A) It's an IQP game, and the OP was asking about IQP positions
B) It's entirely possible that the position in the Smyslov-Karpov game could have arisen from a Nf3 QGA line. (The normal nomenclature for this opening is a Semi-Tarrasch. But it could even arise from a Caro-Kann!)
You're absolutely right and I wouldn't dream of arguing otherwise :)
The thread starter titled the thread "Queen's Gambit Accepted: What should White do?" and later wrote "Are there any White responses against the Queen's Gambit Accepted that doesn't stradle me with an Isolated Queen's pawn?".
Well, fair enough, the position may arise from several openings. The reasoning behind Smyslovs play (having an IQP) is still left unexplained and that was the main point of my comment anyway. Scrolling through the moves won't do him/her any good (unless he/she's a very strong player, in which case he/she probably wouldn't start this thread) 'cause he/she won't understand why Smyslov plays the way he does. Since I'm not nearly strong enough to do analyses of games myself, my contribution to the thread starter is in my above post, I hope it helps him/her out.
As others have mentioned, don't be afraid of the isolated pawn. Study a few QGA games with this variation and gain a little confidence. 7 Bb3 is considered to be one of the more dangerous responses, trust Cox's judgement.
I have been trying more 1. d4 recently, had a nice win with the White pieces with an IQP. Please provide comments and suggestions - would be appreciated.
personally id of redeployed my c knight via e2 to g3 so after the queen takes the final kingside pawn it can jump to h5 giving checkmate threats
no offence your attack was going nowhere then your opponent blundered
a knight o g3 would of improved your position but regardless congrats
Remember IQP's provide high levels of activity due to extra space
So plans for side with IQP's are
- Develop your pieces quickly
- Export your king from the center
- Then push your pawn d4-d5 because after black plays exd you capture with a piece
- The board is open and your pieces are more active so you have an edge
Plans for side without
Plan 1
Try and blockade the pawn with a Knight to stop the d4-d5 advance
Not as good as plan two because you still have space disadvantage
Plan2
Trade pieces
Lack of space doesn't matter as much with less pieces on the board
The IQP will become a weakeness in the endgame because white will have to put pieces on guard duty so you don't win it and so black's pieces will be the more active ones
Also it's normally better to play the Slav or the QGD than QGA. QGA is generally played by players who don't know how to play d4. They copy black as they may do with white d4 d5 (e4 e5) and then afetr c4 they think White has just given away a free pawn and then white plays e4 gaining more space. Note some top players do play QGA and not all players who play QGA don't know how to play d4 but generally I would say play an Indian defence against d4 or play the slav
I have John Cox's Play 1 d4! book and it suggests 1 d4 d5 2 c4 dxc3 3 Nf3 e6 4 e3 c5 5 Bxc4 a6 6 0-0 Nf6 7 Bb3 .
However, I don't understand White's plan at all. I also don't like White's (soon-to-be) isolated queen pawn. Are there any White responses against the Queen's Gambit Accepted that doesn't stradle me with an Isolated Queen's pawn? Thank you.
P.S. Also, Cox recommended against the Queen's Gambit Declined: 1 d4 d5 2 c4 e6 3 Nc3. But what would happen if my opponent played 3... dxc4 ? It seems like the N on c6 should be on e2 in the QGA. So I'm really confused right now.