TheMaroczyBindisapawnstructurecharacterizedbywhitepawnsonc4ande4,withWhite'sd

pawnhavingbeenexchangedforBlack'scpawn.

SuchstructurecanmainlybereachedplayingaSiciliandefenceoranEnglishopeningbutsometimes
alsobymeansofotherdifferentopenings;herearesomeexamples:

1.e4c52.Nf3Nc63.d4cxd44.Nxd4g65.c4(SicilianAcceleratedDragon,diag.1)
1.e4c52.Nf3e63.d4cxd44.Nxd4a65.c4(SicilianPaulsen,diag.2)
1.c4c52.Nf3Nf63.g3b64.Bg2Bb75.Nc3e66.00a67.d4cxd48.Qxd4d69.e4(English
Hedgehog,diag.3)
1.d4Nf62.c4e63.Nf3b64.a3Ba65.Qc2Bb76.Nc3c57.e4cxd48.Nxd4(Queen'sIndian
Petrosian,diag.4)

InpositionswiththeMaroczyBind,White'scandepawnscontrolthed5square,makingitdifficult
forBlacktofreehispositionwiththed5thrust.However,inordertoachievetherestrictingaffectof
the bind and aslight advantage in space, White has exchanged his opening initiative (the extra
move).AsageneralruleifBlackremainspassive,White'sadvantageit'sclearinthelongrun.

TheMaroczyBindismostoftenseeninactionagainstvariationsinwhichBlackhasfianchettoedhis
King'sBishopbutitcanalsobeadoptedinpositionsinwhichBlackplayse6andBe7.Thestrategyof
bothcolorsisslightlydiffereninthesetwocases;themainideastoconsiderinsuchkindofpositions
aredescribedbelow;itshouldbeclear,however,thattherealizationoftheseideasinactiondepends
ontheexactcalculationofvariationsinthespecificpositionofthegame.

IdeasforpositionsinwhichBlackhasfianchettoedhisKing'sBishop:

Nd5 is often agood option for White and Black should exchange the d5Knight as soon as
possible;
 ifBlack'sQueenisona5andWhite'soneisond2,theendingarisingafterNd5Qxd2willfavour
WhiteunlessBlackhascontrolofthecfile;
Black should try for b5 while he can only afford to play for f5 when he can be sure of
recapturingonf5withhisKnight;insteadBlackshouldnotexpecttobeabletoplaye6and
d5solongasheisbehindindevelopment;
Whiteshouldalwaysevaluatethepossibilitytoplayc5;
ifBlackiscompletelytiedtodefenceandqueensarestillontheboard,Whitecanconsidera
kingsideattack.

IdeasforpositionsinwhichBlackhasplayede6andBe7:

Blackshouldtryford5or,ifpossible,f5;
ifBlack'spawnisstillind6,White'sc5couldsignificallyincreasethebind;
althoughthed5squareisdefendedbythee6pawn,White'sNd5isoftenatacticalthreat;
althoughthepositionalstruggleismainlyoneofmanoeuvre,bothcolorsshouldremember
thatactiveratherthanpassivemanoeuvresareessential.

Theseideasareillustratedinthegamesbelow.

