Mating the Castled King

Mating the Castled King

By

Danny Gormally

Quality Chess www.qualitychess.co.uk

First edition 20 1 4 by Quality Chess UK Ltd

Copyright © 20 14 Danny Gormally

Mating the Castled King All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored

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Contents Key to Symbols used 4 Preface 5

Chapter 1 - A Few Helpful Ideas 7 Chapter 2 - 1 60 Mating Finishes 1 6

Bishop Clearance 1 7 Back-rank Mate 22 Bishop and Knight 30 Breakthrough on the g-file 40 Breakthrough on the b-file 49 Destroying a Defensive Knight 54 Breakthrough on the h-file 63 Dragging out the King 79 Exposing the King 97 Greek Gift Sacrifice 1 02 Queen and Bishop 1 1 6 Queen Breakthrough to h7 1 26 Rook and Bishop 1 36 Kingside Fianchetto 145 Rook and Knight 1 58 Mate in the Corner 1 67 Mate on the h-file 1 69 Queen and Knight 1 75 Smothered Mate 1 8 1 Two Rooks 1 85

Chapter 3 - Pawns and Pieces 1 89 Chapter 4 - Breakthrough with Pieces 205 Chapter 5 - Breakthrough with Pawns 259 Chapter 6 - Typical Pawn Breakthroughs 30 1 Chapter 7 - Conclusion and Exercises 320

Name Index 330

Key to symbols used White is slightly better Black is slightly better

± White is better + Black is better +- White has a decisive advantage -+ Black has a decisive advantage

equality iiii with compensation ? with counterplay Cl> unclear

a weak move ?? a blunder

a good move !! an excellent move !? a move worth considering ?! a move of doubtful value # mate

Preface Right from when we first start to play chess, we are taught quick knock-out ways of checkmating our opponent's king. We quickly learn Scholar's mate and other speedy methods of scoring an easy win. At that point, the more difficult and sophisticated job of trying to break down a castled king is only a vague outline in our mind. Eventually we develop various slapdash methods of attacking the king that has fled to safety. However, it seems to me that the topic of attacking the castled king is poorly represented in chess literature, and as a consequence, very few of us are true masters of this tricky subject.

While writing this book, it occurred to me that attacking the castled king can be broken down into three different methods:

1 ) A blitzkrieg attack. This is the kind of attack that comes out of nothing. A good example of this is when a hook can be attacked with ii.xh6, which we will look at in detail in this book. From seemingly little danger, the enemy king comes under a terrible assault.

2) Playing directly for the attack. Typically White (though sometimes Black, of course) plays for an attack right from the opening. Pawn storm in the Sicilian are typical of this, or the We l -h4 method of trying to break down a kingside fianchetto. In this book we'll examine many examples of this type of attack.

3) The attack is an indirect consequence of the previous play. This type of attack tends to arise as a consequence of general play, and is the most common. Only once we have achieved strategic dominance do we launch an assault. Karpov was a master of this, only choosing to attack when everything was in his favour.

I learned a lot from writing this book. I 've always been a very intuitive player rather than having a great mastery of the theory of the game. As I consider myself a natural attacking player, I was surprised during the process of writing this book to discover how little I knew about the specifics of attacking a castled king. It seems to me that we spend more time studying the finer points of the game, like positional strategy and pawn structures, and forget about what really wins the game - mating the guy's king.

I think it's a common misconception that when you become a grandmaster, all the secrets of chess knowledge are revealed to you. Like some secret freemasons' ceremony, where as well as learning about the shape-shifting lizards who control the world government and who faked the moon landings, you also learn about the deep mysteries of chess strategy. Sadly it isn't true, and like everyone else I have to work at it. (Certainly writing this book helped immensely in that regard. ) A chess brain is like a muscle which has to be continually exercised. I 've tried to emphasize throughout this book how important it is to keep looking at lots of chess puzzles in magazines, etc. Chess is all about pattern recognition, it's all about knowing past situations and putting that knowledge into practice, and you have to keep working on that ability.

6 Mating the Castled King

Even so, I hope the reader enjoys this book, and remember folks, it's only a game. Anyone who knows me will be aware I struggle to take anything too seriously, and I 've tried to reflect that. As well as the serious theory, you'll also learn about:

The Tower of Terror - a satanic monument to evil which has the power to destroy an enemy army on its own.

The Twins of Evil - dreaded harbingers of doom that have often been known to hang out at Terror Tower.

The Shotgun - not to be confused with the Sniper, this is an extremely dangerous weapon that comes in very useful in close encounters.

Enjoy.

Danny Gormally Alnwick, March 20 1 4

Chapter 1

A Few Helpful Ideas

First of all, I 'd like to establish some common ideas and themes in the reader's mind. These ideas will come up time and again throughout the book, so it's worth becoming acquainted with them now, in order to make the subsequent chapters easier to understand. I would like to look at the following ideas:

1 ) The least-defended square. Where is the attack most likely to succeed? What points in the enemy position are vulnerable?

2) What constitutes a weakness in the king's position? How can it be exploited? 3) Under which circumstances is playing for mate most likely to succeed? 4) Opening files around the king, drawing the enemy king out into the open. 5) Elimination of defenders, overloading of pieces . 6) Entrapping the enemy king.

1) The least-defended square How does an attack break through? We have to find a weakness to latch onto, an Achilles heel in the opponents armour. When we first learn chess we are taught to concentrate on attacking the f7-square, because that square is defended only by the king. The problem of the f7-square is often solved by castling, but then other weak squares and vulnerable points may arise, which the astute attacking player can target. For example, White frequently launches an attack aimed at the h7 -square, as that square is furthest from the protection of the black pieces . Sometimes several squares become vulnerable, as in the following game where Black suffers a dire fate when the weakened squares around his king are ruthlessly invaded.

Leonid Yurtaev - Denis Lopushnoy

Tomsk 1998

a b e d e f g h 14 . .txgS!!

This shuddering blow rips the black kingside asunder. There is no real choice but to take the impudent cleric; White would simply have an extra pawn if the sacrifice is declined.

14 ... hxgS l S.tiJxgS f5 When attacking we should always consider

the consequences of the king fleeing, but in this case the king cannot escape: 1 5 . . J:%d8

a b e d e f g h 1 6.e6!

A crucial blow. Such resources are often lurking in attacking positions.

1 6 . . . Wf4

1 6 . . . fXe6 1 7 .Wh7t mf8 I B .ltJe5 ! IS

completely destructive. 1 6 . . . �xe6 attempts to stem the tide by at least getting the bishop out, but the attack is too strong: 1 7.Wh7t <±>fB I B .E\xe6! and White wins.

1 7 .ex£1t <±>fB I B .Wg6! ltJf6

a b e d e f g h 1 9 .E\xe7!

One of the keys when attacking is to keep throwing power moves at the opponent, not giving him time to breathe.

1 9 . . . �f5 1 9 . . . <±>xe7 loses to 20.E\e l t mfB 2 1 .ltJh7t ltJxh7 22.E\eBt and mate next move. 1 9 . . . Wxc4 20.E\ae l is no fun either, for example 20 . . . �g4 2 1 .ltJh7t ltJxh7 22.E\eBt followed by mate.

20 .E\eBt! When you have a strong attacking set-up, such moves flow easily.

20 . . . E\xeB 2 1 .fXeB= Wt Followed by mate on £1.

16.'1Wh4 gd8 17.�h7t cj;lfS 18.e6! Cruelly closing the net around the black

king.

18 ... �f4 I B . . . ltJf6 doesn't survive for long either:

1 9 .Wg6 mgB 20.ltJe5 E\fB

Chapter 1 - A Few Helpful Ideas 9

a b e d e f g h 2 1 .�f7t!! Ei:xf7 22.exf7t <j;>h8 (or 22 . . . <j;>f8) 23.riJ g6#

19.�g6 @g8 20.tLJeS Black can only avoid mate by giving up his

queen. 1-0

2) What constitutes a weakness in the king's position? A weakness in the king's position can take many forms. It may be a lack of pawn cover around the king; it may be a pawn move in front of the king which provides a hook which enables the opponent to open a file; or it may be the weakness of a complex of dark or light squares .

Zurab Azmaiparashvili -Vassily Ivanchuk

Tilburg 1994

8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

a b e d e f g h

Opposite-coloured bishops might have notorious drawing tendencies in the endgame, but in the middlegame they can be a decisive factor for the player who is doing the attacking. Here White's dark-squared bishop cannot be opposed, and the black king looks to be in dire peril.

32 .. . .ih7? Black can throw a huge obstacle into White's

path with the computer defence: 32 . . . ttJg6! 33 .Ei:d4!

After 33 .�f6? Black defends with 33 . . . �f8 .

a b e d e f g h 33 . . . �e7! !

Brilliantly preparing to attack the white bishop. The compliant 33 . . . �f5 ? allows 34.Ei:h4! with mate to follow.

34.Ei:xe4 f5 35 .�xg6

a b e d e f g h 35 . . . �f7!

1 0 Mating the Castled King

The clever point, almost impossible to see in advance. 35 . . . "\Wxg7? 34.Ei:xe6 would leave Black to struggle a pawn down in the ending.

36."\Wxf7t 'it>xf7 Black regains the piece, when the endgame

should be a draw. However, this cybernetic tight-rope defence proved beyond even the mighty human calculating machine Ivanchuk.

33.i.e5! The terrible glare of this bishop proves too

much. The finish could be: 33 . . . lLlf5 34."\Wf6 'it>f8 35 .g4! "\Wf3 and now the ultra-calm:

a b e d e f g h 36.h3! White prevents . . . "\Wg4t before taking the knight. 36 . . . "\Wxh3 37."\Wh8t +-

1-0

3) Under which circumstances will playing for mate most likely succeed? Knowing when the situation is right to go for the jugular often comes down to our intuition and experience. The late Mikhail Tal was famous for having an almost psychic ability in this respect, for knowing when even the slightest weakness in his opponents' defence would justifY a bloodthirsty attack. Although the majority of us cannot hope to have the same level of intuition as a Tal , there are still guiding positional principles that can help us get an instinctive feel for the correct moment to launch an attack. For example, if the opposing

king's pieces have strayed to the other side of the board, far from a possible defence of the king, then pyrotechnics often follow. There are certain situations when the opponent's king is bereft of defenders that seem to activate a killer instinct in attacking players.

Julian Hodgson - Jens-Uwe Maiwald

Bermuda 1997

a b e d e f g h Black may have a material advantage, but his

pieces are scattered around the board, and lack any real coordination. By contrast, White's seemingly modest army is compact and primed for the final assault. (A bit like the film 300 perhaps, where a tiny force of Spartans outwit and outbattle a vast army of Persians .)

Can you find the best continuation?

31 .tLlf4!! Hodgson immediately finds the key to the

position! If you didn't find this move, don't worry - I didn't either. When I first came upon this position, it was as part of a training exercise, and I must have tried every other legal move before finally stumbling upon this one. It was one of those frustrating moments when you feel like banging your head against something solid, until you remember that it's just a chess puzzle. The best moves often have

Chapter 1 - A Few Helpful Ideas 1 1

more than one purpose, because it is much more difficult to deal with several threats than just one, arid this is the case here. Not only does this move attack g6, but it also creates the crushing threat of taking on e7, and Black cannot defend against both threats at the same time.

3 1 .'Wf3 can be met by 3 1 . . .'Wg8 , with the point that 32 .lLlf4 :B:xf4! 33 .'Wxf4 lLlb6 just about clings on.

31 .. .e5 Black decides he cannot let White take on

e7, but now danger strikes from the other side.

3 1 . . .'Wxf4 is mated by force: 32 .'Wxe7t cj;>g8 33 .�c4t! :B:xc4 34.:B:d8t 'Wf8 35 .:B:xf8#

3 1 . . .:B:xf4 allows White to pick up a huge amount of material with a series of forcing checks : 32 .'Wxe7t cj;>g8 33 .�c4t! :B:xc4 34.:B:d8t 'Wxd8 35 .'Wxd8t cj;>g7 36.'We7t cj;>g8 37.'We6t cj;>g7 38 .'Wxc4+- A good illustration of the truism: loose pieces drop off! This is quite a common theme when the king is running around in the centre. Even if he cannot force mate directly, the attacking player often has the back-up that he can pick up loose material .

32.i.xg6t @g8 33.ttJe6

a b e d e f g h

The black king is in a mating net, facing threats such as 34.'Wxa7! 'Wxa7 35 .:B:d8# 1-0

4) Opening files around the king, drawing the enemy king out into the open The king may seem safe when ensconced in its own camp, but if we can manage to open files around the king and force it into the open, then the task of attacking the king becomes much easier, and strong continuations may flow naturally.

Evgeny Gleizerov - Igor-Alexandre Nataf

8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

Stockholm 1998

a b e d e f g h 23 ... ttJd7!?

Annotating this game, Igor Nataf"modestly" gave this (and most of his next few moves) two exclamation marks, claiming that Black is already clearly better. With the g3-pawn hanging over the white king like the sword of Damocles and any subsequent sacrifice on h3 likely to prove destructive, Black clearly has good attacking prospects . However, the naturally optimistic French player was probably a bit too optimistic at this point. Analysis suggests that White has not stepped beyond the boundary of equality just yet.


24.tt)xg7? White takes the bait, but he has missed

Black's next brilliant rejoinder and his game goes down quickly.

24 .ltJxd4? exd4 is positionally undesirable, giving the black knight a magnificent square on e5 .

24.�b2! is the correct way to continue, aiming to defuse the coming attack by removing as much material from the board as possible -exchanges often favour the defender. 24 . . . ltJxf5 25 .exf5 �xf5 26.ltJe4 It's strange just how often the sacrifice of a pawn enables us to free our position; here White's pieces can suddenly breathe a lot easier. 26 . . .'IWh4 27.�fl ! ltJf6 28 .�xe5 ltJxe4 29.�xg7t 'it>xg7 30.fxe4 �xh3 3 1 .gxh3 f3

8

7

6

5

4

3

2

a b e d e f g h Nataf said in his original annotations that

this would be winning for Black, but this seems wildly optimistic. Mter 32.Wd4t Elf6 33.Elb2 White is ready to sacrifice the bishop back on g2, taking the sting out of the attack. Here we see a common phenomenon - the player who wins a game likes to give the impression to the reader that the game was winning all along. It can be quite hard to be objective in these situations and to accept that our play may not have been perfect throughout.

8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

a b e d e f g h 24".i.xh3!!

This amazing intermezzo must have jolted Gleizerov well and truly out of his slumber.

25.gxh3 White cannot decline the sacrifice, for

example: 25 .'it>gl Wh4! 26.ltJfl Ela6! and . . . Elh6 will be lethal .

25".g2t! Nataf will sacrifice as much material as he

needs to - all that matters is that he beats a path to the white king.

26.@xg2 Nataf rightly points out that allowing this

pawn to live is hardly an option: 26.'it>gl Wh4! 27.ltJf5 Wxh3! 28.ltJxd4 Elg8! and the mating attack is unstoppable.

a b e d e f g h

Chapter 1 - A Few Helpful Ideas 1 3

26 ... E:g8! 27.�b2 Nataf gives this move a question mark, but

given the precarious situation of the white king, it's highly unlikely that White can survive in any case.

27.g;,h2 Elxg7 28.Elg1 Elxg 1 29 .@xg1 "Wh4! A key idea, cutting off the possibility of the white king fleeing to the queenside. 30 . .ifl "We 1 ! Black tightens the noose and the game won't last much longer.

27.Elh 1 is the best defence, but it should not be enough to save White: 27 . . . Elxg7t 28 .g;,fl "Wh4 29 . .ib2 "Wg3! 30 . .ixd4 "Wg2t 3 1 .@e1 "Wxh l t 32 . .ifl exd4 33 ."Wxd4 Ele8 ! and the knight will join in the attack with . . . ltJe5 .

27 ... E:xg7t 28.@f1

8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

a b e d e f g h Black to play and win.

28 ... lLlc2!! A superb coup de grace. Vive la France!

Vive la Emperor! The knight distracts the white queen, which can no longer come to the defence of its king.

After the obvious 28 . . . "Wg5 , White can play 29 . .ixd4 exd4 30."Wxd4 and hold on by his fingertips .

29.\Wxc2 \Wg5 0-1

A good illustration of how important it is for the king to have cover. Here White may have had a serious material advantage, but it was all for nothing because the open files made his defensive task impossible. As someone once said about Tal , all he needs is one open file and the game is over!

5) Elimination of defenders, overloading of pieces To break down a sturdy defence, we often need to identifY an important defensive piece that we must eliminate. This piece may be defending a key square or a complex of squares, and with its removal the attacking floodgates will open, and finding the decisive breakthrough will prove much less burdensome.

Rune Djurhuus - ErikJelling

Copenhagen 1 996

8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

a b c d e f g h 22.�a3!

A brilliant strategic decision! Once the bishop on e7 is removed, there will be nothing to defend the weakened dark squares around the black king.

22 . • . \Wd8 23.\Wh6! �xa3


Black cannot evict the white queen: 23 . . . l'!hS?

a b e d e f g h 24.ltJf6t! �xf6 2S .Wf8#

8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

a b e d e f g h 24.�eg5!

Good attacking play is often about identifYing as many candidate moves as possible; not just playing the first move that comes into your head. If you have a promising position , take your time and have a look around - you don't want to miss that easy win!

The simple 24.l'!xa3 is also much better for White, but Black can at least slow down the attack with 24 . . . l'!hS ! .

24 .. . �b4 Hanging on to the piece with 24 . . . Wd6 loses

in similar fashion to the game: 2S .Wxh7t! mf8

26.l'!xa3! Wxa3 27.l'!xe6! Ouch! Mate quickly follows.

Returning the piece does not help either: 24 . . . Wf6 2S .Wxh7t mf8 26.l'!xa3 and since 26 . . .1''l:xgS loses to 27.Wh6t, White is winning.

a b e d e f g h 26J:he6! fxe6 27.lLlxe6# 1-0

Essentially White won this game because he perceived the key to the position - the black bishop on e7. The exchange or removal of this bishop from its duties, defending the dark squares on the kingside, proved too much for the defence to bear.

6) Entrapping the enemy king One of the recurring themes of attacking play is when the enemy king runs out of space to manoeuvre and becomes trapped. In this situation the king enters, to use a climbing analogy, the "death zone" where the slightest setback will send it hurtling to its doom on the rocks below. This is a theme to which we'll return throughout the book, but for now it should be useful to look at the following game.

8

Zoltan Almasl - Khalifman . Alexander

Ubeda 1997

a b Wfh3"

e creates the 25... "

. ueen lung White is

Th· sweepmg q d �xg3 .

IS f El:f2! an . . . I hreat 0 ... terrib e t

both. less to prevent power

Id not save 26.Wlxd6

whh ,he king WOll 3 Wlxg3t

Trying to run � 1 �xg3! 27.hxg . her· 26.'>Yg

d . s White eIt .

� f2 e3t an wm . 28.mh l El:f2! 29. x

26 ... El:f2 ! . rook move seals the deal . Th;, allnchmg

oxf2 27 . .ixfl e3t 28. Wfd5 .bd5t 29.cxd5 30.El:fl El:f8

15

31 .""b5 Wlg4 . ou< '" ,J"m.dve W.� Kh ["fman pOinted

1 h5 ! 32.bxa6 h4. a I

h king: 3 . . . fi . h off t e to nIS 33 .gxh4 \l!if3#

IS 34 !l.4 !lhSt t 33 <;!;>h3 El: • 32.Wg2 \l!ia �xh4 Wle2 h

35J�h4 �xh4t 36. White had seen enoug . The rook is lost, so

. of how 0-1

d illustration . h

. a goo d wit

This game IS kin entrappe

. ·t is to have a g

often little d gerous I

you are .

an anoeuvre -

f m bemg to m

y ro no room

false step awa than one more mated.

Chapter 2

160 Mating Finishes

Chess players should have the ability to remember and recognize patterns and themes that repeatedly occur in practice. The more examples we see, the more ingrained these patterns will become, until eventually they are second nature. Any chance you get, you should look at chess puzzles in magazines or online, especially those with a White (or Black) to play and win motif. That's the simplest way to improve your tactical ability as well as your familiarity with patterns . Just soak up as many examples as you can, until you succeed in turning your chess brain into a well-honed, pattern-recognition machine.

In this chapter I would like to present a selection of classical patterns that relate to mating the castled king. This should improve the reader's knowledge of mating patterns no end, and even a quick glance through these examples should develop the reader's ability to replicate these examples in practical games. However, I recommend that even on completion of this book the reader should continue to improve this knowledge by accumulating as many examples as possible. Make a file called Mating the Castled King on your computer, and put in any interesting examples that you can find. Keep adding to it, and remember to look through the examples regularly.

This chapter contains 1 60 of the most common mating finishes . Of course, it isn't possible to show every possible pattern, but this selection should give the reader a good classical basis. In many ways this chapter is the most important one in the book, because if you are not aware of the basic patterns, how can you expect recognize a winning attack when you have one?

I have grouped the examples by theme, and have started each section by giving a basic pattern which is typical for that theme, followed by a selection of diagrams without comments. The reader is encouraged to decide what he would play in each position before going on to the discussion of the positions in the following pages .

Bishop Clearance The impudent cleric, who has strayed far into enemy territory, gives his life to clear the way for the heavy artillery to come in and land the killer blow.

1 .�g8t! @xg8 1 . . . iWh6 2.:§:xh6t gxh6 3 .iWh7# 2.Wfh7#

8

7

6

5

4

3

2

a b e d e f g h

Kiefer - Krumm, Germany 1 999 Vaskans - Serebriakov, Riga 1 965

CD 8 8 CD 7 7 6 6 5 5 4 4 3 3 2 2 1 1

a b c d e f g h a b c d e f g h H. Schmidt - Bergvoll, Copenhagen 2004 Schott - Cwiek, Nice 2004

CD 8 8 CD 7 7 6 6 5 5 4 4 3 3 2 2 1 1

a b c d e f g h a b c d e f g h

1 . Daniel Kiefer - Johannes Krumm

Germany 1 999

8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

a b c d e f g h What a position! Something has gone

terribly wrong with Black's early middlegame strategy, with all the white pieces occupying ideal attacking stations, and the black king ripe for the taking.

30 . .th7t! The most forcing, though White's position

is so commanding that he has a wide choice of winning moves .

The elegant retreat 30 . .te2! threatens mate on h7 as well as simply taking the h5-knight. After 30 . . . hxg5 3 1 .hxg5 .txe5 32 . .txh5 , the obvious 32 . . . .txd4? allows a beautiful finish:

a b e d e f

33 .Wi'h7t! ! <j;>xh7 34 . .txf7#

g h

30 . • . cj;>hS Black may have felt that he was covering all

his weak points, in which case the following would have come as a rude awakening.

31 ..tgS! The bishop sacrifice heralds the end, with

White now attacking the h7 -square three times.

I know some players might be tempted to play for beauty with 3 1 .Wi'g6?

8

7

6

5

4

3

2

bn"J"//n,,,,","",/=

a b e d e f g h This hopes for 3 1 . . . fxg6? 32.liJxg6#, but sadly

3 1 . . . .txg5 !-+ throws a spanner in the works.

31 . .• g6 Practically the only way of preventing mate,

but now White blows up the black kingside completely.

32 . .txf7!

8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

a b c d e f g h

Chapter 2 - Bishop Clearance 19

32 ... hxg5 32 . . . i.xeS is similar to the game: 33 .'lWxg6

and White m:ites or gains a decisive material advantage.

32 . . . i.xgS unsurprisingly does not save Black's skin either; after 33 .hxgS ! Ei:xf7 34.'lWxg6 White regains the piece with an unstoppable attack.

33.YNxg6 1-0

2. Horst Schmidt - Mats Bergvoll

Copenhagen 2004

a b e d e f g h 16.i.g5!

This unexpected blow wins by force. The idea of trapping the queen with this configuration of pieces (black queen on f6, white bishops on e4 and gS) is actually quite common. Here the queen is not completely trapped, but saving it comes at a price.

16 ... hxg5 This opens the h-file, with devastating

consequences.

Sidestepping with 1 6 . . . 'lWe6 simply loses a piece to 1 7.dS .

17.hxg5 With the h-file now prised open, mate

becomes inevitable.

17 ... lLlxd4 Desperation.

18 . .th7t @h8

8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

a b e d e f g h 19 . .tg8t! YNh6

1 9 . . . mxg8 20.'lWh7#

20.Ei:xh6t Mate follows on h7.

1-0

3. Uldis Vaskans - Alexander Serebriakov

8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

Riga 1 965

a b e d e f g h


This type of mating attack crops up time and again in the Sicilian Dragon in particular. White will offer the exchange of bishops with j,h6, and if Black declines this exchange by playing . . . j,h8 , then the possibility of White playing j,f8! presents itself; the tempo that White gains to play his queen to h6 may prove decisive.

15 .�h6! In this particular example, Black is already

hopelessly lost. He lacks the queenside counterplay to distract White from his bloodthirsty hunt of the black king.

15 ... �h8 After 1 5 . . . lLlh5 the refutation comes quickly:

1 6 .l'hh5 ! gxh5 1 7 .'lWg5+-

16.�f8! tiJxb3t 17.axb3 �xf8

4. Raimund Schott - Loic Cwiek

Nice 2004

a b e d e f g h Black may appear to have counterplay along

the c-file, but White can keep it under control.

18.�f8!! Attacking on opposite wings is all about

time. White ensures that he will remove by force the piece that is playing a crucial role in the defence of the black king - the h8-bishop.

18 .. J'!:xf8 None of the alternatives can save Black.

1 8 . . . Wxf8 loses trivially to 1 9 .1'hh8t Wg7 20 .'lWh6#.

Simply ignoring the impudent bishop won't do either: 1 8 . . . 1"!:xc3 1 9 .1"!:xh8t! Wxh8 20.'lWh6t lLlh7 2 1 .'lWg7#

The desperate attempt to stem the flood down the h-file with 1 8 . . . lLlh5 is also met with blunt force: 1 9 .1"!:xh5! gxh5 20.j,xe7 j,xc3 2 1 .bxc3 with a devastating attack on the dark squares .

19.1"!:xh8t! With the removal of this bishop, Black has

no way of defending the weakened dark squares around his king. Of course not 1 9 .'lWh6? j,g7.

Chapter 2 - Bishop Clearance 2 1

1 9 ... @xh8 20.�h6t @g8

a b e d e f g h 21.tiJd5!

The standard idea to undermine the defensive knight on f6.

Allowing Black to block the h-file with 2 1 .l"i:h 1 tLlh5 might give the defender hope, as 22 .l"i:xh5? gxh5 23 .'iWg5t is only good enough for a draw. However, even here White can win with 22.tLld5! 'iWd8 22.tLlf4! .

21 ..Jhc2t 22.@bl tiJxd5 22 . . . tLlh5 23.tLlxe7#

23J�hl l"i:xb2t!? Black is not laying down without a fight.

a b e d e f g h 24.@al!

Very sly! White has calculated the finish to perfection .

I t was still possible to go wrong: 24.Wxb2? ? 'iWc3t 25 .Wa3 'iWg7 and Black wins!

24 ... l"i:xa2t 25.@xa2 tiJc3t 25 . . . 'iWc2t 26.Wa3 ! wins.

26.@al Black has run out of checks .

1-0 It is crucial to identify Out opponent's key

defensive pieces - it is only with the removal of these pieces that the attack can break through. In this example, White removed first the darksquared bishop and then the f6-knight.

Back-rank Mate Back-rank mate is one of the first mating patterns we learn in chess: 1 .�e8t �xe8 2.�xe8#

When coaching juniors I always try to drum into them the dangers of not giving an escape route for your king. Even when there seemingly is no danger, a mating attack can strike out of nowhere, so it pays to make time for . . . h6 or . . . g6.

a b e d e f g h

Herzog - L. Kaplan, Vienna 1 994 Chigorin - Znosko-Borovsky, Kiev 1 903

0 8

CD

7 6 5 4 3 2 1

a b e d e f g h Nicevski - Magomedov, Chelyabinsk 1 99 1

8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 6

a b c d e f g h

8 7 6 5 4 3 2

a b e d e f g h

o

W. Beeker - Landenberger, Mannheim 1 990

8 CD 7 6 5 4 3 2

a b c d e f g h

Chapter 2 - Back-rank Mate 23

Nyvlt - Soucek, Hradec Kralove 1 992 Yahya - Gormally, Turin (01) 2006

CD 8 8 @) 7 7 6 6 5 5 4 4 3 3 2 2 1 L 1 T

a b c d e f g h a b c d e f g h Bacetic - Lazarevk, Cetinje 1 993 Ciocaltea - Kholmov, Dresden 1 956

® 8 8 @ 7 7 6 6 5 5 4 4 3 3 2 2 1 L 1

a b c d e f g h a b c d e f g h Bernstein - Capablanca, Moscow 1 9 1 4 Andreev - Khmelnitsky, Naberezhnye Chelny 1 988

@ 8 8 @ 7 7 6 6 5 5 4 4 3 3 2 2 1 T 1


8 7 6 5 4 3 2

5. Adolf Herzog - Lael Kaplan

Vienna 1994

a b e d e f g h

Black must have felt that his attack was succeeding, as 29.Wff2 runs into 29 . . .tDh3t. But as so often, there is a nasty sting in the tail.

29.ttJe7t @hS 30.ttJf7t! If the knight is taken, there is a back rank

mate: 30 . . . :B:xf7 3 1 .WfdSt :B:fS 32.Wfxf8# 1-0

7. Mikhail Chigorin - Eugene Znosko-Borovsky

8 7 6

Kiev 1903

Worried by the threatening knight on 5 f5 , Black has just challenged it with the unfortunate retreat 2s . . . ibb7-cS ? ? Blocking 4 the bS-rook gives White a tactical chance, 3 which he takes with both hands.

29.�xf8t! This leads directly to mate: 29 . . . <;t>xfS

30.:B:dSt WfxdS 3 1 .:B:xdS# 1-0

6. Risto Nicevski - Magaram Magomedov

8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

Chelyabinsk 199 1

a b e d e f g h

2 1

a b e d e f g h White ends the game elegantly, taking

advantage of the weak back rank:

29.ttJe7t! :gSxe7 None of the other lines can save Black either.

For example: 29 . . . :B:2xe7 30.Wfxe7! f6 3 1 .:B:dS! :B:xdS (3 1 . . . ibb5 32.WffSt! :B:xfS 33.:B:xf8#) 32.WfxdSt �f7 33 .Wfe7t <;t>gS 34.WffS#

30.:gdSt! :geS 31 .�f8t! A good example of simple but effective

calculation. 1-0


8. Wolfgang Beeker - Martin Landenberger

8 7 6 5 4 3 2

, Mannheim 1990

a b e d e f g h White has mobilized his forces to the

maximum and every one of his pieces is performing a useful role.

16.WfxfSt!! Of course not 1 6 .WxdS? ElxdS, when Black

fights on.

a b e d e f g h 16 ... WfxfS 17 • .ic5!

The point of White's sacrifice, exploiting the back rank. Such combinations are as much about using the advantage of the move as anything else.

17 .. . .ie6 Black must suffer the loss of an exchange.

If he chooses 1 7 . . . Wxc5 then he will lose his whole army: l S .EldSt WfS 1 9 .EleeS h6 20.ElxfSt �h7 2 1 .ElxcS+-

18 • .ixfS c;f;>xfS Black decided not to test White's technique.

The ending with the extra exchange is easily won. 1-0

9. Dtto Nyvlt - Miroslav Soueek

Hradec Kralove 1992

a b e d e f g h 30.Wfe7!

White is playing for mate! He has noticed the weakness of Black's back rank. This is much more effective than the mere win of a pawn by 30 .lLlhxg7, when Black can soldier on with 30 . . . We5 .

30 .. J�xdl t 3 1 .Elxdl Wfe2 A despairing final lunge.

32.WfxfSt! Mate next move.

1-0


10. Nikola Bacetic - Aleksandar Lazarevic

8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

Cetinje 1993

a b e d e f g h Sometimes the threat to give mate on the

back rank can be veiled.

20.b5 axb5?? Black decides to meet the positional threat

of b5-b6, bur unfortunately he simply misses that he is threatened with something far more devastating.

20 . . . i.h3 was called for, allowing the a8-rook to participate in the defence of the back rank.

8

7

6

5

4

3

2

,,=,/,''''''--

1""""-""·,,,

a b c d e f g h However, White is still doing well after

2 1 .i.d5 ! , combining the defence of the g2-pawn with increasing the pressure on the black queen side. Play could continue 2 1 . . .:!'hd8

22.i.xb7! Eld7 23.Wxf8t! �xf8 24.i.a3t Eld6 25 .i.c6 f5 26.Ele8t WO 27.Elae 1 and White's attack is decisive.

21 .Wxf8t! Snap mates are always the best: 2 1 . . . Wxf8

22 .i.a3t �g8 23 .Ele8# 1-0

1 1 . Ossip Bemstein - Jose Raw Capablanca

Moscow 19 14

a b e d e f g h The theme of the weakness of the back rank

was brilliantly exploited in this finish which has gone down in the annals of chess history.

27 ... llJxc3 28Jhc3 �xc3 29.�xc3 Is there a way for Black to take advantage of

White's weak back rank?

8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

a b e d e f g h


29 .. . �b2!! The greats like Capablanca make chess look

so easy. This b'rilliant shot decisively overloads the white queen, and Black wins after 30 .Ek2 �b l t 3 1 .Wfl Wxc2 or 30.We l Wxc3! 3 1 .Wxc3 :!'i:d l t 32.We 1 :!'i:xe 1#.

Note that 29 . . . Wb l t? 30.Wfl :!'i:d l ?? would be no good as 3 1 .:!'i:c8 t reminds Black of his own back-rank problems. 0-1

12. Mohamed Saleh Yahya - Danny Gormally

Turin (01) 2006

a b e d e f g h I played 27 . . . :!'i:xe l t? 28 .:!'i:xe 1 :!'i:xe l t 29 .Wxe l

Wa l 30.Wxa l j,xa l and went on to win this endgame. However, I missed the chance to win on the spot with the beautiful:

27 .. . �c2!! My England teammate, Nigel Short,

brought this to my attention after the game. White is defenceless , as either capture of the queen allows 28 . . . :!'i:xe l t with mate next move.

Incidentally 27 . . . Wa2! , though perhaps not quite as beautiful, is also good enough to win.

13. Victor Ciocaltea - Ratmir Kholmov

8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

Dresden 1956

a b e d e f g h

33.E:e8! With the obvious threat of 34.:!'i:xf8t

�xf8 35 .We8#. Often such threat of a backrank mate will force the opponent to make concessions - and give us time to create additional threats .

33 ... g6 Desperately trying to open up some

breathing space for the black king.

33 . . . Wd6 At first sight this looks like a reasonable alternative, but White can continue to pile on the pressure with:

34.:!'i:d l ! Wc5

8

7

6

5

4

3

2

a b e d e f g h


35 .E.I:d7! White threatens to win material with 36.E.I:xfSt 'lMrxfS 37.'lMrd l . Note that the immediate 35 .E.I:ddS? would be a blunder because of 35 . . . E.I:b l t 36.�h2 'lMrclt.

35 . . . E.I:b l t Neither 35 . . . E.I:c3 36.'lMre 1 ! E.I:c 1 37.E.I:xfSt nor 35 . . . E.I:xeS 36.'lMrxeSt 'lMrfS 37.E.I:dS offer Black any hope.

36.�h2 h6

a b e d e f g h 37.f6!

Stopping Black from defending the f7 -pawn by . . . 'lMrf5 .

37 . . . gxf6 3S .'lMra2 White wins, as he threatens 'lMrxf7t as well

as the rook.

34.'Wc4! 'Wc3! Forced, as everything else loses on the spot.

For example, 34 . . . E.I:c3 35 .'lMrxb4 and a rook will fall.

34 . . . E.I:b2 35 .'lMrc5! 'lMrg7 36.f6 'lMrh6 37.'lMrcS! is also completely hopeless.

35.'Wh4!

a b e d e f g h White threatens 36.E.I:xfSt 'tt>xfS 37.'lMrh6t

'lMrg7 3S .E.I:eSt+-.

Of course, when you have the initiative it's important not to agree to any premature exchanges and to continue to play as directly and aggressively as possible. Black has no realistic hope, with his rook stuck on b3 and the queen also out of the game on c3, of coordinating his forces to defend against the looming attack.

35 ... 'Wc5 35 . . . E.I:xeS 36.E.I:xeSt �g7 37.f6t! 'lMrxf6

3S .E.I:gSt is a neat point.

36.'Wd8! gxf5 36 . . . E.I:xeS 37.E.I:xeSt �g7 3S .E.I:gSt 'tt>h6

39 .'lMrh4#

37JhfSt 'Wxf8 38J�e8 'Wxe8 39.'Wxe8t �g7 40.'Wa4 �bl t 41 .�h2 b3 42.'Wxa6

White will win the b-pawn by force, after which the game is an easy technical win. 1-0

14. Afrikan Andreev - Igor Khmelnitsky

Naberezhnye Chelny 1 9,88

l .e4 liJf6 2.e5 liJd5 3.c4 liJb6 4.d4 d6 5.f4


dxe5 6.fxe5 lLlc6 7.i.e3 i.f5 8.lLlc3 e6 9.lLlO i.g4 10.�d2 i.e7 1 1 .0-0-0 �d7 12.h3 i.f5 13.d5!

a b e d e f g h This advance is positionally well motivated,

but it needs to be followed up correctly, something that White utterly fails to do in this game. The bishop on f5 is a very dangerous piece, casting a laser-like glare towards the enemy majesty, and the seemingly calm situation is liable to explode into violence on the slightest mistake.

13 ... lLla5!

Awakening the sleeping giant on a8 .

15.�f4 Seemingly threatening to take on e6, but

Black ignores this threat.

15 .. . i.b4!

8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

a b e d e f g h 16.dxe6??

White has a complete breakdown in his calculation and opens the d-file, ensuring there is no escape route for his king. The finish is quick.

Excellent! Black immediately begins 16 • • • lLlb3t! focusing on the Achilles' heel in the white Opening up the path for the rook. armour, the c4-point. In his attempts to cover this weakness, White ends up creating a much 17.a:xb3 E!a1t 18.liJbl E!xbl# worse one . . .

14.i.xb6? A really bad idea. White must have thought

that the following line was in his favour, but when playing forcing lines you have to be very careful that you have worked everything out precisely, which wasn't the case here.

14 .1Mfd4! would directly cover the c4-pawn and allow White to keep an opening edge.

14 . • • a:xb6

8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

a b e d e f g h

Bishop and Knight One of the most difficult mates for the amateur player to master is the endgame with bishop and knight against a bare king. (I consider myself lucky that I 've never had to demonstrate how to win this in a practical game - I 'm convinced it would be an embarrassing experience.) In the middlegame, though, the bishop and knight often work beautifully well together and may sometimes deliver a snap mate, as in this example: l .lLlfSt @g8 2.lLlh6#

8

7

6

5

4

3

2

a b e d e f g h

Kalix - Zunker, Germany 1 994 Letreguilly - Frat, Reunion 2004

@ 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

a b e d e f g h Cramer - Zilverberg, Leeuwarden 1 992

@ 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

a b e d e f g h

8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

a b e d e f g h Neumann - Hernandez Onna, Dresden 1969

8 @ 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 !:::.

a b c d e f g h

7 6 5 4 3

@8

Chapter 2 - Bishop and Knight 31

Lichman - Solonar, Willingen 200 1 Smetana - Pad, Havirov 1 97 1

a b e d e f g h Kuijf - Hodgson, Wijk aan Zee 1 989

a b e d e f g h

8 @ 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

a b e d e f g h Tsvetkov - Pyatirichenko, Kiev 1 999

8 @ 7 6 5 4 3 2

8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

a b e d e f g h Brady - O'Brien, Dublin 1 992

a b e d e f g h


15. Wolfgang Kalix - Michael Zunker

Germany 1 994

a b e d e f g h A typical Maroczy Bind type of position.

Black has unwisely moved his knight to g4, opening up the long diagonal for the sleeping giant on b2. How does White take advantage of this?

18.lLlf5!! Forcing mate.

18 .. . tiJxh6 l S . . . �f6 1 9 .�xf6 only delays the mate by

one move.

19.tiJxh6#

8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

a b e d e f g h

16. Adrienne Cramer - Paul Zilverberg

8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

Leeuwarden 1 992

a b e d e f g h White has a beautifully developed position,

and is threatening to open further avenues of attack with h4-h5 etc. Black by contrast has rather retarded development, with his queenside pieces casting a particularly sorry impression. However, that's not an excuse to lose in rwo more moves . . .

15 ... i.g7?? A terrible blunder, walking straight into a

cute combination.

Disaster could have been averted if Black had found 1 5 . . J';1eS ! , which would have prepared the idea of playing . . . �g7 by giving the king an additional retreat square on fS . It's always important to give your king as much space as possible!

16.'Wxg7t!! It's important to be alive to combinations like

this. This is why learning different patterns is so important, because if we know the patterns involved, it becomes much easier to reproduce them in an actual game.

16 .. . i>xg7 17.tiJf5t i>g8 18.tiJh6#

17. Olivier Letreguilly - Jean Frat

, Reunion 2004

a b e d e f g h 26.'?Nxf5t!!

White is tactically on the ball and spots the hidden mate.

26 ... exf5 After 26 . . . tt:lf6, White has many ways to win,

for example 27.tt:lg6t <±>gB 2B .�c4 or 27.exf6! ? exf5 2B .tt:lg6t \t>gB 29.f7t.

27.tDg6t @g8 28.�e4t �e6 29.he6t

8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

a b e d e f g h 29 ... '?Nf7 30.Lf7#

The black king has been utterly strangulated.

18. Abraham Neumann -Roman Hemandez Onna

Dresden 1 969

The following game caught my attention. It is a good example of how two bishops and a knight can combine to deliver mate.

l .e4 e5 2.tDa tDe6 3.d4 cxd4 4.tDxd4 e6 5.tDc3 '?Ne7 6.�e3 a6 7.�e2 llJf6 8.0-0 d6 9.f4 �d7 10.'?Nel b5 1 1 .a3 �e7 12.'?Ng3 0-0 13.:B:adl tDxd4 14.hd4 �e6 1 5.e5 dxe5 16.he5 '?Nb6t 17.@hl a5 18.�d3 b4 19.tDe4!

Taking advantage of the fact that the black knight on f6 is pinned, due to the threat of mate on g7.

8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

a b e d e f g h 19 ... tDh5?!

It's dangerous to leave the knight on e4 unmolested.

1 9 . . . �xe4! would have removed a lot of the poison from the position, and after 20.�xe4 :gadB prospects are roughly equal .

20.'?Nh3! g6 21 .axb4 axb4 22.tDg5 Creating a rather large threat, which Black

completely overlooks.

a b e d e f g h 22 .. . �b5??

A real lemon. Black loses the game because he fails to find the right idea - the white knight must be removed at any cost! To that end, 22 . . . il,xg5! demands to be played. Although this weakens the dark squares, after 23 .fXg5 :ga5! White does not have any obvious way of getting to them.

23.VNxh5! A lovely finish: 23 . . . gxh5 24.il,xh7#

1-0

19. Peter Lichman - Stefan Solonar

Willingen 200 1

a b e d e f g h

White has a choice of knight retreats. Which would you choose?

21 .ll.)f3? Going the wrong way! The knight was

urgently needed as a defender on the queenside. Despite the dangerous-looking open b-file leading to his king, White would not have been too badly placed ifhe had found 2 1 .ttJc2! :gabS! 22 .ttJb4 with unclear play.

21 .. .�f5t Now the a5-knight comes into its own.

22.@c1 22.<;t>al is rapidly mated: 22 . . . ttJb3t 23.axb3

Wia5#

22.il,d3 loses in trivial fashion to 22 . . . e4 .

8 7 6 5 4 3 2

a b e d e f g h Now a rook to the b-file would be good

enough, but Black found a move that won on the spot.

22 ... VNb3! White is mated after 23.axb3 ttJb3#, and

otherwise 23 . . . Wixa2 is crushing. 0-1


8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

20. Marinus Kuijf - Julian Hodgson

,Wijk aan Zee 1989

a b e d e f g h Any kind of weakness on the queenside can

lead to defensive problems, as shown here by Julian Hodgson, a real attacking maestro in his day.

16 ... VNb3! Doubtless this came as a real shock to his

opponent. It turns out that the strength of the bishop on the g6-b l diagonal renders White completely helpless .

Black even had an alternative way to smash through the defences: 1 6 .. .1''1:xe2! 1 7.Wfxe2 ( l 7 .Wfxb4? 'Sc2#) 1 7 .. .ltJc5 Black threatens . . . tiJab3t followed by mate, and 1 8 .'Sd2 tiJxc4 is quite hopeless for White.

17 . .id3 White loses in all variations :

1 7 .tiJc3 is met brutally by 1 7 . . . Wfxa2! 1 8 .tiJxa2 tiJb3#.

1 7.tiJa3 covers the c2-square and threatens to take the a5-knight, but even here Black wins by force: 1 7 . . . Wfxa2 1 8 .Wfxa5 'Sxe2! and there is no defence.

17 .. . VNxa2 18.VNb4

8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

a b e d e f g h White may have thought he was escaping

from the mating net, but Hodgson ruthlessly shatters these hopes .

18 .•. 'Se2! This neat tactic overloads the d3-bishop and

leads to the win of the queen.

19.he2 lLlb3t 20.VNxb3 VNxb3 21 .�d2 VNe3 0-1

21 . Devaki Prasad - Thandalam Ravi

India 1 99 1

l .e4 c6 2.d4 d5 3.e5 .if5 4.lLlc3 e6 5.g4 .ig6


A very sharp line of the advance Caro-Kann has arisen. Every move takes on much greater significance than in more sedate lines, as the slightest misstep can cost either side dearly. Personally I 'm not a great fan of this line from White's point of view - to fight for an advantage he has to thrust all his pawns up the board at a very early stage, something I 'm loath to do.

6.lLlge2 c5 7.h4 h6 8 . .ie3 Wfb6 9.f4 llJc6 10.£5

White throws caution to the wind, but the drawback of all these pawn moves is that they leave a lot of empty space in his position. It's a bit like a football match - you send all your forwards up front at the first opportunity and as a consequence you get hit on the break!

8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

a b e d e f g h 10 .. . .ih7 I 1 .Wfd2 0-0-0

1 1 . . .'IMi'xb2 1 2 .E!:b 1 'lMi'a3 1 3 .E!:xb7 is not a good idea; the white rook is in too active a position.

12.0-0-0 c4! The exclamation mark is for the strategical

boldness of Black's decision. A lot of players would prefer to keep the tension in the centre, but Black is clearly announcing that he wishes to close the position and aim for a direct attack on the queenside. The battle lines have been drawn!

8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

a b e d e f g h 13.llJf4 Wfa6?!

With accurate play by White, this attack on the queenside should not really succeed. Fortunately for Black, in this game such accuracy is not forthcoming . . .

14.fxe6 llJb4 15.exf7 llJe7 16.a3 The first part of a horribly misguided plan.

The big problem is that this weakens the b3-square. Just one weakness can be enough to mate a castled king!

White would have retained a big, possibly decisive attack if instead of weakening his queenside, he had calmly developed: 1 6.ig2! The point is that now 1 6 . . . ixc2 can now be met by 1 7.a3! ixd 1 1 8 .'IMi'xd 1 , which favours White.

16 .. . lLlxc2

a b e d e f g h

17.g5?? A real disaster, completely overlooking the

reply which ends the game immediately. There was still a chance to avoid a complete

debacle: 1 7 .Wf2! would vacate an important square for the white king and retain the advantage.

17 ... c!tJa1! Mate or loss of the queen will soon follow.

0-1

22. Jaroslav Smetana -Vadav Pad

8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

Havirov 197 1

a b e d e f g h Black has emerged from the opening

excellently placed and now seizes his chance to go on the offensive.

13 ... c!tJb4! There is no way to defend the c-pawn!

White's game now goes downhill quickly.

14.a3 c!tJxc2 15.c!tJg3? A last mistake, though it was pretty bad in

any case. White is hoping to trap the knight on c2, bur there is a nasty surprise in store . . .

15 ... c!tJal! 0-1

23. Oleg Tsvetkov - A. Pyatirichenko

8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

Kiev 1999

a b e d e f g h It's amazing how often weakening the b3-

square comes back to haunt White. In this position White makes a horribly overoptimistic decision that backfires completely.

14.a3? Completely overestimating his position. This

often happens - you labour under the delusion that you stand much better, and so find some unfortunate plan to "justifY" that belief.

1 4 .dxe5 ? ? is even worse, offering Black a choice of mates in two: 1 4 . . . Wxd l t ! 1 5 .lLl xd l li:Jxa2# or 1 4 . . . li:Jxa2t! 1 5 .li:Jxd l Wxd l #.

To avoid these d-file disasters, White would have been strongly advised to block this file permanently with 1 4 .d5 ! . White creates threats of his own with Wa7 etc . , and Black must react resolutely: 1 4 . . . li:Jxa2t ! 1 5 .li:Jxa2 Wa4 1 6 .i.d3 i.xd3 1 7.Wxd3 Wxa2 1 8 .<j;lc2 Wa4t 1 9 .�b l i.c5 The position is pretty comfortable for Black, but at least White is still in the game.

14 ... c!tJc2! No going back.

15 .We2


1 5 .ttJd5 ttJxe3 1 6 .ttJb6t r;i]c7 1 7.ttJxd7 ttJxd l is no help.

IS ... ttJal! Yet again White has managed to overlook

this move. It shows how dangerous it is to allow a knight anywhere near your king.

I should point out that Black had another good option in 1 5 . . . g6! intending . . . �h6t. If White replies 1 6.'lMrd2, then 1 6 . . . ttJa l ! is even stronger than in the game.

8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

a b e d e f g h 16.'tt>dl?

White panics completely. This certainly avoids the immediate mate, but it turns out that the cure is almost as bad as the disease.

1 6.ttJe4 ttJb3t 1 7.r;i]b l ttJc5 ! ! 1 8 .ttJfd2 'lMrxd4 is also disastrous.

However, with a simple retreat of his knight White could have minimized the damage: 1 6 .ttJd2 'lMrxd4 1 7.ttJde4 ttJb3t 1 8 .�c2 'lMrxdl t! 1 9 .'lMrxd l !!xd l 20.�xd l ttJc5 Black has a good edge in the endgame, but the game is not over yet.

16 ... exd4 The white position has turned into a disaster

zone.

17J!xal dxc3t 18.'tt>xc3 ics 19.'lMrdl 'lMra4 20.b3 ib4t!

8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

a b e d e f g h 21 .'tt>b2

2 1 .axb4 '1Mrxa l t 22.'lMrb2 axb4t picks up the queen.

21 .. .!!xdlt 22.ttJxdl Wfd7 White could easily have thrown in the towel

at this point.

23.ttJf3 ics 24.ie2 id4t 2S.'tt>a2 ixal 26.!!xal ge8 27.gdl gxe2t 0-1

8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

24. Stephen Brady - Michael O'Brien

Dublin 1992

a b e d e f g h

Chapter 2 - Bishop and Knight

16.�bl This sneaky move contains a diabolical trap,

which Black walks straight into.

16 ... ie7?? 17.tiJb5! The trap is sprung!

17 ... b6 A horrible move to have to make, but there

was little choice. None of the alternatives offer much hope: 1 7 . . .'IWa4 1 8 .b3! or 1 7 . . .'IWb6 1 8 .�c7 or 17 . . . 'lWxd2 1 8 .tt:lxa7#.

18.tiJd6t! ixd6 19.ixd6

8 7 6 5 4 3 2

a b e d e f g h 19 ... �xd2

Losing on the spot.

19 . . . <;t>b7 would avoid mate but drop the queen to 2o .ib4 'lWa4 2 1 .b3.

20.ia6#

39

Breakthrough on the g-file � A queen and knight make a very powerful combination; a queen, knight and bishop are deadlier still. Here we see what can happen if the g7 -square is not adequately defended: l .hg7! hg7 2.<�f5 A nasty two-punch combo! Mate follows.

a b e d e f g h

Mubayiwa - Mgijima, Maputo 1 996 Soltis - D. Gurevich, Lone Pine 1 98 1

@ 8 8 ® 7 7 6 6 5 5 4 4 3 3 2 2 1 6. 1 6.

a b c d e f g h a b c d e f g h Luukkonen - Vallas, Kokkola 2003 Ehlvest - Andersson, Belfort 1 988

@ 8 8 @ 7 7 6 6 5 5 4 4 3 3 2 2 1 1 6.

Chapter 2 - Breakthrough on the g-file 4 1

Kubicka - Zawadzka, Straszecin 1 999

Wade - Burstein, Munich 1 954

a b e d e f g h

Casafus - G. Mendez, Buenos Aires 1 993

8 7 6 5 4 3

1

8 7 6 5 4 3

1

8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

6 a b c d e f g h

Vulevic - Kunz, Pizol 1 998

®

6 a b c d e f g h

M. Gurevich - Suba, Murcia 1 990

@

a b c d e f g h


25. Brute Mubayiwa - Andrew Mgijima

8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

Maputo 1 996

a b e d e f g h 18.�g4!?

This is White's best chance, aiming to use the tempo gained by threatening the e4-bishop to set up an attack on the g7 -pawn.

18 .. . .ib7?? Black carelessly falls in with White's plans .

Defending the bishop with I S . . . d5 is correct. The important point is that this clears the 6th rank so that 1 9 .j,h6? would fail to 1 9 . . . Wb6t.

19 . .ih6! .if6 1 9 . . . g6 20.fXg6 also leads to mate.

a b e d e f g h

20.,ixg7! The f-pawn will finish the job: 20 . . . j,xg7

2 1 .f6 and Black must give up his queen. 1-0

8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

26. Tommi Luukkonen - Pekka Vallas

Kokkola 2003

a b e d e f g h What I find most impressive about White's

play from this position is how quickly he scores a knockout attack.

16.�g4! Immediately eyeing up the g7 -square. With

his queen stranded on b5 , Black already lacks a satisfactory defence.

16 .. . .ixd5 1 6 . . . g6 enables White to break through by

simple and straightforward means: 1 7.fXg6 hxg6 I S .Wxg6t decisively utilizes the mighty cleric on d5 .

16 . . . mhS 1 7 .lt:lh5 g6 also allows White to break through: I S .fXg6 hxg6 ( l S . . . fXg6 1 9 .j,h6!+-)

Chapter 2 - Breakthrough on the g-file 43

a b e d e f g h 1 9 .�g5 ! �xg5 20.Wxg5 gxh5 2 1 .1"1n lLld7 22.Wh6t Wg8 23.1"1f5 and Black is helpless against the coming 1"1g5#.

17.ih6! This clever intermezzo proves to be decisive.

17 ••• if6 Black allows a quick finish. The alternative

was to try and hang on to a miserable position an exchange down after 1 7 . . . g6 1 8 .ixf8 �xf8 1 9 .exd5.

a b e d e f g h 18.ixg7! ixg7 19.tiJh5 1-0

8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

27. Andrew Soltis - Dmitry Gurevich

Lone Pine 198 1

a b e d e f g h White has got himself into desperate trouble

on the queenside, and now plays his last remaining trump - the hope of a snap kingside attack.

17.'%Vh5! bxc3?? Black falls into the trap of believing that

White doesn't have any real threats .

1 7 . . . e5 ! would have prevented White's counterplay and won easily.

18.'%Vh6!

8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

a b e d e f g h


Now the tables are turned completely and it is White who is winning. Quite simply, all the tactics work in his favour. Gurevich must have missed this idea completely.

18 .. . eS 1 8 . . . gxh6 1 9 .9xh6t �g5t 20.�xg5# is the

main idea.

1 8 . . . f6 1 9 .9xf6 does not help Black either, for example: 1 9 . . . �xf6 20.�xg7t �xg7 2 1 .iWxg7#

19.heS! The unfortunate position of his queen on c6

is fatal for Black.

19 ... dxeS 20."\Wxc6 cxb2t 21 . c;i>xb2 .ie6 22.Yfic7 1-0

8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

28. Jaan Ehlvest - Ulf Andersson

Belfort 1988

a b e d e f g h The strong Estonian grandmaster Jaan

Ehlvest demonstrates the dangers of a breakthrough on the g-file, inflicting a quick defeat on the likeable Swedish grandmaster, Ulf Andersson, who was usually so hard to beat.

17.�g2! Yfib7 Black only hope is to try to counterattack

along the b-file.

18.�xg7t c;i>h8

a b e d e f g h 19.9g8t!

White sacrifices the rook to ensure that his capture of the bishop comes with discovered check. Neither way of taking the rook offers any hope: 1 9 . . . �xg8 20.fXe7t f6 2 1 .iWxf6t �g7 22.iWf8t �xf8 23.exf8=iWt �g8 24.�d4t e5 25 .�xe5# or 1 9 . . . �xg8 20.�gl t �h8 2 1 .fXe7t f6 22.exf8=iWt �xf8 23 .iWxc3 with an easy win for White. 1-0

29. Iwona Kubicka - Jolanta Zawadzka

8 7 6 5 4 3 2

Straszecin 1999

10.0-0?! White "castles into it" . When Black is so

clearly primed for an attack, it is hardly a wise idea to move the king into the danger zone.

1 0 .�xh3 'IW xh3 1 1 . 'IW c2, preparing to evacuate the king to the queenside, is much more sensible.

10 ... h4! Of course.

1 1 .11Jxh4?? This move simply isn't possible here.

It is better to cover the d4-square with: I I .e3! hxg3 1 2 .fXg3! (of course not 1 2 .hxg3? ? �xg2 1 3 .�xg2 'lWh3t followed by mate) 1 2 . . . �xg2 1 3 .�xg2 'lWh3t 1 4 .<;t>gl Although Black retains an attack, no immediate breakthrough is evident, and White is ready to improve her defensive chances with 'lWe l -e2

1 1 ... �xh4! When trying to break down a kingside

fianchetto, such an exchange sacrifice is often a key component.

12.gxh4 'lWg4 13.11Je4 'lWxg2#

8 7 6 5 4 3 2

30. Robert Wade - Sylvain Burstein

Munich 1 954

a b e d e f g h

17.i.h6! Black is already helpless. He has no

counterplay at all on the queenside to try and distract White from the coming onslaught.

17 ... �fd8 1 7 . . . �xh6 1 8 .'lWxh6 lZlf6 is no better: 1 9 .94!

�h8 20.g5 lZlh5

a b e d e f g h 2 1 .�xh5 ! As Fischer would say, White's attack plays itself. 2 1 . . . gxh5 22.'lWf6t <;t>g8 23.g6! and White wins.

18.�xh5! 1 8 . . . gxh5 1 9 .'lWg5 and mate follows.

1-0 This idea of sacrificing the h-rook for the

blockading knight comes up most often in opening like the Pirc and Sicilian Dragon, where White's strategy tends to be clear - open the h-file with h4-h5-hxg6, then play �h6 and exchange bishops, followed by 'lWh6 with a mating attack. To block the attack along h-file, Black will often try to post a knight on h5 , and that's when this sacrifice becomes possible.


31 . Hans Johner - Stephen Smith

Paris (ol) 1 924

a b e d e f g h A timely pawn breakthrough supplies the

straw that breaks the camel's back.

34.g6! �xf6 34 . . . fxg6 also leads to forced mate: 35 .�xg6t

'lWxg6 36.'lWf8t 'lWg8 37.E!:xg8#

35.g7t 1-0

32. Ruben Casafus - Gustavo Mendez

8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

Buenos Aires 1 993

a b e d e f g h

White is the exchange to the good and easily winning. However, as we have discussed before, the key when you have a material advantage is not to try to protect your advantage passively, but to play with suitable aggression.

27.g4! V!ie7 28.V!ih6t �h8 29.g5 �h5 It might seem that Black has everything

covered defensively, but in fact White has calculated it all to perfection and now finishes the game off with two quick tactical strokes.

a b e d e f g h 30J:hh5! gxh5 31 .g6!

White wins the queen or mates, for example: 3 1 . . . f5 32 .�f7t cj;Jg8 33 .'lWxh7t cj;Jf8 34.'lWh8# 1-0

33. Vjekoslav Vulevic - Hans Kunz

Pizol 1 998

a b e d e f g h


Black might have been hoping that his advanced d-pawn would provide compensation, but White does not let it distract him from the attack.

32.lLle5! .ixh5 32 . . . d2 33.lLlxg6t fxg6 34.f7t is mate next

move.

33.g6!! Surely this move should not be possible

- after all , Black is defending this square four times! But whichever way he chooses to capture this impudent invader, Black is utterly helpless.

a b e d e f g h

33 ... .ixg6 There is nothing better.

33 . . . l::1xg6 34.�f8t delivers mate next move.

33 . . . fxg6 34.f7! unleashes the devastating potential of the slumbering cleric on b2.

34. lLl xg6t 34.l::1xg6 is also decisive.

34 ... fxg6 35.f7t l::1d4 36.f8=VN d2

8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

a b e d e f g h 37.VNf3

Surprisingly missing 37.�hg7#.

37 .. J�g7 1-0

34. Mikhail Gurevich - Mihai Suba

8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

Murcia 1990

a b e d e f g h 19 .. J�xh4!

This breaks White's attempted blockade on the kingside.

20.gxh4 .ih6! This bishop is so strong that White must

return at least the exchange.


21 .e3 The feeble attempt to hold onto the extra

material with 2 1 .2"i:al would see Black quickly break through on the g-file: 2 1 . . .�e3t 22 .l2lf2

a b e d e f g h 22 . . . g3 ! 23 .hxg3 Wg4 with a murderous attack.

21 .. .tiJxe3 The simple 2 1 . . .�xe3t 22.2"i:xe3 l2lxe3 was

also strong.

22.�d2 �xd3 23.�fl? White had to exchange queens, although

23.Wxd3 2"i:xd3 24.l2lxf6 2"i:xb3 gives Black good compensation for the exchange. White's main problem is how bad his king is - utterly immobilized by the black pieces .

8 7 6 5 4 3 2

a b e d e f g h

23 .. . tiJdl ! 24.2"i:cxdl �xdl 25.tiJxf6 25 .2"i:xd l allows a quick mate: 25 . . . 2"i:xd l t

26.We l �e3t! 27.l2lf2 2"i:xe l#

25 .. . 2"i:d2! 26.hc6 White still has no good way to capture

the black queen, for example: 26.Wf5t �b8 27.2"i:xd l �e3t! and Black mates next move.

26 .. . 2"i:xfl 27.2"i:xdl 27 .. . .te3! The exchange of queens has not diminished

the attack; Black threatens . . . 2"i:f1 mate.

28.c;!?hl bxc6 29.2"i:gl

a b e d e f g h 29 ... .tg2t!

Black has used several mating ideas in a single game - very impressive!

30.2"i:xg2 2"i:f1t 31 .2"i:gl 2"i:xgl# A fine attack by Suba, especially when you

consider that this was a rapid game.

--- -- -- - --

Breakthrough on the b-file : 'uuuF�m�

Often a knight can be sacrificed to open up the b-file. This is a typical case:

1 .. .lLlc3t! 2.bxc3 2.<;t>a1 lLlxd1-+ 2 ... bxc3t 3.'it>al Wib2#

6

5

4

3

a b e d e f g h

@ 8 7 6 5 4 3 2

Figler - Kirpichnikov, Moscow 1 966

a b e d e f g h P. Brown - O'Donnell, Vancouver 1 989

@ 8 7 6 5 4 3 2

a b e d e f g h

Gi. Hernandez - Movsziszian, Cala Galdana 1 999

a b e d e f g h Hebden - Gormally, Helensburgh 20 1 3

8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

a b e d e f g h

®


35. IIya Figler -Vladimir Kirpichnikov

8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

Moscow 1 966

a b e d e f g h 22 . . . ltJc3t! 23.bxc3?

The equivalent of putting your head into the lion's jaws.

The less materialistic 23 .ttJxc3! would have led to an ugly endgame for White, but this was the only way to avoid immediate loss : 23 . . . bxc3 24.b3 'Mra3 25 .'Mrc l 'Mrxc l t 26.'�xc l :!%xfl t 27.:!%xfl :!%bH

23 . . . bxc3t Now the attack is just too strong.

24.�cl �xa2 25.�dl 25 .ttJxc3 loses material to 25 . . . :!%xfl t

26.:!%xfl 'Mra l t .

