In our series of articles on middle game tactics, we have been talking about the importance of black’s Isolated Queen Pawn and the favorable impact of the control over the vital d4 square when utilized effectively. It is needless to say that having control over the d4 square followed by effective utilization of the minor pieces would be a passport for victory over the opponent, irrespective of which color of piece you play. It is not a special advantage alone for the black pieces having an isolated queen pawn to gain an upper hand. The important point is to have effective control over the d4 square.
In this game, again played between two of the finest grandmasters of their time, you can find that white wrests the control of d4 square from black and goes on to say checkmate.
You can see the importance of that vital d4 square with most of the pieces exerting pressure on that square. Black definitely seems to be having an upper hand over the square along with the pawn at d5.
Now, it is the turn of white to move, and his smart play has ensured that he wrested the control over the vital d4 square.
12. b4 Bd6
13. Bb2 Qe7
14. Rc1 Rfd8
15. Na4 Ne4
16. Nd4 …..
White has effectively thwarted black’s threat for control over d4 square and in turn, gained control over the square having its knight positioned there and ensured that the control wrests with him.
As you can see, white now has control over the d4 square, with his Knight placed there firmly with support from the dark-squared bishop at b2, Queen at d1 and pawn at e3. If black attempts to capture the d4 square, then it would be replaced by any of these three pieces to wrest the control back to white. The game proceeded as follows and white finally emerged victorious.
16. ….. Ne5
17. f4 Nc4
18. Bxc4 dxc4
19. Nb6 Rab8
20. Nxc4 Rbc8
21. Nxd6 Nxd6
22. Nxe6 Qxe6
23. Qf3 Qb3
24. Rxc8 Rxc8
25. Be5 Nc4
26. Qg4 1-0