The Chess Attacker's Handbook 1911465163, 9781911465164

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The Chess Attacker’s Handbook

Michael Song and Razvan Preotu

With a Foreword by Evgeny Bareev

Navigate the hidden paths of the chessboard to strike attacking gold!

Contents Symbols

3

Bibliography

4

Acknowledgements

5

Foreword (Evgeny Bareev)

6

Introduction (Michael Song)

7

1: Attacking the Uncastled King (Michael Song)

8

2: Opposite-Side Castling (Razvan Preotu)

24

3: Attacks in Endgames (Razvan Preotu)

49

4: The King as an Attacking Force (Razvan Preotu)

63

5: Sacrificial Attacks and Calculation (Michael Song)

77

6: Include All the Pieces in the Attack (Michael Song)

94

7: Attacks on Colour Complexes (Michael Song)

107

8: Pawn Play (Razvan Preotu)

125

9: Charging the h-Pawn Forward (Razvan Preotu)

140

10: Opposite-Coloured Bishops (Razvan Preotu)

160

11: Same Ideas, Different Games (Michael Song)

177

12: Prophylaxis (Michael Song)

188

13: Manoeuvring (Michael Song)

204

14: Isolated d-Pawn Positions (Razvan Preotu)

220

Index of Games

240

Index of Openings

244

Copyright Information About the Authors

Symbols + ++ x # !! ! !? ?! ? ?? +– +/– += = =+ –/+ –+ 0-0 0-0-0 1-0 ½-½ 0-1 Ch (n) (D)

check double check captures checkmate brilliant move good move interesting move dubious move bad move blunder White is winning White is much better White is slightly better equal (or drawn) unclear position Black is slightly better Black is much better Black is winning castles kingside castles queenside The game ends in a win for White The game ends in a draw The game ends in a win for Black Championship nth match game see next diagram

Bibliography American Grandmaster – Joel Benjamin, Everyman, 2008 Art of Attack in Chess – Vladimir Vukovi , Everyman, 1998 (algebraic edition) Grandmaster Preparation: Attack and Defence – Jacob Aagaard, Quality Chess, 2013 Positional Decision Making in Chess – Boris Gelfand, Quality Chess, 2015 Nunn’s Chess Endings Volume 1 – John Nunn, Gambit, 2010 Positional Play – Mark Dvoretsky and Artur Yusupov, Batsford, 1996 Sicilian Attacks – Yuri Yakovich, New in Chess, 2011 The Art of Attacking Chess – Zenon Franco, Gambit, 2008 Note: Komodo 8.0 was the main analysis engine we used during our work on this book, with additional input from Stockfish 8 and Houdini 5.

Acknowledgements Writing a book is no easy task, and is only possible with the generous help of numerous people. First and foremost, I would like to thank Graham, Murray, John and the whole team at Gambit, who gave us this opportunity and offered us invaluable assistance in improving this work. I should also acknowledge my coach, Grandmaster Evgeny Bareev, who kindly agreed to let me use a number of his examples from our training sessions in this book. Last, but certainly not least, I would like to thank my childhood rival, friend and now co-author, Grandmaster Razvan Preotu, for embarking on this ambitious project alongside me. IM Michael Song I would never have imagined myself being part of such a difficult and highly ambitious project as writing a chess book. This is only possible because of the generous help of many individuals. I would like to thank the team at Gambit for supporting this project. Their assistance has not only improved the quality of this work but is also why it is able to make it to the bookshelves. Lastly, I would like to thank my longtime friend and now co-author, International Master Michael Song, for starting this entire project. Without his determination and hard work, none of this would have been possible in the first place. GM Razvan Preotu

Foreword EVGENY BAREEV Modern chess demands versatility. A player might know openings like Anand, play endings with the energy of the young Shirov, and even defend as ingeniously as Kariakin and Giri combined, but without Jobava’s attacking skill, his play would not be complete. Even if one claims to possess that gift, it must be sharpened, and the book provides the sharpener. You should not recoil due to the authors – Razvan and Michael – being relatively unknown players; they are more than competent enough, and more importantly, they are an ignited and enthusiastic duo. I will not be surprised if their work on the book itself helps them to become stronger, and I expect the rookies will soon join the national team of Canada. I would emphasize that the authors opt for a very modern way of providing material. Each wellsystematized chapter includes several short educational tutorials followed by a generous amount of exercises to consolidate the ideas demonstrated. This way of displaying material is very convenient for players who are motivated and willing to study chess by themselves – not to mention that it is also a windfall for trainers, who just need to open a certain page to close a blind spot in the chess educations of their students. The training material is presented in a light, easy-to-understand form and is suitable for players of a broad range of levels. The sample games are a pleasing mix of well-known classical games and relatively fresh material from chess-players of all possible standards, which reminds us that it is not only the chess immortals who create works of art. So read the book and you will soon be playing your own masterpieces! GM Evgeny Bareev April 2017

Introduction MICHAEL SONG I would like to welcome the reader to this book by asking, “has anyone ever said to you that chess is ‘boring’?” While most chess-players will scoff at this ignorant outsider’s perspective of our beloved game, there may be some who in fact agree! When the attacking species of chess-players see the way the game is played today, they may loathe the slow, meticulous grinds in openings such as the Berlin, Slav and Catalan and so on and lament, “what happened to Romantic attacking chess?” Rarer by the day are the styles of Tal, Fischer, Kasparov and other attacking aficionados represented on the board nowadays. Of course, there is absolutely nothing wrong with calm positional play, and it is indeed a necessity in a chess-player’s understanding and repertoire. That being said, there is also no reason to frown upon the other side of the coin: attacking play! Perhaps the latter has the reputation of being unprofessional and is often brushed aside as ‘coffee-house chess’, but if it suits your style, then I wholeheartedly encourage you to keep playing this way. In the words of Polonius in Shakespeare’s Hamlet, “to thine own self be true.” Apart from the fun involved in adopting an attacking style, there are also many other merits. If you are a strong amateur looking to collect norms, I can affirm to you that playing aggressively has paid tremendous dividends for both myself and Razvan; it has helped us obtain the IM and GM titles respectively, even as juniors. Our reasoning is as follows: while titled players will almost always outplay weaker players in calm positions due to their greater experience and better overall understanding of the game, the playing field becomes more level in a sharp, attacking battle. In such situations, what determine the eventual winner are factors such as which player is able to calculate more accurately and find creative plans, in which ‘weaker’ and especially younger players’ greater motivation allows them to compete better against their ‘superiors’. Moreover, playing aggressively can impose uncomfortable psychological pressure on masters, who are desperate to avoid losing rating points and their chances of prize money. But pressure is often the root cause of mistakes – in both life and in chess – so your chances of taking the scalp of a master may increase dramatically! For players who are not yet gunning for norms, I promise that there is also much to be learned from reading this book. While it is undoubtedly impossible to cover everything, you can expect to find a plethora of annotated examples highlighting important attacking plans, along with several exercises to apply what you will have read in the lessons. It is my dearest hope that after finishing this book, the reader will have broadened his attacking horizon as well as fostered a genuine appreciation for the art of attacking play. If this book influences even a single player to begin smashing out attacking brilliancies in their own games, then I can happily consider my mission as complete. Yet most importantly, no matter win or lose, never in my life have I played a ‘boring’ attacking game. IM Michael Song July, 2017 Canada

Attacking the Uncastled King

1: Attacking the Uncastled King MICHAEL SONG One of the first principles any beginner is taught is to keep his king safe and castle as soon as possible. However, as a player progresses in strength, this rule becomes more flexible. Nevertheless, it is never wise to disregard the king for too long, and a king in the centre can easily find itself in trouble. It feels appropriate to begin the book with one of our beloved chess pioneers and the third World Champion, Capablanca. While most famous for his positional and endgame skills, when needed – as in this game – Capablanca did not back down when challenged to attack.

16...Ba7 16...Bxb4 is maybe better, but after 17 Nd5 Qd6 18 Nxb4 Qxb4 19 Rxc6 +– Black is still totally lost. 17 Bxb5! Sacrificing the bishop in exchange for opening more files and inroads towards Black’s king. 17...axb5 18 Nxb5 Qd8 19 Nd6+ Now Black loses the right to castle. This is the most basic means of attacking the uncastled king. When the king is permanently prohibited from castling, we can often take our time to include all our pieces in the attack, as the king is not threatening to run anywhere. Later in the chapter, we shall also look at more complicated situations where the opponent is intending to castle immediately.

White to play

Capablanca – O. Bernstein St Petersburg 1914

19...Kf8 20 Rxc6 (D)

Due to his opponent’s poor opening play, the Cuban was able to secure many great positional advantages, such as the weak black pawn on e5 and many weak squares as well, such as e6. But the first thing a true attacking player will notice is the black king on e8, which has not castled yet and is extremely vulnerable at the moment. I shall explain in more detail later, but the number one rule of attacking the king in the centre is to have no mercy. Open the position at all costs and simply go after the king! As we shall see later, it is often more complicated than that, but in many situations this rule holds water. With the king in the centre, there is almost always a way to punish your opponent, and Capablanca does just that. 16 b4!

Black to play

Forcing the bishop to move, which opens the c-file and inroads towards the black king.

Black’s forces have absolutely no coordination and his position quickly crumbles. 8

The Chess Attacker´s Handbook

20...Nb6 21 Bh4

8 h3 Bd7

21 Nxe5 Nxe5 22 Bxe5 +– followed by Qf3+ is stronger according to the engine, but it really makes no difference.

The position so far looks more or less normal; Black is just two moves away from castling with ...Nf6 and ...0-0. Yet over the course of this game, he just does not get enough time to complete this.

21...Qd7

9 c5! (D)

After 21...Nf6 22 Nxe5 +– the knight penetration into f7 will be decisive. 22 Nxc8! Qxc6 23 Qd8+ 23 Be7+! is a more precise way to finish the game: 23...Ke8 24 Qd8+ Kf7 25 Ng5+ Kg6 26 Qxh8 +– or 23...Kf7 24 Ng5+ Kg6 25 Qxg4 +–. 23...Qe8 24 Be7+ Kf7 25 Nd6+ Kg6 26 Nh4+ Kh5 27 Nxe8 Rxd8 28 Nxg7+ Kh6 29 Ngf5+ Kh5 30 h3 Nc8 31 hxg4+ Kxg4 32 Bxd8 Rxd8 33 g3 and White easily converted his advantage into victory. The rule of thumb when attacking the uncastled king: open the position! I am sure you must know this by now, but I will stress it anyway. In the next game, we shall see how Wesley So played this strategy to perfection against the greatest player that ever lived.

Black to play

Seizing the initiative. Already White gets a hyperKing’s Indian, with this typical break to attack the target on d6. Perhaps Kasparov should have defended with a move like 9...Nc8, but of course one does not receive all his accolades playing moves as ugly as that.

So – Kasparov

9...dxc5 10 Nc4 f6 11 d6?!

St Louis blitz 2016

11 Be3!, in order to force ...b6 immediately, was in fact even stronger. It has the same idea as the game, but in a more precise move-order for reasons we shall explore later.

Even the greatest of all time can find himself in trouble when leaving his king in the centre. I remember watching this game live online, and was astonished as Wesley So ruthlessly went after Kasparov’s king, as if he had not even a single morsel of respect for the legend himself! Blitz chess is a factory of great attacking games, and perhaps Wesley was feeling extra inspired by the occasion to produce this masterpiece...

11...Nc8 12 Be3 b6?!

1 Nf3 g6 2 e4 Bg7 3 d4 d6 4 c4 Bg4 5 Be2 Nc6 6 Nbd2!? e5

12...b5! would have pushed White’s forces back and made it harder to justify the pawn sacrifice. After 13 dxc7 Qxc7 14 Na3 Nd6 15 Rc1 c4 16 0-0 Rc8 17 b3 c3, for instance, Black is doing well, but White’s lead in development keeps him in the fight.

Of course 6...Nxd4?? loses a piece to 7 Nxd4 +–.

13 0-0 Bc6?

7 d5 Nce7

After 13...Nxd6 14 Nxd6+ cxd6 15 Qxd6 Qe7 16 Qd2! Rd8 17 Qc1, White will merely have good compensation, though I certainly prefer White due to Black’s awkward configuration on the kingside.

Perhaps 7...Nb8!? to bring the knight to d7 was called for. Nevertheless, White stands better after 8 0-0 Nd7 9 Ne1! (forcing a favourable trade of the bishops) 9...Bxe2 10 Qxe2 += followed by Nd3, when he holds a stable positional advantage.

14 dxc7 Qxc7 (D)

9

Attacking the Uncastled King

24 Nxg7+ Qxg7 25 Qe6+ Ne7 26 Bg5 +–) 20 Qe6+ Kf8 21 Qxf6+! Nxf6 22 Ne6+ +–. 15...b5! was probably a better attempt to keep the position closed, although White still has tremendous pressure after 16 Na5 c4 17 a4. 16 Rc1 Nge7 17 Qb3! Activating the queen, but more importantly, preventing castling due to the discovered checks. 17...h6 A sad necessity to cover the g5-square. 17...b5? 18 Ncxe5! fxe5 19 Ng5 +– followed by Ne6 is the end. White to play

18 Rfd1 b5 (D)

Can you find the continuation? Obviously, if Black is given two moves to unravel, he will be more than OK. When talking about attacking the king in the centre, there are two situations to consider. The first is when the king is stranded in the centre. This may be because the king is legally prevented from castling, or because the flank is too dangerous to castle into. The second case is when the king is momentarily in the centre, but intends to castle given time. In this type of situation, the attacker must play vigorously and forcefully by making threats and blasting the position open. This game is the latter situation; given time, Black will develop his king’s knight and castle. White must not allow this, but the way So concludes this game demonstrates attacking principles better than any words can do.

White to play

Now that all of White’s pieces are activated, it is time to go for the kill.

15 b4!!

19 Ncxe5! fxe5 20 Bxb5 Rb8 21 Ba4!

A very similar idea to the first game of this chapter: White opens additional files for the attack at the small price of another pawn.

Although White has no immediate blow, the pressure against Black’s king is too much to handle.

15...cxb4?!

21...Qb7 22 Rxc6! Nxc6 23 Qe6+ Ne7 24 Bc5 Rc8 25 Bxe7 1-0

15...Bxe4? would not help after the simple 16 bxc5 bxc5, when White has the crushing blow 17 Ncxe5! fxe5 18 Ng5, and then:

This game is a perfect illustration of a straightforward, brute-force style attack against an uncastled king. Despite being rather unsophisticated, this is the basic principle in these positions: open the game at virtually any cost, and aim all your pieces towards the target in the centre.

a) 18...Bf5 19 Bb5+ Ke7 (19...Bd7 20 Ne6 +–; 19...Kf8 20 Bxc5+ Nce7 21 Qd5! +–) 20 Qd5 +–. Black cannot avoid heavy material losses. b) 18...Bc6 19 Qb3 leaves Black helpless against the threats. For instance: 19...Bf6 (19...Qe7 20 Rad1 Nb6 21 Ne6 c4 22 Bxc4 Nxc4 23 Qxc4 Rc8

10

The Chess Attacker´s Handbook

One of the common misconceptions many players have is the answer to the question: ‘Why is it dangerous to keep your king in the centre?’ Almost always, the reply is something along the lines of ‘Once the centre gets opened, the king will be vulnerable and easy to attack.’ While this is true in many cases such as in the previous game, in my opinion, the main danger of keeping the king in the centre is the disruption in development. Due to the king being in the centre, the rooks cannot be connected, and central activity must be kept to a minimum in order to shelter the king; this is no way to play chess. In the next example, we see that Larsen finds himself the victim of keeping his king in the centre against the then World Champion.

Black to play

Do you see the win? 11...Rxd2! 12 Nxd2 Nxe3 13 Qc1 Nxf1+ 14 Kh1 (14 Kxf1 Qh4 –+ is quickly mate) 14...Nxh2! –+, when there is clearly no hope of survival. Returning to the game, how should Black continue the attack? The centre is closed, and although sacrifices on e3 may even be objectively sound, they are not clear-cut by any means. With his next series of moves, Spassky demonstrates that although the centre may be closed, White’s king is by no means safe. 11...h5! Opening files for penetration on the kingside. Notice that none of White’s pieces are able to shift to that part of the board, as his king is hindering the lateral movement of its forces.

Black to play

Larsen – Spassky USSR-World, Belgrade 1970

12 h3 (D)

This game illustrates how Spassky generates an attack on the king, not by opening the centre, but by invading through the flank, and White finds himself helpless without any communication between his pieces as his position is essentially cut in half down the centre of the board. 10...Ng4! Thrusting pieces forward is almost always good, and in this case, it also prevents castling. Black also has sacrifices on e3 in the air now. 11 g3 11 Bxg7 suicidally opens the g-file and allows Black to invade: 11...Rhg8 12 Bb2 Nxe3! 13 dxe3 Qh4+ 14 g3 Rxg3 –+.

Black to play

But what about 11 0-0 (D) instead? 11

Attacking the Uncastled King

If Black now retreats the knight, a later ...h4 can always be met with g4. 12...h4! No mercy! White’s king has no defence to the coming invasion along the h-file. 13 hxg4 hxg3 14 Rg1 Rh1! Of course, there were other wins, but this earns style points. 15 Rxh1 g2 16 Rf1 16 Rg1 Qh4+ 17 Kd1 Qh1 –+ and sadly, none of White’s pieces are able to hold the g1-square. Because the king is stuck on the back rank, White’s rooks are not able to support each other as required.

White to play

If you saw that the black queen on f5 was short of squares, bravo! Notice that if the white bishop were to attack the queen on the b1-h7 diagonal, it would be trapped. Without realizing this first, it would be impossible to find Tal’s next move...

16...Qh4+ 17 Kd1 gxf1Q+ 0-1 White resigned in view of 18 Bxf1 Bxg4+ 19 Kc1 (19 Be2 Qh1#) 19...Qe1+ 20 Qd1 Qxd1#. When attacking the king in the centre against stronger players, it is very unlikely that their king will be tremendously exposed. True, most chess books provide countless examples of a slaughter against a king that has been checked, or is not allowed to castle and so forth. In fact, we have just examined a few games in this category. However, since strong opposition will not let this happen so easily, those cases turn out to be rare in practice. Next we have an excellent practical example from none other than the magician himself, Mikhail Tal.

16 Nb5!! Clearing the way for the c-pawn to advance, with Bc2 coming. 16...cxb5 16...0-0? is generally desirable, but Black does not have time to tuck his king in. 17 Nd4 Qg6 18 c4 Nb6 19 Bc2 f5 20 exf6 Qxf6 21 Qd3 +/– is a positional abomination for Black, with a weak isolated e-pawn and porous light squares on the kingside. Therefore, Black has no time to castle. 17 Qxb5+ Kd8 18 c4 (D)

Tal – Larsen Candidates (6), Bled 1965 When we look at the position, we see that Black is only a move away from castling, he has no positional weaknesses and is adequately developed – how is it possible to attack the king? It is important to note that at higher levels, successful attacks on the king in the centre are rarely a sacrifice-fest and checkmate. In cases like these, in order to attack the king, the attacker must create a series of ‘sidethreats’ in order to discourage castling. Because we cannot physically prevent castling in such cases, we must initiate action elsewhere so the opponent does not have time to castle. In fact, in this position, Black does have a small problem; do you see it?

Black to play

18...Qxe5? 12

The Chess Attacker´s Handbook

d6 and g7) 26...Qxb4 (26...Qc6 27 Rd1+ Ke8 28 Qxg7 +– is quickly mate) 27 axb4 Ke7 28 Rd1 +– , when Black is in no position to survive the onslaught and heavy material losses.

If anything, the e5-pawn serves as a shield for the black king, and by greedily taking it, Black voluntarily opens up more lines in the centre. 18...Nb6!, as the computer points out, is a stronger defence. 19 Qa5! wins back the piece. Then:

b) 23...Qxa4 24 Bf4 Bd7 25 Qe5 +– gives White complete domination. Objectively Black’s best try is 25...Bc6 (D).

a) 19...Bd7? is refuted by 20 Be3! Bxa4 (20...Ke8 21 Bxb6 Bxa4 22 Qxa4+ Kf8 23 Bc7 +–; 20...Rc8 21 Rad1 +–) 21 Bxb6+ Kc8 22 Qxa4 Qxe5 23 Rad1 +– with a decisive attack. b) 19...Kc7 (an attempt to find some shelter for the king) 20 c5 Kb8 21 cxb6 axb6 22 Qb5. Although the computer assesses this position as roughly equal, I am sure any human would prefer White thanks to the awkward position of Black’s king along with his crippled pawn-structure. Plus, White is not even any material down. 19 cxd5 Bd6 19...exd5 20 Bd2 Bd6 21 g3 +– is totally decisive, with moves like Rfe1 and Ba5+ to follow. 20 g3 Qxd5 21 Qe2!

White to play

Of course we should not exchange our strongest attacker.

Can you finish off the attack? Calculate all the possibilities!

21...Ke7 22 Rd1 Qa5 (D)

26 Rxe6+! (blasting open the king) 26...Kf8 (26...fxe6 27 Qxg7+ +–) 27 Bxh6! and then: b1) 27...Rxh6 28 Rxh6 gxh6 29 Qh8+ Ke7 30 Re1+ (first stopping ...Qe4 of course) 30...Kd6 31 Qxa8 +–. b2) 27...Rh7 28 Bxg7+!! Rxg7 29 Rh6 (creating the threat of Rh8+ followed by Qd6+) 29...Rd8 (29...Kg8 30 Qh5 +–) 30 Rh8+ Rg8 31 Qc5+ Kg7 32 Qg5+ Kxh8 33 Qh6# and the king gets mated in the corner. b3) 27...Qg4 28 h3!! (perhaps this is the hardest move to spot when playing 26 Rxe6+; it goes to prove that no attack can suffice without solid calculation to back it up) 28...Qxe6 29 Bxg7+ Kg8 30 Bxh8 +–. With proper play, Black should lose this endgame two pawns down, even with opposite-coloured bishops. White still has strong attacking potential in the endgame with three kingside pawns.

White to play

Can you find the win that Tal now missed? 23 Qg4 23 Rxd6! looks decisive, and is even stronger than the game continuation. Then:

23...Qf5 24 Qc4! Qc5 25 Qd3! Qd5??

a) 23...Kxd6 is of course the critical line, but seems to lose after 24 Bd2 Qxa4 25 Bb4+ Kd7 26 Qe5! (complete domination: the queen eyes both

25...Rd8 was a more tenacious defence, after which White would have to work harder to prove a substantial advantage. 13

Attacking the Uncastled King

26 Qc3! No exchange. 26...Be5 26...Qe5 is finished off nicely by 27 Bf4! Qxc3 28 Bxd6+ +–, when White nets a piece. 27 Qe1 Qc5 (D)

Black to play

A typical idea in 1 e4 e5 openings, to bring the knight to the juicy attacking square on f5. 12...a5?! While this move in itself is not so bad and actually very logical, it marks the start of Black’s downfall. After this, he never gets the chance to castle. White to play

Carlsen himself recommended 12...Nf8 13 Nf5 Qd7 intending ...Ne6 as “very solid” for Black. 12...0-0 is also better, securing the king, though after 13 Nf5 Qe6 14 Bd2! +=, stopping ...a5, Black will have to suffer the Spanish torture against none other than Magnus himself. We see that this is the reason why Wesley did not castle: not because he forgot how to play chess, but that he was scared of positional factors such as not being able to play ...a5. But in hindsight, this variation was clearly the lesser evil. Like the previous example, this game is an excellent practical demonstration of the nascent stages of the attack – the attack will usually not be successful without more subtle positional ‘sidethreats’ to support it.

Now Tal starts the final stage of his attack by activating all his forces. 28 Bd2 Kf6 29 Rac1 Qb6 30 Be3 Qa6 30...Qxb2 31 f4 +–. 31 Qb4 Threatening Bb5, trapping the queen. 31...b5 31...Qe2 32 Qe4 +– followed by f4 is also the end. 32 Bxb5 Qb7 33 f4 Bb8 34 Bc6 1-0 Carlsen – So

13 Nf5 Qf8

Bilbao 2016

13...Qf7 is possible, but it takes away the f7-square from the bishop, which would like to retreat to the open diagonal in the ideal scenario. In addition, Black is not even threatening to castle due to a tactical problem which we shall discover later in this game; do you see it in advance?

Again we see Wesley So, but this time on the receiving end of the attack from the greatest player of our generation. Although the game has few real fireworks, we see how titbits of positional pressure here and there discourage Black from castling. It is truly remarkable to watch Magnus at work as he hones a small advantage into a decisive attack.

14 bxa5 Rxa5 15 0-0 Qf7 A clear indication of opening failure. So begins to lose the thread: he has wasted a tempo with his queen shuffling, and this proves to be too valuable

1 e4 e5 2 Nf3 Nc6 3 Bb5 Nf6 4 d3 Bc5 5 Bxc6 dxc6 6 Qe2 Qe7 7 Nbd2 Bg4 8 h3 Bh5 9 a3 Nd7 10 b4 Bd6 11 Nc4 f6 12 Ne3 (D) 14

The Chess Attacker´s Handbook

– a perfect example of even super-grandmasters going awry with their king in the centre. After 15...Bf7 16 c4 +/– Black’s king is still locked in the centre by his own pieces. 16 a4! (D)

Black to play

21...Nxe4? A desperate attempt to generate some complications, but Magnus easily takes care of business. 22 Nxb6+ cxb6 23 dxe4 Qc4 24 Qd2+ Kc7 25 g4! Black to play

Winning the d1-square with tempo.