Karpov,Anatoly(2700)Kavalek,Lubomir(2625)[B36]
Nice,1974
MaroczywithfianchettoKnightond5
1.c4c52.Nf3g63.d4cxd44.Nxd4Nc65.e4By trasposition we are in an accelerated
dragon5...Nf66.Nc3d67.Be2Nxd48.Qxd4Bg79.Bg50.010.Qd2Be611.Rc1Qa512.b3Rfc813.f
3a614.Na4Inordertoleverageonthecertainweakeningoftheb6square.That'snotquite
thesameasNd5buttheeffectisjustthesameandinadditioninthiswaytheKnightcan't
becaptured.
[AsamatteroffactWhitegetsnothingby14.Nd5Qxd2+15.Kxd2Bxd516.exd5b5withgood
counterplay for Black]14...Qxd2+15.Kxd2Rc616.Nc3Rac817.Nd5This move is especially
effectivewiththeBlackRookonc6,sinceitdoesnotpermitBlacktojustswapKnightson
d5,becausethatwayhewouldloseapiece.17...Kf8[17...Bxd518.exd5+/=withsimilarplay
to the game]18.Be3Nd719.h4!+/=Whitestarts a pawn offensive on the kingside, taking
advantageoffactthattheBlackKnightisbusyprotectingtheb6square.[Thispositionhas
also been reached in a recent game in which White launched the kingside attack in a
diferenteway:
19.f4f520.Nb4R6c721.Bf3a522.exf5gxf523.Nd5Bxd524.Bxd5Nc525.Rhe1Bf626.h3Bb227.R
b1Bf628.Rbc1b629.g4fxg430.hxg4h631.Rh1Kg732.f5Rh833.Rh5Rcc834.Rch1Rb835.Rxh6
Rxh636.Rxh610Rukavina,J(2421)Srebrnic,V(2261)/RijekaCRO2011]
19...Bxd520.exd5R6c721.h5Kg822.f4Nc523.Bg4Ne4+24.Kd3f525.Bf3b526.g4bxc4+27.Rxc4
Rxc428.bxc4Nc5+29.Bxc5Rxc530.h6Bf831.Kc3fxg432.Bxg4Kf733.Be6+Kf634.Bg8Rc735.Bx
h7e636.Bg8exd537.h7Bg738.Bxd5Bh839.Kd3Kf540.Ke3Re7+41.Kf3a542.a4Rc743.Be4+Kf
644.Rh6Rg745.Kg4Blackresigned.InfactBlackisparalysed.Forinstance
45...Kf746.Kg5Ke747.Rh1Kf748.Bd5+Kf849.Rb1Rxh750.Rb8+Kg751.Rg8#10
...............................................................................................................
Tal,MihailIgnatiev,FelixN[B36]
URSchTRostovonDon,1971
MaroczywithfianchettoendgameafterNd5andQueensexchange
1.c4c52.Nf3Nc63.Nc3Nf64.d4cxd45.Nxd4g66.e4Nxd47.Qxd4d68.Be3Bg79.f30
010.Qd2Be611.Rc1a612.b3Rc813.Be2Qa514.00Rfd815.Rc2Rc616.Bd4Rdc817.Nd5!With
Black'sQueenona5andWhite'sond2,themoveNd5compelsBlacktoexchangeQueens,
resulting in an endgame that experience has shown to be very much in White's
favour.17...Qxd2[BlackmustexchangeQueensotherwisehewillremainwithanisolated
dpawn.17...Qd818.Nxf6+Bxf619.Bxf6exf6]18.Rxd2Bxd519.exd5since Black has doubled
rooks on the cfile, makes sense to keep that column closed and open instead the e
file.19...R6c720.Bb6Rd721.g4Ne822.Kg2e6Tryingtogainfreedomforhispieceswhich,at
themoment,canhardlymove.That'saclearillustrationoftheeffectoftheMaroczybind
whennosatisfactorypawnbreakhasbeenachieved.HoweverthismoveleavesBlackwith
threepawnislands,increasingWhite'sendgameadvantage.
23.dxe6fxe624.f4Bc325.Rd3Bb426.Bd4Now it's clear the reason of the previous move
22.Kg2:infactwiththeKinging1after26.Bd4Bc5Blackwouldhavesucceededtoswap
thedarkBishops.
26...Rf727.Re3Ng728.Bxg7Kxg729.Rxe6+/Rcf830.Kg3Bd231.Re4a532.g5b633.h4h534.Bd
3Kh835.Bc2Kg736.Rf310
...............................................................................................
LeventeLengyelEfimGeller[A39]
Beverwijk,1965
Maroczywithfianchettob5thrust
b5isthemostsuccesfulofBlack'spawnthrustsagainsttheMaroczyBindinthoselinesin
which Black has fianchettoed his dark Bishop. By attacking with his queenside pawn
minorityBlackhopestoeliminateWhite'sc4pawn,therebydestroyingthebindandpaving
the way for the traditional Sicilian counterplay (i.e pressing along the c file and the
possibilityofd5).
1.Nf3c52.c4g63.Nc3Nf64.g3Bg75.Bg2Nc66.000
07.d4cxd48.Nxd4Nxd49.Qxd4d610.Qd3a611.Bd2Rb812.Rac1Bf513.e4
withthismovetheMaroczyBindisestablished13...Bd714.Be3b5!gainingtheinitiativein
viewoftheexchangesacrificethatBlackhasinmind
15.cxb5axb516.Ba7b4!17.Bxb8Whitehastoacceptthechallenge;asamatteroffact
aftertheKnightwithdrawal17...Bb5wouldfollow
17...bxc318.Ba7cxb219.Rc3d520.exd5[it'sbetter20.Rb3]
20...Bf521.Qb5Nxd522.Rc5Nc723.Qb7Ne624.Rb5Bd325.Rd5Bxf126.Rxd8Rxd801
..........................................................................................................................

