Answers.Body: <p>Thank you for sharing this very interesting position and question.</p>
  <p>King is only unsafe if it can be attacked - in this case, while both kings look a bit airy, they aren't in real danger.</p>
  <p>White doesn't have enough pieces on the kingside for pure piece attack and he also cannot go for a pawnstorm, since his pieces are in way of his pawns. If he tries, for example with <strong>1. h4 g4!</strong> takes all dreams of attack away and gives black a good advantage after <strong>2. Ne1 Kh8 3. Nc2 f5 4. exf5 Bxf5</strong> with <strong>Nxg3</strong> to follow. After smoke clears center is opening up, black has very good bishops and rook on open f-file with clear advantage.</p>
  <p>Likewise black cannot dream of queenside attack. His pawns are blocked by his own pieces, his queen is on the wrong side of the pawn chain, so it cannot join his queenside attack. Here it's hard to even find a candidate move on the queenside.</p>
  <p>So let's look at the center. Since it's not totally fixed, play in center is still possible. Here we see this typical asymmetry in Italian opening complex: white is ready to play <strong>d4</strong>, while black cannot organize <strong>d5</strong>, since his knight is slightly misplaced on <em>c6</em>. So <strong>d4</strong> is viable candidate move for white. Additionally it's clear white has complete control of <em>d4</em> square - both of his knights and his rook are covering it. Because of this pawn break will release the power of all these pieces.</p>
  <p>On the other hand black has more space on the kingside, so his hope for counterplay lies there - with eventual <strong>f5</strong>. This comes with threat of <strong>f4</strong>, trapping white dark squared bishop. If white has to take on <em>f5</em>, then black takes back with his light squared bishop, thus putting it on a very nice diagonal.</p>
  <p>These abstract considerations don't matter, unless variations can make use of them. So let's look at few lines.</p>
  <p>First let's check if <strong>d4</strong> is even safe to play - let's not forget <em>e4</em> is hanging: <strong>1. d4 exd4 2. Nfxd4 Nxd4 (2. ... Qxe4 3. Nxd6!! +--, 2. ... Ne5! +=) 3. Nxd4 Bxd4 4. Rxd4</strong> with small advantage for white due to better development and more space due to <em>e4</em> (which can be later supported with <strong>f3</strong>).</p>
  <p>Next thing we have to check is, if black can prepare <strong>f5</strong> in response to <strong>d4</strong>: <strong>1. d4 Kg7 2. Rhe1 (2. Kb1?</strong> if white makes empty move <strong>f5!? 3. exf5 Bxf5 3. Ka1 Nxg3 =)</strong> protecting <em>e4</em>, and now we get crazy complications, which according to engine prefer white, after <strong>2. ... f5?! 3. dxe5 f4 4. exd6 cxd6 5. Nxd6 Ba7 6. e5 fxg3 7. fxg3 +-</strong>. White has crazy good attack in exchange for piece, since center opened up and his pieces are ready to take advantage of now very unsafe black king.</p>
  <p>However, in the game Ding Liren found a safe way to win the <em>e4</em> pawn: <strong>1. d4 exd4 2. Nbxd4 g4 3. Nh4 Bxd4 4. cxd4 Qxe4</strong>. White has sufficient compensation, but no more than that.</p>
  
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Body: <p>I'm watching an old stream of this year's Tata Steel round 3. In the game Gukesh - Ding Liren, at the following position</p>
  <pre><code>r1b2rk1/1pp1qp2/1bnp3p/pN2p1pn/P1B1P3/1QPP1NB1/1P3PPP/2KR3R w - - 4 14
  </code></pre>
  <p>the commentators, a GM and a IM, say that White's plan or goal move would be d4, while Black's would be (after proper preparation) ...f5. The engine agrees with them, and Gukesh played d4.
  What's the point of these moves? To me, that'd be weakening each king's own defensive structure, and if I was playing this game, I would want to push the kingside pawns as White, and the queenside pawns as Black.</p>
  