Magnus simply removes his pawn from future attacks, and Black is still unable to castle for concrete reasons.

25...Bg6 26 Rfd1 1-0 So resigned in view of Qd7/Qd8+. When briefly glancing at this game, it is very easy to criticize Wesley for playing like a beginner and not castling. It almost looked as if Magnus didn’t do anything to stop castling, but when we look at a deeper level, we are able to recognize all the subtleties that led to Black’s downfall. On move 12, Black opted for ...a5 instead of ...0-0 as a last-ditch attempt to gain some counterplay, thinking that he could always castle later. Unfortunately for the American grandmaster, after the knight hopped in on f5 and exerted great pressure on Black’s kingside, he was never able to put his king in safety due to the tactical resource Bh6!. Also, the knight could never be expelled with ...g6, as the weakening of the dark squares on the kingside would be fatal, and it would also leave the h5-bishop stranded without a retreat.

16...Nc5 16...0-0 is desirable, but unfortunately runs into 17 Bh6! +/– and due to the knight fork, Black has no way to hold his kingside together. 17 Qe1! Unpinning his knight with tempo. Carlsen begins to manoeuvre his pieces, which will soon circle like vultures over the black king. 17...b6 18 Nd2 Rxa4 Obviously there is no time for 18...0-0? due to 19 Nc4 Rxa4 20 Rxa4 Nxa4 21 Bh6! – still falling into the same problem as before. 19 Nc4 Bf8 20 Be3 Kd7 21 Qc3 (D) White has activated all his pieces and is simply dominating Black everywhere on the board. Meanwhile, Black’s pieces are stuck out of play on the kingside, as he was never able to complete development by castling...

As you keep gaining experience, I hope you will be able to use this tool effectively; physically preventing the opponent from castling is not always necessary, but rather discouraging him from castling with subtle, positional threats here and there, or even tactical resources – Carlsen’s ability to do both simultaneously in this game proves why he is truly the best of our time.

15

Attacking the Uncastled King

a) 13 Qd6 Qg5 14 e3 Rd8 15 Qf4 Qd5 16 e4 Qb3 17 Qc1 Be6 18 Be2 Rac8 19 0-0 Nd4 20 Nxd4 Rxd4 =+ gives Black a tremendous initiative.

Opening analysis is in my opinion a great way to enhance our attacking knowledge. The reason is simple: the computer immediately points out many fascinating ideas that even strong players may not see. It is important, especially for the younger generation of players, that while conducting opening analysis, that they do not focus only on memorizing moves and following the computer without recognition of its ideas. The computer should be used as a tool to guide you; successful preparation relies on the skilful mastery and implementation of ideas and motifs into one’s games. Here is one example of some recent opening preparation I did which features a line in which White grabs a pawn, but leaves his king in the centre...

b) 13 e3 Rd8 14 Qc2? a6 15 Nc3 Nd4 –+ was too easy in Davidov-Pushkarev, Tomsk 2006, as ...Bf5 is coming with decisive effect. c) 13 Nd4 Nxd4 14 Qxd4 Rd8 15 Qb4 (after 15 Qf4 Be6 16 Rc1 Qd7 17 f3 Qb5 18 b4 Qa4 –/+ Black managed to win in B.Schneider-Drollinger, 2nd Bundesliga 1998/9) 15...Qf6! (of course, Black is not interested in exchanging queens) 16 e3? a5! 17 Qc3 Qg6! (stopping White’s development) 18 f3 Be6 19 Kf2 Rac8 20 Qxa5 Rc2+ 21 Ke1 (21 Be2?? Rxe2+ 22 Kxe2 Qxg2+ 23 Ke1 Qxh1+ –+ leads to mate) 21...Rdc8 22 Rd1 Qf6 – + with a decisive attack. Notice that although Black does not have anything immediate, White is completely lost as he has no development and still a weak king in the centre.

1 Nf3 c5 2 c4 Nc6 3 d4 cxd4 4 Nxd4 Nf6 5 Nc3 e6 6 Ndb5 d5! An excellent sacrifice. 7 cxd5?!

11...0-0 12 a3

7 Bf4! e5 is the main theoretical line, but this is far outside the scope of the book. However, I strongly encourage readers to investigate further if they are interested.

After 12 Bg5 Qc7 13 e3 Be6 14 Qd2 Qa5 15 Bh4 Rac8 White is completely lost. For example, let’s consider 16 a3 (D).

7...Nxd5 8 Nxd5 exd5 9 Qxd5 Bb4+ White has scored horrendously in this line, with many losses and almost no wins. 9...Qxd5? 10 Nc7+ +/– is of course White’s idea. 10 Bd2 Qe7 (D)

Black to play

How should Black continue? White is not threatening to take on b4 due to the pin, so Black has time to strengthen his attack. All the black forces are playing except the rook on f8. When attacking the king stuck in the centre it is imperative that we play quickly so that the king cannot escape. So, where does the f8-rook intend to go? The solution should be obvious now...

White to play

11 Nc3 11 a3 is another important option. 11...Bxd2+ 12 Qxd2 0-0 and then:

16...g5!! (winning the d8-square with tempo) 17 Bg3 Rfd8 18 Qc1 Nd4! gives the enemy king no 16

The Chess Attacker´s Handbook

the way we should play against a king in the centre: just try to mate!

mercy. A common mistake many weaker players make is assuming that their initiative will last forever; however, if the enemy king is able to find shelter, it may not be so easy. Players should treat attacking the king in the centre with as much intensity as they would when attacking with oppositeside castling: violent and forceful. 19 exd4 (19 axb4 Qxa1 20 Qxa1 Nc2+ 21 Ke2 Nxa1 –+) 19...Rxc3! 20 bxc3 Bxc3+ 21 Ke2 Qb5+ 22 Kf3 Qd5+ 23 Ke2 Qe4+ 24 Qe3 Qc2+ 25 Kf3 g4+ 26 Kf4 Qf5# is one way the game could finish.

15 e3 15 axb4 Bb3 16 Nd5 (16 f4 tries to make an escape for the king, but is refuted by 16...Nf3+!, when 17 gxf3 Qh4# is a cute mate, and 17 Kf2 is met by 17...Nxd2 –+) 16...Qd7 –+ leaves White with no defence to ...Nc2+. 15...Bxc3 16 Bxc3 Nb3 17 Bb4

12...Be6!

17 Ra2? f4 18 e4 Rad8 19 Bb4 Qd7 20 Be2 f3! 21 gxf3 Nd2 –+ gives Black a decisive attack.

An obvious move, but it still demonstrates the importance of playing forcefully.

17...Qc7 18 Be2 Nxa1 19 Qxa1 Rfd8 –/+ Although the attack did not end in mate, Black has safely won an exchange without making any positional concessions.

13 Qe4 This is White’s best choice, fighting for control of the d4-square, where the black knight is ready to hop in.

I hope I have made it apparent with these examples that a king in the centre should be the equivalent of the apple on the enemy’s head in the eyes of the attacker! There is certainly merit to the principle of castling one’s king, and it can be extremely dangerous and foolish to neglect this.

13...f5! 14 Qb1 (D) 14 Qf4 Bd6 15 Qa4 Rad8 also gives Black a blistering attack.

Black to play

Now what should Black play? A true attacker will naturally feel that White’s king is short of breathing space, and that this must be exploitable. Honestly speaking, even after a simple bishop retreat, Black still has a large advantage due to White’s lack of development. But Black has something stronger; can you find it? 14...Nd4! A fantastic novelty. Notice that Black’s bishop has been hanging for the last three moves, but all three times, Black did not care about the threat. Such is 17

Attacking the Uncastled King

Exercises Below are some exercises to help you get a sense for attacking a king in the centre. Be ruthless! In our exercises in this and later chapters, you are just told who is to move – the rest is up to you. Think as carefully about your decision as you would in a real game, and then compare your answer with ours.

Exercise 1: White to play

Exercise 3: White to play

Exercise 2: White to play

Exercise 4: White to play

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Exercise 5: White to play

Exercise 7: White to play

Exercise 6: White to play

Exercise 8: White to play

19

Attacking the Uncastled King

Solutions to Exercises Don’t feel you need to have seen all the variations we present in these solutions – the main thing is to have made the right decision. Please study the whole solutions as they often contain several instructive points.

White to play

White to play

1) Kotov – Kalmanok

2) This is opening analysis

Moscow Ch 1936

by Michael Song from 2015.

16 d5!

15 b4!

Blowing up Black’s defences. Or: 16...exd5 17 Nf6#; 16...fxe4 17 dxe6 +– with heavy material losses for Black.

By virtue of attacking the d4-pawn, Black’s c5pawn is actually quite an important defender, and this move strips it of its influence in the defence. 15 Ne5? Qxd4 16 Bh5+ Ke7 =+ leaves White with no continuation.

17 Bb5+ Nd7 18 Ne5 Qc7

15...cxb4 16 Ne5 Bxb7

After 18...fxe4 19 Qg7! +– Black is doomed.

16...Bg7 17 Bh5+ Ke7 18 Nf7 Qxd4 19 Qc1! +/– would also be excellent for White.

16...cxd5

19 Bxd7+ Kd8 20 Qg7 Rf8 21 Ng5 Qc5 22 Bxe6 1-0

17 Bf3 +/– with great attacking chances.

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The Chess Attacker´s Handbook

White to play

White to play

3) Samsonkin – Nakamura

4) Benjamin – Kamsky

Toronto 2009

USA Ch, Los Angeles 1991 This was a position from Joel Benjamin’s book, American Grandmaster.

17 Ne6! Black is one move too late to castle, and this costs him the game.

17 Rae1+ 17 Rxf7?? was played in the game, when White went down after 17...Qg4 18 Re1+ Kd8 19 Qxg4 Bxg4 20 Rxg7 h6 21 Nh7 Bd7 22 Nf6 Bc6 23 Kg1 Kc8 24 Ree7 Kb8 25 Rxc7 Ne8 26 Nxe8 Rxe8 27 Kf2 Re6 28 Rce7 Rf6+ 29 Kg3 Ka7 30 Ref7 Rxf7 0-1.

17...fxe6 18 Qh5+ g6 19 fxg6 Nf6 20 g7+ 20 Rxf6 also wins: 20...Bxf6 21 g7+ Ke7 (21...Kd7 22 Nd5 Bxd5 23 gxh8Q Qxh8 24 Qf7+ Be7 25 exd5 +–) 22 gxh8Q Qxh8 23 Nd5+ Bxd5 24 Rc7+ Kd8 25 Rxh7 Qg8 26 exd5 +–. 20...Kd7 21 Qf7

17...Kd7

21 Rxf6! Bxf6 22 Nd5!! is the computer’s choice and is even more deadly. After 22...Bxd5 (22...exd5 23 Qg4+ Ke8 24 gxh8Q+ Bxh8 25 Qg8+ Kd7 26 Qxh7+ Qe7 27 Rc7+ +–) 23 gxh8Q Qxh8 (23...Bxh8 24 Qf7+ Qe7 25 Rc7+ +–) 24 Qf7+ Be7 25 exd5 exd5 26 Bg5 Qe8 27 Qxh7 +– there is no defence to Bxe7 and Rc7+; for instance, 27...Ra7 28 Qh3+ with mate on c8.

17...Kd8 is met by 18 Nxf7+ Nxf7 19 Qxf7 Qd6 (19...Qd7 20 Qf8+ +–) 20 Qxg7 Re8 21 Rxe8+ Kxe8 22 Rf7 +–, when mate is inevitable. 18 Nf3! This retreat is what Benjamin claims to have missed. 18...Qxb2 19 Ne5+ Kd8 20 Qg5+ f6 21 Rxf6 +–

21...Qe8 22 gxh8N!

and White crashes through.

Not 22 gxh8Q?? Qxf7 –+, when White’s queen is trapped. 22...Qxh8 23 Ne2 +– and White won easily. Note that 23...Rf8? 24 Rc7+! is an instant win for White.

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Attacking the Uncastled King

White to play

White to play

5) Hou Yifan – Zimina

6) Bareev – Piskov

Women’s Olympiad, Baku 2016

Bundesliga 1991/2

10 dxe5!

24 Qa4+ Kf8 25 Qa8+ Be8 26 Nd2!

Opening the position.

A crushing retreat. The threat of Rf1 is deadly and 26...Qxh2 27 Bg6 +– forces mate.

10...dxe5 11 Nd5!! cxd5 12 exd5

26...Qb6 27 Rf1+ Nf6 28 Bg6 Qd8 29 Qxd8 Bxd8 30 exf6 +–

Black is helpless against the threats on the e-file. 12...Bxb5

White has emerged with an extra piece and won without any trouble.

12...e4 is refuted by the simple 13 Nd2 Qe5 14 Bxf6 Qxf6 15 Nxe4 Qg7 (15...Qb6 16 Nd6+ Kd8 17 Nxf7+ Kc7 18 Bxd7) 16 d6! (many other moves are winning as well, but this is the most lethal) 16...Kd8 (16...Bxb5 17 Qd5! and Black cannot hold b7 as 17...Bc6? 18 Qxc6+ bxc6 19 Nf6++ Kd8 20 Re8# is mate) 17 Bxd7 Nxd7 18 Qd5 and with threats such as Qxb7 and Ng5, Black cannot continue. 13 Nxe5 h6 14 Bxf6 Qxf6 15 Ng4+ +– White went on to win easily.

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The Chess Attacker´s Handbook

White to play

White to play

7) Z. Almasi – Movsesian

8) Fedorchuk – I. Sokolov

Budapest 2003

Khanty-Mansiisk 2009

18 Rxe6!

15 Nxe5! Nxe5?

This is the correct sacrifice, which demolishes Black. 18 Bg3?! was played in the game, when Black could have stayed in the game with 18...e5 19 Nf5 Rd8 +/–. 18 Nxe6 looks extremely tempting, but after 18...fxe6 19 Rxe6 0-0-0! the situation is not entirely clear.

15...Qxd4! was the only defence, after which Black is still in the game. 16 Nxc6 Qxe4 17 Na5 Qxe2+ 18 Kxe2 0-0-0 19 Bb2 only leaves White microscopically better. 15...Nxd4? loses immediately to 16 Nf6+ gxf6 17 Qh5+.

18...fxe6 19 Nxe6 Qe5

16 Ng3 Qxd4 17 0-0!

After 19...Qd6 20 Nac5, although Black has a number of options, he is helpless in all lines. For instance, 20...Nc3+ 21 bxc3 Qxd2 22 Rxd2 Bxc5 23 Bxc5 +– or 20...Bc6 21 Nxg7+ Kf8 22 Nf5 Nc3+ 23 bxc3 Qxd2 24 Rxd2 bxc3 25 Rd3 +–.

A nasty surprise for Sokolov. 17 Bb2?? would be a gross blunder due to 17...Qxb2! –+ followed by the knight fork on d3. 17...Qxa1 18 Bf4 Qxa3 19 Qxe5+ Be7 20 Nxf5 +–

20 Re1 Qd6 21 Nxg7+ Kf8

Black is helpless in the face of the onslaught.

After 21...Kd7 22 Nc5+ Kc8 23 Nxb7 Nc3+ 24 Qxc3+ bxc3 25 Nxd6+ Bxd6 26 h4 +– White still maintains a strong attack and is even slightly ahead in material now.

20...Qxb4 21 Re1 Nd5 22 Nxg7+ Kf7 23 Qxd5+ Kxg7 24 Bd2 Qc5 25 Bc3+ Kf8 26 Qf3+ Kg8 27 Qg4+ Qg5 28 Qe6+ Kf8 29 h4 Qxh4 30 Qf5+ Ke8 31 Bxh8 Qb4 32 Re4 1-0

22 Bd4 Bg5 23 Qd3 Ngf4 24 Qf5+ Kg8 25 Nc5 Bc6 26 Nge6 +– The attack is irresistible.

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Opposite-Side Castling

2: Opposite-Side Castling RAZVAN PREOTU In life, we say that ‘the early bird gets the worm’. In opposite-side castling positions in chess, the early bird gets the king! When the players castle on opposite sides, the pace of the game is completely different compared to the kings both being on the same wing. Rather than playing for positional advantages, it is by far more important for both sides to fight for the initiative and start an attack on the enemy king as quickly as possible. This is because it is much easier to open up the enemy king’s position, as one can advance pawns and blast open lines without fear of a possible counter-attack on one’s own weakened king. Also, it is much easier to coordinate the attacking pieces such as lining the rooks up against the enemy king, since our own king sits on the other side of the board and does not interfere with these procedures. Due to all these factors, opposite-side castling almost always leads to a race on who can checkmate the enemy king first. This type of play is prominent in a number of Open Sicilian lines, such as the Dragon, which Fischer audaciously claimed could be tamed by the memorable three-step formula: “sac, sac, mate!” While this quote should not be taken at face value, Fischer manages to justify his words in this next game, against the Danish grandmaster Bent Larsen.

against ...d5 and an attacking thrust, and today the theoretical main line is 9 0-0-0.

Fischer – Larsen Portorož Interzonal 1958

9...Nxd4 Black trades knights in order to offer an exchange of light-squared bishops. 9...Bd7 is also possible, trying to gain tempi on the light-squared bishop with moves such as ...Rc8, ...Ne5 or ...b5.

1 e4 c5 2 Nf3 d6 3 d4 cxd4 4 Nxd4 The Open Sicilian is the opening in which opposite-side castling most commonly occurs, and leads to many different dynamic positions. For this reason, it makes sense for us to focus largely on the Sicilian Defence in this chapter.

10 Bxd4 Be6 (D)

4...Nf6 5 Nc3 g6 6 Be3 Bg7 7 f3 7 Qd2?! Ng4! =+ is of course undesirable for White. Castling kingside with 7 Be2?! 0-0 8 0-0 doesn’t promise anything for White, as Black has no positional weaknesses and it is a lot harder to start an attack with kings on the same side. For instance, White no longer has the attacking plan of h4-h5 to pry open the h-file, whereas Black’s future counterplay with an eventual ...b5 is equally as effective with White’s king on the kingside. 7...0-0 8 Qd2 Nc6 9 Bc4 White to play

At the time of the game, this logical bishop development was without a doubt the main line. 9 g4!? is an interesting alternative, both prophylaxis

11 Bb3! Fischer’s retreat makes it much harder for his opponent to find a good source of counterplay. 24

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11 Bxe6 fxe6 12 0-0-0 is possible, but the doubled pawns provide the important benefit for Black that Nd5 is no longer possible. Notice that the white knight does not have a good square to move to after an eventual ...b5-b4. Black also can use the c4square for a rook, which is hard to challenge as playing b3 would seriously weaken the dark squares around White’s king. This highlights the point that with opposite-side castling, dynamic factors are much more important than positional ones. Despite Black’s sub-par pawn-structure, the dynamic benefits reaped with this exchange far outweigh the positional considerations, and White is left with no straightforward way to continue his attack. If White’s king were castled on the kingside, he would be in excellent shape, but it is a completely different story with opposite-side castling. 12...Qa5 13 Kb1 Rac8 14 h4 Nh5! (this is simplest, just to stop White’s attack in its tracks; 14...b5 15 h5! b4 16 Ne2 Nxh5 17 Bxg7 Nxg7 {17...Kxg7?? 18 g4 +–} 18 Qh6 Qe5 19 Qxh7+ Kf7 with a wildly unclear game) 15 Bxg7 Kxg7 16 e5! (if not for this move, White may even find himself worse) 16...Qxe5 17 Rhe1 Qf4 18 Rxe6 Qxd2 19 Rxd2 Kf7 20 Rde2 Rfe8 = with an equal ending.

White to play

Now White can play 18 a4!. This looks like a very risky move, pushing pawns in front of our king, but with opposite-side castling we must be concrete. The reader should understand that opposite-side castling demands skilful calculation and objective play rather than judgement based on principles alone. In fact, the move a4 is surprisingly defensive in nature; the idea is that after a future ...a5, White can reply with b5, keeping the queenside locked. 18...Qd7 (18...Qb7 19 Qc3+ Kg8 20 Bxe6 fxe6 21 Qb3 +/–) 19 h4! h5 20 Qd4+ f6 (20...Kg8 21 g4! blasts open lines to attack Black’s king: 21...hxg4 22 h5 Bxb3 23 cxb3 Qe6 24 Rd3! +/–) 21 Rhe1 (21 g4? hxg4 22 h5 is not convincing due to 22...Bxb3 23 cxb3 Qe6 24 Qd3 gxh5 25 Rxh5 Rh8, when Black defends) 21...Bxb3 22 cxb3 Rfb8 (22...Rab8 is desirable, but runs into problems after 23 e5! Qf5+ 24 Kb2 fxe5 25 Qxa7 +/– {the point: the a7pawn needs protection} 25...Rxb4 26 Qxe7+ Rf7 27 Qxd6 +/–) 23 Kb2! (renewing the threat of e5; not 23 e5? Qf5+) 23...Qb7 24 Ka3! +/– and Black has absolutely nothing.

11...Qa5 12 0-0-0 b5 13 Kb1 This move is almost always played at some point to avoid any future issues on the c-file and also to protect the a2-pawn. 13...b4 13...Bxb3 is best met by 14 cxb3!. Although this violates the positional principle of capturing towards the centre, we realize that Black will never be able to open lines against the white king. Without any real counterplay of his own, Black will inevitably get mated on the kingside after White storms his h- and g-pawns forward.

We now return to 14...Bxd5 (D):

14 Nd5 Bxd5 14...Nxd5 15 Bxg7 Nc3+ is the best chance to get at least some play against White’s king. 16 bxc3 Kxg7 17 cxb4 Qb5 (D).

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Opposite-Side Castling

factors with opposite-side castling. In fact, I would like to provide the reader with one interesting point that I have not read elsewhere: with opposite-side castling, very often the best defensive tactic is to grab the opponent’s pawns on the side of your own king. If a pawn-storm is more threatening than a half-open file, as in this case, not only does this win material, but more importantly, it stalls the opponent’s attack as he has no ‘battering-ram’ to break open our king’s defences without any pawns. Because of this obligatory preparation move ...Rc7, Black is now behind in the race, which proves to be fatal. 17 h4! (D) White to play

15 Bxd5 Even stronger was 15 exd5! Qb5 16 Qd3 Qxd3 17 Rxd3 +=, leading to a slightly better endgame as the light-squared bishop will be extremely strong on c6, and Black will also have to deal with a weak pawn on e7. 15...Rac8? A critical mistake. The bishop is much too strong to allow it to live. 15...Nxd5! was the path to equality: 16 Bxg7 (16 exd5 Qxd5 =) 16...Nc3+! (16...Kxg7 17 exd5 += was probably Fischer’s idea, in which case Black would suffer due to his weak e-pawn; plus, White still has attacking chances with h4-h5, while Black has no play) 17 bxc3 Rfb8! (opposite-side castling always demands concrete play like this) 18 cxb4 Qxb4+ (18...Rxb4+?? loses to 19 Bb2 Rab8 20 Ka1! +–) 19 Qxb4 Rxb4+ 20 Bb2 Rab8 and if anyone is better, it is Black.

Black to play

Commencing the attack. 17...Qb5 Black paves the way for the a-pawn to roll. Note that the move 17...h5? would not help due to the typical blast 18 g4! hxg4 19 h5! gxh5 20 fxg4 +–, when unhealable wounds have been inflicted upon Black’s kingside.

16 Bb3 += Now White is able to keep the light-squared bishop, which aids the upcoming attack, while also serving as a great defender of its own king.

18 h5! White is not afraid to give up a pawn in order to open the h-file. 18 g4? would be a mistake as it gives Black time to create his own counterplay with 18...a5.

16...Rc7 Black would love to play 16...Qb5 followed by ...a5-a4, but White has the surprising 17 Bxa7! +/– and with the bishop on b3 unable to be removed, White’s king is perfectly safe, leaving Black with no compensation for the pawn and no attack.

18...Rfc8! Providing f8 as a flight-square for the king. 18...a5? is smashed by 19 Bxf6! exf6 (19...Bxf6 20 hxg6 +– followed by Qh6) 20 h6 Bh8 21 Qxd6 +–.

Of course, most of the time it is not a good idea to take pawns which open lines against your own king, but there are always exceptions for positional

19 hxg6

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19 Bxf6? would be a serious mistake due to 19...Bxf6 20 hxg6 hxg6 21 Qh6 e6 =. The darksquared bishop protects the critical h8-square and White’s attack is over. White even has to look for a queen exchange as ...Qe5 is a threat. It’s always important to trade the fianchettoed bishop as it is the best defender of Black’s kingside, while being a very powerful attacking piece as well. 19...hxg6 20 g4 White’s idea is to force the knight to move with g5, and exchange off the all-important g7-bishop. 20...a5 Black is just one move away from getting his attack going, but White strikes first.

Black to play

The attack is decisive.