25 . . . :!%bl t 26.ltJcl

8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

a b e d e f g h

26 . . JUb8! The star move, which needed to be seen

in advance. Black now has a threat of taking the c l -knight, gaining a decisive material advantage.

27.�e2 �xc2t 28.�f3 E:lb2 This is good enough to win, as the white

king is too exposed to survive in any case. However, 28 . . . :!%f8t ! was even quicker: 29.Wg4 :!%b4t 30.�h3

a b e d e f g h 30 . . . g4t! 3 1 .�h4 :!%xfl terminates proceedings .

29.E:fgl E:ffit 30.�g4 E:b4t 31 .�h3 g4t 32.�h4 E:rz

The breakthrough on the b-file has led to the king perishing on the h-file. 0-1

36. Paul Brown - Tom O'Donnell

Vancouver 1 989

Chapter 2 - Breakthrough on the b-file 5 1

19 . . . liJc3t! Once again, this is the key move.

20.liJxc3 bxc3 21 .e6t �c7 22.b3 �b6 23.'iNcl �a6 24.a3

8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

a b c d e f g h 24 .. . �b8!

24 . . . 1Mrxa3 ? 25 .1Mrxa3 �xa3 26 .lLlf4 a5? backfires rather badly after 27.lLle2! a4 28.lLlxc3! �b8 29 .�b2 and the rook is trapped. Instead of this, Black sensibly just cranks up the pressure.

8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 ��OD

a b e d e f g h 27 .. . liJd4

the passed e-pawn. It would have been more accurate to go for the breakthrough with 27 .. .1'hb6! 28 .1'hf6 1"i:xb3t! 29 .cxb3 1"i:xb3t 30.�c2 1"i:xa3 and the white king is defenceless.

28.liJxd4 The immediate 28 .e7 would allow Black to

break through in style:

a b e d e f g h 28 . . . lLlxb3! 29 .cxb3 1"i:xb3t 30.�c2 1"i:ab6! 3 1 . e8 =1Mr 1"i:b2t 32.1Mrxb2 1"i:xb2t 33 .�cl 1Mrxa3 34.1Mre7t �c8 35 .1Mre8t �b7 36.1Mrdlt 'kt>a6 and mate is looming.

28 . . . cxd4 29.�a2?! Black had to be distracted from his queenside

attack at any cost. To that end, 29.e7! was the only way to set Black any practical problems, even if it turns out he is winning in any case after the accurate:

a b e d e f g h The knight was doing a good job watching 29 . . . 1Mrb6! White is defenceless, for instance:

a) 30.e8=W 8:xb3t leads to mate. Creating a deadly threat of . . . 8:a4! which

b) After 30. cj;>a2 i>d7! Black has the decisive threats of . . . 8:ba5 and . . . 8:xa3t

c) 30.8:f2 sets the trap: 30 . . . 8:xb3t?? 3 1 .cxb3 Wxb3t 32.8:b2! and White wins. However, simply 30 . . . i>d7! is again winning.

29 .•• VNb4! The c3-pawn effectively suffocates the white

king. 0-1

37. Gilberto Hemandez - Karen Movsziszian

8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

Cala Galdana 1 999

a b e d e f g h 18 . . . tiJc3t!

White has failed to make any progress in his attack and now Black takes over the initiative. The knight is given up to create an eternally poisonous attacking unit on c3 . Although Black's attack is not yet decisive, it is extremely unpleasant for White to face.

19.tiJxc3 The alternative 1 9 . bxc3 loses on the spot:

1 9 . . . bxc3t 20.i>al Wb4! is game over.

19 . . . bxc3 20.b3 8:b4!

would force White to open the b-file.

21 .<.tal 2 1 . We 1 does not address Black's threat:

2 1 . . .8:a4! 22.bxa4 Wb4t leads to mate.

21 . . . tiJeS! Cranking up the pressure and giving White

a difficult choice.

22.8:h3? The rook looks horribly awkward here.

Generally speaking, moves that look bad are

bad, and that is certainly the case here. This strange rook manoeuvre telegraphs an attack against h7 - Black may not have had any intentions of castling before, but he certainly has none now!

It is surprising that White did not find the natural 22.8:ffl ! . With this sword of Damocles hanging over his head, it is surely an important defensive requirement to reinforce the defence of his back rank, a point that becomes important in a few moves. 22 .. .tt:Jc6 23.f6 exf6 24.We l ! and matters remain unclear.

22 . . . tiJxd3! Simple chess is often the best.

23.8:xd3 23.cxd3 c2 24.8:c l 8:xd4! 25 .�xd4 allows an

elegant finish:

a b e d e f g h

Chapter 2 - Breakthrough on the b-file 53

25 . . :�c3t! shows the additional attacking right frame of mind for finding the following benefits of the c-pawn. breakthrough.

23 . • . '!Wa3 24J3xc3 17 . • . tLlc4!

a b e d e f g h 24 .. .1:hd4!

A lovely finishing touch. White is mated after 25 .�xd4 Wfc 1# or 25 .Wfe 1 %'Id l t! 26.Wfxd l �xc3t 27.<;ilbl Wfb2#. 0-1

8 7 6 5 4 3 2

38. Mark Hebden - Danny Gormally

Helensburgh 20 1 3

a b e d e f g h

Opening the b-file will be crushing.

18.'!Wd3 Accepting the knight allows Black a mating

attack: l S .bxc4 '!Wb4 1 9 .e5 '!Wa3t 20.<;ilbl %'IabSt 2 1 .tLlb5 %'Ixb5t 22.cxb5 '!Wxa2t 23 .<;t>c1 '!Wal#

l S .'!We2 �xc3 1 9 .tLlxe6 '!Wb4! i s also mating.

18 . • . '!Wb4 19.tLlb5 tiJb2 20.'!We2

8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

a b e d e f g h 20 . . . .ic4!

This second piece sac on the c4-square finally forces open the b-file.

Although 20 . . . tLlxd l is also winning, 2 1 .<;t>xd l ! would keep the game going for a while.

21 .bxc4 tLlxc4 22.c3 '!Wxb5 23.e5 :gab8 24.'!Wc2 '!Wa5 25.a4 :gb2 26.'!Wxb2 tLlxb2 27.@xb2 '!Wxa4 28.exd6

2S.%'Ial loses to 2S . . . %'IbSt.

28 .•. '!Wb4t had just written the first draft of this 0-1

book when I played this game, so I was in the

Destroying a Defensive Knight � White's kingside is often held together by a knight on 6

f3 , and so removing this knight can open the way to the 5 h2-square: 1 .. .E:ill 2.eill �xh2t 3.�fl �xfl.# 4

3

2

a b e d e f g h

C. Richter - Nijboer, Netherlands 2005

@) 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 T

a b e d e f g h Hartmann - Dressier, Untergrombach 1 99 1

® 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

a b e d e f g h

Seirawan - Lobron, Bad Kissingen 1 98 1

8 7 6 5 4 3 2

8 7 6 5 4 3 2

a b e d e f g h K. Bischoff - Pichler, Germany 1 997

a b e d e f g h

®

@

Chapter 2 - Destroying a Defensive Knight 55

7 6 5 4 3 2

7 6 5 4 3

Koneru - Waters, Scarborough 1 999

a b e d e f g h Tanguy - Fiear, St Affrique 2000

1 .... a b e d e f g h

Espinosa - Ramon Pita, Havana 1 992

7 6 5 4 3

®

1 6. a b e d e f g h


8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

39. Christian Richter - Friso Nijboer

Netherlands 2005

a b e d e f g h 30 .. Jhf3!

After 3 1 .exf3 \Wh2t 32.�fl �b5t ! White is quickly mated. 0-1

40. Markus Hartmann -Jan DressIer

8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

Untergrombach 199 1

a b e d e f g h We join the game when White still had a

chance to avert disaster.

17.a3? Far too slow. Failure to pay attention to

your opponent's threats can cost you the

game. Moreover, when you are a pawn down, as White is here, you need to act decisively; you don't have the time to indulge in quiet, strategical moves. I would file this mistake under the heading "Pointless pawn moves" .

White could in fact have gained serious compensation for his pawn deficit with 1 7 .lLle5 ! , aiming to impose a bind. After 1 7 . . . \Wxe2 1 8 .:8xe2 White would have some nice pressure in the endgame. If Black instead tries to crash through with 1 7 . . . �xf2t? 1 8 .\Wxf2 lLlg4, then 1 9 .1Llxg4! :8xf2 2o.lLlxf2 gives White more than enough material for the queen.

17 . . . lLlg4 Black is now winning by force.

18.gfl

18 . . . gxf3! Again the removal of this knight proves key.

19.h3 gxg3 20.b4 20.hxg4 is hopeless after both the simple

20 . . . :8xg4 and the flashier 20 . . . \Wh3 2 1 .\Wf3 :8f8 ! .

20 . . . gxg2t 20 . . . \Wxh3! is even quicker.

21 .@xg2 c!Lle3t 0-1

41. Yasser Seirawan - Eric Lobron

Bad Kissingen 198 1

a b e d e f g h The idea of sacrificing the exchange on f3

arises most commonly in the Dutch Defence. A lot of my friends seem to love this opening (personally I 've rarely been an advocate) , perhaps the primary exponent amongst them being grandmaster Simon Williams - he even sensationally defeated world championship candidate Boris Gelfand with this very opening! He tends to explain it as follows: "You play . . . �e8 , . . . �h5 , and then just mate White." If only everything in life was so simple.

In the diagram position, Black has emerged from the opening with a "dream Dutch" position. All his pieces are lined up against the white king and primed for the final attack.

25 .. . e4! Rudely disturbing the sentry on f3 from its

blissful slumber.

The immediate 25 . . J'hf3? 26.exf3 �h2t 27.<j;>f1 would leave Black without a good follow-up.

26J'he6

8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

a b e d e f g h Now the German grandmaster Eric Lobron

(who incidentally is rumoured to be dating the Estonian supermodel Carmen Kass - if only my own love life was so successful) breaks through elegantly:

26 .. J'hf3! Capturing the knight this way is more

incisive than: 26 . . . exf3 27.exf3 8:xf3 28 .8:e2!

a b e d e f g h At first sight this looks a hard defence for

Black to break down, but there is a way. 28 . . . �h2t 29.@f1 �xg3! 30.�d2 �xb2 3 1 .�xb2 8:bf8 ! 32.�xf3 �xf3 33 .<;t>gl �f4! 34. <;t>f1 �h2 and the attack is decisive.

27.exf3 exf3 28.@f1 ti'h2


8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

a b e d e f g h

28.l"i:d2 28 .l"i:d3 l"i:f6 29.l"i:e2 would avoid mate, but

smacks of desperation. Black could just take the exchange at a time of his choosing.

28 ... l"i:f6 29.l"i:ee2 Giving the king the fl -square, but that will

not save White.

8 7 6

Despite being a whole rook to the good, 5 White is utterly helpless in the face of Black's overwhelming threats . 4

29.hg7 YNxg2t 30.@el YNxf2t 0-1

8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

42. KlaDS Bischoff - Juergen Pichler

Germany 1997

a b e d e f g h 27 •.• YNh5!

Black intends simply . . . l"i:f6xf3 , and even the uber-solid German grandmaster Klaus Bischoff cannot do much about this thematic breakthrough sacrifice. The black bishop on a6 plays a most useful role in denying any escape route for the white king.

3 2 1

a b e d e f g h 29 ••• l"i:xf3!

The decisive breakthrough, leading to mate: 30.�xf3 'lWh2t 3 1 . �fl 'lWxf2# 0-1

43. Humpy Koneru - Clive Waters

Scarborough 1999

a b e d e f g h


As we have seen, this . . . :8xf3 idea has claimed many illustrious victims. In this game, future star Humpy Koneru found herself in serious difficulties . Something has gone horribly wrong with White's position. All her pieces on the kingside are huddled together, like soldiers bunkered down in the First World War, waiting in a trench for a shell to put them out of their misery.

17 .. . fxg3 18.hxg3 The other recapture is no better: I S .fXg3

�xg2 1 9 .'it>xg2 :8xf3! 20.'it>xf3 :8fSt and White is quickly mated.

18 .. Jhf3! The most accurate.

I S . . . �xg2 1 9 .'it>xg2 :8xf3 20.:8h l ! was White's rather desperate last try, although even here she is unlikely to survive after 20 . . . :8xg3t ! 2 1 .fXg3 ctJe3t 22.Wgl 1!t1xe2.

19.ixf3

a b e d e f g h 19 .. . ig2!

The point! Mate is threatened on h I and h2, and White cannot stop them both.

If memory serves me correctly, I was responsible for inputting this game into Chess Base. I was also playing at Scarborough

that year, and because I was so short of money, I got up every morning to input the games into the bulletin . A tedious job, but spending hours each morning looking at mating patterns like this seemed to pay off, as after four rounds I was clear leader of the British Championship! 0-1

44. FabieD Tanguy - GleDD Flear

8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

St Affrique 2000

a b e d e f g h 18,. .:8e4!

When we have active pieces, we should use them.

I S . . . lLlg4! is also strong, threatening 1 9 . . . lLlh4! ! with mate to follow. After 1 9 .1Llf4 �xf4 20.exf4 :8e4! Black is winning; he threatens . . . :8xf4! as well as simply . . . :8aeS followed by . . . :8e2.

19.�hl White wants to chase the queen away with

lLleg l , but he will not be given the time.

Nothing else would save White either, for example 1 9 .1Llf4 �xf4 20.exf4, and now Black can choose between 20 . . . lLlg4 transposing to the previous note, or the even simpler 2o . . . lLlxf4 2 1 .gxf4 :8xf4-+ .


19 . . . llJh4!! A killer shot! This neat blow smashes through

the white defences, removing the protection of the f3-knight by blunt force.

20.llJf4 20.tLlxh4 2"i:xh4! shows the benefit of bringing

the rook to an active position.

a b e d e f g h 20 . . . 2"i:xf4!

Black simply powers his way through to the white king.

21 .llJxh4 2"1xh4 22.gxh4 '\Wxh2#

45. Paul Johner - Savielly Tartakower

Berlin 1928

This game provided the first well-known example of a common method of deflecting the f3-knight.

l .e4 c5 2.llJO llJf6 3.llJc3 d5 4.exd5 lLlxd5 5.lLle4 e6 6.d4 cxd4 7.llJxd4 .ie7 8 . .ib5t .id7 9.c4 llJf6 10.llJc3 0-0 1 1 .0-0 '\Wc7 12.'\We2 llJc6 13.llJO 2"1fe8 14 . .ig5 lLlg4

a b e d e f g h 15 . .ixe7??

White had various ways to prevent Black's next; any of 1 5 .iie3 , 1 5 .g3 or 1 5 .Wd2 would have kept White in the game.

15 ... llJd4! Black undermines the f3-knight which is

preventing mate on h2, and mate or loss of the queen follows. This . . . tLld4! is quite a common trap and it's surprising how often players will fall for it in practice. As described below, your poor aurhor has been one unsuspecting victim. 0-1

46. Julio Espinosa -Vivian Ramon Pita

Havana 1992

The . . . tLld4! trap occurs most often in the Morra Gambit against the Sicilian Defence. It's ironic that with this opening White is often looking for a swift knockout, but sometimes ends up coming unstuck himself.

l .e4 c5 2.llJO lLlc6 3.d4 cxd4 4.c3 dxc3! 4 . . . tLlf6 would transpose back into the c3-

Sicilian, but taking the pawn is the real test.

5 . .ic4 e6 6.0-0 llJf6 7.llJxc3 '\Wc7 8.'\We2?! A standard idea, but Black meets it with

venom.

Chapter 2 - Destroying a Defensive Knight 6 1

I can't pretend I 'm a great expert on this opening, but in Mayhem in the Morra, Marc Esserman advocates gambiting a second pawn with 8 .ttJb5 ! Wb8 9 .e5 ! . In the event of 9 . . . ttJxe5 1 O .ttJxe5! Wxe5 1 1 .Ei:e 1 , White obtains a fearsome attack.

S ... liJg4!

9.h3?? A terrible error, but I think the difficulty of

seeing the next move is that the black knight moves onto an empty square. In fact, I had this position once in a London League game, when I was just a young whippersnapper (more than 20 years ago!) and I played 9 .Ei:d l ? My opponent, a confident Greek guy (his actual name escapes me, so "confident Greek guy" will have to do) , who I later discovered shared a flat in Blackheath with the late IM Bob Wade, quickly replied 9 . . . ic5 ! .

a b e d e f g h

Oblivious to the danger, I just as quickly blundered with 1 O .Ei:fl ? ? , whereupon he snapped out 1 0 . . . ttJd4! and my face started going really red. I resigned, but then the worst thing was that since the game had finished in just ten minutes, I had another three hours to wait for my lift back - a painful lesson.

Fortunately I got my revenge on this guy in our next encounter. I played a pretty good game and obtained what seemed like a winning position on adjournment. I analysed the adjourned position for days and days, becoming obsessed with it. Eventually I came to the conclusion that I was indeed winning, but when I rang him up to organize the resumption of the game, he resigned! I don't think I 've ever been more disappointed to see an opponent give up.

After 8 . . . ttJg4! , White's best is probably 9 .ttJb5 ! to cover the d4-square before kicking the g4-knight, though 9 . . . Wb8 1 O .h3 h5 ! nevertheless gives Black the initiative.

9 .•• liJd4! Crushing.

0-1

47. Viktor Bologan - Sergei Movsesian

8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

Sarajevo 2005

a b e d e f g h


17.�xd7! A small sacrifice to make, because with this

useful defensive unit out of the way, White will have a field day on the kingside.

1 7.Wc3 j,f6 1 8 .ltJxf6t ltJxf6 1 9 .a3 is certainly promising for White, but nowhere near as convincing as the exchange sacrifice.

17 . • . Wfxd7 18.Wfc3 Wfg4

a b e d e f g h 19.1Llfg5!

Black can only avoid mate by giving up his queen.

19 • . • Wfxg5 20.llJxg5 .if6 21 .Wfa hb2 22.lLlxf'7 b5 23.lLlxh6t @h7 24.Wfxf8 bxc4 25.Wfxc5 1-0

Break�hrough on the h-file � There is a wide range of ways to break through on the h-file, but one of the most dangerous is when the assault is supported by a pawn on g6. This pawn has such formidable attacking power that, for the purpose of this book I have christened it the "Tower of Terror" . (Apologies if this sounds too much like a bad 1 970s Hammer horror film!) This pawn can act as a crucial springboard for the white pieces, as in the diagram position: 1 .�h8t! @xh8 2.'?Nh5t @g8 3.'?Nh7#

6

5

4

3

2

a b e d e f g h

V. Kostic - P. Orlov, Belgrade 200 1 Middelburg - Michiels, Groningen 200 1

@ 8 7 6 5 4 3 2

0) 8 7 6 5 4 3 2

a b e d e f g h Glotov - Antoshin, Moscow 1 952

a b e d e f g h

8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

®

a b c d e f g h


Capablanca - Vassaux, Buenos Aires (01) 1 939 Gerhold - Hinteregger, Werfen 1 998

@ 8 8 ® 7 7 6 6 5 5 4 4 3 3 2 2 1 L. 1

a b c d e f g h a b c d e f g h Houska - Simonsen, Copenhagen 2003 Bosboom - Bitalzadeh, Holland 2005

® 8 8 ® 7 7 6 6 5 5 4 4 3 3 2 2 1 1

a b c d e f g h a b c d e f g h Micic - Kokkila, Espoo 1 987 S. Webb - Cafferty, Bristol 1 968

CB 8 8 ® 7 7 6 6 5 5 4 4 3 3 2 2 1 1


Chapter 2 - Breakthrough on the h-file 65

Kohout - Kotva, Czech Republic 1 997

@ 8 7 6 5 4 3

1

(0 8 7 6 5 4 3

1

a b e d e f g h Wiese -Wucke, Germany 1 993

a b e d e f g h Adams - Tomorhuyag, Moscow (01) 1 994

Chiburdanidze - Goldman, Moscow 1 983

7 6 5 4 3

1

7 6 5 4 3

1

a b e d e f g h Mahler - Norsoller, Esbjerg 2005

®

®

a b e d e f g h Weidemann - Hartmann, Germany 1 982

8 @ 7 6 5 4 3

1 a b e d e f g h


48. Vladimir Kostic - Pavle Orlov

Belgrade 200 1

15.h5! Driving the bishop into passIvity, and

starting to weave a dangerous mating pattern.

15 . . . .if7 16.�h4! Black's pieces are too clumsily placed to do

anything about the coming onslaught.

16 . . . �b6 Attempting to defend the g6-square with

1 6 . . . \We8 would fail dismally: 1 7 .tLlg6t Anyway! 17 . . . �xg6 1 8 .hxg6 h6 ( 1 8 . . . \Wxg6 1 9 .�e6 ttJb6 20.�f5 wins for White) 1 9 .�e6 ttJb6 20.�f5 EI:g8 2 1 .\We3 �f8 This looks absolutely disgusting for Black, and indeed with 22 .EI:h2! followed by EI:dh 1 , White will decisively break through on h6.

17.�g6t! The knight is immune: 17 . . . �xg6 1 8 .hxg6

h6 1 9 . \W e3 followed by EI:xh6 t leads to mate, as does 1 7 . . . hxg6 1 8 .hxg6t 'it>g8 1 9 .95! followed by EI:h8t and \Wh5t .

Black did not feel inclined to play 17 . . . 'it>g8 and struggle on an exchange down. 1-0

49. Vladimir Glotov -Vladimir Antoshin

Moscow 1952

a b e d e f g h 37.�g6t!

All of White's pieces stand in ideal attacking positions, so quite rightly he recognizes that now is the time to strike, and again it is this knight check which will enable the white pawn to get to g6.

37 . . . EI:xg6 37 . . . hxg6 38 .hxg6t is mate next move,

and 37 . . . \Wxg6 38 .hxg6 EI:xg4 39.EI:xh7# is no better.

38.hxg6 h6 Desperately trying to avert disaster on h7.

8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

a b e d e f g h

39Jhh6t! gxh6 40J!:h7#

50. Tom Middelburg - Bart Michiels

8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

Groningen 200 1

a b e d e f g h 15.�h3! @h8?

Black was presumably reluctant to play 1 5 . . . ctJa5 as this takes some of the pressure away from the key central squares, but this is certainly preferable to the choice made in the game, which runs into a very strong and straightforward attack.

16.tlJh4! Aiming at the vulnerable g6-square.

Black was hoping to tempt his opponent into 1 6 .i.xe6? , when 1 6 . . . ctJxd4! 1 7 .ctJfxd4 cxd4 1 8 .i.xd5 fxe5 gives Black excellent play.

16 .. . tlJa5 Very few players could bring themselves

to play 1 6 . . .f5 as it takes all the pressure off the centre, and is an admission of strategic failure. In any case it also fails tactically to 1 7 .ctJg6t! . Black would have to give up the exchange without compensation, as 1 7 . . . hxg6 1 8 .hxg6 <;t>g8 1 9 .ctJg l ! leads to a nasty attack.

17.tlJgGt! hxgG 18.hxg6 The pawn on g6, the dreaded Tower of

Terror, creates many powerful mating motifs, as demonstrated by the stunning finish of this game.

8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

a b e d e f g h 19.tlJgl!

This Nirnzowitschian retreat puts the final nail in Black's coffin. The white queen is heading for h5 , with devastating consequences for the black king.

19 . . J!:e8 20JWh5 �d6


is completely winning, but White has something even better in store . . .

21 ."%Vh8t!! Black is mated by 2 1 . . .�xh8 22.i1..xe6#.

I find it impressive how many pieces were involved in the attack, and how the pawn on g6 proved a pivotal point around which White based his attacking efforts. 1-0

51 . Lev Milman - Joseph Fang

Mashantucket 2005

8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

a b c d e f g h 27 .•. ltJe5

Black defends against the threatened discovered check by attacking the white queen, but Milman is able to use a brilliant queen sacrifice to open up the h-file and finish Black off.

The attempt by Black to avoid the coming storm by giving up his queen (often an effective measure is halting an attack) is also doomed to failure: 27 . . . Wxf5 28.Wxf5 i1..xg7 29.h6! i1..e5 30 .f4 i1..h8 3 1 .h7t! �g7 32.Wg5#

28.ltJe7t! @h7

8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

a b e d e f g h 29."%Vg6t!!

Beautiful! The black king will be caught between its own pieces on the f-file and the white rook on the h-file.

29 . . . fxg6 The other captures,

29 . . . Wxg6, both lead to 30.hxg6t �xg7 3 1 .Ei:h7#

30.hxg6t @xg7 31 .53h7#

29 . . . tDxg6 and the same mate:

52. Jose Raw Capablanca - Guillermo Vassaux

8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

Buenos Aires (ol) 1939

a b e d e f g h A pawn on g5 can often play a key role in

preventing the black king from escaping a

mating net. In this game, White uses this element to ensure that his h-file attack proves deadly:

28.�xh7t!! The g-pawn's control of the h6-square will

allow the white queen to enter the attack, with decisive effect.

28 . • . <.!lxh7 29.'lMrh3t <.!lg7 30.'lMrh6#

a b e d e f g h

53. Jovanka Houska - Hans Simonsen

Copenhagen 2003

a b e d e f g h

One of England's strongest female players shows how dangerous an advanced pawn can be in supporting an attack.

29.'lMrg6t! This queen sacrifice quickly breaks through.

29 . . . <.!lh8 Taking the bait leads to an instant mate:

29 . . . hxg6 30.�h8#

Running the king the other way does not avert mate either: 29 . . . �f8 30.�xh7 �xh7 3 1..� h6t! �xh6 32.'1Wxh6t �g8 33 .'lMrh8t �f7 34.'lMrg7#

30.�xh7t!! �xh7

a b e d e f g h 31 .f7!!

A brilliant interference idea, cutting across the black defence, and at the same time clearing the f6-square for the bishop.

31 .. .'IMr& White is mating in all lines, for example:

3 1 . . .�xh l 32.�f6#

32.�f6t 'lMrxf6 33.'lMrxh7# A beautiful attack.


54. Cedomir Midc - Tero Kokkila

Espoo 1987

a b e d e f g h 29JWxg6t!

The initial sacrifice is not a surprise for us, but the follow-up is impressive.

29 ••• E:g7 30.�xg7t!! Brilliant; there will be no escape.

30 . . . c;i>xg7 3 1 .E:xh7t c;i>g6 3 1 . . .�f8 and 3 1 . . .i>g8 are both mated by

force: 32.Ei:h8t �f7 33.Ei: 1 h7t i>g6 34.tZlh4#

a b e d e f g h 32.lZJd4!

The crowning of the attack. Only 32 . . . i.f8 stops mate, but it just loses the queen. 1-0

55. Michael Gerhold - Arthur Hinteregger

Werfen 1998

a b e d e f g h The strong f6-pawn and the rooks doubled

on the h-file give White an overwhelming position. The only thing stopping him from breaking through immediately is the black knight on f8 , which defends against any sacrifices on g6 or h7. Therefore White's task is to undermine or exchange this knight.

33 • .ic1 ! An excellent rerouting! The bishop heads for

a3 , on a mission to assassinate the handsome steed on f8 . After this daring mission is completed, the tenuous defence that Black has erected will quickly fall apart.

33 ••• E:a7 34 • .ia3 Decisive.

34 ..• �d7 35.hfs E:xf8 35 . . . �xf8 is similar; White can win with

36.li:lg5! (intending 37.Wfxg6!) , or with the immediate 36.Wfxg6! .

Chapter 2 - Breakthrough on the h-file 7 1

a b e d e f g h 36.'?9xg6t!! hxg6 37J�h8t

Sadistic players might have been drawn to the possibility of: 37.ctJg5! ctJf7 38 .2"i:xg6#

37 •.. @f7 38.2"i:xf8t Mate is forced: 38 . . . mxf8 39 .2"i:h8t <;t>f7

40.ctJg5# 1-0

56. Manuel Bosboom - Ali Bitalzadeh

Holland 2005

a b e d e f g h Often White will use a pawn on h4 to

support an incursion by a knight into g5. The presence of such a knight may be intolerable for Black, but if it is taken then the h-file is prised open, with devastating consequences.

21 .ctJgS! After 2 1 . . .fxg5 22.hxg5 , mate is inevitable.

1-0

57. Simon Webb - Bemard Cafferty

Bristol 1 968

a b e d e f g h It might seem that Black has all bases covered

and can look towards the white queenside, but the next move shatters these delusions:

19 . .!iJgS! Forcing open the h-file.

19 ... '?9al t 20.lLlbl fxgS 21 .hxgS �Uc8 Black now has serious threats of his own, so

White must strike quickly.

22.'?9xh7t @f8 23.'?9h8t �g8 23 . . . <;t>e7 24.'?9f6t <;t>e8 25 .2"i:h8t leads to

mate.

24J�f6t! It is inaccurate to play 24.'?9f6t? <;t>e8, when

25 .2"i:e l t? ctJe5t ! would be an embarrassing discovered check, turning the tables completely! Instead White could keep a dangerous attack with 25 .'?9xg6t me7 26.'?9f6t me8 27.md2!, but the game continuation is much more convincing.

24 .. . @eS 2S.V9xgst @d7 26.Vge6t @c7 27.V9d6t @b6 2s.V9b4t @a6 29J3h3!

8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

a b e d e f g h A strange position involving lots of pins, but

the bottom line is that White is just winning. Simon Webb, who wrote one of my favourite books, Chess for Tigers, had clearly calculated this part of the game excellently.

29 . . . b6 30.V9c4t @b7 3I J3h7t lLle7 32Jhe7t @bS

8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

a b e d e f g h 33.V9xcst!

33 . . . <;t>xcS 34J::lfS# 1-0

58. Vratislav Kohout - Milan Kotva

Czech Republic 1997

The next game originated from the supposedly sedate London System, but it quickly degenerated into a splatterfest:

l .tlJa dS 2.d4 lLlf6 3 . .if4 e6 4.e3 .ie7 S.tlJbd2 0-0 6.lLleS lLlbd7 7 . .id3 �eS S.h4 cS 9.c3 lLlxeS 10.dxeS lLld7 1 1 .lLla lLlfS

8 7 6 5 4 3 2

a b e d e f g h 12.lLlgS

The idea of going for a direct attack against the black kingside before committing the white king is actually quite standard for the London System. The solidity of White's setup means that he can steer the game towards attacking play without any great fear of succumbing to a quick counterattack.

12 . . . f6 13.V9hS! g6 1 3 . . . fXg5 1 4 .hxg5 g6 would let White

crash through: 1 5 . .ixg6! hxg6 1 6 .WhSt <;t>f7 1 7.�h7t tLlxh7 l S .Wxh7t <;t>fS


8

7

6

5

4

3

2

a b e d e f g h Now either 1 9 .0-0-0! or 1 9 .�e2! leaves

Black helpless against the plan of �h 1 followed by Wfh8t and �h7#.

14.1!Nh6 fxg5

8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

15.h5!

a b e d e f g h

1 5 .hxg5? Wfa5 1 6.�xg6 hxg6 1 7 .Wfh8t �fl 1 8 .�h7t ttJxh7 1 9 .Wfxh7t is now only good enough for perpetual check. Compared with the note above Black has an extra tempo, which means that if White tries to bring his rook to the h-file, the black king can escape with . . . �d8 and . . . me8 .

15 . . . gxf4 Black is already without a defence; the

opening of the h-file proves too dangerous.

The black king is also quickly dispatched in the line: 1 5 . . . gxh5 1 6.�xh5 gxf4 1 7.�xh7t mfl

8

7

6

5

4

3

2

a b e d e f g h 1 8 .�g6t! ttJxg6 1 9 .Wfh7t �f8 20.Wfxg6+-

16.hxg6 i.g5 17.gxh7t �h8 It might seem that the attack has reached a

dead end, but there is a surprise in store:

8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

a b e d e f g h 18.1!Ng7t! �xg7 19.h8=1!Nt �f7 20.�e2?!

White could have put the finishing touch to his beautiful idea with: 20.exf4! �xf4 2 1 .�h7t! ttJxh7 22.Wfxh7t �f8

8

7

6

5

4

3

2

L"",//N._N.""

e'''''''"" ".J'

a b e d e f g h


23 .i,g6 Wd7 24.WhBt 'it>e7 25 .Wf6# The final mate shows why the black bishop had to be deflected from the g5-square on the 20th move.

20 ... .if6? This gives White another chance to finish

the game off in style.

20 . . . Wb6! would have made matters most unclear, as in many variations the black king can escape to the queenside.

8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

a b e d e f g h 21 .Wlh5t?

White makes life hard for himself]

2 1 .i,g6t! ! 'it>xg6 22.Ei:h6t wins on the spot.

21 . • . @e7 22.exf4 Wlb6 23.exf6t @dS 24.b3 e5 25.fxe5

The game is completely unclear again, and White only collected the full point after various further adventures .

25 .•. c4 26 . .ic2 cxb3 27 • .ixb3 Wlc7 2S.f4 .ie6 29J::!:hdl Wld7 30.@f3 b5 31 .f5 .if7 32.Wlg5 Ei:xe5 33.g4 Ei:cS 34.Wlg7 Ei:xc3t 35.@f2 WleS 36.Ei:d2 Ei:ce3 37.Ei:adl Ei:e2t 3S.@g3 Ei:5e3t 39.@h4 tlJd7 40 . .ixd5 .ixd5 41 .Ei:xd5 Ei:h2t 42.@g5 Ei:h5t 43.gxh5 Ei:g3t 44.@h6 Ei:xg7 45.fxg7 @c7 46.Ei:xd7t @b6

47.Ei:dS Wle3t 4S.@h7 Wlg5 49.Ei:Sd6t @a5 50.gs=WI Wlxh5t 5 1 .@g7 1-0

59. Hans Wiese - Hans Wucke

Germany 1993

8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

a b c d e f g h It is always dangerous to allow the a2-

gB diagonal to be opened, as this example demonstrates .

21 .lLlf4! Tempting the black d-pawn to advance, the

first part of White's devious plan.

21 .. .d4 2 1 . . .Wd6 would allow White to win the d5-

pawn with either 22 .i,c4 or 22.ltJxd5! ?

22.Ei:e4!? Setting up a veiled threat, which Black now

completely misses.

22 ... Ei:aeS?? It's amazing how often our opponents walk

straight into our traps.

22 . . . i,f5 ! would have covered th� vulnerable g6-square and enabled Black to maintain the balance. Now the game ends abruptly.

Chapter 2 - Breakthrough on the h-file 7S

a b e d e f g h 23 . .ic4t @h8 24.tiJg6t hxg6 25J�h4#

60. Michael Adarns - Nyarnaa Tomorhuyag

Moscow (01) 1 994

a b e d e f g h Michael Adams is a very methodical

attacking player who uses recurrent themes very well . I used to watch his games when I was younger, and I admired the way he always seemed to use his h-pawn as an attacking weapon. I didn't really understand what he was doing, pushing his h-pawn to h4 then hS , but it seemed like a good idea. With the benefit of hindsight, the idea behind the push of the h-pawn can be both to gain vital space and also to introduce additional attacking ideas, it can be the straw that breaks

the camel's back. Incidentally, Kasparov and Fischer were also masters of using the h-pawn as an attacking weapon. We'll look at this attacking idea in more detail in Chapter S . In the meantime, let's see how Adams forced a decisive breakthrough here.

23.llJg6t! The knight is given up, to be replaced by the

dreaded Tower of Terror on g6.

23 . . . hxg6 It looks unpleasant to play 23 . . . <;t>gS walking

into the line of fire of the white light-squared bishop, and in any case after 24.tbxfS cj;>xfS 2S .dxeS White is just better, without any complications.

24.hxg6 .id6 Black clears the fS-square for his king.

The attempt to deny White access to the hSsquare with 24 . . . iWfS ! ? runs into a forceful response:

a b e d e f g h 2S . .id3! tbxc3 (2S . . . iWxd3 26.iWhSt <;t>gS 27.iWh7#) 26.bxc3 e4 27.2''1xe4! and the attack crashes through.

25.�h5t @g8 26.dxe5 White should not start the king chase too

soon; after 26.iWh7t <;t>fS 27.iWhSt? <;t>e7 2S .iWxg7t <;t>e6! Black would still be fighting.


26 . . . .L.:e5 27J�xe5! fxe5 28.i.g5! By guarding the e7 -square, White threatens

29.Wh7t cj{fB 30.WhB#.

28 . . . We6

8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

a b e d e f g h 29.i.e7!

Blow follows blow. Black has to give up the queen to prevent the imminent mate. 1-0

61 . Maia Chiburdanidze - Astra Goldman

8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

Moscow 1983

a b e d e f g h Already with an unpleasant position from

the opening, Black has just made things worse by putting her queen on an exposed square.

17.i.c4t @h8 18.g3! By defending the bishop, White prepares

ttJg5 , but also has another less obvious threat. The immediate I B .ttJg5 ? would have been

premature, as after I B . . . Wxf4 1 9 .Wh5 h6 Black defends.

18 .. .llJa5 Unfortunately for Black, she has no time

for I B . . . h6 because of 1 9 .a3! j,a5 20.b4 j,b6 2 1 .1"i:e l and the queen is trapped in the middle of the board.

19.tiJg5! So simple.

20.Wh5! Now though, White can go for mate.

20 . . . h6 After 20 . . . g6 2 1 .j,e5t ! , all White's pieces are

combining beautifully to force mate.

21 .Wg6! After 2 1 . . .hxg6, the queen switches back to

deliver mate: 22.Wh5# 1-0


When I first started playing club chess, few of my opponents were familiar with this mate, so I was able to score a lot of quick wins with this method.

62. Sonja Mahler - Jonathan NorsoUer

Esbjerg 2005

a b e d e f g h White has played an unconventional

opening, placing her rook on hS , but it has worked our very well. So well, in fact, that she is simply winning after her next move.

IS.llJgS! This move may be obvious in itself, but the

important point is that White is ready to deal with Black's attempted defences.

Is .. . ie4 This fails tactically, but there was nothing

better.

The attempt to block the attack down the h-file with I S . . . h6 is brilliantly refuted.

a b e d e f g h I 6 . .ieS ! ! Now all the white pieces are involved in the attack, except the h I -rook. It's too much for the black king. White threatens I 7.2:'1xh6t gxh6 I 8 .'iWh7#, and I 6 . . . .ie4 fails to I 7.'iWxe4! llJxe4 I 8 .:B:xh6#.

16.�xe4! h6 17.�g6 I 7 . .ieS also wins, transposing to the

variation above.

17 . . . �aSt 18.'it>e2 1-0

63. Joerg Weidemann -Wolfram Hartmann

8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

Germany 1982

a b e d e f g h Black's fragile defence is being held together

by the lateral defence of the h7 -pawn by the c7-rook.

7B Mating the Castled King

34JH'7! This crunching interference move ends the

game at once.

34 . . . hS Mter 34 . . . ii.xf7, White breaks through with

35 .Wxh7t 'it>fB 36.WxhBt ii.gB 37.Ei:f1 t with mate to follow.

3S.!ihhS! hf7 35 . . . gxh5 36.Wxh5 is mate next move.

36.tl�f6t! When attacking, you should give your

opponent no time to breathe.

a b e d e f g h 36 . . . hf6 37.gxf6

A lovely final attack. 37 . . . ii.xe6 3B .WhBt Wf7 39.Ei:h7# 1-0

Dragging out the King The idea of luring the opposing king forward, where it will be exposed to the full power of your army, is a powerful attacking device. A sacrifice on the f7 -square is a typical way of dragging the king out of its shelter.

l ..ixf7t �xf7 2.'Wb3t �g6 The advancing king will soon perish, but the alternatives also lose: 2 . . . 'kt>f8 3 .tLlxe5 and mate on f7 is inevitable. The black queen drops after 2 . . . vtie6 3 .tLlg5t or 2 . . . tLld5 3 .vtixd5t vtie6 4 .tLlxe5t 'kt>f6 5 .i.g5t . 3.tLlxe5t �h5 4.'Wh3#

a b e d e f g h

Wallis - Lea, Mount Buller 2004 Kiriazis - Mitsakos, Athens 1 999

® 8 8 @ 7 7 6 6 5 5 4 4 3 3 2 2 1 6 1 6

a b c d e f g h a b c d e f g h Kosdivy - Kviatkovska, Mlada Boleslav 1 995 Piter - Murach, Augustow 1 996

@ 8 8 ® 7 7 6 6 5 5 4 4 3 3 2 2

6 1 6 a b c d e f g h a b c d e f g h


@ 8 7 6 5 4 3

1

Fischer - Reshevsky, New York 1 958

a b e d e f g h Cruz Lima - An. Hernandez, Cuba 1 993

7 6 5 4 3

1

@ 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

a b e d e f g h Urankar - Wenzel, Germany 1 995

a b e d e f g h

7 6 5 4 3

1

Zakic - Cvetkovic, Aosta 1 989

a b e d e f g h Ed. Lasker - G. Thomas, London 1 9 1 2

8 7 6 5 4 3

1 a b e d e f g h

®

Chapter 2 - Dragging out the King 8 1

Petursson - Gudmundsson, Reykjavik 1 986

@ 8 7 6 5 4 3

6) 8 7 6 5 4 3 2

a b e d e f g h Piket - Douven, Hilversum 1 988

1 .... a b e d e f g h

Lopez Martinez - Plaskett, Hastings 1 988

@ 8 7 6 5 4 3

1 a b e d e f g h

Tolnai - Sjoberg, Zalakaros 1 992

1 a b e d e f g h

M. Pavlov - Kononenko, Alushta 2004

8 7

5 4 3

®

@

1 .... a b e d e f g h

64. Christopher Wallis - Tom Lea

8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

Mount Buller 2004

a b e d e f g h 14 . . J�e8??

Black should be always be aware that a vulnerable f7 -square can lead to a lightning attack in the Ruy Lopez.

15 . .ixf7t!! White takes immediate advantage of his

opponent's blunder. An important point is that Black's light-squared bishop has strayed to the a6-square, leading to a crucial weakness on e6 - such small details can make all the difference.

15 .. ,<�xf7 16.Wfb3t i>g6 The alternatives were not acceptable either.

1 6 . . . d5 1 7.dxe5 tLla5 C 1 7 . . . tLlg8 1 8 .exd5 is pitiful for Black) 1 8 .Wa2! White regains the lost piece with an overwhelming position.

1 6 . . . mf8 1 7.tLlg5 is also disastrous; Black will be mated or lose his queen.

17.tiJh4t i>h5 17 . . . mh6 1 8 .tLldf3t g5 1 9 .Wf7 also leads to

a quick mate.

8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

a b e d e f g h 18.Wff7t!

Closing the net.

18 . . . g6 1 8 . . . \t>xh4 1 9 .tLlf3#

19.tiJdf3 gh8 Black is being mated by force, and even

trying to cover the g4 square with 1 9 . . . ic8 does not help. White meets it with: 20.tLlf5 ! ixf5 2 1 .exf5 E1:h8

a b e d e f g h 22.Wxf6! ixf6 23.g4# A pretty mate, showing the dangers to a king forced into the open .

Chapter 2 - Dragging out the King 83

8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

a b c d e f g h 20.Wfxf6!

White removes the defender of the g4-square to threaten mate with the g-pawn, although 20.tLlf5 ! followed by either 2 1 .tLlg7# or 2 1 .tLlg3# is even quicker.

20 .. . .ic8 21 .g4t .L:g4 22.hxg4t c;t>xg4 23.tLlh2t 1-0

23 . . . Wh5 24.Wff3t Wxh4 25 .Wfg4#

65. Miroslav Kosdivy - Zuzana Kviatkovska

Mlada Boleslav 1 995

a b e d e f g h This is similar to the preceding example, and

again shows how important it is to stay alert, even in apparently sedate situations.

12 .. J'�e8?? This looks natural, but is a simple blunder.

13 . .ixf7t! c;t>xf7 14.Wfb3t d5 As in the previous example, Black's king

will not survive if it goes forward: 1 4 . . . <j;Jg6 1 5 .tLlh4t Wh5

8

7

6

5

4

3 �{'\iiip�,rii;j ='\@%,' /"""n/"////",n",,,////h'/" ///"nA

2

a b e d e f g h 1 6 .Wff7t! g6 (or 1 6 . . . Wxh4 1 7.tLlf3t Wg4 l S .h3#) 1 7.tLlf5 .ics l S .tLlg3t <j;Jg4 1 9 .tLlf3 and 20.h3# cannot be prevented.

15.Wfxb7 Black has defended against the mating

attack, but White is simply winning material .

15 .•. Wfd7 1 5 . . . tLla5 1 6 .tLlxe5t WgS 1 7 .Wfb l is also

hopeless for Black.

8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

a b e d e f g h Can you see how White finishes it off?


16.�xc6! I S .fxg5t cj;JgS 1 9 .iWxd5t cj;JhS 2o.tZlf3 White Killer tactics; after 1 6 . . . iWxc6 1 7.tLlxe5t is a healthy pawn up.

White has a decisive material advantage. 1-0 15.tLlh4t c;!;>h6

If you have been paying attention to the 66. Dimitrios Kiriazis - Achilles Mitsakos previous examples, you will know how to deal

with 1 5 . . . cj;Jh5. Athens 1 999

a b e d e f g h 12 . . . ge8??

Once again, Black casually disregards the defence of the crucial f7 -pawn.

13.Lf7t! c;!;>xf7 14.�c4t c;!;>g6? The king should have retreated, although

White keeps a considerable advantage: 1 4 . . . cj;JfS 1 5 .tLlg5 d5 1 6 .exd5 tLlxd5! ( l 6 . . . tLla7 1 7 .d6 is crushing)

a b e d e f g h 1 7 .f4! �xg5 ( l 7 . . . exf4 loses to I S .E!xf4t!)

a b e d e f g h 1 6 .iWf7t! g6 ( l 6 . . . cj;Jxh4 1 7.tLlf3#) White can now win quite easily with 1 7.tLldf3 followed by g2-g4 t, or he can play the more spectacular: 1 7.g4t! �xh4 I S .tLlf3t cj;Jxh3 1 9 .1Llg5t cj;Jxg4 20.cj;Jg2 exd4 2 l .f3t �h4 22.E!h l t �h3t 23.E!xh3#

16.tLldf3t g5 17.tLlxg5 As well as being under the constant threat of

mate, Black is facing huge material losses .

17 . . . d5 1 7 . . . cj;Jg7 is met by I s .iWf7t �hS 1 9 .tLlxh7!

and the black position falls apart.


18.exdS l S .tLle6t! is even more effective: l S . . . �h5

1 9 .1Mre2t cj;Jxh4 20.�g5#

18 • . . �c8 19.dxc6 Here too, 1 9 .tLle6t! is quickest.

19 ... ,tfS 20.lLle6t �hS 21 .lLlxf5 1-0

67. Slawomir Piter - T. Murach

Augustow 1 996

a b e d e f g h 9 ... lLld7??

Black aims to redeploy this knight to the c5-square. This may be positionally well motivated, but Black failed to check that it was tactically viable.

9 . . . tLlxd4 l O .lMrxd4 �e6 would have been much more sensible.

1O.ixf7t! The penalty for such carelessness is severe.

10 ... �xf7 1 1 .lLle6! Giving Black an unpleasant choice - lose the

queen or be mated. He chose the latter.

1 1 ...�xe6 12.�dSt @f6

Noticing 1 3 .�f5#, Black resigned. 1-0

68. Robert Fischer - Samuel Reshevsky

New York 1 958

The f7 -square i s an obvious weakness at the start of the game, but once we have castled it's easy to assume that we no longer have to worry about it. However, Black must still be wary, as the great Bobby Fischer demonstrated in a classic encounter with Reshevsky.

l .e4 cS 2.tlJO tlJc6 3.d4 cxd4 4.lLlxd4 g6 S.lLlc3 ,tg7 6.,te3 lLlf6 7.,tc4 0-0 8.,tb3 lLlaS?

This move is a serious blunder, as Fischer convincingly shows.

S . . . a5 ! ? is one of many reasonable candidate moves here.

9 . . . tLlh5 loses the knight to l O .g4.

The only realistic alternative is 9 . . . tLlxb3, but the forcing sequence l O .exf6 tLlxa l 1 1 .fxg7 �xg7 1 2 .�xal gives White a big advantage.

10 • .ixf7t! Fischer is observant as ever.

1O . . . @xf7 1 0 . . . Ei:xf7 1 1 .tLle6! simply traps the queen.

8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

a b e d e f g h 1 1 ..!lJe6!

Black now faces a dismal choice - either give up his queen or allow his king to be drawn into the centre, where a bloody slaughter awaits him.

1 1 . . .dxe6 The alternative 1 1 . . . �xe6 leads to an elegant

execution of the monarch: 1 2 . W d5 t �f5

a b e d e f g h 1 3 .g4t! �xg4 1 4.Ei:g1 t c;t>h5 1 5 .Wg2! and mate next move.

12.WxdS

The position is easily won for White, and despite desperate defence by Reshevsky, Fischer's technique is as impeccable as ever.

12 •.• tLlc6 13.Wd2 .ixeS 14.0-0 tLld6 IS . .if4 tLlc4 16.We2 �4 17.Wxc4 @g7 IS.tLle4 .ic7 19.tLlcS Ei:fG 20.<:3 eS 21 .:gadl tLldS 22.tLld7 :gc6 23.Wh4 :ge6 24.tLlcS :gfG 2S.tLle4 :gf4 26.Wxe7t :gf7 27.Wa3 tLlc6 2S.tLld6 .ixd6 29.:gxd6 .ifS 30.b4 :gffS 31 .bS tLldS 32.:gdS tLlf7 33.:gc5 a6 34.b6 .ie4 3S.:gel .ic6 36.:gxc6 bxc6 37.b7 :gabS 3S.Wxa6 tLldS 39.:gbl :gf7 40.h3 :gfxb7 41 .:gxb7t :gxb7 42.WaS 1-0

In fact, this whole trap with 1 O.�xf7t has been seen in a number of games since this famous Fischer encounter, proving that not all of us pay enough attention to the classics.

69. Jose erm Lima - Angel Hernandez

Cuba 1 993

8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

a b e d e f g h

l .tLlxf7!! White lands the first blow of a two-punch

combination.

I should mention that the le�s spectacular 1 .�b5 ! is also strong. White wins material after


either 1 . . .lLlxe5 2.�xe8 or 1 . . .�xe7 2 .dxe7 E1xe7 3 .�xd7.

1 ...'it?xf7 2.'1Wxe6t! The main idea, luring the king forward. This

brilliant concept demands accurate calculation of the subsequent king hunt.

2 ... 'it?xe6 Black has to accept the queen sacrifice, as

2 . . . Wg7 3 .�c4! would not offer any hope.

3.�c4t 'it?f5 4Jl:d5t

a b e d e f g h 4 . . . lLle5?

Black could have set White more difficult practical problems with the bold: 4 . . . Wf4!

However, even in this case it can be seen that the white attack is simply too powerful.

5 .g3t Wf3

a b e d e f g h

6.E1e l ! Wxc3 7.l"i:d3t Wxd3 7 . . . Wg4! ? would avoid being mated, but it would not save the game. For example: 8 .l"i:xc3 lLlf6 9 .�f7 �xe7 1 O .dxe7 �f5 1 l .f3t 'it?g5 1 2 .h4t 'it?h6 1 3 .�xe8 l"i:xe8 1 4 .g4 and White gains a decisive material advantage.

8 .cxd3 lLlf6

a b e d e f g h 9.h3! !

9 .�b3? would allow Black to escape after 9 . . . 'it?g4 1 O .l"i:e5 �f5 .

9 . . . �xh3 1 O .�b3! Closing the trap on the black king.

1 O . . . Wg4 1 1 .l"i:e5! Threatening 1 2 .�d l#.

1 1 . . .�f1 1 2 .�e6t 'it?f3 1 3 .l"i:e3# A truly geometric variation which proves

the soundness of the initial sacrifice. I 'm not sure if Cruz saw all this when he sacrificed his queen, but he probably intuitively and correctly sensed that the black king would be in too much danger to survive.

8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

a b e d e f g h

5.ii:xe5t! <j;>xe5 6.i�e1 t <j;>f4 7.g3t <j;>g4 7 . . . �f3 8 .1"i:e5! shuts the trap.

8 . .ie2t <j;>h3 Mter S . . . <;t>f5 9 . .id3t <;t>g4 l O .1"i:e4t, the

king is mated wherever it £lees:

a b e d e f g h l O . . . <;t>h5 1 1 .1"i:h4# or 1 O . . . <;t>h3 l l ..ifl# or l O . . . �f3 1 1 .1"i:f4# or l O . . . �f5 1 1 .g4#.

8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

9.£3!

a b e d e f g h

Mate with .ifl is coming - a beautiful attack indeed. 1-0

70. Hans Urankar - Johannes Wenzel

Germany 1 995

8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

a b c d e f g h 26.�xf7t!!

When all your pieces have reached ideal attacking stations, you know it's time to break through.

White's pieces are so well placed that he even has another way to sacrifice his queen: 26.fxg7! LOxc4 27.gxfS=�t �xf8 (27 . . . 1"i:xf8 28 .1"i:g4t is mate next move) 28 .1"i:xf7t �g8 29.1"i:g7t �hS

a b e d e f g h 30.1"i:xb7t Many other moves win too, but this seems easiest. 30 . . . LOe5 3 1 .1"i:fSt! 1"i:xfS 32 . .ixe5t 1"i:f6 33.1"i:xbS+-

26 . . . <j;>xf7 27.fxg7t <j;>e7 The black king cannot escape the awesome

power of the white pieces : 27 . . . <j{g8 28.gxf8=\Wt l::1xf8 29.l::1g4t and mates.

8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

a b e d e f g h 28.g8=\1;lf

The new queen ensures that the black king will not survive long.

28 .. . <j{d6 29.gxf8 29 . . . l::1xf8 30.\We6t <j{c7 3 1..t e5t leads to

mate. 1-0

14.\1;lfxf7t!! A fabulous shot! This must have come as a

complete shock for Black.

14 .•. @xf7 IS . .tc4t ge6 Black must give up the rook, as moving the

king allows instant mate: 1 5 . . . �e7 1 6 .tLJxf5# or 1 5 . . . <j{g6 1 6.h5#.

16.tLlxe6 White has only a rook for the queen, but the

black king is too exposed.

16 ... \1;lfaS 17.tLlc7t @e7

8 7 6 5 4 3 2

71. Srdjan Zakic - Srdjan Cvetkovic 1

8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

Aosta 1 989

a b e d e f g h 13 . . . exf5?

Black unwisely opens up the position.

a b e d e f g h

18.tLl3dSt! 1 8 .tLJxa8 is also promising, but White has

bigger game in his sights.

18 ..• @d8 19.tLle6t @e8 20 . .td2 The black queen is short of squares.

20 . . . \1;lfa4 21 ..tb3 \1;lfxe4 22.ghel ! Decisive. Black must give back the queen,

after which White wins quite easily.

22 . . . gb8 Any attempt to save the queen is quickly

mated, for example: 22 . . . \Wxh4


8

7

6

5

4

3

2

a b e d e f g h 23 .l2lec7t mf7 24.l2lf4t d5 25 .�xd5#

23Jhe4 fxe4 The difference in mobility of the respective

armies is striking, and the black king remains in serious danger.

8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

a b e d e f g h 24JUl tiJceS 2S.�b4 tiJf3 26.tiJdc7t @e7 27J�dl !

White's advantage is overwhelming and he quickly mopped up.

27 .. . llJcS 28.tiJxcS as 29.tiJSa6 axb4 30.llJxb8 tiJxh4 31 .tiJbS �g4 32J3xd6 e3 33J'�b6 e2 34Jhb7t 1-0

72. Edward Lasker - George Thomas

London 1 9 1 2

a b e d e f g h A double check can be an extremely powerful

attacking device, forcing the opposing king to flee. Here Edward Lasker sacrifices his queen to set up a lethal double check.

1 1 .�xh7t!! @xh7 12.tiJxf6t @h6 The king must embark on a dangerous

journey, as the alternative 1 2 . . . mh8 1 3 .l2lg6# would be a beautiful mate.

13.tiJeg4t Drawing the enemy king further forward.

13 . . . @gS 14.h4t @f4 IS .g3t @f3 It is rare that a king can march so far into

enemy territory and get away with it, and this case is no exception.

a b e d e f g h

Chapter 2 - Dragging out the King 9 1

16.ie2t 1 6 .0-0! is equally effective, meeting any

reply with 1 7 .lDh2#.

16 .. .'j;lg2 17J:�h2t 'kt?gl 18.'kt?d2# Lasker no doubt calculated this whole line

back on the 1 1 th move.

73. Alberic O'KeUy de Galway -Jonathan Penrose

Varna (01) 1 962

a b e d e f g h O'Kelly uses the power of the double check

to escape a dubious position against manytimes British Champion Penrose.

20.'lWxh7t!! A beautiful way to save your bacon.

20.l'l:h3 loses trivially to 20 . . . dxe4 2 1 .'lWxh7t It>f8, and the black king escapes via the e7-square.

20.lDg5 is slightly more complicated, but after 20 . . . h6 2 1 .ih7t <;t>f8 22.lDxf7!? 'lWxf7 23 .ig6 'lWe7 24.l'l:f3t if6, Black emerges with the advantage.

20 .. . 'kt?xh7 It would require a lot of nerve to decline the

sacrifice with 20 . . . <;t>f8? Indeed, this would

be bravery bordering on stupidity, as after 2 1 .lDg5 ! ixe3 22.fXe3 White clearly has a powerful attack.

21 .�f6t 'kt?h6 2 1 . . .<;t>h8 ? ? is not a wise choice: 22.l'l:h3#

22.:gh3t 'kt?g5

8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

a b e d e f g h 23.tiJh7t!

Who said a knight on the rim is dim? This nifty move ensures the draw.

23 . . . 'kt?g4 24.ie2t If White plays 24.<;t>fl ? to threaten 25 . f3t

It>f4 26.l'l:h4#, then Black can defend with 24 . . . ixf2! .

24 . • . 'kt?f4 25.id3!

8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

a b e d e f g h

25 .•. <it>g4 Threatened with mate in one by 26.:B:h4#,

Black has no choice but to repeat, despite his vast material advantage. Other methods of covering the h4-square leave Black worse:

25 . . . �f6? ! 26.g3t ! cj;>g4

8

7

6

5

4

3

2

a b e d e f g h 27.ttJxf6t! gxf6 (27 . . . <it>xh3? 28 .�fl#) 28 .:B:h4t cj;>g5 29 .f4t Black has to give up the queen to prevent mate, after which White enjoys an edge in the endgame: 29 . . . \&xf4 30.:B:xf4±

25 . . . \&e7? 26.:B:f3t cj;>g4 27.�e2! leaves Black unable to prevent mate, for example:

a b e d e f g h 27 . . . �e5 28.:B:f6t cj;>h4 29 .g3t �h3 30.ttJg5#

25 . . . g5? This meets with a spectacular refutation.

a b e d e f g h 26.ttJf6! ! �xf6

26 . . . g4 27.g3t sees Black mated after 27 . . . �f3 28 .�e2# or 27 . . . �g5 28 .ttJh7#.

27.g3t �g4 27 . . . �f3 also leads to forced mate: 28 .:B:e3t �g4 29 .f3t �xh3 30.�fl#

28 .:B:h6

8

7

6

5

4

3

2

L=,/" O'''" ",,,,/,,

F""" ,,,,,,,,,,

a b e d e f g h White now threatens 29 .h3t �f3 30.:B:e3#, and Black has no good defence. For example:

28 . . . d4 29.h3t �f3 30.:B:xf6t \&f4 3 1 .�fl ! \&xf6 32.�g2#

26.i.e2t <it>f4 27.i.d3 <it>g4 Accurate calculation by both players has

resulted in a repetition. 1/2-1/2

8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

74. Margeir Petursson -Kristjan Gudmundsson

Reykjavik 1 986

a b e d e f g h Black's queen is stranded on e l , completely

unable to come to the assistance of the king, and White is quick to take advantage of this fact:

22.tiJd5! �d8 Even the desperate 22 . . . f6 cannot save Black:

23.CtJxf6t l"1xf6 24.Wxf6 l"1b8

a b e d e f g h 25 .�xc4! Wxh l 26.l"1d8#

23.tiJf6t c;t>g7 24.�xd8 tiJxd8 25.tiJh5t! The black king is forced up the board.

25 .. . c;t>h6 25 . . . �f8 is also fatal : 26.Wd6t c;t>e8 27.CtJf6#

26.Wf4t c;t>xh5 27.g4t hg4 27 . . . <jrh4 30.Wh6#

28.fxg4t c;t>h4 29.Wh6t After 29 . . . <jrxg4 30.�h3t Black loses his

queen and is then mated next move. 1-0

75. Jeroen Piket - Rudy Douven

8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

Hilversum 1 988

a b e d e f g h Black now makes the seemingly counter

intuitive decision to exchange his uberpowerful knight on g3 , but he has realized that he can then sacrifice his queen on the very same square.

40 . . . tiJ xe2 40 . . . CtJxfl , with the same follow-up as in the

game, is equally good.

41 .he2 Wg3t!! Ouch!

42.hg3 hxg3t 43.c;t>g4


8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

a b e d e f g h 43 ... tLle7!

The white king has stumbled straight into the wolf's lair, and now there is nothing to be done against the threat of . . . "f1,g6#. 0-1

76. Josep Lopez Martinez - James Plaskett

8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

Hastings 1 988

a b e d e f g h In Sicilian positions, the attacking benefits of

a knight on the c4-square can be considerable.

1 1 .0-0-0? White unwisely castles into it.

Going on the defensive with 1 1 .�c 1 or l 1 .ctJd l is hardly appealing for White, but at

least it would avoid the rout that we see in the game.

1 1 .. .tLlxb2! True to his direct style, Plaskett doesn't hold

back and sacrifices two pieces to bring the king out into the open.

12.@xb2 i.a3t! One of the advantages of playing the Sicilian

Taimanov compared to lines with an early . . . d6 is that Black's dark-squared bishop can often play an active role in the game.

13.@xa3 After 1 3 .ct?b3 Wa5! the white king is

marooned on b3, utterly at the mercy of the black forces. 1 4 .ctJc6 dxc6 1 5 ."f1,d4 c5 and White can resign.

1 3 .ct?b l Wxc3 1 4 .�c 1 �xc1 1 5 .ct?xc1 Wai t 1 6 .ct?d2 Wxd4t is also hopeless.

13 ... Wxc3t 14.tLlb3

a b e d e f g h 14 .. . i.c6!

This closes the trap on the white king and threatens . . . b4#.

The immediate 14 . . . b4t? 1 5 .ct?a4 would be much less clear.


15 . .tc5 a5! White has no defence against 1 G . . . b4t

followed by mate. 0-1

8 7 6 5 4 3 2

12.g5?

77. Tibor Tolnai - Mats Sjoberg

Zalakaros 1 992

a b e d e f g h

When attacking this knight, White was no doubt counting on it having to move away, but Black can ignore the threat.

a b e d e f g h 16 . . . lLlxe4!

Finally the attacked knight moves. Now 1 7.il.xe4 Wb4 t wins easily for Black after either l S .li:lb3 il.xe4 or l S .Wb3 Wxb3t 1 9 .axb3 il.xe4. 0-1

78. Maxim Pavlov - Dmitry Kononenko

A1ushra 2004

8 7

Black's other knight is the real danger, and 6 White should have removed it with 1 2 .il.xc4.

12 .. . tiJxb2! 13.�xb2 .ta3t! 14.�bl A desperate retreat, but advancing is even

worse:

14 .c;t>b3 WdG! leads quickly to mate.

14 . c;t>xa3 loses in similar fashion to the previous example: 14 . . . Wxc3t 1 5 .li:l b3 il.c6 1 G.il.c5 a5 and White has no good defence against . . . b4t .

14 . . . Wxc3 15 . .tc1 hc1 16J'hc1

5 4 3 2 1

a b e d e f g h 16 . . . d5!?

Black's queenside attack has such potential that he is happy to give away an important central pawn to allow the dark-squared bishop to join in.

17.exd5?

White does not see the storm coming, and blithely continues on his merry way. It was time to admit that something had gone wrong with his opening and play the more circumspect 1 7 .tDce2, although he cannot hope for any advantage.

17 . . . tiJxb2! Black does not miss his chance.

18.'�xb2 �a3t 19.c;t>xa3 After 1 9 . <;t>b3, Black tightens the noose with

1 9 . . . WI'a5 ! , an idea we are already familiar with.

1 9 .<;t>b 1 Wl'xc3 20 .ii.c 1 tDc4! is also hopeless for White.