LevPolugaevskyJacekBBednarski[B36]
Siegen,1970
Maroczywithfianchettob5thrust;c5counterthrust;Knightond5
Theb5thrust,ifproperlyprepared,isBlack'smostsuccessfulantidotetotheMaroczyBind
withg6.Itisthereforeimportantforwhitetofindawaytocontrastb5:sometimesagood
ideaisthecounterblowc5.
1.c4g62.e4c53.Nf3Nc64.d4cxd45.Nxd4Nf66.Nc3Nxd47.Qxd4d68.Be3Bg79.f30
010.Qd2Qa511.Rc1Bd712.Be2Rfc813.00a614.b3b5that's thrust here has been played
under unfavourable circumstances as Black's d7 Bishop is not very well
protected15.c5!Rc6[thestrengthofthec5thrustisduetothefactthaBlacklosesapiece
after15...dxc516.e5!;apossibilityis15...b4butafter16.Nb1Whitewiilcontinuewith17.a3
taking advantage of the fact that the b4 pawn is pinned against Black's Queen;; At
last15...Ne8defends the d6 pawn but after the thematic16.Nd5!and the Queen's
exchange,Whitehasabigendgameadvantage.]16.cxd6exd617.Rc2Rac818.Nd5Againthis
moveinordertoexchangeQueensandhavesomeadvantageintheendgame
18...Qxd219.Nxf6+Bxf620.Rxd2Bc321.Rdd1Kf822.Kf2Ke723.Bd3f624.g4Be625.h4Bb426.K
g3Bc527.Bf4Ba328.g5Bb229.Be3Rf830.Rf2Ba331.Bd4f532.exf5gxf533.Re2Rc134.Rxc1Bxc
135.Rc2Rc836.Re2Kf737.f4Ba338.h5Rg839.g6+hxg640.h610
.......................................................................................................................
Fischer,RobertJamesRossetto,Hector[B41]
MardelPlata,1959
Maroczywithe6Knightond5;c5thrust
1.e4c52.Nf3e63.d4cxd44.Nxd4a65.c4Qc76.Nc3Nf67.Bd3Nc68.Be3Nxd49.Bxd4Bc510.Bc
2d611.00Bd712.Na4Bxd413.Qxd4Rd814.Rfd10
015.Rac1Qa516.Qb6Qxb617.Nxb6Bc618.f3Nd719.Nd5!Bxd5
Blackistakenbysurpriseandheisnotabletofindthecorrectanswer[19...Ne5!isasafe
defence;19...exd5!?20.exd5Ne521.dxc6bxc6isplayablethoughWhitestandsbetter]
20.exd5e521.b4playingforc521...g622.Ba4b623.Rd3f5?[23...a5isabetterdefence,
makingharderforWhitetoachievehisbreak.InthispositionBlackmustnotallowthec5
breakifhehasnotyetsucceededtoforcetheswapofWhiteBishopwithhis
Knight.]24.Ra3!Nb825.c5!That'sthevictoryofWhite'sstrategy.
25...bxc526.bxc5dxc527.Rxc5Kg728.Rb3Rf729.d6Nd730.Rc7Nf831.Rbb7Rxc732.dxc7Rc833
.Bb3a534.a4h635.h3g536.g4fxg437.hxg410
....................................................................................
AndrasAdorjanLajosPortisch[B44]
WijkaanZee(Netherlands),1972
Maroczywithe6Knightond5;d5thrust
In the Maroczy Bind with e6 Black's main liberation attempt is represented by the d5
thrust1.e4c52.Nf3e63.d4cxd44.Nxd4Nc65.Nb5d66.c4Nf67.N1c3a68.Na3Be79.Be20
010.00b611.Be3Bb712.Qd2Ne513.Qd4it seems a waste of time13...Ned714.Rfd1Re8A
veryusefulmove!InsuchpositionsBlack'smaindifficultyisinactivatinghispieces,sothis
Rookisplacedine8inanticipationofafuturepawnbreakwhenitwillbewellplacedon
an open file15.Nc2Qc716.Rac1Rac817.f3?!This move is a common idea for White to
strenghtenthee4pawn;howeveritcaninvolveaweakeningofthecentreandoftheblack
squaresifthepositionshouldbeopenedup
17...d5!18.cxd5exd519.Nxd5Nxd520.exd5Bf621.Qb4Qe522.f4Qxb223.Bg4Rxc224.Qxb2Rx
b225.Bxd7Rxe326.Rc7Bd427.Kh1Rd228.Rb1g629.Rxb7Bc530.Bc6Ree231.d6Rxd632.Bf3Rx
a233.f5a501
............................................................................

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