21 g5 Nh5 22 Rxh5! (D)

23...e5 After 23...Bxd4 24 gxf7+ Kh7 25 Qxd4 Qe5 26 Qd3!, the threat of f4 followed by e5+ is incredibly strong. 24 gxf7+ 24 Qg5! +– was an even more precise way to finish, with the idea that Black cannot take on d4 due to the pin. 24...Kf8 24...Rxf7 25 Be3 +– is also lost for Black, but is at least a better try. 25 Be3 d5 26 exd5 Rxf7 Black to play

26...a4 27 d6 +–.

Obliterating the kingside defences. Needless to say, material cannot be the main concern when attacking with opposite-side castling.

27 d6 Rf6 28 Bg5 Qb7 29 Bxf6 Bxf6 30 d7 Rd8 31 Qd6+ 1-0 In the entirety of this game, Black never managed to get any significant counterplay against White’s king, which still sits snug in its camp. It should come as no surprise that Fischer would not let his opponent go unpunished for this.

22...gxh5? 22...Bxd4! was the only try. 23 Rh6! (after 23 Qxd4 gxh5 24 g6 Rc4 Black should be able to defend with best play) 23...Bg7 24 Qf4 e5 25 Qh4 a4 26 Rxg6! axb3 27 Rxg7+ Kf8! (27...Kxg7?? allows mate: 28 Qh6+ Kg8 29 Rh1 +–) 28 Rh1 Qc4! 29 Rg8+ Ke7 30 g6+ Kd7 and Black seems to be surviving.

Movsesian – Kasparov Sarajevo 2000

23 g6 (D) In opposite-side castling positions, weaknesses in the pawn-structure sheltering the king are even more alarming than usual. Because these weaknesses allow inroads to be made towards the ex27

Opposite-Side Castling

posed king, it is usually a good investment to sacrifice material to shatter the opponent’s pawnstructure, as Kasparov does in this game with a very typical Sicilian-style sacrifice.

10...h6!?, with the idea of slowing down White’s kingside advance, leads to more complicated play after 11 h4 b4 12 Na4: a) 12...Qa5 13 b3 Nc5 14 a3! Nxa4 (14...Rc8 15 Qxb4 Qc7 16 Kb1 Nfd7 is also extremely complicated) 15 axb4 Qc7 16 bxa4 d5 17 e5 Nd7 18 f4 Nb6, when there have been over a hundred games from this interesting position.

1 e4 c5 2 Nf3 d6 3 d4 cxd4 4 Nxd4 Nf6 5 Nc3 a6 6 Be3 e6 7 f3 b5 8 Qd2 Nbd7 8...b4 is a frequent guest at top level today: a) 9 Na4 Nbd7 leads to a standard position where White can choose from 10 c4, 10 0-0-0, 10 Bc4 or 10 g4.

b) 12...d5 13 Bh3 threatens g5. Now: b1) 13...Qa5?! 14 b3 Nc5?! 15 g5! Nxa4 16 bxa4 hxg5 17 hxg5 Rxh3 (17...Nd7 18 g6! and White is crashing through) 18 Rxh3 Nd7 19 g6 (19 Rh8!? +/–) 19...Qxa4 20 gxf7+ Kxf7 21 Kb1 and White won in Tiviakov-Rashkovsky, Linares 1999.

b) Recently the move 9 Nd1!? has been tried more: b1) 9...Be7 10 Bd3 e5 11 Nb3 Nc6 12 0-0 0-0 13 Bf2 a5 14 Bb5 Bb7 was seen in AkopianGrandelius, Golden Sands 2014, and instead of that game’s 15 a4, even stronger would be 15 c4!, with a lock on the d5-square.

b2) 13...g5?! is the modern approach to stopping White’s kingside ambitions in the Najdorf, but it turns out that it does not accomplish its goal here. 14 hxg5 hxg5 and then:

b2) 9...e5 10 Nb3 Nc6 11 Bf2 Be7 12 Ne3 0-0 13 Rd1 Rb8 14 Bc4!? (after 14 c4 bxc3 15 bxc3 a5 16 Qc2 Qc7 = Black had no problems and went on to win in Givon-Artemiev, Baku 2014) 14...a5 15 Nc1! (anticipating ...a4 so Black has no time to get in ...Na5) 15...Be6 (15...a4 16 Nd3 +=) 16 0-0 Qc7 17 Ne2 with interesting play.

b21) 15 Bxg5 dxe4 16 Bxf6 and here: b211) 16...Nxf6? 17 g5 exf3 18 Qe3 Nd5 19 Qe5 Rg8 (19...Rxh3 20 Rxh3 Qd6 21 Nxf3 +– Cioara-Berresheim, Germany {team event} 2001/2) 20 Nxe6 Qe7 and now after 21 Nac5! fxe6 22 Nxe6 +–, with ideas such as Qf5 or Qg3 followed by Rhe1 to come, Black is doomed.

9 0-0-0 Bb7 10 g4 (D)

b212) 16...Qxf6! (although this looks scary as d7 is loose, this new move is absolutely necessary) 17 g5 Qe7 18 g6 Ne5 19 gxf7+ Nxf7 20 Bxe6 (20 Nxe6? Rxh3 –+) 20...Rxh1 21 Rxh1 Rd8 . b22) 15 e5 Nxe5 16 Bxg5 Nc4 17 Qf4! (17 Qe2 was seen in Topalov-Van Wely, Monte Carlo blindfold 2000, but this is stronger) 17...Be7 18 Rde1 +/– and White will smash through on e6 next move. For instance: 18...Rc8?! (18...Qd6 19 Qxd6 Nxd6 20 Nc5 +/– is objectively better) 19 Nxe6! fxe6 20 Rxe6 0-0 21 Qf5 Rf7 22 Bh6! Ne8 23 Qg6+ Ng7 24 Bf1! and the threat of Bd3 wins the game.

Black to play

White immediately begins his play on the kingside, in anticipation that Black will one day castle there.

b3) Opening the centre with 13...dxe4!? is risky and can lead to a very wild game after 14 g5 hxg5 15 hxg5 exf3, since White has the incredible shot 16 Nxe6! (the straightforward 16 gxf6? Nxf6 doesn’t pose any problems, as Black’s

10...Nb6

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king is now safe and material is even) 16...fxe6 17 Bf5! (D), winning the rook as Bg6+ must be parried.

White to play

12 Kb1?! A typical move in the Sicilian to tuck the king away from the half-open c-file, but there were more pressing issues at hand. 12 Bd3 Rc8 13 Nce2 is better, as it avoids the strong exchange sacrifice that occurs in the game but without blocking in the bishop on f1 (as in the next note).

Black to play

It seems like White has a decisive advantage but Black has some incredible resources starting with 17...exf5! 18 Rxh8 Ng4 19 Nb6 (19 Nc5 is less challenging as the endgame arising after 19...Nxc5 20 Qxd8+ Rxd8 21 Rxd8+ Kxd8 22 Rxf8+ Kd7 23 Bxc5 Ke6 gives Black great drawing chances because of the oppositecoloured bishops and the strong f3-pawn) 19...Nde5!, giving up the queen to stop White’s attack. After the most challenging line, 20 Rxf8+ Kxf8 21 Qxb4+ Kg8 22 Qb3+ (it’s better not to accept the queen sacrifice and continue the attack, as after 22 Rxd8+ Rxd8 23 Qe7 Nxe3! 24 Qxd8+ Kh7 Black has two minor pieces for the queen but the strong f3-pawn seems to provide full compensation!) 22...Kh7 23 Rh1+ Kg6 24 Qe6+ Nf6 25 Qxe5 f2! 26 gxf6 Bxh1 27 Qg3+ Kxf6 28 Qh4+ Kf7 29 Qxh1 Qe7 30 Bxf2, White has two pieces for the rook but Black’s two connected passed pawns will make it complicated to convert into a win.

12...Rc8 13 Bd3 13 Nce2 Qc7 =+ followed by ...d5 is good for Black. It might seem strange that opening the centre can be good with the king in the middle, but Black’s pieces are much more centralized, whereas White’s are clustered with no real purpose. 13...Rxc3! A typical exchange sacrifice for Black in the Sicilian. Although there is no concrete follow-up, the long-term weaknesses followed by an eventual opening of the centre with ...d5 will prove hard to handle. Black indubitably obtains full compensation for the exchange, and then some. 14 bxc3 Qc7 15 Ne2 Be7 16 g5 0-0 17 h4 Na4 (D)

11 Qf2 Nfd7 (D)

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Opposite-Side Castling

to put up some queenside resistance. 21...b4 22 Ka1 Nxd3 23 Rxd3 Be5 –/+. 21...Nxd3! 22 cxd3 22 Rxd3 dxe4 23 fxe4 Bxe4 –+. 22...b4 (D)

White to play

Already White is on the defensive. The engines suggest that the position is equal with best play, but practically White is lost. Black’s initiative is very strong and it only takes one mistake for the attack to become decisive. 18 Bc1 Ne5

White to play

Black’s attack is decisive, as all his pieces will participate in the assault.

White would be happy to give back a pawn after 18...Nxc3+? 19 Nxc3 Qxc3 20 Bb2 . The attacker should realize that the doubled pawns actually help in developing the attack and should not be greedy in trying to regain material. When looking at this pawn-structure of pawns on c2 and c3 (f7 and f6 in Black’s case usually), the pawn in front actually hinders the defender’s resources, by making it impossible to open communications towards the king along the second (or seventh) rank.

23 cxb4 Rc8 24 Ka1 24 Rd2 is suggested by the engines, but White is busted after 24...Bxb4 25 Qh2 Qb6 26 Rb2 Nxb2 27 Bxb2 Bd6 28 e5 Ba3 –+ with ...a5 and ...Ba6 to come. 24...dxe4 25 fxe4 Bxe4! 26 g6 26 dxe4 Be5+ –+ leads to mate.

19 h5

26...Bxh1 27 Qxh1 Bxb4 28 gxf7+ Kf8 29 Qg2 Rb8 30 Bb2 Nxb2 31 Nd4 Nxd1 32 Nxe6+ Kxf7 0-1

White tries to start his own attack, but it’s clear that he’s far behind. 19...d5!

Unfortunately for White, he cannot pick off the queen due to the mating threat of ...Bc3+.

19...f6!? is also strong, activating the black rook on the f-file. 20 Qh2?!

Tal – Mohrlok

This only helps Black as White’s queen gets chased away from the defence, but it was hard to suggest good moves for White regardless. For instance, 20 h6 g6 –/+ accomplishes nothing.

Varna Olympiad 1962 1 e4 c5 2 Nf3 Nc6 3 d4 cxd4 4 Nxd4 Nf6 5 Nc3 d6 6 Bg5 e6 7 Qd2 Be7 8 0-0-0 0-0 9 Nb3! (D)

20...Bd6 21 Qh3? The first big mistake, and White is already lost. 21 Qg2 is better, as e4 is defended so White can recapture the bishop on d3 with the rook and attempt 30

The Chess Attacker´s Handbook

Black to play

White to play

An instructive retreat. White’s knight comes to hold the queenside, and it is not clear what attacking role the c6-knight serves as it blocks the c-file. It is worth remembering that in many Sicilian positions, Black’s knight is much better positioned on d7 than c6, as it aids in the defence of the kingside while maintaining the option to join the attack via b6 or c5.

15 g6!

9...Qb6

15 h5 allows Black to open the d-file by 15...b4 16 Na4 Nc5 17 Naxc5 dxc5 =, which essentially stops White’s attack.

A very strong pawn sacrifice, which is now a wellknown idea in these pawn-structures. White forcefully opens lines on the kingside without giving Black time to interfere. In opposite-side castling, it is important to note that the most effective attacks are those that are fastest, without concerns about material.

9...a6?! is a natural way to prepare the typical counterplay with ...b5, but after 10 Bxf6! Bxf6 (10...gxf6 11 Qh6 gives White the initiative) 11 Qxd6 Qb6 12 Qc5 Black does not have full compensation; for example, 12...Qc7 13 Kb1 b5 14 f4! +=.

15...fxg6 Again, we see the idea of capturing away from the centre in an attempt to enlarge the pawn-shield in front of the king.

9...a5!? 10 a4 d5 is interesting, but after 11 Bb5! White’s chances are preferable.

15...hxg6 16 h5 gxh5 17 Rxh5 is way too dangerous for Black even to consider. White should eventually crash through on the h-file with ideas such as Qh2. Interestingly enough, some computer engines say that Black is OK, but in practice this is far from true, and after seeing a few more moves, even these engines begin to understand that White’s attack is very powerful. 17...Bf6 18 Bg5! exchanges the strongest defender with a potent attack after 18...b4 19 Ne2 Bb7 20 Nf4 or 18...Bxg5 19 Qxg5 Nf6 20 Rh1 b4 21 Ne2 Ne5 22 Rg1 Ne8 23 Ned4.

10 f3 As we’ve already seen, playing f3 is very typical, as it guards the e4-pawn and prepares a pawnstorm attack with g4, h4, g5, etc. 10...a6 11 g4 Rd8 Black threatens ...d5 and obliges the bishop to retreat to make way for the g5 advance. 12 Be3 Qc7 13 g5 Nd7 14 h4 b5 (D)

16 h5 gxh5 16...b4? allows 17 Nd5! exd5 18 Qxd5+ Kh8 (18...Kf8 19 Bc4 +–) 19 hxg6 Nf6 20 Rxh7+! Nxh7 21 Qh5 +–. 17 Rxh5 (D)

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Opposite-Side Castling

Black to play

White to play

17...Nf6

24 Rh6!

17...b4? still doesn’t work because of 18 Nd5! exd5 19 Qxd5+ Kh8 20 Rxh7+ Kxh7 21 Qh5+ Kg8 22 Bc4+ Kf8 23 Qf7#.

Realizing his previous mistake, Tal no longer allows the fianchetto defence to be constructed.

18 Rg5

24...g6? now fails due to 25 Rgxg6+ hxg6 26 Rxg6+ Bg7 27 Rxf6, and then:

24...Kf7

18 Rh1 is also possible, focusing the attack on h7 instead of g7.

a) 27...Qe7 28 Bg5! Qe8 29 Bh6 Kh8 30 Bxg7+ Rxg7 31 Rh6+ Rh7 (31...Kg8 32 Qh2 +–) 32 Qg5 +/– leaves Black on the brink of disaster; e.g., 32...Qf8?! 33 Rxe6! Re8 34 Rg6 +–.

18...Ne5 19 Qg2 Bf8 20 Be2 It is instructive to see how Tal builds his attack. Only after White brings all his pieces to the kingside will he prepare a decisive pawn advance with f4 and e5, kicking away Black’s defensive pieces.

b) 27...Re8 28 Rg6 Qf7 (after 28...Re7 29 f4 Qb6 30 Nd1 c3 31 b3 Qa5 32 Kb1 +/– Black has no attack whatsoever, and White will just slowly build up his in the meantime) 29 e5! (making way for the knight to hop in) 29...d5 (29...dxe5 30 Nc6 Ree7 31 Ne4 +– is devastation) 30 Bh6 Qf8 31 Nf5! exf5 32 Nxd5 (a picturesque position in which all White’s pieces converge against the black king) 32...Rxe5 33 Nf6+ Kf7 34 Rxg7+ Ke6 35 Ne4! (threatening Rg6+ winning the queen) 35...Rxg7 36 Bxg7 Qb4 37 c3 Qb8 38 Bxe5 Qxe5 39 Nd2 +– and with so many weak pawns, White must be winning the endgame.

20...Nc4 20...b4 21 Na4 does not solve Black’s problems. 21 Bxc4 bxc4 22 Nd4 Rb8 23 Rh1?! Tal uses both half-open files for the attack, but it was better to focus all the pressure on the g-file by 23 Rg1!. This creates an unpleasant threat of Nc6, as Black cannot take due to the pressure on g7. 23...Rb7 is the best defence, but White has a strong attack after 24 f4. Notice how advanced White’s attack is, while Black has made no meaningful progress against White’s own king. Such positions are usually lost in practice, in spite of the objective evaluations.

25 Rh4 (D)

23...Rb7? (D) 23...g6! was a better defence in order to fianchetto the bishop on g7.

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Black to play

White to play

Tal’s idea was to bring Black’s king closer to the centre before executing the pawn advance.

30 Nc3! Threatening Rxf6+ with a demolition of Black’s kingside.

25...Qb6 Bringing back the king with 25...Kg8? is a mistake, because White has the strong idea of 26 Rf4 Ne8 27 Qh1!, threatening Rxf8+ followed by Qxh7, and 27...g6? doesn’t help due to 28 Rxf8+! Kxf8 29 Rxg6! +– when Black is mated: 29...Qf7 30 Bh6+ Ke7 31 Qh4+ Kd7 32 Rxe6.

30...Qd8

25...e5! 26 Nf5 Kg8 looks terrifying, but Black should defend with proper play.

Black resigned as he either loses the queen or gets checkmated. For example, 31...Qc7 32 Rxf6+ Kg8 33 Rfxh6 Qxc6 34 Qg6 +– with mate next move on h8.

After 30...exd4 31 Rxf6+ Kg8 (31...Kxf6 32 Nd5+ +–) 32 Rfxh6 +– Black has absolutely no hope of survival. 31 Nc6 1-0

26 Nd1 Qc7 27 f4 h6? A decisive weakening of the g6-square. 27...e5! 28 Nf5 Kg8 is similar to the previous line, where Black should defend.

Movsesian – Cvitan Bundesliga 1997/8

28 Rg6 Re8 28...e5 does not help here as Black is now forced to take the knight after 29 Nf5 Bxf5 30 exf5 +/–. This is no longer the same due to the outpost on g6.

1 e4 c5 2 Nf3 e6 3 d4 cxd4 4 Nxd4 Nf6 5 Nc3 d6 6 g4 Nc6?!

29 f5 e5 (D)

At the time the game was played, this was considered a principled response, completing development and challenging White’s knight on d4. However, further practice has shown that the positions are just too dangerous for Black. Black’s two main alternatives are 6...h6 and 6...e5 7 Bb5+ Bd7 8 Bxd7+ Qxd7 9 Nf5 h5, with counterplay. 7 g5 Nd7 8 Be3 Be7 9 h4 (D)

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Opposite-Side Castling

lactic move 13 a3! was perhaps even stronger, with the idea of first restricting Black’s counterplay with ...b4, and denying him the option of ...Ne5. 13...Bb7 14 f4 Rc8 15 Kb1 and now: a) 15...Qc7 16 Qe2 (seeing that the queen was in the way on h5, White pulls it back) 16...e5 17 fxe5 dxe5 18 Bf2 Nb6 19 Bh3 Rcd8 20 Bxb6! Qxb6 21 Nd5 Bxd5 22 exd5 +/– and in this opposite-coloured bishop position, White possesses much better attacking chances. b) 15...Nc5 16 Rh3! (a multi-purpose move: the rook aids in the defence along the third rank, but also has aggressive ambitions, as it steps out of the a8-h1 diagonal to support the f5 advance) 16...Qc7 (16...Nxe4 17 Bd3 Rxc3 18 Bxe4 Bxe4 19 Rxc3 d5 20 Qe2 += does not quite give Black full compensation) 17 f5 f6 (sadly, the only defence against the f6 advance; 17...e5? 18 Bxc5 Qxc5 19 f6 Bd8 20 fxg7 Kxg7 21 Rhd3 Be7 22 Bh3 +– results in a crushing attack) 18 g6 h6 19 fxe6 Nxe6 20 Be3 +/– and Black’s position is shattered.

Black to play

In anticipation of Black castling, White initiates his kingside play immediately. 9...0-0 10 Qh5 Black is already in some trouble. White has succeeded in advancing his kingside pawns with tempo and is just about to complete development, while Black has not even started the typical queenside counterplay.

13...Ne5 13...b4? gets smashed by 14 Bxg7! Kxg7 (14...bxc3? 15 e5 cxb2+ 16 Kb1 f5 17 gxf6 +– is quickly mate) 15 Qh6+ Kh8 16 e5 f5 17 g6 Rf7 18 gxf7 +–.

10...a6 11 0-0-0 Nxd4?! Black trades knights in order to play ...b5, but this brings White’s bishop to a very strong attacking diagonal. 11...Qc7, protecting the knight followed by ...b5, might have been better.

13...g6 14 Qf3 followed by an eventual h5 gives White an extremely dangerous attack, and Black will have no way to stop the h-file from being opened.

12 Bxd4 b5 (D)

14 f4 The greedy attempt with 14 Bxe5? is a serious mistake due to 14...dxe5 15 Bxb5 Qb6 =+. On top of the bishop-pair advantage, White’s attack is over while Black’s is just beginning. 14...Nxd3+ 15 Rxd3! (D)

White to play

13 Bd3 Already White is lined up for a nasty bishop sacrifice. That being said, the typical Sicilian prophy34

The Chess Attacker´s Handbook

Black to play

Black to play

White has the very deep idea of doubling rooks on the g-file.

17...exd5? 17...Bxd5 18 exd5 +/– is a better defence, although White still has a very large advantage.

15...Bb7 A natural move threatening ...b4, but White has a devilish trap in response. The immediate 15...b4 was an interesting alternative: 16 Ne2 Bb7 17 Ng3 Qc7! (Black wants to play ...Rfc8 in order to free the f8-square for the bishop) 18 f5 e5 (18...Rfc8 19 Rh2 is basically the same) 19 Be3 (19 f6 Rfc8 20 Qd1 exd4 21 fxe7 Qxe7 22 Rxd4 g6 gives Black good compensation after White takes either the b4or d6-pawn) 19...Rfc8 20 Qd1 a5 21 f6 Bf8 . It’s a race where both sides have equally strong attacks.

18 Rdg3! +– White threatens both Qh6 and g6. 18 Qh6?? doesn’t work right away because of 18...gxh6 19 gxh6+ Bg5 –+. 18...Qc7 18...Re8 would not help after 19 g6! fxg6 20 Rxg6 hxg6 21 Qxg6 +–. 19 Qh6! Qxc2+ Sadly for Black, this is the only move that doesn’t get mated immediately.

16 Rg1!

20 Kxc2 Rfc8+ 21 Kd2 gxh6 22 gxh6+ Bg5 23 Rxg5+ Kf8 24 exd5 (D)

Preparing a fantastic sacrifice. 16...b4? Black completely misses White’s idea. 16...Qc7!, threatening ...e5, is not that bad for Black. After 17 Qh6! e5 18 fxe5 dxe5 19 Qb6 Qxb6 20 Bxb6 White will play Nd5 with a slightly more pleasant endgame, but that should not be a big deal. 17 Nd5! (D) The idea is to force the e-pawn out of the way, denying Black his resource ...e5. As a result, White’s d4-bishop simply cannot be challenged.

Black to play

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Opposite-Side Castling

Black has survived the attack, but his position is hopeless. White’s pieces are too active and material loss is inevitable. 24...Ke7 25 Rf5 Rc4 26 Kd3 Rac8 27 Rg7 1-0 A relentless attack! Such is the way we must play to be successful in positions with opposite-side castling. Kariakin – Anand Wijk aan Zee 2006 1 e4 c5 2 Nf3 d6 3 d4 cxd4 4 Nxd4 Nf6 5 Nc3 a6 6 Be3 e5 7 Nb3 Be6 8 f3 Be7

White to play

13 Ne2

8...h5!?, with the idea of stopping White’s kingside play with g4, is a more popular choice today and generally leads to a more positional game after 9 Qd2 Nbd7 10 Nd5.

After 13 gxf6 bxc3 14 Qxc3 Nxf6 15 Na5 Rc8 16 Nc6 Qe8 17 Nxe7+ Qxe7 18 Qa5 Rc6 = White’s bishop-pair and slightly better pawn-structure are compensated by Black’s activity along the c-file and ideas of ...Nh5-f4 to stop White’s attack. Topalov – Vachier-Lagrave, St Louis 2016 went down this path, and White had absolutely no advantage.

9 Qd2 0-0 10 0-0-0 Nbd7 Anand opts for the traditional main line. The funny-looking 10...a5!?, with the idea of immediately beginning play with ...a4, is a significant alternative in today’s era.

13...Ne8

11 g4 b5

13...Nh5? would be a serious mistake as it allows White to accelerate his attack with 14 Ng3 Nf4 15 h4, when White has plenty of ideas such as Nf5 or even Nd4, exploiting the f4-knight.

This is one of the main lines of the English Attack. 12 g5 b4! (D) A strong counter-attacking move. As the kings are stowed on opposite sides, time is of the essence.

14 f4 a5 15 f5 a4! (D)

12...Nh5?! 13 Nd5 Bxd5 14 exd5 += gives White the better chances, as Black’s knight is misplaced on h5 and Black’s light squares are severely weakened due to the pawn on d5. White’s main idea is Na5-c6, exploiting the outpost.

White to play

Both sides are throwing full swings at each other! 16 Nbd4!? 36

The Chess Attacker´s Handbook

for more violent measures in the game continuation. After 18 Nc6 Qc7 19 Nxe7+ Kh8 20 Qxb4 a3 21 bxa3 (21 b3? Bxb3 22 Qxb3 a2 23 Kb2 Rb8 24 Bb5 Nc5 allows Black counterplay) 21...Rb8 22 Bb5 +/– we see that Black is left with no real attacking chances.

