Typical Middlegame Plans: The Isolated d-Pawn (IQP)

A textbook IQP structure. White's only pawn weakness is d4, but in return White owns more space and two glorious outpost squares — e5 and c5 — sitting in the holes that the isolani creates. The blockade square is d5: Black's dream is to plant a piece there, exchange off attackers, and grind the pawn down in the endgame. So the battle lines are clear: White keeps pieces ON the board, aims for the d4-d5 break and an attack against h7; Black trades and blockades.