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Passed Pawns are Powerful, so Stopping them is Urgent

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Welcome to a new Hivechess lecture, and we will be looking at a new lesson that talks about how Passed Pawns are Powerful, so stopping them is urgent. Obviously, as a chess player at the beginning of your chess study or period of learning about the game, you must have been told that a pawn can become the most powerful piece on the board; that is the queen. This is the early point where you are introduced to the passed pawn, so you know how powerful it can be; that is why you have to stop the pawn as quickly as possible.

Today's lesson will focus on the game between Pranesh M and Alireza Firouzja at the Quantbox Chennai Grandmasters.


![image.png](https://files.peakd.com/file/peakd-hive/samostically/23tbyRfbW5tbLr8KGXw4KbmJcdHGYCv1B7dUYMFyZZzTF7AWKft8VPJL429qwE61EmYBg.png)

1. e4 c5 2. Nc3 Nc6 3. Nge2 Nf6 4. d4 cxd4

The game is a Sicilian Defense opening, a popular line known for the fight for the center and frequently played by grandmaster Alireza Firouzja. The opening actually speaks to the kind of chess Alireza is used to playing, which is an aggressive style of chess that fights on the board and tries to be more active by all means.


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5. Nxd4 e5 6. Ndb5 d6 7. Nd5 Nxd5 8. exd5 Ne7 9. a4 a6 10. Nc3 Ng6 11. g3 Be7 12. h4 Nf8

At this position, it becomes clear that both sides were not going to give up the fight, especially from the setup, especially the h4 pawn and the kingside expansion from white. It is more often than not that when there is an expansion of the pawn on h4, you should expect some possible kingside attacks, which is something that grandmaster Hikaru Nakamura likes to refer to as the h-bomb. This is what grandmaster Pranesh uses as the premise of the game.

For the purpose of the lesson and to keep it precise, we will move to the point where the lesson was employed in the game.

13. a5 Nd7 14. Be3 O-O 15. Qd2 b5 16. axb6 Nxb6 17. Ne4 Qc7 18. c4 Bf5 19. f3 Nxc4 20. Qc3 Rfc8 21. Rc1 Nxe3 22. Qxc7 Rxc7 23. Rxc7 Nxd5 24. Rc6 Nb4 25. Rb6 d5 26. Nd6 Bxd6 27. Rxd6 Rb8 28. Bh3 Bxh3 29. Rxh3 Kf8 30. Rd7 Ke8 31. Rc7 Nd3+ 32. Kd2 Nxb2 33. f4 Nc4+ 34. Kc2 e4 35. g4 Nd6 36. Rhc3 d4


![image.png](https://files.peakd.com/file/peakd-hive/samostically/23t7oMoKxistt7gGESiFT5dBhdgLPhNnVam8nStY9nPaxmsZHAjvbtefVSLsSnxUzgdBN.png)

It gets interesting that white is in trouble because of the three passed pawns that are on the way to promotion, and there is nothing more white could do to stop it unless by sacrificing more pieces. The best way to stop a passed pawn is by capturing it early from the moment you notice that it becomes a passed pawn. Or you could police a piece to control the pawn's promoting square. Do not get carried away by thinking it is a harmless pawn, for it can be more dangerous than you think when it gets to its destination.

Here is the link to the game:
Game Link

And here is the game PGN

[Event "Quantbox Chennai Grandmasters 2026"]
[Site "The Westin Chennai Velachery, India"]
[Date "2026.07.16"]
[Round "1.3"]
[White "Pranesh M"]
[Black "Firouzja, Alireza"]
[Result "0-1"]
[WhiteElo "2666"]
[BlackElo "2749"]
[WhiteTitle "GM"]
[BlackTitle "GM"]
[WhiteFideId "35028600"]
[BlackFideId "12573981"]
[TimeControl "90minutes+30secs increment from move no.1"]
[ECO "B33"]
[Opening "Sicilian Defense: Lasker-Pelikan Variation"]

1. e4 c5 2. Nc3 Nc6 3. Nge2 Nf6 4. d4 cxd4 5. Nxd4 e5
6. Ndb5 d6 7. Nd5 Nxd5 8. exd5 Ne7 9. a4 a6 10. Nc3 Ng6
11. g3 Be7 12. h4 Nf8 13. a5 Nd7 14. Be3 O-O 15. Qd2 b5
16. axb6 Nxb6 17. Ne4 Qc7 18. c4 Bf5 19. f3 Nxc4
20. Qc3 Rfc8 21. Rc1 Nxe3 22. Qxc7 Rxc7 23. Rxc7 Nxd5
24. Rc6 Nb4 25. Rb6 d5 26. Nd6 Bxd6 27. Rxd6 Rb8
28. Bh3 Bxh3 29. Rxh3 Kf8 30. Rd7 Ke8 31. Rc7 Nd3+
32. Kd2 Nxb2 33. f4 Nc4+ 34. Kc2 e4 35. g4 Nd6
36. Rhc3 d4 37. R3c5 d3+ 38. Kd2 Rb2+ 39. Kc3 Rf2
40. Kb3 d2 41. Kc2 e3 42. Re5+ Kd8 43. Ree7 Rf1
44. Rcd7+ Kc8 45. Rxd6 Rc1+ 46. Kb3 d1=Q+ 47. Rxd1
Rxd1 48. Rxe3 Rd4 49. Re8+ Kd7 50. Rg8 g6 51. Rg7
Rxf4 52. Rxh7 Ke6 53. g5 a5 54. Ka3 a4 55. Kb2 Rf3
56. Ka2 Rf2+ 57. Ka3 Rf4 58. Kb2 Ke5 59. Ka3 Kd6
60. Kb2 Rf3 61. Ka2 a3 62. Ka1 Rf2 63. h5 gxh5
64. Rxh5 Rg2 65. Rh7 Ke7 66. Rh5 Kf8 67. Rh3 Rxg5
68. Rxa3 Rb5 69. Ra6 Kg7 70. Ka2 f5 71. Ka3 f4
72. Ka4 Rf5 73. Kb3 f3 74. Ra1 f2 75. Rf1 Kg6
76. Kc3 Kg5 77. Kd3 Kg4 78. Ke2 Kg3 79. Ra1 Kg2
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I am @samostically, a chess player and writer. I love to share the experience I have gained from different battles over the 64 squares and the knowledgeable insights from books I have read. But most importantly, [I am a Midnight Owl and I founded the community Midnight Letters.](https://peakd.com/c/hive-186424/about)

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Thanks For Reading!
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