The idea behind this funny-looking move is to keep White’s queenside pawn-structure intact. 16 fxe6 is a less crazy option. After 16...axb3 we have: a) 17 exf7+ (it does not help to activate Black’s rook) 17...Rxf7 18 cxb3 Rxa2 19 Ng3 (19 Kb1 Qa8 20 Ng3 Ra1+ 21 Kc2 Rxf1! 22 Rhxf1 Qc8+ 23 Kd3 Qa6+ = gives White no way to avoid the perpetual) 19...Rxf1! 20 Rhxf1 Ra1+ 21 Kc2 Qc8+ = with the same perpetual as before.

18 Kb1! White protects a2 and keeps the a-file closed, while still keeping all of the previous threats. 18...bxc2+

b) 17 cxb3 fxe6 18 Bh3 Rxa2 19 Bxe6+ Kh8 20 Ng3 Nc7 21 Bc4 Qa8 22 Rhf1 Rxf1 23 Rxf1 Ra1+ 24 Kc2 Rxf1 25 Bxf1 d5! and Black should equalize with further precise play. Although White has the bishop-pair, it will be extremely difficult for him to win due to the doubled bpawns.

18...bxa2+? would be a serious mistake, as after 19 Ka1 +/– Black is unable to open further lines, whereas White’s pieces and pawns are clearly superior, in addition to the e6-bishop being trapped. In opposite-side castling, both sides – attacker and defender alike – should be aware of the resource of using the enemy pawns as a shield for the king. Unfortunately, the rules of chess prevent us from committing treason and killing our own men, and so the pawn on a2 will serve as permanent shelter for White’s king.

16...exd4 17 Nxd4 (D)

19 Nxc2 (D)

Black to play

Black’s bishop is hanging and Nc6 is also a threat. There is no way to hold on to the extra piece. 17...b3!

Black to play

An important move, opening lines against the white king.

19...Bb3! More concrete play. Black finally gives back the piece but is able to open the a-file.

A slower move such as 17...Bxa2? would be a serious mistake. This move does not contribute to an attack against the king and thus should automatically be discarded. It is worth remembering that it is not necessarily the pawns themselves that are important, but the defensive roles they play. In this position, the b2- and c2-pawns are quite important, but the a2-pawn is expendable. Thus, Black should not waste his time by grabbing it when he can opt

This is better than 19...Nc7 20 fxe6 Nxe6 21 h4 Ne5 22 Nd4 +=. In such an open position, the bishop-pair is a huge asset and Black’s pieces are not well-positioned for a queenside attack. 20 axb3

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Opposite-Side Castling

Forced, as the c2-knight is too valuable a defender. After 20 h4? Bxc2+ 21 Qxc2 a3 22 b3 Ne5 –/+, the dark-square weaknesses around White’s king will eventually prove fatal. 20...axb3 21 Na3 Ne5 (D)

White to play

24 Bg2? White’s position is very dangerous, and he should be happy to bail out after 24 f6 Qxe4+ 25 Bd3 Nxd3 26 Qxd3 Qxd3+ 27 Rxd3 gxf6 28 Nc4 =. White to play

The natural move actually chosen by White is the decisive mistake! It looks like Black’s pieces can’t move at all, but Black has a very concrete idea to bring them into the attack. Can you find it?

A very sharp position. White has clear positional advantages (bishop-pair, menacing kingside pawns) but has the weaker king. At the moment, however, Black’s pieces are unable to join the attack because they are rather passive (e8-knight, e7bishop, f8-rook). If Black is able to bring those pieces into the attack, he will stand very well. However, if White consolidates and manages to protect his king, Black can come under a dangerous attack himself.

24...Nc7!! An incredible move! Black sacrifices two pieces just to bring the f8-rook into play and crash through on the a-file. Again, material is not important; only the king matters! 25 Qxc7

22 h4 Ra5

Forced; otherwise ...Nb5 is decisive.

Freeing the a8-square for the queen, where it attacks e4 and puts pressure on the a-file.

25...Rc8 26 Qxe7

22...Ra4 has been generally preferred in later games, as this prevents Qb4 and puts more pressure on the e4-pawn while keeping all the same ideas as the text-move.

26...Nc4 –+

26 Qxa5 Qxa5 27 Rc1 Rxc1+ 28 Rxc1 Qa6 –+ is hopeless for White as the queen is too strong. White is defenceless against the forthcoming penetration on the a-file.

23 Qc3?

27 g6

23 Qb4! was necessary, as White threatens Bb6 and essentially forces a queen exchange after 23...Qa8 24 Bb6 Ra4 25 Qxb3 Qxe4+ 26 Nc2 Ra8 (26...Qxh1 27 Qxa4 +=) 27 Qd5 Qxd5 28 Rxd5 +=. Then White’s chances seem preferable due to the bishop-pair.

White tries to create some counterplay, but it is too late. 27...hxg6 28 fxg6 Nxa3+ 29 bxa3 Rxa3 30 gxf7+ Kh7 31 f8N+ Rxf8 32 Qxf8 Ra1+ 33 Kb2 Ra2+ 34 Kc3 Qa5+ 35 Kd3 Qb5+ 36 Kd4 Ra4+ 37 Kc3 Qc4+ 0-1

23...Qa8 (D)

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With forced mate to follow. An incredible game that highlights just how important it is to open lines and go all-in for the attack! Xiong – Aravindh World Junior Ch, Bhubaneswar 2016 Our final example in this chapter is a barnburner between two strong grandmasters from the 2016 world junior championship. This was definitely a key victory for Jeffery Xiong, who was able to win the tournament a full point ahead of the secondplaced player.

White to play

1 e4 c5 2 Nf3 Nc6 3 Bb5 The Rossolimo Variation, which tends to be more positional than the typical open positions.

As soon as White castles queenside, Black immediately starts an attack against the king. The idea is simple: open lines against the king.

3...g6 4 Bxc6 dxc6

12 Na4

The most popular recapture. 4...bxc6 is of course also possible. Black tends to manoeuvre the knight to f7 in these positions. One way the opening could progress is 5 0-0 Bg7 6 Re1 Nh6 7 c3 0-0 8 d4 cxd4 9 cxd4 f6 10 Nc3 Nf7, with interesting counterplay.

This delays Black’s pawn advance for a while, as c5 needs to be protected.

5 d3 Bg7 6 h3 b6!?

13 Kb1 Nd7 14 Ng4

A strange move-order. Black normally only plays ...b6 after White attacks the c5-pawn.

14 h4 Qe7 15 h5 is also possible, but then the knight has no good square but to return to f3.

7 Nc3 Nf6 8 Be3 0-0 9 Qd2 Re8

14...Qe7 15 Nh6+ Kh8 16 h4

Black prepares ...e5, gaining space in the centre. The direct 9...e5 is possible, as taking the pawn doesn’t provide any advantage: 10 Nxe5 Nxe4 11 Nxf7 Nxd2 12 Nxd8 Nf3+ 13 gxf3 Rxd8 =. However, Black would have to play ...Re8 eventually if White doesn’t take the pawn right away.

Both sides are going for mate! Who will win the race?

12...Be6 Black plans to play ...Nd7 without having to block the bishop.

16...b5 17 Nc3 f6 A logical defensive move: Black prepares to close the position in response to h5. That being said, 17...a4 18 h5 Nf6 19 hxg6 fxg6 is also possible, with counterplay as White can’t break through with just the h-file.

10 Nh2!? A common idea, though not in this position. White moves the knight away in order to advance the fpawn. 10 Bh6 is the most common move, trading dark-squared bishops or forcing Black to play ...Bh8. White can then choose which side to castle.

18 h5!? Xiong allows his opponent to trap the bishop on h6, but prepares to break open the kingside with a future f4 advance.

10...e5 11 0-0-0 a5! (D)

18...Bxh6! Forced, as 18...g5? 19 Nf5 Bxf5 20 exf5 is a complete positional disaster, with White’s knight about to plant itself on e4.

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Opposite-Side Castling

19 Bxh6 g5 (D)

White to play

Black to play

Once again, as mentioned in the Anand-Kariakin game, the fall of the a2-pawn does not actually make a significant difference in the attack against White’s king. Black has won a pawn, but it has cost a lot of time and now White threatens the unstoppable f4 break. Time is of the essence! Black needs to continue his attack.

20 Rdf1? This seems too slow; Black is coming first on the queenside. 20 g3! was much better, immediately preparing the f4 break: 20...Bg4 21 Rde1 Bf3 (stopping White’s plans for the moment) 22 Rh2. At first, this seems like an awkward way to play, but White will eventually get rid of the bishop. For instance: 22...c4 23 Qe3 g4 24 Ne2 cxd3 25 Ng1! (after 25 cxd3? Nc5 –/+ White has no good response to ...Rad8) 25...dxc2+ 26 Kxc2 Nc5 27 Nxf3 gxf3 28 Qxf3 a4 and both sides have a weak king, but Black’s pieces seem better placed.

23...c4! Opening more lines on the queenside and also providing the c5-square for the knight. 24 f4! White finally breaks through on the kingside. Both sides’ attacks are in full gear now.

20...Qf7?!

24...exf4 25 gxf4 cxd3

This seems tempting as Black wins the a2-pawn, but White can use the bishop as a shield and this gives Xiong time to start his own attack.

Aravindh plays in the most direct fashion. There were also a few options that he could have chosen to clarify the situation on the kingside first:

20...a4! was how Black should have proceeded, continuing the pawn-storm with ...b4 and ...c4 to blast open lines in front of White’s king. After 21 g3 b4 22 Nd1 c4 23 dxc4 Nc5 –/+ it’s clear that Black’s attack is developing much faster than White’s.

a) 25...g4!? closes the kingside, but only temporarily as White will win the g-pawn. However, this gives Black ample time to prepare a defensive setup. After 26 Rfg1 Rg8 27 Rg3 Rae8 both kings remain exposed, with an interesting struggle to come.

21 g3 b4 22 Na4 Bxa2+ 23 Ka1 (D)

b) 25...gxf4 26 Rxf4 opens the f-file, but f6 is well defended for the moment. Black can also gain control of the g-file: 26...Rg8 27 dxc4 Bxc4 28 Qf2 . 26 fxg5 26 b3 wins the bishop and forces an endgame, but Black has a lot of pawns for the piece. After 26...Bxb3 27 cxb3 Qxb3 28 Qa2 Qxa2+ 29 Kxa2 40

The Chess Attacker´s Handbook

b1) 32...Re8 33 Bg7+ Kg8 34 Nb6! (deflecting Black’s knight from the defence) and here:

gxf4 30 Rxf4 c5 31 Nb2 White is able to blockade the pawns, with a roughly level position.

b11) After 34...Nxb6? 35 Bh6+ Kh8 36 Rg7 Black must lose the queen, as 36...Qxb3 37 Rxh7+ (37 Rg8+ Qxg8 38 Bg7+ Qxg7 39 fxg7+ Kxg7 40 Qf6+ also mates) 37...Kxh7 38 Qc7+ is forced mate on g7.

26...dxc2 27 gxf6 Both sides are nearly getting mated; the only question is who will be able to get the job done first. 27...Bb1? Aravindh plays a natural move, threatening mate in one with ...Qa2#; however, after this move White’s attack becomes irresistible.

b12) 34...Nc5 35 Bh6+ Kh8 36 Rg7! (White forces a winning endgame) 36...Nxb3+ 37 Kb2 c1Q+ 38 Rxc1 Nxc1 39 Rxf7 Nd3+ 40 Kxb1 Nxf4 41 Bxf4 +–. White’s active pieces and strong passed pawns should be enough to win.

27...Rxe4! is the right defence, bravely taking the pawn, and more importantly keeping the bishop on the a2-g8 diagonal. After 28 Bg7+ Kg8 29 Rhg1 Bc4! (an important tempo-gain by attacking White’s rook; there is no way to take advantage of the discovered check – Black’s king is safe!) 30 Bh6+ Kh8 31 Qxc2 Rae8 32 Bg7+ Kg8 = White has no real way to continue the attack, and will have to force a repetition eventually.

b2) 32...c5 stops White’s idea, as 33 Nb6? Nxb6 34 Rg7? (White should give perpetual with 34 Bg7+ Kg8 35 Bh6+ =) 34...a4! leads to a mating attack for Black: 35 Rxf7 axb3+ 36 Kb2 Nc4+ 37 Kxb3 Ra3+ 38 Kxc4 c1Q+! 39 Kb5 (39 Rxc1 Bd3#) and now the beautiful shot 39...Qc4+! –+, as otherwise White’s king escapes to b6! However, 33 Bg7+ Kg8 34 Rg3 is very good for White.

28 Bg7+ Kg8 29 b3 (D)

c) 29...c1Q! is the most resilient, forcing an endgame. After 30 Qxc1 Qxb3 31 f7+ Kxg7 32 fxe8N+ Rxe8 33 Rhg1+ Kh8 34 Qxb1 Qxa4+ 35 Qa2 Qxa2+ 36 Kxa2 +/– Black has two pawns for the exchange, but his king is in a terrible position, completely cut off. This would not be easy to defend. 30 Nxc5 a4 31 Kb2 axb3 (D)

Black to play

29...Nc5? Black sacrifices the knight in order to play ...a4. This looks incredibly dangerous for White, but there is a way to defend. Other moves: a) 29...Qxb3?? allows White to checkmate after 30 f7+ Kxg7 31 fxe8N+ Rxe8 32 Qxd7+. b) 29...Re5 30 Rhg1 Rxh5 eliminates the h5pawn, which is important for Black’s defence, as the bishop will be under attack on h6. However, after 31 Bh6+ Kh8 32 Qf4! White threatens ideas of Nb6 and Rg7. Then:

White to play

32 Nxb3?

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Opposite-Side Castling

portant thing is to have the initiative. As both sides race each other to checkmate the enemy king, the player who plays the more energetically will most likely prevail. This includes sacrificing material just to open lines against the enemy king.

This allows a simple and surprisingly strong move. After 32 Nd3! Ra2+ 33 Kc1 Ra1 34 Qxb4 +– White’s king will be quite safe on d2. 32...c1Q+? The right idea, but too early! 32...Red8! is correct. White’s queen is under attack, and somehow has no good squares to flee to: a) 33 Qe2 c1Q+ 34 Nxc1 Ra2+ 35 Kxb1 Rxe2 and after 36 Bh6! Black can’t stop perpetual check. Instead, 36 Rhg1? allows Black to make luft with 36...h6! –+. b) 33 Qxb4 Rdb8 34 Bh6 Ra2+ 35 Kc1 Rxb4 36 Rhg1+ Kh8 37 Bg7+ =. c) 33 Qe3 Rd3! 34 Qxd3 c1Q+ 35 Nxc1 Bxd3 36 Bh6! = and White forces perpetual check. 33 Nxc1 +– Black’s attack has faded and White is left a piece ahead. 33...Bxe4 After 33...Ra2+ 34 Nxa2 Qxa2+ 35 Kc1 Black has nothing. 34 Rhg1 Ra5 35 Rg5 35 Bf8+! Kh8 36 Qh6 would have forced a queen exchange and ended the game on the spot. 35...c5 36 Rfg1 c4 37 Qxb4 c3+ 38 Qxc3 Rb8+ 39 Nb3 Rxg5 40 Rxg5 Bd5 41 Bh6+ Kh8 42 Rxd5 Rxb3+ 43 Qxb3 1-0 Unwilling to try the cheap stalemate trick with ...Qxd5, Aravindh admitted defeat. A crazy game to conclude the chapter. What is important to understand after seeing this is that just because you are able to take pawns and bring your pieces near the enemy king does not necessarily make your attack strong! Although Black had his bishop sitting literally a square away from White’s king and an armada of pawns to accompany it, he could never consistently generate threats. Arguably, Black started slipping in this game after choosing the plan of 20...Qf7?! and snagging the pawn on a2, when there were better ways to get at White’s king, such as 20...a4!. After looking at all these games, it is clear that in positions with opposite-side castling, the most im42

The Chess Attacker´s Handbook

Exercises Opposite-side castling is every attacking player’s dream, but if played incorrectly, it can turn into a nightmare! Here are some examples for you to practice and ensure that will not happen.

Exercise 1: Black to play

Exercise 3: White to play

Exercise 2: Black to play

Exercise 4: Black to play

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Opposite-Side Castling

Exercise 5: White to play

Exercise 7: White to play

Exercise 6: Black to play

Exercise 8: Black to play

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The Chess Attacker´s Handbook

Solutions to Exercises

Black to play

Black to play

1) Qi Jingxuan – Vyzhmanavin

2) Jakubowski – Bartel

Beijing 1991

Polish Ch, Warsaw 2011

24...b3!

27...Rf4!

In the spirit of opposite-side castling, Black immediately opens lines against White’s king. After 24...a5?, 25 Ba4 =+ would put up some resistance.

Blocking the white queen’s defence of g3. 27...Rf5? was tried in the game, when instead of 28 Rxb7? White could have instead made things interesting with 28 Qc7! Rxh5 29 Qxc8+ Rxc8 30 gxh4 Rg8+, when Bartel comments that they both assumed the game was over (e.g., 31 Kh2?? Rxh4+ 32 Bh3 Rg2+ 33 Kh1 Rxh3#), but overlooked the response 31 Bg2! Rxg2+ 32 Kf1, with a complex endgame.

25 axb3 Or 25 Bxb3 a5 –+, when ...a4 will be decisive. 25...a5 Because White’s bishop cannot blockade on a4, Black will blast open White’s king.

28 Bg2 Rxg3! 29 fxg3 Qxg3 30 Rxf3 Rxf3 31 Qxg3 Rxg3 –+

26 g4 a4 27 gxf5 axb3 28 Bb1 Rac8 29 Rdg1? This is a fatal mistake as it removes the last defender of the d5-pawn, but White was going down in any case.

Black has a trivial win in the endgame.

29...Rxc4+ 30 Kd2 Qxd5+ 31 Ke2 Qe5 32 Rxg7+ Qxg7 33 Rh3 Kh7 34 Rg3 Qf6 35 Rg6 Qxb2+ 36 Kf1 Qc1+ 37 Kg2 Qf4 38 Rg3 Qxf5 39 Qe2 d5 40 Rxb3 Rg8+ 0-1

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Opposite-Side Castling

White to play

Black to play

3) Le Quang – Nepomniashchy

4) Huschenbeth – E. Berg (variation)

Moscow 2010

Sarajevo 2010

18 a5!

24...Rxg3+!

Ignoring the threat to the knight and immediately opening inroads to Black’s king.

24...d5? 25 Nxc6 Rxg3+ 26 Kh1 += even puts White on top.

18 Nf5! is also very strong, with the key point being 18...g6 (18...Ne8 is the best defence, but after 19 Reb1 White prepares to open lines against the enemy king with a very strong attack) 19 Ne7+! Qxe7 20 Bh4, winning an exchange as there is no way to defend the knight.

25 Kh1

18...Rhe8

26 Nxc6 bxc6 27 Qxa6 Rh3 28 Qa7+ Qxa7 29 Bxa7 Ng3+ 30 Kg2 Ne2+! 31 Kh1

25 hxg3?? loses instantly to 25...d5 –+. 25...Kd7! A difficult move to see, simply protecting the bishop while the attack rages on.

The knight cannot be taken because of 18...exd4? 19 cxd4 Qxd4 20 axb6 axb6 21 Rec1+ Bc6 22 Ra7 +– with a mating attack.

31 Kxh3? Nf4# is a lovely mate, while after 31 Kf2 Rxh2+ 32 Ke1 Rgg2 –+ White’s king will not survive for long.

Le Quang claims 18...b5 19 a6 Bc6 20 Nb3 Qd6 21 Na5 is clearly better for White, and I have to agree with him. He also comments that 18...d6 was arguably the best try, although White gets a fantastic initiative after 19 axb6 axb6 20 Nf5.

31...Bh4 –+ With ideas such as ...Bg3 coming, White will inevitably have to give away exorbitant amounts of material to avert mate.

19 axb6 axb6 20 Nf5 g6 21 Ng7 Nxe4 22 Nxe8 Rxe8 23 Qxf7 +/– Le Quang realized his material advantage and eventually scored the full point.

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The Chess Attacker´s Handbook

White to play

Black to play

5) Motylev – S. Feller (variation)

6) Wolff – Korchnoi

European Clubs Cup, Ohrid 2009

Biel Interzonal 1993 Black is knocking at the gates of the white king’s castle, and all he needs to do is regroup his pieces.

26 e5! Cutting off Black’s defensive resources along the fifth rank.

30...Rf6!

26...Rxc2!?

Threatening ...Bxg3.

An interesting attempt to rush the black queen into the defence. Alternatives:

31 Rf1 31 gxf4 Rxf4 –+ is unacceptable for White.

a) 26...f5? 27 Rh7 Rxe5 28 Qh4 Qd5 (28...Rb8 allows an easy mate: 29 Rh8+ Bxh8 30 Qh7+ Kf8 31 Qf7#) 29 Rg1! (renewing the threat of Rh8+) 29...Kf8 30 Rxg7 Kxg7 31 Qh7+ Kf6 32 g7 +–.

31...Rf5! 32 Ba3 32 Rfe1? is of course impossible due to 32...Bxg3 –+, while 32 Bc1 Bxc1 33 Ne5 Rxe5 34 dxe5 Bf4! wins for Black as the bishop is taboo due to 35 gxf4 gxf4 36 Kf3 Qh7! with a crushing attack.

b) 26...Rxe5? 27 gxf7+ Kxf7 28 f4! (showing the point of 26 e5!: White gains a tempo by attacking the rook, while the f4-pawn controls the crucial g5square so that Black will not have the reply ...Rg5 after White plays Rdg1) 28...Rf5 (28...Rh5 29 Rdg1 Rg8 30 Qg6+ +–; 28...Rd5 29 Rdg1 Rg8 30 Qg6+ Kf8 31 Rh8! +–) 29 Rh7 Rg8 30 Rg1 Rf6 31 Rxg7+ Rxg7 32 Qxg7+ Ke8 33 Rh1 Rf8 34 a3 +–. White’s extra pawn combined with Black’s weak king should allow him to win with good play.

32...Ne8! The knight finally shows up to the party – better late than never! 33 Rfe1 33 Ne5 Qg7 –+ does not change much. 33...Bc7

27 gxf7+ Kxf7 28 Qf4+ Kg8 29 Nxc2 Qxe5 30 Qxe5 Bxe5 +/–

33...Nf6 34 Qxf5.

Although Black has survived the first wave, White has gained a serious material advantage.

34 Re3 Nf6 –+.

34 Nxg5 34...Rxg5 0-1 White resigned in view of 35 Qxg5 Qf3+ 36 Kg1 Rh8.

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Opposite-Side Castling

White to play

Black to play

7) Socko – Dinger

8) Ni Hua – Le Quang

European Ch, Dresden 2007

Ho Chi Minh 2012 Le Quang missed perhaps one of the greatest combinations never played:

22 e7! Opening up lines for the white pieces to flood in.

29...Ba3+!

22...Rf7

Sadly, 29...h5?? 30 Qxh5 Ba3+ 31 Kxb3 1-0 was how the game concluded.

22...Bxe7 falls to 23 Re6, when Black cannot defend against Qh6 due to 23...Bg5 24 Rxg6+! hxg6 25 Qh8+ Kf7 26 Qg7+ +–.

30 Kxb3 a1N+!! The point is to remove the white rook from holding the d4-square.

23 Bxf5! The bombarding raid continues. White simultaneously opens the d- and g-files.

31 Rxa1 After 31 Kc3 Rxc4+ the only way for White to avoid mate is to give up his queen: 32 Kd2 Rc2+ 33 Ke1 Rxh2 –+.

23...gxf5 23...Bxb2 24 Be6! +–. 24 Bxf6 Rxf6 25 Rd8+! Be8

31...Qxb6+!

Or:

An underpromotion followed by a queen sacrifice: there’s a combination you don’t see every day!

a) 25...Rxd8 is met by a crushing intermezzo: 26 Qg3+! Qxg3 27 exd8Q+ +–.

32 Bxb6 Nd4+ 33 Kc3

b) 25...Kg7 26 Rg1+ Rg6 27 Rxg6+ Kxg6 (27...hxg6 28 Qh8+ +–) 28 Qg2+! (another cute deflection tactic!) 28...Bxg2 29 e8Q+ Kg5 30 Rxb8 +–.

33 Bxd4 gets mated after 33...Rcb8+ 34 Kc3 Bb4+ 35 Kb2 Bd2+ 36 Bb6 Rxb6#. 33...Rxc4+! 34 Kd2

26 Qh5! 1-0

34 Kxc4 Rc8+ 35 Bc7 Rxc7# is a strange mate.

Black had no choice but to resign as he is doomed after 26...Rg6 27 Qxf5.

34...Nxf3+ –+ White must lose his queen.

