English Opening-The ..e4-f5 Pawn Wedge-Spassky

English Opening-The ..e4-f5 Pawn Wedge
(1.c4 e5 2.g3 Nc6 3.Bg2 g6 4.Nc3 Bg7 5.Rb1)
The pawn wedge restricts Bg2 and somewhat negates whites queenside expansion plan.

9...e4

In the feature game, Spassky undermined white's pawn center and took over the board with the strong action of Q+RRs. White's extra pawn played no part in the proceedings.

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Here is the feature game.

Hartoch,Robert G - Spassky,Boris V

English 1.c4 e5 2.g3 Nc6 3.Bg2 g6 4.Nc3 Bg7 5.Rb1 [A25]

IBM Amsterdam (11), 27.07.1970

Position 1
Black's major pieces have taken over the position. What do you recommend for black now?

Black to Play

32.Rg1

English Opening-The ..e4-f5 Pawn Wedge:Spassky

English Opening-The ..e4-f5 Pawn Wedge
1.c4 e5 2.Nc3 d6 3.Nf3 f5 4.d4 e4 5.Ng5 h6 6.Nh3 g5(Diagram)

6...g5

Ex-world champion Spassky unleashed dynamic potential of the ...e4-f5 pawn chain in the feature game aginst Bukal, in the Lugano Open 1982.

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Here is the feature game.

Bukal,Vladimir Sr (2380) - Spassky,Boris V (2625)

English 1.c4 e5 2.Nc3 d6 3.Nf3 f5 4.d4 e4 5.Ng5 h6 6.Nh3 g5 [A21]

Lugano Open  1982

Position 1
White has initiated piece play with 18.Nd5. How should black respond?

Black to Play

18.Nd5

English Opening Reversed Sicilian-Spassky

The ...f4 Pawn Sacrifice Plan
Ex-world champion sacrificed a pawn here with 14...f4 for dark square counterplay and eventually won against another great chess fighter GM Bent Larsen.

14.Qd2

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Here is the feature game.

Larsen,Bent (2610) - Spassky,Boris V (2635)

English Reversed Sicilian[A25]

Linares, 1981

Position 1
Black has been defending actively. How should black continue now after the check has been blocked with 40.Qf3?

Black to Play

40.Qf3

English Opening,GM Spassky

Symmetrical English Botvinnik System vs Botvinnik System

Here is a relatively unknown game by Ex-World Champion Boris Spassky.

Black used the Botvinnik structure to defend against white's initially passive formation but later white also adopted the Botvinnik formation for an equal game.

11.e4

The Ex-World Champion Spassky used his patience and experience in a long defence to outlast his opponent. Spassky did nothing special except adopt a solid formation and keep the position equal. When black tried to make something happen Spassky hung tough and made no additional weaknesses.

Spassky,Boris V (2545) - Zhu Chen (2480)
Symmetical English Mutual Botvnnik System[A36]
Cancan Veterans-Women Roquebrune (1), 07.09.1998

Position 1

The position looks quite equal. What do you recommend for white?

White to Play

71...Bb4