19 . . . Wixc3t 20.tiJb3

a b e d e f g h 20 . . . �d7!

20 . . . b4t! 2 1 .<j:;>a4 Wl'b2 also does the job.

21 .�c5 b4t 22.hb4 �xb4 Mate with . . . �a4# is on its way.

0-1

Exposing the King One of the most familiar ideas in attacking the castled king is a subject we have already discussed - the hook. A typical example of the hook is when White latches onto a weakening pawn move in front of the black king by sacrificing a bishop on h6. In the most dangerous version of this sacrifice, White is able to follow up with a quick \Wg6t.

1 .J.xh6 gxh6 2.�g6t <t!lh8 3.�xh6t <t!lg8 4.<t!lhl Black is helpless to prevent 5 .E1g1 #.

8

7

6

5

4

3

2

a b e d e f g h

Anoshkin - Kruchev, Belorechensk 2007 Vladimirov - Murshed, Calcutta 200 1

(0 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

@ 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

a b e d e f g h Bakulin - S. Sokolov, Moscow 1 973

a b e d e f g h

8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

a b e d e f g h Adams - Skripchenko, France 1 999

a b e d e f g h

79. Alexander Anoshkin - Boris Kruchev

8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

Belorechensk 2007

a b e d e f g h 15.i.xh6!

A decisive blow, effectively devastating the black kingside.

15 . . . i.f6 1 5 . . . g:x:h6 is no good: 1 6.Wg6t <j;>h8

1 7 .Wxh6t! (even stronger than 1 7.Wxg4) 1 7 . . . <;t>g8 l S .tLlg5 ! i.xg5 1 9 .hxg5 and the threat of g5-g6 is crushing.

The alternative 1 5 . . . i.xf3 is also summarily dispatched: 1 6 .E1xf3 g:x:h6 1 7. W g6 t <j;> hS 1 S .Wxh6t <;t>gS 1 9 .E1xg3t+-

16.ttJg5! i.xg5 17.i.xg5

8 7 6 5 4 3 2

a b e d e f g h

Black could almost resign here - not only is he material down, but his position is a complete mess.

17 ... VMb6 18.hl i.h5 19J�ael gfe8 20.i.e7 llJf8 21 .VM£3!

Smashing through on fl. Black had finally seen enough. 1-0

8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

80. Nikolac Bakulin - Sergey Sokolov

Moscow 1 973

a b e d e f g h 21 .i.xh6!

This idea crops up time and again in practical play. In this example, the sacrifice is not only natural , but also extremely strong, as all of White's pieces are aiming at the enemy king.

21 . .. gxh6 22.gg3t h8 23.VMd2 ttJg8 24.gxg8t!

An important link in the chain, this removes a key defender.

24 . . . xg8 25.VMxh6 £3 26.VMg6t h8

Chapter 2 - Exposing the King 99

8 7 6 5 4 3 2

a b c d e f g h 27J�c3!

Of course White is not satisfied with perpetual check. Despite his extra material , Black is strangely powerless against the coming attack.

27 .. .iU6 28.VNhSt <;t>g7

a b e d e f g h 29.Lf5!

Blow after blow!

29 .. .i�g8 None of the alternatives can save Black, for

example: 29 . . .1'hfS 30.:i:!g3t j,gS 3 1 .:i:!xgSt :i:!xgS 32.1Wxgst �f8 33 .1Wf6t �e8 34 .1Wf7#

Even giving up the queen does not help: 29 . . . 1WxeS 30.dxeS :i:!xfS 3 1 .:i:!g3t �f8 32.1Wg6! and wins.

30J�g3t <;t>f8 31 .gxg8t <;t>xg8 32.VNh7t Mate follows on h8. Like all good attacking

games, every white move had a purpose, and no time was wasted. 1-0

81 . Evgeny Vladimirov - Niaz Murshed

Calcutta 200 1

a b e d e f g h 2 l .lLl gS!

White immediately hits on the Achilles heel in Black's position - the vulnerable pawns on h7 and f7 - and goes directly for the attack.

21 . . .h6 2 1 . . .j,xgS 22.j,xgS would avoid the coming

firestorm, but is still highly unpleasant for Black. It is obvious that White has an ongoing attack as well as the advantage of the two bishops .

22.tLlxf7! Of course. There is no going back. By this

point in the book we should all know that the pieces are mere pawns in a bigger game - to achieve the ultimate objective of mating the opposing king. For further examples of this, see Chapter 4 on Breakthrough with the Pieces .

a b e d e f g h 24.hh6!

Further avenues are opened up.

24 ... ltJrs 24 . . . gxh6 leads to a quick mate with checks

all the way: 25 .W1'g6t <j;lf8 26.W1'xh6t <j;lg8 27.�h7t! <j;lhS 2S .�g6t <j;lgS 29.W1'h7t <j;lfS 30 .W1'f7#

25.ge3 White brings up reinforcements, but

striking immediately with 25 .�xg7! is more incisive. After 25 . . . <j;lxg7 26.Ei:e3 White wins easily, while 25 . . . Ei:dcS is most simply met by 26.�h6! and the black king is too exposed to survive.

25 . . . gac8 Black could put up a sturdier defence with:

25 . . . gxh6! 26.W1'xh6

a b e d e f g h

26 . . . �g5 ! Black's idea is that after 27.W1'xg5t W1' g7, the potential mate on g2 forces the exchange of queens. Instead White should prefer 27.Ei:g3 , retaining a strong attack, though 27 . . . Ei:d7 2S.Ei:xg5t Ei:g7 allows Black to fight on.

26.gxc8 gxc8 26 . . . W1'xcs 27.Ei:g3 is no better.

27.gg3! It is important not to allow Black to

counterattack: 27.�xg7?? Ei:cl t 2S .�fl �xg2 29 .W1'hSt <;t>f7 30 .W1'h5t lZlg6 and Black wins.

27 .. . .id8

8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

a b e d e f g h When I first played through this game on

ChessBase, it gave this position as a puzzle -White to play and win. I tried about twenty different moves before finally giving in! Can the reader do better than me and find the decisive continuation here?

28.ha6! This neat tactic overloads the enemy queen

and quickly wraps up the game. It is easy to miss this because the natural inclination is to look towards the kingside � an inbuilt prejudice with attacking players . But true attacking geniuses see the entire board!

Chapter 2 - Exposing the King 10 1

28 .• .'IWxa6 2S . . J::k 1 t 29 .j,xc 1 WExa6 30.j,h6 also gives

White a decisive attack.

29J'hg7t <;!,Jh8 30.Wff7 Mate is inevitable.

1-0

82. Michael Adams - Almira Skripchenko

8 7 6 5 4 3 2

France 1 999

a b e d e f g h A timely piece sacrifice may strip the black

king of its pawn cover, after which the heavy pieces can come in to finish the job. Michael Adams is well known as a positional player, but he also has a keen tactical eye. Here he comes up with a clever sacrifice to expose the enemy king.

19 • .L:g7! <;!,Jxg7 20.i.xd5! A crucial link in the chain. The removal of

this key defensive piece, which was controlling so many important squares (in particular the f6-square) , leaves Black helpless.

20 .•. exd5 None of the alternatives offered any salvation

either.

20 . . . j,xd5 loses in similar fashion to the game: 2 1 .WEg5t \t>hS 22.WEf6t \t>gS 23J:1xd5!+-

20 . . . :B:fcS hopes to struggle on a pawn down, but unsurprisingly it fails: 2 1 .WEg5t 'it>fS

a b e d e f g h 22 .j,xe6! Stripping the king of its remaining protection. 22 . . . fxe6 23 .WEf6t \t>gS 24.WExe6t \t>g7 25 .:B:d5 The king is too exposed to survive.

21 .Wfg5t <;!,Jh8 22.Wff6t <;!,Jg8

8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

a b e d e f g h 23.E:xd5!

A nice way to terminate proceedings.

23 •. J�fe8 24.:B:g5t <;!,Jf8 25.Wfd6t White wins after 25 . . . :B:e7 26.:B:e l WEdS

27.WEh6t . 1-0

Greek Gift Sacrifice This theme is believed to be named after the epic tale of the Trojan horse - a devious military strategy that the Greeks used to infiltrate the ancient city of Troy. Personally I find this fascinating story of the siege ofTroy represented poorly in modern culture, with the Brad Pitt movie, the imaginatively tided Troy being a particularly dismal example.

A basic demonstration of the pattern for the Greek

8

7

6

5

4

3

2

Gift sacrifice occurs in the diagram position : 1 .i.xh7t! a b e d e f g h

Removing a crucial defensive unit, the pawn on h7, and bringing the black king out into the open, where it is exposed to a deadly attack by the queen and knight. 1 .. .'�xh7 2.liJg5t �g8 3.�h5 Mate swiftly follows on h7.

@ 8 7 6 5 4 3 2

Spraggett - Salman, Toronto 1 983

a b e d e f g h

8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

Furman - Geller, Riga 1 958

a b e d e f g h Loose - Niephaus, Bad Oeynhausen 1 942 Ridameya Tatche - Mora Manez, Barcelona 1996

8 @ 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

a b e d e f g h a b c d e f g h

Chapter 2 - Greek Gift Sacrifice 103

Vagle - Tollefsen, Oslo 2005

a b e d e f g h Busto Prendes - Andres Gonzalez, Asturias 2000

a b e d e f g h J. Jonsson - H. Jonsson, Reykjavik 1 969

7 6 5 4 3

a b e d e f g h

Em. Lasker - J. Bauer, Amsterdam 1 889

7 6 5 4 3

I a b e d e f g h Muse - Lagunow, Berlin 1 993

a b e d e f g h

83. Kevin Spraggett - Nachum Salman

Toronto 1 983

a e f g h We join the game here to see how Black set

himself up for the sacrifice. Black should be constantly aware of the possibility of a sacrifice on the h7 -square. Just the slightest defensive slip, taking your eye off this possibility, can lead to sudden disaster.

14 . . . 0-0? Castling into it! Black does not sense the

danger, and is soon rudely dispatched.

1 4 . . . 'lWc7! would have been more sensible, keeping Black's options open. Sometimes it can be a good idea to keep the king in the centre for a time. One of the chess cliches beaten into us when we are younger is that "castling makes the king much safer" , but in chess you can't rely on cliches. Sometimes you have to think outside the box! In this specific example, castling is the decisive mistake.

15.e5! The knight on f6, the only piece holding

together the defence of the kingside, is brutally pushed away, enabling the final attack.

15 . . . tLld5

a b e d e f g h 16.i.xh7t! Wxh7 17.tLlg5t

A classic situation has arisen which occurs in most Greek Gift sacrifices. Black has the choice of either retreating with the king, or marching bravely into the main battlefield and exposing His Majesty to the full power of White's pieces . Neither choice tends to be particularly pleasant.

17 ... Wg6 1 7 . . . WgS leads to mate: l S .'lWh5 E\eS

1 9 .'lWxf7t <j;JhS 20.'lWh5t <j;JgS 2 1 .'lWhlt WfS 22.'lWhSt We7 23.'lWxg7#

a b e d e f g h A typical finish, with the king suffocated by

its own pieces .

18.h4! This pawn push is very powerful here.

Chapter 2 - Greek Gift Sacrifice 10S

18 . . .'�e7 The defensive possibility of 1 8 . . Jl:h8, though

well-motivated, does not quite work. It runs into a subtle thrust: 1 9 .hSt ! l::i:xhS 20 .We4t fS 2 1 .exf6t �xf6 22.Wf3t �g6 23 .Wf7t �h6 24.tLlxe6t White will soon have the pleasant choice between giving checkmate and taking the enemy queen.

19.hSt @h6 1 9 . . . �fS 20.g4#

20.lihe6t @h7 21 .Wid3t! This forces the king back into its box, under

circumstances favourable to White, who now wins easily.

21 ...@g8 2 1 . . .g6 loses material to 22.tLlxf8t Wxf8

23.WxdS .

a b e d e f g h

22.llJgS! If the threatened mate is prevented, the

knight on dS will drop, leaving White with a decisive material advantage. 1-0

8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

84. WaIter Loose -WaIter Niephaus

Bad Oeynhausen 1 942

a b e d e f g h Again we join the game when Black still had

a chance to avert disaster.

12, . .i.b7? This simple developing move is far too

casual; Black fails to sense the danger. His position is already unpleasant, but this makes Black's situation critical .

In chess, you should always be aware of what your opponent is planning. IfBlackhad thought about what was White was threatening, he could have minimized the damage and taken the sting out of the sacrifice with 1 2 . . . w'e7, which crucially covers the gS-square. Mter 1 3 .eS tLldS , the sacrifice 1 4.w'xh7t? doesn't work, as 1 4 . . . �xh7 l S .tLlgSt w'xgS! simply leaves White a piece down. White would do better with the more restrained 1 4.tLlxdS exdS l S .tLld4 with a clear advantage.


13.e5! tiJfd7 14 • .ixh7t! The Greek Gift sacrifice tends to be such a

deadly weapon that Black should not allow it at all. In fact when I searched for Greek Gift games on ChessBase, the statistics where overwhelmingly in favour of the attacker, one reason being that in the positions where it occurs, Black's army tends to be too far away from the action to realistically come to the king's defence.

14 • • • @xh7 15.lilg5t @g6 The black king was again faced with the

choice of retreating or advancing.

1 5 . . . mg8 would meet the same fate pointed out in the previous example: 1 6.iWh5 Ele8 1 7 .iWxf7t! @h8 1 8 .iWh5t @g8 1 9 .iWh7t mf8 2o .iWh8t me7 2 1 .iWxg7#

a b e d e f g h 16JWd3t

The most direct.

8

7

6

5

4

3

2

V////,/.--

a b e d e f g h 1 7.iWh7t @g4 1 8 .iWh3#

17.exf6t 1 7 .ctJxe6 iWe7 1 8 .ctJxf8t ctJxf8 is far from

clear. It is much more important to maintain the attack on the king rather than "cash in our chips" too early by grabbing a small amount of material .

17 . . . @xf6 Black has survived the first wave of attack,

but his defences have been exposed to such a degree that he cannot hope to survive the second wave.

8 7 6 5 4 3 2

1 6 .h4! ? threatens the devastating 1 7.h5t , and 1 is an interesting alternative. However it can be met by 1 6 . . . Elh8 ! , when White has little choice a b e d e f g h but to continue as in the game with 1 7.iWd3t . 18.Elel !

16 ••• £5 This further weakening is forced, as 1 6 . . . mh5

leads to mate:

As so often in positions like this where the king is horribly exposed, the attacking side has a lot of choice.

Chapter 2 - Greek Gift Sacrifice 1 07

1 8 .l2ke4t! is just as strong: 1 8 . . . �e7 1 9 .Wi'c3! Wi'b6 20.tLlxc5! Wi'xc5 2 1 .Wi'xg7t <;t>e8 22.lLlxe6 with devasta'tion.

18 ... e5 There is no escape: 1 8 . . . :8e8 1 9 .1Llce4t! �e7

20.lLlxe6 �xe6 2 1 .lLld6t lLle5

a b e d e f g h 22.:8xe5t! ! �xe5 23 .�f4t �xf4 24.Wi'f5# A fine demonstration of the long-term dangers to the exposed king.

19.1Lld5t?! 1 9 .1Llce4t! �xe4 20.lLlxe4t �e7 2 1 .�g5t

lLlf6 22.lLlxc5 is simpler, and White emerges two pawns up.

19 .. . ,bd5 20.�xd5 �b6! 21 .tDe4t <;t>g6 22.lLlxc5

In his earlier calculations White probably missed that he can't simply regain material here with 22.Wi'xa8 as this would run into 22 . . . lLlc6! . But in such positions where Black is in total disarray, it's not surprising that there is a strong alternative.

22 .. . �xc5 23.�e4t! �f5 23 . . . �f7 24.Wi'xa8 lLlc6 25 .Wi'b7+-

24.i.e3 �c6 25.�g4t 'kt>f6 It may look as if Black has managed to escape

to a certain degree, but in fact his cause remains hopeless, as his king is still exposed and he has too many loose pieces liable to be captured.

8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

a b e d e f g h 26J��ac1 �e6 27.�e4 tDc5 28J:hc5 �a7 29.g4 �f4 30.i.xf4 �xg4t 3 1 .i.g3 �xe4 32.�xe4 lLld7 33.i.xe5t 'kt>f5 34.�e2 lLlxc5 35.i.d4 �c7 36.�e5t 'kt>f4 37.�xc5 �d7 38.i.e3t 'kt>f3 39.�f5t 'kt>e2 1-0

Black managed to avoid getting mated immediately, but the knight on g5 and the activity of White's pieces offered such dangerous attacking prospects that defending proved impossible in the long run. This is a good example of what is meant by the second wave of attack.

8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

85. Semen Furman - Efim Geller

Riga 1 958

a b e d e f g h


This example is included to remind you Black is not always without resources in Greek Gift positions - if he can find some way to defend the h7-square, he can often repel the attack. In the current game, Efim Geller comes up with an impressive defensive idea.

17.e5 ttJd5 18 . .ixh7t �xh7 19.1iJg5t �g8! Retreating is the correct choice this time.

1 9 . . . i>g6? 20.We4t leads quickly to mate after 20 . . . i>h5 2 1 .Wh7t i>g4 22.Wh3# or 20 .. . f5 2 1 .exf6t i>xf6 22.Wxe6#.

1 9 . . . i>h6? 20.Wg4! also leaves the king helpless against White's multiple threats .

20.'lWh5

8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

a b e d e f g h It looks as if Black could now resign, but can

you see Geller's amazing defence?

20 . . . ttJf6!! A brilliant resource that needed to be seen in

advance - this gives up a piece but enables the queen to come to the defence of the kingside.

21 .exf6 'Wf5! Black manages to defend the h7-square.

8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

a b e d e f g h 22.g4 'Wg6 23.'Wxg6 fxg6 24.f7t �xf7 25.ttJxf7 �xf7

The fireworks have fizzled out and White is left with only a slight edge in the endgame. Furman pressed for a while, but eventually the game was drawn . . . . . /2-%

86. Jose Ridameya Tatche -Julio Mora Manez

Barcelona 1 996

a b e d e f g h Here we see how White may prepare a Greek

Gift sacrifice. White could play something simple, like castling either side, but he comes up with a much more dangerous idea that is especially thematic.


lO.h4! Often the presence of a pawn on h4 will make

the Greek Gift sacrifice yet more venomous; especially when combined with a rook on h I , as the capture of the knight o n g5 will open up a devastating attack down the open h-file. Pushing the h-pawn also introduces the idea of a possible lift of the rook from h 1 -h3 . (In Chapter 4 there are more examples of this dangerous attacking theme.)

lO ... f6? Black reacts badly. This attempt to

counterattack the centre is strategically well motivated, but like many strategical ideas, it will only work if it is backed up by sound tactics. In this case Black never has the chance to realize his strategic idea, as his opponent rather rudely mates him.

Analysis shows that there was only one reasonable alternative. 1 O . . . h6! is objectively best, concretely defending against the threats . 1 1 .0-0-0 lLlc5! Hitting the dangerous bishop on d3 removes a lot of the poison from the position. A player may be reluctant to make such a concession as . . . h6, thinking that this may lead to a weakness which White can eventually latch on to with g4-g5 ete. , but in some situations there is simply no choice.

a b e d e f g h

1 l .hh7t? Although this proved successful in the game,

it is in fact an error.

1 1 .lLlg5! is the accurate move order, and after 1 1 . . .fxg5 1 2 .�xh7t! �xh7 White wins with 1 3 .hxg5t as in the game.

8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

a b e d e f g h 12 . . . fxg5?

Advancing with the king leads to a swift execution: 1 2 . . . �g6? 1 3 .h5t �f5 1 4 .g4t �xf4 1 5 .lLlxe6#

However, Black can survive by retreating the king with 1 2 . . . �g8 ! . The point is that 1 3 .�h5? fails to 1 3 . . . fxg5 1 4.hxg5 lLldxe5-+ . Black is ready to lop off the white g-pawn if it advances, and so there is no mate.

White would instead have to try 1 3 . lLlxe6, but then 1 3 . . . �a5 is unclear.

13.hxg5t �g8 1 3 . . . �g6 would have actually led to mate

in seven according to the computer: 1 4 .�h5t �f5 1 5 .lLle2! White has threats of �h7t, g6t and g4t , and Black can't defend against them all.

1 1 0 Mating the Castled King

8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

a b e d e f g h 14J:�h8t!

The g-pawn plays a decisive role in mating the black king after 1 4 .. .'j;lxh8 1 5 .Wh5t <;t>g8 1 6 .g6. 1-0

87. Raymond Vagle -Vegard Tollefsen

8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

18.g5!

Oslo 2005

a b e d e f g h

As we have already seen, pushing away this key defensive knight is a crucial link in White's attacking chain.

18 . . . liJd7 19.hl7t! �xh7 After 1 9 . . . <;t>f8 White can pursue the attack

with:

a b e d e f g h 20.ttJxf7! 20.<;t>xf7 2 1 .g6t and now both 2 1 . . .<;t>f8 22.Wxe6 and 2 1 . . .<;t>f6 22.Wf3t <;t>g5 23 .l"i:dg1 t lead swiftly to mate.

20.Wh5t Now the f7 -square becomes the least

defended point.

20 . . . �g8 21 .Wxf7t �h7

a b e d e f g h 22. l"i: d3!

White cannot mate with the queen and knight alone, but a timely rook lift pushes the defences over the edge. Black is completely helpless.

22 . . . hg5 There is nothing else.

23.l"i:h3t i,h6 24Jhh6t!

Chapter 2 - Greek Gift Sacrifice 1 1 1

Mate follows on g6. White showed a knowledge of mating patterns and use of his attacking resources that would make a grandmaster proud! 1-0

88. Abet Busto Prendes -Alberto Andres Gonzalez

Asturias 2000

12.ixh7t!? c;t>xh7 13.VNh5t c;t>g8 14JH3! After this the computer shows its evaluation

as 0.00, indicating that with best play it should be a draw by perpetual check. But from a practical point of view, with tension mounting and the clock ticking, it's infinitely preferable to be White here. Just the slightest mistake will mean Black falling off a very high precipice.

14 .. . f6? Mistakenly keeping the tension III the

position.

14 . . .f5 ! This should indeed lead to a draw with best play, as White does not realistically have

anything better than taking the perpetual that is on offer.

1 5 .l'!h3 tLlc6 1 6.Wfh7t 1 6.g4? is too slow in this specific position: 16 . . . fxg4! 1 7.Wfh7t �f7 1 B .Wfh5t g6 1 9 .Wfh7t �eB 20.Wfxg6t �d7 2 1 .tLlxe6 l'!gB ! and White does not have time for 22.Wff5 because 22 . . . gxh3t wins.

1 6 . . . �f7 1 7.Wfh5t After 1 7 .l'!g3 l'!gB White may soon be regretting that he didn't take the draw.

1 7 . . . �gB= Black's attempt to play on with 17 . . . g6? ?

leads to disaster: 1 B .Wfh7t �eB 1 9 .Wfxg6t �d7 20.tLlxe6 WfeB 2 1 .l'!h7!+-

8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

a b e d e f g h 15.l'!h3!

Now White does have a big attack.

15 •.• tLlc6 This loses, but the white attack was now too

strong in any case.

1 5 . . . f5 no longer defends: 1 6 .g4! fxg4 1 7 .Wfh7t �f7 1 B .l'!h6! with overwhelming threats .

1 5 . . . WfeB 1 6 .Wfh7t �f7 1 7.l'!g3 l'!gB 1 B .f5 ! is also crushing. The black king does not have enough space to escape all of White's attacking resources.


1 5 . . . fXe5 just opens up the f-file, which helps White even more: 1 6 .fXe5 dxe5 1 7.'Wh7t cj;Jf7 1 8 .l'W t j,f6 1 9 .j,h6! and White's attack is crushing.

16.Wfg6? It is imperative to follow up a sacrifice

incisively. The brilliant 1 6 .f5 ! ! would have crowned the attack and swept Black from the board:

8

7

6

5

4

3

2

L",-////m

a b e d e f g h 1 6 . . .lDxd4

An important idea is that 1 6 . . . exf5 1 7.e6! cuts off the king's escape route.

1 7 .'Wh7t �f7 1 8 .'Wg6t �g8 And now comes a lovely sequence:

1 9 .j,h6! ! 1 9 .cxd4? ! dxe5 allows Black some counterplay.

1 9 . . . :gf7 19 . . . ttJxf5 20 .j,xg7! ttJxg7 2 1 .:gh7 :gf7 22.'Wh6 and mate is imminent.

20.j,e3! :gfS 2 1 .cxd4 'We8 The only way to stop the threat of :gh7 followed by 'Wh5 .

22.'Wh7t �f7 23.:gg3 :gg8 24.j,h6! j,f8 25 .exf6+-

16 . . . fxe5? Overlooking White's rather large threat.

Black's only chance was : 1 6 . . . ttJxd4! 1 7.cxd4 'We8 1 8 .'Wh7t cj;Jf7 1 9 .:gg3 ! ? ( I 9 .'Wh5t is an

immediate draw) 1 9 . . . :gg8 20.f5 ! The position remains very sharp. Note how White is using his pawns to try and break down the last line of defence.

Mter the move played, a very common sequence ends the game:

8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

a b e d e f g h 17.:gh7! :gO

17 . . . j,f6 1 8 .'Wh5 is the same.

Is.Wfh5! 1-0

89. Johann Jonsson - Halldor Jonsson

Reykjavik 1 969

a b e d e f g h


We shall see another bold attack that was successful in practice, though only after the opponent 'missed a couple of defensive opportunities.

9.�xh7t!? i>xh7 10.'?9h5t i>g8 1 UU3 liJf5 Black could give some space to his king with

1 l . . . f6! ? 1 2 .ltJg6, and only now 1 2 . . . ltJfS , when the situation i s unclear.

12J:!h3

a b e d e f g h 12 ... liJh6?

1 2 . . . �h4! was a better way to block the h-file. The black minor pieces look precarious, but Black can defend by kicking away the white queen. For example: 1 3 .g4 g6 1 4.ltJxg6 fxg6 l S .'IWxg6t ltJg7 1 6.gS �e8 1 7 .�xe8 Ei:xe8 1 8 .Ei:xh4 and the position is roughly balanced.

13.liJg4! An important resource, throwing more

wood on the fire.

13 ... e5 14.liJxh6t gxh6 15.l!g3t i>h7

8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

a b e d e f g h White to play and win.

16.e4!! Black must have missed this earlier. Suddenly

the c l -bishop comes alive!

16 ... �h4 17.f5! .bg3 18.'?9xh6t i>g8 19.£6 '?9xf6 20.'?9xf6

8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

a b e d e f g h The curtain could have been drawn here.

White has won too much material and the attack is still ongoing.

20 ... �f4 21 .�xf4 exf4 22.e5 l!e8 23.liJd2 liJa6 24.l!f1 l!e6 25.'?9d8t i>g7 26.l!xf4 l!g6 27.g3 l!b8 28.lLlf3 �e6 29.'?ge7 l!f8 30.liJg5 l!h8 1-0

90. Emanuel Lasker - Johann Bauer

Amsterdam 1 889

a b e d e f g Some motifs and attacking themes come

to public attention when they are played in a memorable game or by a famous player, and are then absorbed into the general consciousness. A great example is this famous Lasker game, where he was able to carry out the double bishop sacrifice to perfection. This soon became the model game for such an idea.

15.hl7t!! This brilliant and decisive intermezzo must

have come as a jolting shock to Bauer, who was presumably calmly awaiting the friendly recapture on h5 .

15 . . . <.t>xh7 16.'1Wxh5t <.t>g8 17 . .ixg7! Lasker had calculated all this to perfection.

The black king is stripped completely bare of protection, exposed to a bloody execution by the marauding white forces .

17 . . . <.t>xg7 Unfortunately for Black there is no real

alternative: 1 7 . . . f5 1 8 .�e5 ! '!We8 1 9 .'!Wh8t �f7 20.'!Wg7#

18.�g4t <.t>h7 1 8 . . . �f6 1 9 .'!Wg5#

19.�f3! The rook lift is such an important attacking

motif that we will see it OCCut over and over again in the course of this book.

19 ... e5 20.�h3t �h6 21 .�xh6t <.t>xh6

a b e d e f g Materially it would seem that Black is not

that badly off, but of course Lasker has seen this far when he played 1 5 .�xh7t! ! and now shows there is a sting in the tail .

22.�d7! Gaining a decisive material advantage.

22 . . . .if6 23.�xb7 <.t>g7 24.�fl �ab8 25.�d7 �fd8 26.�g4t <.t>f8 27.fxe5 .ig7 28.e6 �b7 29.�g6 f6 30.�xf6t .ixf6 31 .�xf6t <.t>e8 32.�h8t <.t>e7 33.�g7t <.t>xe6 34.�xb7 �d6 35.�xa6 d4 36.exd4 cxd4 37.h4 d3 38.�xd3 1-0

Nowadays this double bishop sacrifice is familiar, but at the time this game was played Lasker was treading new ground, which made his achievement all the more commendable -one of the classics .

Chapter 2 - Greek Gift Sacrifice 1 1 5

91. Drazen Muse - Alexander Lagunow

8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

Berlin 1 993

a b e d e f g h 16.�e4!?

This is not the most accurate as it allows Black to avoid mate by giving up his queen for rook and bishop.

With 1 6 .Ei:g3! White could effectively combine attack with the defence of the g2-pawn. 1 6 . . . f6 1 nWh5 is winning for White, as is 1 6 . . . g6 1 7.'iWh5, when the threats include 1 8 .'iWxh7t! 'kt>xh7 1 9 .Ei:h3t 'kt>g8 20.Ei:h8#.

16 . . . �d7? Perhaps Lagunow wasn't familiar with

his Lasker theory? If Black had understood how much danger he was in, then he surely would have realized that the queen sacrifice 16 . . . 'iWxe4! was absolutely essential .

a b e d e f g h

After 1 7 .Ei:xe4 �xe4 1 8 .Ei:c l White would face a long struggle to convert his advantage. Instead of this, Black casually stumbles into a forced mate.

8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

a b e d e f g h 17.hl7t!

White is even better prepared than in the Lasker game, as the white rook on e3 is already in position to swing across to the kingside.

17 ... c.t>xh7 18.�h5t c.t>g8 19.hg7 f5 Taking the bait leads to a snap mate

1 9 . . . c.t>xg7 20.Ei:g3t c.t>f6 2 1 .'iWg5#

20.�h8t 1-0

Queen and Bishop The queen and bishop can combine in many ways to carry out a mating attack. In this example, 1 .\Wh7t is not immediately mate because the black king has the f8-square available, but that is not enough to save Black: l ..ih7t cj;Ih8 2 . .ig6t! The key move, aiming at the f7-square, where mate will be delivered. 2 . . . cj;lg8 3.'1Wh7t cj;I ffi 4. VIi xf7 # a b e d e f g h

Marinkovic - U. Bischoff, Germany 1 987 Suhobeck - Tesoro, Ventura 1 97 1

@ 8 8 @ 7 7 6 6 5 5 4 4 3 3 2 2 1 L- 1 L-

a b c d e f g h a b c d e f g h Anastasian - Caruso, Paris 1 999 Scalise - Albarran, Argentina 2000

@ 8 8 ® 7 7 6 6 5 5 4 4 3 3 2 2

L- L-a b c d e f g h a b c d e f g h

@ 8 7 6 5 3 2

@ 8 7 6 5 4 3 1

Chapter 2 - Queen and Bishop 1 1 7

Polo - Plazas Oliveros, Cali 2000

a b e d e f g h D. Gurevich - Jacobs, Dallas 1 996

a b e d e f g h

7 6 5 4 3 2 1

Pascual Arevalo - Yanez, Spain 1 989

a b e d e f g h Hernandez Ayala - San Martin, Pasao 1 998

8 7 6 5 4 3 1

a b e d e f g h Van den Bosch - Milner-Barry, The Hague 1 939

8 7 6 5 4 3 1

a b e d e f g h


92. Milan Marinkovic - Ulrich Bischoff

Germany 1 987

a b e d e f g h 28.Wff4!?

Objectively, this attack should not achieve anything, though in the game it turned out to be an unqualified success

28 . . . gxh5?? Disastrous. Evidently Black was not familiar

with this particular queen-and-bishop mate, or he would have realized that his king cannot possibly escape after this. Instead, Black had two acceptable ways to play:

28 . . . j,g7 is solid and more than okay for Black. After 29.l::lc5 'iWb6 30.b4 Ei:e6 Black has an edge, as the white king is slightly vulnerable.

If Black really wants to take the h5-rook, then 28 . . . j,g5 ! ? 29.hxg5 gxh5 is the way to do so. This may look dangerous, but both 30 .'iWf5 Ei:g6 and 30.gxh6 'iWf6! enable Black to defend.

29.Wfxh6 The queen must choose the correct square;

after 29 .'iWf5 ? Ei:e8 there is no mate.

29 .. J�e8

a b e d e f g h 30.i.h7t! �h8 31 .i.g6t

Mate arrives by 3 1 . . .mg8 32.'iWh7t mf8 33 .'iWxf/#. 1-0

93. Ashot Anastasian - Augusto Caruso

Paris 1 999

a b e d e f g h 15 .Wff3!

Black's numerous pawn weaknesses are likely to be impossible to defend in the long run. However, while he is attempting to hold on to material, Black loses something even more important - the game.

15 ... i.xc3 16.bxc3 i.d5?? A terrible blunder, which the sharp-eyed

Armenian grandmaster immediately exploits. It was time to admit that something had gone wrong and play a defensive move, even if this means shedding material : 16 .. .'it>g7 17 . .txc6 White is simply a pawn to the good with a nice position to boot.

17."Wg4t! More accurate than the immediate 1 7.Wf5 ,

when Black could struggle on with 1 7 . . . :gfeS.

17 ••• <it>h8 18."WfS! The pin along the 5th rank means that Black

loses his queen. 1-0

This combo of the queen and bishop pointing towards the h7 -point, I like to call the "Shotgun" . The two pieces combine perfectly to perform a deadly surgical strike on the enemy king.

94. Alex Suhobeck - Alfred Tesoro

Ventura 1 97 1

a b e d e f g h Black was presumably expecting his

opponent to grab the exchange, but there is something far nastier in store.

17 • .!Llf6t!! A thunderous blow!

1 7 .ltJxb6 axb6 l S . .txaS WxaS 1 9 . .te3! should also be winning for White, but the text is far more incisive. When you see a continuation that looks as if it might be winning, have another look around; there might be something even stronger!

17 ••• gxf6 1 7 . . . <;t>hS is unfortunately no improvement,

as it leaves the monstrous knight on f6 unmolested, an unpalatable consideration from a defensive point of view. l S .Wh5 h6 1 9 . .txh6! is destructive. White is attacking with four pieces, which is almost overkill. 1 9 . . . g6

a b e d e f g h 20 . .tg7t! <;t>xg7 2 1 .Wh7#

18."Wg4t! A important point. White forces the king to

the worst possible square before attempting to deliver mate. It's essential to be as accurate as possible in attacking positions, rather than just playing the first move that comes into our head.

Although the natural l S .Wh5 is also winning, Black at least avoids an immediate mate: l S . . . :geS! 1 9 .Wxh7t <;t>fS 20.WhSt ile7 2 1 .Wxf6t ild7 22 . .tf5t :ge6 23.:gd 1 t .td6 24.Wxf7t and White wins the house.

18 ••• <it>h8 19."WfS Mate is unavoidable.

1-0


95. Luis Scalise - Gustavo Albarran

8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

Argentina 2000

a b e d e f g h Another good example of the Shotgun.

must admit that this terminology sounds too much like Charlie Storey's infamous opening manual The Sniper for my liking, but I hope you'll forgive that. (Please don't sue me, Storeymeister!)

18 . .![}h5! Clearly this attacks the f4-pawn, but that is

not the main threat.

18 . . . �ad8? Black endeavours to get his rook into play, to

try to gain some compensation for losing the f4-pawn, but he overlooks the real threat.

It was necessary to protect the king with, for example, 1 8 . . . g6. Then 1 9 .ttJxf4 simply wins a pawn, but Black can struggle on.

19 . .![}f6t! Yet again this sacrifice, inflicting fresh

weaknesses on the kingside, proves to be the crucial breakthrough.

8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

a b c d e f g h 19 . . . gxf6?

Admittedly 1 9 . . .cJih8 looks horrible, but it's the only way to avoid an immediate mate. Then 20.WhS? h6! 2 1 .WfS g6 allows Black to defend. However, White can simply play 20.ttJxh7, when he is winning easily after 20 . . . g6 2 1 .ttJxf8 or 20 . . . Ei:fe8 2 1 .WhS. Perhaps Black preferred to be put out of his misery.

20.Wg4t! Always an important part of constructing

the Shotgun.

20 . . . �h8 21 .YNf5 1-0

96. Vincente Polo - Alfonso Plazas Oliveros

Cali 2000


Black's opening play has been a bit flaky, to say the least, and White now cranks up the pressure in methodical fashion.

13.J.e4! e6 An unpleasant move to have to make, as

it further weakens the dark squares atound the black king. However, this concession will soon be forced, as otherwise Black will simply lose material . This is an important lesson to absorb: through tactical threats we can often induce crucial strategic concessions from our opponents.

13 . . . �b7 has no independent significance, as after 14 .2"i:d l (or 1 4 .0-0-0) Black is forced to transpose to the game by 1 4 . . . e6.

14.2"i:dl !? 14 .0-0-0! is even stronger, tucking away the

king and connecting the rooks .

14 . . . J.b7 15.lbf4 Black's position now looks critical - can he

defend?

8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

a b e d e f g h 15 . . :�a5?

Not with this. In his desperation to avoid losing material , Black takes his queen far away from the main action on the kingside, a decision that proves immediately fatal.

It was time to cut his losses and jettison material to create counter-chances with 1 5 . . . 1We7! 1 6.�xd5 2"i:d8! 1 7 .�xb7 2"i:xd2 1 8 .�xa8 2"i:xc2 1 9 .2"i:b l . This unbalanced situation favours White, who enjoys a significant material advantage, but as Black's remaining pieces are active and well placed, this should at least offer some practical chances.

16 . .!iJh5t! White doesn't have to be asked rwice, and

makes use of the weakened dark squares on the kingside to play a winning combination.

16 . . . gxh5 17.1Wg5t �h8 18.1Wh6 Due to the tardy development of the black

queenside, the f8-rook is now en prise, making mate inevitable. 1-0

97. Jonny Hector - Jan Plachetka

Gausdal 1 989

a b e d e f g h Jonny Hector has long been one of Sweden's

finest attacking players. Here he conjures up a fine finish, seemingly out of nowhere.

22.J.xh7t!! The best attacking players are constantly

alert to opportunities to create a mating attack.


22 . . . @xh7 23J�g4! f6 23 . . . :gg8 24.1Mfh5#

24JWh5t! This point had to be seen in advance. With

the queen on h5 , a subsequent �h6t becomes deadly.

24 . . . @g8

8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

a b e d e f g h 25.:gxg7t! @xg7 26.J.h6t

Mter 26 . . . 'it>h8 27.�xf8t 'it>g8 , White can win easily with 28 .�xc5 , though I suspect that Hector would have finished in sryle with 28 .:gxf6! �xf8 29 .1Mff7t 'it>h8 30.:gg6, leading to forced mate. 1-0

8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

98. Dmitry Gurevich - John Jacobs

Dallas 1 996

a b e d e f g h

The black king is precariously placed, and Gurevich strikes with sudden force.

33J�xh5t! c!lJxh5 33 . . . 'it>g8 34.:gxg7t! 'it>xg7 35 .1Mfg2t also

leads quickly to mate.

34.'�xh5t @g8 35Jhg7t! @xg7

a b e d e f g h 36.f6t!

This accurate intermezzo prevents any ideas Black has of fleeing with his king.

Mter 36.�h6t? ! 'it>f6 37.1Mfg5t 'it>e5, there is no quick mate. Although White is still winning, he could easily become confused and let Black escape.

36 .. . exf6 Without the pawn on f5 to hide behind,

the king cannot come up the board: 36 . . . 'it>xf6 37.1Mfg5#

37.J.h6t Mate is forced: 37 . . . 'it>h7 38 .�xf8t 'it>g8

39.1Mfxf7t 'it>h8 40.1Mfg8# 1-0

Chapter 2 - Queen and Bishop 1 23

99. Antonio Pascual Arevalo - Pedro Yanez

Spain 1 989

8 � �- � ��.� .Ea /�: �m� ;/� � 7 �I'_i)�{lY-_ i 6 ' "rif "� r� "� 5 .""%� �� 4 ��!. '�� 3 � ��r� �� 2 ' "O .�� " " }" " %;;:;J'A� ';;{ ' " ' \ ' ' ' ' I ' ' '

� �v� �� a b e d e f g h

Even if the i.h6t idea doesn't immediately lead to mate, the discovered check by the bishop can often win material or give White the chance to reroute the bishop to the equally dangerous f6-square.

13.ixh7t!! @xh7 14.�h5t @gS 15.:!'hg7t! 'it>xg7 16.i.h6t @h7

1 6 . . . <j;>g8 1 7 .'lWg4t <j;>h7 1 8 .'lWg7#

17.i.g5t @gS IS.i.xdS

19.i.f6! The bishop effectively constructs a deadly

cage around the black king.

19 ... ttJxf6 20.�g5t @h7 21 .exf6 2 1 . . . :gg8 22 .'lWh5#

1-0

100. J. Hemandez Ayala - Perez San Martin

Pasao 1 998

a b e d e f g h It is clear that Black is in dire trouble.

21 .�h5t @gS 22J3xg7t!

8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

a b e d e f g h a b e d e f g h We are familiar with this idea by now; White

IS . . . ttJc6 strips away the king's protection and makes the 1 8 . . . :gxd8 10ses more material after 1 9 .'lWg5t . queen and bishop combination lethal .

22 ... @xg7 23.i.h6t! @g8 Black did not want to struggle on in a

lost position after 23 . . . �h7 24.�g5t <;t>g7 25 .�xd8, but allows mate instead.

24JWg4t @h8 25.Vfig7#

101 . Johannes van den Bosch Stuart Milner-Barry

The Hague 1 939

a b e d e f g h Sir Stuart Milner-Barry was well known for

two things; firstly the Milner-Barry Gambit in the French Defence, and also for being one of the Bletchley Park codebreakers during the Second World War, along with other leading English chess players such as Harry Golombek. In my younger days I was lucky enough to meet Stuart, as we both played for Charlton chess club. In this game, played the same year that war broke out, he was unfortunately on the receiving end of a brutal kingside attack.

20.�g3!? To use Second World War phraseology,

with this cunning tank manoeuvre, setting the enemy general in its turrets, White opens a fresh offensive against the Eastern Bloc. Unlike the ill-fated Barbarossa campaign that the Germans waged against the Russians,

which was one of the turning points of the war when it foundered just short of Moscow, this particular assault is not doomed to failure.

20 . . . �xd3 Black also shifts forward a tank, but his T- 1 6

lacks the frightening mobility o f the Sherman on g3, which now blazes a destructive path towards the enemy's position.

21 .�xg7t! Objectively this is only good enough for a

draw, but the aggressive advance of the tank, deep into offensive territory, throws panic into the enemy ranks .

21 .. .@xg7 22.i.xh6t

a b e d e f g h 22 . . . @g8?

Milner-Barry stumbles . With the resilient 22 . . . <;t>h7! it is more than likely that peace negotiations would have soon been signed. 23 .�e3t (Mter 23 .�xf8t <;t>g8 there is no good follow-up for White, for example 24.�h6 can be met by 24 . . . \Wd4! . ) 23 . . . <;t>g8 24.\Wg4t Neither side can do better than repeat moves.

23.Vfig4t i.g5 24.i.xg5

Chapter 2 - Queen and Bishop

a b e d e f g h 24 .. . \Wd4

Black lunges forward with his heavy units, which have been kept in reserve, but unfortunately for him they have entered this particular battle much too late.

24 .. .f5 is not much better after 25 .exf6 l::1£7 26.l::1e I ! , when Black is still facing a terrible attack. For example, 26 . . . l::1d4 27.�f4t �h8 28.l::1e3 and the rook-lift wins.

2S.J.f4t cj;>h7 26.\WhSt cj;>g8 27.J.h6! gg3 28.hxg3 \Wd3 29.\WgSt

Decisive material gains will follow, so Stuart waved the white flag. 1-0

1 25

Queen Breakthrough to h7 : A queen landing on h7 is often devastating. In this typical example, a rook is sacrificed to enable the queen to enter the position: IJhf7! <t!lxf7 2.�h7t <t!lm 3JUI t i.f6 4.E:xf6#

6

5

4

3

2

a b e d e f g h

Tiviakov - Van WeIy, Groningen 1 995 Salai - Blatny, Bmo 1 990

(§ 8 8 8 7 7 6 6 5 5 4 4 3 3 2 2 1 1 f:::.

a b c d e f g h a b c d e f g h Kovalev - Skomorokhin, Leningrad 1 989 Kiik - Tuominen, Naantali 1 996

@ 8 8 @ 7 7 6 6 5 5 4 4 3 3 2 2 1 f:::. 1 f:::.

Chapter 2 - Queen Breakthrough to h7 1 27

Bogorads - Wilke, Gladenbach 1 999 Nogueiras - Esquivel, Santa Clara 2004

S 8 @ 7 7 6 6 5 5 4 4 3 3 2

L,. 1 a b c d e f g h a b c d e f g h

De Vita - Costantini, Montecatini Terme 1 998 Liu Wenzhe - Donner, Buenos Aires (01) 1 978

@) 8 7 6 5 4 3

@) 8 7 6 5 4 3

a b e d e f g h Euwe - Fischer, New York ( 1 ) 1 957 Quinteros - Femandez Novas, Buenos Aires 1 995

a b e d e f g h

8 7 6 5 4 3 2

L,. 1 a b e d e f g h


1 02. Sergei Tiviakov - Loek van WeIy

8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

Groningen 1 995

a b e d e f g h Quite often the crucial idea involved in a

breakthrough is to distract the enemy king from the defence of a key square or pawn, in this case the h7 -pawn.

21 .�f7!! The idea of sacrificing the rook on this

square is quite familiar in Scheveningen-type structures.

By contrast, the straightforward 2 1 .'Wxe6t �h8 leads nowhere.

21 .. .llJffi The rook is immune: 2 1 . . .�xf7 22.'Wxh7t

�f8 23.E\fl t tLlf6 24.gxf6 leads directly to destruction.

22.�af1.! Bringing up the reinforcements. It turns out

that the rook on f7 was just the lead scout for the main raiding party.

22 .. . 'i9c4 A desperate but at the same time tricky

defence.

22 . . . tLlxe3 is decisively met by 23 .'Wh6! .

a b e d e f g h 23.�d2!

Tiviakov is well up to the challenge. This quiet retreat demonstrates how helpless Black is. White now has a huge threat of'Wh6.

It is important to be accurate in even the most overwhelming of attacking situations. The immediate 23 .'Wh6? would be a mistake because of23 . . . 'Wxfl t! and after either 24.E\xfl tLlxe3 or 24.�xfl �xf7, the game becomes unclear again.

23 .. . eS 24.llJdS! LdS 2S.exdS hS 26.gxh6 �h8

a b e d e f g h 27.�g7!

Threatening 28 .h7! among other things .

Chapter 2 - Queen Breakthrough to h7 129

27 ... lbh7 28.'?ge6 1-0

103. Andrei Kovalev -Vadim Skomorokhin

Leningrad 1 989

a b e d e f g h 24J'lf7!

Landing on a barren square, but penetrating to the heart of the position. If White can break through to h7, the black king will be subjected to a violent attack.

24 ... h5 Once again the rook is immune: 24 . . . <;t>xf7

25 .'1Wxh7t �g7 (25 . . . <;t>e6 26.�h3#) 26 J''l f1 t <:/!;;e7 27.�xg7t <:/!;;dS 2S.Ei:f7 and White's attack is crushing.

25.Ei:xb7! A sacrifice that is reminiscent of one that

Kasparov once used to defeat Shirov. In that game, the sacrifice of an exchange gave Kasparov long-term control over the light squares and a powerful, untouchable knight on d5. Here the idea is even stronger and White already has a decisive attack.

25 ••• lbxb7 White is also winning after 25 . . . Ei:xb7

26.ctJd5.

26.lbd5 '?9a3

a b e d e f g h 27.'?9d7! �h8 28.Ei:f1 .ig7 29.Ei:f7

With the queen stranded on a3 and unable to assist the defence, Black is helpless and the game is effectively decided.

29 ... lbc5 30.'?9xd6 Ei:f8

a b e d e f g h 31 .gxg7!

Yet again we see how important it is to remove defensive pieces. In this game White gave up both his rooks for the two enemy bishops, in each case to advance his attacking ambitions .

31 .. .�xg7 32.'?9xe5t �g8 33.lbf6t gxf6 34.'?9xb8t Ei:f8 35.'?9xb6 '?9cl 36.'?9xg6t


c;f{h8 37.�xh5t c;f{g7 38.g6 lLle6 39.�h7t c;f{f6 40.g7 ttJxg7 41 .e5t c;f{xe5 42.�xg7t l3f6

A fine thematic attack by Kovalev. 1-0

104. Ladislav Salai - Pavel Blatny

Bmo 1 990

a b e d e f g h When the queen's breakthrough to h7 is

supported by an advanced g-pawn, not only are there many mating patterns, there's always the danger for Black that the pawn will become a queen. White was able to use this promotion idea with a bit of tactical sharpness in this game.

33.l3h8t! "I don't need that rook. The queen and pawn

will be enough to finish him off!"

33 .. . c;f{xh8 34.�h3t c;f{g7 35.�h7t c;f{fS 36.g7t c;f{e7 37.g8=�t

White has an overwhelming material advantage. 1-0

105. Kalle Kiik - Risto Tuominen

Naantali 1 996

a b e d e f g h 36.l3xd6

36.f7t doesn't quite work: 36 . . . Elxf7! 37.gxf7t 'kt>xf7 38 .Wh5t ctJe7 39 .Wh7t

a b e d e f g h 39 . . . 'kt>e8! ! The queen is immune because of mate in two moves, and the black king can escape from further checks via the d7 -square.

36 ... �xd6 37.�h5! White must combine the threat to mate on

h7 with the defence of the d I -square.

Chapter 2 - Queen Breakthrough to h7 1 3 1

8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

a b e d e f g h 37 .. Jixf6?

Black collapses. Instead he could force White to work for the point with: 37 . . . �d7!

a b e d e f g h

38.g7! 38 .f7t? 'it>g7 39 .�h7t '\t>f6 and the king escapes. There is no time for 40.g7 because of: 40 . . . �d 1 t 4 1 .'\t>h2 �h 1#

38 . . . �d6 Black cannot save his rook: 38 . . . l"i:d8 39 .�h8t 'it>f7

a b e d e f g h

40.g8=�t! l"i:xg8 4 1 .�h7t 'it>e8 42.�xg8# 39.gxf8=�t

White can also go into a winning queen ending with 39 .�h8t '\t>£1 40.gxf8=�t �xf8 4 1 .�h7t 'it>xf6 42.�xb7.

39 . . . �xf8 40 .�g6t '\t>h8 4 1 .£1 Black is totally tied down (for example,

4 1 . . .�g7 loses to 42.�h5t) and White will win by advancing his g-pawn.

38.'�h7t @fS 39.g7t @e8 Mter 39 . . . 'it>e7 the coronation is also

decisive: 40.g8=�t l"i:£1 4 1 .�hxf7#

40.g8='*lt l"i:fS 41 .'*lhf7t! 1-0

8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

1 06. Mihails Bogorads - Dieter Wilke

Gladenbach 1 999

a b e d e f g h What a terrifying position! It resembles

the 1 970s arcade classic, Space Invaders . Not surprisingly, White has a decisive attack.

32.'*lf4 White plays for mate. In fact his advantage

is so overwhelming that even offering the exchange of queens with 32.�f5 would have been completely winning for him: 32 . . . �xf5 33 .l"i:xf5 l"i:xb8 34.l"i:xc5+-

32 .. . �xe6 33.�h6 This is simplest, although White can also

win by chasing the king up the board: 33.f7t mg7

a b e d e f g h 34.i.e5t! mxg6 35 .Wg3t Wg4 36.Wd3t mg5 37.Wd2t <;t>h4 (37 . . . <;t>g6 38 .E1f6t mh7 39 .Wh6#) 38 .i.f6t mg3 39 .We l t i.f2 40.Wxf2#

The key to these positions with the queen on h7 and the defending king on f8 is clearly to open the e-file - cutting off the black king's escape route.

19.tiJd5! Decisive.

19 ... exd5 20.tiJd7t! A neat tactical shot. The queen delivers mate

next move. 1-0

8 7 6

108. Max Euwe - Robert Fischer

New York ( 1 ) 1 957

33 .. J:!xf6 5 33 . . . Wd7 is quickly squashed by 34.f7t. 4

34.�h7t <j{fS 35.g7t After 35 . . . me7 36.g8=Wt, mate soon

follows. 1-0

107. Igor De Vita - Roberto Costantini

Montecatini Terme 1 998

a b e d e f g h

3 2 1

a b e d e f g h The dangers of allowing a white queen to

reach h7 are aptly demonstrated by this game, in which the young Fischer was confidently dispatched.

16J:!ael The rook occupies the e-file, preparing to cut

off the black king's escape.

16 ... liJb4 17.�h7t <j{fS Euwe now removes the one thing holding

the shaky black position together - the knight on b4.

18.a3! tiJxc2

Chapter 2 - Queen Breakthrough to h7 1 33

8 7 6 5 4 3 2

a b e d e f g h 19.ttJcxd5! !hd5

1 9 . . . ixd5 20.WhS# is the point; Black must keep the e-file blocked.

20.ttJxd5 Mate or loss of the queen will follow.

1-0

8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

109. Jesus Nogueiras - Luis Esquivel

Santa Clara 2004

a b e d e f g h The Cuban grandmaster Jesus Nogueiras

had earlier sacrificed the exchange for good attacking compensation. Now he increases the pressure with a powerful queen thrust.

17.'?NhS! i.e6 18.he7t?!

White can win by force with the more direct: l S .Wxh7!

The black pieces are doing an effective job of smothering their own king. Black must now unpin his knight to answer the threat ofWhSt.

l S . . . f6 l S . . . WcS 1 9 .1Llb5 also leads to a terrible attack, for example 1 9 . . . Ei:dS 20.Ei:c 1 WbS 2 1 .Ei:c7 and Black can resign.

a b e d e f g h 1 9 .ixf6! gxf6 20.WhSt! lLlgS

2o . . . igS 2 1 .Wh6# 2 1 .lLlg6t <j;Jf7 22.Wh7#

An elegant mate.

18 ... '?Nxe7 19.'?Nxh7 '?Ng5 This move loses material, but 1 9 . . . Wd6

would not offer much solace either: 20.WhSt <j;Je7 2 1 .Wxg7 White has two pawns for the exchange, along with a huge initiative.

8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

a b e d e f g h


20.liJxd5! This trick, which we have seen before, gains

a material advantage.

20 .. . f6 20 . . . j,xd5 2 1 .LOd7#

8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

a b e d e f g h

Sometimes a queen sacrifice will dismantle the last line of the opponent's defences . In this case it might appear Black has survived the queen's breakthrough to h7, but he is in for a nasty shock.

16.'?Nxg6t!! @xg6 17 . .th5t @h7 18 . .tf7t The black king is caught in the deadly

crossfire.

18 .. . .th6

8 7 6 5 4 3

21 .ttJf4! fxe5 22.liJxe6t �he6 23.'?Nh8t @f7 2 24.'?Nxa8

White is two pawns up with an ongoing attack; the game is effectively over.

24 .. '!!b6 25.h4 '?Nd2 26.E:xe5 '?Nel t 27.@h2 '?Nf4t 28.@h3 E:e6 29.'?Nxb7t @f6 30.'?NO 1-0

8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

1 10. Lill Wenzhe - Jan Hein Donner

Buenos Aires (01) 1 978

a b e d e f g h

1 a b e d e f g h

19.96t! @g7 20 . .txh6t Mate is forced: 20 . . . �h8 2 1 .j,xf8t �h4

22.Ei:xh4# 1-0

8 7 6 5 4 3 2

1 1 1 . Miguel Quinteros -Liliana Femandez Novas

Buenos Aires 1 995

a b e d e f g h

Chapter 2 - Queen Breakthrough to h7 1 3 5

I n this example, White's queen sacrifice And now the beautiful 28 .0-0-0#! does not lead directly to mate, but the black king finds itself at the mercy of White's minor 26.tlJe4t @f5 27.0! pieces .

20.�xg6t!! Not the only way to win, but certainly the

most attractive.

20 ... @xg6 21 .i.hSt @h7 22.i.f7t i.h6 23.g6t @g7 24.i.xh6t

Now the black king can crawl out to f6, but there will be no respite from the stinging, irritating minor pieces .

24 ... @f6

a b e d e f g h 2S.eSt! dxeS

25 . . . �xe5 is mated in short order: 26.:B:h5t �d4 27.:B:h4t �d3

a b e d e f g h

8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

a b e d e f g h With :B:h5# threatened, Black now has to

resort to desperate measures. Note how all Black's pieces are bottled up on the queenside, unable to take any part in the defence.

27 ... :B:xf7 28.gxf7 �xh6 29.f8=�t �f6 30.�g8 �g6 31 .�hSt @f4 32.tlJe2t

A possible finish is: 32 . . . <;t>xf3 33 .:B:a3t �xe4 34.�xg6t j,f5 35 .�g2# 1-0

Rook and Bishop Even when a pawn has been moved in front of the defending king to give it some air, it is sometimes possible to use a bishop to prevent the king's escape and then deliver mate on the back rank with a rook. Here the queen is sacrificed to set up the mating pattern: l .�xf8t! <j;lxf8 2.i.h6t <j;lg8 3J�e8#

a b e d e f g h

Nunn - Fox, Bristol 1 980

@ 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 L.

a b e d e f g h J. Polgar - Chilingirova, Thessaloniki (01) 1 988

@ 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 .6-

a b c d e f g h

Nunn - Portisch, Reykjavik 1 988

8 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 L.

a b e d e f g h Villing - Storkebaum, Griesheim 1 999

8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

a b e d e f g h

8 8 7 6 5 4 3 2

@ 8 7 6 5 4 3

Chapter 2 - Rook and Bishop 1 37

Pinto - Meyer, Dortmund 1 999 Maksimenko - Misailovic, Yugoslavia 1 994

a b e d e f g h Polzin - Voloshin, Austria 2006

a b e d e f g h Anderssen - Suhle, Breslau 1 859

8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

8 7 6 5 4 3

1

7 6 5 4 3

1

a b e d e f g h Paulsen - Morphy, New York 1 857

a b c d e f g h Bevers - Kunisch, Germany 1 996

a b c d e f g h

T

@)

6


1 12. John Nunn - Terry Fox

Bristol 1 980

a b e d e f g h One ofJohn Nunn's strengths was in playing

straightforward attacking chess, and here he takes advantage of a lead in development to put his opponent under pressure.

15 J�e7! 'Wd6 16J�fe1 c5?? Black simply does not sense the danger.

Safeguarding the bank rank with 1 6 . . . j,d7? looks plausible, but White could then strike from a different direction: 1 7 .j,f4 'W c6

a b e d e f g h 1 8 .E!: l e5 ! ! White threatens 1 9 .E!:h5! , and 1 8 . . . j,xe5 1 9 .j,xe5 leaves Black helpless to prevent 'W.g7#.

In order to avoid disaster, Black should have kicked away the white queen with 1 6 . . . j,g7! .

17.'Wxf8t! Players like Nunn do not mIss such

opportuni ties.

17 .. . Wxf8 18 . .th6t Mate follows. This game provides a good

demonstration of the perils of not completing your development. 1-0

1 13. Judit Polgar - Pavlina Chilingirova

Thessaloniki (01) 1 988

a b e d e f g h 14.E!:ael !

Judit Polgar brings another piece to bear down on the black position. Black can now win a piece, but at the cost of fatally weakening the dark squares around her king.

14 ... .L:c3 It is hard to give Black good advice here.

Declining the material with 1 4 . . . j,g7 also leaves her facing a decisive attack. For example: 1 5 .j,c4 'W.xb2 1 6 .ltJd5 95 1 7.ltJf6t �h8 1 8 .ltJxh5! gxh5 1 9 .Wxh5t �g8 20.j,d3 f5 2 1 .j,c4t and mates .


IS.bxc3 �xbS

8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

a b e d e f g h 16.�h6!

The queen takes up position, with the obvious threat of iLf6.

16 ... �f5 1 6 . . .f6 also leads to mate:

a b e d e f g h 1 7.iLxf6! l'%xf6 1 8 .l'%e8t mf7 1 9 .Wf8#

17.�xf8t! In such dominating positions, combinations

flow naturally: 1 7 . . . mxf8 1 8 .iLh6t cj;>g8 1 9 .1'%e8# 1-0

1 14. John Nunn - Lajos Portisch

Reykjavik 1 988

a b e d e f g h 32J�e4!

With this simple move, White threatens 33.l'%h4 mg8 34.l'%g4t cj;>h8 35 .Wg7#.

32 .. J!:g8 Since 32 . . . Wf8 loses to 33.Wxf6t, bringing

the rook over is the only way to try and defend the h7 -pawn, but Nunn has a neat combination lined up.

8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

a b e d e f g h 33.�xh7t!

Mate follows by force: 33 . . . mxh7 34.l'%h4t cj;>g7 35 .iLh6t mh7 36.iLf8# 1-0


1 15. Dieter Villing - Ulrike Storkebaum

Griesheim 1999

a b e d e f g h 26 .. . .!lJh5??

26 . . . .te7 would have kept the game going.

27.YNxh5! White is alive to the tactical possibilities .

27 .. . �e7 The point of the sacrifice is of course

27 . . . gxh5 2S . .tf6#.

8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

a b e d e f g h 28.i.f6t

After 2S . . . 'it>gS 29 .YNh6, mate follows. 1-0

8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

1 16. Rodrigo Pinto - Gerd Meyer

Dortmund 1999

a b e d e f g h 25 .. J:�e6!

Although the queen and bishop are lined up impressively on the as-h 1 diagonal, there seems to be no way through. By swinging the rook over to the kingside, Black aims to increase the pressure on the enemy defences . At the same time, the rook lift sets a devious trap.

26.i.b3?? YNxf3!! Crunch!

27.d5 Taking the bait is also quickly routed:

27.gxf3

a b e d e f g h

Chapter 2 - Rook and Bishop 1 4 1

2 7 . . . �g6t 28.Wh l �xf3#

27 . • . �g6 Black saves his hanging pieces and wins

easily. 0-1

1 17. Rainer Polzin - Leonid Voloshin

Austria 2006

a b e d e f g h There would seem to be no way through, as

�h6 is met by . . . f6, but there is a nasty surprise in store for Black.

24.lLlfS! This elegant knight leap is decisive. Black

must take measures to prevent the threatened mate, but in doing so, he loses material .

24 ... £6 The knight is immune: 24 . . . gxf5 25 .�g3t

and 24 . . . �xf5 25 .�xf5 gxf5 26.�g3t both lead to mate.

25.lLlxe7t Wfxe7 26.i.d6 Black could resign here, but perhaps out of

inertia he struggled on for a few more moves.

26 ... Wfg7 27.i.xf8 �xfS 28.�de1 g5 29.WffS Wfg630.Wfxg6thxg631 .�e8i.c832.� le7i.fS

33.�xfSt <j{xfS 34.�a7 b4 35.cxb4 d4 36.<j{fl i.bl 37.<j{el i.xa2 38.�xa6 i.d5 39.�xf6t <j{e7 40.�xg6 i.xg2 41 .h4 i.e4 42.�xg5 <j{e8 1-0

1 18. Adolf Anderssen - Berthold Suhle

8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

Breslau 1 859

a b e d e f g h The 1 9th century player Adolf Anderssen, a

contemporary of Paul Morphy, is famous for creating the Evergreen Game. He also showed good understanding of tactics in the current game.

18.�gl ! Forcing Black's reply.

18 ... lLle8 19.Wfxg7t! lLlxg7 20.�xg7t <j{h8 Since the b2-bishop is under attack, Black

may have reckoned that none of White's discovered checks would be dangerous, but he has overlooked a crucial detail .


8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

a b c d e f g h 2 U�g8t!