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The Chess Attacker´s Handbook

3: Attacks in Endgames RAZVAN PREOTU Attacks and Endgames? Aren’t those two completely different topics in chess? At least in my mind, the image that immediately springs up when thinking about endgames is a dull room with Russian schoolboys going at one another in gruelling and tedious rook endgames; the last thing I would think about is attack! On one hand, it is true that with less material on the board the king feels a lot safer, and almost always plays an important role in the endgame battle. In no way can a player hope to be successful without a fundamental knowledge of standard endgame positions and techniques. However, what is often forgotten is that even with few pieces on the board, a small but well-coordinated division can launch a blistering attack on the enemy king. This is especially true if the king is cut off and near the edge of the board, as it suffers from a lack of mobility. In the following famous example, Capablanca is able to attack Tartakower’s king with just a rook, a pawn, and his own king!

games to understand that grabbing pawns is usually not the best defence. If passive defence fails (which it very often does), then striving for counterplay is always the first priority. Then: a) 37 g6? b5 38 axb5 axb5 39 Kg5 b4 (Black’s rook is in the ideal position, as it is able to cover the sixth rank via c6 at any moment) 40 Kf6 Rc6+ 41 Kxf5 b3 =. The b-pawn gives Black enough counterplay to liquidate everything and make a draw. b) 37 Rd7? Rf3! (only now is the time for pawngrabbing; the key difference is that the rook is worse placed on d7 than h7 since Black’s rook can block the back-rank check on e8) 38 g6 Rxf4+ 39 Kg5 Re4 and then:

White to play

Capablanca – Tartakower

b1) 40 Rxc7 Rxd4 41 Rb7 (after 41 Kf6 Rc4 = Black is just in time to stop the mate) 41...Rc4 42 Rxb6 a5 43 Kf6 Rc8 =. Because White has a knight’s pawn, passive defence along the back rank is sufficient for a draw.

New York 1924 35 Kg3! White’s king is heading to the sixth rank, where it will be able to support the rook and pawn in the attack.

b2) After 40 Kf6 Re8 White’s pieces are much more active than Black’s, but there is not enough material left to work with. For instance, 41 Kxf5 Re7 42 Rxd5 Kg7 43 Rd8 b5 44 a5! (the best try to keep some winning potential on the board) 44...b4 45 Rb8 Rd7 46 Ke5 Kxg6 47 Rxb4 Kf7 48 Rc4 Ke8 49 Rc6 Re7+ 50 Kd5 Kd7 51 Rxa6 Rh7 = with an easy draw.

35...Rxc3+ 36 Kh4 Rf3?! Tartakower underestimates the danger and chooses the wrong time to go pawn-grabbing. 36...a6!? was the most tenacious defence, planning on creating a passed pawn and counterplay with the break ...b5. It is important for the defender in end49

Attacks in Endgames

42 Kxf5 Re4 43 Kf6 Rf4+ 44 Ke5 Rg4 (D)

c) 37 Kh5! b5 38 Kg6! (38 axb5? throws away the win, as White needs to be able to play a5 in a later line, as we shall see) is a precise path to victory for White; e.g., 38...bxa4 39 Kxf5 a3 40 Rh6 a2 41 Rxa6 Rc2 42 Ke5 Kf7 43 f5, 38...Kg8 39 Rd7 Rc6+ 40 Kxf5 b4 41 a5! (preventing ...Rb6, and showing why White didn’t exchange on b5) or 38...b4 39 Rh8+ Ke7 40 Kxf5. In all cases White’s two connected passed pawns bring the point home. 37 g6! (D)

White to play

45 g7+! The last necessary precision. The pawn is untouchable as the pawn endgame is lost. White wins the remaining black pawns and with them the game. 45...Kg8 45...Rxg7 46 Rxg7 Kxg7 47 Kxd5 Kf7 48 Kc6 Ke7 49 Kb7 +– is self-explanatory. 46 Rxa7 Rg1 47 Kxd5 Rc1 48 Kd6 Rc2 49 d5 Rc1 50 Rc7 Ra1 51 Kc6 Rxa4 52 d6 1-0

Black to play

White opens the path for the king to f6.

As there is no way to stop the d-pawn from queening, Tartakower conceded the game. Notice how even with just a few pieces, Capablanca was able to form a strong attack against Tartakower’s king. It is crucial always to maintain a sense of danger even in endgames, to avoid the same pitfalls that cost Tartakower this game.

37...Rxf4+ 38 Kg5 Re4 38...Rxd4 39 Kf6 +– allows White to promote the g-pawn, since it is mate after 39...Kg8 40 Rd7. 39 Kf6! White is not tempted by the pawns and threatens mate. 39 Kxf5?? would of course be played by no one. The f-pawn acts as an umbrella for the white king, and without it, White’s king cannot approach the black king without being checked from the ffile. After 39...Rxd4 40 Kf6 Rf4+ = White cannot make progress.

One of the more feared attacking duos in chess, and especially in the endgame, is the tandem of the queen and knight. Their abilities complement each other as there is no overlap (unlike queen/rook or queen/bishop), which makes the pair tremendously effective at punishing an exposed king.

39...Kg8 40 Rg7+! A precise intermezzo; the king is not as stable on f8 or h8, since there is always the possibility of g7 coming with check. 40...Kh8 41 Rxc7 Re8 Tartakower has stopped the mating threats, but as his pieces have been pushed all the way to the back rank, his pawns begin to drop like flies. 50

The Chess Attacker´s Handbook

White to play

White to play

Naroditsky – Al. Donchenko

37 g4?

Doha 2014

A serious mistake. White wanted to play Nxf5+ without allowing Black to have the option of recapturing, but this gives Black enough time to bring his rook into the defence.

White has a nice positional advantage thanks to Black’s weak pawns and dark squares, but is there a way to avoid the difficult task of converting it into victory?

Repeating in order to get closer to the move 40 threshold.

37 Nxf5+! wins on the spot, as White gets rid of all the pawns shielding Black’s king: 37...gxf5 (forced; otherwise it’s checkmate) 38 Qf6+ Kh5 39 Qxf5+ Kh6 40 Qf6+ Kh5 and now 41 h3! is the key move, and probably the one that the young and talented grandmaster Naroditsky overlooked. White simultaneously makes luft for his king and threatens the devastating g4#. The only way Black can defend is to give the rook up after 41...Rg8 42 g4+ Rxg4+ 43 hxg4+ Kxg4 +– but White is clearly winning.

33...Kg8

37...Rf8?

After 33...Ke8 34 Qh8+ +– White immediately picks off the rook.

Bringing the rook into the defence is the right idea, but it slides over one square too far. The more active 37...Re8! would have put up a lot more resistance:

31 Rxa4! Of course! With the airy pawn-structure, Black’s king position is very weak, and it will be even more vulnerable once the queen is deflected away from the kingside. 31...Qxa4 32 Qxe6+ Kf8 33 Qf6+

34 Qe6+ Kf8 35 Qd6+! The key idea. White forces Black’s king to h6, as otherwise the rook on a8 is lost. It is important for White to have the option of Qd5+.

a) The point is that 38 Qf6? fails to 38...Rxe3! 39 fxe3 (39 Qh4+ Kg7 40 fxe3 Qd1+ 41 Kf2 fxg4 = also offers Black sufficient counterplay) 39...Qd1+ 40 Kf2 Qd2+ 41 Kf3 Qd1+ 42 Kf4 Qxg4+ 43 Ke5 Qe4+ 44 Kd6 a5! (not being tempted by pawns, but instead pushing the apawn to gain counterplay) 45 c5 a4 46 c6 a3 47 c7 a2 =. Now 48 c8Q? a1Q is extremely dangerous for White, as his king is far the more exposed. The fact that Black has not one but two queens does not make this possibility appealing!

35...Kg7 After 35...Ke8 36 Qe5+ Kd7 37 Qd5+ Kc7 38 Qxa8 Qa1+ 39 Nf1 +– the knight stops the backrank mate. 36 Qe5+ Kh6 (D) 36...Kg8 37 Qd5+ +– would be the end.

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Attacks in Endgames

b) 38 Nxf5+ Kg5 39 Ne7+ Kh4 40 Qg3+ Kg5 41 h4+ Kf6 42 Nd5+ Kg7 43 Qc7+ Kf8 44 Kg2 +–. White is positionally winning, but it will still take some work to convert it into victory.

45 Qf6! A surprising winning move! All of a sudden Black’s pieces are tied down: the rook must defend the g5-square, and the queen must defend the rook. It’s impossible to bring the queen back into the defence, as ...Qe7 never works due to the deflection tactic g5+, forcing Black’s rook to capture and thus winning the queen. Black is almost in zugzwang, so White has time to bring the rook back into the game with devastating effect. White’s unstoppable plan is Kh4 followed by Ra1-e1.

38 g5+! The move Donchenko must have missed. 38 h4 wins easily as well. 38...Kxg5 38...Kh5 39 Qg7 surprisingly leads to a forced checkmate. After 39...Kxg5 40 h4+! Kf4 41 Qe5+ Kf3 42 Nf1! White threatens Nh2#, so Black must pin the knight although it only delays the inevitable by a few moves: 42...Qa1 43 Qe3+ Kg4 44 Qg3+ Kh5 45 Qg5#. 39 Qe7+ Rf6 40 h4+ 1-0

45 Ra1? was chosen in the game, but Black could then have played 45...Re6 –+, when with the forthcoming ...Qd6 Black can consolidate his position, leaving him with an extra pawn and a winning game.

White wins the rook and the game.

45...Qc7

So although we are often more liberal in the endgame when it comes to opening up our kings, we should always be aware of the danger even with limited material on the board.

This creates the threat of ...Re3+, but it is easily dealt with. Other moves: a) Cutting off White’s rook from the first rank by 45...Re1 is not possible due to 46 Qh4+ +–, picking off the rook. b) 45...a3 46 Kh4 b4 47 Ra1 +– leaves Black with no defence to Re1. c) 45...Re3+ 46 Kh4 Re5 47 Ra1 Rg5 and now 48 Rh1?? blows the win thanks to 48...Rh5+! 49 gxh5 Qxh5+ 50 Kg3 Qxh1 =, when White must force a perpetual. So he should play 48 Re1!, when Re7 will be decisive. 46 Kh4! Rh5+ A final desperado, but the threat of Ra1-e1 could not be stopped in any case. 47 gxh5 Qh2+ 48 Kg4 Qxg2+ 49 Kf4 Qf2+ 50 Ke5 +– White’s king easily escapes the checks. Needless to say, this example illustrates that if it is possible to strand the opponent’s king somewhere, there could be attacking opportunities. This is especially important in endgames, considering that the opponent may not have enough pieces left to chase away the attacking pieces such as the queen on f6.

White to play

Cherniaev – Oganian Kolomna 2016 White is currently a pawn down and has a very misplaced rook. Both kings seem equally exposed at the edge of the board. So how is White supposed to make up for his material deficit? The answer is the difference in queen positions. Black’s queen is poorly placed, far away from the kingside. White on the other hand can put his queen in a dominant location. 52

The Chess Attacker´s Handbook

cxd6 Rxe7 41 dxe7 Kd7 42 hxg6 Kxe7 43 Ke5 f4 44 Kxf4 Kf6, when Black regains the pawn, but in the end loses the race: 45 Ke4 Kxg6 46 Kd5 Kg5 47 Kc5 Kg4 48 Kxb5 Kg3 49 Kxa4 Kxg2 50 b4 h5 51 b5 h4 52 b6 h3 53 b7 h2 54 b8Q h1Q 55 Qb7+ +–. White forces the queen exchange and still has the a-pawn to get a new one. 39 Ra7! White threatens Ra6+, winning the rook. Black’s next move is forced. 39...Rcf8 Protecting the f6-rook from being skewered. 40 Rdd7

White to play

White brings the other rook to the seventh rank and threatens Rc7#. Black has only one reply.

Harmon-Vellotti – Erenburg Chicago 2014

40...Rc8 (D)

White is clearly in the driving seat, with many trumps in the position: two active rooks, a strong passed c-pawn, and a centralized king. However, the material count is currently equal, and if Black is able to generate counterplay with the advance ...f4-f3, things will become unclear. Thus, the young American master Harmon-Vellotti decides to strike when the iron is hot and swoop in for the kill. 37 Re7+! A strong move, forcing Black’s king into an uncomfortable position. 37...Kc6 37...Kb8 38 Kb4 +– allows White to pick off all of the queenside pawns.

White to play

White would love to checkmate Black by playing Ra6, but the rook on d7 is hanging. Unfortunately for White, the rook must remain on the d-file in order to prevent ...Rd8+, which would shoo White’s king away from its dominant position. The problem for White is that the b5-pawn covers the vital c4-square. Is there any way to deflect the bpawn so that White can open a square for his king?

38 Kd4 All of a sudden, Black’s king is caught in a matingnet. If White is given time to coordinate his rooks better, it will surely be the end for Black. Erenburg realized this, and hence sought active counterplay against White’s own king. 38...f4!

41 hxg6?

If given time to play ...f3, Black will be able to open up the fourth rank for side checks against White’s king. White is forced to take action.

Harmon played the right idea next move, but thought it would be good to throw this move in. In actuality, it is a huge mistake!

Challenging White’s strong rook would be a good defensive idea, but unfortunately for Black 38...Rc7? leads to a losing king and pawn endgame. White liquidates with 39 Rd6+! Rxd6+ 40

41 b4!! wins, as Black can’t capture the b-pawn (the reason why will be shown later in the game). This means that the c5-pawn is now anchored, giv53

Attacks in Endgames

ing White’s king the freedom to escape checks without having to defend the pawn. After 41...Re6 (preventing Re7, which would threaten Ra6# and defend White’s king from checks on the e-file; 41...f3 is the best defence, but after 42 gxf3 Rf4+ 43 Ke3 Rxb4 44 hxg6 +– White’s g-pawn will decide the game in his favour) 42 hxg6! (this is the difference: Black’s rook is now deflected from e6, as it must recapture the pawn) 42...Rxg6 43 Re7 +– White threatens Ra6#, which cannot be stopped, since after 43...Rd8+ 44 Ke4 Black has no more sensible checks.

43...bxa4 44 Rdb7 1-0 After 44...Rd8+ 45 Kc4, there is no way to avoid Rb6#. A very creative display of attacking in the endgame!

41...Rxg6 42 b4! axb3?? Erenburg misses Harmon’s brilliant idea. 42...Re6! defends, as White can no longer threaten checkmate while protecting his own king from checks and controlling the d5-square: 43 a3 h5! (the only move that does not get mated, but one such move is sufficient) 44 Kd3 Re3+ 45 Kd2 Re6 and although the engine claims White is much better, Black can defend. The d7-rook cannot leave the d-file due to ...Rd8+, so the only way for White to make progress is by shuffling his king, and forcing Black by zugzwang to push his kingside pawns. However, even though White wins the hpawn, it is not enough as after 46 Kd1 h4 47 Kd2 h3 48 gxh3 f3 49 Rd3 f2 50 Rf7 Rg8 51 Rxf2 Rh6 Black may well have achieved a fortress.

White to play

Troff – Preotu Calgary 2016 This final example is from one of my own games. After experiencing an opening disaster, I found myself in a grim ending a pawn down against a very strong junior, Grandmaster Kayden Troff. For the moment Black is barely holding on by the skin of his teeth, as White’s pawns are blockaded and the a4-pawn is a big weakness.

43 a4!! (D)

26 Kc3! Troff decides it’s worth giving up the a-pawn in order to double up the rooks and keep the king in the centre. 26 Ka3 Rb8 27 Rb6+ Kc5 28 Reb1 Be8 is possible, but White’s king is now poorly positioned and Black’s king has the d4-square available, which might be annoying. 26...Bxa4 Practically forced. I can’t let my opponent get away with his plans for nothing, and as the saying goes, the only way to refute a sacrifice is to accept it! Black to play

27 Rb6+ Kc5 28 Reb1 (D)

This was the main idea all along! White threatens mate after 44 axb5+ Kxb5 45 Rdb7+ Kc6 46 Rb6#. Therefore Black must move the b-pawn, giving away the c4-square for the white king. 54

The Chess Attacker´s Handbook

a) 29...Bxc2?? 30 R1b5# is an obvious reason why the bishop is taboo. b) 29...Be8 30 Bf5! (the threat of d6 is decisive as it cannot be stopped) 30...g6 31 d6! (31 Bh3? f5 += prevents the bishop from covering the important d7-square) 31...Rc6 32 d7! shows the reason why the rook is misplaced on a7! Because nothing guards against promotion, ...Rxb6 is not possible and the bishop is lost for nothing: 32...Bxd7 33 R6b5+ Kd6 34 Rd5+ +–. c) After 29...Bd7 30 Bf5! Ra6 (the only way to prevent d6) 31 Rxa6 bxa6 32 Bxd7 Rxd7 33 Ra1 +– Black will lose the a5-pawn and the game, as White’s pawns will soon become warriors that Black can only dream of containing.

Black to play

I have managed to regain the pawn while keeping White’s pawns blockaded, but at a steep price. My king is now in a mating-net, and only my bishop is saving me from the end. However, I was not that worried as I figured my opponent would not be able to drive away the bishop from the diagonal. This careless thinking was the reason for my downfall. In situations like these, precision and carefulness are absolutely essential to avoid all the landmines. One can never rely solely on intuition in cases where the king is in imminent danger; with such high stakes, everything must be calculated like a machine!

We now return to 29 Be4? (D):

28...Ra7? A careless move. I wanted to defend my b7-pawn while keeping my rook behind my new passed a5pawn. However, the rook is now extremely misplaced, as it had the important role of guarding the back rank.

Black to play

29...Bd7? Another careless move, completely missing a basic deflection tactic that should be familiar by now.

Giving back the pawn by 28...Rd8 29 Rxb7 Rxb7 30 Rxb7 Be8 +/– would have presented my opponent with some tough resistance. With a pair of rooks gone, my king is no longer in any danger on c5 and is excellently placed to stop White’s pawns.

29...Re7! 30 Bf3 Be8 would have kept me in the game. With the guardian on e7, Black’s bishop is now safe on e8. White has nothing better than 31 d6 Re6 32 Bxb7 Bd7 (32...Rxd6?? falls into a cute mate after 33 R1b5+ Bxb5 34 Rxb5#) 33 Bd5 Rf6 34 f3 a4 +=, when Black will eventually be able to take back the d6-pawn, even if it costs him the a4pawn. The resulting endgame should be drawn with perfect defence, although White would maintain significant winning chances in practice.

28...Rb8 +/– keeps the pawn for the moment, but I don’t think Black can defend passively forever. 29 Be4? A logical move, threatening d6, but this allows Black time to react to the threat. 29 Bc2! is a strong deflection missed by both of us, which allows White to play d6 by force:

30 d6 Rc8 31 Bf5! 1-0

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Attacks in Endgames

The key move, as otherwise Black would be able to play ...Bc6 and win the d6-pawn. Now my bishop is overloaded, and huge material loss is inevitable. I hope these examples have shown that it is still possible to attack in the endgame, despite the reduced amount of material. Even in the endgame, you must keep your sense of danger high at all times, both positionally and tactically.

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The Chess Attacker´s Handbook

Exercises Try to make the most of your limited material!

Exercise 1: Black to play

Exercise 3: White to play

Exercise 2: White to play

Exercise 4: White to play

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Attacks in Endgames

Exercise 5: Black to play

Exercise 7: Black to play

Exercise 6: Black to play

Exercise 8: White to play

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Solutions to Exercises

Black to play

White to play

1) Timofeev – Guseinov

2) Motylev – Wang Hao

European Ch, Dresden 2007

Chinese Team Ch, Taizhou 2012 Wang Hao had just blundered with 18...Kb6-a7?? and was immediately punished by:

44...g5+! After this, it is clear White’s king is caught in a mating-net.

19 Bxa6! 1-0 The bishop is taboo as both captures result in mate (e.g., 19...Kxa6 20 0-0 Ka7 21 Nc6+), and Black resigned in view of 19...Rb8 20 Kd2 +–.

45 Kxg5 45 hxg5 Kg6 46 g4 h4! –+ traps the white king. 45...Re5+ 46 Kf4 Rf5+ 47 Ke3 d4+ 48 Kxd4 0-1

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Attacks in Endgames

51...Bc2+ 52 Kd4 Kf7 53 Rd8 Rg4+ 54 Kc5 Re4 55 e8Q+! Rxe8 56 Nd6+ +–. 49 Rh7! The threat of Nd6+ forces Black to give up the bishop by 49...Bf7 50 Nd6+ Kxe7 51 Rxf7+ Ke6 52 Ra7 +–, with a trivial win for White.

White to play

3) Svidler – Hou Yifan Gibraltar 2015 47 Rh6! Svidler instead played 47 e7?! Bf7 48 c4? (White can still obtain a technically winning rook endgame by the precise 48 Rf2! a3 49 Nd6+ Kxe7 50 Nxf7 a2 51 Rxa2 Kxf7 52 Re2 as the enemy king is cut off by two files) 48...a3 49 Nd6+ Kd7! 50 Rxf7 Rxd6 51 e8Q++ Kxe8, and the game was drawn.

White to play

4) Bu Xiangzhi – Harikrishna

47...Rf1

Lausanne 2001

Or: 33 Kh2!

a) 47...Rd5+ 48 Kc6 +– leaves Black with no good defence to the upcoming Rh8+.

Bu immediately recognizes the weakness of the black king and embarks on a campaign against it.

b) 47...Bxe6 48 Rxe6+ Kd7 may have been the reason Svidler rejected 47 Rh6, but it turns out White is winning after 49 Rc6 (49 Rd6+?? Rxd6 50 Nxd6 a3 –+ would be an unfortunate ending to the game for White) 49...a3 50 Nb6+ Kd8 (50...Ke7 51 Rc7+ Ke6 52 Ra7 +–; 50...Ke8 51 Rc8+ Kf7 52 Ra8 +–) 51 Rc8+ Ke7 52 Ra8 +–. White will eventually win the a-pawn and the cpawn will decide the game in his favour.

33...Rb2+ 34 Kg3 Rxa2 35 Kh4 Ra3 36 Rxd4 Rc3 37 Rxh6+ Kg7 38 Bd2 Putting Black’s rook in a dilemma. 38...Rc2 Or: 38...Rf3 39 c5 Rc8 40 Rh5 Kg6 41 Ra4 +–; 38...Rxc4 may be the best try, although White is most likely winning after 39 Rxc4 Bxc4 40 Rc6 Be6 41 Ra6 +/–.

The text-move prepares to block with ...Rf8, but this is insufficient on account of...

39 Bg5 Bxc4 40 Rh5 Be6

48 e7 Rg1

40...Rxe5 41 Bh6+ Kf6 42 Bg7+! +–.

48...Bf7 49 Rd6! +– is crushing.

41 Bf6+ Kg6 42 Rg5+ Kh7 43 Rg7+ Kh8 44 Kh5 1-0

48...Rf5+ 49 Kd4 Rd5+ 50 Ke4 Rg5 (Black must come back in order to block Rh8+) 51 Rd6! (the key idea: the rook comes from the other side of the black king, and Black’s defence collapses) 60

The Chess Attacker´s Handbook

35...a4+! Switching diagonals first with 35...Be3! and then following with ...a4+ is arguably more precise, as Black is not committed to giving up his queenside pawns. White’s best defence is 36 Ka4, hoping just to give up the exchange, but Black plays for the attack and is winning after 36...b3! 37 a3 (37 axb3 Bc5 and the threat of ...Rb4+ is devastating) 37...Bb5+ 38 Kxa5 (after 38 Kxb3 Bf1+ followed by ...Bxh3 Black wins a piece and the game) 38...Bc5!. The king is caught in a mating-net as White has no defence against the threat of ...Bc4 followed by ...Ra8#. 36 Kxa4 b3!

Black to play

White’s king is now cut off on the a-file and finds itself in serious jeopardy.

5) Kuderinov – Ding Liren Ho Chi Minh 2012

37 axb3

26...h4!

37 a3 Bc1 doesn’t offer White any chances to hold the game, as the b2-pawn is too weak and will be lost after ...Bc2. After 38 Rg2 Bb5+! (the immediate 38...Bc2? allows White’s knight back into the game after 39 Ng5, with enough counterplay to draw) 39 Ka5 Bf1 40 Rf2 Bd3 White’s king is misplaced, allowing Black to meet 41 Rg2 with 41...h6! as 42 Rg3 is now met by 42...Bd2+ 43 Ka4 Bc4, mating.

The Chinese grandmaster begins to dissolve the white king’s defences. 27 gxh4 gxh4 28 a4 Kg6 29 b4 Kg5! 30 c4 Bd3 31 Ng4 Kf4 With the support of the king, the threat of ...e3 is fatal for White. 32 c5 Rg3+ 33 Kh2 e3 34 Red1 Be4 0-1

37...Be3 38 Rf3? This loses on the spot. White’s best defence was 38 Bd7 Bxf2 (38...Bc5, threatening checkmate, is met with 39 Bc6) 39 Nxf2 Bc2 40 Bb5 Kg7, when Black should be able to win because of White’s bad pawn-structure and uncoordinated pieces. 38...Ra8+ 0-1 Black checkmates next move: 39 Kb4 Bd2#.

Black to play

6) De Souza Mendes – Fischer Mar del Plata 1959 61

Attacks in Endgames

With precise play, White can not only stay afloat, but even give Black some practical problems. 51 Kh3? 51 Rb1! c4 52 Kh3 was a far more accurate moveorder. 51...c4? 51...Rc1! would have immediately won for Black, as now White’s rook is stranded on b3 and Black can simply roll his c-pawn down the board. 52 Rb1 c3 53 Kg4! Bringing the king into the attack. 53...Rb2

Black to play

This shot forces White’s king into the open.

