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Eight pawns against none
Posted: Tue Jul 07, 2020 2:25 pm
by JustinHorton
Just something that popped into my head for no particular reason - are there recorded games where one player has been down to no pawns while the other has a full complement? And who would be the strongest players involved in such a game?
Re: Eight pawns against none
Posted: Tue Jul 07, 2020 2:29 pm
by Peter Shaw
Re: Eight pawns against none
Posted: Tue Jul 07, 2020 2:34 pm
by Ian Thompson
Re: Eight pawns against none
Posted: Tue Jul 07, 2020 2:40 pm
by Richard James
If you search for games with only pawns you get those two. If you allow pieces as well you get a lot more, but mostly low level junior games.
This is the most recent game, and also the game featuring the strongest players (2598 v 2312)
Re: Eight pawns against none
Posted: Tue Jul 07, 2020 3:05 pm
by Matt Mackenzie
Are there any where the player with eight pawns fails to win?
Re: Eight pawns against none
Posted: Tue Jul 07, 2020 3:13 pm
by Richard James
Matt Mackenzie wrote: ↑Tue Jul 07, 2020 3:05 pm
Are there any where the player with eight pawns fails to win?
Re: Eight pawns against none
Posted: Tue Jul 07, 2020 3:13 pm
by David Sedgwick
In 1967 I had a game in which I was seven pawns up in the final position.
Ever since then I have wanted to have a game in which I was eight pawns up. It hasn't yet happened for me.
I wasn't sure whether it had ever happened for anyone. I am indebted to Ian and Richard for showing that it has. Ian's second example occurred at an event at which I was one of the arbiters.
Re: Eight pawns against none
Posted: Tue Jul 07, 2020 4:07 pm
by Kevin Thurlow
Am I the only one hoping that Adamer-Kress will become the Muzychuk-Muzychuk draw in future?
I assume Matto was too lazy to go around the board collecting extra knights!
Re: Eight pawns against none
Posted: Tue Jul 07, 2020 5:26 pm
by Matt Mackenzie
Richard James wrote: ↑Tue Jul 07, 2020 3:13 pm
Matt Mackenzie wrote: ↑Tue Jul 07, 2020 3:05 pm
Are there any where the player with eight pawns fails to win?
I mean, that last move - why????
Re: Eight pawns against none
Posted: Tue Jul 07, 2020 5:59 pm
by Nick Burrows
Maybe a pre-arranged draw
Re: Eight pawns against none
Posted: Tue Jul 07, 2020 6:35 pm
by JustinHorton
"Not being a terribly good player" is also a potential area for exploration here
Re: Eight pawns against none
Posted: Tue Jul 07, 2020 10:13 pm
by Matt Mackenzie
I think said conclusion is indeed a contender for the coveted WMOTB award?
Re: Eight pawns against none
Posted: Tue Jul 07, 2020 11:42 pm
by JustinHorton
Oh good spot. (Maybe there should be a thread for that subject, thinking about it.)
Re: Eight pawns against none
Posted: Wed Jul 08, 2020 12:48 am
by David Williams
I once drew a (reasonably sensible) game in which I had a bishop for seven pawns. Opponent sacrificed a bishop for two pawns, won another two, then went pawn-grabbing instead of developing, enabling me to exchange material till I had two rooks and a bishop and the run of the board, with his two rooks immobilised by all those pawns. I may even have been winning by the end.
Re: Eight pawns against none
Posted: Wed Jul 08, 2020 3:39 pm
by Hugh Murphy
I do remember the Spassky-Short game London 1982 where Spassky had 8 pawns and Short 4 pawns at the adjournment. I watched the post-mortem where someone asked why Boris didn't play move and his response was "But then I would lose once of my beautiful pawns".
The game is worth looking at
https://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1123913