This double check is the key to the combination, sacrificing one rook to enable the other to deliver mate.

21 .. .@xg8 22J�gl t Wlg5 23Jhg5#

1 19. Andrei Maksimenko -Nebojsa Misailovic

Yugoslavia 1 994

a b e d e f g h It is clear that by moving the e3-rook White

can uncover an attack on the black queen, but at present there are no active squares available to the rook. The following move changes that.

23.f4! .ixf4 24.ltlxf4 Wlxf4 25.�g3!

The rook now has the g7 -pawn in its sights, and it turns out that the black queen has no suitable squares.

8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

a b e d e f g h

25 ... Wle5 After 25 . . . Wf6 26.ib2 the g7-pawn falls,

while 25 . . . Wh4 26.ig5 traps the queen.

26 . .ib2 Wlc5t 27 . .id4 .ie2 A desperate last try.

After 27 . . . Wc6 the rook and bishop combine to deliver mate: 2S .2'hg7t �hS 29 .2"1xf7t cj;JgS 30.2"1g7t cj;JhS 3 1 .2"1g5t 2"1f6 32.ixf6#

28.2"1xg7t @h8

a b e d e f g h

29.l:l!g8t! 29 . . . 'it>xg8 30.1Wg3t leads to mate.

1-0

120. Louis Paulsen - Paul Morphy

8 7 6 5 4 3 2

New York 1 857

a b e d e f g h If Judit Polgar is the attacking queen of

chess, then Paul Morphy was the first king. There seemed to be something magical about the way that his pieces would just glide into perfect positions . Here Morphy was able to unveil an attacking masterpiece, making great use of the active rook on e6.

17 ... Wfx£3!! A shocking and beautiful blow. Black's queen

sacrifice leaves the white monarch at the mercy of the black rooks and bishops.

18.gx£3 l:l!g6t 19.hl ih3 Black already threatens mate by 20 . . . �g2t

2 1 .'it>gl �xf3#.

20.l:l!dl ?! 20.l'!g l ? is quickly mated after 20 . . . l'!xgl t

2 1 .'it>xgl l'!e l t . The most resilient defence is offered by

20.1Wd3! , though even this fails against accurate play:

a b e d e f g h 20 . . . f5 ! (20 . . . �g2t? 2 1 .mgl �xf3t 22.1Wxg6 hxg6 23 .d3 is not clear) 2 1 .l'!d l �g2t 22.mgl �xf3t 23 .mn �xd l Black has regained the sacrificed material, while keeping a huge attack.

20 ... ig2t 21 .gl ix£3t 22.fl

8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

a b e d e f g h 22 .. . ig2t

22 . . . l'!g2! is the fastest way to finish it off: 23.d4 l'!xh2 and then 24 . . . l'!h l# .

23.gl ih3t Even quicker is: 23 . . . �e4t! 24.mn

a b e d e f g h 24 . . . if5 ! Black switches the angle of attack, as they would say in tennis, and mates with . . . ih3#.

24.hl hf2 Now White can only avoid mate by giving

up his queen.

2s.WffI i.xfl 26J�xfl �e2 27.�al �h6 28.d4 i.e3 0-1

Typically powerful play by Morphy - every move had a purpose.

121 . Joerg Bevers - Siegfried Kunisch

Germany 1 996

8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

a b c d e f g h 16.�xdS!

This sacrifice is the key idea, though White can also play it a move later: 1 6 .�e7 l:'!f7 1 7.l:'!xd5! l:'!xe7 1 8 .l:'!xd6t <;t>f8 ( l 8 . . . ie6 1 9 .ixe6t gives White a decisive material advantage)

a b e d e f g h 1 9 .1:'!d8t l:'!e8 2o.ib4t c5 2 1 .ixc5#

16 .. . cxdS 17.i.xdSt h8 18.�e7! �g8 Black's pieces are all huddled on the back

rank, so it is hardly surprising that White has a mating combination.

a b e d e f g h 19.i.xg7t!

The finish would be: 1 9 . . . l:'!xg7 20.l:'!e8t l:'!g8 2 1 .l:'!xg8# 1-0

Kingside Fianchetto Black will often castle kingside behind a fianchettoed bishop, and this useful defensive piece generally makes his king harder to attack. However, if this bishop is removed, then the fresh weaknesses that arise on the dark squares can suddenly make the king extremely vulnerable. The diagram shows a typical situation where the white queen has penetrated to the h6-square and 1 .£6 will be followed by the white queen delivering mate on g7.

8

7

6

5

4

3

2

a b e d e f g h

M. De Jong - Westerveld, Netherlands 1 993 Wagman - Astengo, Genoa 1 986

@ 8 8 @ 7 7 6 6 5 5 4 4 3 3 2 2 1 L. 1

a b c d e f g h a b c d e f g h Gusia - Barlov, Berne 1 980 Fairdough - Laroche, Thessaloniki (01) 1 988

@ 8 8 @ 7 7 6 6 5 5 4 4 3 3 2 2 1 L. 1 L.



T. Bjornsson - L. Weiss, Tel Aviv (01) 1 964

@) 8 7 6 5 4 3

1

@ 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

@ 8 7 6 5 4

2 1

6 a b c d e f g h Vaisser - Brulhart, Cannes 1 990

6 a b c d e f g h

Kalka - Van Beek, Holland 2005

a b c d e f g h

7 6 5 4 3

Zhirnov - Zhukov, Kiev 2004

1 6 a b e d e f g h

N. Thomas - Matzies, Griesheim 2000

7 6 5 4 3

1 6 a b e d e f g h

Carvalho - Linskens, Montevideo 1 954

8 7 6 5

3 2 1

a b e d e f g h

@ 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

@ 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

Chapter 2 - Kingside Fianchetto 1 47

Mudrochova - Sedlakova, Bmo 1 99 1

a b e d e f g h Lagumina - Agnello, Catania 1 993

a b e d e f g h

Kuligowski - L. Femandez, Caracas 1 976

7 6 5 4 3

1 a b e d e f g h

Aschenbrenner - Benda, Austria 2002

7 6 5 4 3

1 a b e d e f g h


122. Migchiel De Jong -Wim Westerveld

Netherlands 1 993

8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

a b c d e f g h 24.£5!

When all your pieces are well placed, then you must attack! White introduces the dangerous threat of iWh6 and �h3 , followed by mate.

24 .. . ltJa4! You should always try to defend actively if it

is possible to do so. This would appear to leave the king to its fate, but in fact things are not so clear.

The panicky 24 . . . ltJd7? , trying to bring the knight back to bolster the defences, would have been much worse: 25 .fxg6! (It might at first appear that 25 .�xe7? is winning easily, but there is the effective rejoinder 25 . . . �xc4! 26.fxg6 �xg4 27.gxh7t �xh7, and Black is hanging on.) 25 . . . hxg6 26.�h3! �a8 27.iWh6 iWxb2 28 .iWh7t mf8 29.iWh8t and White wins material .

25.'?Nh6!

8 7 6 5 4 3 2

a b e d e f g h 25 .. . '?Nxb2??

The obvious 25 . . . ltJxc3! would have led to a perpetual check after 26.fxg6! hxg6 27.�e6! fxe6 28 .iWxg6t mh8 29 .iWh6t. Instead Black goes for more, a greedy strategy that backfires horribly on him.

26.f6! Black presumably only considered the line

26.�h3 iWg7! . However, White's clever move cuts across

this defensive plan and interferes with the queen's retreat: 26 . . . exf6 27.�h3+-1-0

123. G. Gusia - Dragan Barlov

Berne 1 980

a b e d e f g h


20JWh6 ttJe6 The knight rushes to the rescue of the black

king and covers the vulnerable g7 -square, but the fragile truce will be undermined if White can remove this defensive piece.

21 .ig4 d5

a b e d e f g h It may look as if Black is defending . . . or is

there a way through?

22JHS! A cold shower! Black might have felt that he

was okay, as 22 .Jtxe6? fxe6! enables his queen to defend laterally. But now 22 . . . gxf5 23.Jtxf5 leads to mate, as does 22 . . . Elfd8 23.Elh5 gxh5 24.Jtf5 , so Black resigned.

White had another way to win with 22.Elae 1 , when Black has no good defence against the intended rook-lift with Ele3-h3 . 1-0

124. Stuart Wagman - Corrado Astengo

8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

Genoa 1 986

a b e d e f g h 15 .'?Ne1 !

Focusing on the dark squares . The key i s that the white queen has to reach h6.

15 .. . @h8 16.ig5 '?Nd7 After this, Black has no way of resisting the

mating attack. However, even the attempt to use a knight

to hold the fort on h7 can only end in failure: I 6 .. .t2Jd7 I 7.Wh4 Elg8 I 8 .Elf3 liJf8 I 9 .Jth6 liJe5 20.Elh3 liJed7 2 1 .Elfl Black is horribly cramped and can do little. 2 1 . . . c6 22 .Jtg4+White simply threatens to take on d7, then on f8 , followed by mate on h7.

a b e d e f g h


The knight on e6 is preventing mate on g7, but it's a precarious defence and with his next move White overloads this knight.

19JU4! �g8 1 9 . . . tt:lxf4 20 .Vffg7#

20.Wfxh7t The rook was drawn to gS , where it

contributes to the smothering of its own king: 20 . . . c;t>xh7 2 1 .:B:h3# 1-0

125. Neil Fairclough - G. Laroche

8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

Thessaloniki (01) 1 988

a b e d e f g h White demonstrates that the knight on d 1 is

far from redundant:

Is.lLlf2! Heading for e4 with a dangerous initiative,

which encourages Black's next move.

IS ,..dS? By closing the centre in this way, Black takes

all the tension out of the position, effectively offering White a free hand to attack on the kingside.

Black's cause is far from hopeless, even if his

game is somewhat cramped and the knight on eS casts an awkward impression. 1 5 . . . :B:dS! would have made a lot more sense, with the idea of taking on e5 and then plonking a knight on d4, freeing his position. For example: 1 6.tt:lg4 dxe5 1 7.fxe5 tt:ld4! 1 S .tt:lxd4 :B:xd4 and matters are far from clear.

16.tLlgS! .ixgS 17.fxgS g6 Saddling himself with a terminal weakness

on f6, but it is already difficult to suggest anything better, as White will force this concession at some point anyway.

1 7 . . . a5 1 s .Vffh5 ! g6 1 9 .Vffh4 �a6 20.tt:lg4 and White's initiative is unstoppable.

18.lLlg4! as 19.Wfe3 'kt>h8 20.Wfh3 �g8 21 .Wfh6 Wfe7 22.�f4 WffS 23.Wfh3 i.a6 24.lLlf6!

The knight has finally landed on f6, and the black kingside can no longer be defended.

24,..tLlxf6 24 . . . :B:g7 25 .:B:h4 is no better.

2S.gxf6 .ixd3 Mter 25 . . . h5 26.:B:h4 �xd3 27.cxd3 , Black is

defenceless against the threat of :B:xh5 t leading to mate.

8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

a b e d e f g h

Chapter 2 - Kingside Fianchetto 1 5 1

26JWxh7t! �xh7 27.!!h4t 27 . . . �h6 28.!!xh6#

1-0

126. Tomas Bjomsson - Leon Weiss

Tel Aviv (01) 1 964

a b e d e f g h 16.f4! lLlb6?

A serious mistake, after which White's kingside attack plays itself.

It was imperative to hold up the white f-pawn, either with 1 6 .. .f6 or the more risky 1 6 . . . f5 ! ?

17.£5! .id7 1 7 . . . gxf5 1 8 .�g5t �f8 1 9 .exf5 �d7 20.f6 is

also hopeless.

18.f6t �h8 19.'?Nh6 !!g8

a b e d e f g h

20.e5! White shows good understanding of the

initiative! This makes way for the knight to come to e4.

20 •.• dxe5 Unfortunately for Black there is little better:

20 . . . �f8 2 1 .�xf8 Ei:gxf8 22.exd6 leads to an easily won endgame for White.

20 . . . d5 2 1 .c5 ! and the knight is trapped in rather amusing fashion.

21 .lLle4 The queen and knight are a well known and

highly feared attacking combination in chess. It's considered that they can even be superior to a queen and rook in many attacking situations. And with the pawn on f6, the queen and knight become even more deadly.

21 .. .'?Nf8 And now the coup de grace:

22.lLlg5! 22 . . . �xh6 23 .lLlxf7#

1-0

8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

127. Anatoli Vaisser - Karin Brulhart

Cannes 1 990

a b e d e f g h


A pawn on f6 can be a real thorn in Black's side, and may enable any number of mating finishes . Such is the case here, as the gifted attacking player Vaisser uses this pawn to set up a mating attack.

20.lLlh7! Making full use of the dominant pawn on

f6.

White could also sacrifice the knight with 2o .lLlxf7! , when both 20 .. J''1xf7 2 1 .j,xg6 and 20 . . . 'it>xf7 2 1 .iWg5 :1'1g8 22.iWh6 leave the black king too exposed to survive.

20 • . J�e8 20 . . . �xh7 2 1 .iWxh5t �g8 22.j,xg6

terminates proceedings .

21 .Wfg5! ttJe6 22.Wfh6 Wfb6

8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

a b e d e f g h Realizing that 23 .lLlg5 leads quickly to mate,

Black resigned. 1-0

128. Arkadius Ka1ka - Lucien van Beek

Holland 2005

a b e d e f g h White would like to play lLlg5 followed by

iWh7t, but he must first give extra protection to the f6-pawn.

27.:1'1afl! Saving the knight with 27.lLla4 would

give Black a crucial tempo for the defence: 27 . . . :1'1b7! 28 .:1'1afl j,e2! 29.lLlg5 (29.:1'1 1 f2 lLlg4-+) 29 . . . j,xf6 30.iWh7t �f8 3 1 .:1'1xf6 j,xfl and the f7 -pawn is sufficiently defended.

27 ••• lLld7 After 27 . . . bxc3 28 .lLlg5 j,xf6 29.:1'1xf6, the

threat ofiWh7t followed by :1'1xf7t is crushing.

28.:1'1xg4 �xf6 29.:gxf6! lLlxf6

a b e d e f g h


30Jhg6t! fxg6 31 .�xg6t Mter 3 1 . . .�h8 32.liJxf6, the threat ofWi'h6#

can only be p'revented by Black giving up his queen. 1-0

129. Alexandr Zhirnov - Sergei Zhukov

Kiev 2004

a b e d e f g h The current position doesn't strictly speaking

involve a fianchetto, but by attacking the h 7-pawn, White tempts the g-pawn forward to set up a standard mating pattern.

23J!h3! g6? Mter this the way forward for White is clear.

The only way to create any practical problems, although it is still losing, was by 23 . . . h6! . White would then have to find the continuation:

a b e d e f g h

24.�xg7! i'!xg7 25 .Wi'xh6 i'!h7 26.i'!g3t 'it>h8 (26 . . . i'!g7 27.i'!xg7t! Wi'xg7 28 .Wi'e6t 'it>h8 29.i'!O also wins for White) 27.Wi'f6t i'!g7 28 .i'!f5 ! White will win the queen by force.

24.�xg6t! hxg6 24 . . . i'!g7 changes little: 25 .i'!xh7! i'!xg6

26.i'!h8#

2S.i'!h8#

130. Norbert Thomas - Alexander Matzies

8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

Griesheim 2000

a b e d e f g h 2SJ&xh7t!! @xh7 26J'�h4t .ih6 27.lLlgst @g8 28J'�xh6

Despite only having one piece for the queen, White's rook, knight, and bishop combine perfectly to force mate.

8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

a b e d e f g h


28 ... @f8 29.�h8t c!lJg8 30 . .!iJh7# 8 131 . Flavio Carvalho - Rogelio Linskens 7

Montevideo 1 954 6

8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

a b e d e f g h Despite the strong bishop on f6, White

is objectively in a lost position, two pawns down. His only practical chance is to play for an attack, and hope that his opponent miscalculates somewhere.

32.�h6 White is now threatening to win with

33 .�h4, but Black can counterattack the exposed white king.

32 .. . �d4! Correctly going for the win.

Black could have forced a draw here with 32 . . . ii.xg4? ! when White has two choices, both leading to a draw by perpetual check: 33 .�h4 c4! 34J'hh7 �c5t 35 .mfl ii.e2t= or 33 .�xg4 �xh6 34.�xd7 �e3t 35 .mg2 �e2t 36.mg3 �e3t= .

33.h3

5 4 3 2 1

a b e d e f g h 33 ... c4!

Another alternative that needed checking was the blunt pushing of the d-pawn, although this only seems to lead to a draw: 33 . . . d2 34.�h4! d l =�t 35 .Ei:xd l Ei:xd l t 36.mh2 Ei:cd8! 37.Ei:xh7 Ei:8d2t 38.mg3

This appears hopeless for Black, as it looks as if the white king will escape on the dark squares, but he has a saving resource:

a b e d e f g h

38 . . . Ei:g2t! ! 39.mxg2 39.mf4 Ei:fl t 40.mg5 ? ? would be rather careless : 40 . . . Ei:f5#

39 . . . �a8t 40.mf2 Ei:fl t! 4 1 .mxfl �f3t 42.me 1 �e3t=

34.@h2 The only practical chance; anything else

would be strongly met by . . . �c5 ! .

Chapter 2 - Kingside Fianchetto 1 5 5

34 ... cxb3 35.@g3 �c2 35 . . . b2! is also strong: 36.�d 1 �cl 37.iWh4

a b e d e f g h

37 . . . iWc5 ! 38 .Ei:xh7 Ei:xg4t! Perhaps Black missed this resource in his calculations. 39.hxg4 iWe3t 40.c;t>h2 Ei:c2t Black's attack gets there first.

36.�gl

8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

a b e d e f g h 36 ... Y!!a8??

Oh dear! The queen abandons its crucial defensive role.

Black would still be winning easily after 36 . . . d2 37.iWh4 Ei:d3t 38 .<;t>f4 iWc5 ! , when it is the white king that is facing mate.

Black is quickly mated: 37 . . . c;t>xh7 38 .iWh4t c;t>g8 39 .iWh8# 1-0

Despite the dubious objective merits of the white attack, Black still had to step very carefully, which he failed to do.

132. Helena Mudrochova - Ivana Sedlakova

8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

Bmo 1 9 9 1

a b e d e f g h The white queen is of course immune because

of the mate on h8, but Black is threatening to kill the attack by exchanging queens on g4. White uncorks a sparkling interference move.

25.�e4!! By preventing . . . iWxg4t White paves the way

for the final attack.

25 .tLle4! is also winning, but the game continuation is more incisive.

25 .. . dxe4 Neither 25 . . . Ei:xc3 26.Ei:xh6! nor 25 . . . �g7

26.Ei:xh6! is any better.

8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

a b e d e f g h 27.�h4!

White threatens 2B .l"i:hBt �xhB 29 .WfxhB#, and both 27 . . . �xh6 2B .Wfxh6 and 27 . . . �xf6 2B .Wfxf6 also lead to mate. 1-0

133. Giulio Lagumina - Guiseppe Agnello

8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

Catania 1 993

a b e d e f g h In this rather wild position, White's attack

gets there first.

22.�h4 l"i:xb2 A desperate lunge.

23.�h7t <j;lfS 24.�h6! Decisive.

8 7 6 5 4 3 2

a b e d e f g h 24 .. . �xd3

Black is also mated after 24 . . . �xh6t 25 .Wfxh6t and 26.WfhB#.

24 . . . l"i:xc2t hopes for 25 .<;t>xc2? �xd3t with counterplay, but is coolly refuted by 25 .<;t>d l ! with mate to follow.

25.�h8#

134. Adam Kuligowski - Luis Femandez

8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

Caracas 1 976

a b e d e f g h Playing �f4-h6 is the right idea, but it is

important to time it precisely.


The most accurate, forcing the enemy queen to an unfortunate square.

20 .j,h6 �e8 2 1 .Wxg7 Wxe4 is less convincing. Even though White is better, the active black queen will make it difficult for him to convert the advantage.

20 .. JWxg2 21 .�h6!

a b e d e f g h 21 .. .cxb4?

Losing at once, but even the superior 2 1 . . . �e8 22. W xg7 looks lost for Black. Compared with the variation in the previous note, the black queen is out of play here.

135. Robert Aschenbrenner - Herbert Benda

8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

Austria 2002

a b e d e f g h If the bishop on g7 is pinned against the

king, White can often use this device to further his attacking ambitions .

17.�f6! Exploiting the passive position of the black

pieces, White signals the final attack.

17 ... �xh6 18.B:xe7! A beautiful final stroke. Both 1 8 . . . Ei:xe7 and

1 8 . . . Wxe7 run into 1 9 .Wh8#. 1-0

Rook and Knight A knight on f6, imprisoning the enemy king, can lead to many well-known mating patterns, and works very well in combination with a queen or rook. In this case, 1 .l"i:e8 leaves Black helpless against the threat of l"i:g8#.

a b e d e f g h

Holland - Shaw, London 1 995 N. Medvegy - Hilmer, Stockerau 1 992

@ 8 8 @ 7 7 6 6 5 5 4 4 3 3 2 2 1 .. 1 L

a b c d e f g h a b c d e f g h Rodgaard - Touzane, Internet 2003 Borocz - Scerbin, Budapest 2000

@ 8 8 @ 7 7 6 6 5 5 4 4 3 3 2 2 1 .. 1


Chapter 2 - Rook and Knight 1 59

Op den Kelder - Goudriaan, Hengelo 2003 Kosic - Filipovic, Igalo 1 994

@ 8 8 @ 7 7 6 6 5 5 4 4 3 3 2 2

6. 1 a b c d e f g h a b c d e f g h Karpov - Salov, Linares 1 993 Sunye Neto - Kasparov, Graz 1 9 8 1

8 8 8 @ 7 7 6 6 5 5 4 4 3 3 2 2 1 1 T



136. Christopher Holland - John Shaw

8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

London 1 995

a b e d e f g h Queen sacrifices are always a pleasure to

play. From this position future grandmaster John Shaw finishes off his opponent in style.

26 ... �h6! 26 . . .'IWg4! is equally strong, with the nasty

threat: 27 . . . Wh3t! 28 .cj;>xh3 E'i:h4t 29.cj;>g2 E'i:xh2#

27.h3 Missing the following sacrifice, but White's

task was hopeless in any case.

The alternative 27.E'i:h 1 takes his eye off the f2-point, and allows an even more spectacular finish:

a b e d e f g h

27 . . . Wh3t! ! 28 .�xh3 ltJg5t 29.�g2 E'i:xf2t 30.cj;>gl ltJh3#

27 ... �xh3t! Mate follows: 28 .cj;>xh3 E'i:h4t 29.cj;>g2 E'i:h2#

0-1

137. John Rodgaard - Olivier Touzane

Internet 2003

a b e d e f g h The idea of putting the king on h I in the

mainline King's Indian only works if White plays accurately. Black's kingside attack is often so powerful that sacrifices in front of the king are common.

23 . . . �xh2t! 24.i>xh2 lLlg3t The knight and rook combine perfectly.

25.i>gl �hl#

Chapter 2 - Rook and Knight 1 6 1

138. Nora Medvegy - Frank Hilmer

, Stockerau 1 992

a b e d e f g h Black has threats on the b2-square, but

White can end the game immediately,

24JWxh7t! Forcing mate - the double check proves

lethal .

24 ... li>xh7 25.tiJf6t Ii>h8 26J:�h3t 1-0

139. Istvan Borocz - Dmitrij Scerbin

Budapest 2000

a b e d e f g h

26.tiJf6! The knight here could be described as an

octopus. It creates multiple threats, the main ones being to take on e8 or h5 .

26 .. . i.c5 As so often in these opposite castling

scenarios, it's all about who gets the attack in first. Black would rather not spend time on this slow move, but he has no choice.

After 26 . . . a4 the simple 27.tLlxe8t wins for White, as he breaks through on O.

Removing the knight is no good either: 26 . . . .ixf6 27.gxf6t Wg8 28 :\M!h6 and mate on g7 is looming.

27.gxh5! Breaking open the h-file signals the end for

Black.

Sacrificing the knight on the same square also leads to mate: 27.tLlxh5t ! gxh5 28 .Wf6t cj;Jg8 29.E!:xh5 and now either 29 . . . tLlg6 30.E!:fh3 or 29 . . . tLlh7 30.E!:xh7! cj;Jxh7 3 1 .E!:h3t .

27 .. . f!.e7 Resigning himself to the inevitable.

27 . . . gxh5 28 .tLlxh5t Wg8 29 .tLlf6t cj;Jg7 30.Wh4 is also a quick kill.

8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

a b e d e f g h

2SJ3hS! White threatens Ei:g8#, and 28 .. .'jrxh8 also

leads to mate: 29 .Wfh4t c;f;>g7 30.Wfh6# 1-0

8 7 6 5 4 3 2

140. Joram Op den Kelder -Etienne Goudriaan

Hengelo 2003

a b e d e f g h 17.Wfh4

The brave knight has buried itself on e7, deep into enemy lines, like a kind of sleeping assassin, waiting to help deliver the killer blow to the enemy king. Black has to be careful of all kinds of mating patterns connected to this intrepid steed. White takes aim at h7 with the queen.

17 ... Ei:eS None of the alternatives offer any hope.

Black is crushed in all variations, for example: 17 . . . lLlxe4 1 8 .�xe4 f5 1 9 .1Llg6t c;f;>g8 20.�d5t Ei:O 2 l .lLle7t <;t>f8 22.Wfxh7 lLlf6 23 .�xf6+-

IS.Ei:e3! Increasing the pressure on h7. White can

also win spectacularly with 2 l .lLld5 ! , when it is clear that the f6-knight is overloaded.

IS .•. i.b7

8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1


Even more direct than 1 9 .Ei:h3 which should also be winning. White forces mate in elegant fashion.

19 • . • llJxh7 20.Wfxh7t! <;t>xh7 21 .Ei:h3#

141 . Anatoly Karpov -Valery Salov

Linares 1 993

a b e d e f g h We join the game in time to see Karpov

launch the final assault.

26.g6! When a strategic genius like Karpov makes

sacrifices, you know you are in trouble. With this thrust he opens up the kingside when


Black isn't prepared for it; most of his pieces are mere spectators on the queenside. The pawn sacrifice also clears the way for a white knight to reach g5 .

26 ... fxg6 Of course 26 . . . hxg6 is quickly dispatched by

27.�h4t Wg8 28 .tLl g5 .

27.£5! gxf5 28.�xf5 tLld7 29.�df1

8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

a b e d e f g h Increasing the pressure down the f-file.

White has in mind ideas such as �f7 and C2Jg5-e6.

29 ••• tLle5 30.�5f4 YNb6 31 .tLlg5!

8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

a b c d e f g h

31 .. .tLlg6? Faced with overwhelming threats, Salov

blunders . However, Black was in a hopeless situation anyway, for example: 3 1 . . .�e7 32.C2Jxh7! Wxh7 33 .�e4t Wg8 34.�h3! and a massacre of the black king beckons.

32.tLlf7t Wg8 33.YNxg6!

8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

a b e d e f g h Mter 33 . . . hxg6 34.�h4, Black cannot

prevent �h8#. 1-0

Another good demonstration by Karpov of how to play controlled attacking chess.

8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

142. Dragan Kosic - Branko Filipovic

Igalo 1 994

a b c d e f g h


16.g6! Very strong. With the queens exchanged,

Black may have felt quite safe, but now fresh avenues are opened, and the black king is extremely vulnerable to the combined power of the rook, bishop and knight.

16 .. . hxg6 17.ltJh4! This seemingly eccentric knight lunge to the

side of the board is actually an important link in the attacking chain. White has a simple but deadly threat - to take on g6 and deliver mate with the rook on h8.

17 ... lLlf6 18.ltJxg6 This wins the game, as Black must lose

material to stave off mate.

18 .. . lLlh7 The only way to prevent mate, but now

White brings up reinforcements.

19.�b3!

8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

a b c d e f g h 19 .. . �d7

Again forced, to prevent �bh3, but now White happily "cashes in his chips" by grabbing the exchange.

8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

a b c d e f g h White threatens the e-pawn, and ensures

that the pressure is unrelenting. This is a good tip for when you are in a situation when you have gained material ; instead of just resting on your laurels, the most effective way to finish your opponent off quickly is to keep up the pressure, to keep playing with vigour and aggression.

21 ...�e8 22.�b7! ltJf8 23.ltJg5 �e7 24.�b8 g6 25.lLlh7 1-0

143. Jaime Sunye Neto - Garry Kasparov

Graz 1 98 1

a b e d e f ' g h

When an attacking player of the charisma and calibre of Kasparov has his pieces swarming around your king, you can almost feel the aggression coming in waves from his body language. You might not see the finish yourself, but you can tell it's coming by the way he bears intensely down on the board.

4 1 ...ttJf3t! Winning by force.

Black can also reverse the order of his moves : 4 1 . . .�xe3! 42.fxe3 (or 42.Wxe3 lZlf3t -+) 42 . . . lZlf3t and now 43.<;t>h l transposes to the next note, while 43.<;t>f1 is the game.

42.�fl After 42.cj;Jh l Kasparov had prepared the

brilliant combination:

a b e d e f g h

42 . . . �xe3! ! 43.fxe3 (43 .gxf3 �xf4 is also hopeless; Black's threats include . . . e3 as well as simply . . .2'l:xf2 followed by . . . l'!h2#.) 43 . . . l'!dxg2! 44.lZlxg2 l'!g3!

a b e d e f g h

Closing the trapdoor on the white king. Kasparov said that he couldn't remember seeing such a mating configuration before.

8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

a b e d e f g h 42 .. . he3!!

Anyway!

43.fxe3 43 .Wxe3 is no better: 43 . . . l'!d l t 44.<;t>e2

l'!e l#

8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

a b e d e f g h 43 .. J�dxg2! 44J&c3

44.lZlxg2 10ses the queen to 44 . . . lZld2t .

44 .. J3h2! White cannot create any meaningful threats,

so Kasparov calmly tightens the vice.


a b e d e f g h 45.tLle2 @h7 46.'Wc8 ghl t 47.@t2 tLld2

White has no good way to defend against . . . 2"1f1#. For example: 48.tLlf4 2"1h2t 49 .c;t>e1 2"1gl# 0-1

Mate in the Corner Sometimes White may shore up a weak h2-pawn by playing his king into the corner and retreating his bishop to the gl -square, but this leaves the king vulnerable to any check on the long diagonal : 1 .. .'\Wxf3t! 2.B:xf3 J..g2#

8 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

Krivoshey - Golubev, Internet 2004

a b e d e f g h Nikolaiczuk - Sandmeier, Wittlich 1 980

8 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

a b e d e f g h

8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

a

8

7

6

5

4

3

2

a b e d e f g h

Gurr - Okike, England 1 999

S

b c d e f g h

144. Sergei Krivoshey - Mikhail Golubev

8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

Internet 2004

a b e d e f g h It is very dangerous for White to allow a

black pawn to reach g3, because this sets up all kinds of nasry combinations. The pattern in the diagram should be familiar to all King's Indian players.

30 .. .'I�Yxg2t! 3U tlxg2 .!iJh4t 32.<,tlhl g2#

145. Lothar Nikolaiczuk - Toni Sandmeier

Witdich 1 980

a b e d e f g h 36 .. . e4!

With a pawn already on g3 , Black aims to bring another one to f3 .

37 . .!iJd2??

This attempt to shore up the f3-pawn is a horrible stumble.

White should have defended against the threats with 37.1Wc6! , when 37 . . . exf3 38 .Elxf3 ttJxf3 39.1Wxf3 would be unclear. If Black instead tries 37 . . . Eld3 38 .fxe4 f3 , then 39.Elxg3! 1Wxfl 40.ttJe5 Eld l 4 1 .Elxg5t �xg5 42.1Wg6t cj;Jh8 43.1Wh5t leads to a draw by perpetual check.

37 ... 1Wxg2t! Now it's forced mate after: 38 .<;t>xg2 Elxd2t

39.Elf2 (or 39.�f2 exf3t 40.cj;JgI ttJh3t 4 1 .<;t>h l g2#) 39 . . . exf3t 40.cj;Jh l (40 .cj;Jfl Eld l#) 40 . . . g2t 4 1 .Elxg2 fxg2# 0-1

146. Lyndon Gurr - David Okike

England 1 999

a b e d e f g h 35 .. J�xa7!

Deflecting the white queen from the defence of the f3-pawn.

Black's kingside attack is so strong that he can even win with: 35 . . . 1Wg5 ! 36.Elxa8t �f8 37.Elxf8t <;t>g7 38 .1Wa7t cj;Jh6 and White is helpless against the mate threats �n gl and g2 .

36.'1Wxa7 Wixf3t! Overloading the poor rook: 37.Elxf3 �g2#

0-1

Mate on the h-file Any opening of the h-file will more often than not lead to an extremely perilous situation for the black king. The diagram shows one of the classical ways that mate can occur on the h-file: 1 .c!tle7t i>h7 2.�h3#

8

7

6

5

4

3

2

a b e d e f g h

Degismez - Durucay, Kusadasi 2004 Cukier - Lehmann, Halle 1 995

@ 8 @ 7 7 6 6 5 5 4 4 3 3

1 1 L a b c d e f g h a b c d e f g h Wocke - WuHf, Germany 1 992 Gorzel - R. Schmidt, Germany 1 993

8) 8 8 @ 7 7

6 5 4 3

1 1 a b c d e f g h a b c d e f g h


147. Hakan Degismez - Etem Durucay

8

7 6 5 4 3 2

Kusadasi 2004

a b e d e f g h The mating idea has quite a simple execution

here. White's knight is already in place so all he needs to do is bring a rook to the h-file.

21 .0-0! �xb5 What else?

22J:'U3 lLl f6 A desperate attempt to plug the hole on the

h-file.

a b e d e f g h 23Jl:h3t lLlh5 24Jhh5t

24.1Wxh5t! also mates. 1-0

148. Ruediger Wocke -Jens Wulff

Germany 1 992

a b e d e f g h 13.h4!

Black must now find some way to meet the threat of g4-g5 .

13 ... c5 14.g5! hxg5? Rather suicidally, Black allows the h-file to

be opened.

14 . . . cxd4 is a much better defence. If White meets it with the simple 1 5 .tLl e2, retaining his threats on the kingside, then Black can sacrifice the f6-bishop with 1 5 . . . lLlc5 ! ? , resulting in a thoroughly messy position.

15.hxg5 hd4

8

7 6 5 4 3 2 1

a b e d e f g h

Chapter 2 - Mate on the h-file 17 1

White now has the simple plan of transferring his queen to the h-file.

16JWf4! ge8 It may look as if Black has everything under

control, and is ready to flee with his king in the event of the direct 1 7.iWh4. But he has missed an important tactical detail . . .

17J!h8t! Wxh8 18.'?Nxf7

8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

a b e d e f g h Elh 1 is coming, with mate.

1-0

149. Marcelo Cukier - Zoltan Lehmann

Halle 1 995

a b e d e f g h

Certain openings are much more likely to lead to mating scenarios on the h-file than others. One such opening is the King's Indian Attack, which was made famous by some model games of Bobby Fischer. We'll come back to this opening at various points during this book, but suffice to say that White's plan is generally very thematic and straightforward - moves like h4-h5 , lilfl -h2-g4 and j,f4 come naturally and easily. In the current position Black is completely cramped, particularly by the pawn on g5 . All White has to do is get a rook to the h-file, and the attack should quickly break through.

20.�f3 White prepares �g2 followed by Elh l .

Another way to clear the way for the rook is: 20.<;t>h2 ! ? d4 2 1 .lilf6! (2 1 .Elh l is also good for White, though 2 1 . . .g6 22.iWh3 h5 ! ? might allow Black to struggle on) 2 1 . . . gxf6 22.Elh 1 Elg8 23.exf6 and White's attack is winning. One beautiful possibility is: 23 . . . lilg6

a b e d e f g h

24.iWxh7t! ! <;t>xh7 25 .<;t>gl t lilh4 26.Elxh4t <;t>g6 27.Elh6t <;t>f5 28 .j,h3#

20 . . . tLlg6 20 . . . d4 looks a better attempt to interfere

with White's plans, but after 2 1 .j,e4 j,xe4 22.dxe4 White will soon bring a rook to the h-file. For example: 22 . . . a3 23.<;t>g2 iWc6


(23 . . . axb2 24.Ei:h l h6 25 .lLlxh6! and the attack crashes through) 24.lLlf6! gxf6 25 . f3 Ei:g8 26.Ei:h l lLlf8 27.gxf6 lLleg6

a b e d e f g h

28 .\Wxh7t! ! lLlxh7 29.Ei:xh7t 'it>xh7 30.Ei:h l t lLlh4t 3 l .Ei:xh4t @g6 32.Ei:h6#

8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

a b e d e f g h 21 .@g2 Ei:g8

Although Black was in trouble anyway, there seems something not quite right about his last couple of moves. It's almost as if he's playing for a self-mate.

22.�hl llJgffi Perhaps earlier Black thought he could

defend here with 22 . . . lLldf8 , but on reaching this position he probably realized that this would be met by the methodical and crushing build-up of pieces on the h-file: 23 .Ei:h2!

lLlxf4t 24.gxf4 g6 25 .\Wh4 followed by lLlf6, Ei:dh l etc.

a b e d e f g h At first it looks as if there is no way through

for White, but now came the coup de grace:

23.g6! The final dagger in Black's heart: 23 . . . fxg6

(23 . . . lLlxg6 24.\Wxh7#) 24.\Wxh7t lLlxh7 25 .Ei:xh7t 'it>xh7 26.Ei:h l#

8

7

6

5

4

3

2

,-=,/,'NN

,''''''',." ",./'

a b e d e f g h

An elegant mate. 1-0

Chapter 2 - Mate on the h-file 1 73

8 7 6 5 4 3 2

150. S. Gorzel - Renate Schmidt

Germany 1 993

a b e d e f g h The black king is in a gruesome situation,

utterly surrounded and entrapped by its own army, while the white pieces buzz around angrily, threatening to land a lethal sting to the black king's heart.

17.llJg5! Prising open the h-file, after which the white

attack is totally overwhelming.

1 7 .hS looks very strong, threatening ttJg6t, but Black can defend with 17 . . . h6. White then retains a strong attack with 1 8 .g4, but it is not nearly as convincing as the game continuation.

8 7 6 5 4 3 2

a b e d e f g h

17 .. . i.xg5 Not surprisingly there is no realistic defence

available to Black. For example: 1 7 . . . �f8

a b e d e f g h

1 8 .ttJg6t (The prosaic 1 8 .�hS wins of course, but somehow seems less elegant.) 1 8 . . . hxg6 1 9 .hS ! Mate is unavoidable, yet again showing the dangers of allowing your king to become entrapped on the edge of the board.

18.hxg5 llJf8 19.96!

a b e d e f g h The finish could be 1 9 . . . ttJxg6 20.l::\xh7t

c;iJxh7 2 1 .�hS# or 1 9 . . . �e7 20.gxh7 ttJxh7 2 1 .ttJg6#. 1-0

One of my attacking heroes

Queen and Knight Queen and knight can combine in many ways to force mate, with this pattern being one of the most frequent. The knight discovery forces mate:

1 .lt)h5t! l .liJe8t! is equally good; the important thing is that it is double check, so that Black cannot interpose. 1 .. .@g8 1 . . .mh6 2.Wig7# 2.fig7#

8

7

6

5

4

3

2

a b e d e f g h

Thelen - Pachman, Prague 1 943 Klaic - Lovric, Correspondence 1 967

@ 8 8 @ 7 7 6 6 5 5 4 4 3 3 2 2 1 1 6

a b c d e f g h a b c d e f g h Justen - Albrecht, Germany 2004 Mikenas - Schmitt, Brno 1 93 1

@ 8 8 (§ 7 7 6 6 5 5 4 4 3 3 2 2

6 1 6 a b c d e f g h a b c d e f g h

151 . Bedrich Thelen - Ludek Pachman

8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

Prague 1 943

a b e d e f g h 27.llJf6t <j{g7 28.d5! e5 29.�gl!?

29.fxe5 would also be winning easily for White, but he wishes to capture the e5-pawn with the queen, as he has already calculated the finish.

29 .. . �fc8 30.�xc8 �xc8 3 1 .'iNxe5 �c2 A forlorn attempt to obtain counterplay.

32.llJh5t <j{fB 27 . . . mh6 30.'Wg5#

8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

a b c d e f g h 33.d6

An attractive move, cutting off the king's escape route to make mate inevitable, although the more brutal 33 .'Wd6t! does the job too. 1-0

8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

152. DedefJusten - Hans Albrecht

Germany 2004

a b e d e f g h From here we shall see a good demonstration

of how White builds up on the e-file and then brings his knight to the dominant e6-square.

30.�e6! White's complete control over this square

will haunt Black for the rest of the game. There was a good alternative in 30.lLle2! ,

immediately aiming for lLlf4-e6.

30 .. . 'iNc7 31 .'iNf4 �c8 32.�ae1 !

a b e d e f g h

Chapter 2 - Queen and Knight 1 77

Increasing the pressure to the maximum.

32 .. J�d8 33.tiJe2! The knight heads for its dream square. Black

has no pawn breaks or active play that can challenge White's large strategical advantage.

33 ... ltk8

a b e d e f g h 34.lLld4!?

Playing for activity. If White did not want to sacrifice the c-pawn, he could play more conservatively with 34.:1'kl tLl b6 35 .tLld4 tLld7 36.tLlc6, which also leads to a great advantage for White.

34 ... �xc4 35J�e8t �f8 35 . . . ElxeS ? ? is a blunder that loses the queen:

36.ElxeSt ElfS 37.ElxfSt cj;lxfS 3S .tLle6t

8 7 6 5 4 3 2

a b e d e f g h

36.�xd8 �xd8 37.�g5! �f8 37 . . . Eld7 does not bring any solace either:

3S .�f6! Ele7 39 .tLle6+-

38.lLle6! The knight is simply too strong here; there

is no defence.

8 7 6 5 4 3 2

a b e d e f g h 38 .. . �b4

3S . . . �c3 is no better: 39.Elc 1 �f6 40.�xf6 (or 40.ElxcS+-) 40 . . . Elxf6 4 1 .ElxcSt+-

39.�c1 ! White plays the final phase of this game

most accurately.

39 .. . lLlb6 39 . . . EleS 40.�f6 �b7 4 1 .Elc7+-

8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

a b e d e f g h

40JWe7! 40 . . . :8:£1 4 1 .Wfe8t is mate next move.

1-0

8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

153. Pero Klaic - Dusan Lovric

Correspondence 1 967

a b e d e f g h A knight hopping between the h6- and £1-

squares more often than not spells doom for the black king. I like to call this the "Dance of Death" .

28.VNg6 A common situation for Ruy Lopez-type

structures has arisen, with the white queen hovering menacingly around the black kingside. Black now has a difficult choice.

a b e d e f g h

28 ... .td5 Trying to plug the holes .

28 . . . lLlxb3 enables White to perform the Dance of Death:

8

7

6

5

4

3

2

a b e d e f g h

29.lLlh6t <;t>h8 30.lLlx£1t <;t>g8 3 1 .lLlxg5! and mate can only be averted with ruinous material losses .

The only other reasonable choice was to give up the queen for a few pieces with: 28 . . . c4 29 .lLlh6t �h8 30.lLlx£1t Wfx£1

Forced, as otherwise lLlxg5 wins. 3 1 .Wfx£1 cxb3

a b e d e f g h

32.h4! This accurate thrust takes advantage of the fact that Black can hardly allow the h-file to be opened.

32 . . . g4 After 32 . . . gxh4 33 .�xh4, a white rook will soon head for the open h-file, with

Chapter 2 - Queen and Knight 1 79

catastrophic consequences for the black king.

33.hS! And with hS-h6 coming, there is no way

for Black to maintain an effective defensive blockade.

29.i.xd5 tLlxd5 30.tLlh6t @h8 31 .tLlxf7t @g8

a b e d e f g h 32.tLlxg5!

White correctly calculates that Black will not be able to resist the second wave of attack.

Tempting, but nowhere near as strong was 32.etJh6t Wh8 33 .j,xeS . White takes advantage of the potential knight fork on £1, but this variation burns out to rough equality: 33 .. J::lxeS 34.etJ£1t Wg8 3S .etJxeS WxeS 36.exdS Wf6 37.Wc2°o

32 . • . tLlf6 33.ge3 i.d6 Now White can dismantle the opposing

king's defences with ease, but Black is already beyond the point of no return.

33 . . . Ei:e7 34.Ei:B Wh8 3S .Ei:fS ! Targeting the eS pawn. 3S . . . Wc6 (or 3S . . . etJc6 36.j,h4! and White has the decisive threat of 37.etJh7! etJxh7 38.Ei:hS+-) 36.j,xeS We8 37.Ei:xf6! Wxg6 38.Ei:xg6 The bishop is taboo because of the

knight fork - rather a nice geometric variation!

34.g0! V!1e7 35.i.h4! i.c7

8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

a b e d e f g h 36.Ei:d7!

Overloading the beleaguered enemy queen and forcing a quick mate after 36 . . . Wxd7 37.Ei:xf6. Another good example of how you should aim to use all your pieces in an attack. 1-0

154. Vladas Mikenas - Ludwig Schmitt

8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

Bmo 1 93 1

a b e d e f g h Despite the threatening nature of the white

pieces, Black could be forgiven for thinking that he has all bases covered in this position.


However, White soon dispelled any such illusions .

20J�xc8! Forcing the knight's entry to f5 by the

bluntest means available.

20 .. JUxc8 21 .�f5 YNfS 22.�xh6t @h8 23.�xf'7t

The knight's Dance of Death is devastating.

27 ... @g8 24.�e5t @h8

8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

a b e d e f g h 25.YNg5!

The attack on the light squares is crushing.

25 .. . YNc5 26.YNh4t Mate follows: 26 . . . tt'lh7 27.tt'lg6#

1-0

Smothered Mate One of the most famous mating finishes in chess is the smothered mate, where the opposing king is smothered by its own pieces and a solitary check is enough to put the poor monarch out of its misery. The most classical smothered mate involves a queen and knight.

l .ttJOt �g8 2.ttJh6t! The key move. Only with the knight on this square can we later force the rook to go to g8 . 2 .ttJe5t �h8 gets nowhere. 2 .•. �h8 3.W!g8t! :gxg8 4.ttJO#

8

7

6

5

4

3

2

a b e d e f g h

Schnur - Thiemann, Recklinghausen 2002 Wang Vue - Najjar, Dubai 2005

@ 8 8 7 7 6 6 5 5 4 4 3 3 2 2 1 1

a b c d e f g h a b e d e f g h Yagupov - Khusnullin, T ula 1 999

@) 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

a b c d e f g h


155. Edmund Schnur - Sebastian lhiemann

Recklinghausen 2002

8 i. � � �� 7 � ��r�f"Y-, 6 ". l� �.�� %� ' ' ' ' ' �� '� �% ,,/� 5 � _iVf� �

4 '� �� "' , , %� /"""� �"j;)% �� lIi 3 �� fllf� ��r� ��,� 2 � _ � � f[j � ffj

1 � �.""'�=""%.� a b e d e f g h

16.�e4! When we're material up, it's generally a good

idea to exchange material , as this makes the realization of the advantage much easier. Here White uses the "threat" of exchanging material to set up the smothered mate.

16 .. . �h5 17.g4! Yet again we see how important it is to keep

up the pressure when we have the advantage. This sharp lunge overloads the black queen, which cannot now defend fl and h7 at the same time.

17 .. . �h4 18.ll:H7t! The black rook on f8 is also overloaded,

unable to defend both the a8-rook and the flsquare.

18 .. . @g8 19.�d5? Allowing Black a defence. It was important to

first control the f6-square with 1 9 .j,g5 ! 'lMrh3, and only now 20 .'lMrd5 . Black would have to "take his medicine" with 20 . . . Elxfl 2 1 .'lMrxa8t Elf8 22.'lMre4, but in that case he'd simply be an exchange down and hopelessly lost.

19 .. JiJb6? The knight goes the wrong way. Instead

1 9 . . . ttJf6! 20.ttJh6t �h8 would leave White unable to win, because the f6-knight covers the g8-square and prevents the queen sacrifice.

a b e d e f g h 20.llJh6t! @h8 21 .�g8t!

2 1 . . .Elxg8 22. ttJ fl # 1-0

156. Igor Yagupov - Rafkat Khusnullin

Tula 1 999

a b e d e f g h When we think in terms of good attacking

chess, it's often about having a good feel and understanding, to see which are the key defensive pieces for the opponent, and how

Chapter 2 - Smothered Mate 1 83

best to remove them. This is exactly what White does with his next move.

22.ixe4! Simple and decisive. White removes the

knight on e4, the only piece which was holding the whole fragile black position together.

22.Elxe4! is an equally good way to remove the knight. White wins after 22 . . . Wxe6 23 .ixg7t , while 22 . . . fXe4 leads to the same mate as in the game: 23.tDg5 Wg6 24.Wxh7t! Wxh7 25 .tDf7#

22 ... ixe4 After 22 . . . Wxe6 23 .ixf5 , Black must give

up his queen to avoid mate.

22 . . . ixe5 is another route to the mate that occurs in the game: 23 .tDg5 Wg6 24.Wxh7t Wxh7 25 .tDf7#

a b e d e f g h 24.Wxh7t! Wxh7 25.�f7#

8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

157. WangYue - Ahmad Najjar

Dubai 2005

a b e d e f g h 15 .ixflt!

Chinese players are renowned for their great tactical abilities, and Wang Yue, despite his preference for a positional style, is no different. He does not miss the chance to drive the black king into the open, where it is exposed to the full power of his forces. Black's main problem is that his minor pieces are so congested that they simply trip over each other, offering little protection to the king.

15 ... i>xfl 16.�g5t The correct move order, as it cuts down

Black's defensive possibilities .

1 6.Wb3t? would be inaccurate: 1 6 . . . ie6 1 7 .tDg5t �g6! 1 8 .tDxe6 tDxe6 and if White takes the e6-knight, his own knight on c3 hangs .

16 .. . i>g8 17.Wb3t

a b e d e f g h 17 .. . i.e6

1 7 . . . <;t> h8 leads to the famous smothered mate which we have already seen: 1 8 .ttJf7t <;t>g8 1 9 .ttJh6t <;t>h8 20 .1Wg8t ttJxg8 2 1 .ttJf7#

1 7 . . . ttJd5 does not help either: 1 8 .ttJxd5 �xg5 1 9 .ttJe7t <;t>h8 20 .1Wg8#

18.liJxe6 The combination has been calculated to

perfection by Wang Yue, and he now regains the sacrificed material with an easily winning position.

18 ... liJxe6 19.Wixe6t �h8 20.Wib3 �ad8 21 .i.f4 �d7 22.h3 lLlhS 23.i.h2 i.gS 24.�e1 �ed8 2S.lLle4 i.e7? 26.Wif7! lLlf6 27.liJxf6 1-0

Two Rooks If there are open lines towards the defending king then two rooks may deliver mate on the edge of the board. In this example, the queen is sacrificed open up the king: l .Wfxh7t �xh7 2.:Sh2#

8

7

6

5

4

3

2

a b e d e f g h

J. Polgar - L.B. Hansen , Vejstrup 1 989 Bakalec - Shishkov, Dnipropetrovsk 1 966

@) 8 8 @ 7 7 6 6 5 5 4 4 3 3 2 2 1 L. 1

a b c d e f g h a b c d e f g h Khalifman - Huzman, Tashkent 1 987

@ 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 L.

a b c d e f g h

158. Judit Polgar - Lars 80 Hansen

Vejstrup 1 989

a b e d e f g h Two rooks on the seventh rank are a very

powerful attacking duo, and often spell great danger for the enemy king, as is the case in the current game. Judit Polgar is one of the most impressive attacking players of our time and her ability to break down even the sturdiest of defences is striking.

29JH3! Aiming at the f7 -pawn. With her usual

accurate calculation, Judit has seen that White's attack is a little more dangerous than Black's, though with accurate play the game should end in a draw.

29 •.• Wigl t 30.cj;lg3 g6 31 .Wixh6 �e2 With this move Black signals a sudden

counterattack, but Judit is alive to all the demands of the position, and she now uses her king as an attacking weapon!

a b e d e f g h 32.cj;lh4!? Wixg2??

Seemingly confused by the bold king march, Hansen produces a shocking blunder.

32 . . . E!:e4 t 33 .';t>g3 E!:e2 would have enabled Black to make a draw by repetition.

33.Wig7t!! Take that! The poor black king will be

mated by the two rooks, with the white bishop and king also playing active roles in the final mating attack.

a b e d e f g h After 33 . . . <4?xg7 34.E!:fxf7t, the black king is

mated whichever direction it runs: 34 . . . <;t>h6 35 .�h7# or 34 . . . <4?g8 35 .E!:g7t <4?h8 36.E!:h7t <4?g8 37.�bg7#. 1-0

Chapter 2 - Two Rooks I S7

159. Alexander Khalifman Alexander Huzman

Tashkent 1 987

a b e d e f g h 26.tiJf5!

I imagine that Khalifman, who later became FIDE World Champion, had already seen the mate at this point. It is important to control as many squares as possible on the kingside, and exchanging off the light-squared bishop helps do this .

26 ... ixfS 27.exfS �d4? Sadly for Black, he is completely devoid of

any counterplay.

27 . . . :ggS may have been rejected by Huzman as it drops a pawn for nothing to 2S .Wxf7. However, at least he would have been able to stave off mate, albeit with a pretty horrible position: 2S . . . :gdfS 29.:gxgSt :gxgS 30.ltJe4 WdS±

28J�g4 ic5 Huzman, who was one of the last people

to defeat Kasparov, must have seen the finish coming by this stage, but there is precious little he can do about it.

It is too late for 2S . . . :ggS , because then

29.:gfg3 :gxg4 30.Wxg4 leads to mate.

a b e d e f g h 29.�xh7t!

The finish would be 29 . . . <;t>xh7 30.:gh4t and 3 1 .:gg3#. 1-0

160. Bakalec -Viktor Shishkov

Dnipropetrovsk 1 966

a b e d e f g h Sometimes we have to think outside the

box - forget about the material and decide how best to use our pieces to force mate. All White's pieces occupy ideal attacking positions and it's now time for the final breakthrough. But where? It seems like Black has everything defended. If we take on g6, Black is ready to


recapture with the f7 -pawn when his rook will then be defending h7. So we need to be a little more persuasive . . .

26.VNxh7t!! A beautiful sacrifice, allowing the white

rooks to take complete control of the h-and g-files.

26 • . • @xh7 27.hxg6t @g7 27 . . . mg8 28 .gxf7# is a nice mate.

8 7 6 5 4 3 2

a b e d e f g h 28.gxf7t ttJg5 29.fxe8=tLlt!

Even more effective than promoting to a queen. 1-0

Chapter 3

Pawns and Pieces

This chapter is all about examining the two classical methods of attacking the castled king, with pawns or pieces, and understanding the advantages and disadvantages of each method. Clearly the more straightforward method is to attack with the pieces , simply because that tends to be blunter and quicker, and such attacks may often be based on pure calculation. Attacking with pawns requires a subtlety that draws more heavily on intuition. Are those pawns near the opponent's king dangerous or can he easily beat off the attack? Such questions are often none too easy to answer, and a player's success or failure often depends on how well he is able to judge the chances of such an attack coming off.

Attacking with the pieces Some players seem to have an innate ability for attacking play. They have an uncanny knack for sensing when their opponent's king is in danger. When we think of great attacking players , Tal springs most readily to mind. However, one of the games that made the greatest impression on me when I was younger was the following attacking tour de force by the greatest player in history, Garry Kasparov. When I first saw this game in the newspaper as a 1 4-year-old, I was astonished by the attacking imagination shown by Kasparov. I had this vision of world championship matches being dominated by stuffy old men playing insipid chess, but Kasparov seemed to be the antithesis of that. Here was someone who was playing with complete freedom, sacrificing his pieces with abandon, seemingly treating it not as a high-pressured world championship match at all, but as a friendly game down the local chess club! The final combination took my breath away.

Garry Kasparov - Anatoly Karpov

World Championship, Lyon/New York (20) 1 990

l .e4 e5 2.tlJO tlJc6 3.�b5 a6 4.�a4 tlJf6 5.0-0 �e7 6.�el b5 7.�b3 d6 S.d 0-0 9.h3 �b7 1O.d4 �eS l 1 .tlJbd2 �f8 12.a4 h6 13.�c2 exd4 14.cxd4 tlJb4 15.�bl cS 16.d5 tlJd7 17.�a3 f5 lS.�ae3 tlJf6 19.tlJh2 'it>hS 20.b3 bxa4 21 .bxa4 c4 22.�b2 fxe4 23.tlJxe4 tlJfxd5


8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

��=-� a b e d e f g

An extremely sharp position has arisen on the board. Such a situation lends itself very well to Carry's great strengths of stunning tactical vision and brilliant attacking imagination. One thing that stands out is that while Black has made good progress on the queenside and stands much better placed on that side of the board, his king is in great peril. By contrast, White's king is in no danger whatsoever. This was a recurring theme of the theoretical duels the two K's had in this opening in their world championship encounters, and in fact it was Kasparov's success in spearing the Ruy Lopez that convinced Karpov to shelve this opening and take solace in the ultra-solid Caro-Kann. The following notes are heavily based on an excellent video of the 1 990 match in which Carry espouses his feelings about the game in typically exuberant fashion and also gives the viewer a glimpse into the astonishing calculation feats he managed in the game. Some of the variations are very impressive indeed.

24J�g3?! Carry: " I decided ro play attacking." Karpov

thought this move showed that Kasparov was too optimistic about his chances, and he even said in the video that he was already looking for ways to win the game! But in the game Karpov is too casual about the way he goes

about this; he underestimates the danger he is in and ends up stumbling into a mating attack.

Kasparov also pointed out that there was the option of: 24.iWh5!

This creates immediate threats against the black king. Objectively this would have been better as it maintains some advantage for White.

a b e d e f g

24 . . . c3 Black has to try and close the b2-h8 diagonal . The greedy 24 . . . lLlxe3? is prettily refuted by: 25 .iWxh6t Wg8 26.lLlg5! gxh6 27.�h7# Carry pointed out that Black would have had the possibility of sacrificing the exchange to take the heat out of the attack with 24 . . J":\e5 ! ? 25 .�xe5 dxe5 . Black has killed the attack, and though White enjoys a material advantage, it would take him many moves to convert it.

25 .�xc3 25 .lLlxc3? fails to 25 . . . lLlxe3.

25 . . . lLlxc3 26.lLlxc3 l":lxe3 27.l":lxe3 iWg5 ! This ensures that, unlike the game, Black doesn't have to fear being quickly mated.

28 .iWxg5 hxg5 29 .lLlf3 The two bishops offer some compensation

for Black's pawn weaknesses . Although White has an edge in the endgame, whet,her he would be able to convert it is another matter.

Chapter 3 - Pawns and Pieces 1 9 1

8 7 6 5 4 3 2

a b e d e f g h 24 .. J�e6 2S.ltJg4 �e8?

Kasparov calls this the decisive mistake and his reasons for this are compelling: "Karpov is playing too generally: this is a problem with his style, he's playing a position where general moves are not good. He is not looking for the best move. Here you should look for the best move! You have nine obvious moves and eight of them are losing. It's not normal chess values; he has big advantage on the queenside but his king is in danger. You must change your scale in your mind but Karpov couldn't do that. He played normal move which is lost by force." Effectively Carry is saying this is Karpov's Achilles heel ; a lack of desire to switch to concrete analysis and calculation and instead being overdependent on his extremely well-tuned feel for the right move in any given position. This is a common mistake that we are guilty of from time to time.

25 . . . ltJd3!+ was the only move according to Kasparov. It loses a pawn but more importantly "kills" one of White's bishops . The b I -bishop is an extremely dangerous attacking piece, taking aim at the weakened light squares around the black king. One of the drawbacks of attacking with the pieces is that if you are heavily dependent on a particular piece to force home an attack, then if your opponent has the opportunity to exchange

that piece, it can abruptly halt your attacking ambitions. 26.W.xd3 cxd3 27.:B:xd3 and now 27 . . . We7! .

a b e d e f g h

With this Karpov would have removed the danger from the position and even taken over the initiative himself]

8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

a b e d e f g h Now Carry unleashes a thunderbolt.

26.ltJxh6!! These hidden blows are one of the advantages

of attacking with pieces. Pawns are much more straightforward and easier to anticipate as they have limited mobility, but having to calculate every possible piece move can be tiresome for a defender. We can file this sacrifice under "Shocking knight moves" a subject we will come back to several times during the rest of the book.


26 .. . c3 Karpov had a difficult choice.

Garry demonstrates many beautiful lines if Black takes the knight: 26 . . . E!:xh6 27.ltJxd6!

a b e d e f g h

27 . . . 'lWh5

28 .E!:g5 ! 'lWxd l There is nothing better; the black queen is overloaded and cannot defend f7.

29 .ltJf7t 'i!:?g8 30.ltJxh6t �h8 3 1 .E!:xd l c3 At first this looks good for Black, but there is a sting in the tail .

32 .ltJf7t 'i!:?g8 33 .�g6! Showing there is no escape for the king, even in the endgame

8 ',=CF""" ,,,,,,,F

7 �0 ..l1,,"" 6

5

4

3

2

It may look as if this will allow Black to escape, but another unexpected blow now a b e d e f g h

lands . 33 . . . ltJf4 The desperate attempt to slow down the attack by giving up the queen is also refuted: 27 . . . 'lWxe l t 28 .'lWxe 1 E!:xd6 29 .'lWe4! ltJd3 30 .'lWh4t �g8 And now White crashes through: 3 1 .�xg7! �xg7 32.'lWg4+-The modest 27 . . . 'lWd7 fails to: 28 .'lWg4! 'lWxg4 29 .ltJf7t 'i!:?g8 30 .ltJxh6t gxh6 3 1 .E!:xg4t 'i!:?f7 32.�g6t 'i!:?g8 33 .�f5t ! 'i!:?f7 34 .�e6t 'i!:?e8 3 5 .�xd5t White is winning the house.

a b e d e f g h

33 . . . cxb2 34.E!:h5 leads to mate. 34.�xc3 ltJxg6 35 .�xb4 �xb4

35 . . . �xf7 36.E!:dlt �f6 37.E!:xg6t �xg6 38 .E!:xb7 is an easily won technical ending.

36.E!:xg6 �xf7 37.E!:b6! One of the bishops drops and White wins.

27.ttJrs cxb2 28.'lWg4

8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

a b e d e f g h

Chapter 3 - Pawns and Pieces 1 93

The good news for Black is that he has managed to eliminate the dangerous b2-bishop; the bad news is that White is still attacking with six pieces . As Carry points out, "This is too much for one king." Often good attacking play is simple mathematics . If you are attacking with more pieces than your opponent has defending, then more often than not the game will end in your favour.

28 ... i.c8 Karpov desperately tries to plug the holes in

his position, but it is too late.

29.�h4t �h6 30.tiJxh6 gxh6

a b e d e f g h 31 .<j,lh2!

This king move means that White can sacrifice the e l -rook without it being taken with check, so threats such as tLlg5! and tLlf6! are now looming. It's interesting that in the middle of a storm Kasparov finds time to make a seemingly quiet move, but he knows that the black king is so exposed that the attack is not going to just go away. When you are attacking there is a mistaken tendency to think that every move has to be a forcing one, but that is not the case.

There is no time to bring up reinforcements with 3 1 . . .�a7 as 32 .tLlf6! wins on the spot: 32 . . . �f7 33 .2"i:e8! tLlxf6 34.�xh6t tLlh7 35 .�xh7t �xh7 36.2"i:xf8t �g8 37.2"i:fXg8#

8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

a b e d e f g h 32.ltlg5! �f6

32 . . . �xe l 33 .tLlf7#

33.�e8 "Now five pieces in attack but just three

defenders left," Carry says with a chuckle.

33 ... i.f5 33 . . . i.b7 34.�xh6t! �xh6 35 .tLlf7#

a b e d e f g h White to play and win. Can you find Carry's

crowning combination?


34.Wxh6t! As the commentator points out, it is most

unusual to have a queen sacrifice in a world championship game. The beautiful geometry of this final combination astonished me at the time, even if the variations are quite simple.

34 .. . Wxh6 35.ltJf7t �h7 36.�xf5t Wg6

8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

a b e d e f g h 37.�xg6t

Garry decides to take all the bounty that is on offer.