After 53...Rd2 54 Kf5 Rd3 55 Rh7+ Kf8 56 Rbh1 Rxf3+ 57 Kg6 Nd5 58 Rb7 Ne7+ 59 Kxg5 c2 60 Kg4 Rc3 61 Bh4 Bc5 (61...c1Q 62 Bxe7+ Kg8 63 Rxc1 Rxc1 64 f3 +/– is still very dangerous for Black) 62 Bg5 += White may have some winning chances, but the position is far from simple.

41 gxf4 Qg4+ 42 Kf1 Qh3+

54 Rbh1 c2?

42...Rd7! was a much simpler solution: 43 Qe4 (43 Qa5 Qh3+ 44 Kg1 Qg3+ 45 Kf1 Qxf2+ 46 Kxf2 d2 –+ is the same) 43...Qh3+ 44 Kg1 Qg3+ 45 Kf1 Qxf2+ 46 Kxf2 d2 –+ and Black will emerge with an extra rook.

Not the decisive mistake, but close to it. 54...Nd5! was necessary to bring the cavalry into the defence: 55 Kf5 Ne7+ 56 Kxg5 Rd2! (the best defence; after 56...c2? 57 Rc1 Bc3 58 Rf6+ Ke8 59 Rd6 +/– White has good winning chances) 57 f4 (after 57 Rf6+ Ke8 58 Rd6, cutting off the king’s flight, the point of 56...Rd2! is revealed: 58...Be3+! 59 fxe3 Rxd6 60 Bxe5 Rc6 =) 57...c2 58 fxe5 Rd1 59 e6+ Kg7 60 Bf4 Bb2 61 Kg4 Rd4! gives White nothing better than perpetual after 62 Rh7+ Kg8 63 Rh8+ Kg7 64 R8h7+ =.

7) Mochalov – Miroshnichenko European Clubs Cup, Plovdiv 2010 39...Qe2+ 40 Rf2 f4!

43 Qg2 Qxh4 44 f5 g5 45 Qc6 Qh3+ 46 Qg2 Qe3 47 Qc6 Now 47...d2! wins, as the checks run out after 48 Qg6+ Kh8 49 Qh6+ Kg8 50 Qg6+ Rg7.

55 Kf5 Rb1?? This allows immediate mate. 55...Nd5 would still have kept Black’s heart beating since 56 Rh7+ Ke8! hangs on just by a thread (not 56...Kf8? 57 Rh8+ Ke7 58 Bxe5 Bxe5 59 Kxe5 Kf7 60 Kxd5 Rb1 61 R8h7+ Kg8 62 Ke6 c1Q 63 Rxc1 Rxc1 64 Ra7 +–): 57 Ke6 Kf8 58 Kxd5 Rb1 59 Bxe5 Bxe5 60 Kxe5 c1Q 61 Rxc1 Rxc1 62 Ra7 Rc3 63 Rxa5 Rxf3 64 Ke6 Rxf2 65 Rxg5 Re2+ and Black achieves a tablebase draw. 56 Rf6+ Ke7 57 Rh7+ Ke8 58 Ke6 1-0 White to play

8) Karpov – Vachier-Lagrave Cap d’Agde rapid 2006 62

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4: The King as an Attacking Force RAZVAN PREOTU As the 33rd U.S. President Harry Truman famously said: “To be able to lead others, a man must be willing to go forward alone.” While this may be true in life, the opposite usually applies in chess. During the opening and middlegame, the king is supposed to be well protected along the back rank and therefore directs the battle from afar while not actively participating himself. However, don’t be fooled! Rules are meant to be broken (OK, not always) and when the time is right, his majesty can become an incredible attacking force! This usually happens in endgames where the attacking side has established complete control over the position and is prepared to facilitate the king’s advance, but it can also happen once in a blue moon in the middlegame as well.

31 Kh2!! +– The start of a brilliant king march all the way to h6, where White would threaten the unstoppable Qg7#. Satirically, Black can only sit and watch this plan unfold. 31...Rc8 31...Bc8 allows White’s knight to join the attack and open the kingside. After 32 Ng5 Bxd7 33 g4! (White breaks through with a crushing attack; 33 Rf4 Qc5 34 Nxf7 Rxf7 35 Qxf7+ Kh8 36 Qxg6 Qxe5 37 g3 also wins, but is less convincing) 33...Bc8 (33...hxg4 34 h5 leads to mate, since the pawn is untouchable due to 34...gxh5 35 Qh6 +–) 34 gxh5 Bb7 35 f3 +– Black’s king begins to hear the white army battering the front door of his castle.

White to play

Short – Timman Tilburg 1991

31...Rb8 32 Kg3 Bc8 also does not work because of the back-rank tactic 33 Rxf7 Rxf7 34 Rd8+ +–.

You may recall this now-legendary position. White is completely dominating with two active rooks on the only open file and a well-placed queen pressuring the kingside. Nevertheless, it is not entirely clear how White breaks through, as the f7-pawn is adequately defended and there is no way to put more pressure on it. The d4-rook must protect the rook on d7, while the f3-knight is pinned to g2, making Ng5 impossible. The g4 break is also not possible because the knight would be hanging. However, Short realized that because of White’s complete control over the centre and kingside, he could begin the plan of bringing his own king into the attack!

32 Kg3 The king continues its journey to h6. 32...Rce8 33 Kf4 Bc8 34 Kg5! (D)

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The King as an Attacking Force

I have two minor pieces for the rook but they are completely out of play at the edge of the board. Because of this temporary piece passivity, White threatens play against my king, with ideas of Re7+, followed by Rf7 or Qd7. Under time-pressure and still needing to make five more moves to reach the time-control, I saw no other way to stop White’s threats than by evacuating my king before it was too late. 36...Qxf4?! Clearing the f4-pawn from the black king’s escaperoute, but there were actually two stronger moves: a) 36...Nc5! brings the piece back into play. I missed that I could force the trade of queens after 37 Re7+ Kh6 38 Rf7 Qd4+, when in the case of both 39 Kg2 Qe4+ 40 Qxe4 Nxe4 41 Ra7 Bb4 –/+ and 39 Kh2 Qf2+ 40 Kh1 Qe1+ 41 Qxe1 Bxe1 –/+ Black should win, since White’s pawns are too weak to survive for long, despite his active rook.

Black to play

1-0 Black has no defence to Kh6 and Qg7#. A spectacular game, where Black was so paralysed that White could just walk his king up the board to h6 to help the queen checkmate!

b) The prophylactic move 36...Kh6!, getting the king off its second rank, also gets the job done. White can no longer bring the rook into the attack as after 37 Re7 (37 Qe3 Nc5 38 Kg2 Bc3 –/+ should be a technical win as Black’s pieces are back in the game) Black has the surprising shot 37...b5! (37...Nc5 transposes to line ‘a’) with the idea of 38 cxb5 Bb6+ 39 Kg2 Nc7 –+, when White has no good square for his queen as it needs to cover e2 in order to meet ...Qb2+ with Re2.

Of course, there are very few instances in chess like the previous example where one side has total domination and can just walk his king up the board. But even in more open positions, this idea of bringing up the king is worth remembering. The following position is from one of my games at the 2015 US Masters.

37 Re7+ Kh6 (D)

Black to play White to play

Vilikanov – Preotu

38 Qd7

Greensboro 2015

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38 Rf7?! threatens Qf8+, but allows Black to take the h-pawn and force a queen exchange: 38...Qg3+ 39 Kf1 Qxh3+ 40 Kf2 Qh4+ 41 Kg2 Qg5+ 42 Kh3 Qh5+ 43 Kg2 Qe5 44 Qxe5! (after 44 Qf8+? Kh5 45 Rxh7+ Kg4 46 Qf3+ Kg5 –+ Black escapes the checks and should win easily once the minor pieces are brought back into the game or the queens are traded) 44...dxe5 45 d6 Kg5! (bringing the king into play; after 45...Nc5 46 d7 b5 47 Re7! Nxd7 48 cxb5 White miraculously holds) 46 Ra7 (after 46 d7? b5 47 cxb5 Nc5 Black is able to win White’s pawns while maintaining the e-pawn to promote) 46...Nc5 47 d7 Nxd7 48 Rxd7 h5 and with a bishop and three passed pawns against the rook, Black seems to have excellent chances to win. However, the accurate 49 Rb7! may still hold.

After surviving the mad scramble and reaching the time-control at move 40, it became clear to me that there was no need to deliver perpetual check as White’s king is actually in much more danger than my own! The perfectly placed queen supported by my bishop and king will start a powerful attack. 42 h4+ 42 Qd8+ is another option, but ultimately leads to the same result. After 42...Bf6 43 h4+ Kf5 44 Qd7+ Kf4 45 Rf7 (45 Qxd6+ Be5 transposes to the game) 45...Kg3! (Black’s king has gone as close as it can get to his counterpart and threatens mate in one!) 46 Qxd6+ Be5 47 Qa3+ Kg4 48 Qc1 (after 48 Qxa6 Bd4+ 49 Kf1 Qb1+ 50 Ke2 Qc2+ 51 Ke1 Bc3+ 52 Kf1 Kg3! –+ Black’s king completes the mating-net, threatening ...Qd1# and ...Qd3#) 48...Nc5 49 Qf1 g5! –+ White loses the h4-pawn and the game, as 50 hxg5 Bd4+ 51 Kh2 Qe5+ forces White to lose material by blocking on f4, since it is checkmate after both king moves: 52 Kh1 Qh8+ 53 Kg2 Qh3# or 52 Kg2 Qg3+ 53 Kh1 Qh4+ 54 Kg2 Qh3#.

38...Kg5 39 Rxh7? This natural-looking move allows me time to bring my bishop into the game. 39 Rf7! essentially forces a draw, as it is very difficult for Black to stop perpetual check: 39...Qe3+ 40 Kg2 Qe4+ 41 Kg1 b5 (41...Bc3 42 Qd8+ Kh6 43 Qf8+ Kg5 44 Qd8+ =) 42 h4+! (42 Qxd6 bxc4 43 Qxa6 should also draw, but White still has to be precise) 42...Kxh4 43 Qxd6 (now Rf4+ is a threat) 43...Qe3+ 44 Kf1 Bc7 45 Rxh7+ Kg5 46 Rxc7 Nxc7 47 Qxc7 =.

42...Kf4 43 Qxd6+ Be5 44 Rf7+? This loses immediately. 44 Qf8+ is more tenacious. 44...Ke3! (Black is hungry to continue the attack; 44...Kg4?! 45 Qf1 –/+ allows White to force a queen exchange, with good chances to draw as Black only has two pawns remaining) 45 Qa3+ (45 Qf1 would now be met by 45...Nc5 46 Qe1+ Kd4 47 Qxe4+ Nxe4 –+, with a greatly improved position over the 44...Kg4?! line as Black’s king has already approached White’s pawns) 45...Kd4! leaves Black’s knight untouchable due to the exposed white king. Then:

39...Qe3+ 40 Kg2 Qe4+ 41 Kg1 41 Kf2 Be1+ 42 Kf1 Bc3 is a bit more resilient, as the king is better placed on f1. However, Black should still win after 43 Qe7+ Qxe7 44 Rxe7 Nc5 –+. 41...Bc3! (D)

a) After 46 Qxa6 Qb1+ 47 Kf2 Qb2+ 48 Kf3 Qb3+ 49 Ke2 Ke4! it’s amazing how Black’s king is not only perfectly safe in the middle of the board, but it also participates in the attack! White cannot escape defeat; for instance, 50 c5 Qb2+ 51 Kf1 Ke3 52 Rf7 Qc1+ 53 Kg2 Qc2+ 54 Kf1 Qd1+ 55 Kg2 Qxd5+ 56 Kg1 Qxf7 –+. b) 46 Re7 Qe1+ and Black wins the h4-pawn by force all with checks: 47 Kg2 Qe2+ 48 Kg1 Qh2+ 49 Kf1 Qh1+ 50 Kf2 Qxh4+ 51 Kg1 Qh2+ 52 Kf1 Qh1+ 53 Kf2 Nc5! 54 Qe3+ Kxc4 55 Rxe5 Nd3+ 56 Kg3 Nxe5 57 Qxe5 Qxd5 –+. Two pawns up, Black has a winning queen endgame.

White to play

We now return to 44 Rf7+? (D): 65

The King as an Attacking Force

tually turn into a powerful attacking force! Such was the case in our next game:

Black to play

44...Kg4 –+ Black to play

Black’s king is now perfectly safe and a strong piece in the attack, whereas, ironically, it is White who has no defence to all the mating threats.

Beerdsen – S. Ernst Dieren 2014

45 Qe7 Nc5!

Black is a pawn up, but it is very difficult to win. Instead of having patience and trying to convert positionally, he goes for what looks to be a devastating attack.

Black’s last piece that was out of the game joins the unstoppable mating attack. 46 Qg5+ Kh3

27...Ne3+?

The king hides behind White’s h-pawn, the safest position it has resided in for quite some while!

This forces White’s king into the open, but it doesn’t work. It turns out Black doesn’t have enough pieces to finish the game, even with the king on the run. Virtually any other move, such as 27...b6 –/+, would have held a large advantage.

47 Qd2 Nd3 48 Kf1 Bf4 0-1 White resigned due to inevitable material losses caused by the mating threats. All in all, a very unusual game. Black’s king, which was once a liability, soon became a very strong asset participating in the mating attack against White’s king! This just shows that the king can be a very strong attacking piece as long as it is relatively safe.

28 fxe3 Qf1+ 29 Kg3 Qg1+ 29...Qe1+ 30 Kh3 Qxe3+ 31 Kg2 transposes to the next variation. 30 Kh4! 30 Kh3 also works. The point is that 30...Qxe3+ 31 Kg2 Rf4 does not reclaim any material since 32 Rd8+ Kh7 33 Ng5+! Kg6 34 Qxe6+ Qxe6 35 Nxe6 +– is easily winning for White.

One of the misconceptions that weaker players tend to follow is the idea that if the opponent’s king can be drawn out of its shelter, then the game must be winning. Of course, we know that this is faulty logic, as attacks must be executed with nothing short of precise calculation. Blindly sacrificing material in order to embark on a wild goose chase against the enemy king is foolish, as this results in unjustified material losses. However, there is a rather ironic drawback as well: if you chase the enemy king up the board but fail to mate it, it may ac-

30...Qxe3 31 Kh5! (D)

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problem exists: it is usually difficult to find an accessible route for the king to enter the attack. With many pieces and pawns on the board, the king is restricted from trespassing on most territory, so it is usually content to stay at home. Therefore, it is equally important to know how to bring the king into the attack in addition to knowing when it is appropriate to do so.

Black to play

The king is heading to the hole on g6, where it will be completely safe! 31...g6+ A desperate attempt to open lines against White’s king, but to be fair, Black did not have any attractive options. 32 Kxg6 Qe1 White to play

Now ...Rg8+ is a threat due to the queen check on f1. The immediate 32...Rg8+ runs into 33 Kf7. The point is that Black has no checks and cannot take the queen because of the cute mate that arises after 33...Rxg4 34 Rd8+ Kh7 35 Nf6#.

Wei Yi – Gonzalez Vidal World Team Ch, Tsaghkadzor 2015

33 Qxe6! also wins as Black will soon run out of checks: 33...Qg1+ 34 Ng3 Qb1+ 35 Kh5 +–.

Let us examine this game as an example of clearing the path for the king. At first glance, Black’s position seems very solid. The b4-knight is anchored on a great square, defending the c6-pawn and controlling the important d3-square. Black’s rooks also control the only open file. However, Chinese wunderkind Wei Yi realized that he could create some threats against the black king, especially if he can get a rook on the open seventh rank. But first, Wei Yi creates a path for his king to join the attack.

33...Qe3+ 34 Kg6! Rg8+ 35 Kf7 1-0

26 h5!

Black resigned because after 35...Rxg4 36 Rd8+ Kh7 37 Nf6+ Kh6 38 Nxg4+, his queen is the victim of a deadly knight fork.

Given the opportunity, Black would have prevented this move by playing ...h5 himself. Now Black is forced to create light-square weaknesses on the kingside.

For a few obvious reasons, we rarely see the king in the attack. First and foremost, advancing the king is extremely risky as it is our most important and vulnerable piece. Although we have seen instances where the attacker defies this rule, another

26...g5

32...Qxd2 is answered with 33 Nxd2 Rg8+ 34 Kh5 Rxg4 35 Kxg4 +–. 33 Kxh6! Bravery at its highest! The king fearlessly gobbles up another pawn, but more importantly destroys the black king’s defences and threatens mate.

26...gxh5 is possible, but allows White to bring his knight to the strong f5-square: 27 Nh4 Rd2 28 Nf5+ Kg6 29 Be2 gives White great compensation for the pawn because of his initiative on the king67

The King as an Attacking Force

30 b3 Rd1 31 Rxd1 Rxd1 32 Re2 = leads to an equal position. Black’s pieces are active but there is no real way to improve.

side. Rh1 is a huge threat, so Black does not have time to take on b2. However, after 29...Nc2 30 Rc3 Nd4 31 Ne7+ Kg5 32 Bf3 f5!, with the idea of ...Nf6 and a future ...e4, it may be possible for Black to liquidate the position.

30...Nxa4! Gonzalez senses that Wei’s sacrifice is not sound and boldly enters the complications.

27 Be2 Wei Yi prevents ...Nc5, but after...

30...Rd1 31 Rxd1 Rxd1 32 Re2 Rc1 33 b3 seems equal, as taking White’s queenside pawns will allow White’s rook access to the open d-file and time to activate his king: 33...Nxa4 34 bxa4 Rxc4 35 Rd2 =.

27...Nf8 ...Black threatens ...Ne6-d4, where the exchange of knights would favour him. 28 Bc4

31 Ra3 (D)

White prevents ...Ne6, but Black can go back to his old plan of ...Nd7-c5. 28...Nd7 28...Ne6? 29 Bxe6 Rxe6 30 Rc5 +/– costs Black the a-pawn, as ...Ra8 is met by Nd2-c4. 29 Kh3!? (D)

Black to play

31...Nc5 31...Nxb2 was another important option. 32 Rxa5 f5+! (this allows Black to win a significant amount of material, but due to White’s king activity, it is not clear if this is enough to win) 33 Kxf5 (after 33 exf5? Rd4+ 34 Nxd4 Rxd4+ 35 Kf3 Nxc4 –+ White loses without a fight) 33...Rf6+ 34 Kg4 Nxc4 35 Rxc4 Nd3 36 Ra7+ Kh8 37 Rc2! (White defends the f2-pawn with his less active rook; after 37 Ra2 Rdf8 38 Ng1 Nxf2+ 39 Rxf2 Rxf2 40 Rxc6 Kg7 –+ Black should be able to convert as White’s knight is very misplaced in the corner) 37...Rdf8 38 Nh2! Nxf2+ 39 Rxf2 Rxf2 40 Kh3 –/+. Despite being an exchange and a pawn up, White’s piece activity should allow him to make a draw. Black’s c6-, e5- and h6-pawns are all weaknesses. White’s knight has the excellent g4-square, as well as the f5-square if Black allows Ng4-e3-f5. After 40...R2f7 41 Ra5 Re8 42 Ng4 Re6 43 Ne3 Rc7 44 Kg4 Kh7 45 Kf5 Re8 46 Rc5 it is not clear how Black proceeds.

Black to play

A significant shift in plans, and a fighting option! Wei Yi allows his opponent to play ...Nc5 and potentially win some pawns. In the meantime, White is able to activate his king and bring it to the weak f5-square. 29...Nc5 30 Kg4!? White gives up the a-pawn with the idea of activating his rooks. This is not entirely sound as White will also lose the e4-pawn, but it is an interesting way to complicate the position! Considering that this was a team competition, and that Wei Yi had the white pieces against a lower-rated opponent, it made sense for him to continue the battle. 68

The Chess Attacker´s Handbook

does not look easy for Black) 42 Nxd2 Nxd2 43 Kg6 should lead to a draw, since White is about to obtain a connected passed pawn duo.

32 Rxa5 32 Kf5 Nb7 –/+ allows Black to save the a-pawn and keep White’s rook shut out.

b) The prophylactic move 34...Kh8! was by far the strongest option, stepping out of a rook check from a7. After 35 Ra7 Nbd3 36 Rca1 Nc5 37 Bc4 Nce4 38 Be6 Nd3! 39 Kxe4 Nc5+ 40 Kf5 Nxe6 41 g4 – /+ Black should be objectively winning, but the annoying presence of White’s active rooks and king still make the conversion process quite tedious for Black.

32...Nxe4! From an objective point of view, Black must enter the complications by taking the e4-pawn. 32...Ncd3? 33 Bxd3 Nxd3 34 Rc2 += gives White a pleasant position with no risk because of his active king. 33 Kf5 Nxf2 34 Be6 (D)

35 Ra7+ (D)

Black to play Black to play

This must have been Wei Yi’s idea all along. Ra7+ can no longer be blocked by ...Rd7, which allows White’s rook full control over the seventh rank. The f6-pawn would then be hanging and the g6square would become available for White’s king. In both situations, Black’s king will be in great danger, stuck on the back rank. But by no means is Wei Yi’s plan foolproof; in fact, it was quite the opposite!

35...Kh8?! Objectively, this is not a mistake, but it is a step in the wrong direction, as now Black’s king is confined in a mating-net. 35...Kf8! makes a draw quite comfortably. 36 Rf7+ and now: a) 36...Ke8 is the far riskier option. 37 Ra1 c5! (with the idea of playing ...Nc6, which covers the crucial e7-square) 38 Raa7 Nc6 39 Rg7 (39 Rac7 exf3 40 Rg7 Rd5+ 41 Bxd5 Rxd5+ 42 Ke6 Re5+ 43 Kd6 Kf8 = and White will have to give perpetual check because of the passed f-pawn) 39...Nxa7 40 Rg8+ Ke7 41 Rg7+ Ke8 42 Rg8+ = with perpetual check.

34...e4? In a complicated position with what must have been little time on the clock, Gonzalez misses a way to refute White’s idea and gain a big advantage. Other moves:

b) 36...Kg8 (it seems counterintuitive to subject the king to a discovered check, but it is the easiest route to safety) 37 Ra1 (37 Nd4 Rxd4 38 Rxf6+ Kg7 39 Rf7+ Kh8 40 Ra1 = will also lead to a perpetual, as Black cannot stop White’s two rooks on the seventh) 37...exf3 38 Raa7 Rxe6 39 Rg7+ Kh8 40 Rh7+ Kg8 41 Rhg7+ =.

a) 34...Nd5?! defends the f6-pawn, but allows 35 Rxd5! cxd5 36 Rc7+ Kh8 (36...Kf8? 37 Rf7+ Ke8 38 Rxf6 = gives White enough counterplay against the black king to draw) 37 Re7 Ne4 38 Kg6 Rxe6 39 Rxe6 =+, when despite being two pawns down, White’s activity should be enough for a draw. The straightforward attempt with 39...d4 40 Kxh6 d3 41 g4! d2 (41...Nf2 42 Kg6 Nxg4 43 Nd2 =+ also 69

The King as an Attacking Force

king to become a power piece in the attack against his own king.

36 Nd4! White’s knight is untouchable because of Kg6 with the threat of Rh7#.

Our last game in this chapter highlights a case where the king can be an attacking force without having to participate in a mating attack. Although we have seen cases where the king directly participates in the mating attack, even a king attacking a group of pawns can be completely devastating to deal with, as the defender’s forces will be drawn away from his king in order to save the pawns.

36...Nbd3?? Gonzalez moves the wrong knight to d3, which unfortunately costs him the game. 36...Nfd3! was correct, as Black’s knight on b4 must defend the c6-pawn, which actually plays a large role in the defence. White’s king can enter on g6, but Black’s knight will cause the king to leave: after 37 Kg6 Ne5+ 38 Kxh6 Ng4+! 39 Bxg4 f5+ 40 Kxg5 Rg8+ 41 Kxf5 Rxd4 42 Be2 e3 = White has won a pawn, but Black’s pieces are now well placed and there is very little material left to convert. 36...Ng4! 37 Kg6 Ne5+ transposes to the 36...Nfd3 line and also works. 37 Rxc6 (D)

Black to play

Spielmann – Tartakower Copenhagen 1923 20...Rhd8! Tartakower challenges the open d-file, but allows White’s queen to chase his own king up the board.

Black to play

21 Qb4+ Kf6 22 Qxb7 Qf4+ 23 Kb1 Qxf2

White’s second rook joins the attack with devastating effect. Black’s rook has no squares to move to.

Black threatens not only the g2-pawn, but also ...Rab8.

37...Rxc6 38 Nxc6

24 Qc6+

Now Black’s rook is hanging and the e5-square is covered, meaning there is no way to prevent Kg6 followed by checkmate.

24 Qxh7 Rab8 25 b3 looks dangerous for White, but in fact Black cannot accomplish much because of his own exposed king. One possibility is 25...Rd2 26 Rxd2 Qxd2 27 g4 Rc8 28 Rc1 a5 29 gxf5 gxf5 30 Qh4+ Qg5 31 Qh7 =.

38...Rf8 39 Kg6 1-0 Bold endgame play by Wei Yi! In a level ending, White sacrificed some pawns in order to activate his king and rook, creating a complicated position. Black had multiple ways to defend and gain an advantage, but in the end faltered, allowing White’s

24...Kg5 25 h4+? Spielmann gets tempted to lure Black’s king up the board, but in fact it is well placed and ties down White’s rooks. 70

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25 Qc7! attacks the h7-pawn and forces Black to exchange on the d-file. After 25...Rxd1+ 26 Rxd1 e3 27 Qe7+ Kh6 28 h4 Black cannot avoid perpetual check: 28...Rb8 29 Qg5+ Kg7 30 Qe7+ Kh6 31 Qg5+ =.

