He underestimated the danger and lost the game very quickly.  The attack developed as follows:  (1) ..., Qxa2; (2) Kte2-g3, Qxc2.  In taking the second Pawn Black loses another move.  He might have tried Q-a5, threatening to exchange Queens with Q-b6.  But it is doubtful whether he would have been able to save the game.  White would, of course, have avoided the exchange by playing his King into the corner. (3) R-c1, Q-b2; (4) Kt-h5; this prevents the Queen from getting back into play via f6.  The threat is now R-c3, cutting Black’s Queen off from g7, and then Kth5xg7 and Qxh6.  Black defends himself against this threat by (4) ..., R-h8 with the intention to answer R-c3 with K-g8; but White’s position involves so many threats that Black cannot provide a satisfactory protection. (5) R-e2, Q-e5; (6) P-f4, Q-b5; (7) Ktf5xg7 ! and wins, as Ktxg7 is followed by (8) Kt-f6+, (9) Ktxd7 and (10) P-f5 or P-e5 with overwhelming attack.

The most difficult problem in the conduct of the middle-game is the timely maneuvering with the Pawns.  Although it is impossible to give a general rule which will apply to all cases it is a good principle to avoid Pawn moves in the middle- game just as carefully as in the opening, at least in the early stages of the middle-game.  In the opening the argument against Pawn moves was the time loss connected with them from the point of view of development.  In the middle-game it is mainly the weakness created by the Pawn move on the squares which were protected by the Pawn before he advanced.  A square may be termed “weak” if it can be safely occupied by men which help the opponent in his attack, and this is generally possible if the square in question cannot any longer be defended by a Pawn.  The great danger involved in the occupation by hostile pieces of such weak squares is evident if they are situated near the King, and examples of how the attack develops in cases of this kind have been discussed in connection with Diagrams 48, 49, 50 and 52.  It is less apparent why a Pawn move should create a weakness if a center-Pawn or a Pawn on the Queen’s wing is concerned.  In the latter case, the possibility of deriving an advantage during the middle-game is rare, indeed; but the weakness produced by the Pawn moves invariably shows itself in the ending.  In the position of Diagram 58 for instance, White wins on account of the weakness of the squares a6, c6, d5 and b5 from which his King can attack the Black Pawns as soon as the Queen and the Rook are exchanged.  The following play may ensue:  (1) R-e8, Rxe8; (2) Qxe8, Q-f8; (3) Qxf8 , Kxf8; (4) K-d3, K-e7; (5) K-c4, K-d7; (6) K-b5, K-c7; (7) K-a6, K-b8; (8) P-a4, K-a8; (9) P-a5, Pxa5; (10) Kxa5 and wins the c-Pawn.  Or:  (5) ..., P-a6; (6) K-d5, K-d7.