37.:E'i:xg6! is even more elegant, and would have been a fitting conclusion to a beautifully played attack: 37 . . . tUe7 38 .:E'i:xe7 i.xe7 39.:E'i:g3#

37 ... �g7 38J'ha8 �e7 39J:!b8 a5 40.�e4t �xf7 41 .hd5t

Karpov finally threw in the towel. 1-0

An extraordinary attacking game, but really the turning point of this game was Karpov's inability to identifY White's most important attacking unit (the bishop on b l ) , and subsequently his failure to exchange off this piece led to his defeat.

Energy of the pieces One of the advantages of attacking purely with the pieces is the speed with which we can organize an attack. Pushing our pawns forward takes time and sometimes we lack the luxury for that, but an aggressive attacker can always look for ways to launch a speedy attack against the opponent's king with just his pieces, taking the defender off guard. A perfect example of such a lightning attack was demonstrated by Acs in the following game.

Loek van Weir - Peter Acs

Hoogeveen 2002

l .d4 ltJf6 2.c4 e6 3.ltJc3 �b4 4.e3 0-0 5.�d3 d5 6.cxd5 exd5 7.ltJge2 l3e8 8.0-0 �d6 9.a3?

Van Wely, who has an optimistic style, completely ignores any designs that Acs might have against his kingside, something that comes back to haunt him.

9 .f3? ! is also not too great - Black counters actively with 9 . . . c5! when the white set-up just looks clumsy.

In the light of what happens, most prudent would have been the simple 9.h3! , stopping any funny business on the kingside, and only then getting on with the queenside pressure.


9 ... ltJg4! Very bold! Acs has evil on his mind.

Note that the tempting 9 . . . �xh2t? would be premature: 1 O .cj;Jxh2 tDg4t 1 1 .cj;Jg3! 'lWd6t 1 2 .f4 and White defends.

1O.h3 1 0 .tDg3 'lWh4 l 1 .h3 tDxf2 is certainly not

what White had in mind.

1O ... ltJh2! Once you say A, you must say B.

l 1 .�el

a b e d e f g h l 1 .. .ltJf3t!!

Brilliantly calculated by the Hungarian.

12.gxf3 'lWgst 13.cj;lhl Wfh4 14.ltJf4 Beset by difficult practical problems so

early in the game, Van Wely desperately tries to bolster his king's defences. In fact, analysis shows that he is already in trouble and quite possibly lost by this stage.

14 .c;t>gl This invites a repetition.

a b e d e f g h

1 4 . . . �xh3 ! 1 4 . . . 'lWg5t 1 5 .cj;Jh l is just a draw, but Black is justified in playing for more given that he has an obvious attack. 1 4 . . . 'lWxh3? may look threatening too, but then 1 5 .tDf4! would enable White to defend.

1 5 .f4! This is White's best defence, intending to put the knight on g3 , but the problem is that the black bishop can now come to rest on f3 , creating an unbreakable mating net around the white king.

1 5 . . . �g4! 1 6 .'lWb3 �f3 1 7.tDg3 �xf4 1 8 .tDce2 �d6 1 9 .�d2 �e6!

White is quite lost.

14 •.• i.xh3! lS.ltJcxdS

8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

a b e d e f g h lS •.• �e6!

The rook enters play with decisive effect.

16.tlJxe6 .ifSt 17.<.t>gl '?Nh2t 18.<.t>fl .ig3! 0-1

A beautiful example of a blitzkrieg attack. Acs correctly worked out that the knight sacrifice was sound. Having an extra piece is little comfort to the defender if he ends up getting mated.

Attacking with the pawns If pieces can overwhelm a king's shelter with sheer force of numbers, as in the Kasparov game above, what of pawns? Clearly a different approach is needed here. Pawns can change the character of a landscape. Not for nothing did Philidor call pawns the soul of chess. They bring an extra element, they can sharply alter the make-up of the position in a single stroke, and they can help to break through what otherwise seems an impregnable defence.

Alexander Beliavsky -Vassily Ivanchuk

Belgrade 1 995

a b e d e f g h It would seem there is no obvious way

through here, as Black's piece play has come to an impasse. But Ivanchuk proves otherwise:

18 .. . g5! This innocuous-looking pawn move heralds

the decisive breakthrough.

19 . .ixe5 fxe5 20.£3

8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

a b e d e f g h 20 .. . e4!

There is no respite. The pawns beat a path through for the heavy pieces.

21 .'?Nc5 exf3 22.exf3 �ae8 The white kingside is now thoroughly

exposed, and there is little hope of beating off the attack.

23.�xd5

8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

a b c d e f g h 23 .. . h6!

Again a calm move in the middle of the storm. There is no hurry here ' for Black as the f3-pawn is dropping by force, after which


White's position will crumble as a matter of course.

24J�eS Wixf3 2S.Wic4t �g7 26Jhe8 gxe8 27.Wid4t �g6 28.Wid3t ge4!

Tightening the vice.

29J�el �hS Black unpins his rook, and now White

has no good defence to the threat of . . . 2"i:xe3 followed by . . . 'if!1xg2#. 0-1

Pawns can also be used as battering rams to break down a firmly constructed castle door and create new pathways and space for the brave soldiers coming up in the rear. They certainly performed this role in the next game.

Mihail Kobalija - Tigran Nalbandian

Moscow 1 999


With this thematic thrust White announces his intention to batter his way through with the f-pawn - confident in the knowledge that no hot oil will be flung down from the defending castle onto his battering ram. Or in chess-speak: Black lacks any counterplay.

23 .. J�ae8

The normal way for Black to stop the advancing f-pawn would be to blockade it with his own f-pawn, but here this fails trivially: 23 . . . f5 24.2"i:xg6+-

24.£5! The game is effectively over. The pawns

overwhelm any credible defence Black could put up.

24 . . . �d8 24 . . . gxf5 25 .2"i:xg8t 2"i:xg8 26.�xf5 and

White wins easily.

2S.ltle2! There are many ways to win, but this is the

most effective. Like an assassin for hire, the knight is brought in to ravage the king's already weakened defences. All of the white pieces are now taking part in the final slaughter.

2S . . . b6 It is difficult to suggest anything better, for

example 25 . . . f6 26.fXg6 is hopeless for Black.

26.ltlf4 gS

8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

a b e d e f g h 27.Wixh7t!

Of course there were many paths to the goal, for example 27.f6 ! , but the method chosen by White is both effective and elegant.


27 ... @xh7 28.f6t @h6 After 28 . . . �h8 29.Ei:xg5 , White will deliver

mate down the h-file. In this variation we see how effective the f-pawn is as a stopper to prevent the black army coming to the defence of its king, while earlier it threatened to split open the black defences with fxg6. A real dualpurpose pawn!

29.Ei:h4t!

8 7 6 5 4 3 2

a b e d e f g h 29 ... gxh4 30.tLle6t @h5 31 .�dl#

The disadvantages of pawn play One of the disadvantages of attacking with your pawns is the danger of creating weaknesses in your own position, and subsequently leaving yourself vulnerable to a counterattack. If your attack flounders then your opponent may be able to flood the space behind your aggressive pawns with his pieces. In the following game from the British Championship, I had tried to blow my opponent away from an early stage, but he already has a chance to gain the advantage.

Danny Gormally -John Emms

Scarborough 1 999

a b e d e f g h 15 .. . h6?

The equivalent of putting your head into the lion's jaws .

I 5 . . . b5 ! would have called my bluff.

a b e d e f g h

Black prepares to develop his bishop to the long diagonal, and the main point is that the obvious 1 6.'lWe4 g6! 1 7 .'lWxa8 ? fails to I 7 . . . .ib7 I 8 .'lWa7 .ic5 and the queen is trapped. But if I cannot create direct threats then my whole strategy has backfired and I 'm just saddled with all these pawn weaknesses .

16JWe4! There is no way back now. John visibly


winced after this, as it suddenly dawned on him what was happening.

16 .. . hgS 1 6 . . . g6 1 7.lLlxe6! was what John had missed.

16 . . . hxg5 1 7 .hxg5 g6 1 8.'1We3 leaves Black helpless against the threat ofWh3.

17.hxgS llJcS 18JWe3 hxgS

21."\Wxd3 1-0

Castling on opposite sides When the players have castled on the same side, throwing all our pawns forward in front o.f our castled king clearly involves huge

nsks . However, with castling on opposite sides, carrying out a pawn storm against the opposing king not only becomes an acceptable strategy, but is often the main one. Opposite castling is seen most often in the Sicilian, and we shall look at many of these typical Sicilian attacks in the rest of the book. Here though is a King's Gambit in which Black turns White's aggressive kingside strategy against him.

Dimitri Reinderman - Ivan Sokolov

Amsterdam 1 999

l .e4 eS 2.f4 exf4 3.i.c4 �e7!? It's always nice to get the opposing king

to move so early in the game, so 3 . . . Wh4t! ? 4 . c;t>fl lLlc6°o appeals to me.

3 . . . lLlc6! is claimed to be the refutation of 3 .i.c4 in John Shaw's recent book The King's Gambit.

4.llJc3 c6 S.'WhS llJg6 6.llJf3 i.e7 7.d4 d6 8.eS dS 9.i.d3 llJa6

a b e d e f g h 1O.llJe2?

Very casual and in fact very bad. After this Black can already claim an advantage.

If White had asked himself what Black's next moves was going to be, he might have hit upon the key to the position . If Black can play . . . lLlb4! and exchange the bishop on d3, not only does this cripple the white pawn structure, but it al

.so exchanges off a potentially useful attacking

piece. So White should have prevented this with 1 0 .a3! Perhaps he was concerned about the difficulty in regaining the f-pawn after l o . . . lLlc7 1 1 .lLle2 lLle6, but it seems to me that White has good compensation for the pawn


after 1 2 .g3 fxg3 1 3 .hxg3 . And let's face it, if you are concerned about being a pawn down, you shouldn't play the King's Gambit in the first place!

10 ... lLlb4! Remember what I said about not allowing

our attacking pieces to be exchanged? Bobby Fischer, who treasured the white light-squared bishop above all other pieces, would never have allowed this!

1 1 .0-0 lLlxd3 12.cxd3

8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

a b e d e f g h The problem with White's structure is that

although the doubled d-pawns may do a good job of controlling some important squares in the centre, White is now devoid of any useful pawn breaks and his position has no real potential .

12 .. . h6 13.hf4 i.e6 14.i.e3 %Vd7 15.h3 0-0-0 16J:Ul gdg8!

Signalling his intention to start aggressive actions on the kingside. Black's assault may not look particularly quick, but by contrast White has no attacking hopes against the black queenside whatsoever, so it is a one-sided battle.

Trying to exchange pieces with 1 7.lLlf4 would lose in amusing fashion: 1 7 . . . lLlxf4 1 8 .�xf4 g6! and the queen is trapped.

17 .. . lLlh4! Sokolov has an impressive natural feel for

the initiative.

18.lLlg3 g6 19.%Ve2 Black already has a good position, but now

he steps up decisive operations by launching an all-out pawn assault on the kingside.

19 .. . g5! White will not be able to prevent lines being

opened against his king.


20J'hfl Mter 20.liJg4 h5 2 1 .liJf6 �xf6 22.exf6 g4

the g-file is ' opened by force: 23 .�f4 liJg6! 24.hxg4 �xg4 25 .iWd2 h4! Black has a huge attack.

20 .. . hS! Black gladly sacs a mere pawn. He is after a

bigger prize - an open file to the white king.

21 .tlJxhS g4!

8 7 6 5 4 3 2

a b e d e f g h 22.tlJf6

An admission of failure.

White is also in trouble after 22.hxg4, when his king is an easy target for the black forces hovering around the kingside: 22 . . . �xg4 23.liJxg4 �xg4 24.liJf4 �gg8! Black has the simple and powerful idea of . . . liJf5-g3 . Meanwhile White has no real counterplay to distract Black from his attacking ambitions.

22 ... i.xf6 23.�xf6 gxh3 24.g4 Desperation.

24 .. . i.xg4 2S.tlJxg4 �xg4t 26.@hI �g2 27.iWdI

27 .�6f2 gives Black a choice of ways to win:

a b e d e f g h The simple 27 . . . liJ f5 28 .�f4 liJxd4 is good

enough, while there is also the spectacular 27 . . . iWf5 ! ! 28 .�xf5 liJxf5 and White has to return the queen to avoid mate.

27 . . . h2 28.�xf7 �gI t! 29.i.xgI hxgl=Wft 30. @xgI �gst

Going to the h-file gets mated, and going to the f-file drops a rook, so White gave up. 0-1

The next game was a much less one-sided battle. We pick it up on the 1 3th move.

8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

Peter Svidler - Igor Glek

Haifa 1 996

a b e d e f g h 13 . . . hS?!

Already demonstrating to his opponent that

he is heading for an opposite castling scenario. Incidentally, it is interesting that Igor Glek's FIDE rating was slightly higher than Peter Svidler's at the time this game was played. Since then their chess careers have taken strikingly different paths. Svidler is firmly planted in the world chess elite with a rating of around 2750, but Glek, who once approached the heights of 2700 himself, has dipped to around 2450! Which just goes to show that anyone is vulnerable to a dip in form.

1 3 . . . .td6! would have been the most natural continuation.

14.�f3 i.d6 15.h3 i.h2t 16.@hl i.e5 17J3fel 0-0-0

1 7 . . . lt:lg4 is met by 1 8 .g3 .

18J�adl �dg8 We saw a similar idea from Sokolov in the

previous game, preparing for kingside activity. But the big difference is that Reinderman was very passively placed in that game, whereas Svidler is ready to launch his own attack on the queenside.

19.�e3! i.d6 Sacrificing with 1 9 . . . lt:lg4? doesn't work here:

20.hxg4 hxg4t 2 1 .ct?gl and Black's "attack" quickly peters out.

a b e d e f g h

20.1tJf3! What often sets players like Svidler apart is

their intuitive appreciation of exactly where each piece belongs and their ability to steer their pieces towards better pastures . Here Svidler realizes that the knight is doing little on d4, and reroutes it to f3 . Not only might it leap into e5 from here, it also frees up the d-file for his heavy pieces (the rook may go to d4 and then c4, for example) , and it enables the possibility of Wia7, putting more pressure on the black king. Truly a multi-purpose move! Realizing the dangers now facing him, Glek tries to hustle up a desperate attack, but his efforts come to nothing.

20 ... i.c5 21 .�d2 1tJg4 22.i.f4! Reminding Black that his own king is in

danger.

22 . . . 1tJxf2t 23.@h2 �d8 23 . . . lt:lg4t is easily refuted: 24.hxg4 hxg4t

25 .ct?g3! and the white king is quite safe.

8 �*� � � �� "'' ' '�� r%'" ' ' : " �*," �lI 5 a � a a i 4 �.� :1i. �. �� 3 � f� �� r�""�;c' <' . �% ,,//. ��';/"'; 2 � w[j � ar�� 1 .""%.��m"""."'"

a b e d e f g h 24.�e5!

It's important when attacking to do so with vigour and energy, to deny your opponent time to recuperate. Most of Svidler's pieces are now aiming towards the black king.

24 .. . i.b6

Chapter 3 - Pawns and Pieces 203

24 . . . tUg4t yet again gets nowhere: 25 .hxg4 hxg4t 26.�g3!+-

25.�d6! lLlxdl Glek may have hoped that 25 . . . �c7 would

save him, but then realized that White breaks through by force: 26.E:k5 �c6 27.l"i:xc6! bxc6 28 .�xc6 tUxdl

a b e d e f g h

29.�a4! The black king cannot escape the vice created by the white pieces. 29 . . . <;t>b8 30.�b6t <;t>c8 3 I .�xa6t �b8 32 .tUe5 ! White's domination i s complete.

8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

a b e d e f g h 26J�c5t!

Svidler crashes through Black's defences .

26 ... i.c6 26 . . . �xc5 27.�b8#

27Jhc6t bxc6 28.�xc6t �c7 After 28 . . . �c7 White wins with 29 .�a4! as

in the note to the 25th move.

29.hc7 i.xc7t 30.�gl l"i:d8 31 .�xa6t �b8 32.ltJd4

Black might as well have resigned here.

32 ... l"i:d6 33.ltJc6t l"i:xc6 34.�xc6 l"i:d8 35.i.c2 l"i:d6 36.�e8t l"i:d8 37.�b5t �c8 38.�a6t 1-0

To sum up, let's look at the most salient points again :

1 ) When attacking with pieces, it is important to recognize the importance of time, to act with vigour and aggression. Don't allow your opponent time to organize a defence. However, if it is clear that the opponent cannot improve his defensive set-up, then a quiet move may be in order. We saw in the Kasparov game that his total control gave him time to play 3 I .�h2! , though in any case that move fitted in with his attacking plans.

2) Be aware of the danger of having your attacking pieces exchanged off. In the Kasparov - Karpov game the key idea was 25 . . . tUd3! , exchanging the important attacking bishop on b I . Similarly, in the Sokolov game White had the chance to avoid the exchange of his bishop on d3, but didn't take it, after which his attacking chances disappeared and Black had a free hand on the kingside.

3) Adding pawns to the attacking mix can quickly result in an explosive cocktail. Pawns can be used as battering rams to break down an opponent's otherwise watertight defence. One of the drawbacks of attacking with pieces is that we have to weigh up extremely carefully if giving a piece away is worth the attacking


chances, but sacrificing a pawn to open lines and files is more often than not worth the investment.

4) Attacking with pawns does have its drawbacks. Be careful that the lines opened towards your own king do not lead to problems. However, when the players castle on opposite sides, charging your pawns forward becomes one of the main strategies for breaking through to the opponent's king. Chess games often turn into races as both players strive to advance their pawns as quickly as possible.

Chapter 4

Breakthrough with Pieces

Part 1 - Themes

The ability to break through with the pieces is an essential requirement for any attacking player. In the next two chapters we'll be discussing the various ways in which to achieve this , focusing on two categories: themes and sacrificial breakthroughs. General themes crop up repeatedly in attacking play, and that certainly applies to situations where we must break down a castled king's defences. Learning these general themes should not only help our results, but will also improve our overall understanding of chess.

The combination of queen and knight One of the themes that crops up again and again is how well the queen and knight combine. I remember I learnt this the hard way when I faced a Russian grandmaster at the Hastings chess congress. This was in the old days when we used to play on the pier, and it was like an Arctic winter. Everyone, even the Russian contingent who were presumably used to such sub-zero temperatures, had to wear protective clothing during the games so not as to die from hypothermia. Anyway, he sacrificed the exchange and we reached a situation where I had queen and rook against queen and knight, but I had no play and it was clear he was pressing. It seemed like I was being tortured for hours. I held on for dear life, and to my great relief my opponent somehow contrived to get into terrible time-trouble, and then his flag fell. This was a special moment to me because it was my first ever win against a grandmaster! This game was certainly a case of " learning on the job" for me. Afterwards I felt that I had a much greater understanding and respect for just how powerful this combination of the queen and knight could be.

The following game demonstrates just how formidable an attacking duo the queen and knight are. White is the Portuguese grandmaster Luis Galego, one of the most affable and laid-back chess players you could ever hope to meet, while his opponent is Veselin Topalov, one of the most intense and, unfortunately for Luis, also one of the strongest.

Luis Galego -Veselin Topalov

Yerevan (01) 1 996

a b e d e f g h The black knight is firmly embedded on c3

and casts a bewitching spell over the white position; by contrast there is a distinct lack of coordination between the white pieces . Topalov cashes in on his strategical domination with a crushing blow - elite players rarely miss such tactical opportunities .

33 .. J:hf1! Taking advantage of the fact that the white

heavy pieces are far away from the action and in no position to offer any defence. Also, with the knight waiting on c3 to ambush it, the white king can hardly hope to escape to the queenside.

34J:hc6 If White takes the rook immediately, his

king lands in a mating net: 34.<;t>xfl Wh3t 35 .�gl

35 .<;t>el Wh l t 36.�f2 tt'ldl# is one pretty variation.

35 . . . Wxg3t ! 35 . . . tt'lxe2t 36.�f2 Wh2t 37.<;t>e1 tt'lc3 38 . <;t>fl tt'ldl ! also mates, but takes a bit longer.

36. <;t>fl

After 36.<;t>h l Black has a pleasant choice between 36 . . . tt'lxe2 and 36 . . . tt'ld l , in each case with mate next move.

36 . . . tt'l d l ! A brutal finish.

34 .. .'IWal 35.�xf1 Wfxe2t 36.@gl Wfel t

a b e d e f g Next move the knight will hop into e2,

closing the net around the king, so Luis gave up. 0-1

To sum up, it's well worth remembering how powerful the combination of queen and knight is, because it crops up time and time again.

Weakness of the al-h8 diagonal Many themes have a strong strategical basis. I 'm a firm believer that everything stems from the opening, and having a constructive plan makes it much easier to move from the opening into the middlegame. In many openings Black will fianchecco his bishop on the kingside, and castle on that side as well. This gives White a very clear strategical plan - to exchange off that bishop and then derive benefits from the dark-square weaknesses that arise, not least of which is the a l -h8 diagonal. The weakness of this diagonal gives rise to many combinational possibilities .

Chapter 4 - Breakthrough with Pieces 207

Sarunas Sulskis - Aleksei Holmsten

Linares 200 1

l .e4 c5 2.liJa liJc6 3.i.h5 g6 4.i.xc6 dxc6 5.d3 i.g7 6.h3 liJf6 7.liJc3 0-0 8.i.e3 liJd7 9.�d2 h5

To my mind this allows White too easy a ride - he can now exchange off the g7 -bishop!

If I were Black here, I would prefer 9 . . . :ge8 1 O .�h6 �h8, keeping the advantage of the two bishops in the hope that it might compensate for the damaged pawn structure.

8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

�L-�� __ �� a b e d e f g

10.i.h6! White carries out his strategical plan . If

only everything in life was so simple.

10 ... e5 I l .a4! Sharply defining the pawn structure.

1 1 .. .h4 12.liJdl The knight heads for e3, where it will aim at

the juicy squares on g4 and c4.

12 ... h3?! A hint of panic. The normal plan for Black

in this line is to play . . . We7, . . . f6, . . . :ge8 and . . . li:lf8-e6. The opening tends to revolve around whether Black can carry this plan out

before too much damage is inflicted on his position . In this case it is doubtful whether he can, because h4-h5 is coming so quickly.

Nevertheless, 1 2 . . . We7! should have been preferred, aiming to mobilize his army as quickly as possible. 1 3 .�xg7 i>xg7 14 .li:le3 �a6! (Black must avoid 1 4 . . .f6? 1 5 .h4! , when White has an automatic attack.) 1 5 .b3 :gad8 At least Black is fully mobilized and may have some chances of defending against the coming assault.

13.i.xg7 i>xg7 14.cxh3 f6 15.liJe3 �h6 16.�c3 :gh8

8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

a b c d e g 17.:ga3!

Showing that it will not be easy for Black to regain this pawn. It's not the pawn that's important in itself, but what it represents : it blocks the b-file and thus prevents Black from activating his forces. This gives White a free hand to carry out his attacking plans on the other side of the board.

17 ... i.a6 18.0-0 :gfd8 19.:gcl Now the weak pawns on the c-file also

become a target. Realizing this, Holmsten decides to aim for some activity at any costs - but in doing so he runs into a mating attack.

19 ... tlJf8?? A real howler, which is immediately pounced

upon by the ever-vigilant Sulskis.

1 9 . . . Wb4! was essential . White enjoys an edge after 20 .tZJ e 1 ! ? :B:b7 but Black can at least hope to fight.

a b e d e f g h 20.tlJxe5!

No doubt Black was thinking along strategical lines, and forgot about a possible tactical refutation.

20 .. . fxe5 21 .Wxe5t <j;>g8 2 1 . . .<;t>f7 offers little hope either: 22 .tt:lg4!

Threatening mate in one.

a b e d e f g h

22 . . . tt:ld7 What else? (22 . . . g5 23 .:B:xc5 ! and the rook enters the game with decisive effect: 23 . . . tt:ld7 24.tt:lh6t <;t>f8 25 .Wd6t <;t>g7

26.:B:xg5t <;t>h8 27.tt:lf7#) 23.tt:lh6t Wf8 24.Wh8t We7 25 .Wxh7t Wd6 26.tt:lf7t Wc7 27.tt:lxd8 :B:xd8 28.Wxg6 White has a decisive material advantage, although admittedly Black could struggle on for some moves.

a b e d e f g h 22.tlJg4! h5 23.tlJh6t <j;>h7 24.tlJf7 g5?

After 24 . . . Wg8 White would have had to settle for a win on material : 25 .tt:lxd8 :B:xd8 26.Wxc5+-

25.�h8t <j;>g6 26.tlJe5#

Nigel Davies also managed to carry out the strategical plan of exchanging dark-squared bishops in the following game.

Nigel Davies - Tiger Hillarp Persson

Reykjavik 1 998

a b e d e f g h


18 . .!lJxa4!? This may seem dubious , as all of White's

queenside pawns will now become vulnerable. However, Black will require several moves to take them, and in the meantime White hopes to brew up some activity of his own.

18 . . . .!lJxa4 17.bxa4 .!lJd7?! This turns our to be a strategical error.

Why? Because it allows the g7 -bishop to be exchanged!

1 7 . . . 1Wb4! would have maintained the balance: 1 8 .lLlb3 �f5 ! 1 9 .1Wc l ! Elxa4 20.�c3 1Wxc4 (20 . . . 1Wa3 2 1 .�b2 1Wb4 is a draw) 2 1 .1Wb2 1We6 22.Eld4! The position is unclear.

18 . .!lJb3! ixb2 19.�xb2 The black kingside is now slightly weakened.

This may not seem relevant now, bur the problem is that Black must now watch out for his dark squares for the rest of the game, without the protection of his dark-squared bishop.

19 ... .!lJe5 20.a5 �b4 21 .a3 �a4

a b e d e f g h 22.Eld4! .!lJxc4!?

Walking into an awkward pin.

After 22 . . . c5 23.Elh4! Black can target the

c4-pawn with 23 . . . �e6! ' It turns out there is a tactical sting in the tail if White grabs the b 7-pawn: 24.�xb7? ! Elab8! 25 .a6 Elxb7! 26.axb7 lLlf3t 27.�h l lLlxh4 and White has lost control over the position. Instead White can improve his position slightly with the more circumspect 24.1Wc3 ! .

23.�c3 d5? This is a serious error, after which the black

position goes downhill rapidly.

It is surprising that the Swedish player did not avail himself of the natural 23 . . . �e6! 24.�fl d5 . It is true that after 25 . e4 ! White has good pressure in similar vein to the game, but at least Black is not losing the d5-pawn directly.

24.e4! It is surprising how often this is much

stronger later in the game than it is on move one!

24 ... ie6 25.exd5 ad5 26.ixd5 ixd5 27Jhd5 E:ac8 28 . .!lJc5 �b5

8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

a b e d e f g h 29 . .!lJd7!

An unexpected blow! Suddenly the weakened f6-square becomes the launching pad for the final assault.


29 . . . tlJd6 Black is losing in all variations:

29 . . . 'lWxd5 loses the queen to 30 .tt:lf6t.

29 . . . 'lWc6 also loses rather trivially: 30 .tt:lf6t 'kt>fB 3 1 .tt:lxeB! 'lWxd5 32.'lWhBt r:l;e7 33J'1:el t and a decisive check follows on f6.

8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

a b e d e f g h 31 .Wi'd2! ge7 32.Wi'h6# 1-0

Miguel Illescas Cordoba - Georg Mohr

8 7 6 5 4 3 2

Yerevan (01) 1 996

a b e d e f g h

The strong Spanish player Miguel Illescas has sacrificed the exchange, calculating that the weakened dark squares around the black king are well worth the material investment. Not surprisingly, he's right and he now powers through with a crisp attack:

18.Wi'd4! f6 19.Wi'd5t @h8 20.Wi'f7 gg8 21 .tiJd5!

Black is almost paralysed. The rook needs to guard g7 and the black queen must defend the f6-pawn, which leaves pinning the knight as the only attempt at a defence.

21 .. .i.c4

8 7 6 5 4 3 2


22.gd3!! Playing on the theme of overloading.

22 . . . Wi'fS 22 . . . i.xd3 23.tt:lxf6 is clearly terminal .

22 . . . i.xd5 23.exd5 leaves Black helpless against the rook switch to the h-file: 23 . . . c6 24J'1:h3 E\cB 25 .'lWxh7t! 'kt>xh7 26.i.fB#

23.i.xf8 ggxf8

Chapter 4 - Breakthrough with Pieces 2 1 1

24 .. . ixd3 25.Wfc3 ia6 26.ltJxfG Black now struggles on for some moves,

bur the weakness of his king proves to be the decisive factor. Again we see how well the queen and knight work together.

a b e d e f g h 26 .. J�acS 27.Wfd4 �c4 2s.Wfxd6 @g7 29.e5 �xf4 30.h3 h5 31 .'it>h2 ib5 32.Wfc7t �f7 33.WfbS @h6 34.WfgS ic4 35.b3 ie6 36.WfeS �7xfG 37.exfG id5

The capture of the f6-pawn would also succumb to accurate play: 37 .. .l'hf6 38."\Mi'e7

@g5 39.h4t @f5 40.'lMi'xb7 :gO 4 1 .Wf3t <±>e5 42.We3t �d6 43 .Wg3t and another pawn drops.

a b e d e f g h 3S.@g3 �xfG 39.Wfe5 1-0

Colour-complex attack In Mark Dvoretsky's excellent book Positional Play, he talks about the attacking potential of opposite-coloured-bishop positions in the middlegame. Unlike the endgame where such positions tend to have notorious drawing tendencies, in the middlegame the opposite bishops often become a potent attacking weapon. But the possibiliry of exploiting a colour-complex weakness is not just restricted to positions with opposite-coloured bishops. Any weakness in the king's position can lead to a complex of squares of one colour being vulnerable to an attack. We have already seen in the Kasparov - Karpov game in Chapter 3 how effective Kasparov's bishop on b 1 became because of the weakness on g6 and h7. The lesson from this game was not lost on Karpov, as he showed a couple of years later to decisive effect against Shirov.


Anatoly Karpov - Alexei Shirov

Biel 1 992

l .d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.�c3 lLlf6 4.e3 e6 5.�f3 �bd7 6.Wfc2 i.d6 7.i.e2 0-0 8.0-0 dxc4 9.i.xc4 b5

9 . . . a6! ? is an interesting alternative, awaiting developments .

8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

a b e d e f g h 10.i.e2 �e8 l 1 .�dl Wfc7 12.b3 e5 13.h3!

Prophylactic and typically Karpovian. He is a master at building up his positions slowly and with great patience.

13 ... i.b7 14.i.b2 a6 15.dxe5 �xe5 16.a4 �ad8 17.lLlg5! Wfe7 18.�ce4 �xe4 19.�xe4 i.b4

More or less forced, as the alternatives are unpalatable. Allowing White to take on d6 grants him the advantage of the two bishops with a pleasant long-term advantage, whereas 1 9 . . . �b8 20 .ttk5 ! gives White a positional bind.

20.�g3! Eagerly taking aim at the somewhat denuded

black kingside.

20 . . . f6? Black is caught between the devil and the

deep blue sea. Faced with the impending threat of a knight landing on f5 , Shirov takes measures to ensure he won't be overrun on the long diagonal, but the weaknesses now incurred on his light squares turn out to be decisive.

The main alternative, 20 . . . g6, does not look attractive either, given the obvious potential of the b2-bishop, but this would have been the lesser evil . It is not immediately clear how White can exploit the weakness of the a l -hS diagonal .

Now though, Karpov gains a large advantage with concrete play.

a b e d e f g h 21 .i.xe5! Wfxe5 22.i.d3!

Forcing a further weakness, which turns out to be decisive.

22 .. . h6 23.i.g6 �f8 24.�f5! Karpov is a strategic genius! Effortlessly he

has achieved a "death grip" on the light squares . From f5 this knight will head to h4, taking a crucial role in the final assault. Black's bishops, on the other hand, are completely redundant, looking upon the battlefield action forlornly like banished clerics .

24 .. . c5 In desperation Shirov tries to break out.


25.axb5 axb5 25 . . . ie4 does not bring relief either:

26.iWc4t WhS '27.tLlh4! and White wins.

a b e d e f g h 26.�a7! V!fc7

At first sight it looks as if Black should have tried the more forcing 26 . . . iWbS , though Karpov would surely have found the following beautiful sequence: 27.tLle7t! �hS

a b e d e

2s .if5 ! ! Simply leaving the rook en prise, White demonstrates the fearsome strength of his light-square attack. 2S . . . iWxa7 (Declining the rook with 2S . . . 2"1deS 29.tLlg6t WgS 30.2"1aa1 offers little comfort to Black. Mter 30 . . . 2"10 3 1 .tLlf4! White's threats are decisive.) 29.tLlg6t WgS 30.ie6t Wh7 3 1 .tLlxfSt �hS 32.iWh7#

27 . .!lJh4! Threatening ihlt.

27 .. . �xdl t 28.V!fxdl �a8 29.V!fg4! V!fc6

a b e d e f g h 30.�xb7!

Demolishing the last potential protector of the light squares.

30 .. . V!fxb7 3 1 .V!fe6t ci>h8 32.�e4

a b e d e f g h 1-0

A majestic strategic demonstration from Karpov. This wasn't so much a chess game as a glorious Mozart symphony!

Dark-square mastery Players like Capablanca, Fischer and Karpov treasured the white light-squared bishop. However there is a breed of player who falls into a different category, like Kasparov, who

seems to cherish the black dark-squared bishop more. Such a piece tends to come to prominence in openings like Sicilian Dragon and the King's Indian, of which the following position is a prime example.

Joris Brenninkmeijer - Jeroen Piket

Netherlands 1 992

a b e d e f g h White is fully primed for queenside action,

but unfortunately for him it's not exactly clear what his targets are. By contrast Black has a definite target - the white king.

21 . . . .th6! A typical idea in this opening, Black hurries

to exchange the dark-squared bishops . I know what you're thinking: "Haven't you already told us that White wants to exchange the fianchettoed bishop to further his attacking plans and get at the dark-square weaknesses?" The point is that every opening has its own rules . In the King's Indian, the central pawn structure means White tends to concentrate on the queenside while Black will try to play on the kingside. This exchange therefore enables Black to take advantage of the weakened dark squares around the white king.

22.V;¥dl .tg5 23 . .tfl <j;lg7 24.a4 �c7 25 . .txg5 V;¥xg5 26.�b5 �xc1 27.�xc1 .txb5

28 . .txb5 White has got nowhere with his queenside

play, and it is now time for Black to strike.

a b e d e f g h 28 . . . V;¥e3! 29.exf5?!

It is difficult to understand what White had in mind here, as this just seems to weaken his own structure while strengthening that of his opponent.

It was time for White to admit the failure of his strategy and resign himself to an inferior endgame: 29 .We l Wxe l t 30 .1'he l l"i:cS't Black enjoys an edge due to his control of the c-file and better minor pieces. In addition to this the white queenside pawns are overextended and vulnerable to capture, but at least Black would require many moves to achieve his goal .

29 ... gxf5 Now Black has an open g-file to work with

as well.

30.a5 �f4 31 .�c7 <j;lf6! 32 . .tfl Offering the exchange of queens with

32.Wc 1 loses to 32 . . . Wxc 1 t 33 .l"i:xc 1 tDxd5.

32.<;t>f1 ! l"i:gS 33 .Wc2! is White's best defence, with the idea that 33 . . . l"i:xg2 34.l"i:xf7t <;t>xf7 35 .Wc7t offers counterplay against the black king. Instead, Black should try 33 . . . tDh6, for

Chapter 4 - Breakthrough with Pieces 2 1 S

example: 34JiJdl tLlxg2! 3S .tLlxe3 tLlxe3t leads to a good ending for Black

8 7 6 5 4 3 2

a b e d e f g h 32 .. . li)g5! 33.h4 li)gh3t! 34.gxh3 gg8t

Mter 3S .Whl 1Wxf2 the black forces flood in with inevitable mate. 0-1

In the next game, Kramnik's pieces are beautifully coordinated and everything is primed for the final attack. It only takes one mistake to tip the scales decisively in his favour.

Alexander Beliavsky -Vladimir Kramnik

Belgrade 1 997

8 7 6 5 4 3 2

a b c d e f g h 25 . . . <;t>g7! 26.g4?!

This is more than the white position can bear, and the subsequent dark-squared weakness proves decisive.

26 . • . ge6! 27.h3 Strong grandmasters like Beliavsky rarely

play without a plan, and I suspect that when he played g2-g4 his idea was to continue with 27.�g2 and f2-f4 to gain space. However, on reaching this position the drawbacks of this plan may have occurred to him:

a b e d e f g h

27 . . . 1Wd6! Intending to reroute the bishop from f6 to c7, after which any pawn on f4 will become a target. 28 .f4 bS ! 29 .gS �d8 Black has a multitude of threats including . . . �c7, . . . �b6, . . . b4 and . . . E:e3. It is highly unlikely that White would be able to keep his position together.

8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

a b c d e f g h


27 .. . .tg5 Now White is deprived of the idea of

generating any play with f2-f4, and his position loses any energy it contained. He is gradually driven back before the final blow is delivered.

28.Wfc2 Wfd6 29.Wfb3

8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

a b e d e f g h 29 .. . .td8!

Now this manoeuvre is simply decisive.

30 . .tg2 Wff4 31 .gc1 .tc7 32.gfdl gf6 33.Wfc2

It may look as if Beliavsky has covered all bases, but Kramnik has other ideas.

8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

a b c d e f g h 33 .. . ge3!

Dark-squared domination. The rook cannot be taken in view of mate.

8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

a b e d e f g h 34 ... gxc3!

In good positions combinations come naturally. Mter 35 .bxc3 �b5t 36.Wel Ei:e6t White is soon mated. 0-1

Breakthrough with a small army You don't always need to be in a middlegame with a huge army to effect a breakthrough. Sometimes a modest force may break through in the simplest of positions.

Jonathan Speelman - Jonathan Levitt

London 1 992

a b e d e f g h


White has slight pressure i n what appears to be a very dull position. Jonathan Levitt, former chess pro turned cricket betting pro, thought he'd solve any lingering problems by forcing the exchange of pieces:

24 ... f6?? 24 . . . h6! would have been very close to

equality.

25.tLlg6! This unexpected knight leap is decisive.

25 ... E:a8 25 . . . Wa8 would not save Black either:

26Jhe8t Wxe8 27.Wd5t Wf7 27.Wd8t followed by mate.

26.tLle7t c;t>h8 27.'1We6!

a b e d e f g h The black king is completely suffocated and

ttJg6t is coming. It was difficult to see this turn of events a few moves ago! Levitt had seen enough and resigned. 1-0

Breakthrough on the e6-square In the opening and early middlegame, play often revolves around determining the kind of pawn structure that is most in our favour. In the following game, Kramnik is quickly able

to achieve a pawn structure that best suits his attacking ambitions.

Vladimir Kramnik - Nigel Short

Dortmund 1 995

l .tLla d5 2.d4 tLlf6 3.c4 e6 4.tLlc3 fie7 5.�c2 0-0 6.fig5 h6 7.i.xf6 fixf6 8.E:dl g6 9.e3 c6

a b e d e f g h This type of pawn structure is often seen

in the Moscow variation of the Semi-Slav. White has more space, but Black hopes that his position will prove resilient enough, and in his favour he has the two bishops.

10.fid3 dxc4 l 1 .fixc4 tLld7 12.h4! Not so much preparing an attack as

intending to loosen up Black's pawn structure further with h4-h5 .

12 . . . �e7 13.a3 fig7! The immediate 1 3 . . . e5 ? ? is of course not

possible because of 1 4 .Wxg6t.

It might look tempting to leave the bishop on f6 and prepare . . . e5 with 13 . . . �g7? ! , but this would run into problems: 1 4 .h5 g5 1 5 .�a2 e5 1 6.�b l 8:h8 1 7.d5 ! and White cements his advantage.


8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

a b e d e f g h 14 . .ia2!

As we saw in his game against Beliavsky above, Kramnik wastes no time in manoeuvring his bishop to even more fruitful pastures - a masterclass in rerouting of the pieces!

14 ... b6 15 . .ibl

8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

a b e d e f g h Now Black has a difficult decision, to allow

h4-h5 or not?

15 ... h5?! The big problem with this is that the black

pawn structure becomes very inflexible and vulnerable to sacrifice. Black will now have to play with a lot of energy and accuracy to avoid falling into trouble.

Black should have taken the sting out h4-h5 with 1 5 . . . Ei:dS! Then 1 6.h5 g5 1 7.Wh7t �fS doesn't really get anywhere for White, as the queen will soon be driven back with . . . lDf6.

16.0-0 .ib7

a b e d e f g h 17.llJg5!

Ominously for Short, the knight moves closer to his kingside.

17 .. J1!fd8 1 7 . . . �f6 is met by l S .lDce4! increasing the

pressure.

18 . .ia2 ttJf6 19.e4 ttJg4 20.e5

a b e d e f g h

20 .. Jl:d7? Far too slow, Black simply does not have

enough time for such luxuries .

It was vital to obtain counterplay immediately, something that could have been achieved with: 20 . . . c5!

a b e d e f g h

2 1 .�xe6! This sacrifice is highly dangerous. Black does have a path to equality, but whether he would have found it at the board is another issue. 2 1 .d5 exd5 22.lLlxd5 Wxe5 23.f4 seems to put Black in difficulties, but there is a brilliant saving resource:

a b e d e f g h

23 . . . Wd4t! ! 24J'hd4 �xd4t 25 .<j;Jh1 �xd5 If anything, Black is slightly better.

2 l . . .fxe6 22.Wxg6 �xd4! 23 .lLlb5

a b e d e f g h

23 . . . �e4! ! 24.lLlxe4 �xe4 25 .Wxe4 Wxh4 26.WxaBt �fB 27.�fe 1 Wxf2t 2B.mh 1 Wh4t

With perpetual check! Not surprisingly this is a silicon-inspired variation, and the chances of finding such a line in a practical game is quite minimal unless you are Rybka, or better still, Hikaru Nakamura.

21 .ttJe2! The knight reroutes towards f4, putting

unbearable pressure on the rigid e6-f7-g6-h5 structure. The �xe6 sacrifice is still in the air, and with the extra support from this knight it will be decisive.

21 ..Jl:ad8 It is now too late for 2 1 . . . c5 , as it is met by

the shuddering blow with which we are already familiar:

a b e d e f g h

22 .�xe6! fxe6 23.Wxg6 �d5 24.lLlf4 with a crushing attack.


8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

a b e d e f g h 22.he6!

The rigid pawn structure finally comes back to haunt Short. This hardly counts as a sacrifice, as White's attack is so overwhelming.

22 ... fxe6 23.Wfxg6 ClJxe5 24.Wfh7t �f8 25.liJf4 1-0

The breakthrough on e6 tends to occur most often in the Sicilian Defence - White has to take strong measures to break down the tough carapace of pawns on e6 and d6 that form a defensive barrier for the black king. Often this sacrifice occurs when the black king is still in the centre, but in many variations it can remain a dangerous attacking device deep into the middlegame.

Garry Kasparov - Boris Gelfand

Linares 1 993

l .e4 c5 2.liJf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.ClJxd4 ClJf6 5.ClJc3 a6 6.i.c4

One of the most feared lines in the Sicilian Najdorf - the Sozin variation. I am a Najdorf player myself, and along with 6.�g5 this is the line I am most afraid of facing. In the Sozin White will aim for aggressive and speedy development, and try to score a knockout blow.

6 ... e6 7.i.b3 b5 8.0-0 i.e7 9.Wff3 Wfc7 10.Wfg3 0-0

Nowadays 1 O . . . ttJc6 is generally considered to be the main line. As we've seen already, it can be a good idea to leave the king in the centre so that it does not become a target - there's also the option of later castling queenside. One possible continuation is: 1 1 .ttJxc6 'lWxc6 1 2 .Ei:e l �b7 1 3 .a3 Ei:d8 1 4 .a4 ! ?oo

8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

a b e d e f g h 1 l .i.h6!

Kasparov plays as aggressively as possible. You must remain true to your strengths!

1 1 . . .ClJe8 12.Ei:adl i.d7 13.ClJf3!? As in Svidler - Glek on page 20 1 , Kasparov

decides the knight on d4 is contributing little to the attack and needs to be rerouted to somewhere more productive. It's important that White should try to strike fairly quickly, as if Black can consolidate then he stands well in the long term (for example, the bishop on b3 can be bad in an endgame) .

13 ... b4 14.ClJe2 a5?! Gelfand decides to take aim at the b3-

bishop, which is sorely lacking squares . This idea is strategically well motivated, but the problem is it turns out to ' be too slow and allows Kasparov to build up a useful ini tiative.

Chapter 4 - Breakthrough with Pieces 22 1

It was better to just get on with development: 14 . . . tt:Jc6! 1 5 .tt:Jf4 �hB 1 6 .�g5 tt:Jf6

a b e d e f g h

Black has few problems and unlike in the game, he doesn't have to worry about any knight landing on d4.

15.lDf4 �h8 16 . .tg5 lDf6 It was not too late to revert to the correct

plan with 1 6 . . . tt:Jc6! .

17.'lNh4 .tb5? Gelfand stubbornly refuses to complete his

development. He takes his eye off e6 and is punished harshly for this transgression.

17 . . . a4 was not the right way either, as White can simply sacrifice the bishop.

a b e d e f g h

1 8 .�c4! 'lWxc4? 1 9 .e5 ! This creates havoc on the kingside, as 19 . . . dxe5? loses on the spot to 20.tt:Jg6t.

17 . . . tt:Jc6! was still the way to dampen White's initiative. It is not apparent to me how White could then break down the tough black position, though doubtless Kasparov had his ideas.

8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

a b e d e f g h 18.lDd4!

Forcing a breakthrough on e6.

18 . . . .te8 Realizing that his plan has backfired,

Gelfand desperately tries to plug some of the holes in his position, but it is too late.

Grabbing the booty with 1 8 . . . �xfl is spectacularly refuted: 1 9 .tt:Jdxe6 fxe6 20.�xe6! h6 2 1 .�xh6! and White smashes through by force.

Losing a move with 1 B . . . �d7 is the only way to discourage White from sacrificing on e6, but this gives him time to strike in another direction: 1 9 .tt:Jh5 ! ( l 9 .�xe6 �xe6 20 .tt:Jdxe6 fxe6 2 1 .ttJxe6 'lWc8 22 .ttJxfB 'lNxf8 is quite unclear, but 1 9 .1:'!:d3 ! ? , going for a direct mating attack, is interesting.) 1 9 . . . 'lNd8 20 .tt:Jf3 ! ttJ c6

a b e d e f g h

2 1 .�xd6! Black has failed to hold his position together.

19.tlJdxe6! Black is simply too uncoordinated and

underdeveloped to deal with this exploding bomb.

19 ... fxe6 20.tlJxe6 V!fa7

8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

21 .e5!

a b e d e f g h

Opening yet more lines.

21 .. .dxe5 22.tlJxf8 i.xf8 23.i.xf6 gxf6 24JMS!

Kasparov is as ruthlessly accurate as ever.

24 .. . tlJd7 There is no defence that will save Black, for

example: 24 . . . We7 25 .Wc4! <;t>g7 26.Wg8t mh6 27.�d3! and the slaughter begins.

a b e d e f g h 25.V!fg4

25 . . . j,g7 26.We6 leads to mate. 1-0

The .. . llJd7-b6-c4 theme White castles queenside in a number of opening variations. When Black has fianchettoed on the kingside, this may be part of a plan involving W d2 and j,e3 followed by j,h6 and h4-h5 , intending to mate Black in double-quick time. Such a situation can arise in the Sicilian Dragon, the Pirc and the Samisch Kings Indian. To meet this threat of a kingside attack, Black is well advised to create counterplay as soon as possible; you don't want to allow a one-sided game. One of the ways that Black can create active play of his own is by the knight manoeuvre . . . ttJb8-d7 -b6-c4, putting significant pressure on the white queenside.

Yvan Masserey - Jeroen Claesen

Lean 1 996

l .e4 d6 2.d4 tlJf6 3.tlJc3 g6 4.i.e3 i.g7 5.V!fd2 tlJbd7 6.0-0-0 c6 7.h3?!

'

This seems to me to be mixing plans. White's


basic idea is to play Jth6 followed by a quick opening of the h-file with h2-h4-h5 etc, and I don't see how 7.h3 fits in with this.

Immediately carrying out his plan with 7.Jth6!? was to be preferred.

8 7 6 5 4 3 2

7 . . . bS!

a b e d e f g h

Black does not hesitate to show his own attacking ambitions. Often in such variations it is possible to leave the black king in the centre, and "just get on with it" .

8.id3 lbb6 9.g4 lbc4! This presents White with an early dilemma.

Does he dare to open a file on the queenside, given that his king is already committed to that side?

a b e d e f g h

10.'�e2?! Opening the b-file with 1 0.Jtxc4 looks risky,

but it's not as easy for Black to gain an advantage as it looks at first glance. Nevertheless, he gets decent play: 1 0 . . . bxc4 1 1 .tLlge2 :8b8 1 2 .Jth6 0-0 1 3 .Jtxg7 'kt>xg7 1 4 .tLlg3 iMl'b6 1 5 .b3 cxb3 1 6 .axb3 Jte6 1 7.d5 Jtd7 and I would assess the chances as roughly equal .

10 . . . ia6 Black chooses to be consistent with his plan

of attacking on the queenside supported by the c4-knight.

A most reasonable alternative would have been to gain the advantage of the two bishops: 10 . . . tLlxe3 1 1 .iMI'xe3 b4 1 2 .tLlce2 iMl'a5 Black is well placed, but he does not have the same obvious plan of attack on the queenside that he has in the game.

l 1 .@bl iMl'aS

8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

a b e d e f g h 12.ic1

1 2 .Jtxc4 is much less attractive now than it was on move 1 0 - White will inevitably have to play b2-b3 at some point, which will cost him a tempo with the queen getting away from the glare of the a6-bishop.

12 . . . 0-0 13.eS??


Caught in the gathering storm of Black's queenside initiative, White hurries to create counterplay in the centre, but at the worst possible moment! This move fails tactically.

13 . . . dxe5 14.dxe5

8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

a b e d e f g h 14 ... llJxe5!

Of course. This completely busts White.

15.Wfxe5 tiJd5 16.tiJxd5 White must accede to a hopeless material

imbalance.

1 6.Wfe l does not offer any solace either:

a b e d e f g h 1 6 . . . ii.xc3! ( l 6 . . . 4Jxc3t? 1 7.bxc3 ii.xc3 1 8 .Wfxe7! would allow White to escape) 1 7 .bxc3 4Jxc3t 1 8 .cj;>b2 Wfb4 t 1 9 .�al Wfb 1 #

16 .. . .L:e5 17.tiJxe7t 'i!7g7 18.tiJxc6 Wfc7 White could have thrown in the towel here.

His material disadvantage is just too much.

8 7 6 5 4 3 2

a b e d e f g h 19.tiJxe5 Wfxe5 20.f4 Wfc5 21 .h4 :Sfd8 22.tiJe2 :Sac8 23.b4 Wfxb4t 24.ii.b2t 'i!7g8 25.£5 .ib7 26.:Shfl .ie4 27.a3 .ixd3 28.cxd3 Wfb3 29.:Sd2 b4 30.a4 Wfxa4 31 .tiJg3 b3 0-1

In the preceding game Black managed to confuse the issue by refusing to commit his king to castling for a number of moves. In the next game Black goes one step further by refusing to castle at all!

Oskar Hirn - Henryk Dobosz

Nuremberg 1 999

l .d4 g6 2.e4 .ig7 3.tiJc3 d6 4 . .ie2 a6 5 . .ie3 tiJd7 6.h4 h5 7.tiJa b5 8.tiJg5 c6

When facing the Modern Defence, especially at blitz, I have played in similar fashion to White in this game, though I normally post my bishop on d3 rather than e2. This gives a number of advantages, for example you can manoeuvre the knight from c3 via e2 to f4, where it eyes up some juicy squa�es on g6, e6 and h5 ; another gain is the possibility of later sacrificing a pawn with e4-e5 to open the way


to g6. To play good attacking chess you must give your pieces the chance to do so! One of the problems with having the bishop on e2 is where to put the knight if Black plays . . . b5-b4; instead of somewhere productive it may have to go to a4 or b I .

a b e d e f g h 9.'lWdl .!lJh6 10.£3 tlJb6 1 1 .0-0-0 �b8 12.�dg1

Telegraphing his intention to play g2-g4. But Black is ready for it!

12 . • . .!lJc4! 13 . .L:c4 This exchange is forced here. 1 3 .'lWd3? is

clearly not an option: 1 3 . . . lt:'lxe3 1 4 .'lWxe3 'lWb6 1 5J'%dl e5 and White is in big trouble.

13 ... bxc4

8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

a b e d e f g h

Now the question is, what can White do? He can hardly push in the centre with e4-e5 or d4-d5 , as neither advance achieves anything concrete. Nor can he play f3-f4, as this gives away the g4-square.

14 • .!lJd1!? This is a sensible move as the knight

provides important protection for the b-pawn. However, we shall see that White's plan is to manoeuvre the knight round to f2, which is unwise as it leaves his king short of defenders.

Incidentally, attempts to hustle up some play with the immediate 1 4.g4 fail miserably: 14 . . . hxg4 1 5 .f4 f6! and the knight is lost.

14 . . . d5 15 . .!lJf2?! It was surely time for White to forget about

the mirage of a kingside attack and start to think about consolidation - 1 5 .l"i:e 1 ! would have achieved that aim. It is clear that Black will try to undermine the white centre, so White needs to be as ready for that as possible.

a b e d e f g h 15 ••• c5! 16.g4?

Continuing to pursue an attack that is simply not there.

16 • . • dxe4


16 . . . cxd4! ? is also good: 17 . .txd4 e5 lS . .ta7 :8:b7 1 9 . .tc5 d4! Black has a big attack on the queenside, similar to the game.

17 . .tf4 White has passed the point of no return.

1 7.lLlgxe4 cxd4 l S . .tf4 can be met by the crushing l S . . . :8:xb2! stripping the already beleaguered white king completely bare.

8 7 6 5 4 3 2

a b e d e f g h

have discussed, is vital in attacking play. The following game demonstrates not only this rook manoeuvre, but also the idea of breaking through on f7, reminding us that the f7 -square is vulnerable not just at the start of a game.

Helgi Ass Gretarsson - Gabriel Sargissian

Bled (01) 2002

I .d4 tlJf6 2.c4 e6 3.tlJf3 b6 4.a3 .tb7 S.tlJc3 dS 6.cxdS tlJxdS 7.'?Nc2 .te7 8 • .td2 tlJd7 9.e4 lL:\xc3 10 . .txc3 0-0 1 1 .0-0-0

All very thematic so far.

8 7 6 5 4 3

17 . . . e3! 18.�xe3 2 l S .Wxe3 loses on the spot to l S . . . .txd4.

18 • . • cxd4 19.!!dl c3! The danger of enemy pawns so close to the

king is evident.

20.bxc3 '?Nb6 An effective example to show how leaving

your king in the centre can completely bamboozle your opponent - it is much easier to attack a fixed target! 0-1

The !!h3-g3 manoeuvre White will sometimes try to carry out a rapid attack by playing h2-h4 and :8:h3-g3 . Why is this? Well, it's simply an issue of time. By using this path for the rook as opposed to the conventional route, :8:h l -e l -e3-g3 , he has saved a whole tempo. And time, as we

a b e d e f g h 1 1 . . .'?Nc8?!

Anand has played the idea 1 1 . . .c6! in this position. This appears slow (it looks much more active to play for . . . c5 , for instance) but the idea is quite devious - to play . . . b5 , . . . a5 and eventually . . . b4, focusing on the fact that White has created a hook on a3 . If the pawn was still on a2 this plan would have much less merit, but in this situation it's extremely dangerous. For example: 1 2 .h4 b5 1 3 . .td3 a5! Intending . . . b4 next, with excellent play against the white king. 1 4 . .td2 b4 1 5 .a4 c5 1 6 .d5 c4! 1 7 . .txc4 lLlb6!+

12.h4! White wastes no time getting on with it.


12 .. J�d8 13.l3h3! h6 14.i.d3 cS lS.dS! The problem for Black is that taking this

pawn opens up lines for the white bishops to become attacking monsters, but there is little choice.

lS ... exdS 16.exdS lLlf6 Of course not 1 6 . . . �xd5?? 1 7 .�h7t.

a b e d e f g h White now unleashes a thunderbolt:

17.lLlgS! l3xdS?! None of the alternatives offered Black an

easy life, but there was one line that would have brought him close to equality:

17 . . . hxg5 1 8 .hxg5 ctJxd5 is powerfully met by:

a b e d e f g h

Next White doubles on the h-file and his threats are just too strong. 1 9 . . . �d6 20.l3dh 1 mf8 2 1 .l3h8t cj;e7 22.l3e 1 t+-

The best line of defence is: 1 7 . . . �xd5 ! 1 8 .l3e3 ! l'!f1c7 1 9 .�e5 ! l'!f1c6 20.�xf6 �xf6

a b e d e f g h

2 1 .�b5 ! �xg5! (2 1 . . .l'!f1xb5? ? allows a snap mate: 22.l'!f1h7t mf8 23 .l'!f1h8#) 22 .�xc6 �xe3t 23.fXe3 �xc6 The material situation is close to level, but White should have decent chances of grinding out a win in the endgame.

18.l3e1 An extremely complex middlegame has

arisen with much to calculate. Even an excellent calculator like Sargissian quickly goes wrong.

18 ... �c7?! Missing a big tactic.

The following variation also demonstrates how dangerous White's attack is: 1 8 . . . �d6 1 9 .cj;b l ! Getting out of the way of any annoying checks and retaining the threats on the kingside. 1 9 . . . l'!f1d7 20.�c4! hxg5 2 1 .hxg5 l'l:xg5 22.�xf6 gxf6 23 .l'!f1h7t cj;f8 24.l'!f1h6t l'l:g7 25 .l'!f1xf6 and White is winning.

1 9 .�d2! ! Simply taking a move out to defend 19.i.h7t @f8

against Black's threat of taking the g5-pawn.


8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

a b e d e f g h White to play. How can he put Black to the

sword?

20.filxf7!! Crashing through.

20 .. . �f4t Black refuses the bait, but he is facing a huge

onslaught in any case. Taking the piece would also lead to his

demise: 20 . . . Wxf7 2 1 .Wg6t Wf8

a b e d e f g h

22.Ei:he3! Emphasizing how useful the rook on h3 is in an attacking sense - so much better than on h I ! 22 . . . i.d6 23 .i.xf6 i.f4 24.Wc2 i.xe3 25 .Ei:xe3 White's attack is overwhelming.

21 .�ee3 �g4 2 1 . . .Wxf7 22 .Wg6t Wf8 23.Ei:hg3! is curtains

for Black.

22.�hg3 �h5

a b e d e f g h 23.�xe7!

Gretarsson continues to attack with vigour.

23 .ctJe5 ! (or 23 .ctJh8!) 23 . . . ctJxh7 24.ctJg6t! is also winning.

23 .. . �xe7 24.�xg7 ltle8 Mter 24 . . . ctJxh7 25 .ctJe5t Wd8 26.g4! We8

27.Wxh7, all the white pieces are taking part in the final slaughter.

8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

a b e d e f g h 25.�e4t �f8 26.�g8t �xf7 27.�g6t �xg8 28.�e6t

It's mate next move. 1-0


Part 2 - Sacrifices

To shatter a king's position we sometimes need to step beyond the ordinary and introduce a bit of magic - this is where sacrifices come into play. Quite often a sacrifice will be needed to break down an otherwise impregnable defence.

The E:xf6 sacrifice Petrosian was perhaps the first great master of the exchange sacrifice. All of today's strong chess players have assimilated these lessons from history into their veins - to the point where exchange sacrifices that might have seemed extraordinary fifty years ago are now commonplace. In the following game the mighty Norwegian World Champion Magnus Carlsen demonstrates his appreciation of the strength of such a sacrifice.

Magnus CarIsen - Hikaru Nakamura

London 20 1 1

l.e4 e5 2.ti)f3 ti)c6 3 . .tc4 ti)f6 4.d3 .tc5 5.c3 d6 6 . .tb3

a b e d e f g h A seemingly innocuous choice of opening,

but that is typical Carlsen. He is happy to postpone the battle until the middlegame and endgame, confident that his chess knowledge

and understanding is just that bit better than his opponent's .

6 . . . a6 7 . .!lJbdl .ta7 8.ti)f1 h6 9.ti)g3 0-0 10.0-0 .te6 l 1 .h3 �d7 12 . .te3

8 � ��p ��;� 7 � , �� , �� 6 'l�� _i_'o,z� 5 �� ". � .. . . . 4 .� �� ;iI;"� �� ,� ��,� �z n/?� 3 �Ji�� t3J �lZJ0 t3J 2 lnooz� ' O U��!S;m 1 � H "�'.j==

a b e d e f g h 12 . . . .!lJe7

1 2 . . . d5 ! ? might well be sufficient to equalize, but even that would be no guarantee of gaining a result against Carlsen. He is always happy to play right to the end, until the last drop of blood has been extracted from the position.

13 . .!lJh4 ti)g6 14.ti)hfS ti)e7 15.ti)xe7t �xe7 16.ha7 E:xa7 17.f4 c5 18 . .tc2 b5! 19.�dl E:b7 20.a3 a5 2 1 .E:f2 b4 22.axb4 axb4 23.E:af1 bxc3 24.bxc3 exf4 25.E:xf4 .!lJh7 26.d4 cxd4 27.cxd4 �g5 28.�h2 .!lJf6!?

a b e d e f g h

Nakamura must have been feeling confident here, because there seems to be little danger on the kingside and he is getting ready to infiltrate with his rooks on the queenside.

Carlsen now comes up with a strong manoeuvre that is typical of the best players in the world -they play to restrict their opponent's chances!

29.i.dl ! Controlling the h5 - and g4-squares, and

preparing to play h3-h4!

29 •. JUb8?! This is not quite losing, but it gives Carlsen a

tactical chance to abruptly alter the landscape of the position, at the very least setting Nakamura huge practical problems.

that this would offer good chances for Black, though Carlsen and Naka both seemed to be quite dismissive of this idea after the game - it is strange how players of similar strength can have a completely different view of a position!

30.h4! Yffg6

8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

Black can play 29 . . . 2"i:aS, but this runs into similar problems to the game: 30.h4 'lWg6 a b e d e f g h 3 1 .2"i:xf6 gxf6 32.d5 ! with a big initiative. 31 .2"i:xf6!!

find it interesting that Kramnik, commentating during the game, indicated a possible exchange sacrifice here: 29 . . . 2"i:b I ! 30 .h4

a b e d e f g h

30 . . . 2"i:xd l ! 3 1 .2"i:xd l tLlg4t 32 .<j;>gl 'lWxh4 33 .tLlf1 2"i:aS! In a complete reverse of the game continuation, Black is down the exchange, but importantly he has the initiative - a very important weapon in chess. Kramnik suggested

This shattering blow took Nakamura completely by surprise. Not because he hadn't seen it, but because he had simply underestimated the strength of the sacrifice.

31 . • • gxf6 32.Yfff4!

8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

a b e d e f ,g h White does not even have a pawn for the

exchange, so what has he gained from this


sacrifice? There are at least a couple of points worth mentioning:

1) Black's pawns are shattered and vulnerable to attack. If White can win the d6-pawn he will gain a dangerous passed d-pawn to go with his other advantages.

2) The biggest gain is in the quality of the pieces. All of White's pieces are coordinating well, and the knight threatens to land on h5 , where i t will support a mating attack as well as taking aim at the f6-pawn. In many situations (for example, those with a shattered pawn structure) a knight is a much more dangerous attacking piece than a rook. By contrast, Black's pieces are badly placed, his rooks lack any target and the queen is vulnerable to attack by the white pieces .

32 .. J:�b2 It is difficult to give Black any useful advice

here. Nakamura at least hinders the threat of It'lh5 for the time being.

33 . .ih5 Wlg7 34 . .if3! So Carlsen renews it - It'lh5 is now a huge

threat.

8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

a b e d e f g h 34 .. J�a8?!

Under pressure, Nakamura fails to find the most accurate line of defence.