29 Rh3

25...Kg4! (D)

Black has many threats, including ...Qd6-d2.

Black’s queen has no good squares and must retreat. 29...Qb6 30 Rhf3 Rxg2 31 Rf4+ Kg3 32 Qd5 The desperado with 32 Rxe4 also falls short after 32...fxe4 33 Qxe4 Rf8! 34 Qe5+ Kg4 35 Qe4+ (35 Qg5+ Kh3 36 Rh1+ Rh2 –+ is the same) 35...Kh3 36 Rh1+ Kg3 37 Qe5+ Rf4 38 Qg5+ Rg4 39 Qe5+ Kf2 40 Qe1+ Kf3 41 Qd1+ Kf4 42 Rf1+ Rf2 43 Qc1+ Kg3 44 Rg1+ Rg2 –+ and White runs out of checks. 32...Re8 33 Qd7 Qa6 0-1 White has no good defence to ...Qxa2. An unusual case of the king being an attacking force by going after White’s pawns that were so close to their starting positions!

White to play

Although it is true that king safety is paramount in 99% of games, do keep your eyes peeled to spot the opportunity to thrust the king forward when it arises. I hope that after reading this chapter you appreciate how strong the king can be as an attacking force.

Black’s pawn-chain provides great protection to his own king. White must now keep queens no matter what, as all rook endgames are lost due to Black’s king position. White will be unable to defend the kingside pawns. 26 Rdf1? Baited by the optical illusion of Black’s ‘weak’ king, White shifts his pieces to the kingside, but at the fatal cost of abandoning his own king. It is not a good idea to surrender the d-file. Instead White should gain control of the d-file by attacking Black’s rook: 26 Qf6 Rxd1+ 27 Rxd1 Qxg2 (27...Qxh4 –/+ also offers Black good winning chances) 28 Qd4 (threatening Rg1) 28...Kf3! (a fearless march forward!) 29 Qd5 Re8 30 c4 –/+ leaves Black a pawn up, but it is not easy to advance the e-pawn due to the exposed king. Meanwhile, White also has play with his passed c-pawn. 26...Qb6! –+ Tartakower chases White’s queen and is able to bring his rook down to the second rank. 27 Qc4 Rd2 28 b4 Qe3? A waste of time. Simply taking the pawn with 28...Rxg2 is stronger. White will never be able to use the g-file as the queen on b6 will always control the g1-square. 71

The King as an Attacking Force

Exercises Just remember: when running your king up the board, make sure it does not get mated!

Exercise 1: Black to play

Exercise 3: Black to play

Exercise 2: Black to play

Exercise 4: White to play

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Exercise 5: White to play

Exercise 6: Black to play

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The King as an Attacking Force

Solutions to Exercises

Black to play

Black to play

1) Kariakin – Bu Xiangzhi

2) Browne – Karpov

Tiayuan 2005

Las Palmas 1977

44...h6!

36...Kg6!

Breaking the wall that prevents Black’s king from entering.

The black king sprints to ensnare his white counterpart.

45 gxh6+ Kxh6 46 Qg8 Kh5 47 Bf2 Kg4 48 Qh7 Qc2+ 49 Kf1 Kf3

37 Qc6+ Kg5 38 Qh1 Qg4+! 0-1

The inclusion of the black king in the attack leads White’s defences to collapse. 50 Qf7+ Qf5 51 Qa7 Qd3+ 52 Kg1 Bh6 53 Qa1 Qe2 54 Qa7 Qd1+ 0-1

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Black to play

White to play

3) Letelier – Fischer

4) Kramnik – Topalov

Mar del Plata 1960

Monte Carlo blindfold 2003

28...b4!

32 Bxe5 Bxb5+ 33 Kxb5 Rc5+ 34 Kb6 Rxe5 35 Rc1 Rxa5 36 Rc7+!

All of a sudden, the white king comes under fire.

36 Kxa5 d5 +/– would not be so easy for White.

29 Rxh6 Ka5 30 Ka2 b3+ 31 Kxb3 Ba4+ 32 Ka2 Kb4

36...Kd8 37 Rfc1 Rc5 38 R1xc5 dxc5 39 Kc6! 1-0

Black’s king steps in to seal his counterpart’s fate.

An incredible position. Black has no satisfactory defence to Ra7-a8#.

33 b3 Bxb3+ 34 Kb2 Rd1 35 Bb1 Rd2+ 36 Ka1 Kc3 0-1

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White to play

Black to play

5) Korchnoi – Tal

6) Gashimov – Grishchuk

USSR Ch, Erevan 1962

World Team Ch, Bursa 2010

43 g4!

27...Kb6!

Making way for White’s king to join the fight.

The beginning of an incredible trek forward.

43...a5 44 Kg3

44...Rb8 45 Kh4 Qf7 46 Kg5 fxg4 47 hxg4 Bd7 48 Rc4 a4 49 Rc7 a3 50 Rxd7 Qxd7 51 e6 Qa7 52 Qe5!

27...Qxd3? is suggested by the engines at first, but in fact White can survive: 28 Qe5 a5 29 Rxc3+ Bxc3 30 Rc7+ Kb6 31 Rxc3 Qb1+ 32 Rc1 Qb5 33 Qe3+! Ka6 34 Rc5 Qb1+ 35 Rc1 Qb2 (35...Qb5 36 Rc5 repeats, while 35...Qb6 is also met by 36 Rc5!) 36 Rc5 b6 37 Qe2+ Ka7 38 Rxa5+ bxa5 39 Be3+ Qb6 40 Bxb6+ Kxb6 41 Qe3+ and with Black’s king so exposed, there is no way to avoid perpetual check.

Depriving Black of even a single check.

28 Be3+ Ka5! 29 a3 Ka4!!

52...axb2 53 e7 Kf7 54 d7 1-0

Grishchuk fearlessly marches in king-first.

In fact there was an immediate win, but it is incredibly difficult to spot: 44 gxf5 Bxf5 45 Rc4 Qa7 46 Rc5!! +– and there is no defence to e6 followed by Rc7.

30 axb4? 30 Rf4 would have put up more resistance. 30...Qxd3 31 Qa5+ Kb3 32 Rxc3+ Qxc3+ 33 Bd2 b6 34 Qxb6 Qe5+ 35 Kd1 Bb7! Clearing the runways for the rooks to enter. 36 Qxb7 Rhd8 37 Rf3+ Ka2 38 Rf2 Kb1 39 Qf3 Rac8 It transpires that the black king actually plays a key role in the attack by supporting ...Rc1#! 40 Qb3+ Qb2 41 Qxb2+ Kxb2 0-1

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5: Sacrificial Attacks and Calculation MICHAEL SONG Just as a mathematician cannot develop revolutionary theories without understanding basic arithmetic, so an attacking aficionado in chess will not achieve great results without a firm grasp on calculation. Needless to say, calculation and sacrifice go hand in hand. The topic of calculation is not exclusive to attacking chess; the fact that several great chess books have been written on the subject is a testament to its importance in chess. Every good attacking player understands that no successful attack can function without calculation. The question then remains, ‘what is the best method for calculating?’ Different strategies such as candidate moves, elimination, etc., have been offered, but arguably there is no clear-cut best method. However, sometimes a player is intuitively able to determine where he should look deeply for attacking possibilities, which guides his calculation to make his intuition into reality. The following game is a good example.

easier as all signs point to an imminent knockout punch. 18 Nh7! Forcefully opening up the g-file and attacking the key defender of Black’s kingside – the knight on f6. 18...Qc7 Other defences also prove to be insufficient; for instance: a) 18...Nxh7 19 Bxh7+ Kh8 (19...Kxh7 20 Qh5+ Kg8 and now 21 Rxg7+! is a typical sacrifice that completely blows up the shelter in front of the black king: 21...Kxg7 22 Bh6+ Kg8 23 Qg4+ +– and mate on g7 is inevitable) 20 Qh5 Nf6 21 Qg5 g6 22 Bxg6 +– with mate soon to follow.

White to play

Andreikin – Siugirov Moscow 2012

b) 18...Bxe5 and then:

The position seems primed for a sacrifice. Along with a rook lined up against Black’s king and the bishop-pair breathing fire on the kingside, White also has a strong pair of knights and the queen could potentially join the attack. However, in this position, White should be aware that positionally, Black is winning. If given time for a few moves such as ...Nb4 or ...Qc7, White will soon find himself in deep trouble. Thus, the game must be finished immediately, and once White understands this, the task of calculation becomes significantly

b1) 19 Qxe5 wins easily without any calculation, so is a sensible choice in a practical game. White is going to take the exchange on f8, while still maintaining a crushing attack, and 19...Re8? loses to 20 Qg5 g6 21 Bxg6 +–. b2) 19 Rxg7+! is in fact even stronger: after 19...Kxg7 20 Qxe5 Rg8 (20...Re8 21 Bg5 is similar) 21 Bg5 Black simply has no defence. The immediate threat is to win the house with c4, so Black is forced to play 21...b5 but this loses

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21...Kh8 22 Qh5 +– is the same thing.

swiftly after the clever 22 Ke2! +–. The a1-rook will enter the game and force resignation.

22 Qg4+ Kh8 23 Nf6! 1-0

19 Bh6 Ne8 (D)

Black has no way to prevent the mate coming after 23...Nxf6 24 Qh4+ Kg7 25 Qg5+ Kh8 26 Qxf6+ Kg8 27 Qg5+ Kh8 28 Qh6+ Kg8 29 Qh7#.

19...g6 20 Nxf6+ Nxf6 21 Nxg6! fxg6 22 Rxg6+ +– is also an easy win.

In a sense, the task of calculation can be made easier to a certain extent. Arguably, the one advantage that humans have over computers in calculation is that based on our general attacking knowledge, we can intuitively recognize what possibilities should be seriously calculated, whereas our silicon friends must investigate every legal move! In the next example, before embarking on any calculation, it is important to sense what the position demands and see the tactical possibilities first; calculating without first taking certain elements of the position into account will make the process unnecessarily tedious. White to play

20 Bxg7! The final blow. The attacker must sense this moment, and this is the first move that should be considered. If a violent forcing move such as this is possible, the attacker must use all his efforts to calculate it to the very end; failure to do so would unnecessarily prolong the game and jeopardize the win. A fundamental attacking tip is that the most violent move should almost always be calculated first, because if it works there is no need to consider other moves. For instance: 20 c4? Bxe5 21 cxd5 exd5 22 Qh5 Qd7! (the only move that does not lose instantly according to the engine) 23 Ng5 (after 23 Qxe5 Qh3+ 24 Ke2 Qxh6 +/– the win is not at all obvious, especially in a practical game) 23...Nf6 24 Qh4 Ng4 and now in order for White not to become worse, he must find 25 Bxg7 Kxg7 26 Ne6+! Qxe6 27 Qg5+ Qg6! (27...Kh8?? 28 Rxg4 +–) 28 Bxg6 Bf6! 29 Qh5 fxg6 30 Rxg4 Bxg4 31 Qxg4 Rf7 +/–. Although objectively White is clearly better, in practice, the attacker will often feel pressured knowing that the prior position around ten moves earlier must have been completely winning, and often this leads to frustration and further mistakes. Such is the importance of taking the time to calculate forcing moves such as 20 Bxg7.

Black to play

Sunye Neto – Kasparov Graz (team event) 1981 Any competent attacking player must sense that the knight will come to f3, either now or in the near future. Of course, one can briefly look at ...Nxg2 ideas, but they lack punch; e.g., 41...Bd6 42 Bc3 Nxg2?? 43 Bxd2 and there are no good discoveries. No, the knight must go to f3 instead and allow the rooks to operate on White’s second rank, and so from this, we can infer that White’s king will either land on f1, to which a ...Nd2+ will win the queen, or h1. But with a knight on f3, there are

20...Nxg7 21 Rxg7+ Kxg7 78

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many ways for a rook and knight to mate a king in a corner as we know. Once all this is considered, it becomes much easier to put the pieces of the puzzle together and Kasparov does so flawlessly.

44 Qc3

41...Nf3+! 41...Bxe3! is equally valid as well, as 42 fxe3 (42 Qxe3? is quickly refuted by 42...Nf3+ with mate after 43 Kh1 Rd1+ 44 Qe1 Rxe1# or 43 Kf1 Rd1+ 44 Ke2 Re1#) 42...Nf3+ transposes to the game continuation.

Since the rook controls the f5-square (which the white queen can access via c8), it is imperative that Black sidesteps the checks before going in for the kill. 45...Rgg2?? would be terrible due to 46 Qc8+ =. After 46...Kh7 47 Qf5+ Rg6 48 Bc3 Black has nothing better than to accept a draw with 48...Rh1+ 49 Kf2 Rh2+.

42 Kf1

46 Qc8

42 Kh1 Bxe3! (blasting open the second rank, so the rooks can deliver the final wave of attack) 43 fxe3 (43 Ne6 Rxf2 44 gxf3 Rf1+ 45 Kh2 exf3! and now 46 Qxe3 Rg2# or 46 Nxg5 Bf4#) 43...Rdxg2!! 44 Nxg2 Rg3 –+ and curiously enough, White has no way to stop the mate threat from only two black attackers. 42...Bxe3!!

46 Qb4 is given as a better defence by Kasparov, but as he points out, it still loses to 46...f5! 47 Qb5 (47 Qf8 Rh1+ 48 Kf2 Nd2! 49 Ng3 Rh2+ 50 Kg1 Nf3+ –+) 47...Rh1+ (47...f4 was given an exclamation mark by Kasparov and indeed still wins, but 47...Rh1+ looks simpler) 48 Kf2 Nd2!. Again, there is no good defence to ...Rf1# as 49 Ng3 Rh2+ 50 Ke1 f4! –+ wins for Black.

Smashing through the defences.

46...Rh1+ 47 Kf2 Nd2! 0-1

43 fxe3

White resigned in view of 48 Ng3 Rh2+ 49 Ke1 Nf3+ 50 Kf1 Rxb2.

44 Qxb6 Rh2 45 Ne2 Rgg2 –+ is self-explanatory. 44...Rh2 45 Ne2 Kh7!

43 Ne2 Nh2+ 44 Ke1 Rxg2 45 Qxe3 Nf3+ 46 Kf1 Rg1+!! 47 Nxg1 Rd1+ is another brilliant rook and knight mate.

In the previous two examples, certain elements in the position made the calculation process significantly easier, as the attackers knew what targets were to be attacked and the motifs that were going to be used; the only challenge in the calculation was combining everything into the right series of moves. However, there are instances where there is really nothing to guide a player in his calculation. Besides a machine-like approach, there is simply nothing to be done. This type of pure calculation skill must be honed through continuous practice, and the following examples are designed to provide the reader with two extremely rich and challenging positions. My advice for the reader would be to set the position up on a board and spend roughly 20-30 minutes calculating the possibilities before playing through the moves.

43...Rdxg2! (D)

White to play

Utilizing one of the points mentioned before. The rook clears the way for the knight fork on d2. Seeing this point in advance makes it much easier to spot the ...Bxe3 idea as we can anticipate the destruction that would happen if the d2-rook were to capture on g2. 79

Sacrificial Attacks and Calculation

Black to play

Black to play

Cheparinov – Navara

29...Rxd2!

European Team Ch, Khersonissos 2007

The very natural 29...Rxg2+? was played in the game, but in fact it is an error. By every imaginable chess principle it is the right move. Black picks off an important defender, and even with check! However, pure calculation always trumps intuition. 30 Kf1 Rxd2 and now:

Black has two ways to defend the knight: 26...g5 and 26...Bd6. At first glance, 26...Bd6 can be rejected immediately due to 27 Bxf7, threatening both Qg6# and Bxe8; however, if one looks deeper, the astonishing possibility of 27...Qxf2+! would be found, after which the fun begins...

a) In the game, Cheparinov opted for 31 Bg8?? and went down quickly after 31...Bg2+ 32 Ke1 Re2+ 33 Kd1 Bf3 34 Qh7+ Kg5 35 Ra2 (35 Qxg7+ Kh4 36 Kc1 Re1+ 37 Kd2 Rxa1 –+ and Black’s king cannot be exploited) 35...Rh2+ 36 Ke1 Nxd3+ –+.

26...Bd6!? Fortunately for us, Navara elects the entertaining route! 26...g5 offers Black a comfortable advantage without too many troubles. Perhaps in a practical game, this is the way to go considering the mess that occurs after the text-move. After 27 h4 (27 Bxf7? no longer threatens mate on g6 because there is no pin against the knight on f4, so Black plays 27...Re2 – +) 27...f6 28 Bg8 Re7 29 hxg5+ fxg5 30 Qxf8+ Qg7 31 Qxg7+ Rxg7 32 Bb3 Nxg2 33 c3 Rd7 34 d4 Nh4 35 Be3 Nf3+ 36 Kf1 bxc3 37 bxc3 h4 –/+ Black’s kingside pawns are extremely powerful and offer him great winning chances in this endgame.

b) However, White could have survived with the incredible 31 h4!!. White escapes by restricting the black king inside a box, where it will be primed for a perpetual check once Black’s forces move towards White’s king. Then: b1) 31...Rh2 32 Bg8 offers Black nothing better than a perpetual with 32...Rh1+ (32...Rxh4? 33 Qh7+ Kg5 34 Qxg7+ Ng6 35 Re1 +– leaves Black with insufficient compensation) 33 Kf2 Rh2+ =. b2) 31...Bg2+ 32 Ke1 Re2+ 33 Kd1 Bf3 34 Qg5+ Kh7 35 Qf5+ Kh8 36 Kc1! Bg4 (36...Re1+ 37 Kd2 Rxa1?? 38 Qc8+ +– would be embarrassing) 37 Qg5 Ne6 38 Bxe6 Re1+ 39 Kd2 and Black must settle for perpetual.

27 Bxf7 Qxf2+! The only move. 28 Kxf2 Re2+ 29 Kg1 (D)

30 Re1 30 h4? Ne2+ is the point. Instead of having the king on f1 as in the previous line with 29...Rxg2+,

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be justified with concrete variations. Yet the ability to be objective is a trait that successful chessplayers must master.

the king on g1 makes a huge difference as now White cannot save his queen. 30...g6! 30...Rxg2+? is again extremely tempting, but incorrect! 31 Kf1 g6 (or 31...Rg3 32 Re2! g6 33 Qf6 Nxh3 34 Re3! Bg2+ 35 Ke2 Bf3+ 36 Rxf3 Ng1+ 37 Kd1 Nxf3 38 d4 h4 39 c4 bxc3 40 bxc3 h3 41 Bd5 Ng1 =) 32 Qf6 Nxh3 33 Re8 Rf2+ 34 Qxf2 Nxf2 35 Kxf2 h4 36 Rb8 Bc6 37 Be8 Bg3+ 38 Ke3 Bg2 39 Bd7 Kg7 40 Rb5 with a roughly equal ending. 31 Re6 31 Qf6 runs into the cute 31...Nxh3+ 32 gxh3 Bh2+ 33 Kf1 Bg2#. Surprisingly, the rook is much better positioned on d2 than g2, and White’s king is much safer on f1 than g1! But for a human to reject 30...Rxg2+ is almost unthinkable... 31...Rxg2+ 32 Kf1 Rg3! 33 Qb5 Rf3+ (D)

Black to play

Stupak – Bok Baku Olympiad 2016 This is another wild example. White is the exchange and a pawn up, but his king is tremendously weak. Black clearly has great compensation, but it is not so easy to find the best continuation. Thus, Black must rely on intense calculation to guide him to victory. 20...Bc5! This is extremely powerful, but many other moves were possible. For instance, 20...g5!, threatening ...g4, is also a viable option: a) 21 Ne5 Bc5! 22 Qa4 Nb4 –+ leads to a total collapse.

White to play

34 Ke1

b) 21 Qc4 g4 22 Ne5 Bc5! 23 Rd1 Nb4 (threatening ...Ba6) 24 Ke1 Rxd4 25 Rxd4 Qxe5+ 26 Kd2 Qxd4+ 27 Qxd4 Bxd4 –+ and Black should realize his material advantage.

34 Kg1? leads to doom after 34...Nxh3+ 35 Kg2 Rf2++ 36 Kxh3 Rh2#. 34...Ng2+ 35 Ke2 Rxf7 36 Rxd6 Bf3+ 37 Kd2 Re7! 38 c3

c) 21 a3 Bc5! 22 Qa4 Bxd4! (demolishing White’s shelter) 23 Nxd4 (23 Qxd4 Nf4+ –+) 23...Nb4! (objectively strongest, although 23...Qe5+, followed by 24...Nb4, is also sufficient) 24 axb4 (24 Qxb4 Rxd4 25 Qb5 Ba6! –+) 24...Qe5+ 25 Kd2 Qxd4+ 26 Kc2 Bb7 –+.

Necessary to open air for White’s king. 38...Re2+ 39 Kc1 cxd6 –/+ After all the dust settles, Black emerges with a material advantage and a still-exposed white king, which should be sufficient for the full point with accurate play. From an intuitive standpoint however, there were many moves along the line that were fundamentally unexplainable and which could only

21 Qa4 Other moves do not provide salvation either:

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These examples demonstrate that successful attacks require much more than an understanding of basic attacking principles. Creativity and diligence are essential in order to find difficult moves in one’s calculation, and these skills can only be developed over time by studying more games and working through calculation exercises in order to broaden one’s range of attacking ideas.

a) 21 Bg2 Ba6+ 22 Ke1 Nb4 –+. b) 21 dxc5 Qxb2+ 22 Nd2 Nb4 –+. c) 21 Rd1 Ba6+ 22 Ke1 Bb4+ 23 Nd2 Qxd4 24 Bxa6 (24 Qxe6+ Kf8 –+ leaves White with no defence to the threat of ...Re8) 24...Qe4+ 25 Be2 Qxh1+ 26 Bf1 Qxh2 –+. d) 21 Rc1 Bd7 22 Rxc5 (22 Qb7 Bxd4 –+) 22...Bxc6 23 Rxc6 Qe7 24 Rc4 b5 25 Rc5 Qa7 26 a3 b4 27 axb4 Qa1 –+ leaves White’s king still fatally exposed. 21...Bxd4!! This would have been the decisive blow. Instead 21...Nb4?, as played in the game, lets White off the hook substantially, although Black was able to win after a whirlwind of a game. 22 Qxd4 22 Nxd4 Nb4! 23 Qxb4 Rxd4 24 Qc3 Qe5+ 25 Qe3 Re4 –+. 22...Nf4+! 23 Qxf4 Qxb2+ (D)

White to play

24 Nd2 24 Ke3 Qc3+ 25 Ke2 Ba6+ leads to mate. 24...Qxa1 25 Qxh6 25 f3 Qb2 26 Qe3 Ba6+ 27 Ke1 Qc1+ –+. 25...Ba6+ 26 Kf3 Bb7+ 27 Ke2 Bxh1 28 Qxg6+ Kf8 29 Qh6+ Ke7 White cannot generate any real threats against Black’s king, and with good play Black should win easily.

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Exercises Because the importance of calculation cannot be understated and also because of the fact that practice can hone this skill better than any words can explain, I have increased the number of exercises for this chapter. But after solving exercises from other chapters, I am sure you have realized by now that calculation is of the utmost importance!

Exercise 1: White to play

Exercise 3: Black to play

Exercise 2: Black to play

Exercise 4: White to play

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Exercise 5: Black to play

Exercise 8: White to play

Exercise 6: White to play

Exercise 9: Black to play

Exercise 7: Black to play

Exercise 10: White to play

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Exercise 11: White to play

Exercise 14: Black to play

Exercise 12: White to play

Exercise 15: White to play

Exercise 13: White to play

Exercise 16: White to play

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Solutions to Exercises

White to play

Black to play

1) Westerberg – Monney

2) Troff – Nakamura

Baku Olympiad 2016

USA Ch, St Louis 2015

20 Bh7+! Kh8 21 Rxe5!

26...Nxf2!

Without this resource, White would be lost. But of course one winning continuation is plenty.

Nakamura shows his opponent no mercy.

21...Rxe5 22 Bxe5 Qe7

28 Qf3 loses to 28...Ng4+ 29 Kf1 Qh1+ –+.

Or: 22...Qxe5 23 Nf7#; 22...Qd7 also fails to 23 Bxf6 gxf6 24 Qg6 +–.

28...Rxe4!

27 Kxf2 Bh3! 28 Qf1

Cracking open the white king’s position.

23 Bd6! Qd7 24 Bxf8 hxg5 25 Bg6 +–

29 Nxe4 Nxe4+ 30 Ke3 Bxg2 31 Qf4 Nxc3 32 Qg5+ Kf8 33 bxc3 Re8+ 34 Kf2 Bh1+ 0-1

White went on to win easily.

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Black to play

White to play

3) Naiditsch – Gustafsson

4) Song – Shi

European Ch, Dresden 2007

Windsor 2016

23...Re2!

15 Nxf7! Kxf7

Cutting off the white queen from the f1-square and threatening ...Qh3.

15...Nc5 was played in the game, but of course my opponent could not put up much resistance in that position.