Tags: <strategy><pawns><pawn-structure>
Title: Purpose of these (potential) pawn breaks in Gukesh - Ding Liren (Tata Steel 2024)
ThreadText: # Purpose of these (potential) pawn breaks in Gukesh - Ding Liren (Tata Steel 2024)
  
  (Asked by: username_0 on 2024-03-11)
  
  I'm watching an old stream of this year's Tata Steel round 3. In the game Gukesh - Ding Liren, at the following position
  r1b2rk1/1pp1qp2/1bnp3p/pN2p1pn/P1B1P3/1QPP1NB1/1P3PPP/2KR3R w - - 4 14
  
  the commentators, a GM and a IM, say that White's plan or goal move would be d4, while Black's would be (after proper preparation) ...f5. The engine agrees with them, and Gukesh played d4.
  What's the point of these moves? To me, that'd be weakening each king's own defensive structure, and if I was playing this game, I would want to push the kingside pawns as White, and the queenside pawns as Black.
  
  **Tags:** strategy, pawns, pawn-structure
  
  
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  ## 1 answers
  
  ### Answer by username_1 on 2024-03-11. Score: 1
  
  Thank you for sharing this very interesting position and question.
  
  King is only unsafe if it can be attacked - in this case, while both kings look a bit airy, they aren't in real danger.
  
  White doesn't have enough pieces on the kingside for pure piece attack and he also cannot go for a pawnstorm, since his pieces are in way of his pawns. If he tries, for example with **1. h4 g4!** takes all dreams of attack away and gives black a good advantage after **2. Ne1 Kh8 3. Nc2 f5 4. exf5 Bxf5** with **Nxg3** to follow. After smoke clears center is opening up, black has very good bishops and rook on open f-file with clear advantage.
  
  Likewise black cannot dream of queenside attack. His pawns are blocked by his own pieces, his queen is on the wrong side of the pawn chain, so it cannot join his queenside attack. Here it's hard to even find a candidate move on the queenside.
  
  So let's look at the center. Since it's not totally fixed, play in center is still possible. Here we see this typical asymmetry in Italian opening complex: white is ready to play **d4**, while black cannot organize **d5**, since his knight is slightly misplaced on *c6*. So **d4** is viable candidate move for white. Additionally it's clear white has complete control of *d4* square - both of his knights and his rook are covering it. Because of this pawn break will release the power of all these pieces.
  
  On the other hand black has more space on the kingside, so his hope for counterplay lies there - with eventual **f5**. This comes with threat of **f4**, trapping white dark squared bishop. If white has to take on *f5*, then black takes back with his light squared bishop, thus putting it on a very nice diagonal.
  
  These abstract considerations don't matter, unless variations can make use of them. So let's look at few lines.
  
  First let's check if **d4** is even safe to play - let's not forget *e4* is hanging: **1. d4 exd4 2. Nfxd4 Nxd4 (2. ... Qxe4 3. Nxd6!! +--, 2. ... Ne5! +=) 3. Nxd4 Bxd4 4. Rxd4** with small advantage for white due to better development and more space due to *e4* (which can be later supported with **f3**).
  
  Next thing we have to check is, if black can prepare **f5** in response to **d4**: **1. d4 Kg7 2. Rhe1 (2. Kb1?** if white makes empty move **f5!? 3. exf5 Bxf5 3. Ka1 Nxg3 =)** protecting *e4*, and now we get crazy complications, which according to engine prefer white, after **2. ... f5?! 3. dxe5 f4 4. exd6 cxd6 5. Nxd6 Ba7 6. e5 fxg3 7. fxg3 +-**. White has crazy good attack in exchange for piece, since center opened up and his pieces are ready to take advantage of now very unsafe black king.
  
  However, in the game Ding Liren found a safe way to win the *e4* pawn: **1. d4 exd4 2. Nbxd4 g4 3. Nh4 Bxd4 4. cxd4 Qxe4**. White has sufficient compensation, but no more than that.
  
  
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