He could have put up more resistance with: 34 . . . Wlg6! 35 .d5 .ic8

a b e d e f g h

36.Wlxd6! Carlsen could also go for a better endgame with 36 . .ih5 Wlg7 37.Wlxf6 Wlxf6 38 .Ei:xf6 Ei:2b7 39.Ei:xd6 . However, 36 .lLlh5 f5 ! i s not clear.

36 . . . f5 37.Wle5! Facing a rampant Carlsen, such a position

would be almost impossible to defend.

35.d5 .ic8 36.tiJh5 WlfS 37 . .!lJxf6t �h8 38J:�cl!

a b e d e f g h Completing the domination.

38 . . . �g7 39.e5! dxe5 40.tiJh5t �h7 41 ..ie4t 1-0


I was reminded of the strength of this :9:xf6 idea in the following game I played against a promising junior.

Peter Williams - Danny Gormally

8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

Coulsdon 20 12

a b e d e f g h 15 • • • .id7?

Completely failing to see the strength of White's threat.

16.f4! lbg6 17.e5! A near-decisive breakthrough!

17 • . • dxe5

8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

a b c d e f g h 18.fxe5!

I had only really analysed White's 1 7th move in combination with 1 8 .f5 ? , and had overlooked this simple recapture. Perhaps the fact that the game was played at 1 0 o'clock in the morning had some connection with my lethargy at the board.

18 • . • lLle8 I 'm forced into grovel mode. The awful truth

had dawned on me that the natural response would be quickly swept aside: 1 8 . . . lLlxe5?

a b e d e f g h

1 9 .:9:xf6! gxf6 20.lLlce4 and with 'lWh6 and lLlxf6t coming, it's hasta la vista for Black.

19.1Llce4 Vf!c7 20.e6! An excellent sacrifice. As well as getting a

huge passed pawn on d6, White also weakens the black king's position.

20 • • • fxe6 21 .d6 Vf!c6 22.:9:xf8t lLlxf8 23.:9:£1 lLlg6

a b e d e f g h


24 . .ig4?! Up to now my opponent had played this

game perfectly, but now he starts to go astray.

I didn't see a defence to 24 . .ih5 ! with the idea of taking on g6 and then infiltrating down the f-file. 24 . . . �d5 25 . .ixg6! hxg6 (perhaps 25 . . . �xd2 26 . .if7t! is the point my opponent missed) 26.�f4 .ic6 27.�fSt �h7 2S .�e7! Black's king will not survive much longer.

24 .. . �b6 2S.h4?! The idea of using the h-pawn to break down

a king's defences is a very useful one which will be discussed in detail later in the book, but here it's simply overkill . The white pieces already out in the battlefield are more than well placed enough to finish the job without the need for any assistance.

I saw that my opponent could still play the right plan with 25 . .ih5 ! , but as he hadn't played it last move I figured there was a good chance he wouldn't play it this turn either. Fortunately I was right!

2S .. . h6! After 25 . . . tLJxh4 White's pieces stream down

the f-file: 26.�f4 tLJf5 27.tLJxf5 exf5 2S . .ixf5 .ixf5 29.�xf5 and Black is defenceless.

26 . .ihS tDxh4! The best chance, aiming to block the f-file.

a b e d e f g h

27.�f4? Missing a final chance to use the f-file to

secure victory: 27.2''1f7! �c6 (27 . . . g6 2S .:ge7! gxh5 29 .�xh6 leads to mate) 2S .'IWc3 White intends to play :ge7 followed by .ixeS and �xg7#, and I have no good way to stop this.

27 . . . tDf5! With the f-file now blocked, matters are not

at all clear, and I was even able to win the game in the end.

The �h6 idea One of the most effective ways of hounding an opponent's king to its doom is by flushing it out of its castled position to be mated by the queen and rooks. A king feels safe and secure hidden behind a wall of pawns, but drag it into the open and it starts to feel vulnerable. One particular way of doing this can be with �h7t followed by :gh6, when the g6-square may prove impossible to defend.

Wouter Spoelman - Alexandre Dgebuadze

Germany 2009

a b e d e f g h 16.e6!

A nice softening-up move.

16 . . . fxe6 1 6 . . . .ixe6 10ses a piece to 1 7.tLJg5 h6 l S .tLJxe6.


17.tLlg5 h6 18J�fxgG hxg5 19.hxg5 f4 The other way to win was by: 2 1 .�d4! e5 20JWh7t i>f7

8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

a b e d e f g h 2U�h6?!

This is generally a strong idea, bringing the rook into the attack, but in this particular position there are two continuations that are even stronger! White would have finished the game much more effectively if he used his bishop to attack on the dark squares.

2 1 .g6t! c;t>f6 (2 1 . . . c;t>e8 22.�d4 e5 23 .'lWxg7 exd4 24.Ei:h7 is even quicker) 22.'lWh4t �xg6 23 .�d4! e5 24.'lWh5t �f6

a b e d e f g h

25 .Ei:xb7!! Ei:h8 26.Ei:xc7 Ei:xh5 27.Ei:xh5 Ei:xc7 28 .Ei:xe5 White has a decisive advantage in the endgame.

a b e d e f g h

22.Ei:h6! Now this is decisive. 22 . . . c;t>e8 23 .'lWg6t �d8 24.'lWxg7+-

21 ...i>e8! Black correctly tries to rush his king to safety.

Taking the piece meets a grisly end: 2 1 . . .fxe3 22.Ei:f6t �e8 23 .'lWg6t �e7 24.'lWxg7t and White wins.

a b e d e f g h 22.VNgGt

After the remarkable 22.�d4! gxh6 23 .'lWg6t Ei:f7 24.gxh6, White would stand better as the h-pawn is very difficult to stop. However, having the courage to play such a line over the board is not so easy.

22 .. . Ei:f7 23.Ei:h7??

Once again 23 .j,d4! i s the key move, when 23 . . . gxh6 24.gxh6 transposes into the variation in the previdus note.

8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

a b e d e f g h 23 ••• WleS??

It is fortunate for Spoelman that his opponent didn't call his bluff and play the most obvious move - taking a piece!

23 . . . fxe3! would have been winning for Black. Mter 24.Elxg7 exf2t 25 .<;t>fl Wf4! , White cannot play 26.Elxb7? Wc l t and so he has no way to continue the attack.

8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

a b c d e f g h 24.Elxb7!

Phew!

24 ... Wlxe3t

Presumably Black had missed that 24 . . . fxe3 would lose to a forced sequence of checks: 25 .Elh8t me7 26.Elxd7t mxd7 27.Wxf7t <;t>c6 28 .Elxc8t +-

2S.i.d2 WlaIt 26.i>e2 ge7 27.Elh8t i>e7 28.gxe7 WleSt 29.i>fl Wlxe7

8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

30.e6!

a b e d e f g h

The dark squares do indeed turn out to be the decisive factor. Faced with the deadly threat of j,b4 t, Black is forced to jettison a piece.

30 ... aS 31 .cxd7 Wlxd7 32.i>gl Wla7 33.i.xf4 eS 34.Wle6 gxf4 3S.ge8t 1-0

King's Indian breakthrough with .. . tl)xdS What is the most powerful attacking piece? The queen, of course. Lesser pieces can be sacrificed to make way for Her Majesty, who arrives on the scene resplendent in her moment of glory, like Boadicea appearing on the battlefield in her chariot, ready to deliver the final blow to the enemy. One of Black's central attacking ideas in the King's Indian is to get a pawn to g3 , the queen to h4 and deliver mate on h2. This is such a powerful concept that the issue of material becomes unimportant, and one particular idea worth knowing is the . . . itJxd5 sacrifice, clearing the way for the queen to reach h4.


Spyridon Skembris - Altin Cela

Thessaloniki 1 997

a b e d e f g h 21 .Wla7

White's attempts to make headway on the queenside have hit a dead end, so Black does not miss his chance to soften White up.

21 . ..g3! 2V!i:JbS? Oblivious to Black's evil intentions .

a b e d e f g h What would you play as Black here? What

possible attacking plans can he have? The pawn on g3 looks dangerous, but how can we make use of it? If only we could get a queen to h4 . . .

22 ... .!tJexdS!!

Correct! Clearing the d8-h4 diagonal and played with one idea in mind - to mate the white king!

23.exdS ttJxdS 24.�el After 24.h3 Wfh4 it's all very simple - Black

hacks away at the king, with subtlety taking a back seat: 25 .Ei:d l i.xh3! and White is quickly mated.

24 ... Wlh4! 2S.h3

a b e d e f g h 2S •.• hh3 26.gxh3 Wlxh3 27J:Hl ttJe3!

White cannot cover the g2-square effectively, so he will be mated. 0-1

The Greek gift fleeting tactical opportunities If our opponent moves his pawns in front of his king, we have to weigh up whether or not this gives us attacking chances that were not previously present in the position. Sometimes the opportunity to sacrifice and get at the enemy king will be a fleeting one, and this is when accurate calculation is so important. Such a scenario came about in the following game, taken from a famous world championship match.


Viswanathan Anand - Garry Kasparov

peA-World Championship, New York (3) 1 995

8 7 6 5 4 3 2

a b e d e f g h What is the best continuation for White

here? Try to weigh up all the possibilities, but bear in mind that this is extremely difficult - it proved beyond the world championship challenger!

20.hc5? Not such a bad idea in itself, the real mistake

is that White misses a golden opportunity to win the game at once.

Mter the game Anand was unsurprisingly annoyed that he didn't take the chance to play: 20.exf6! ixf6 2 1 .ixh7t! !

This which would have ripped the black king from its moorings and enabled Anand to win the game in brilliant fashion.

a b e d e f g h

2 1 . . .'�xh7 22.tt:lg5t! Anand said he had seen this idea, but underestimated just how strong it was.

22 . . . ixg5 22 . . . mg8 23 .'.Wh4 ixg5 24.fxg5 '.We8 25 .2"1xf8t mxf8 26.2"1fl t 'tt>g8 27.ixg7! mxg7 28 .'.Wh6t 'tt>g8 29.2"1f6 Black will have to give up his queen to prevent mate, after which the advanced g-pawn will cost him more material . 22 . . . 'tt>g6 23 .f5t ! exf5 24.tt:lge4t 'tt>h7 25 .tt:lxf6t 2"1xf6 26.ixf6 gxf6 27.2"1f4 also wins for White.

23 .fxg5! This is the real point. The pawn proves to be j ust as useful an attacking unit as the knight was .

23 . . . mg6 After 23 . . . 'tt>g8 24.'.Wh4 e5 25 .g6 the g-pawn plays a decisive role.

a b e d e f g h

24.2"1f6t! gxf6 Mter 24 . . . 2"1xf6 25 .gxf6t 'tt>h5 26.'.Wh3t mg5, the remorseless silicon machine gives mate in nine moves starting with 27.'.Wh7! .

25 .gxf6t 'tt>h5 25 . . . 'tt>f7 26.'.Wg7t me8 27.'.We7#

26.'.Wh3t 'tt>g5 27.2"1fl ! The black king will soon be mated.

20 . . . dxc5 As Anand said in his notes, "Kasparov was so

relieved to see 2o .ixc5 that he didn't want to speculate anymore."


21 ..tc4 .td5! The danger has passed, and the game fizzled

out to a draw some moves later.

Rook sacrifice on e6 Sometimes White can sacrifice on e6 for longterm attacking chances or just to generate some play. A typical example of this is the thematic sacrifice of a rook for a bishop on e6, which crops up in many situations. The general idea is to disrupt the black pawn structure and to create weaknesses on the light squares, where White's pieces can infiltrate.

Michal Krasenkow - Eduardas Rozentalis

Krynica 1 997

a b e d e f g h 13.W/d3!

Black may have felt fairly safe at this point, but the subsequent course of the game soon shows that this is not the case.

13 .. . g6 Forced, to meet the threat of �xf6 followed

by mate on h7.

14 . .th6 E:e8

8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

a b e d e f g h 15 .E:xe6!

I mentioned above that such a sacrifice often gives long-term attacking chances, but in this particular position it is more or less winning -White just has too many threats .

15 . . . fxe6 16.llJg5! As well as aiming at e6, this has the deadly

idea of smashing through on h7.

16 . . . W/a5

a b e d e f g h Black's idea is to meet the immediate

1 7 .tDxh7 with 1 7 . . . Wf5 , but Krasenkow has seen further.

17.h4!! Overloading the black pieces .


17 •.. WffS Mter 1 7 . . . Wfxb4 I B .liJxh7! Black is quickly

mated.

Taking with the bishop would not save Black either: 1 7 . . . �xb4 I B .liJxh7! This now works as the f6-knight is no longer defended. I B . . . Wf5 1 9 .Wxf5 gxf5 20.liJxf6t Wf7 2 1 .liJxeB White wins on material.

18.Wfe3! White breaks through decisively on e6 after

I B . . . Wg4 1 9 .h3 or I B . . . Wxc2 1 9 .Wxe6t �hB 20.Wf7 Ei:gB 2 1 .Wxh7t! liJxh7 22 .liJf7#. 1-0

Yona Kosashvili - Peter Gelpke

Netherlands 1 996

a b e d e f g h White's pieces are lined up menacingly, but

there seems to be no way through - or is there? A little imagination is needed. White to play and win.

18J:�xe6!! Superb! Black's kingside defences are now

stripped bare, bit by bit.

18 . . . fxe6 19.ixg6! hxg6 1 9 . . . �xg5 20.Wxg5 is also decisive.

1 9 . . . liJfB 20.�f7t �hB 2 1 .Wh5 ! c5 22.Ei:d3! (even stronger than 20.�xeB) 22 . . . Wc6 23 .Ei:g3 The rook comes to support the rest of the swarming white army, and Black is helpless.

8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

a b e d e f g h 20.ig7! ixg5

20 . . . Wxg7 2 1 .Wh7t �f6 22 .liJe4t Wf5 23 .Wh3t and 24.Wf3#.

21 .Wfh8t @f7 22.Wfh7 It turns out that the most important factor

is that the black queen will be hanging on c7 in many variations. Black cannot safeguard his king without incurring decisive material losses .

22 •.. lLlffi Akin to resignation, but no better is:

22 . . . Ei:hB 23 .�xhBt �fB

a b e d e f g h

24.�e5 ! WcB 25 .�d6t Mate is forced.


23.i.xf8t @xf8 24.�xc7 �b8

8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

a b e d e f g h 2S.�d3! i.e7 26.�f3t @g8 27.�d7

In material terms, Black is not doing too badly, but his scattered and ineffective army, his exposed king and White's activity combine to ensure that he is completely helpless.

27 .. .'tlg7 28.�xe6 i.h4 29.�f7t @h6 30.g3 i.gS 31 .h4 i.cl 32.�f6 �g8

8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

a b e d e f g h 33.hS! @xhS 34.�h7t i.h6 3S.�f4 1-0

The ... �xc3 exchange sacrifice Just as E\xf6 is a useful attacking resource for White in kingside attacks, the . . . E\xc3 sacrifice often works well for Black, particularly in

Sicilian Defence positions. One of the strong benefits of this sacrifice is that Black can play for long-term compensation. Not only can the sacrifice open up the white queenside to an orgy of violence in the middlegame, a lot of the endgames are entirely acceptable for Black as well .

Mikulas Manik - Alexander Kaliksteyn

8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

Philadelphia 1 993

a b e d e f g h A typical Dragon position has arisen.

Black now comes up with a thematic Dragon sacrifice.

16 .. . �xc3!? 17.bxc3? I find it surprising that White did not avail

himself of the chance to exchange queens with 1 7 .Wxc3! Wxc3 1 8 .bxc3 ctJxh5 1 9 .�d4! f6 . Admittedly, Black has obvious compensation for the exchange. He has the option of bringing the knight back into the game via f4 and e6, and all of White's queenside pawns are crippled and vulnerable, but the game would have remained close to equal . Instead of this, White rather unwisely looks for an attack that is simply not there.

17 ... tiJxhS 18.g4 i.xc3 19.�h2 tiJf6 20.Wh6 Still fishing for an attack, but Black gets

there first.


8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

a b e d e f g h 20 ... a5! 21 .�d3

Mter 2 1..�.d4 a4 22.j,xf6 j,xf6 23 .'lWxh7t �f8 White's attack peters out to nothing, as Black has complete control of the dark squares.

21 ...�e8 22.id2 ie5! The simple 22 . . . j,xd2 23 .'lWxd2 j,b5 would

have offered Black sufficient compensation for the exchange, but the move played is even stronger.

23.c3 'lWe4!

a b e d e f g h A dream Dragon position! Black's dark

squared bishop is much more important than a rook, and Black's perfect coordination overwhelms White. The rook on d3 looks particularly pitiful.

24.tlJc1 ia4 25.�e3 �e6 The rook joins the attack, leaving White

defenceless.

26.f4 �b6t 27.'it>a1 .te2! 28.liJb3 ixb3 29.�bl

29.fxe5 'lWa4 forces mate.

a b e d e f g h 29 .. . 'lWa4 30.�b2 ixa2 31 .'lWhl ib3t

Mter 27.�bl j,c2t, White is soon mated. 0-1

8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

Sergei Movsesian - Garry Kasparov

Sarajevo 2000

a b e d e f g h Here we see an example of the . . . �xc3

exchange sacrifice played at the highest level.


13 .. Jl:xc3 ! In his notes to this game, Kasparov was

quite dismissive of his opponent's play, saying that allowing this sacrifice was a " lack of chess culture" , implying that Movsesian didn't understand how bad his position would become. Harsh words .

14.bxc3 'Wc7 lS.ltJe2 fie7 16.gS 0-0 17.h4 lLla4!

Kasparov held the initiative and he went on to win.

8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

a b e d e f g h 18.fic1 lLleS 19.hS dS 20.'Wh2 fid6 21 .'Wh3 lLlxd3 22.cxd3 b4! 23.cxb4 �c8 24. �al dxe4 2S.fxe4 fixe4! 26.g6

Desperation, but after 26.dxe4 White would be quickly mated: 26 . . . !ie5t 27.ttJd4 !ixd4t 28 .�xd4 'Wxc l t 29.l"i:xc l l"i:xc l#

26 ... fixhl 27.'Wxhl hb4 28.gxf7t �f8 29.'Wg2 �b8 30.fib2 lLlxb2 31 .lLld4 lLlxdl 32.lLlxe6t �xf7 33.lLlxc7 fic3t 34.'Wb2 �xb2 3s.lLldS �bSt 36.lLlxc3 lLlxc3 37.a3 �bl#

King's Indian breakthrough on the g-file From Black's perspective, the King's Indian is often characterized by a rapid assault with pawns and pieces against the white king. Black will try to push his pawns as far into enemy territory as possible in order to induce weaknesses, against which he then can strike with his pieces .

Alejandro Hoffman -Veselin Topalov

Villarrobledo (rapid) 2000

a b e d e f g h 33 .. . fixg4!

With the white knights lined up on the g-file in rather ugly fashion, Topalov decides this is the right moment to rip apart the pawn cover which is the only thing protecting the poor white king from Black's marauding forces .

34.hxg4 �xg4 3S.fie4 There is nothing else; the white knight on g2

is move-bound.

3S ... 'Wg7! Cranking up the pressure along the g-file to

unbearable levels .

36.'Wdl �xg2t 37.�hl lLlf6 38.lLlh3 lLlxe4!


a b e d e f g h 39.�d2

After 39J:l:xe4, Black mates with: 39 . . . 2"i:h2t! 40.�xh2 Wig2# 0-1

The lLlxh7 breakthrough This breakthrough sacrifice tends to occur when Black has been softened up on the kingside, with the pawn on g6 being particularly weak. I managed to create just such a scenario in the following game.

Danny Gormally -Josep Lopez Martinez

Gothenburg 2005

l .d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.lLlc3 lLlf6 4.lLlf3 c5 5.cxd5 lLlxd5 6.e3 lLlc6 7 . .tc4 cxd4 8.exd4 .te7 9.0-0 0-0 10J�el .tf6 I l .lLle4 .te7?!

I think this move deserves criticism as Black has lost a couple of tempos and White wasn't really threatening to take on f6 anyway.

1 1 . . . b6 seems more sensible, when I probably would have continued in similar vein to the game with 1 2 .a3 �b7 1 3 .Wid3, with a sharp battle in prospect.

8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

a b c d e f g h 12.a3!

A useful move In such positions, White removes any possibility of Black playing .. .t2:lb4. It also creates the option of later playing �a2-b 1 .

1 2 .. . b6 13.�d3 .tb7 1 4 . .ta2 2"1e8 During the game I 'm sure I was more

concerned about Black playing 1 4 . . . ttJf6, just to try and exchange some pieces and dull the white attack. It is well known that in isolated queen's pawn positions, Black should strive for exchanges as the strategic weakness of such a pawn becomes more pronounced with every exchange.

However, I would have had an interesting way to sharpen matters :

a b e d e f g h

1 5 .ttJeg5 ! ? h6 1 6.ttJxe6! fXe6 1 7.�xe6t (or 1 7.2"i:xe6! 'tt>hB 1 B .ttJh4) 17 . . . �hB 1 B .ttJh4!


White's attack is analogous to the Karpov -Shirov encounter that we saw on page 2 1 2 .

15 .i.d2 B:cs 16.B:adl g6

8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

17.h4!

a b e d e f g h

Thematic and strong. Not only can this pawn be used as a crowbar to prise open the black kingside, but it also acts as a useful support to any foray that White should choose to make with his knights .

17 .. . lLlbS lS.lLleg5! i.f6 Black is already facing a difficult task.

Taking on g5 would be anathema of course, but kicking away the pesky knight is not an option either: 1 8 . . . h6? allows White to crash through with either 1 9 .tt:lxe6! or 1 9 .tt:lxf7! .

19.h5 B:c7 20.i.bl I am fully into the softening up process and

the dangers are all there for Black to see, but he merrily continues with his plan, apparently without a care in the world.

20 .. . B:d7? I was shocked that my opponent was being

so casual about his kingside. I thought that unless I 'd missed something obvious, I had a huge threat against his king.

It was time to make some positional concessions to try and avert the coming storm with 20 . . . �a6 2 1 .We4 �xg5 22.�xg5 Wd6, although it must be admitted that 23.tt:le5 looks pretty disgusting for Black.

a b e d e f g h 21 .tlJxh7!!

It's party time! With so much pressure on g6 this sacrifice is perhaps not surprising, but it's still always nice to play such a combination.

21 . . . �xh7 22.hxg6t �gS

a b e d e f g h 23.i.h6!

I enjoyed playing this move, which takes control over the vital g7 -square. My reasoning during the game was that to conduct a successful


defence Black would almost certainly have to play either . . . i.g7 or .. J'%g7 at some stage, so let's control that square and discourage him from doing so. During this game I felt I was really "in the zone" and "seeing everything like a football". At this point in my career I was playing much better than I ever had before . . . o r since, for that matter.

23 .. . fxg6 There is nothing that can save Black: 23 . . . i.g7

24 .gxf7t Elxf7 25 .Wh7t �f8 26.ttJe5 ! and the defence crumbles.

24JWxg6t �h8 25.ttJg5 25 .Wh5! is also extremely strong. As Kasparov

would say, White's attacking resources are simply too great for "one king" .

25 .. . �ee7 After 25 . . . ttJf4 26.ttJf7t Elxf7 27.Wxf7 We7

28.Wxe7 Elxe7 29.i.xf4 White wins easily on material .

8 _ � � � 7 �Im�� m" " 6 " ". " • .t."�:. 5 " ' , , %� :� "'"�m'''' ' 4 �� .�. � 3 � �� "� �� 2 " j.��.�� • .t�IP. '�

a b e d e f g h 26.�h5?!

26.Elxe6! was even more convincing, but I missed that after 26 . . . Elxe6 I could win with 27.i.g7t! Elxg7 28 .Wh5t �g8 29 .i.h7t! , which would have been a beautiful domination on the light squares.

26 . . . @g8 I 'm glad he didn't find the defensive idea of

26 . . . ttJf4! , although I am still winning easily provided I find the slightly awkward 27.Wh2! .

27.ttJxe6 �e8 28.i.g6 �c8 29.�d3! �xe6 30.�xe6 �e7 3 1 .�g3 1-0

The .!lJxg5 sacrifice to set up a deadly pin A bishop on g5 pinning a knight on f6 brings many benefits, not least of which is that if Black tries to break the pin with . . . h6 and . . . g5 , he has to take into account the weakening of his kingside, and on many occasions he may run into a nasty piece sacrifice.

Parimarjan Negi -Wouter Spoelman

Wijk aan Zee 2007

l .e4 e5 2.ttJa ttJc6 3.i.b5 a6 4.i.a4 ttJf6 5.0-0 b5 6.i.b3 i.b7 7.�el i.c5 8.d 0-0 9.d4 i.b6 10.i.e3 exd4 l 1 .cxd4 ttJa5 12.i.g5! ttJxb3 13.�xb3 h6

Faced with the impending threat of e4-e5 , Black elects to break this annoying pin.

14.i.h4 g5? But this runs into a sharp reply.

8 7 6

5 4 3 2 1

a c d e g

15.ltJxg5! Not only does this increase the pressure on

the f6-knight to almost unbearable levels, but it also rips open the black kingside, exposing it to the full force of White's marauding army.

15 .. . ltJxe4 Sadly for Black, taking the bait with

1 5 . . . hxg5 1 6 .�xg5 leaves him without a credible response; there is no adequate defence against the crushing threats of e4-e5 and Wg3 .

8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

a b e d e f g h 16J:'he4!

Of course, Negi has no intention of backing down.

It would be a big mistake to bail out with 1 6 .ttJxe4? Wxh4, when Black is fine. White is after bigger fish.

16 .. . �xe4 After 1 6 . . . hxg5 1 7.Elg4 the g5-pawn falls.

17.Wg3! hxg5 18 . .ixg5 Wfe8 19 . .if6t �g6 20.1tJc3!

It's always satisfying when a simple developing move proves to be decisive. White secures his back rank, after which Black is strangely helpless against the final assault.

20 ... Wfe6

20 . . . c6 2 1 .Wh4 �h7 22.Wh6 leads to mate.

21 .Wfh4 �h7 22.Wfg5t �g6

a b e d e f g h 23.ltJd5!

With the huge threat ofWh6.

23 ... �xd4 24.�xd4 c5 If 24 . . . f5 25 .Wh6 <j;Jf7 26.Wg7t <j;Je8

27.ttJxc7t White wins the house.

25.1tJf6t �g7 26.liJe8t �g8 27.Wfh6 1-0

Peter Wells - Matthias Thesing

Germany 1 998

a b e d e f g h

Although the position may look almost symmetrical , White's lead in development allows him to press.

14.�c2! White now has the strong threats of 'lWd3

and 'lWxd4.

He should not be too hasty in grabbing the d4-pawn, as 1 4 .tLlxd4? ! �e5 ! gives Black good play.

14 .. . h6 15.�h4 g5 A provocative decision that tempts Wells

into an adventurous sacrifice.

16.lbxg5! Objectively this should not bring any great

advantage with best play by both sides, but all the practical problems lie with Black.

16 .. . hxg5 17.hg5

a b e d e f g h 17 .. . <.t>g7?

Under pressure, Thesing immediately loses his way.

1 7 . . . 2"i:e8 1 8 .'lWxd4! is also promising for White, for example: 1 8 . . . �e5 1 9 .'lWh4 �xa l 20.2"i:xa l Wa5 2 1 .2"i:fl and Black is helpless .

Black can actually defend by walking the tightrope in a line of play that was, not surprisingly, indicated by the computer: 1 7 . . . �b8! 1 8 .'lWxd4 'lWc7!

a b e d e f g h

1 9 .d6! 'lWxc2 20 .�xf6 �a7 2 1 .'lWh4 'lWh7 22.'lWf4 'lWf5 23.'lWxf5 �xf5 24.2"i:fd l The endgame is unclear, though easier to play for White.

18.�xd4! Wells showed fine judgement when

sacrificing the knight to appreciate how perilous Black's situation would be here. The poor knight on f6 is now pinned in two directions - such positions are impossible to defend.

18 ... �d7 19J3ael l3c8

8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

a b e d e f g h


20J��e3! .ib5 20 .. J'hc2 allows White to break through

decisively with 2 1 .:9:f3 i?e7 22.d6! .

20 . . . :9:e8 runs into an attractive refutation: 2 1 .:9:g3! i?e5 (or 2 1 . . .i?xg3 22.fxg3! with a decisive attack down the f-file) 22.i?xf6t �xf6 23 .Wh4#

21 ..ixf6t Mter 2 1 . . .Wxf6 22.Wg4t Black must give up

his queen to avoid mate. 1-0

Breakthrough on d5 The fl -e6-d5 pawn chain might look very solid, but if White can smash his way through it he can beat a path to the black king. The following example comes from a King's Indian Attack, an opening favoured by Bobby Fischer. White's attacking play tends to be thematic and easy to remember. General ideas for White include playing h2-h4-h5-h6 to force a weakness on g7, exchanging dark-squared bishops with i?g5 and exploiting the dark squares with the manoeuvre ct:J f3-h2-g4. There is sometimes also the possibility of breaking through directly with a sacrifice on d5 .

8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

Kart Robatsch - Etdis Cobo Arteaga

Havana 1 963

a b e d e f g h

25 . .ixd5! The point of this sacrifice is to force a pawn

through to e6, throwing Black into complete disarray.

25 . . . exd5 26.e6 lbfS Removing the pawn does not help either:

26 . . . fxe6 27.Wxe6t �f8 28.ct:Jg5! i?xg5 29 .i?d6t and White wins.

27.exflt @xfl 2s.lbg5t Leaving Black with a miserable choice.

2S . . . @eS 28 . . . i?xg5 is also hopeless : 29 .i?xg5 Wd7

(Mter 29 . . . Wd6 30.Wf3t �g8 3 1 .:9:e7 Black has to give up his queen to prevent mate.) 30.We5! �g8 3 1 .i?e7! A nice interference with the queen's defence of the g7 -square. 3 1 . . .ct:Je6 32 .Wf6 Black is defenceless.

8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

a b e d e f g h 29.lbe6

Although this was successful in the game, it allows a hidden defence.

The most convincing way for White to demonstrate his advantage is 29.We5! i?xd3 30 .Wg7. As well as the obvious 3 1 .Wflt �d7 32.Wxd5t, White is also threatening 3 1 .ct:Jfl! followed by ct:Jd6t, and Black has no good defence.

29 ... lLlxe6 With his queen under attack, it might seem

that Black has no choice, but he can counter by targeting the white queen: 29 . . . d4! ! 30.We5

30 .We4 is met by 30 . . . �b7! 3 1 .We5 ltJxe6 32 .Wxe6 �fS 33 .�e5 �d5 34.�g7t �eS 35 .We5 :B:c6 and the black king survives .

a b e d e f g h

30 . . . �f6! ! 3 1 .ltJxdSt 3 1 .ltJc7t looks dangerous, but Black can defend: 3 1 . . .�f7 32 .Wxc5 �xd3 33.:B:eS WxeS 34.Wd5t ltJe6 35 .ltJxeS :B:xeS and Black has more than enough material for the queen.

3 1 . . .�xe5 32.:B:xe5t WxdS 33 .:B:ae 1 Despite the simplifications, White still has play against the black king. The conclusion could be:

33 . . . dxc3 34.:B:d5t ltJd7 35 .�g5t �c7 36.�f4t WdS=

With a repetition of moves.

30.Wfxe6 :B:b6 Black has nothing better.

31 .Wfg8t d7 32.Wfxd5t :B:d6 32 . . . WeS enables White to go back to take

the h-pawn: 33 .WgSt �d7 34.Wxh7 White's threats, such as �g5 or doubling on the e-file, are overwhelming.

33.hd6 hd6 34.Wff7t c6

a b e d e f g h 35.Wfxh7?

With 35 .:B:ab l ! White would have crowned his beautiful attacking concept. 35 . . . WgS 36.Wa7 gives White a decisive attack, while 35 . . . :B:bS 36.Wxh7 is also winning.

35 •.• Wfg8! Now matters become unclear again .

The important difference compared to the previous note is that 36.Wa7 can be met by 36 . . . :B:aS .

36.Wfxg8 gxg8 37.d4 cxd4 38.cxd4 gh8 39.d5t d7 40.gabl

a b e d e f g h 40 •.• i.c4??

A terrible blunder, allowing the rook to reach b7. The simple 40 . . . :B:xh6 was fine for Black.

4U�b7t <l;d8 42J�e6 i.fS 43J�b8t <l;c7 44JhfS 1-0

Breakthrough on f7 - two minor pieces for a rook The attacking player often has to weigh up the consequences of taking on f7 and sacrificing rwo minor pieces for a rook. Generally speaking, a knight and a bishop are much more powerful than a rook in the middlegame, but there can be the added factor of the black king being exposed.

Radenko Galic -Vaso Bojanic

Banja Luka 2004

8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

a b c d e f g h IS .i.xf7t!

White strikes before Black has managed to achieve full mobilization. This drags the enemy king into the open and weakens his defences on the kingside. Most important of all , the need to defend the king will throw the black ranks into disarray.

IS .. . E!xf7 16.ltlxf7 <l;xf7 17.�hSt <l;g8 18.dxcS ltldS


The main point of the combination. White exposes the king further while gaining time to bring his queen's rook into play.

19 ... ltlf6 Taking the bounty would have exposed

Black to the full force of White's queen and rwo rooks: 1 9 . . . gxh6 20.'lWg6t (the immediate 20JJ:ad l is good too) 20 . . . Wf8 2 1 .'lWxh6t Wf7 22.E!ad l White will soon pick up the hanging black knight on d5, and has a rampant initiative to boot.

20.�g6 �fS Mter this, White wins yet another pawn and

obtains an easily won endgame.

20 . . . �f8 might have been a better practical choice.

a b e d e f g h


However, if White finds the accurate 2 1 .�g5! then Black is practically move-bound. The bishop dn c8 has no useful squares, for example 2 1 . . .�d7 22.l"i:ad 1 and White will win material.

a b e d e f g h 21 ..L:g7! Wfxg7 22.Wfxg7t cj;>xg7 23.l"i:xe7t cj;>f8 24.l"i:ael

White has too many pawns, and the game is decided.

24 • . • .id7 25.g4 l"i:e8 26.l"i:xe8t .ixe8

8 7 6 5 4 3 2

a b e d e f g h 27.l"i:xe8t?!

Not really necessary as retaining the rook was an easy win, though the pawns turn out to be too strong in any case.

27 . • . cj;>xe8 28.b4 liJd7 29.cj;>f1 a5 30.c6! bxc6 31 .bxa5 liJb8 32.cj;>e2 cj;>f7 33.cj;>d3 cj;>f6 34.f4 liJa6 35.cj;>c4 c5 36.h4 cj;>g6 37.cj;>d5 cj;>f6 1-0

The early liJ g5 sortie The following is a classic example of a rapid early attack against a castled king. White has delayed castling in order to be able to launch a blitzkrieg assault.

George Norman - John O'Hanlon

Hastings 1 9 2 1

8 7 6 5 4 3 2 I

a b c d e f g h 9.h4!?

Expressing his desire to go for an early knock-out, White increases his control over the g5-square and plans a Greek gift sacrifice.

9 • . • f6 Black plays to undermine the centre yet

further, but given the aggressive intention of White's play, he will have to continue with great care.

I would prefer to act straight away with 9 . . . cxd4! . Black must certainly take into account the immediate Greek gift sacrifice, but the absence of White's dark-squared bishop


means that such an attack is not convincing here: 1 0 .�xh7t? ! mxh7 1 1 .tLlg5t

a b e d e f g h

1 1 . . .mh6! 1 2 .Wd3 g6 1 3 .h5 mg7! I 4.hxg6 1"i:h8! The attack is essentially refuted. The best White can do is: I 5 .tLlxf7! 1"i:xh l t I 6 .me2 1"i:xaI I 7.tLlxd8 �xd8 1 8 .Wh3 mxg6 1 9 .Wg4t Black has a huge amount of material for the queen, but his exposed king means that White has chances to save the game.

lO.llJgS!? White doesn't hesitate. This shows the

benefit of not castling too soon - White can use the h I -rook as an attacking unit.

lO . . . fxgS? Putting his head into the lion's jaws.

It is still possible for Black to eschew immediate material gain and safely block the attack: 1 O . . . f5 ! I l .Wh5 h6 I 2 .Wg6!

a b e d e f g h

I 2 . . . �xg5 ! It is essential to capture this way to get the queens off. ( l 2 . . . hxg5 1 3 .hxg5 �xg5 1 4.1"i:h5! gives White too dangerous an attack.) 1 3 .hxg5 Wxg5 I 4 .Wxg5 hxg5 I 5 .dxc5 tLld7 The ending is not at all unfavourable for Black.

8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

a b c d e f g h 1 1 .VNhS!

White should not be tempted by: 1 1 .�xh7t! ? mxh7 1 2 .hxg5t mg8 13 .1"i:h8t! mf7! ( l 3 . . . mxh8 ? I 4 .Wh5t mg8 I 5 .g6 leads to mate) 1 4 .Wh5t g6 1 5 .1"i:h7t me8 1 6 .Wxg6t md7 It might appear that the king has reached safety, but White has a final trick to secure the draw.

a b e d e f g h

1 7.tLlxd5! exd5 1 8 .Wd6t me8 1 9 .Wg6t with a perpetual check.

1 l . . . h6


1 l . . .g6 1 2 .j,xg6 hxg6 1 3 .Wxg6t �h8 14 .hxg5# Of course, this variation would be not possible if White had already castled kingside!

1 l . . .Elf5 1 2 .j,xf5 exf5 1 3 .hxg5 cxd4 1 4.Wxh7t �f7 1 5 .Wh5t �e6 1 6.0-0-0! For a small investment of material, White has gained an overwhelming attack.

12.Wg6! l:U5 A last attempt to shore up his defence, which

is leaking more water than a holed Titanic.

12 . . . cxd4 allows a snap mate: 1 3 .Wh7t �f7 14.j,g6#

13.g4! White continues to act with aggression and

venom.

13 ... i.d7 Black must not open up the diagonal to his

king: 13 . . . Elf4 10ses to 14 .Wh7t �f8 1 5 .j,g6! .

a b e d e f g h 14.hxg5?

This allows Black a chance to turn the tables.

White must certainly avoid 1 4 .gxf5 ? ? j,e8 1 5 .Wxe6t j,f7, when his queen is trapped.

1 4 .tt:lxd5! would have been the logical followup to White's excellent play. Mter 1 4 . . . exd5 1 5 .j,xf5 ! j,xf5 1 6 .gxf5 , White's threat of f5-f6 will prove decisive.

14 .•. i.xg5? Returning the compliment. It seems that both players missed the

possibility of: 1 4 . . . Elxg5! 1 5 .Wh7t �f7 1 6.Elh3

a b e d e f g h

1 6 . . . j,c6! 1 7 .Elf3t �e8 and the king escapes to the queenside.

15.gx5 i.e8 16.Wxe6t i.f7 17.Wd6 White is now back on track and he has few

problems converting the extra exchange in the endgame.

8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

a b e d e f g h 17 . . . Wxd6 18.exd6 cxd4 19.tLle2 tLlc6 20.£4 i.f6 21 .a3 E:d8 22.@f2 E:xd6 23.E:agl @f8


24.c!lJg3 c!lJa5 25.b3 c!lJc6 26J�el a6 27.llJh5 i.xh5 2SJ;xh5 'i!lf7 29J;h2 c!lJdS 30.i.e2 'i!lf8 31 .i.h5 c!lJf7 32. 'i!lf3 l3dS 33.i.xf7 'i!lxf7 34.l3e6 l3cS 35.l3d6! l3c3t 36.'i!lg4 d3 37.cxd3 l3xb3 3S.l3xd5 l3xa3 39.l3c2 l3b3 40.l3cS l3b2 41 .l3c7t i.e7 42.l3dd7 l3e2 43.'i!lf3 1-0

The i.xh6 sacrifice We've already seen how dangerous it is for Black to allow a hook on h6 for White to pin his attack to. Let's look at this idea in more detail in an excellent game of Seirawan's.

Yasser Seirawan - Igor Ivanov

Los Angeles 1 99 1

8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

a b c d e f g h 15 .Wfd2!

With this move White telegraphs his intention to crash through on h6, but Black fails to appreciate the gravity of the threat. All of White's pieces are ideally placed to attack the black kingside, for example the bishop on d3 is aiming at h7, and the knight on f3 may later go to g5 .

15 . . . l3eS Walking into the eye of the storm.

1 5 . . . ttJ b6! ? might be a better way to prepare for the looming sacrifice: 1 6.�xh6 gxh6 1 7 .Wxh6 f5 ! It's not clear if White has anything better than perpetual check with 1 S .Wg6t WhS 1 9 .Wh6t.

It is also possible to try to slow down the attack with the bold 1 5 . . . g5! 1 6.�g3 ttJb6 1 7.�c2 ttJxd5 l S .Wd3 f5 1 9 .Elfe 1 c6, with unclear play in prospect.

16.i.xh6! A crunching right hook!

16 . . . gxh6 17.Wfxh6

a b e d e f g h 17 . . . c!lJf8

A somewhat passive move to have to resort to , but reasonable alternatives were short on the ground.

17 . . . f5 is ineffective here as the white bishop can immediately enter the attack: 1 S .Wg6t! '\t>hS ( 1 S . . . '\t>fS 1 9 .�xf5+-) 1 9 .Wxf5 ttJfS 20 .Wf7+-

17 . . . ttJf6? l S .ttJg5 leads quickly to mate, for example: 1 S . . . �fS 1 9 .�h7t WhS 20.ttJxf7#

IS.l3ael ! To use a phrase often attributed to Seirawan

himself, "Let's invite everyone to the party!"

l8 .. . id7 19J3e3! if6!

a b e d e f g h White to play - what is the strongest

continuation?

20.ttJe5?! A beautiful idea, but one with a serious flaw.

A different knight leap would have kept the flames burning: 2o.lLlg5! ! ixg5 (20 . . . �xe3? ? 2 1 .ii.h7t leads directly to mate) 2 1 .�g3 f6 22.f4 We7 23.fxg5 f5 24.g6 Wf6 25 .�f4 �e7 26.�h4! (threatening g6-g7!) 26 . . . Wg7 27.Wg5 White will obtain a third pawn for the piece, and his initiative is ongoing.

20 ... �xe5? With 20 . . . ii.g7! Black could have refuted the

attack, forcing White to seek refuge in a rather miserable ending: 2 1 .�g3

8

7

6

5

4

3

2 V'=" ,,,, , jmm,,,,,,,,,

a b e d e f g h

2 1 . . .lLlg6! 22 .lLlxf7 ii.xh6 23 .lLlxd8 �exd8 24.�xg6t ii.g7+

21 .dxe5 ixe5 22.l3fe1

8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

a b c d e f g h 22 . . . f5?

This leads to disaster, as Black will be defenceless once a white rook reaches g3 .

With 22 . . . ii.g7! Black could have still put up stern resistance: 23 .Wh5 (23.�g3 lLlg6! is unclear) 23 . . . lLlg6 24.ii.xg6 fxg6 25 .Wxg6 Wf6 26.Wg3 I would rather be White here, but nothing is decided yet.

23.f4! Seirawan goes into Terminator mode.

23 ... id4 24.i>h2! 'Wf6 24 . . . ii.xe3 25 .�xe3 leaves the black king is

helpless against the final attack, for example: 25 . . . <j;>f7 26.Wh5t lLlg6 27.Wh7t <j;>f6 28 .g4! lLlxf4 29.g5t It>xg5 30.�g3t <j;>f6 3 1 .Wg7#

25.l3g3t i>f7 26.'Wh5t ttJg6 27.l3xg6! l3h8 27 . . . Wxg6 28 .�e7t and wins.

28.l3h6t 1-0

Rodrigo Rafael Vasquez - Juan Borges Mateos

8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

Santa Clara 1 998


This standard sacrifice wins by force.

19 . . • gxh6 20.'lWxh6 tiJf4 There is no defence, for example: 20 . . . il.e7

2 1 .lLlg5 ! lLlg7 (2 1 . . .lLlxg5 22.'lWxg5t c±>h8 23 .'lWh6t <;t>g8 24.Ele5+-)

a b e d e f g h

22.il.g6! ! fxg6 23 .lLlce4! Undermining the f6-knight. 23 . . . il.e6 (23 . . . lLlxe4 24.'lWh7t c±>f8 25 .'lWh8#) 24.'lWxg7t! C±>xg7 2S .lLlxe6t White gains a decisive material advantage.

21 .'lWg5t! The finish could be: 2 1 . . . c±>f8 22.'lWxf6 lLlxd3

23 .'lWh8# 1-0

One of the benefits of being on the attacking side is that quite often there is only one clear path of play available to us, whereas the defender might have to choose between several lines of play, all of which may appear acceptable on the surface, but only one of which allows him to survive. With a ticking clock, pieces lined up scarily towards our king, no computer to guide us, and a motivated and confident opponent, how many players can hold their nerve and find the right defence? Such a situation was exemplified in the following encounter between two chess heavyweights.

Teimour Radjabov - Peter Svidler

Morelia/Linares 2006


We should now be familiar with this sacrifice, though here there is the slight but important difference that White's light-squared bishop is not lined up on the b l -h7 diagonal. If the bishop were on b 1 then this idea would surely be decisive, but even with the bishop not ideally placed, the sacrifice is still strong. Radjabov may also have hoped that finding the right line over the board would prove beyond Svidler - and this turned out to be the case.

14 ... Elc8 15.i.b3 gxh6 16.'lWxh6


a b e d e f g h 16 .. . ttlh7?

With a choice between knight moves, Black picks the wrong one, meaning that White's enterprising sacrifice has paid off.

The correct path would have been: 1 6 . . . 'Dg4! 1 7 .�f4! f5

1 7 . . . e5 I B .'Dxe5! j,g5 1 9 .�e4 is good for White.

a b e d e f g h I BJl:xe6

The computer suggests I B .Ei:ad I ! ? as a promising alternative. It looks rather slow, but it is useful to prevent any counterplay involving . . . 'Dd3, and a future d4-d5 break may prove strong.

I B . . . Wg7 1 9 .Ei:e2 j,eB 20.h3 'Dd3 2 1 .�d2 'Dgxf2 22.Ei:xf2 'Dxf2 23.�xf2

This would have enabled Svidler to minimize the damage, but even so White's initiative

remains extremely dangerous, as all his pieces are ideally situated for attacking the exposed black king.

17J�e5! Faced with the huge threat of Ei:h5 , Black's

reply is forced.

17 ... £5 ISJhe6! i.xe6 19.i.xe6t i>hS 20.i.xcS �U6

20 . . . �xcB 2 1 .'De5 ! is immediately decisive.

a b e d e f g h 21 .�h5

The all-seeing machine points out an attractive alternative: 2 1 .�e3! ? 'Dc2 22.�d3 'Dxa l 23.j,xf5 'DfB 24.j,e4

8 � � • • 7 � {." "%�""' ;.'' ' ' 6 ' ' ' ' ' %. %. ' ' ' ' '''�. %� 5 � �. �. ""(.. 4 r.��:.�� 3 ��fi�� 2 ��" ".��!� .""�� "'' ' �r:il'' ' '

a b e d e f g h Despite Black's extra rook, the computer

claims that White is close to winning. It is not easy for Black to defend his light squares.

21 ..J1*!xcS 22.�el Material is about equal, but White has a big

advantage due to the exposed black king.

22 ... .tfS 23.lLle5 <;!;>gS 24.Wdl lLlg5

8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

a b e d e f g h 25.Wb3t?!

White could have won on the spot with: 25 .'We l ! i.h6

a b e d e f g h 26.ltJd5! ! ltJf3t (26 . . . 'Wxe l 27.ltJxf6t \t>g7 28.ltJh5t \t>g8 29.:8xe l ltJf3t 30.ltJxf3 ,be l 3 1 .b3 is a simple endgame win for White) 27.ltJxf3 �xel 28 .ltJe7t White regains the queen with an easy win.

25 ... <;!;>g7 26.h4 llJO 27.11Je2 llJxe5 2S.dxe5 �c6 29.11Jf4 .te7 30.Wg3t <;!;>h7 31 .Wf3 WeS 32.g3 Wo 33.e6 Wf6 34.Wh5t <;!;>gS 35.WeSt WfS 36.Wg6t Wg7 37.Wxf5 �c5 3S.We4 11Jc6

39.11Jd5 Wxb2 40.WfS �cl 41 .ltJxe7t 1-0

So what have we learnt from this chapter? Here are a few points to sum up:

1 ) Sacrifices can appear out of thin air, as in the game we just looked at. Be on the lookout for hidden opportunities; it's important to remember that these possibilities may be fleeting.

2) Don't be afraid to sacrifice. Material is a small price to pay if it means getting at the enemy king. That doesn't mean we should sacrifice willy-nilly and just expect to win. It means weighing up each individual case on its merits and using our calculation, intuition and experience to assess whether a sacrifice is appropriate for the situation.

3) Certain attacking themes tend to appear again and again . As well as using this book as a guide, you should look around for other sources and material that may prove useful for your own games. For example, if you play the Sicilian then look at games with themes that repeatedly crop up, such as the . . . :8xc3 sacrifice. The right skills for attacking a castled king will come from good knowledge. Look at the games of great attacking players, such as Tal and Shirov. Their games will improve your knowledge and increase your confidence when you have the opportunity to attack your opponent's king.

4) Sometimes a sacrifice will be purely intuitive and will not lead to a forced win, but the practical chances will be in your favour. The defender often has to walk a tightrope, where just one slip can lead to calamity. Tal was the master of the intuitive sacrifice and often won games with sacrifices that were considered dubious, because his opponents were unable to solve the practical problems. Having your king attacked is no fun. Being several pieces to the good is no consolation if your king is being slaughtered by the rest of your opponent's army.

Chapter 5

Breakthrough with Pawns

This chapter is all about pawns, and specifically how best to use pawns to break through to a castled king. As we have already discussed in Chapter 3, pawns can be very useful in an attacking sense.

Sometimes pawns can mate the king themselves, although admittedly this is quite rare.

Pawns are more often used to clear a path for our pieces to the king - like tactical nuclear weapons, clearing a way for the shock troops to filter in and dismember an already grievouslywounded enemy.

Pawns can also be used to keep defenders away while assisting our attackers. This is true of a pawn on e5 for example, which keeps the opposing pieces away from the f6-square.

Pawns can be used to provide staging posts. For example a pawn on h4 may create a useful post on g5 for the white pieces, as well as having the potential to be a useful attacking unit itself.

Pawns can be used as battering rams. A pawn can be sent right up the board to break down a seemingly impregnable defence - one pawn may be of little material value to the attacker, but it can cause irreversible damage to the defender.

In this chapter we'll study these themes while also looking at specific examples. I haven't tried to include every single way that pawns can break down an enemy king, because that would weigh down the reader with too much information, and in any case there is not enough space in this book. Rather I 've aimed to show the most relevant examples - it's the general understanding that is important and hopefully this chapter will greatly increase the reader's knowledge.

No Pawns have been moved in front of the enemy king Often we need a hook or some kind of weakness to latch on to, but even when the pawns in front of the enemy king have not moved, far-advanced pawns can spell trouble for the defending side. A classic example is the following game, in which Anand torments Timman with pawns on g6 and h6. This extremely dangerous white pawn configuration crops up repeatedly in Sicilian


posItlons, and more often than not spells doom for Black.

Viswanathan Anand - Jan Timman

Wijk aan Zee 2004

l .e4 c5 2.tiJ£3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.tiJxd4 tiJf6 5.tiJc3 tiJc6 6.i.g5 e6 7.VNdl a6 8.0-0-0 i.d7 9.£3 i.e7 10.i.e3 gc8 1 1 .g4 tiJa5 12.i>hl h5 13.i.d3 lbc4 14.i.xc4 gxc4 15.lbce2! 0-0 16.g5! tiJe8 17.h4!

8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

a b e d e f g h We see here a classic Sicilian scenario which

involves White thrusting his kingside pawns forward. Black has to try to generate effective counterplay, either with piece play or with a pawn storm of his own, to distract White and slow down his attack. Essentially it becomes an issue of time, as both players race to land the killer blow before their opponent.

In the present game, something has gone terribly wrong for Black. Timman's problem is that he lacks any counterplay to distract Anand from his deadly intentions. White's pawns are rampaging up the board, ready to prise open the black kingside and deliver a ruinous and likely-fatal blow to the black king. By contrast, Black has no such targets on the white queenside. He could try to attack with

his pawns, but this is terribly slow and by the time he has played . . . a5-a4 and . . . b4-b3 , he may already have been mated on the kingside.

17 ... VNc8 18.h3 gc7

a b e d e f g h 19.tiJf4!

This may look purely an attacking move, but it's just as much a prophylactic move. Black might have hoped to play . . . e5 with some counterplay, but by being ready to meet it with tLld5, Anand clamps down on that as well.

19 .. . gc3 20.gdgl b4 21 .h5! tiJc7 22.g6! i.f6 23.h6!

The space invaders have landed! This g6-h6 set-up is a typical attacking theme, and ensures that White will beat a path to the black king.

8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

a b e d e f g h

Chapter 5 - Breakthrough with Pawns 26 1

23 ... fxg6 The opening of lines on the kingside spells

doom for the black king, as the following variations testifY:

23 . . . hxg6 24.hxg7 i.xg7 25.'1Wh2 )"\eS 26.ttJxg6! fxg6 27.)"\xg6 and the bloodbath can commence.

23 . . . gxh6 24.gxh7t cj:;lhS 25 .)"\xh6 i.g7 What else? 26.)"\xg7! cj:;lxg7 27.hS=Wt! A pretty way to force mate, but doubtless there is more than one way to skin a goose. 27 . . . )"\xhS 2S .Wg2t cj:;lxh6 29 .ttJfxe6t With mate to follow.

24.hxg7 gO After 24 . . . cj:;lxg7 White has several ways to

win; perhaps the simplest is 25 .ttJh5t cj:;lhS 26.Wh2! and Black cannot defend the h-file.

24 . . . i.xg7 25 .Wh2 is also disastrous for Black.

a b e d e f g h 2S.),,\xh7!

Anand finishes off in typically crisp fashion.

2S •.. @xh7 26.�h2t @xg7 27.lLlxg6 Threatening Wh6t followed by ttJe7#.

27 ... )"\xe3 28.lLle7t @f8 29.11Jxc8 Avoiding mate has cost Timman too much

material. 1-0

The case of the brave h-pawn The h-pawn is a most useful attacking unit, for a couple of reasons at least:

1) It can be used as a battering ram to force a weakness in the opponent's kingside. If it reaches h6, it leaves Black with an awkward choice: to play . . . g6, and be burdened with a permanent weakness on g7 which may be used by White for a mating attack; or to take on h6, opening the h-file and being left with a shattered pawn structure. Neither choice ever seems promising.

2) Playing h2-h4 can allow a rook to join the attack (we have already seen how White can play ),,\h3-g3 in a number of situations) and may also provide a staging post for White's pieces, for example a knight on g5 .

Vladislav Tkachiev - Alejandro Hoffman

8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

14.h4!

Villa Martelli 1 997

a b e d e f g h

The plan is very simple and is common in similar positions that arise from the King's Indian Attack. White plays h4-h5-h6 and then aims to infiltrate on the dark squares.

14 .. . aS Taking the pawn is too dangerous: 1 4 . . . i.xh4

1 5 .ttJxh4 Wxh4 1 6 .)"\e3 and the rook will swing over to g3 or h3 with a ferocious attack.

15.h5 �b8 16.h6! g6 After 1 6 . . . gxh6 1 7.lLlf1 ! the white bishop

will soon land on h6; not surprisingly, Black found this unpalatable.

a b e d e f g h 17.lLlfl !

Th e knight i s heading for g4, where i t will control the important f6-square. This knight manoeuvre is an important and thematic link in White's plan.

17 ... b4 18.axb4 axb4 19.1Ll lh2 .td7 2o.lLlg4 �b7 21 ..tf4!

Planning Wd2 and �g5 to exchange off the e7 -bishop, the only black piece that is defending the horrible weakness on f6.

2 1 .. .lLla5?! This allows an immediate tactical shot.

Closing the queenside would not save Black either, although it might cause White more practical problems: 2 1 . . .b3 22.�b l Ei:a7 23.Ei:xa7 lLlxa7 24.Wd2 �c6 25 .�g5 lLld7 26.Wf4 �xg5 27.lLlxg5 Ei:f8

27 . . . We7 allows White to break through: 28 .lLlf6t! lLlxf6 29.exf6 Wb7 30.�xg6! hxg6 3 1 .h7t <j;>h8 32.Wh4 followed by Wh6 with a quick mate.

28 .f3 lLlc8

a b e d e f g h

29 .�xg6! fXg6 29 . . . hxg6 is worse: 30 .h7t <j;>h8 (30 . . . <j;>g7 3 1 .h8=Wt! <j;>xh8 32 .Wh2t <j;>g7 33 .Wh7#) 3 1 .lLlxflt Ei:xfl 32.Wxfl Wf8 33.Wxe6 and Black's position falls apart.

30 .lLlxe6 Ei:xf4 3 1 .lLlxd8 �b5 32.Ei:al ! The black minor pieces are all quite

ineffective, and White will infiltrate decisively along the a-file.

a b c d e f g h 22 . .tg5!

Breaking though to the f6-square immediately.

22 .. . .txg5 The only way to try and complicate matters

was 22 . . . b3, but White wins by force in any case: 23.�xe7 bxc2 (23 . . . Ei:xe7 24.lLlf6t <j;>h8 25 .�b 1 Ei:a7 26.lLlg5 is pretty horrible for Black) 24.lLlf6t �h8 25 .�xf8! Another reason

Chapter 5 - Breakthrough with Pawns 263

why the h6-pawn is so powerful. 25 . . . cxd l =\W 26.�g7#

23.llJxg5 White now wins the exchange. Since Black

still has problems with the dark squares on the kingside, the rest is easy for Tkachiev.

23 .. . Wfxg5 24.llJf6t cj;lh8 25.llJxe8 .ixe8 26J�xa5 b3 27J�a8 Wfe7

mate.

29 . .idl cj;lg8 30.Wff4 cj;lfS 31 ..ig4 llJb6 32J�a6 .ib5 33.ga5 .ic6 34.geal .ie8 35.g3 .ic6 36.cj;lg2 .ie8 37.cj;lO .ic6 38.cj;le3 .ie8 39.ga6 .ib5

8 7 6 5 4 3 2

a b c d e f g h

40.gxb6! gxb6 41 .ga8t .ie8 42.Wff6 Wfxf6 43.exf6

White has achieved complete domination, with his king now free to glide forward.

43 . . . gd6 44.cj;lf4 gb6 45.cj;lg5 gb7 46.f4 gd7 47 . .iO gd6 48.g4 gd7 49.£5 exfS 50.gxf5 gd6 5 1 ..ig4 1-0

Can the h-pawn be stopped? We've already seen how much damage the h-pawn can do if it is allowed to reach h6, so you may ask what happens if Black simply stops this errant march of the h-pawn by playing . . . h6 himself, stopping the pawn in its tracks . The problem is that every pawn move in front of the king leads to a new weakness. In this case there are a couple of points worth mentioning. Firstly, it gives White the possibility of latching on to the h6-pawn by playing g4-g5 (possibly supported by a pawn on f4 or a rook on g I ) and opening the g-file. The other problem is that Black has weakened the b l -h7 diagonal, which may give White the possibility of setting up a mating attack on the light squares, for example with his queen on e4 and a bishop on d3.

Pavel Eljanov - Mladen Palac

Banja Vrucica 2009

8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

a b c d e f g h


30 . .id3! Eljanov hits upon the right idea! Despite

the reduced material , Black's king is in some danger as it is not clear how he can meet White's powerful plan of eventually playing �b l and �d3. With the white pawn lurking on h5 , Black can hardly countenance playing . . . g6.

30 .. . .ifS 31 .i>g2 In good positions there is often more than

one plan available. Here White also has the possibility of launching a pawn storm on the kingside f4-f5 . Exchanging pawns on e6 would then undermine Black's control of the light squares even further, and he would also have to constantly defend a weakling e-pawn.

31 .. J:�c7 32.gxc7 Wfxc7

a b e d e f g h 33 . .ibl !

White employs the first plan I mentioned. The deadly threat of � d3 forces Black to jettison a pawn.

33 .. . Wfc3 34.Wfxb6 c!LJc6 35.Wfb7 c!LJxd4? Black has regained his extra pawn and it

may look as if he is doing fine, bur Eljanov has seen that bit further. How does White break through on the light squares?

a b e d e f g h 36 . .igG!!

Excellent! The best attacking ideas are always the simplest ones. It turns out that the "newborn" pawn on g6 will be worth at least a piece.

36 .. . fxgG 37.hxgG This is the feared Tower of Terror that I

introduced earlier in the book. This citadel of chaos casts such a malign shadow over the immediate landscape that the enemy forces can but tremble and cower in its evil presence. (No prisoners have been known to return from the Tower of Terror alive.)

8 7 6 5 4 3 2

a b e d e f g h 37 .. . Wfb4 38.Wff7t i>h8 39.hd4 Wfe7

There is nothing better, but the ending turns


out to be hopeless as the g6-pawn completely dominates Black.

40.'I1Nxe7 .ixe7 41 .g4! White's plan is simple, to advance f4-f5 and

overwhelm Black with the kingside pawns.

41. . .cj;>g8 4 1 . . .�g5 42.'kt>g3 forces the advance of the

f-pawn.

42.f4 @f8 43.f5 .ib4 44.£6 cj;>g8 45.f7t @h8 46 . .ib6

The bishop heads to d6. 1-0

The g5-g6 pawn sacrifice White's plan of breaking through with g5-g6 supported by a pawn on h5 is clearly dangerous, but White may even be able to speed up his attack by playing the g5-g6 breakthrough as a sacrifice. The idea is to play g5-g6 directly with his pawn still on h4, and then when Black captures on g6, White plays h4-h5 . This leaves Black facing a very tricky decision, to take this pawn and open the h-file, or to play . . . g5 . I fell victim to this idea a few years ago.

Stewart Haslinger - Danny Gormally

Blackpool 2003

a b e d e f g h

16 . . . 'I1Na5 When I played this I was feeling pretty

comfortable. I had visions of playing . . . ttJc4 and . . . iWb4 and mating White in short order. However, I had completely missed my opponent's next move!

17.g6! White decides to just get on with it, counting

on the attacking potential of his bishops and the danger that can be created down the g- and h-files.

1 7 .h5 would have given me some breathing space to generate play of my own. I had doubtless planned something crazy like 17 . . . b4 I B .ttJe2 1''lxc2! ? 1 9 . 'kt>xc2 iWxa2, with very unclear play ahead. This line may not be totally sound for Black, but the crucial difference compared with the game is that at least I 'd be on the attacking side. By playing 1 7 .g6! immediately, Haslinger never gives me any opportunity to attack.

17 . . . hxg6 Forced, as the other captures lose immediately,

and Black can hardly leave such a dangerous pawn untouched on g6.

1 7 . . . fxg6 I B .�xe6t is disastrous, of course.

1 7 . . . ttJxg6 I B .h5 ttJe5 I B .f4 and White wins material .

1 7 . . . �f6 I B .gxf7t 'kt>xf7 1 9 .f4! (the simple 1 9 .ttJe2 followed by ttJf4 is also good enough) 1 9 . . . ttJc4

8

7

6

5

4

3

2 �m/u,",,, ",///"�'",/

a b e d e f g h

20.�xe6t ! �xe6 2 1 .1Mi'g4t �f7 (2 1 . . .�e7 22.e5+-) 22.�xf6 gxf6 23 .1Mi'd7t and 24.E!:dg1 t leads quickly to mate.

lS.hS! gS! The only reasonable defence.

Opening the h-file would be suicidal: 1 8 . . . gxh5 1 9 .f4 ! ti:lg6 20.�xe6! and the black position collapses .

8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

a b e d e f g h 19.h6! g6?

This attempt to keep lines closed backfires horribly. I played this very quickly, perhaps in shock about how quickly White had built up a ferocious attack.

White's attack is already so dangerous that the only way to even stay on the board is with 1 9 . . . b4! , although 20.hxg7 �xg7 2 1 .ti:le2 1Mi'a4 22 .ti:lf4! gives White an enduring initiative. However, I don't recall even looking at such lines during the game.

Other lines fail to convince, for example 1 9 . . . �f6 20.hxg7 �xg7 2 1 .f4 is indeed terrible for Black.

has a strong continuation that wins on the spot:

a b e d e f g h

20 .�xe6!! fxe6 2 1 .E!:xh6 Black cannot cope with White's looming threat of1Mi'h3, and even 2 1 . . .b4 is met by 22.1Mi'h3! with a winning attack.

