Structure Your Play 2

This is the title of an article which I have just written for the latest issue of ACCQ. Unfortunately, due to space considerations a couple of example games didn't make it into the final version. While they may turn up in a latter article (Structure Your Play 2.5?) I'll publish one of them here.
The article discusses Pawn Rams & Levers, and the game is annotated from this point of view.


Stahlberg,G - Wade,R [E95]
Staunton mem Birmingham (10), 1951

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 d6 3.Nc3 e5 4.Nf3 Nbd7 5.e4 g6 6.Be2 Bg7 7.0-0 0-0 The game has now reached a standard Kings Indian position. In his book "Teach Yourself Better Chess", Bill Hartston looks at this position in the chapter titled "Pawn takes Pawn". In terms of the pawn lever, he says there are 3 choices. White can swap on e5, push to d5, or let Black swap on d4. Each choice leads to a different game, with plusses and minuses for both sides.
If Black captures on d4 he gives up pawn play in the centre for an active bishop and the use of e5 and c5 for his knights.
If White swaps on e5 he hands control of d4 to Black but can look at expanding on the queenside with b4 & c5.
And if he pushes to d5, he can again expand on the queenside, but Black can hit back at the static centre by trying for f5. 8.Re1 When this game was played this was a new move. The idea is to "wait and see" what Black does. The rook turns out to be useful here as it will overprotect e4 in case Black exchanges on d4. 8...Re8 9.Bf1 c6 10.d5 c5 And now we have reached the "Benoni Major" pawn structure. 11.a3 h6 [ 11...Rf8! might well be the best move here. White had pushed to d5 after the rook had gone to e8, assuming that the f push was now not on. But with the centre blocked, Black has time to undo his last couple of moves, and organise the f5 push anyway. The question is "Who tricked who?"] 12.h3 Nf8 Criticised by Kmoch who believes that the f5 lever is vital for Black. 13.g3 g5? Now nothing can support the f pawn if it managed to make it to f5 anyway. 14.h4 N6h7 [ 14...g4 15.Nh2 was Blacks best hope of holding on.] 15.hxg5 hxg5 Now White can activate the bishop on f1, with the idea of eliminating it's counterpart. Without the f5 pawn break the remaining Black bishop is doomed to passivity. 16.Nh2 Qf6 17.Be2 Qh6 18.Bg4 Nd7 [ 18...Bxg4 19.Qxg4 leaves White with all the attacking play along the opened h file.] 19.Nf3 Nb6 20.Bxc8 Rexc8 21.Qb3 Bf6 [ 21...Qg6 was better.] (D) 22.Nh4! Qf8 23.Nf5 With the unassailable Knight, and no hope of Black counterplay, White has a huge advantage. 23...Be7 24.Kg2 Rc7 25.Nb5 Rd7 26.Rh1 Nc8 27.Qd1 Black could safely resign in this position. 27...Bd8 28.Rxh7! Kxh7 29.Qh5+ Kg8 30.Bxg5 f6 31.Bh6 Qf7 32.Qg4+ 1-0