20.i.xeS! dxeS 21 .E!:d7! The killer. I was now regretting not playing

1 6 . . . 1Mi'c7 earlier (instead of 1 6 . . . 1Mi'a5) , as this whole line would have been impossible for White with a black queen on c7 - but now I'm just completely lost.

21 ...E!:c7

a b e d e f g h 22.E!:xe7!

I dismissed 1 9 . . . gxh6 on the general grounds Of course. White smashes through. that opening the h-file looked too dangerous, and analysis proves this to be correct. White 22 ..• E!:xe7 23.WxgS f6 24.Wxg6t <j;lhS

Chapter S - Breakthrough with Pawns 267

25 . .ixe6! At moments like this, you just feel like

saying, "Please, haven't I suffered enough?"

25 .. .'IWc7 26.ttJd5 hd5 27.exd5 gh7 28.gg1 I 'd seen enough. The h-pawn completely

hamstrings Black. 1-0

Milos Perunovic - Dejan Pikula

Neum 2004

8 7 6 5 4 3 2

a b c d e f g h In this example, White sacrifices with gS-g6

to prise open the g-file.

19.96! fxg6 1 9 . . . hxg6 is likewise met by 20.eS ! with h4-

h5 coming next.

20.e5! White switches to strategic play, depriving

Black of any potential counterplay.

The immediate 20.h5 ? ! dxe4 2 1 .hxg6 h6 would have given Black unnecessary counter-chances.

20 .. . gm Clearly Black would like to remove the

looming threat of h4-h5 once and for all, but 20 . . . .ixh4 is simply too risky: 2 1 .ttJ2f3 fie7 22 .iWh2 and gh l is coming. Black lacks

resources to defend his kingside, for example he cannot bring the knight back to f8 as 22 . . . ttJd7? simply loses the e6-pawn.

21 .ttJ28 Wid7 22.h5! gxh5 23.ttJg5 g6? Walking straight into a bomb.

23 . . . .ixgS 24.gxgS g6 2S .iWxhS gf7 was the only way to offer any resistance, even if the weakness of the dark squares looks very scary for Black indeed.

8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

a b c d e f g h 24.ttJxh7!

In this game White manages to combine two ideas we've seen in this book - the g5-g6 idea, and the ttJxh7 breakthrough as well. Clearly one attacking theme can be dangerous, but two are likely to be unstoppable!

Black has no defence: 24 . . . �xh7 2S .gxg6! �xg6 26.gg1 t �h6 (26 . . . �f7 27.iWxhS#) 27.f5t fig5 28 .gxg5 and mate follows. 1-0

Pawns on g5 and h5 - the Twins of Evil One of the most common and dangerous setups for White in the Sicilian is to get pawns to g5 and h5 . These Twins of Evil often represent impending doom for the poor black king, as a subsequent pawn breakthrough with g5-g6 or h5-h6 may prove decisive.


The 1 992 rematch between Bobby Fischer and Boris Spassky was mocked in some quarters , not least by Garry Kasparov, who saw it as a match between two past-it players with little relevance to the current chess scene. However, it did see some flashes of brilliance. In the following game, Fischer shows his great understanding of attacking themes, even in a modern opening line.

Robert Fischer - Boris Spassky

Belgrade 1 992

l .e4 c5 V!lJc3 tlJc6 3.tlJge2 d6 4.d4 cxd4 5.tlJxd4 e6 6.i.e3 tlJf6 7JWd2 i.e7 s.a a6 9.0-0-0 0-0 10.g4! tlJxd4 1 1 .i.xd4 b5 12.g5 .!iJd7 13.h4 b4!? 14.tlJa4 i.b7?!

Spassky hurries to get on with his counterplay, but his impatience backfires .

1 4 . . . 2:b8! 1 5 .b3 �b7 1 6 .�b l �c6 1 7 .lLJb2 d5! would have enabled Black to maintain the balance.

8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

a b e d e f g h 15.tlJb6!

By the smart use of tactics, Fischer is able to swap the knight on a4 for the one on d7, an exchange that proves favourable for White. Without a knight to head for e5 and then c4, creating attacking chances on the queenside, it

proves very difficult for Black to generate any counterplay.

On the other hand, 1 5 .Wxb4? ! would have fallen in with Spassky's plans: 1 5 . . . �c6 1 6 .Wc4 2:c8 gives Black tricky counterplay.

15 ... 2:bS Fischer's clever idea was that 1 5 . . . tLlxb6

1 6 .Wxb4 regains the piece with an advantage.

16.tlJxd7 Wxd7 17.�bl Wc7 lS.i.d3 i.cs 19.h5 e5 20.i.e3 i.e6 21 .2:dgl a5

Black's counterplay on the queenside is looking painfully slow. White, by contrast, is primed and ready to go - the Twins of Evil are about to do their stuff .

a b e d e f g h 22.g6! i.f6

Trying to hold the fort at any cost. Neither of the captures offer any hope:

22 . . . hxg6 23.hxg6 fxg6 24.2:xg6 and White crashes through on the g- and h-files.

22 . . . fxg6 23.hxg6 h6 24 .�xh6! would spell immediate disaster, and 22 . . . h6 23 .�xh6! is similar.

23.gxh7t! @hS 23 . . . �xh7 would have been met powerfully


by another pawn push: 24.f4! E:bc8 25 . f5 W.c4 26.iWg2 W.xd3 27.cxd3 with the huge threat of h6, destroying Black's remaining fortifications.

a b e d e f g h It may look as if the pawn on h7 shelters the

black king and takes the sting out of White's position, but Fischer proves convincingly that this is not the case.

24.ig5! Undermining the linchpin of the black

defence (or more accurately Black's only defensive piece) ensures that the attack down the g-file will be a deadly one.

24 .. . iWe7 24 . . . W.xg5 25 .E:xg5 f6 is not much better

after 26.E:g3 followed by E:hgl .

25J�g3 hg5 26Jhg5 Wif6 27J�hgl Wixf3 Desperate to generate some counterplay,

Spassky takes this pawn in exchange for the g7 -pawn, but the far-advanced h-pawns together with the open g-file offer too many combinational opportunities for White.

2S.E:xg7 Wif6 29.h6! a4 30.h3 axh3 31 .axh3 E:fdS 32.Wig2!

The tripling of pieces on the g-file is killing.

32 .. JUS

8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

a b e d e f g h 33J3gSt!

White's plan is simple - to force Black to take both his h-pawns!

33 ... cj;lxh7 34J3g7t! cj;lhS 35.h7! White will play E:g8t again and Black can

no longer keep the h-file closed, so Spassky resigned. A beautifully thematic attacking game from Fischer. 1-0

Pawns on g6 and h5 White pawns advanced as far as g6 and h5 tend to cause a serious problem for Black. If the pawns are ignored, White may well play h5-h6 next, forcing open one or more files. The other choices hardly offer much comfort either. Exchanging on g6 opens the h-file, usually with grim consequences . If Black plays . . . h6 then not only does this leave Black facing the feared Tower of Terror, but it also opens up the possibility of White crashing through with a sacrifice on h6.

Watching the following game live, I was seriously impressed by how quickly Alexander Morozevich overwhelmed his opponent's defences. Jonathan Rowson has always been a very difficult opponent for me, and I could only envy how easy the Russian made it look!

Alexander Morozevich - Jonathan Rowson

8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

Birmingham 2000

a b e d e f g h 15 .g5!?

Setting Black a difficult question.

15 ... ttJd7? Rowson underestimates the strength of the

coming storm.

Black really had to try and throw a spanner in the white attack with 1 5 . . . ttJh5 ! , trying to hold up the pawn storm for as long as possible. White does not have ttJe2-g3 here, which would be the standard method of dislodging the knight from h5 . This makes it much more difficult for White to build up any kind of initiative on the kingside, while by contrast Black has easy moves to hand, such as . . . Wc7, . . . �d7 and . . . 1"i:fc8. Mter 1 6.Wf2! �e6 1 7.ttJb6 a5 1 8 .<;t>b l Wc7 Black would have decent play.

16.b3! If I remember correctly, Rowson said he

underestimated the power of this move, which takes the sting out any attacking designs Black might have had on the queenside. Just in case Black should manage to attack the a4-knight, say by . . . �b7-c6, White opens up a path for its

retreat. Good attacking play is often related to the question of time, and if we can slow down our opponent's attack by a move or two, that's often just as useful as accelerating our own attacking ambitions .

16 . . . �b7 17.h5! Now White gets on with his own attack,

confident in the knowledge that Black has nothing on the queenside.

17 . . . f5? By opening up the game, Rowson effectively

commits hara-kiri. Although Black's task was in any case difficult, he should have left the kingside alone.

The only chance to put up any resistance was: 1 7 . . . �c6 1 8 .g6!

This assures White of a serious initiative. 1 8 . . . �xa4

1 8 . . . fxg6 1 9 .�c4t �h8 20.hxg6 ttJf6 2 1 .Wh2! d5 22. 1"i:xd5! is curtains for Black.

1 9 .bxa4 Wc7

a b e d e f g h

20.h6!? The typical breakthrough.

20 . . . fxg6 2 1 .Wd5t <;t>h8 22.hxg7t �xg7 23 .�h6t �h8 24.�xf8 1"i:xf8

White is certainly better, but Black has managed to avoid an immediate rput.

18.�c4t Wh8


a b e d e f g h 19.96! h6

Unfortunately for Black, this will not keep the lines on the kingside closed.

1 9 .. .f4 This also leads to the swift annihilation of the black king.

a b e d e f g h

20.h6! Opening files on the kingside is more important than worrying about material .

20 . . . hxg6 20 . . . fxe3 2 1 .hxg7t cj;Jxg7 22.Ei:xh7t cj;Jxg6 23 .'1Wh2 exposes the black king, with a speedy mate in prospect. 20 . . . gxh6 2 1 .Ei:xh6 ltJf6 22.'1Wh2 also leads to a quick end.

2 1 .1Wh2! �h4 22.�f2 g5 23.�xh4 gxh4 24.hxg7t cj;Jxg7 25 .1Wg2t cj;Jh8 26.Ei:dg1

Black cannot avoid mate.

a b e d e f g h 20.�xh6!

Morozevich smashes through in a blaze of violence.

20 • . • fxe4 21 .Ei:dgl! e3 22.'?Nxe3 d5 23.�xg7t @xg7 24.h6t @f6 25.g7 dxc4 26.h7

a b e d e f g h The space invaders have landed! Not only is

Black still facing a mating attack, but for good measure the pawns are about to promote. 1-0

Pawn on g5 supporting the attack A pawn on g5 can be useful in many ways. As we have already seen, it constantly threatens to torment Black by marching to g6, but it can also be used as a bridgehead for the attack. This pawn is especially useful when White decides


to attack down the h-file, for example with l:%h3 and WhS . This type of attack is seen most often in the Sozin variation of the Sicilian (although it can turn up in any opening) . The pawn on gS adds to the strength of this assault as it discourages any pawn moves such as . . . f6 or . . . h6, which might assist Black's defence.

However, there is an important defensive resource for Black worth mentioning. When White plays l:%h3 and WhS, threatening mate on h7, Black can meet this attack by playing . . . h6, responding to gxh6 with . . . g6! , blocking the attack.

In the next game, Fedorov discourages this idea by putting his knight on fS . Black did not dare to take this knight, because to do so would expose his king to a terrible attack, but the presence of such a beast so close to the black king provides decisive support to the attack. Kasparov has even suggested that in attacking situations a knight on fS is worth at least as much as a rook.

Alexei Fedorov - Zigurds Lanka Pula 1 997

l .e4 cS 2.�f3 tLlc6 3.d4 cxd4 4.�xd4 �f6 S.tLlc3 d6 6.i.c4 e6 7.i.e3 i.e7 8.�e2 a6 9.0-0-0 Wc7 10.i.b3 0-0 l 1 .�hgl �d7 12.g4 tLlcs 13.tLlf5!

8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

a b e d e f g h

White signals his aggressive intentions. Typically for the Sicilian, an extremely sharp situation has arisen with attacks on opposite sides of the board, and the slightest inaccuracy or slip by either player may lead to sudden disaster.

13 ... bS This line is in fact well known to theory, and

taking the bait with 1 3 . . . exfS is considered to be too dangerous. After 1 4 .gxfS ! White has a nasty attack, with the moves ttJdS, l:%g3 and WhS all coming.

14.i.dS! i.b7

a b e d e f g h


1 6 .g6! hxg6 1 7 .E1xg6 ltJe5 1 8 .E1xg7t! i>xg7 19 .E1g1 t ltJg6 20.exf5 Defending against such an attack is extremely difficult, and maybe even impossible. In A. Sokolov - Salov, Nikolaev 1 983, White went on to win.

16.E1g3! �e5 17.:ah3

a b e d e f g h 17 .. . �g6

It is quite funny how White has two pieces en prise for a number of moves and yet Black resolutely refuses to capture them! However, this is quite normal for this variation in which White tries to break through by brute force. There isn't a lot of subtlety involved, nor any deep positional manoeuvres, but this kind of caveman attack can prove extremely effective.

Taking the bishop with 1 7 . . . exd5 is best avoided: 1 8 .�h5! h6

a b e d e f g h

1 9 .1tJxg7! This is one of the points of having the knight on f5 , ensuring that the h-file will not be blocked. 1 9 . . . �f8 20.ltJf5 White's attack is crushing.

1 7 . . . exf5 may be Black's best chance: 1 8 .exf5 ! (The immediate 1 8 .�h5 ? i s met by the important defensive resource 1 8 . . . h6 1 9 .9xh6 g6! . ) 1 8 . . . b4 1 9 .�xb7 �xb7 20.ltJd5 �d8 2 l .f4!

a b e d e f g h

Who would want to defend such a position over the board? However, the all-seeing, all-knowing cybernetic monster points out that Black can return the material and be only slightly worse: 2 1 . . .�d7! 22 .fXe5 �xf5 23.E1g3±

18.�h5 t[}f8

a b e d e f g h


What is the best way for White to continue the attack?

19.tiJxg7!! White breaks through by force.

19 . . . hdS White wins in all variations:

1 9 . . . exd5 20 .�h6 dxe4 2 1 .lLlh5 and it's curtains for Black.

1 9 . . . �xg7 20.�d4t �g8 (20 . . . e5 2 1 .�xf7t �h8 22.�g8#) 2 1 .�h6 e5 22 .�xc5 dxc5 Now 23.Ei:g1 is forced mate in nine according to the computer, although I 'm sure most carbonbased life forms would prefer the more obvious 23.g6, when the g-pawn plays a decisive role in the final attack.

a b e d e f g h 20.�h6! eS 2 1 .tiJhS

The weaknesses on f6 and g7 prove to be the deciding factor.

21 . . .tiJce6 22.exdS b4 23.dxe6 ltJxe6 24.tiJf6t �xf6 2S.gxf6 1-0

Pawn reaches g6 - the Tower of Terror It's extremely dangerous for Black to allow a white pawn to reach g6, because it can lead

to so many combinational possibilities for White. We saw in Eljanov - Palac on page 263 how this pawn can dominate Black even in the ending, but in the middlegame it can lead to any number of mating attacks . The Tower of Terror seems an appropriate name for this pawn that can cast such an evil influence over the game.

I recall a game I played when I was about 1 6 against Andrew Hon a t the Charlton chess congress . I was completely outplayed by my opponent, but I had a pawn on g6. At one point I had only a queen and knight against a queen and two rooks, but he had to take care because of my threats against his king; and then later on, when I had only queen against queen and rook, he blundered. I won the game because of the pawn on g6! It's a great shame that I failed to keep the score of this game, because it's the one game throughout my entire career that I remember with most affection.

Farrukh Amonatov -Viacheslav Zakhartsov

8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

24.g6!

Kazan 2007

a b e d e f g h

It's always enjoyable to play such positions, where your opponent has no pl�y whatsoever and you have a free hand on the kingside.

24 .. . fxg6 25.hxg6 h6 This is one of the standard methods of

meeting the ' g5-g6 breakthrough, but the problem is that the pawn on g6 now becomes a permanent thorn in Black's side. Not only does it set up various combinational possibilities for White, but it also restricts the black king to the back rank, making most endgames unpalatable for Black.

a b e d e f g h 26J�h5!

White comes up with an unusual but strong rook manoeuvre.

26 •.• V*ie7 27J�f5! Preparing to double or triple on the f-file,

targeting the bishop on fS .

8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

a b e d e f g h

27 .. . V*ih4 This has the idea of exchanging material

with . . . l:'i:e l , but it is easy enough for White to prevent this. However, Black was in trouble in any case.

The attempt to exchange queens with 27 . . . �e4 can be met in a couple of ways.

a b e d e f g h After 2S .�f2! l:'i:c4 29 .§i.c 1 , the threat of

tripling the major pieces on the f-file is decisive. Perhaps it is even more efficient to play

2S .l:'i:xfSt! <;:t>xfS 29 .§i.xd6t <;:t>gS 30.�xe4 l:'i:xe4 3 1 .§i.xb4, with a winning endgame.

28.V*if3! V*ie7 An ignominious retreat, but the intended

2S . . . l:'i:el no longer works : 29 .l:'i:xfSt <;t>xfS 30.§i.g5t wins on the spot.

8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

a b e d e f g h


30.�g5! hxg5 After 30 . . . We I t 3 1 .l'!xe l l'!xe I t 32 . .ic1 ,

White threatens mate on f8 and wins easily.

31 .�hl 1-0

Pawn reaches f6 A pawn reaching f6 often spells the beginning of the end for Black. Especially when supported by a pawn on g5, it will tend to throw the black position into chaos. If the pawn is taken, then the g-file is ripped open, but left unmolested it will cause havoc when it takes on g7. If Black decides to play . . . g6, then the white pawn on f6 becomes a vital component of White's attack and may set up various mating threats .

Farrukh Amonatov - Artyom Timofeev

8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

20.f6!

Moscow 2007

a b e d e f g h

We have already seen that Amonatov is an extremely dangerous attacking player. Here he calculates that the opening of the g-file is worth at least a pawn.

20 .. . �d8 Not a happy choice to make, as White's

attacking chances are obvious after he takes on g7.

20 . . . gxf6 2 1 .gxf6 .ixf6 This would have been the critical test of White's idea, even if it is clear that the open f- and g-files make the position highly dangerous for Black.

22.l'!dfl ! .ig7 22 . . . Wd8 23 .Wf2 .ig7 24.l'!hg l also gives White a dangerous initiative.

23.h5 ! h6 24.l'!hgl cj;Jh8

8

7

6

5

4

3

2

25 .l'!xg7!

a b e d e f g h

White can also break through with 25 . .ixh6! .ixh6 26.l'!f6 .ig7 27.Wd2! , when the threat of 28 .Wh6t! .ixh6 29.l'!xh6# is crushing.

25 . . . cj;Jxg7 26.Wg2t cj;Jf8 26 . . . cj;Jh7 27.l'!f6 is terminal .

27.tt:lf5 ! White has a killing attack.

21 .h5 �b7 22.fxg7

8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

a b e d e f g h

22 . . . h6 There is an element of desperation about this ,

but Black is hoping to shelter behind the white pawns. In any case White was threatening g5-g6, so Black had to do something.

22 . . . <;t>xg7 23.g6! The moves just play themselves!

23 . . . fxg6 24.hxg6 ttJxg6 Mter 24 . . . hxg6 2S .Wh2, Black is defenceless.

a b e d e f g h

2S.:8xh7t! <;t>xh7 26.WhSt <;t>g7 27.Wh6t White has a mating attack, for example:

27 . . . <;t>f7 28 .Wh7t <;t>f6 29.:8fl t The king will be mated in the middle of the

board.

23.gxh6 @h7 24J�hgl :8g8 25.'\Wg2

a b e d e f g h

The pawns on g7 and h6 are too powerful and they set up the possibility of a beautiful mating finish. White is now threatening: 26.ttJxe6! fxe6 27.Wg6t! ttJxg6 28 .hxg6#

25 . . . 'iNe7 26.lLlf3! i.b6 26 . . . ttJxf3 allows a spectacular finish:

8

7

6

5

4

3

2 I'////,'/",//';;;j"�'",,,////=�

a b e d e f g h

27.Wg6t! fxg6 28 .hxg6# With such faradvanced pawns, mates like this do not come about by chance, but are a natural consequence of White's strategic dominance.

27.tLlg5t @xh6 28.tLlxf7t @h7 There is more than one way to cook a goose

here, but White finds a lovely finish.

8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

a b e d e f g h 29.'iNg6t!! tLlxg6 30.hxg6t @xg7 3 1 .i.h6t @f6 32.:8dfl t 1-0


g4-gS with a black pawn on h6 We have already discussed how a pawn on h6 acts as a hook for White to latch on to. This particularly applies when White launches a kingside pawn storm, as playing g4-g5 may then force open either the g- or h-file. It is often the case, as in the following game, that the g4-g5 pawn thrust also attacks a black knight on f6, making it doubly effective.

Alexander Grischuk - Lubomir Ftacnik

Calvia (01) 2004

l .e4 cS 2.tlJf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.�xd4 tlJf6 S.tlJc3 a6 6.i.e3 eS 7.tlJb3 i.e6 8.'?Nd2 i.e7 9.f3 �bd7 10.g4 0-0 1 1 .0-0-0 �c8 1V;t)bl tlJb6 13.h4 '?Nc7

In his notes to this game, Ftacnik pointed our that the attempt by Black to break our in the centre with 1 3 . . . d5? ! doesn't work due to 1 4.�xb6! �xb6 1 5 .g5 ctJh5 1 6 .exd5 �f5 1 7 .�d3 with a large advantage for White.

8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

14.hS!

a b e d e f g h

Grischuk advances his pawns in the right order. White now threatens to continue with g4-g5 and overwhelm Black with a kingside pawn storm.

14 .g5 ctJh5 ! would slow down the attack considerably.

14 . . . h6? This acts like a red rag to a bull.

It was necessary to take preventive measures against the coming assault: 1 4 . . . ctJfd7! 1 5 .g5 ctJc4 1 6 .�xc4 �xc4 Withour the light-squared bishop, White's kingside attack is not quite as dangerous . However, 1 7 .E1dgl b5 1 8 .g6! still looks better for White.

IS .gS! The g-file is forced open. Despite spirited

resistance, Black will not able to contain White's attack along this file.

IS ... hxgS 16.i.xgS dS 17.�gl ! White's attack plays itself. Now �h6 is a big

threat.

17 ... �fd8 18.i.d3 d4 After 1 8 . . . dxe4, White gets the job done

with simple chess : 1 9 .�xf6 �xf6 20.ctJxe4 �e7 2 1 . �h6! It's all very painful for Black.

a b e d e f g h 19.�dS!

This enables White to unleash the attacking potential of his light-squared bishop (as I mentioned, Black should have strived to exchange it earlier) . The rest of the game is easy for Grischuk.

Chapter S - Breakthrough with Pawns 279

8 �'!J-W�'P 7 _ " �5f� W . �_ 6 {_�' ' '/_I_'' ' ' /� W""' ;� ��,�"", �,�� : �D��DDj � ", ,/ � 3 _CZJ_�_ t3J _ 2 �'� r'e; � .� �j[j?�jWia� �%"''' 1 m�� M � ¥�

a b e d e f g h 19 .. . .ixd5

There aren't really any improvements to be found: 1 9 . . . ltJbxdS 20.exdS ltJxdS 2 1..� h6 J.f6 22.J.xg7 J.xg7 23.h6 is not much different to the game, with White's attack both obvious and strong.

20.exd5 lbbxd5 21 ..ih6! lbe8 2 1 . . .J.f8 loses to 22.J.xg7 J.xg7 23.h6.

22 . .ixg7! lbxg7 23.h6 .if6 24.hxg7 hg7 25.�h6 f6

a b e d e f g h 26.lbc5!

Blow after blow. The infiltration on the light squares is decisive.

26 .. J�d6 27.�h7t @f8 28 . .ic4 ge8 29.lbe4 ge7 30.hd5!

After 30 . . J''1xdS 3 1 .ltJxf6! the threat of mate on g8 is lethal . 1-0

Pawn reaches h5, forcing open the h-file In many opening systems, prising open the h-file is part of the overall strategy. It tends to occur most often in systems where Black has fianchettoed his king's bishop, one familiar example being the Yugoslav Attack against the Sicilian Dragon. In his classic My 60 Memorable Games, Bobby Fischer was particularly dismissive of the Dragon, suggesting that White simply had to "pry open the h-file, sac, sac . . . mate!"

Of course, in reality this kind of attack does not always lead to a forced mate, but the danger is always lurking, forcing Black to stay on his toes. Black often tries to stop this plan in its tracks by playing . . . hS , stopping the march of the white h-pawn, but this involves its own dangers as we shall see later in the chapter.

Nikita Vitiugov - Denis KhismatuUin

Moscow 2009

l .d4 lbf6 2.c4 g6 3.tLlc3 .ig7 4.e4 d6 5.0 0-0 6 . .ie3 a6 7.�d2

In the Samisch variation of the King's Indian, White can carry out a similar plan to the Yugoslav Attack against the Dragon. This plan is to play VIi d2 and J.h6, followed by h2-h4-hS and opening the h-file by taking on g6. Then White will exchange bishops on g7 and bring in his queen with Vlih6, leading to mate. It all sounds too good to be true, but this seemingly simple plan can be effective and difficult for Black to counter.

7 . . . lbbd7 8.lbge2 c6


8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

a b e d e f g h 9.i.h6!

The correct move order to ensure that White will be able to carry out the plan outlined above.

9 .h4 gives Black the additional option of playing 9 . . . h5 ! .

9 . . . h5 10.h4! i.xh6 1 1 .�xh6 e5 12.h5 b4 13.ltJa4 d5!

8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

a b e d e f g h This allows Black to maintain the balance. As

all the old classics tell us, a wing attack should be met with a counter in the centre. (Although the wisdom of this and other well-known chess sayings was recently questioned by Hendriks in the excellent Move First, Think Later.)

14.0-0-0 White cannot smash his way through

immediately and has to show some patience.

Mter 1 4 .hxg6 fxg6, the black rook could go to 0, adding extra protection to the h7-pawn.

14 .. . �e7

8 I_-*- � ��*� 7 _ %� �%ifi�� , 6 fll fll', j�f� 5 1lIluf • • s �. f�8jllllll 4 Wd""'%'WJj ;:, , , ,%'WJj �� 3 mffl�WA��m� 2 t3J �[!y mlZJm t3J � 1 E""'%m i� ;,� M

a b e d e f g h 15.�g5!?

In such positions, playing g2-g4 is a standard option. There are two ideas behind this move. The first is to play the direct g4-g5, forcing Black to play . . . 4Jxh5, when White will sacrifice the exchange on h5 with a strong attack. The other idea is to continue with 4Jg3, after which g4-g5 would be even stronger, while there is also the possibility of sacrificing the knight with 4Jf5 ! to obtain a strong attack down the g-file.

However, with the centre exploding, would 1 5 .g4 work here? It turns out that Black has a strong sacrifice of his own: 1 5 . . . dxe4! 1 6 .g5 exf3 ! 1 7.gxf6 4Jxf6 1 8 .4Jg3 4Jg4 1 9 .\Wd2 e4 Black has more than enough compensation for the piece.

15 ... dxe4 16.ltJg3!? This introduces the threat of 4J f5 and makes

the position a real mess.


Another option was to simply recapture with 1 6 .fxe4 We6 1 7.Ei:h4 Wxc4t 1 S .�b 1 , with attacking chances for both players.

16 • . • exd4 It is very difficult to weigh up the

consequences of all the possible captures on every move, but what is clear is that White has excellent practical chances .

After 1 6 . . . exf3 1 7 .gxf3 Ei:eS 1 s .lZlf5 We6, I think that continuing to attack with 1 9 .j,d3! is White's strongest option, although 1 9 .dxe5 Wxf5 20.Wxf5 gxf5 2 1 .exf6± is also possible, when Black's weak pawns can be targeted in the endgame.

a b e d e f g h 17.lt:lf5?!

White keeps playing for the attack. Objectively this should have backfired, but you can't win games if you don't set your opponent difficult problems. Finding the right path for the defender in such a sharp position isn't easy, and it proves beyond Black in this instance.

The comparatively sterile 1 7.lZlxe4 Ei:eS 1 s .lZlxf6t Wxf6 1 9 .Wxf6 lZlxf6 20.hxg6 fxg6 2 1 .Ei:h4 would have given White only a slight edge in the endgame.

17 ... 'l'Ne5 18.g4

White now has a dangerous-looking attack. Not only does he have possibilities of taking on g6 or playing lZlh6t, he also has the option of playing Wh6. However, there is a defence available for Black.

8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

a b e d e f g h 18 . . . d3?

Short of time, Black crumbles under the pressure of having to find the only move.

1 S . . . exf3! was the right way: 1 9 .j,d3 ( l 9 .Wh6? gxf5 ! 20.gxf5 We3t and the attack dies before it has even begun) 1 9 . . . Ei:eS 20.hxg6 fxg6 It is not clear how White can strengthen his attack, an important detail being that Ei:de 1 is not an option for White.

19.1Llb6?! White misses a tactical opportunity:

1 9 .j,xd3! exd3 20.Ei:de 1 lZle4 What else? 2 1 .Ei:xe4 Wf6 22.lZle7t �g7 The black king is now drawn into a pretty ambush:

a b e d e f g h

23 .'Wh6t! ! <;t>xh6 24.hxg6t <;t>g7 (24 . . . <;t>g5 25 .l:'i:h5#) 25 .l:'i:xh7#

19 •.• 'We6? An unfortunate square for the queen - a

subsequent gxf5 will hit it with tempo.

The computer points out that 1 9 . . . <;t>h8! is the only defence, but finding this move would be beyond the capabilities of most players.

8

7

6

5

4

3

2

L-;:-;o,r�" ,=, /'

a b e d e f g h

Black simply leaves the rook on a8 en prise, but it turns out that 20.ttJxa8 gxf5 is fine for Black, who has . . . l:'i:g8 as an important defensive resource.

Moving the king to the h-file also looks counter-intuitive because White can open up this file by taking on g6, but a key point of Black's defence is that 20.hxg6 fxg6 2 1 .'Wxg6 l:'i:g8 gets nowhere for White.

a b e d e f g h

20.�h6! This idea works beautifully now.

20 ••. gxf5 21 .gxf5 �xf5 22.l:'i:gl t 1-0

Wang Hao - Zhou Jianchao

Danzhou 20 1 0

a b e d e f g h The position may technically feature attacks

on opposite sides of the board, but in reality it's a one-sided slaughter. The black king is looking more exposed than a lone climber caught on the north face of the Eiger in a winter snowstorm. The knight on f6 is the only piece saving Black from immediate mate, while by contrast his own attack hasn't even got off the ground.

13.0-0-0 �b4 14.e5! Undermining the defender on f6 is a crucial

part of White's battle plan, because the removal of this knight will mean his attack inevitably breaking through. White systematically starts to destroy the support network of this beleaguered piece.

14 ... dxe5 15.d6! e6 After 1 5 . . . exd6, White smash�s through

with 1 6 .ttJd5 ! ttJxd5 1 7 .hxg6.


a b e d e f g h 16.tlJh3!

The knight joins the attack with decisive effect. White's central breakthrough has denied Black the chance to remove the knight with . . . �xh3.

16 ... tlJbd7 1 6 . . . tLlxh5 1 7 .tLlg5 tLlf6 l S .tLlxh7 is curtains

for Black.

a b e d e f g h There is no defence to the attack down the

h-file. After l S . . . gxh5 , the simplest win is 1 9 .Elxh5! followed by Elh3 and tLlxh7. 1-0

Black plays .. . h5 and White responds with g2-g4 Such is the danger that Black will face if the white pawn reaches h5 , he will often try to stop the attack in its tracks by playing . . . h5 himself. However, this idea also has its drawbacks. For one, it weakens Black's control of g6, making a sacrifice on that square more likely. It also gives White the possibility of a dangerous pawn sacrifice with g2-g4; if this sacrifice is accepted, White will then play h4-h5 and open up the h-file. The following game provides a good example of this.

Angelos Vouldis - Sergei Tiviakov

Plovdiv 2003

a b e d e f g h 15.g4!

This is a well-known theoretical posltlon and this pawn sacrifice has been played many times. I won't get involved in a theoretical discussion as that would be beyond the remit of this book, but suffice to say, I would always prefer to play White here. He has a clear target - the black king!

15 .. . hxg4 White was threatening to open the g-file by

capturing on f6 followed by gxh5 , so Black feels obliged to take the g4-pawn.

2S4 Mating the Castled King

16.hS! This is the point. White opens up the h-file

by force.

16 .. . tlJxhS 17 . .!iJdS �e8

8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

a b e d e f g h 18.�xhS! gxhS 19.'�h2! �xdS 20.i.xdS YNc8 21 .YNxhS

White had a dangerous attack against the black king and went on to win.

8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

Vidar Taksrud - Marina Lein

Davos 2006

a b e d e f g h 19.94! hxg4 20.hS!

The crispest continuation. It's important not to give Black time to get her defence together.

Although 20.fxg4? ! may well retain a large advantage for White, it is hardly in the spirit of the attack.

20 ... YNb7 Black leaves the h5-pawn alone, but we shall

see that this leads to new problems.

Mter 2o . . . lLlxh5 , White can infiltrate down the h-file: 2 1 .fxg4 lLlf6 22.Wh2! (22 .ih6 is also good enough to win after 22 . . . lLlxg4 23.ixg7 <;t>xg7 24.ie2) 22 . . . �eS 23 .Wh4 lLld7 24.ie2 Wb7 25 .Wh7t <;t>fS 26.�fl El:abS

a b e d e f g h

27.El:xf7t! <;t>xf7 2S.El:fl t and Black is soon mated.

a b e d e f g h 21 .h6!

The bishop is forced back to h8, where it serves to suffocate the black king.

21 .. .i.h8 22.h7t tiJxh7 22 . . . Wg7 is met by 23 .i.h6t <j;Jxh7 24.i.g7t!

with mate in two more moves.

a b e d e f g h 23J�xh7!

Removing an important defender. Once again an exchange sacrifice proves to be the decisive blow, as Black's hopes of putting up some kind of defence are quickly dashed.

23 . . . i.g7 Akin to resignation, but the attack cannot be

resisted in any case.

23 . . . Wxh7 24.'1Wh2t <j;Jg8 would let White finish in style:

a b e d e f g h

25 .�xh8t! Wxh8 26.i.f6t Wg8 27.Ei:h l with mate to follow.

24J�xg7t! <j;Jxg7 25.i.h6t �g8 26.'?fig5 f6 27.'?fixg6t �h8 28.Ei:hl 1-0

Black plays •.• h5 and White sacrifices on h5 The other drawback of playing . . . h5 is the possibility that White then has of sacrificing on h5 , usually with either a bishop or a knight, exposing the black king to the onslaught of the white heavy pieces .

Garry Kasparov - Viswanathan Anand

8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

15.g4!

Linares 1 994

a b e d e f g h

Around the time this game was played, this method of trying to break down the Scheveningen variation was extremely popular. White commits to an all-out assault on the kingside and counts on his attack landing before Black gets the chance to launch his counterplay. Shirov and Sutovsky were two notable names who won knockout victories with this type of pawn attack.

However, such a style of play is not without its dangers for the attacking side, as pushing the pawns in front of his own king could eventually come back to haunt White. Eventually methods of defence were discovered for Black and this variation lost some of its


bite, but at the time of this game, the variation was relatively new and the practical problems it posed proved beyond the Indian genius. It is essential for Black to strive for any source of counterplay, and above all , not to panic - not an easy task.

15 .. J�bS 16.g5 tiJd7 17.i.g2 geS

a b e d e f g h IS.ga!

Preparing a standard attack that we have already seen a few times in this book: E!:h3 and iWh5, followed by breaking through on h7.

IS ... tiJc5?! With the benefit of hindsight, this appears

to be too slow.

Given the ferocity of the forthcoming white attack, Black should already be thinking about taking defensive actions rather than trying to chase some non-existent attack on the queenside. This could have been achieved with 1 8 . . . g6! 1 9 .E!:h3 �f8 20.f5 ltJb4! tying the white queen to the defence of the c2-pawn. After 2 1 .f6 ltJe5 , prospects are unclear. The black knight controls the f3-square, making it difficult for White to set up the sacrifice that is seen in the game.

19.9h3! g6 2o.Wfg4

8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

a b e d e f g h 20 ... tiJb4?

Black takes his eye off the d4-square, a decision that proves crucial later.

Black can hardly contemplate going down the line 20 . . . e5 2 1 .f5 . Not only does it make the white pawns look even more threatening, but there is also the threat of a white knight landing destructively on the d5-square.

Kasparov would have a much harder task proving a forced win against 20 . . . �d7! , simply connecting the rooks. 2 1 .iWh4 h5 22.�f3 mg7! Black prevents the key �xh5 breakthrough, as this will now be met by . . . E!:h8 . It is not obvious how White can make progress.

21 .Wfh4 h5 22.i.a! i.fS Black hurries back to try to defend the king,

but White crashes through in any case.

22 . . . ltJxc2 23.�xh5! ltJxe3 24 .�f3 leads to forced mate.

The idea from the previous note of playing 22 . . . mg7 would not save Black here. It is strongly met by 23.f5 ! exf5 24 .�d4t mf8 25 .�xh5 ! . This variation would not be possible if the black knight was still on c6! '

a b e d e f g h 23.hlS! gxhS 24.WfxhS

This sacrifice is not at all risky from White's point of view; not only does he have a rampant attack down the h-file, but there is also the possibility of f4-f5 in the air, overwhelming the black defences even further.

24 ... �g7 2S.�d4! Kasparov has calculated everything, as usual .

2S ... eS


The beginning of the end; now f5-f6 is a huge threat.

26 .. . tiJxe4 Black is utterly squashed in all variations , for

example: 26 . . . exd4 27.Wfh7t <;t>f8 28 .f6 tLle6 29.Wfh8t! j,xh8 30.Elh8#

27.Wfh7t @f8 28.tiJxe4 � 29.Wfxf5 exd4 30.lLlf6! Wfxc2

30 . . . Ele5 3 1 .tLld7t <;t>e8 32. tLlxe5 j,xe5 33 .Elel is an easy win for White.

31 .lLlxd4 Wfxb2 32J:!dl �eS 33.tiJd7t @e7 34.tiJxeS �xeS 3S.Wfe4 1-0

Black pawns on g6 and h6 Black sometimes manages to erect a seemingly insuperable barrier on the kingside by placing pawns on g6 and h6. This set-up means that White cannot make progress with his g- and h-pawns alone: h4-h5 is met by . . . g5 , and g4-g5 by . . . h5 , so White has to resort to other methods to force through his attack. One of those ideas may be to force . . . g5 anyway and attack along the weakened b l -h7 diagonal, another idea is to destroy the black pawn formation with a timely push of the f-pawn.

Darmen Sadvakasov -Viktor Korchnoi

Astana (4) 2003

a b e d e f g h


15 .. . llJxf4!? A lot of players will find this exchange very

surprising. Isn't the knight strong on d5? But of course Korchnoi understands strategic play better than most, so we should try and understand his reasons. Although the knight looks very strong, it is not obvious that it is doing anything at the moment, whereas it can be argued that the bishop on f4 has just as much long-term potential . For example, the bishop may be able to support a future offensive against the black kingside.

White retains slight pressure against other options, for example 1 5 . . . lLl 7f6 1 6.Wf3 0-0 1 7.g4 lLlxf4 l s .lLlxf4 lLld5 ! 1 9 .1Lld3! and it is easier for White to attack on the kingside than it is for Black on the other wing.

16.llJxf4 V!Jc7 17.V!Ja 0-0 18.g4 The big difference in this position is the

kings . The black king is much more vulnerable - it is obvious that White has a big attack on the kingside and he already has a threat of g4-g5 . Black lack similar targets on the queenside, so he must generate counterplay in the centre to distract White from his attack, a task that proves beyond Korchnoi.

8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

a b e d e f g h 18 .. . g6?!

Korchnoi decides to deal with White's large

threat of playing g4-g5 by concrete means. However, this just leads to more weaknesses on the kingside, which ultimately prove decisive.

Whatever Black does, he cannot solve all his problems and equalize completely. For example, 1 8 . . . e5 1 9 .dxe5 lLlxe5 20.Wg3 with nagging pressure for White, who still has the annoying threat of g4-g5. 20 . . . Elad8 2 1 .g5 Elxd l t 22.Elxd a White has a pleasant edge, although the reduced material should certainly help Black's chances of a successful defence - he is in less danger of being mated in an endgame.

19.V!Je3! Immediately setting his sights on the new

weakness that has been created on h6.

19 .. J:!£e8 The central break only aids White now:

1 9 . . . e5 20 .lLld3! exd4 2 1 .Wxh6 and with h4-h5 coming, White has an obvious and powerful attack.

20.llJh3! �g7 None of the alternatives are convincing

either, for example 20 . . . c5 2 1 .'lWxh6 cxd4 n.h5 Elac8 23.Eld2 lLle5 24.lLlg5 just looks winning for White.

a b e d e f g h


21 .hS! Once again we see one of the keys to good

attacking play - make every move a useful one and don't give your opponent a chance to breathe.

21 . ..gS 22.f4! gxf4 22 . . . f6 23.Ei:hfl would also greatly favour

White. He could double rooks on the f-file, preparing an eventual sacrifice on g5 , and there is also the possibility of the white queen reaching g6 in many variations.

23.lLlxf4 The black kingside has been softened up by

White, who will inevitably break through with g4-g5 at some point.

23 ... eS 24.lLlh3 exd4 2S.VNxd4t lLleS 26.gS! hxgS 27.lLlxgS !!ad8 28.h6t @g8

8 7 6 5 4 3 2

a b e d e f g h Can you find a forced win for White here?

29.VNc3? The blunt 29.h7t! was killing immediately:

29 . . . Wh8 30.�xe5t! ! �xe5 (30 . . . Ei:xe5 3 1 .Ei:xd8t �xd8 32.ltJxf7t +-) 3 1 .ltJxf7t i>g7 32.ltJxe5 Ei:xd l t 33.Wxd l White wins easily on material .

29 ... !!xdlt 30.!!xdl VNe7 31 .!!gl f6

32.lLle4t @h8 33.!!g7?! 33 .�g3 ! , with the huge threat of �g7t

followed by a white knight landing on f6, would have been immediately decisive. Despite his errors, White still retains a large advantage, due to the exposed black king and the huge pawn on h6.

33 ... VNf8 34.VNd4 lLlf3 3s.VNd3 lLIeS 36.VNe3 f5?

A final mistake.

37.lLIgS! f4 38.VNe4 1-0

Black pawns on g6 and h6 - broken down by sacrifice Another way of breaking down the solid defensive pawn formation that Black can erect with pawns on g6 and h6 is by sacrificing a knight on f5 . Such a piece sacrifice on f5 (or h5) is more often than not played with the intention of opening the g-file. In the right circumstances, this can easily be worth a piece as we can see from the following game.

Blazimir Kovacevic - Ognjen Cvitan

Stari Mikanovci 2009

8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

a b c d e f g h 2S.lLlfhS

White now has an obvious threat of g4-g5 , supported by the knight on h5 . Black tries to discourage this , but runs into danger from another direction.

2S ... g6 26.lLlf5! Taking either knight is obviously taboo, as

the opening of the g-file would lead to a savage mauling of the black king.

26 . . . �ffi 26 . . . gxf5 27.gxf5t <;t>fS 2S .f6! l2Jxf6 29 .'lWg7t

is nothing short of a massacre.

a b e d e f g h 27.gS!

White's attack casts an aesthetic impression. Black can no longer keep the g-file closed.

27 . . . hxgS Mter 27 . . . gxf5 2S .gxh6t 'lWg6, almost

anything wins for White, but 29 .�xf5 ! 'lWxg2t 30J::ldxg2t <j;>hS 3 1 .�gS# is an elegant finish.

28.WixgS Wid8 29 . .!lJh6t! �xh6 30.Wixh6 1-0

White pawns on f5 and gS In an ideal situation, White would launch as many pawns at his opponent's kingside as possible, because logic dictates that it increases the chances of his attack breaking through. We

have seen the difficulty that Black faces dealing with just the g-and h- pawns, the Twins of Evil , so throw the f-pawn in as well and these portents of doom can become the Triplets of Destruction.

However, White needs to bear in mind that an attack which involves flinging his f-pawn at the black king does have its drawbacks, because it weakens the defence of his e-pawn, which may then become a source of counterplay for Black. The e4-pawn can be targeted by a bishop on b7, for example, and if this bishop captures on e4 then it may simultaneously target a rook on hI and the pawn on c2 . So White needs to weigh up carefully any decision to push his f-pawn.

8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

17.f5!

Peter Leko - Loek van Wely

Wijk aan Zee 2002

a b e d e f g h

This move creates several problems for Black: not only does he have to watch out for the possibility of White flicking in f5-f6, but there is also great pressure on the e6-point.

17 .. .l:Uc8 Black certainly cannot put pressure on the

e4-pawn directly with 17 .. .tLlc5 ? because l S .b3! would then trap his queen .


Black also should be careful not to weaken the d5-square with the tempting but faulty: 1 7 . . . e5? 1 8 .ctJde2!

This is pretty much killing. The threat of ctJg3 followed by f5-f6 essentially forces Black's hand. The immediate 1 8 .f6 ! ? is not bad, but Black can survive: 1 8 . . . exd4 1 9 .fxe7 dxc3! ? ( 1 9 .. Jlfe8 2o.,bd4 l"i:xe7 2 1 .11*'f4;\;) 20.exf8=11*'t l"i:xf8 2 1 .11*'xc3 11*'xc3 22.bxc3 ixe4 Black has some compensation for the exchange in the endgame.

18 . . . ixe4 1 9 .ctJxe4 11*'xe4

a b e d e f g h

20.f6! gxf6 2 1 .ctJc3! 11*'f5 22.ctJd5 11*'e6 23,ctJxe7t 11*'xe7 24.11*'xd6 11*'xd6 25 .l"i:xd6

White has an overwhelming advantage in the endgame.

8 7 6 5 4 3 2

18.g6!

a b e d e f g h

Putting huge pressure on the black kingside. Unless something is done, White will smash through the whole kingside edifice by force. He is now threatening to take the f7 -pawn, after which the e6-point will crumble.

18 .. . fxg6 19.fxg6

a b e d e f g h 19 ... h5?

After this White keeps the nasty pawn on g6, the Tower of Terror which we have already seen in this chapter. This monster of a pawn almost always spells doom for Black, so we can confidently say this was a questionable strategic decision.

It is clear that White has a big attack, so what should Black do? When faced with such an attack the easiest thing to do is to panic and make some horrible concession, which is what Van Wely did, even though he is a world-class player. As a climber on Mount Everest might say, you have to accept a certain level of risk if you want to reach the top. You cannot play completely safe because such an option does not exist. It was risky to open the g-file, but this was what Van Wely should have done.

1 9 . . . hxg6! 20.h5! gxh5 may look extremely scary for Black, and a human's natural instinct is to dismiss such a line on general grounds, but Black had already gone beyond the point where


he could afford to be fussy about his choice. After 2 1 .Wg2 .tf6 22.Ei:xh5 'it>O 23 .Wg4, White would have a strong initiative, but at least this line would have demanded accuracy from Leko. In the game, it's just too simple for White.

20 . .tgS! tiJf6 After 20 . . . .txg5 2 1 .hxg5 CLle5 22.Wh2 Black's

position collapses .

8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

a b e d e f g h 21 .�h3!

With the simple but effective threat of Ei:f3 , followed by Ei:dfl and smashing through on f6.

21 . . .b4 22.axb4 'lWxb4 23.tiJxe6 'lWaS? Now Black is j ust a pawn down with a bad

position. The only option was to try and at least regain

some material with 23 . . . .txe4 24.CLlxe4 Wxe4, though with accurate play White keeps a strong attack: 25 .Ei:e3 Wxg6 26.CLlf4 WO

a b e d e f g h

27.Ei:xe7! Wxe7 2S .CLld5 White's threats should be decisive, for example: 2S . . . WO 29 . .txf6 gxf6 30.Ei:g l t �h7 3 1 .Wd3t f5 32.Ei:g5 Ei:fS 33 .Wf3 'it>h6 34.CLlf4+- and the black king will not survive.

24.'lWd4! Controlling the centre.

24 ... �ab8 2S.�O �xc3 26.�xc3 'lWal t 27.@d2 'lWxb2

8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

a b e d e f g h 28.�b3 'lWxd4t 29.tiJxd4 tiJxe4t 30.'j;lcl .txgst

Perhaps earlier Van Wely had missed that in the line 30 . . . CLlxg5 3 1 .hxg5 .txg5t 32.'it>b l , Black can't do anything abour the threat of CLlc6, winning yet more material .

31 .hxgS tiJcs 32.�b6 �d8 33.tiJb3 tiJxb3t 34.cxb3 .to 3S.�dxd6 �c8t 36.@d2 h4 37.@e3 .tg2 38.@fl h3 39.@g3 .tf1 40.�d7 �c3t 41 .@fl 1-0

The lustful advance of the d-pawn Good attacking play doesn't always mean just throwing your kingside pawns forward, effective though that strategy can be. Sometimes it involves something more subtle, and a welljudged thrust with a d- or e-pawn can throw


your opponent's forces into disarray. There has long been a strategic debate in chess about the merits of an i'solated d-pawn. Many players, for example Karpov, are happy to defend against the isolated pawn, aiming to blockade it, to exchange pieces and then try to win the endgame. But as Black in such positions, you have to be constantly aware of the possibility of a timely d4-d5 thrust, opening up the position and leading to dangerous attacking chances for White.

8 7 6 5 4 3 2

Gata Kamsky - Nigel Short

Linares (5) 1 994

a b e d e f g h 14.J.h6!

Kamsky immediately sets out his intentions. He wants to mate the black king! Most of the endings with an isolated d-pawn tend to favour Black, so White will naturally seek his chances in the middlegame.

14 ... b6 15.:aadl J.b7 16.:afe1 :ae8 17.J.b3! This may seem slightly illogical as for the

moment the d5-point is well-defended, but this may not always be the case. Kamsky realizes that the bishop is redundant is on c2, so relocates it to b3 where it is potentially a much more powerful piece.

17 ... a6 18.tiJ2g3

8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

a b e d e f g h White now has the idea of playing It:lc3 to

undermine Black's control of the d5-square. How can Black possibly meet this threat? To find the right solution you have to think outside the box.

18 .. . tiJb8? The wrong way. Black's position may look

secure enough when the knight reaches d7, but unfortunately for Short, Kamsky is able to find a clever way of breaking through.

If you could imagine a black knight reaching f5 , then this would solve many of Black's problems and take the sting out of the white attack. To this end, the seemingly illogical 1 8 . . . J.h4! was the right way to go. Not only does this plan to send a knight to the useful f5-square, but along the way it can reinforce Black's control over the crucial d5-square. Mter 1 9 .1t:lc3 lt:l ce7! Black has solved all of his problems.

19.Wfa :ae7 Always ask yourself "What does my

opponent intend to play?" If we consider what Black is intending to play here, then the idea of . . . It:lf6! should be obvious, exchanging pieces and removing a lot of the danger inherent in the position. So Kamsky simply prevents this idea.


a b e d e f g h 2o.lilh5! lild7 21 .h4!

Kamsky burns all his bridges behind him. To borrow a somewhat overused poker analogy, he is clearly "all in" . It may not be obvious what White is threatening, but in fact it is difficult for Black to find a useful move. Kamsky's last move increased his control over the vital g5-square - at some point he might put a knight there.

21 .. .tl�7f6

8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

a b e d e f g h 23.d5!!

Anyway! This stunning push completely wrecks any hopes Black had of erecting a suitable blockade. His king will be exposed to the full power of the white pieces, all of which will take part in the final attack.

23 •• .tihe4 Black has many ways to capture but they all

lose by force.

It is hard to offer Black any advice. 23 . . . lLlxd5 24 . .txd5 .txd5 25 .l'hd5! exd5 26.lLlf6t! .txf6 27.�xe8t Wxe8 28 .Wxf6 and

2 1 . . . .txh4 is no better: 22 .lLld6! �f8 23.lLlxb7 the bishop on h6 plays a decisive role. �xb7 24.lLlf4! lLl7f6 25 .g3 and White wins material . 23 . . . .txd5 24.lLlxf6t .txf6 25 . .txd5 is also a

simple win. The risky-looking 2 1 . . .5 leads to a pretty finish: 22 .lLlc3 ! lLlxc3 23 . .txe6t �h8 24 . .tg7# 24.dxe6!

2 1 . . .Wa8 22 . .txd5 .txd5 23.lLlef6t is also catastrophic for Black: 23 . . . lLlxf6 24.lLlxf6t �h8 25 .lLlxd5 Wxd5 26.Wxf7+-

22.lilhxf6t lilxf6 Now it looks as if there is no danger, as the

d5-square is defended by Black no less than four times, but . . .

Putting the final seal on a beautiful attack.

24 •.• £5 25J!xd8 �hd8 26J�dl 1-0

A white pawn reaches d7 A pawn reaching the d7-square is extremely dangerous, to say the least. Black has so much trouble dealing with the threat of promotion that his pieces can become tied up and unable to protect his king. To use a football analogy this time, it is as if a whole team decides to


man-mark Lionel Messi, leaving his Barcelona team mates free to score the winning goal . I twice made the mistake of underestimating such a pawn in games against Tiviakov; both times his d-pawn reached d7, and both times I was unable to deal with the direct threats of promotion.

In the following game, Black has the d7 -pawn well blockaded, while his own passed pawns are threatening to march down the queenside. However, with the black pieces tied down by the d7 -pawn, White has time to orchestrate a decisive attack. Playing such positions well is less about general understanding and more about concrete analysis and pure calculation. Luke McShane is very good at this sort of thing, but his opponent did not prove up to the task and missed a golden opportunity.

Luis Comas Fabrego - Luke McShane

Istanbul 2003

a b e d e f g h 28Jkel?

White would have won this game if he had found the crushing 28 .2''k6 ! , which breaks through on the kingside by force. The main point is: 28 . . . �g7 29.Ei:e7 b3

8

7

6

5

4

3

2

a b c d e f g h 30.Ei:xf7! This is the difficult idea to see in advance, because without this White would just be losing. 30 . . . �xf7 3 1 .Ei:xg6t c;t>f8 32 .�d6t! �e7 33.Ei:f6t White has a mating attack. The main purpose of the d-pawn in this variation is to cut the black rooks off from the defence of their king.

28 ... hxg4 29J:�e8t @h7

a b e d e f g h 3o.Wfc5??

The direct 30.Ei:xd8 Ei:xd8 3 1 .Ei:e8 is good enough for a draw: 3 1 . . . b3 32.Ei:xd8 �xd8 33 .�xf7t mh6 34.�e8 b2! 34.�xd8 b l =�t with perpetual check.

However, the computer points out that White could still win with the brilliant 30.h3! ! . The idea is to deliver a lethal check on the h-file,


for example 30 . . . b3 3 1 .hxg4 and Black has no answer to the threat of 'lWh 1 t . Another variation is 30 . . . gxh3 3 1 .l:l: 1 e7 cj;Jg7 32.l:l:xf7t! 'lWxf7 33 .'lWd4t cj;Jh6 and the removal of the g4-pawn has cleared the way for 34.'lWh4t with mate to follow.

30 .. . b3? 30 . . . l:l:b7! would have prevented White's

next move and given Black a winning position.

31 .fNc7 ga8 32.fNb7 fNO

8 7 6 5 4 3 2

a b e d e f g h 33.fNb4??

This simply loses the d-pawn and the game.

White's last chance to draw was : 33 .'lWc7 1'l:xe8 (33 . . . 'lWf6 34.'lWb7 repeats the position) 34.dxe8='IW 1'l:xe8 35 .l:l:xe8 'lWd l t with perpetual check.

33 ... gxd7 34.g8e3 fNfS 3S.geS fNf6 36.fNxb3 �g7 37.fNb4 gad8 38.fNxg4 gd4 39.gSe4 ge8 40.gxd4 gxel t 41 .�g2 geS 42.h4 gfS 43.fNg3 fNxd4 0-1

A white pawn on eS limiting Black A pawn does not always have to play a direct role in the attack to have a decisive influence on the game. A white pawn on e5 , for

example, may cramp the opponent and limit his attempts to stir up counterplay. This pawn drives a strategic wedge into the black position, controlling the useful d6- and f6-squares and keeping pieces away from the defence of the black king. Whether to try and break out with . . . f6 can often be a problematic decision for the defender.

Fouad El Taher - Martin Poulsen

Dubai 2004

a b e d e f g h 13.gfel !

Defending the important pawn on e5 . The scene is set for an all-out assault on the kingside. If Black is not able to break successfully with . . . f6 at some point, then White's attacking moves will have an inevitable flow to them - 'lWf4, 1'l:e3, lLld4 and 1'l:g3 all come into the equation.

13 .. . tiJ xcS Given what has already been stated about

the long-term dangers that Black is facing, the question is whether he can try to create immediate counterplay with 1 3 . . .f6 ! ? The c5-pawn is not going anywhere, so why not undermine the centre yet furth,er? However, given that he has already played . . . h6, another pawn push will create additional weaknesses

on the light squares around the king. White can also get to work on the centre before Black is able to complete his development. 14 .exf6 :I"i:xf6

a b e d e f g h

1 5 .c4! A useful undermining move in such situations . 1 5 . . . tt:lxc5 1 6.cxd5 exd5? 1 7.:I"i:e8t :I"i:f8 1 8 .�h7t! and Black is in trouble.

14.ttld4 a6?! In positions where Black needs to gain

counterplay on the queenside before White lands with his attack on the kingside, every move counts and this turns out to be a waste of time.

It was important to get a rook to c8 as quickly as possible, which could have been accomplished with: 14 . . . �d7!

This may also save a tempo on . . . a6, as in some circumstances Black can just play . . . b5 without further preparation.

1 5 .:I"i:e3 :I"i:ac8 1 6.Ei:g3? ! This direct approach i s overambitious.

1 6 . . . tt:lxd3! 16 . . . <;t>h8 allows White to draw with the spectacular: 1 7 .'lWg5 ! hxg5 1 8 .Ei:h3t <;t>g8 1 9 .�h7t=

1 7 .'lWxh6? 'lWxe5-+ Black successfully defends .

15.Ei:e3 ttlxd3

This is also a questionable decision as there was no need to clarifY the situation yet. This merely resolves White's weaknesses on the queenside for him. The threat of :I"i:g3 was not yet so strong that Black had to turn to panic measures .

16.cxd3 .id7

a b e d e f g h 17.lLle2!

Not only serving a useful role in defending the c-pawn, but also with one eye on a kingside attack - the knight can often head to h5 .

17 •.• Ei:ac8 1 8.d4! b5? Black fails to understand the essence of

the position. It was vital to undermine the e5-bridgehead, lest White have a free hand to attack on the kingside, so 1 8 . . . f6! was essential : 1 9 .exf6 :I"i:xf6 20.:I"i:e l :I"i:cf8 2 1 .f3 Although the clamp on the e5-square looks visually appealing for White, it's not clear what he can do with it. 2 1 . . .'lWd6 22 .tt:lc 1 �b5 ! and Black maintains equality.

19.1Llf4 1 9 .Ei:g3! is a more accurate move order:

1 9 . . . �h7 20.tt:lf4 f5 2 1 .exf6 Ei:xf6 22 .tt:lh5 Ei:O 23 .'lWd3t �h8 24.'lWg6 This is clearly a strategic disaster for Black. 25 . . . �c6 25 .Ei:e l :I"i:e8


26.lLlxg7! �xg7 27.Wfxh6t Wg8 28 .�ee3! Black's extra piece on c6 resembles a big pawn, and White's attack is crushing.

19 .•. b4!? Poulsen, who incidentally is a nice guy (and

also one of those people that are annoyingly good-looking) , takes his chance to create some much-needed counterplay on the queenside. Nevertheless, White has a way to break through immediately - can you see how?

8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

a b e d e f g h 20.cxb4?

The all-seeing silicon monster points out an astonishing possibility that White missed: 20.lLlh5 ! ! bxc3 2 1 .Wfcl ! The huge threat omg3 more than compensates for the disintegration of the white queenside. 2 1 . . . f6 22.�g3 �f7 23 .Wfxh6 White has an overwhelming attack. Another great example of the unimportance of pawns when there is the higher purpose of attacking the enemy king.

2o .. . Wfc2! Black does not fear the exchange of queens,

as his control of the c-file would compensate for his pawn minus.

21 .Wfel Wfb2 22.ltJh5 �h8 23.�b3 Wfxd4 24J�g3

a b e d e f g h 24 ... g6?

This gifts White the f6-square, a decision that will ultimately prove fatal .

Black should have resisted the temptation to touch his kingside pawns and continued with his counterplay along the c-file: 24 . . . �c2! 25 .�xg7 �b5 Black's big threat of . . . �xf2 is more than enough to keep the balance. 26.�d 1 Wfh4 Black is doing well.

25.�dl!

8 7 6 5 4 3 2

a b e d e f g h White is once again much better, and this

time he doesn't give Black a chance to escape.

25 ... Wfh4? An unfortunate square for the queen.

25 . . . Wa7! 26.Wd2 <;t>h7 27.ttJf6t <;t>g7 was the only way to stay on the board.

26.ttJf6 i.a4

a b e d e f g h 27.�g4! �xg4 28.lLlxg4 i.xdl 29.�xdl �c4 30.h3 1-0

Breakthrough with e4-e5 The e-pawn may also serve another useful purpose, as a central battering ram to smash a path through to the black king.

John Nunn - Igor Stohl

Novi Sad (01) 1 990

a b e d e f g h

16 .. . d5? Stohl loses patience and attempts to force

matters in the centre, but this rebounds tactically.

17.e5! Nunn is super-alert and seizes the chance to

break through in the centre.

17 .. . lLlxe5 To avoid the crushing possibility of a white

pawn landing on f6, Black has to shed material .

The only serious alternative was 1 7" .ttJe4, but this would have led to a strategic rout after 1 8 .�xe4 dxe4 1 9 .f6 �h8 20.�f4! . Black is horribly restricted - with the bishop on h8 trapped by the white pawns he is effectively playing a piece down - and White threatens to gain a deadly attack along the h-file with Wh4, Ei:e3-h3 etc. The only way to break free from the vice would be to demolish the e5-f6 chain but after 20" .ttJxe5 2 1 .Wh4! the pin would cost Black his knight.

8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

a b e d e f g h 18.�xe5! d4

1 8" .Wxe5 1 9 .�f4 traps the queen midboard.

19.i.xf6 i.xf6 20.fxgG fxgG 20".hxg6 2 1 .Ei:ee l dxc3 22.Ei:xf6 <;t>g7

23.8:f2 cxb2 24.We3 is also close to winning for White.

8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

23.c4?

a b e d e f g h

23 . . . Wg7 24J'hfSt �xf8 25JWe3

8 7 6 5 4 3 2

a b e d e f g h Matters are no longer so clear because of

the annoying black pawn on b2. Nevertheless, Nunn went on to win a tricky endgame some moves later.

A forced, if complex, win was available with ..• 1-0 23.�xg6t! mh8 24.ttJd2 �e4 25 .�gf6 Wc5t 26.<;t>h l 8:xe6 27.8:xf8t Wxf8 28 .Wxe6 �xd3 29.We5t <;t>g8 30.Wxb2 �g6 3 1 .Wxb6, when White's extra pawns will decide the endgame.

Chapter 6

Typical Pawn Breakthroughs

This chapter is essentially a continuation of Chapter 5 , in which I discussed the theoretical relevance of attacking with pawns. Now we are going to look at typical examples of putting this theory into practice.

All the examples are taken from openings where attacking with pawns doesn't just happen by chance, but forms part of the strategic basis of the opening. For example, in the King's Indian, Black often launches a pawn storm against the white kingside at some point. It's important that the reader is aware of the themes inherent within specific opening systems that facilitate an attack on the castled king. The next step is to adopt these strategies and put them into practice.

I have aimed for a balanced approach by presenting two games to illustrate each theme; typically in the first game White's kingside attack is the predominant feature, while in the next game Black successfully attacks on the queenside.

White attacks on the kingside - Short the Sicilian killer The first game shows many of the typical characteristics of a Sicilian. The players have castled on opposite sides, but White has a free hand to attack, while Black has no serious counterplay. This scenario is a dream situation for Nigel Short, who in the 1 980s formed a formidable reputation as a renowned Sicilian killer. Together with fellow English grandmasters John Nunn and Murray Chandler, he greatly developed the theory of 6 .�e3 against the Sicilian Najdorf, turning it into a formidable attacking weapon. Characterized by the moves �e3 , 1,1&'d2, f2-f3 with queenside castling, followed by g2-g4, h2-h4 and launching a deadly pawn assault against the black kingside, it rapidly became the funky and fashionable way of meeting the Najdorf, itself the most popular of all the Sicilian variations. White's system, which can be adopted against other Sicilian variations as well, was named the English Attack after these pioneering heroes .


Nigel Short - Vlastimil Babula

Istanbul (01) 20 1 2

a b e d e f g h This position is not actually from a Najdorf,

but there are obvious similarities . Black has a gaping hole on d5, which is readily exploitable by White, and the white pawns have already reached g5 and h5 , spelling great danger for the black king. Short didn't need to be asked twice.

IB.g6! You can play such moves on auto-pilot. There

is now a threat to play h5-h6, ensuring that files will be opened on the kingside. White also has the option of El:dg 1 , or even 'it> b 1 followed by CDd5 , so slow is Black's counterplay on the queenside.

IB .. . lLle6 Babula hurries back to protect his kingside.

The generally accepted way of meeting an attack on your king in the Sicilian is to launch an attack on your opponent's king, but this option isn't really open to him here.

I S . . . a5 is met by 1 9 .. bc5 dxc5 20.�xb5 , when Black i s simply a pawn down with a bad position.

Black's last move was designed to take the sting out of 1 9 .h6, which can now be met by 1 9 . . . fxg6 20.hxg7 CDxg7, when no immediate breakthrough for White is evident. However, Short's quiet king move merely emphasizes the helplessness of Black's situation. He has no counterplay against the white queenside, while he will soon be facing an attacking storm on the kingside.

19 ... El:fdB 2o.lLld5 �xd5 21 .exd5 lLlc5 22.gxf7t Wxf7

23.f4! By opening the position yet further, Short

ensures the poor black king will never find a safe haven. Just to add to its problems, White also has the option of throwing in h5-h6 at some point.

23 .. . �f6 24.fxe5 �xe5 25.�g4! El:bB 26.�xc5!

There is no respite for the black king.

26 .. . �xc5 27.�e6t WeB 2B.�d3 Black's king is horribly exposed, and he

has no counterplay to compensate for this dismal fact, so it's no surprise that White has a number of ways to win, for example: 2S .iWg5 ! b4 29 .iWf5 El:b7 30.El:hfl �f6 3 1 .iWxh7 with a terrible attack on the light squares .

Chapter 6 - Typical Pawn Breakthroughs 303

a b e d e f g h 28 .. . <j;le7 29.�hfl �f8 30.YNxh7 YNe3 31 .YNg6 �fl 32.h6!

Black has suffered a complete calamity. 1-0

Black attacks on the queenside - Garry shows how it's done Clearly the Short - Babula game is an example of the horrors that can await Black if he fails to get sufficient counterplay against the white king. Generally speaking, in order to open lines towards a white king castled on the queenside, Black will push his a- and b-pawns forward at some point. Opening lines in this way will not only expose the white king to danger, but White will often be forced to curtail his own attacking plans in order to deal with the threats .

In an all-out race, where both sides are trying to destroy the opponent's king protection with a pawn assault, it is logical that White's attack should land first - after all , he does have the first move. Black must therefore carefully balance carrying out his own attack with aiming to slow down White's attacking ambitions. Kasparov, in the next game, is able to juggle these problems to perfection.

Ljubomir Ljubojevic - Garry Kasparov

Belgrade 1 989

l .e4 c5 2.tLlf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.tLlxd4 tLlf6 5.tLlc3 a6 6 . .ig5 e6 7.£4 YNc7!?

A double-edged method of meeting the extremely sharp 6 . .ig5 variation.

8.YNe2 8 . .ixf6 gxf6 9 .1Wd2 is perhaps the critical

method of meeting this line. Black has the bishop pair, but White can put pressure on the centre with moves like f4-f5 .

8 .•. tLlc6 9.0-0-0 tLlxd4 10.�xd4 .ie7 l 1 .g3!? .id7 12 . .ig2 h6 13 . .ih4 .ic6 14.£5 0-0 15.�hdl

Kasparov now begins queenside operations in typically aggressive fashion.

15 ... h5!

a b e d e f g h 16.g4?

When you play the white side of the Open Sicilian, you have to accept that you'll sometimes be forced to sacrifice material if you want to fight for the initiative. If you prefer an easier life against that opening, I suggest that you play the c3 Sicilian, or perhaps some other dull system with .ib5 . (By the way, my

next book, fib5 against the Sicilian, should be available in all good bookshops soon. ) Ljubo decides to play it safe by giving his h4-bishop a line of retreat, but this turns out to be too slow and gives Kasparov enough time to work up an unstoppable initiative on the queenside.

It was time to throw caution to the wind with 1 6 .fxe6! . This would have involved the sacrifice of a piece, and perhaps facing such a formidable opponent, Ljubo feared the consequences of such a development, but after 1 6 . . . g5 ? ! 1 7.tt:Jd5 ! fixd5 1 8 .exd5 gxh4 1 9 .gxh4 the cramping nature of the white pawns on d5 and e6, and the exposed black king would have made the situation on the board most unclear.

Instead 1 6 . . . fxe6! would be a safer way to play, when 1 7 .fixf6 2"1xf6 1 8 .e5 dxe5 1 9 .fixc6 Vf1xc6 20.Vf1xe5 2"1f2 gives Black a slight pull.

16 .. . e5! Now Kasparov is given a free pass to attack

on the queenside.

17J34d3 b4 18.i.xf6

8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

a b e d e f g h 18 .. . bxc3!

1 8 . . . fixf6? would be a big strategic error. After 1 9 .tt:Jd5! fixd5 20.2"1xd5, Black's assault on the queenside has come to a full stop, while he has to deal with the immediate threat to his d-pawn.

19.i.xe7 cxb2t 20.@bl Wl'xe7 21 .�xd6 �fc8 22.� 1d2 i.b5 23.WI'e3 �ab8!

The white king may look safe on b 1 , hidden behind the black pawn, but Kasparov, as always, has seen deeper. Black's attack is far more venomous than it looks at first sight, as White has to deal with threats to his c- and a-pawns. For example, a bishop landing on a2 will likely expose the white king to a terrific onslaught.

a b e d e f g h 24.�b6 i.c4! 25.�dl �xb6

25 . . . Vf1c7! was probably even stronger than Kasparov's choice: 26.2"1xb8

a b e d e f g h

26 . . . fixa2t ! 27.<;t>xa2 2"1xb8 28 .Vf1d3 There is nothing better. 28 . . . Vf1a5t 29.Vf1a3 Vf1xa3t 30. <;t>xa3 b 1 = Vf1 Black wins the exchange, after which White can resign.

26.�xb6 �a3 27.�xb2 �xa2t! 28.'it?al 28 .'lWxa2 l::i:b8t 29.<;t>al 'lWc3t is curtains.

28 .. . �a4 29.�xa2 �xa2t 30.'it?xa2 l::i:xc2t 31 .@b3 l::i:xg2

The ending turns out to be a trivial win for Black.

32.@c4 l::i:xh2 33.@d5 f6 34.g5 hxg5 35.@e6 g4 36J:�d8t @h7 37.@f7 �h5! 0-1

This was a memorable tournament for Kasparov - it was the one where he finally broke Fischer's famous FIDE-rating record of 2785 , which had stood for a remarkable 1 7 years.

Assaulting a kingside fianchetto - the �elh4 method We have already discussed in some detail one of the ways of attacking a fianchetto on the kingside - the idea of exchanging dark-squared bishops by �d2 and �h6, followed by opening up the h-file with a quick march of the pawn to h5. A no-less-dangerous method involves pushing the f-pawn to f5 , placing the queen on h4 and then playing �h6 followed by tLlg5, leading to an extremely violent attack.

Julian Hodgson - Johann Hjartarson

Bermuda 1 997

1.d4 tLlf6 2.�g5 Hodgson, who is now sadly retired from

playing chess to concentrate on coaching, was a great attacking player in his prime. He would invariably play the Trompowsky (basically l .d4 and then 2 .�g5 against pretty much everything) , which led to the kind of messy positions he revelled in.

2 ... c5 3.d5 g6 4.tLlc3 �g7 5.e4 d6 6.f4!? 0-0 7.tLlf3 a6 8.a4

8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

a b e d e f g h 8 . . . tLlh5

Ideally Black would like to try and break in the centre with 8 . . . e6, but this loses material to 9 .e5 ! dxe5 1 O .fxe5 .

Perhaps Black should have tried 8 . . . tLlbd7!? 9 .�e2 h6 1 O .�h4 tLlh5 ! ? 1 1 .�d2 �b6! with unclear play.

9.f5 tLld7 1O.�e2 �b8 1 1 .0-0

8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

a b e d e f g h 1 1 . . . tLlhf6

If Black does not advance his b-pawn then playing . . . l::i:b8 was just a waste of time. The problem is that 1 1 . . .b5 1 2 .axb5 axb5 1 3 .tLlxb5 �xb2 14 .l::i:a2 �f6 runs into a strong rejoinder: 1 5 .tLla7! �b7 1 6 .tLlc6 �xc6 1 7.dxc6 �xg5 1 8 .tLlxg5 tLldf6 1 9 .1::i:a7 with a big initiative for White.

12.Wiel �e8 13.Wih4 c4 14.i.e3 It was possible to continue with the simple

method of exchanging bishops: 14 .�h6! ? Wib6t 1 5 .<j;Jh 1 �xh6 1 6.�xh6 tZlg4 1 7.�h4 tZldf6 1 8 .tZld 1 ! White has threats of tZlg5 ete.

14 .•. Wic7

8 7 6 5 4 3 2

a b e d e f g h 15.@hl

The pawn on f5 plays a useful role. It discourages Black from attempts to breakout wi th . . . e6, while acting as a shield behind which White can plot his kingside attack. Hodgson decides that he wants to grab some useful squares by thrusting his g-pawn forward, and first tucks his king away on h I .

This wasn't the only plan available to White - it was also possible to launch a direct attack with 1 5 .tZlg5 ! ? , intending E1f3-h3 . If Black tries to kick the knight away with 1 5 . . . h6, then White has 1 6 .fxg6! hxg5 1 7.gxOt �xO

1 8 .�h7! E1h8 1 9 .�h5t �f8 20.�g6 E1xh5 (20 . . . tZle5? ? 2 1 .�e8#) 2 1 .�xh5 White has regained material while keeping an attack.

15 .•. b6 16.g4! tDc5 17.g5 tDfd7

a b e d e f g h 18.i.d4! ltJe5 19.tDxe5 dxe5 20.i.e3

The upshot of the exchange of knights on e5 is that Black has even less counterplay than before. His bishop on g7 is horribly blunted, while attacking ideas of f5-f6, as well taking on g6, are always in the air for White. What follows is a gory attacking tour de force.

8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

a b e d e f g h 20 .•. b5 21 .axb5 axb5 22.Wif2!

Double attack - the c5-knight 'is threatened while White is also planning to crash through on O.


22 .. . llJxe4 22 . . . l2ld7 2

,3 .fxg6 fxg6 24.'IWf7t+-

23.llJxe4 gxf5

8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

a b e d e f g h 24.i.g4!

Rather than limply retreating the attacked knight, Hodgson continues in high-octane mode. As stated elsewhere in this book, the best way to prosecute a decisive advantage is to keep playing as aggressively as possible.

24 .. . e6 2S.llJf6t!? 25 .dxe6! is even stronger. Mter 25 . . . fxe6

26.l2lf6t �xf6 26.gxf6, Black cannot take the g4-bishop and so White is simply winning.

2S ... i.xf6 26.gxf6 fxg4 27.i.h6 i.b7

8 7 6 5 4 3 2

a b e d e f g h

28.�adl hdSt 29.�xdS Wfc6 30.�fdl @h8 30 . . . exd5 3 1 .'IWf5 d4t 32.�gl �h8 33 .'IWg5

l:l:g8 34.�g7t leads to mate.

31 .i.g7t @g8 32.Wfcs Wfb7

8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

a b e d e f g h 33.Wfgl! exdS 34.Wfxg4 d4t 3S.@gl Wfc8 36.WfgS 1-0

It is instructive to see how well Hodgson used his pawns in the attack - not only the f-pawn, but the later march of the g-pawn also proved pivotal , giving White the possibility of l2lf6t.

Drawbacks of the exchange of dark-squared bishops If this whole plan of playing to exchange does have a drawback, it is that it takes time. This can be used by Black to further his own attacking ambitions, as we can see in the next game.

Alexei Shirov - Peter Leko

Dortmund (3) 2002

l .e4 cS 2.tLla llJc6 3.i.bS g6 4.i.xc6 dxc6 S.d3 i.g7 6.h3 tLlf6 7.llJc3 0-0 8.i.e3 b6 9.Wfd2 eS


8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

a b e d e f g h 10.i.h6 �d6 1 1 .0-0-0

Shirov was in a must-win scenario (he was behind in the match) , and so he elected to play as aggressively as possible. But when the irresistible object meets the immovable force, there can only be one winner! (Yes, my writing reeks unbearably of lazy cliches .)

H . . . aS 12.i.xg7 c;Yxg7 13.g4

8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

a b e d e f g h 13 • • . a4!

Black intends . . . b5-b4 followed by . . . b3! breaking up the white queenside. There's also the option of throwing in . . . a3! at some point, which is actually what happens in the game. By contrast, it's not so easy to see what White is doing on the kingside - h3-h4 is never

possible because the g4-pawn would simply be en prise, and g4-g5 gets nowhere after . . . tLlh5. This leaves only the possibility of some kind of attack with tLle2-g3 , but this takes time and Black is already well placed for an immediate assault on the white king.

14.tt:le2 bS IS.tt:lg3 b4! It's always good to make such moves. Black

is safe in the knowledge he is guaranteed to get chances on the queenside at some point.

a b e d e f g h 16.�gS!?

Of course, Shirov played this game before he was able to read this chapter. Had he done so, he would have realized attacking with pawns, not just pieces, is a viable option!

The direct assault with 1 6.g5 might have given better practical chances of winning the game: 1 6 . . . tLleS 1 7.h4 a3 1 S .b3 ii.g4 1 9 .'lWe3 f6? ! This is a tempting way to try and exploit the pin of the f3-knight. (The solid 1 9 . . . Ei:dS 20.h3 'it>gS is a more prudent defence.) 20.h5! fXg5 2 1 .tLlxg5 ii.xd 1 22.'it>xd 1 White has decent punting chances in return for the exchange.

16 .•. Ei:e8 17.tt:ld2 1 7 .tLlf5t? ! ii.xf5 1 S .gxf5 ( 1 S .exf5 b3 1 9 .cxb3

axb3 20.a3 'lWd5 is also promising for Black) l S . . . b3! 1 9 .cxb3 axb3 20.a3 c4! This just looks


lousy for White. One attractive line is: 2 1 .dxc4 Wffc5 22.ctJd2 :i:%xa3!-+

17 .. . a3

8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

a b e d e f g h 18.bxa3?

Shirov opens the a-file, but this turns out to be a suicidal decision as there is nothing to quell the black initiative.

It was probably time to resign himself to a draw after: 1 8 .b3 Wffd4 1 9 .ctJc4 Wffa l t 20.Wd2 Wffc3t 2 1 .Wc1 (2 1 .We2 h6 22.Wffd2 Wffxd2t 23.:i:%xd2 is also close to equal) 2 1 . . . Wffa l t=

18 ..• h6 19.'1We3

8 7 6 5 4 3 2

a b e d e f g h

19 . . . �e6! Perhaps Shirov had missed this move. The

white knight is prevented from settling on the c4-square and the open a-file spells doom for the white king.

20.lLlb3 :gxa3 21 .'%Vxc5 '%Vb8! 22.@b2 lLld7 23.'%Ve3 lLlb6

For a measly pawn Black has a nasty attack indeed. The game did not last much longer.

8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

a b e d e f g h 24.:ga1 c5 25.@c1 c4 26.dxc4 .!Llxc4 27.'%Ve1 '%Va7 28.'%Vxb4 '%Vrll 29.lLlfSt gxf5 30.gxf5 :gc8! 3 1 .fxe6 lLle3 0-1

The '%Ve1-h4 attack revisited In this next game, Akopian provides another good example of the kind of kingside assault we saw in Hodgson - Hjartarson above. The Armenian manages to achieve the strategic aims of opening the f-file and exchanging darksquared bishops, and he could have crowned his attack in spectacular fashion. Although he missed this brilliant opportunity, the exposed nature of the black king meant that White retained decisive attacking threats even in an ending.

Vladimir Akopian - Lev Psakhis

Manila (01) 1 992

l .e4 cS 2.ttJf3 e6 3.d4 cxd4 4.ttJxd4 a6 S.�d3 ttJf6 6.0-0 Wfc7 7.ttJc3 d6 8.f4!

Gaining valuable space on the kingside and also demonstrating his desire to play aggressive chess. If you put your opponents under pressure by playing as aggressively as possible, rather than playing limp, insipid chess, they are much more likely to make mistakes.

8 .. . g6 9.ttJf3 ttJc6

8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

a b e d e f g h 10.Wfel ! �g7 1 1 .Wfh4 0-0 12.<j;lhl

The battle lines have been drawn. White's plan is quite simple - go for a kingside attack. He intends f4-f5 , followed by �h6 and tLlg5. The question is whether Black can create enough counterplay to effectively distract White from his venomous intentions .

12 ... bS 1 2 . . . tLlb4 might discourage White from

pushing his f-pawn, but trouble comes from a different direction: 1 3 .e5 ! tLld7 ( 1 3 . . . dxe5 drops a piece to 14 .fxe5 tLld7 1 5 .'lWxb4) 1 4 .tLlg5! ( 1 4 .f5 ! tLlxd3 1 5 .f6! is also strong) 1 4 . . . h6 1 5 .tLlge4 dxe5 1 6 .fxe5 White's initiative is extremely dangerous.

13.f5! b4 14.ttJe2 exfS lS.exfS dS 16.�h6 Akopian has completed step one of his plan,

putting the enemy king under pressure. It is clear what White now intends - tLlg5 with a mating attack. Realizing this, Psakhis rushes to create counterplay in the centre.

16 ... ttJeS 17.�xg7 <j;lxg7

8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

a b e d e f g h 18.ttJf4?

It was a pity for Akopian that, after achieving so much strategically on the kingside (exchanging dark-squared bishops, opening the f-file) , he did not take the chance to crown his attack with 1 8 .'lWg3! . The black king is too exposed and the dark squares too vulnerable for Black to be able to survive the coming attack. 1 8 . . . l:l:e8 1 9 .tLlf4 tLle4 What else? It is obvious that White has a strong attack whatever Black does. 20 .�xe4 dxe4 White can now overwhelm the weakened dark squares with his knights.

8

7

6

5

4

3

2

,,=jWW,

e" ""',,,,,,,,/'"''''''''''''

a b e d e f g h

Chapter 6 - Typical Pawn Breakthroughs 3 1 1

2 1 .l2lh5t! @f8 22.l2lg5! gxh5 23.l2lxh7t @e7 24.i'l:ad 1 ! The black king is caught in a deadly crossfire fro� which it will not escape.

18 ... ttJxd3!? This may appear to walk into a neat

combination, but in fact matters are not totally clear.

19.Wxf6t �xf6 20.ttJxdSt �xf5? Psakhis understandably feels he may as well

grab a pawn, as he was going to be under pressute in the ending in any case, but this fails for tactical reasons.

20 . . . @g7 2 l .f6t @h6! 22.l2lxc7 Ei:a7 23 .l2ld5 ie6 24.l2le3 l2lxb2 would have limited the damage, though even here White can continue to attack with 25 .g4 ! ?

21 .ttJxc7 �a7

8 7 6 5 4 3 2

a b e d e f g h 22.ttJd4t! �g4

22 . . . �g5 loses material to 23 .l2lce6t .

23.ttJdS! Even in the endgame, the black king is

caught in a mating net.

23 ... ttJeS 24.ttJf6t �h4 2S.�ae1 ! If the black knight moves, White will mate

with 26.l2lf3#, so Black is losing material .

2S . . . �d8 26.�e4 t 1-0

The Empire strikes back In the next game, White is also able to exchange the dark-squared bishops and gain space on the kingside with f2-f4. However, there is the difference that the black king is much more difficult to get at, whereas the white king is posted on the queenside and is therefore more vulnerable. Black is able to take advantage of this by quickly mobilizing his pawns.

Thomas Emst - Jaime Sunye Neto

Manila (01) 1 992

l .e4 cS 2.ttJa e6 3.d4 cxd4 4.lLlxd4 a6 S.�d3 �cS 6.ttJb3 �a7 7.We2 ttJc6 8.ttJc3 d6 9.�e3 bS

8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

a b e d e f g h 10.0-0-0

With the benefit of hindsight, 1 0 .0-0 would have been safer. Black now makes the smart decision to leave his king in the centre for as long as possible. This means White lacks a clear target, while Black can quickly build up a dangerous attack on the white king.

10 . . . ttJge7!


The knight is better placed here than on the f6-square in several Sicilian variations, such as the Taimanov. It is less vulnerable to a white pawn attack with g4-g5 .

1 1 .£4 b4!

8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

a b e d e f g h 1 v!lj bl?

This invites the black pawns to advance at incredible speed.

I believe it is imperative to throw a spanner in the works with 1 2 .ttJa4! . Mter 1 2 . . . i.xe3t 1 3 .':Wxe3 l:!bB 1 4 .e5 , the a4-knight can always find a way back into the game via the c5-square, though at the moment it is doing a useful job of holding up the black a-pawn.

12 .. . a5! 13.tiHd2 Vfic7 14.llJa a4! Storm clouds are already starting to gather

over the white king.

15.tLlbd2 d5! 16.�xa7 l:ha7 17.e5? Mter this , Black's attack pretty much plays

itself. When you are strategically worse it is not a good idea to close the position, as more often than not it will j ust aid your opponent even more. Here it was essential to keep some tension in the centre.

1 7 .exd5 exd5 I B .ttJe5 0-0 1 9 .ttJxc6 ttJxc6

20.':Wh5 f5 2 1 .':Wf3 may not be particularly appetizing for White either, but at least Black would be forced to keep an eye on the centre. In the game, Black has a free hand to attack on the queenside.

a b e d e f g h 17 ... �d7

Another valid continuation would have been to play on the dark squares with 1 7 . . . a3 ! ? I B .b3 ':Wb6 followed by . . . ':Wc5 .

18.Vfifl b3 19.a3 bxc2 20.�xc2 0-0 The smoke has cleared and it is obvious

that White faces an uphill task. Black will retain pressure against the white queenside for many moves, although it must be said that no immediately decisive breakthrough is in sight.

a b e d e f g h

2U�bl l:!b8 22.<j;lal h6?! Starting with this unnecessary move, Black

begins to drifts somewhat and fails to land the killer blow.

22 . . Jla6! 23.l:!b 1 Wb7 24.l:!hc 1 l:!b6 would have put White under serious pressure.

23.l:!bl l:!ab7 24.l:!hc1 l:!b6?! 2S.i.xa4 �b7 26.b3 �a7 27.�cS

The position resembles a Benko Gambit, where Black sacrifices a pawn for long-term pressure along the a- and b-files. But there is a big difference - the white king does not normally end up on the queenside in the Benko!

27 ... l:!a8 28.l:!c3 l:!c8 29.l:!bc1 <j;lh7!? It is useful for Black to avoid potential

checks on the back rank.

a b e d e f g h 3o.lLld4?

After emerging from the opening in poor shape, White had managed to outplay his opponent and get back in the game. Here though, he goes horribly wrong.

After 30.g4! matters would have remained highly unclear.

3o . . • lLlxd4! 31 .�xe7

3 1 .�xd4 lLlf5 ! 32.Wgl E1xc3 33 .E1xc3 �xa4 34.bxa4 d4 is also disastrous for White.

31 .. .l:!xc3 32.l:!xc3 ttJe2 33.i.xd7 After 33.E1c2 E1b7, White has no good

answer to the threats of . . . �xa4 and . . . Wd4t.

33 . . .tlJxc3 34.�xf7 �xa3#

White attacks on the queenside In many opening variations the black king will seek shelter on the queenside. One of the most famous of these is the Semi-Slav, and especially the Botvinnik variation. The following game isn't a "pure" Botvinnik, but the strategical aims for White remain the same - to chip away at the huge clump of black pawns on the queen side until a path is cleared towards the black king. The white a- and b-pawns play a pivotal role in undermining Black's grip on the queen side and blasting a way towards the enemy king.

&tdie Dearing - Sergey Erenburg

Budapest 2004

l .d4 dS 2.c4 e6 3.lLlc3 c6 4.lLlf3 ttJf6 S.i.gS h6 6.i.h4 dxc4 7.e4 gS 8.i.g3 bS

9.i.e2


I have experimented with 9 .e5 ! ? here, but it must be said that Dearing's choice is much more popular. In fact, the opening seen in this game is one of the most topical and fashionable in all chess theory. Black wins a pawn, but White hopes that his active piece play will more than make up for it.

9 .. . �h7 10.lLle5 lLlhd7 I 1 .YNc2 �g7 12J::&dl YNh6 13.h4 ttJxe5 14.�xe5YNa5 15.0-0 0-O-O 16.h3!

This is a crucial undermining move, as without it White would have no means of making progress on the queen side. We have now reached a critical position - will Black make the correct choice?

8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

a b e d e f g h 16 •.• b4?

Mter this , White effectively washes away the black pawns, and gets a free hand to attack on the queenside.

The question for Black was whether taking on c4 was really such a big threat. If Black had realized that it was not so terrible, he might have got on with his own play with 1 6 . . . gxh4! 1 7.bxc4 b4! 1 8 .tLla4 Elhg8 1 9 .tLlc5 tLld7, and he would have gained some initiative down the g-file.

Incidentally, the tempting 1 6 . . . c5? 1 7.bxc4 b4 is smartly refuted by 1 8 .tLlb5 ! �xe4 1 9 .�d3,

when the black king will soon be exposed to an overwhelming attack.

8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

18.a3!

a b e d e f g h

Undermining the black pawn edifice and forcing lines open on the queenside.

18 • . . lLle8 19.axb4 YNxb4 2o.lLlxc3 �xe5 21 .dxe5 lLlc7 22.lLla4 �xdl 23.Elxdl Eld8 24.hxg5 hxg5 25.�xd8t c;t>xd8 26.YNd3t

The white pawns lined up on the e-file may look weak, but in fact they play a useful role. We have already spoken about the role pawns may take in keeping away enemy pieces, and here the e4-pawn prevents the black knight reaching its natural square on d5, while the e5-pawn controls the d6-square. White can use this as a launching pad for his queen or knight.

8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

a b e d e f g h


26 .. . 'it>cS?! A better choice would have been 26 . . . 'it>e8 ,

even though Black's defensive task would have been unenviable: 27.iWd6 iWe l t 28 .�fl �a6 29 .iWxc7 iWxfl t 30.�h2 iWxf2 3 1 .iWxc6t �f8 32 .iWxa6 iWh4t 33.�gl iWe 1 t 34 .iWfl iWxe4 35 .ctJc5 !±

27.iWd6! Forcing an easily won ending.

27 ... iWxd6 2S.exd6 ttJb5 29.e5 ttJd4 30 . .ic4 c5 31 .ttJxc5 .iaS 32.0 ttJc6 33.ttJd3 ttJa5 34.'it>f2 'it>d7 35 . .ib5t .ic6 36.ttJc5t 'it>eS 37.b4 hb5 3S.bxa5

The protected passed pawn paralyses Black, who could have thrown the towel in at this point.

8 7 6 5 4 3 2

a b e d e f g h 3S . . . .ic6 39.'it>g3 .ib5 40.'it>g4 .ifl 41 .g3 .ie2 42.ttJe4 'it>d7 43.ttJxg5 f6 44.exf6 'it>xd6 45.ttJh7 1-0

The lure of the King's Indian When I was younger, my favourite opening was the King's Indian. I just loved the strategic simplicity of this opening; all you had to do was charge your pawns forward and eventually land some decisive tactical blow. Eventually I was to find that things weren't always so

straightforward. As my chess level increased, white players seemed prepared up to the eyeballs, and I would have to memorize twenty moves of theory just to hope to get a playable position. They'd be in the process of ruthlessly massacring my queenside and taking all my pieces before my pitiful attack even left its starting blocks. Isn't life so much simpler when you're young?!

Nevertheless, played accurately the King's Indian remains a viable choice for Black at all levels . The pawn storm that Black launches against the white kingside will often create fresh weaknesses and open up pathways along which the black pieces will gladly flood.

Vladimir Epishin - Dejan Pikula

Biel 1 996

l .d4 ttJf6 2.c4 g6 3.ttJc3 .ig7 4.e4 d6 5.ttJO 0-0 6 . .ie2 e5 7.0-0 tlJc6 S.d5 ttJe7 9.h4 tlJh5

8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

a b e d e f g h 10.�el

Kramnik has recently revitalized the line with 1 O .g3 ! ? but as we know, any pawn move in front of the king is not without its drawbacks.

10 . . . ttJf4 l l . .ifl a5 12.bxa5 �xa5 13.ttJd2 c5 14.a4 h6 15.ttJb3 �a6 16.a5 b6 17.tlJb5 f5

18.g3 t£Jh5

8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

a b e d e f g h 19.�d2

It may look as if 1 9 .exf5 is winning a pawn, as recapturing with a piece seems to lose a piece to g3-g4, but this is not the case: 1 9 . . . ltJxf5! 20.g4? ltJh4 2 1 .gxh5? ltJf3t 22.<;t>h 1 'lWh4 and White will have to give up his queen to prevent mate.

19 .. . fxe4 20.axb6 �xal 21 .�xal t£Jf5! The knight stands excellently on this square.

Not only may it head to d4, but it keeps an eye on the kingside as well.

22.�g2? Under pressure, Epishin blunders. 22.�xe4 'lWxb6 23 .'lWa5 would have

maintained the balance.

8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

a b e d e f g h

22 .. . t£Jf4!! A brilliant ambush! In return for the knight,

Black will gain a dangerous pawn on f4. So dangerous in fact, that Epishin meekly declines the sacrifice.

23.�xe4? White is now faced with a major strategical

blow, the loss of his fianchettoed bishop.

As scary as it was, the only way to test Black's idea was to take the piece: 23.gxf4 exf4 24.'lWb 1

a b e d e f g h

23 . . . e3! (24 . . . f3 ? 25 .�f1 gets nowhere) 25 .fxe3 f3 26.�xf3 'lWg5t 27.�g2 ltJh4 28 .Ele2 �h3 ! Black's attack is certainly strong, but at least this sequence would have demanded accurate play from Black, whereas in the game his remaining moves are all quite obvious.

23 ... t£Jxg2 24.'kt>xg2 �f6! 25.f4 g5 26.'kt>hl gxf4 27.gxf4 �g6!

Immediately taking aim at the weakened light squares in the white position.

28.t£Jc3 t£Jh4 29.�e2 �g4 0-1

Queenside pawn storm We have already seen the effectiveness of breaching the kingside with an all-out pawn assault; but a similar strategy is just as dangerous against a king posted on the queenside.


Michael Adams - Sergei Tiviakov

New York (2) 1 994

l .e4 c5 2.lbf3 d6 3.ib5t Earlier in this chapter I half-jokingly

suggested that this is quite a boring system, but Adams makes it look like an extremely dangerous attacking weapon.

3 ... lbc6 4.0-0 ig4 5.h3 ih5 6.d '?Nb6 7.lba3 a6 8.ia4 '?Nc7 9.d4!

Posing an awkward problem for Black.

a b e d e f g h 9 ... b5?!

This is really asking for it. Black would do better to try 9 . . . 0-0-0

10 .ilxc6 Wxc6 I l .d5 Wc7 1 2 .Wd3, and at least he is not facing a ferocious attack. Even so, White has a pleasant grip and will eventually open lines on the queenside with c3-c4, ild2 and b2-b4, so I would advise Black to seek improvements earlier.

1O.lbxb5! Adams is as alert as ever and immediately

hits upon the Achilles heel in the black setup - the light-squared bishop is marooned out on h5 and cannot come to the defence of vital squares on the queenside.

1O ... axb5 1 1 .ixb5 0-0-0

White clearly has excellent play for the piece, as the black king has been stripped of all protection, and is more naked and exposed than a naturist on a wind-swept plateau. But what is the most incisive way for White to continue here?

12.h4! Of course. White aims to open up even more

files on the queenside, as the black king, shorn of defenders, cannot possibly survive a full-on assault by the white pieces.

12 ... ixf3 13.gxf3 lbb8 14.'?Na4 c4 15.d5! lbf6 16.ie3 lbfd7 17.ic6!

8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

a b e d e f g h


Despite his extra piece, Black is now completely paralysed and unable to undertake anything. White meanwhile has the straightforward plan of marching his a- and b-pawns up the board to put the final nail in the coffin.

17 .. . e6 18.b5 exd5 19.exd5 c!lJb6 2o.Wfb4 i.e7 21 .a4 i.f6 22.a5 c!lJxc6 23.bxc6 c!lJxd5 24.Wfb5 �de8 25.i.b6 1-0

A little imagination required We've all been there. Winning games with Black always seems to be much harder when you've got a solid opponent and you've both castled on the same side. You try to generate attacking play, but your opponent resembles a veritable brick wall, and no way forward seems to be available. This is when you often have to think beyond the obvious and cast your stereotypes aside. A typical example of such a situation occurred in the diagram position. Black certainly looks well placed here, the black knight on e4 casting an attractive shadow and controlling many useful squares, but how does he make progress? Lautier came up with an imaginative solution.

Hans-Ulrich Gruenberg - Joel Lautier

New York 1 99 1

a b e d e f g h

31 .. .g5! A lot of players would be afraid to make such

a move, dismissing it because "moving pawns in front of my king is too risky" . But as I 've stated elsewhere in the book, you have to assess each case on its individual merits. Lautier realizes that this is the only way to make progress, and he does not fear a counterattack as White's pieces are set up only for defence.

32.Wfe2 gxf4

8 7 6 5 4 3 2

a b e d e f g h 33. c!lJ xf4

A major strategic concession as now the black centre takes on an overwhelming appearance.

However, the alternative capture was also unpalatable for White as Black can use the open g-file to decisive effect: 33 .gxf4

a b e d e f g h

Chapter 6 - Typical Pawn Breakthroughs

33 . . . Wh8! followed by . . . :gg8! with an irresistible attack.

33 ... e5! 34 . .!lJd3 gd6 35.'iNh5 gfS 36.i.xe4 fxe4 37.'iNxe5 ge6! 38.'iNc5 'iNg7!

The upshot is that the pawns on e4 and d4 have become unstoppable. White did not last much longer.

8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

a b e d e f g h 39 . .!lJb4 gO! 40 . .!lJd5 gxg3t 41 .Whl gg2 42.'iNc7 'iNxc7 43 . .!lJxc7 e3!

Now 44.tZJxe6 allows mate in one, and 44.tLJd5 :gxa2 is also hopeless. 0-1

3 1 9

Chapter 7

Conclusion and Exercises

I hope the reader has enjoyed this book. Certainly the process of writing it enhanced my own knowledge, and I enjoyed sharing this with the reader. I would like to believe that the reader will share my enthusiasm for putting this new-found wisdom into practice. What is clear is that certain methods of attacking the castled king repeat themselves again and again, and knowledge of these methods will give you a head start over your more casual opponents, and enable you to score many quick wins.

One example which struck me during the writing of this book is just how often the exchange of dark-squared bishops enables White to exploit dark-square weaknesses and bring about the downfall of the black king. Although I was vaguely aware that the exchange of these bishops was a strategic victory for White, it's only through seeing so many practical examples that I realized just how dangerous this exchange could be for the black king. The accumulation of little pieces of knowledge like this can make a huge difference to your attacking play.

To finish off, I 've given you the reader a small selection of exercises to solve. Some of them are harder than others, but they all have one thing in common - they are related to subjects we have discussed in the book. So this is the real test to see whether or not you are now a master of mating the opponent's castled king.

Chapter 7 - Conclusion and Exercises

8 8 7 6 5 4 3

1

0 8 7 6

4 3 2 1

Lautier - Koch, France 1 994


Marin - Kiselev, Bucharest 1 997

a b e d e f g h Assess 23 . . . �xc4, 23 . . . W xj5 and 23 . . . exj5.

8 7 6 5 4 3

1

Sandor - Kahn, Budapest 1 996

a b e d e f g h Where should the black knight go?

Timman - Van WeIy, Breda (6) 1 998

a b e d e f g h How would you continue here?

32 1

CD


0 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

Aagaard - Sverrisson, Glasgow 20 1 2

a b e d e f g h How does White break through?

Bacrot - Anic, Enghien les Bains 1 997

0 8 7 6 5 4 3

1 a b e d e f g h

How should White continue the attack?

Baburin - Adianto, Liechtenstein 1 993

4 3 2 1

a b e d e f g h

CD

21 . . . CiJg3 t looks tempting, but does it work?

7 6 5 4 3 2 1

Berczes - Porat, Budapest 2005


Chapter 7 - Conclusion and Exercises

0 8 7 6

Karpov - Ki. Georgiev, Tilburg 1 994

8 7 6

5 5 4 4 3 3 2 2

a b e d e f g h L 1

Gordon - R. Pert, Sheffield 20 1 1

a b e d e f g h

323

®

How does White crown his strategic dominance? Can you spot the opportunity that Black missed?

@ 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

Howell - Nyback, Wijk aan Zee 20 l O Carlsen - Wang Hao, Biel 20 1 2

a b e d e f g h What is the best way for White to attack?

8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

a b e d e f g h Assess the outcome of 1 7. i2.xh6.


1. Joel Lautier - Jean-Rene Koch

France 1 994

31 .lDg4! The weakness of the a l -h8 diagonal is there

for all to see. (We discussed this in Chapter 4 , attentive readers will recall .)

3 1 .i.xd5t El:xd5 32. lLl g4! is also winning, though slightly less accurate as the white queen cannot immediately land on the e5-square as in the game: 32 . . . Wc6

a b e d e f g h

33 .We4! Threatening Wxd5t! followed by

23 . . . Wxf5 24.El:xa6 Wb5 is also perfectly okay for Black.

8 7 6 5 4 3 2

a b e d e f g h 24JWh6!

If you saw this crushing blow in advance, then you really are a tactical genius . Black is mated by force. 1-0

3. Christian Sandor - Evarth Kahn

Budapest 1 996

knight mates. 33 . . . El:d6 34.We5+- 26 .•. lDxe4?

31 . . . �h5 3 1 . . .Wxe3 32 .lLlh6#

32.�e5 i.xg2 33.�g7#

2. Mihail Marin - Sergey Kiselev

Bucharest 1 997

23 .. . hc4?? Falling into a terrible trap. Black had to

remove the dangerous f5-knight immediately, both methods being of equal value.

23 . . . exf5 ! ? 24.El:xa6 i.b6 is roughly equal .

This is a mistake, although it turned out successfully in the game.

The correct square for the knight was 26 . . . lLld5 ! .

a b c d e f g h

Chapter 7 - Conclusion and Exercises 325

Mter 27.'<Mrxh8t 'it>xh8 28.1:l:xh7t 'it>g8 29.exd5 '<Mrxd5 Black has some pressure, though his exposed king makes a draw likely.

27.�xhSt White should play 27.'<Mrxe4! '<Mrxc3 28 .'<Mrxe6t

'it>f8. The line-up of queen and bishop on the long diagonal may look lethal, but White has a spectacular defensive resource:

a b e d e f g h

29 .'<Mrc8t! ! '<Mrxc8 30.1:l:xh7+- Black does not have time to save his bishop with 3o . . . iJ6 as 3 1 .:gh8t would then win the queen.

27 ... 'it>xhS 2S.�xh7t 'it>gS 29.fxe4 �xc3 Materially speaking, White is not too badly

off, but in reality his king is too exposed to be able to put up much resistance.

30.�xe7 �b4t 31 .'it>al

8 7 6 5 4 3 2

a b e d e f g h

31 .. .�xe4 3 1 . . . a3! 32 .ct:Jd3 '<Mrc4 would decide the game

at once.

32.�hh7 �d4t 33.'it>bl i.dS 34.�c7? 34.a3 ! would allow White to fight on.

34 ... �b6t 3S.'it>a1 a3 Now 32 .ct:Jb3 '<Mrgl t leads to mate.

0-1

4. Jan Timman - Loek van WeIy

Breda (6) 1 998

16.�xf6! Clearly you have been paying attention! This

is the only way to generate an attack.

16 ... i.xf6 17.�xf6 gxf6 IS.�fl! This sacrifice may not be winning by force,

but that isn't really important. The point to bear in mind is that it gives obvious attacking and practical chances to White. In the game, Van Wely was unable to solve the practical problems and succumbed rapidly.

IS ... 'it>g7?

8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

a b e d e f g h 19.eS! fxeS 20.i.xh6t! 'it>g6

20 . . . �xh6 is mated by force: 2 1 .'<Mrf6t 'it>h7


22.�e4t �g8 23 .Wg5t �h8 24.Wh6t �g8 25 .Wh7#

21 .VNh4 Black is lost after 2 1 . . . f6 22.Wh5t �h7

23 .�xf8t . 1-0

5. Jacob Aagaard - Nokkvi Sverrisson

Glasgow 20 1 2

I was sitting on the next board to this game and I remember wondering if White's attack had hit a dead end, but White's next move convinced me it hadn't.

26J:hg6t! This breakthrough sacrifice strips the black

king of any remaining pawn protection.

26 ... *xg6 27J�gl t *h7 A neat tactical point is that blocking the

g-file with 27 . . . �g2 (or 27 . . . �g4) simply loses to 28.Wxd7.

a b e d e f g h 28.VNg5!

Now mate can only be prevented by suffering decisive material losses .

28 .. . �g2 29.VNxh5t *g7 30.VNxf3 *f8

31 .VNxg2 Very well calculated by Jacob.

1-0

6. Etienne Bacrot - Darko Anic

Enghien les Bains 1 997

26.ttJe4! The knight heads for the f6-square, and if

it is captured on e4 then the white rook will reach the h3-square, with fatal consequences for Black.

White should not be tempted by 26.�f6t? tLlxf6 27.exf6 �g8 28 .tLle4? dxe4 29.fxe4.

a b e d e f g h

White threatens �h3 followed by Wxh7#, as well as Wxh7t! followed by �h3#, but Black can defend: 29 . . . g5! 30 .�h3 Wxe4 and Black wins.

26 .. . £5 With 26 . . . dxe4 27.fxe4 �xg4, Black prevents

the rook coming to h3, but allows the other rook in: 28 .�xf7 +-

27.exf6 This is good enough, but 27.�f6t! is even

stronger: 27 . . . tLlxf6 28 .exf6 Wd7 29.tLlg5 �g8 30.�xe8 �xe8 3 1 .f7 and White wins.

27 .. . :Bg8 28.ttJxc3


By the neat use of tactics, White has removed the dangerous c3-pawn and now has a material advantage, while his attack continues apace.

28 .. Jhf8 29.Wfh4 Wfb6

a b e d e f g h 30Jhe6!

Smashing through for the other rook to reach e7.

30 ... Wfxe6 31 .�el �xf6 32.�xe6 �xe6 33.tLlxd5 �b8 34.i.f4 1-0

7. Alexander Baburin - Utut Adianto

Liechtenstein 1 993

21 .. .tLlg3t! It does indeed work, but you have to see

a few moves ahead - a good test of your combinational vision!

22.hxg3 hxg3t The black g-pawn, the Tower of Terror, will

play a decisive role.

23.�gl

8 7 6 5 4 3 2

a b e d e f g h 23 . . . �e7!

Clearing the back rank for the major pieces.

24.Wfel �hl t! Sacrificing both rooks will enable the queen to

reach the h-file and deliver mate: 25 .@xh l :8:h8t 26.@gl :8:h l t ! 27.@xhl �h8t 28.@gl 'Wh2# 0-1

8. David Berczes - Ido Porat

Budapest 2005

17.hg5! Those readers familiar with the sections on

breakthrough with the pieces, and the march of the h-pawn, should have found this idea easily enough.

17 ... hxg5 18.h6! i.h8

8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

a b e d e f g h


19.i.h7t! A Greek gift as well !

19 .•. @xh7 20.ttJxg5t @g8 21 .h7t @g7 22.�h5

Mate will be delivered on h6. 1-0

9. Anatoly Karpov - KirU Georgiev

Tilburg 1 994

29.i.xf7t! Karpov only sacrifices when it is winning!

All the white pieces now take part in the final attack.

29 •. J�xf7 30.ttJeg5! hxg5 30 . . . Ei:dfB 3 1 .lLlxf7 Ei:xf7 32.Ei:eBt is also an

easy win.

31 . ttJxg5 Ei:df8

8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

a b e d e f g h 32.Ei:e8! �xd6 33.�xf7t @h8 34.ttJe6 1-0

10. David Howell - romi Nyback

Wijk aan Zee 20 1 0

21 .f6! Congratulations if you also found all the

following variations associated with this idea - you now have the combinational skill of a 2600 player!

21 •.. i.xd4 The pawn on f6 makes White's attack

irresistible, for example:

2 1 . . . lLlxc4 22.Wh5! lLld6 (22 . . . lLlxe3 23 .Wg5+-) 23 .lLlxd6 cxd6 24.Wg5 Black will have to give his queen to prevent mate.

2 1 . . . g6

8 7

6

5

4

3 ,''''''''m"4''''''-'m",,

2

a b e d e f g h

22.Wc 1 ! lLlxc4 23.�g l ! followed by Wh6 and White wins.

22.fxg7! @xg7 22 . . . �xe3 23.gxfB=Wt WxfB 24.Ei:xf7 is also

decisive.

23.i.g5! 1-0


1 1 . Step hen Gordon - Richard Pert

Sheffield 20 1 1

White has just played 20.g4? , which was a huge tactical mistake.

20 .. J:�b8? Black could have completely disturbed

White's coordination with the brilliant: 20 . . . c4! ! 2 1 .:8xc4 (2 1 .Wf3 c3! is huge for Black)

a b e d e f g h

2 1 . . .ii.xe4 t! This is the difficult move to see in advance, as it seems counter-intuitive to give up the sttong bishop. 22.tLlxe4 Wd5! Black regains material with decisive effect, and White would have been made to regret opening up the diagonal to his h I -rook with his unfortunate 20th move.

21 .Y;Vd3 Black's fleeting possibility has gone. White

consolidated his material advantage and went on to win.

12. Magnus Carlsen -Wang Hao

Biel 20 1 2

What better way to finish the book than with a game from the World Champion?

17 . .if4

In the video interview after the game, Carlsen professed himself amazed that the bishop sacrifice wasn't just mating Black: 1 7 .ii.xh6 gxh6 1 8 .:8hg l t 'it>h8 1 9 .Wd2!

This looks devastating at first sight, but in fact matters are not so clear.

a b e d e f g h

1 9 . . . :8f7! 20.Wxh6t tLlh7 2 1 .:8e6 Wf8 ! I t was this defensive option that persuaded Carlsen to refrain from sacrificing. The Norwegian pointed out that the natural 2 1 . . . tLl e5 loses on the spot: 22 .ii.xh 7 :8xh 7 23.:8e8t! Wxe8 24.Wf6t

22.Wh5 Although White does not have a forced win,

he retains genuine attacking chances, so this was a valid alternative to what he played in the game.

What I find fascinating though is that Carlsen, who has a reputation as an endgame grinder, was already looking for ways to mate his opponent! I think this exemplifies one of the main points that I have tried to make in this book - you're not going to get things right 1 00 percent of the time, but the important thing is to think in the right way and be alive to opportunities to attack your opponent's king. If you practise this approach, then a lot of opportunities will fall your way.

A Aagaard Aes Adams Adianto Agnello Akopian Albarran Albreeht Almasi Amonatov Anand Anastasian Anderssen Andersson Andreev

Name Index

322, 326 1 94, 1 95 , 1 96

65 , 75 , 97, 1 0 1 , 3 1 7 322, 327 1 47, 1 56 309, 3 1 0 1 1 6, 1 20 1 75 , 1 76

1 5 274, 276

226 237, 259 , 260, 26 1 , 285 , 1 1 6, 1 1 8 1 37, 1 4 1

40, 44

Bernstein Bevers Bisehoff, K. Bisehoff, U. Bitalzadeh Bjornsson Blarny Boadieea Bogorads Bojanie Bologan Borges Mateos Boroez Bosboom Brady Brenninkmeijer Brown

Andres Gonzalez 23, 28

1 03 , 1 1 1 322, 326

97, 98

Brulhart Burstein Anie

Anoshkin Antoshin Asehenbrenner Astengo Azmaiparashvili

B Babula Baburin Baeetie Baerot Bakalee Bakulin Barlov Bauer Beeker Beliavsky Benda Berezes Bergvoll

63, 66 1 47, 1 57 145 , 1 49

9

302, 303 322, 327

23, 26 322, 326 1 85 , 1 87

97, 98 145 , 1 48 1 03 , 1 1 4

22, 25 1 96, 2 1 5 , 2 1 6, 2 1 8

1 47, 1 57 322, 327

1 7, 1 9

Busto Prendes

c Cafferty Capablanea Carlsen Caruso Carvalho Casafus Cela Chandler Chiburdanidze Chigorin Chilingirova Cioealtea Claesen Cobo Arteaga Comas Fabrego Costantini Cramer

23, 26 1 37, 144

54, 58 1 1 6, 1 1 8

64, 7 1 146, 1 5 1 1 26, 1 30

235 1 27, 1 3 1

250 55 , 6 1

256 1 58, 1 6 1

64, 7 1 3 1 , 38

2 1 4 49, 50

146, 1 5 1 4 1 , 45

1 03, 1 1 1

64, 7 1 23, 26, 27, 64, 68, 2 1 3

229, 230, 23 1 , 323, 329 1 1 6, 1 1 8 1 46, 1 54

4 1 , 46 236 30 1

65, 76 24

1 36, 1 38 23, 27

222 248 295

1 27, 1 32 30, 32

Name Index 33 1

Cruz Lima 80, 86, 87 Fox 1 36, 1 38 Cukier 1 69 , 1 7 1 Frat 30, 33 Cvetkovic 80, 89 Ftacnik 278 Cvitan 289 Furman 1 02 , 1 07, 1 08 Cwiek 1 7, 20 G D

Galego 205, 206 Davies 208 Galic 250 Dearing 3 1 3 , 3 1 4 Gelfand 57, 220, 22 1 Degismez 1 69 , 1 70 Geller 1 02 , 1 07, 1 08 De Jong 145 , 1 48 Gelpke 239 De Vita 1 27, 1 32 Georgiev 323, 328 Dgebuadze 233 Gerhold 64, 70 Djurhuus 1 3 Gleizerov 1 1 , 1 2 Dobosz 224 Glek 20 1 , 202, 203, 220 Donner 1 27, 1 34 Glotov 63, 66 Douven 8 1 , 93 Goldman 65 , 76 Dressier 54, 56 Golombek 1 24 Durucay 1 69 , 1 70 Golubev 1 67, 1 68 Dvoretsky 2 1 1 Gordon 323, 329

E Gormally 6, 23, 27, 49, 53 , 1 98 , 232, 243, 265

Ehlvest 40, 44 Gorzel 1 69 , 1 73 Eljanov 263, 264, 274 Goudriaan 1 59 , 1 62 El Taher 296 Gretarsson 226, 228 Emms 1 98 Grischuk 278 Epishin 3 1 5 , 3 1 6 Gruenberg 3 1 8 Ernst 3 1 1 Gudmundsson 8 1 , 93 Espinosa 5 5 , 60 Gurevich, D. 40, 43, 44, 1 1 7, 1 22 Esquivel 1 27, 1 33 Gurevich, M. 4 1 , 47 Esserman 6 1 Gurr 1 67, 1 68 Euwe 1 27, 1 32 Gusia 1 45 , 1 48

F H

Fairclough 145 , 1 50 Hansen 1 85 , 1 86 Fang 63, 68 Hartmann 54, 56, 65 , 77 Fedorov 272 Haslinger 265 Fernandez 1 27, 1 34, 1 47, 1 56 Hebden 49, 53 Fernandez Novas 1 27, 1 34 Hector 1 1 7, 1 2 1 , 1 22 Figler 49, 50 Hendriks 280 Filipovic 1 59 , 1 63 Hernandez 30, 33, 49, 52 , Fischer 45 , 75 , 80, 85 , 86, 1 27, 1 32 , 1 7 1 , 80, 86, 1 1 7 , 1 23

200, 2 1 3 , 248, 268, 269, 279, 305 Hernandez Onna 30, 33 Flear 5 5 , 59 Herzog 22, 24


Hillarp Persson 208 Khalifman 1 5 , 1 85 , 1 87 Hilmer 1 58 , 1 6 1 Khismatullin 279 Hinteregger 64, 70 Khmelnitsky 23, 28 Him 224 Kholmov 23, 27 Hjartarson 305 , 309 Khusnullin 1 8 1 , 1 82 Hodgson 1 0 , 3 1 , 35 , 305 , 306, 307, Kiefer 1 7, 1 8

309 Kiik 1 26, 1 30 Hoffman 242, 26 1 Kiriazis 79, 84 Holland 64, 7 1 , 1 46, 1 52 , 1 58 , 1 60 Kirpichnikov 49, 50 Holmsten 207 Kiselev 32 1 , 324 Hon 274 Klaic 1 75 , 1 78 Houska 64, 69 Kobalija 1 97 Howell 323, 328 Koch 32 1 , 324 Huzman 1 85 , 1 87 Kohout 65 , 72

I Kokkila 64, 70 Koneru 55 , 58 , 59

Illescas Cordoba 2 1 0 Kononenko 8 1 , 95 Ivanchuk 9 , 1 0, 1 96 Korchnoi 287, 288 Ivanov 254 Kosashvili 239

J Kosic 1 59 , 1 63 Kostic 63, 66

Jacobs 1 1 7, 1 22 Kostlivy 79, 83 Jelling 1 3 Kotva 65, 72 Johner 4 1 , 46, 5 5 , 60 Kovacevic 289 Jonsson, H. 1 03 , 1 1 2 Kovalev 1 26, 1 29 , 1 30 Jonsson, J . 1 03 , 1 1 2 Kramnik 2 1 5 , 2 1 6, 2 1 7, Justen 1 75 , 1 76 2 1 8 , 230, 3 1 5

Krasenkow 238 K Krivoshey 1 67, 1 68

Kahn 32 1 , 324 Kruchev 97, 98

Kaliksteyn 240 Krumm 17, 1 8

Kalix 30, 32 Kubicka 4 1 , 44

Kalka 1 46, 1 52 Kuijf 3 1 , 35

Kamsky 293, 294 Kuligowski 147, 1 56

Kaplan 22, 24 Kunisch 1 37, 144

Karpov 5 , 1 59 , 1 62 , 1 63 , 1 89 , 1 90, Kunz 4 1 , 46

1 9 1 , 1 92 , 1 93 , 1 94, 203, 2 1 1 , Kviatkovska 79, 83

2 1 2, 2 1 3 , 244, 293 , 323, 328 L Kasparov 75 , 1 29 , 1 59 , 1 64, 1 65 ,

1 87, 1 89 , 1 90, 1 9 1 , 1 93 , 1 96, Lagumina 147, 1 56 203, 2 1 1 , 2 1 4, 220, 22 1 , 222, Lagunow 1 03, 1 1 5 237, 24 1 , 242, 245 , 268, 272, Landenberger 22, 25 285 , 286, 287, 303, 304, 305 Lanka 272

Kass 57 Laroche 145 , 1 50

Name Index 333

Lasker, Ed. 80, 90, 9 1 Mitsakos 79, 84 Lasker, Em. 1 03 , 1 1 4, 1 1 5 Mohr 2 1 0 Lautier 3 1 8 , 32 1 , 324 Mora Manez 1 02, 1 08 Lazarevic 23, 26 Morozevich 269, 270, 27 1 Lea 79, 82 Morphy 1 37, 1 4 1 , 1 43, 1 44 Lehmann 1 69, 1 7 1 Movsesian 55 , 6 1 , 24 1 , 242 Lein 284 Movsziszian 49, 52 Leko 290, 292, 307 Mubayiwa 40, 42 Letreguilly 30, 33 Mudrochova 1 47, 1 5 5 Levitt 2 1 6, 2 1 7 Murach 79, 85 Lichman 3 1 , 34 Murshed 97, 99 Linskens 1 46, 1 54 Muse 1 03 , 1 1 5 Liu Wenzhe 1 27, 1 34 N Ljubojevic 303 Lobron 54, 57 Najjar 1 8 1 , 1 83 Loose 1 02, 1 05 Nakamura 2 1 9 , 229, 230, 23 1 Lopez Martinez 8 1 , 94, 243 Nalbandian 1 97 Lopushnoy 8 Nataf 1 1 , 1 2, 1 3 Lovric 1 75 , 1 78 Negi 245 , 246 Luukkonen 40, 42 Neumann 30, 33

M Nicevski 22, 24 Niephaus 1 02 , 1 05

Magomedov 22, 24 Nijboer 54, 56 Mahler 65 , 77 Nikolaiczuk 1 67, 1 68 Maiwald 1 0 Nogueiras 1 27, 1 33 Maksimenko 1 37, 1 42 Norman 25 1 Manik 240 Norsoller 65 , 77 Marin 32 1 , 324 Nunn 1 36, 1 38 , 1 39, 299, 300, 30 1 Marinkovic 1 1 6, 1 1 8 Nyback 323, 328 Masserey 222 Nyvlt 23, 25 Matzies 1 46, 1 53 0 McShane 295 Medvegy 1 58 , 1 6 1 O'Brien 3 1 , 38 Mendez 4 1 , 46 O'Donnell 49, 50 Messi 295 O'Hanlon 25 1 Meyer 1 37, 1 40 O'Kelly de Galway 80, 9 1 Mgij ima 40, 42 Okike 1 67, 1 68 Michiels 63, 67 Op den Kelder 1 59, 1 62 Micic 64, 70 Orlov 63, 66 Middelburg 63, 67

p Mikenas 1 75 , 1 79 Milman 63, 68 Pachman 1 75 , 1 76 Milner-Barry 1 1 7, 1 24 Pad 3 1 , 37 Misailovic 1 37, 1 42 Palac 263, 274


Pascual Arevalo 1 1 7 , 1 23 S Paulsen 1 37, 1 43 Pavlov 8 1 , 95 Sadvakasov 287

Penrose 80, 9 1 Salai 1 26, 1 30

Pert 323, 329 Salman 1 02, 1 04

Perunovic 267 Salov 1 59, 1 62, 1 63 , 273

Petrosian 229 Sandmeier 1 67, 1 68

Petursson 8 1 , 93 Sandor 32 1 , 324

Pichler 54, 58 San Martin 1 1 7, 1 23

Piket 8 1 , 93, 2 1 4 Sargissian 226, 227

Pikula 267, 3 1 5 Scalise 1 1 6, 1 20

Pinto 1 37, 1 40 Scerbin 1 58 , 1 6 1

Piter 79, 85 Schmidt, H. 1 7, 19

Pitt 1 02 Schmidt, R. 1 69, 1 73

Plachetka 1 1 7, 1 2 1 Schmitt 1 75 , 1 79

Plaskett 8 1 , 94 Schnur 1 8 1 , 1 82

Plazas Oliveros 1 1 7 , 1 20 Schott 1 7 , 20

Polgar 1 36, 1 38 , 1 43 , 1 85 , 1 86 Sedlakova 1 47, 1 5 5

Polo 1 1 7 , 1 20 Seirawan 54, 57, 254, 255

Polzin 1 37, 1 4 1 Serebriakov 1 7, 1 9

Porat 322, 327 Sergey Erenburg 3 1 3

Portisch 1 36 , 1 39 Shaw 1 58, 1 60, 1 99

Poulsen 296, 298 Shirov 1 29 , 2 1 1 , 2 1 2 , 244,

Prasad 3 1 , 3 5 258 , 285 , 307, 308, 309

Psakhis 3 1 0, 3 1 1 Shishkov 1 85 , 1 87

Pyatirichenko 3 1 , 37 Short 27, 2 1 7, 2 1 8 , 220, 293, 30 1 , 302, 303 Simonsen 64, 69

Q Sjoberg 8 1 , 95

Quinteros 1 27, 1 34 Skembris 236 Skomorokhin 1 26, 1 29

R Skripchenko 97, 1 0 1

Radjabov 256 Smetana 3 1 , 37

Rafael Vasquez Smith 4 1 , 46

256 Ramon Pita 5 5 , 60

Sokolov, A. 273

Ravi 3 1 , 35 Sokolov, I . 1 99 , 200, 202, 203

Reinderman 1 99 , 202 Sokolov, S. 97, 98

Reshevsky 80, 85 , 86 Solonar 3 1 , 34

Richter 54, 56 Soltis 40, 43

Ridameya Tatche 1 02 , 1 08 Soucek 23, 25

Robatsch 248 Spassky 268, 269

Rodgaard 1 58 , 1 60 Speelman 2 1 6

Rowson 269, 270 Spoelman 233, 235, 245

Rozentalis 238 Spraggett 1 02, 1 04 Stohl 299 Storey 1 20

Name Index 335

Storkebaum 1 36, 1 40 Vassaux 64, 68 Suba 4 1 , 47, 48 Villing 1 36, 1 40 Suhle 1 37, 1 4 1 Vitiugov 279 Suhobeck 1 1 6, 1 1 9 Vladimirov 97, 99 Sulskis 207, 208 Voloshin 1 37, 1 4 1 Sunye Neto 1 59 , 1 64 , 3 1 1 Vouldis 283 Sutovsky 285 Vulevic 4 1 , 46 Sverrisson 322, 326 W Svidler 20 1 , 202, 203, 220, 256, 257

T Wade 4 1 , 45 , 6 1 Wagman 1 45 , 1 49

Taksrud 284 Wallis 79, 82 Tal 1 0 , 1 3 , 1 89 , 258 Wang Hao 282, 323, 329 Tanguy 55 , 59 Wang Yue 1 8 1 , 1 83 , 1 84 Tartakower 5 5 , 60 Waters 5 5 , 58 Tesoro 1 1 6, 1 1 9 Webb 64, 7 1 , 72 Thelen 1 75 , 1 76 Weidemann 65 , 77 Thesing 246, 247 Weiss 1 46, 1 5 1 Thiemann 1 8 1 , 1 82 Wells 246, 247 Thomas, G. 80, 90 Wenzel 80, 88 Thomas, N. 1 46, 1 53 Westervefd 1 45 , 1 48 Timman 259 , 260, 26 1 , 32 1 , 325 Wiese 65 , 74 Timofeev 276 Wilke 1 27, 1 3 1 Tiviakov 1 26, 1 28 , 283, 295 , 3 1 7 Williams, P. 232 Tkachiev 26 1 , 263 Williams, S . 57 Tollefsen 1 03 , 1 1 0 Wocke 1 69 , 1 70 Tolnai 8 1 , 95 Wucke 65 , 74 Tomorhuyag 65 , 75 Wulff 1 69 , 1 70 Topalov 205, 206, 242 y Touzane 1 58 , 1 60 Tsvetkov 3 1 , 37 Yagupov 1 8 1 , 1 82 Tuominen 1 26, 1 30 Yahya 23, 27

U Yanez 1 1 7 , 1 23 Yurtaev 8

Urankar 80, 88 Z V

Zakhartsov 274 Vagle 1 03 , 1 1 0 Zakic 80, 89 Vaisser 1 46, 1 5 1 , 1 52 Zawadzka 4 1 , 44 Vallas 40, 42 Zhirnov 1 46, 1 53 Van Beek 1 46 Zhou Jianchao 282 Van den Bosch 1 1 7, 1 24 Zhukov 1 46, 1 53 Van Wely 1 26, 1 28 , 1 94, 1 95 , 290, Zilverberg 30, 32

29 1 , 292, 32 1 , 325 Znosko-Borovsky 22, 24 Vaskans 1 7, 1 9 Zunker 30, 32

11 M I DDLEGAME BOOKS 11

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Mating the Castled King

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