24 Rxe2 Qh3 25 Ne3

16 Qb3+ e6 17 Nxe6

White appears to be holding on for the moment but Black now brings in the wrecking ball:

17 Rxe6?? would be a blunder due to the great resource 17...Nc5! 18 Rc6+ Nxb3 19 Rxc7+ Kg8 –+, when White cannot take the knight due to backrank mate.

25...Rf4! 0-1 White is helpless against the threat of ...Rh4, since 26 gxf4 Bxf4 will lead to mate as well.

17...Rxe6 18 Qxe6+ Kf8 19 Bf4! Qxf4 20 Bd5! The bishops wreak havoc on Black’s king! 20...Ne5 20...Nxd5 21 Qe8#. 21 Qd6+ with mate soon to come.

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Black to play

White to play

5) Krasenkow – Nakamura

6) Yusupov – Ivanchuk

Barcelona 2007

Candidates (8), Brussels 1991

20...Rxc6! 21 Bxf6

23 Nxe6+! fxe6

Obviously this is the move that should concern Black, but in fact he has a devastating reply:

23...Qxe6 24 Qh6+ Kh8 25 Bf5+ +–.

21...Qxf2+! 22 Kxf2 Bc5+ 23 Kf3 Rxf6+ 24 Kg4 Ne5+ 25 Kg5

Gearing up against the e6-pawn.

24 Qh6+ Kh8 25 Bf5+! 25...Kg8

25 Rxe5 Bc8+! (25...Rxe5?? 26 Rb8+ +– would be an unfortunate turn of events) 26 Rf5 Bxf5+ 27 Kh4 Rh6+ 28 Kg5 Bc8 –+ followed by a quick mate.

It looks like Yusupov has no way to continue, but he discovers a counter-intuitive idea: 26 Qg5+ Kh8 27 Qh4+ Kg8 28 Qg5+ Kh8 29 Qh4+ Kg8 30 Qg3+ Kh8 31 Qh3+!

25...Rg6+ 26 Kh5 f6

The process of transferring the queen against the e6-pawn is complete.

26...Bc8 –+ also gets the job done. 27 Rxe5 Rxe5+ 28 Kh4 Bc8 0-1

31...Kg7 32 Qg3+ Kh8 33 Qh3+ Kg7 34 Bxe6 Qxe6 35 Qxe6 Bd8 36 g4 Re8 37 Qf5 Bc4 38 g5 1-0

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Black to play

White to play

7) Topalov – Giri

8)This is opening analysis in the Grünfeld Defence,

London 2015

conducted by Michael Song.

33...Nxf2 34 Bxe2 Nxh3+ 35 Kf1 Qd5!

16 exf6

This stunning retreat proves disastrous for White. 35...Rd6? 36 Rc8+ Kg7 37 Qe7 Rf6+ 38 Kg2 +– would only lead to Black’s demise.

A move like 16 g4 still offers good attacking chances, but White can win directly with the textmove.

36 Bh5

16...exf6

36 Ke1 also loses to 36...Qh1+ 37 Bf1 Qf3 38 Rb2 (38 Be2 Qxg3+ 39 Kf1 Rd6 –+) 38...Qxg3+ 39 Rf2 Re8+ 40 Be2 Nf4 –+.

After 16...Bxf6? 17 Qe4 +– followed by Qh4 White wins easily.

36...Qh1+ 37 Ke2 Qg2+ 38 Ke1 Re8+ 39 Kd1 Nf2+ 40 Kc2 Ne4+ 0-1

The key move.

17 Ne6! 17...fxe6 18 dxe6 Qe7 19 Qd3!

White resigned in view of 41 Kd3 Qd2+ 42 Kc4 Rc8+ 43 Qc5 Rxc5#.

Precision is required. 19 Qe4? would blow the advantage due to 19...Rd8! 20 Be3 f5! 21 Qxa8 Kf8! = (the immediate 21...Nc6? runs into 22 Qb7! with the point 22...Qxb7?? 23 e7+ +–), stepping out of the diagonal, when Black is fine due to White’s stranded queen. 19...f5 19...Be8 succumbs to 20 Qe4! +–, when Black no longer has the possibility of ...Rd8. White’s dual threats of Qxa8 and Qh4 cannot be met. 20 Bg5! Bf6 21 Bxf6 Rxf6 22 Qd8+! Qxd8 23 e7+ Qd5 24 Bxd5+ Rf7 25 Bxa8 +– White emerges from the attack with a decisive material advantage.

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Black to play

White to play

9) J. Rapport – A. Muzychuk

10) Antipov – J. van Foreest

Women’s Olympiad, Baku 2016

World Junior Ch, Khanty-Mansiisk 2015

20...fxg4! 21 hxg7 gxh3 22 gxf8Q+ Rxf8 23 f4?

23 f5! Qxd5

23 Qd1!

23...Re5 is obliterated by 24 Nd6! +–.

with the idea of Kd2 was the only hope.

23...Nxe4! 24 fxe5 h2!

24 Ng5! Bxg5 25 Qe8+!!

The h-pawn is unstoppable.

The ticket to the whole operation.

25 Qd4 h1Q+ 26 Bg1 Rf2! 27 Nxe4 Qxg1+ 28 Kd2 Rxe2+ 0-1

25...Rxe8 26 Rxe8+ Kf7 27 Rf8# (1-0)

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White to play

White to play

11) Mamedyarov – Yakovenko

12) Kasparov – Ribli

Moscow blitz 2009

Skellefteå 1989

30 Nh6! +–

26 Rxb5 ½-½??

This just wins on the spot.

After this move, Kasparov mistakenly agreed to a draw, but ironically he was winning by force:

The only hard part about this exercise was avoiding this move that Mamedyarov played, namely 30 Ra8??. It looks like an easy win at first but it proves to be not so simple at all after 30...Nf2+!. In fact, it transpires that Black has plenty of defensive resources! This shows that when calculating combinations, it is just as important to look for your opponent’s continuations and resources as your own moves. Play continued 31 Kg1 (31 Rxf2? Rb1+ 32 Kh2 Qe5+ –+ wins for Black, who protects g7 and will pick off a8 next move) 31...Nxh3+! 32 gxh3 Qc5+ 33 Kh1 Qd5+ 34 Kg1 Qc5+ 35 Kg2 Rb2+ 36 Kf3?? (enraged by blowing the win, Mamedyarov throws the game away due to his ambition) 36...Qd5+ 37 Kf4 Qd2+ 38 Ne3 Rxa8 39 Rg1 Qd4+ 40 Kf3 Rb3 41 Rd1 Rxe3+0-1.

26...Bxe3 27 Rd8!! +– A shocking revelation. 27...Qxb5 27...Rxd8 28 Rd5 +–. 28 Qd6 Bxf2+ 29 Kxf2 29 Kf1! +– is perhaps even a simpler way to win, not that it matters. 29...Re8 30 a4! Qxa4 30...Qf5+ 31 Kg2 Qe4+ 32 Kh3 Qf5+ 33 g4 Qf1+ 34 Kg3 Qg1+ 35 Kf3 Qf1+ 36 Ke3 Qg1+ 37 Kd2 +–. 31 Qe7 +–

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White to play

Black to play

13) Donev – Bukal

14) Z. Almasi – Khalifman

Graz (team event) 1997

Ubeda 1997

24 f5!

22...Nxf2+!

This pawn-break marks the beginning of Black’s demise.

You had two chances to solve this exercise, as 22...Bc5! is at least as strong, albeit requiring deeper calculation: 23 f3 Bxe4 24 fxe4 Nf2+ 25 Kg1 f5!; e.g., 26 e5 f4 27 Bxf4 g5 28 e6 Ng4+ 29 Kg2 Qg7 –+.

24...exf5 24...Ne3 is crushed by 25 Nh5+! gxh5 (25...Kf8 26 fxg6 +–; 25...Kg8 26 fxe6 +–; 25...Kh6 26 fxg6 hxg6 27 Rxf7 +–) 26 fxe6 Nxf1 27 Qxf1 +–, when Black cannot parry all the threats.

23 Qxf2 f5 Now White has a wide array of options, none of which solves his problems.

25 Nxf5+ gxf5 26 Qh5 h6 Or: 26...Nxf6 27 Qh6+ Kg8 28 exf6 +– is mate; 26...Kf8 27 Qh6+ Ke7 28 Nxd5+! (out of nowhere, the unprotected black queen becomes a big factor) 28...Rxd5 29 Qf6+ Kd7 30 Qxh8 +–.

24 Qd4?

27 Qxf5 Qc7 28 Nxd5 Bxd5 29 Qf6+ Kf8

b) 24 Bf4 fxe4 25 Qe3 Bxf4 26 gxf4 Rxf4! wins for Black, the point being that 27 Qxf4? e3+ 28 Kg1 Qc6 –+ leads to mate.

Or: a) 24 axb5? loses without a fight to 24...fxe4 25 Qe3 Bc5! 26 Qxc5 e3+ 27 Kg1 Qh3 –+.

29...Kg8 30 Rg3+ Kf8 31 Qxh8+ +–. 30 Qxh8+ +–

c) 24 Be3 may have been the best practical chance, although Black is still winning after 24...Bxe4+ 25 Kg1 f4! 26 Bxf4 Rxf4 27 gxf4 Bc5! 28 Rxe4 (28 Qxc5? Qg4+ 29 Kf2 Qf3+ 30 Kg1 Qg2#) 28...Bxf2+ 29 Kxf2 Qd2+ –+.

White won material and later the game.

24...fxe4 25 Be3 Qh3! Threatening both ...Bxg3 and ...Rf2. 26 Qxd6? 26 Qd2 Bxg3 27 Qg2 Qxg2+ 28 Kxg2 Bxe1 –/+. 26...Rf2! 27 Bxf2 e3+ –+ White soon had to throw in the towel. 92

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34 Rxf7+ Kd6 35 h4 +– White’s kingside pawns will decide the issue.

White to play

15) Klimov – Solozhenkin St Petersburg Ch 2003 28 c4!! This is a rather unexpected solution, and in fact the only one.

White to play

28 Qh6+ Kg8 29 Rxh4? Kf7 –+ leaves White with insufficient compensation for his material deficit.

16) Short – Ehlvest (variation) Rotterdam 1989

28 Ree3? was the game continuation. White naturally adds more fuel to the fire with this move, but in doing so he overlooked a great opportunity to collapse Black’s defences with the text-move. The game concluded 28...Qe7 29 Reg3 Nf6 30 Rxh4+ Nh7 31 Rhg4? e5 32 dxe5 Qxe5?? (a gross blunder, throwing away hours of effort; 32...Nd7 would be a serious test to see if White’s attack is legitimate or not) 33 Qxh7+! 1-0. Black resigned in view of 33...Kxh7 34 Rh3+ Qh5 35 Rxh5#.

After 18 Qg2 the game is very much unclear. This exercise was another example of the importance of looking for your opponent’s defensive resources while calculating an attacking possibility. Thus, it was essential to refrain from playing the extremely tempting 18 Bxe6?? due to 18...Bg5!! (a highly counter-intuitive move: instead of taking White’s queen straight-up, Black decides to pin it instead; 18...Nxd2?? 19 Rh7! +– leaves Black with no way to avoid mate: White threatens both Rxg7+ and Rdh1) 19 Rh7 Bxd2+ 20 Kb1 (20 Rxd2 fxe6 – +) 20...Nxd4 21 Rdh1 Bh6 –+. Without deep calculation, it can be very simple to fall into a pitfall such as this.

28...Nxc4 28...Bxc4 29 Re4 +– allows White to bring in the heavy artillery with decisive effect. 29 Qh6+ Kg8 30 Rxh4 Kf7 31 Qh5+ Kf6 31...Ke7 32 Qxd5! +– is the point. The knight no longer defends the bishop from b6. 32 Qh7! The most precise, cutting off the black king’s retreat. 32...Rf7 33 Rf4+ Ke7 33...Kg5 34 Qh4+ Kg6 35 Rg4+ Kf5 36 Qh5+ Kf6 37 Qg5#.

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6: Include All the Pieces in the Attack MICHAEL SONG Including all the pieces in the attack is often one of the first pieces of wisdom a coach will give a young player. Logically, it makes absolute sense: the more pieces that can be brought in, the greater the chance of the attack succeeding! Even at the highest levels, this advice holds true. Of course, most strong chessplayers will not allow the enemy pieces to be brought freely towards their king without resistance. With that in mind, the most realistic way to bring in additional pieces is by generating a series of threats and attacks, so that the opponent will not have time to stop the attacker’s pieces from flooding in. The following classic game by Rubinstein highlights this idea exceptionally well. 17...Bc7 18 e4 Rac8 (D)

Black to play

White to play

Rotlewi – Rubinstein

All of Black’s forces are fully mobilized, and White now makes a fatal error in opening the long diagonal:

Lodz 1907/8 11...dxc4!

19 e5? Bb6+ 20 Kh1 Ng4!

A typical idea, but instructive nonetheless. Black paves the way for rapid development.

With all of Black’s forces participating in the attack, White’s position crumbles.

12 Bxc4 b5 13 Bd3 Rd8

21 Be4

Black brings one more piece into the attack with potential threats down the d-file, which forces White to lose time by sheltering his queen.

Or: a) 21 Qxg4 Rxd3 –+ gives White no adequate reply to the dual threats of ...Rxc3 and ...Rd2.

14 Qe2 Bb7 15 0-0 Ne5!

16 Nxe5 Bxe5 17 f4?!

b) 21 Ne4 Qh4 22 g3 (22 h3 Rxd3 23 Qxd3 Bxe4 24 Qxe4 Qg3 –+) 22...Qh3 –+ leaves White with absolutely no defence to incoming sacrifices along the d-file.

17 Rfd1 would have been more sane.

21...Qh4

Exchanging the awkwardly-placed knight on c6 for White’s best defensive piece.

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21...Nxh2! –+ also gets the job done. 22 g3 22 h3 is demolished by 22...Rxc3! 23 Bxc3 (23 Bxb7 Rxh3+ 24 gxh3 Qxh3+ 25 Qh2 Qxh2#; 23 Qxg4 Rxh3+ 24 Qxh3 Qxh3+ 25 gxh3 Bxe4+ 26 Kh2 Rd2+ 27 Kg3 Rg2+ 28 Kh4 Bd8+ 29 Kh5 Bg6#) 23...Bxe4 24 Qxg4 (24 Qxe4 Qg3 –+ leads to mate) 24...Qxg4 25 hxg4 Rd3 –+. White has no escape from the double threat of ...Rh3# and ...Rxc3. 22...Rxc3! (D)

White to play

Song – J. Friedel Washington 2016 27 a4! The dark-squared bishop prepares to enter the game via the opposite side of the board, but with devastating effect on the black king. 27...d3+ 28 Rf2 d2 29 Bxe5 Not, of course, 29 Ba3?? Qxa3 –+. 29...d1Q+ 30 Rxd1 Rxd1+ 31 Qxd1 Qxe5 32 Qd7 1-0

White to play

The final assault is under way.

There is no defence to Qf7#.

23 gxh4 23 Bxb7 is objectively best, but White is simply lost after 23...Rxg3 –+.

The next example perfectly illustrates the combination of the two ideas that were just discussed: bringing in attacking forces with tempo and scouring the whole board for attacking resources.

23...Rd2! 24 Qxd2 Or: 24 Qxg4 Bxe4+ 25 Rf3 Rxf3 –+; 24 Bxc3 Rxe2 25 Rf2 Bxe4+ 26 Kg1 Bxf2+ 27 Kf1 Bf3 28 Rd1 Nxh2#; 24 Bxb7 Rxe2 25 Bg2 Rh3 –+. 24...Bxe4+ 25 Qg2 Rh3!! 0-1 A brilliant conclusion to Rubinstein’s ‘Immortal Game’. Even in the final position, all of Black’s pieces combine in the attack against the helpless white king. One idea to keep in mind when talking about the subject of ‘including all the pieces in the attack’ is that pieces do not necessarily have to be brought physically near the enemy king to be effective attackers. Here is a simple example: 95

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Or: a) 20...Bxh4? falls easily to 21 fxe6++ Kg7 (21...Kg8 22 e7+ +–) 22 Rf7+ Qxf7 23 exf7 Rxe4 24 f8Q+! Kxf8 25 Rf1+ +–. b) 20...gxf5? 21 exf5 (21 Rxf5 Nd7 22 Bxf6 Nxf6 23 Rbf1 Qd8 24 e5 +– also wins) 21...Bg7 22 fxe6+ Kg8 23 e7+ Kh8 24 Qf7 Nd7 25 Qxg7+! Kxg7 26 Ne6+ Kg8 27 Nxc7 +–. White will achieve a decisive material advantage. 21 fxe6+ Kg6 21...Kg7 is crushed by 22 Bxg5! Rf8 23 e7 +–. Black is holding on for the moment, but with White’s next move, the calm tide of threats begins to accumulate against Black’s king...

White to play

Leitão – El Debs

22 Qc2!

Brazilian Ch, Americana 2010

The queen subtly slides back, but with enormous threats.

At the moment, Black is somewhat behind in development, yet his position does not appear totally unmanageable. But White’s incredible play shows this to be an illusion:

22...Qe5 22...Bxd4+ 23 cxd4 gxh4 24 e5+ Kg7 25 Rf7+ +– also does not help Black.

18 Bxf7+!

Forced, or else Black will lose his queen to a knight fork.

22...Be5 is perhaps a better try, but Black is still lost after 23 Bxg5! Kxg5 (choosing the ‘quick and painless’ option, but there was nothing left to do in any case; for example, 23...Na6 24 Rf7 Qd6 25 Qf2 +–) 24 Qd2+ Kg6 25 Nf5 +–.

20 f5! (D)

23 Rxf6+!

The beginning of a fantastic sequence. 18...Kxf7 19 Qb3+ e6

The fireworks begin. 23...Kxf6 24 Qf2+ 24 Rf1+?! Kg7 is less clear-cut, even though White is still comfortably winning after 25 Rf5 Qxe4 (or 25...Bxe4 26 Qe2 +–) 26 Rxg5+ Kh8 27 Qf2. 24...Kg7 (D) 24...Ke7 25 Nxc6+ bxc6 26 Qf7+ Kd6 27 Qxe8 +–.

Black to play

Cracking open the f-file further exposes the black king. 20...g5

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After a few mistakes in the early stages of the game, Potkin finds himself saddled with several positional weaknesses and a somewhat uncoordinated arrangement of his pieces. On the other hand, White’s pieces work together beautifully, and there are several weaknesses in Black’s kingside that could be ripe for exploitation. Can you find how White should continue? 22 Ng5! A brilliant possibility. Already placed in their optimal positions, White’s pieces immediately begin a raid against the black king. 22 Ne5?! was Van Kampen’s choice in the game. This looks natural and lets White keep a sizeable positional advantage. However, he missed out on the extremely powerful attacking continuation that follows the text-move. The game continued 22...Bc8 23 Rd4 (preparing to double rooks) and then:

White to play

25 Rxb7+! Out of nowhere, the rook that was seemingly doing nothing on b1 joins the fray. The point of the sacrifice is to lure the c6-bishop away from the defence of the e8-rook.

a) 23...Bxe5? does not relieve the pressure in any way. 24 Qxe5 Rdd6 (24...Rd7 25 Rxd7 Qxd7 26 Rd1 +–) 25 g4! (the strongest move, opening up the b1-h7 diagonal for potential attacks against Black’s king; 25 Red1 Rd7 26 f4 Qxe5 27 fxe5 Rxd4 28 Rxd4 +/– would offer great winning chances in the endgame, but the attacking route seems even better) 25...Rdc6 (25...fxg4 26 Red1 Rd7 27 Qh5! Qd8 28 Rxd7 Bxd7 29 Qf7 +–) 26 Qe2 Rc5 (desperately trying to hold the f5-pawn) 27 Qd1! (now Black cannot prevent the penetration into the back rank) 27...g6 28 Rd8+ Kg7 29 Qd4+ e5 30 Rg8+ Kh7 31 Qe3! Be6 (31...fxg4 allows mate by 32 Rh8+! Kxh8 33 Qxh6+, while 31...f4 32 Qh3 +– would only delay the inevitable) 32 Rh8+! Kxh8 33 Qxh6+ Kg8 (33...Qh7 34 Qf8+ Bg8 35 Qxc5 +–) 34 Qxg6+ Kf8 35 Bxe6 Rxe6 36 Qxe6 +– and White will simply mop up.

25 Rf1?? gxh4 is clearly not sufficient. 25...Kh8 25...Bxb7 26 Qf7+ Kh8 27 Qxe8+ Kg7 28 Nf5+ +– is obviously no help for Black either. 26 Bg3 1-0 A forceful and creative finish!

b) 23...Kh7!, covering some light squares and stepping out of knight forks, was Potkin’s choice. 24 Red1 Be7 25 Rxd8 Bxd8 26 Qh5 Bf6? (a fatal mistake; 26...Qxe5 would have kept Black in the game: after 27 Rxd8 Rc6 28 h4 += White has pressure, but it is not so clear how to make use of it) 27 Qg6+ Kg8 28 Qe8+ Kh7 29 Ng6 Qc6 30 Nf8+ Kg8 31 Nd7+ 1-0. Black resigned due to the forced mate after 31...Kh7 32 Nxf6+ gxf6 33 Qf7+ Kh8 34 Rd8+.

White to play

Van Kampen – Potkin Wijk aan Zee 2015

22...hxg5

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22...Re8 23 Qh5 Bc5 24 Qf7 +– is immediate resignation. 23 Qh5+ Kg8 24 Rxe6! Bxe6 25 Bxe6+ Kf8 (D)

Black to play

Gelfand – Giri Moscow 2016 White to play

Can you find how Giri finished the game?

It is quite possible that Van Kampen saw this far but was unable to find the finishing touch.

32...f5!

26 Rd5!

The f-pawn joins the fray and acts as a batteringram against White’s defensive line.

Bringing the last piece into the attack decides the game.

33 Bxd8 33 gxf5 Qxf5 –+ leaves the g-file open, which will quickly be unbearable for White.

26 Qh8+?? Ke7 27 Qxg7+ Kxe6 –+ would leave White with insufficient firepower.

33...Rxd8

26 Rxd6 was also strong, however. After 26...Raxd6 27 Qh8+ Ke7 28 Qxg7+ Kxe6 29 Qxc7 +– White should win but he will need to put in some effort.

33...fxe4?? would of course be a gross error due to 34 Bf6+ Kg8 35 Rxe4 +–. 34 gxf5?

26...Re8 27 Rxf5+ Ke7 28 Rf7+

Gelfand succumbs under pressure and does not put up any resistance. Other moves:

Not 28 Qf7+?? Kd8 –+.

a) 34 Ng5?! is a more testing move, but Black has one good reply: 34...h3+! (the wing pawn steps out of the shadows and joins the campaign) 35 Kh2 (35 Nxh3 fxg4 –+; 35 Kxh3 fxg4+ 36 Kxg4 Nxg5 37 Qxg5 Rg8 –+) 35...Be5+ 36 Kh1 Qxd2 37 Rxd2 Rxd2 38 Nxe6 Bg3 39 Rb1 fxg4 40 fxg4 c4 –/+. Thanks to White’s weak king and the superiority of the bishop over the knight, Black still maintains excellent winning chances.

28...Kd8 29 Rxc7 Bxc7 30 Qxg5+ Re7 31 Bg4 +– A fantastic variation. Black’s king remains fatally weak and his pieces are uncoordinated, whereas White can begin the systematic procedure of rolling his pawns up the board. I must admit that the title of this chapter is somewhat misleading. Every attacking player must also understand that bringing pawns into the attack can be just as important! We shall see examples of this in Chapters 8 and 9, in which the pawns actually lead the attack. But even as an actor in the supporting cast, pawns can shine bright on the attacking stage, such as in the following game.

b) 34 Qh6!? fxe4 35 Rxe4 h3+! (the pawn is untouchable due to ...Ng5 forks) 36 Kh1 and now: b1) 36...Ng5?! 37 Rf4 Nf7 38 Qh5! (after 38 Qxh3? Qxa2 –/+ Black should eventually be able to consolidate and reorganize his pieces for a final attack) and White appears to hold: 38...Qxh5 98

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39 gxh5 followed by b4, while after 38...Ne5 39 Qg5 Ng6 40 Qxd5 Rxd5 41 Re4 the pin on the dfile remains a problem. b2) 36...Rd6! 37 Rde1 Bxb2 –/+ is given by the computer, though to human eyes it does not look so clear. 34...Qxf5 (D)

Black to play

L. Milov – Radulski Dieren 2011 Black identifies a simple, but sweet solution: 25...Bxb4!

Now Gelfand’s king is fatally exposed.

The pawn duo on c3 and b4 were the only guardians protecting White’s king from the westward invasion of Black’s minor pieces, so it is only logical for this structure to be demolished.

35 Kh1

26 Bxc6

35 Nf2 h3+ 36 Nxh3 Rg8+ 37 Kh2 Qxf3 –+ is also impending mate.

After 26 cxb4 Nd4 Black wins easily. For example, 27 Qh1 c6 28 Bc4 Nf3+ 29 Kg2 Qxe4 30 Kf1 (30 Kf2 g3+ 31 Ke2 Bg4 –+) 30...Qf4 31 Re2 g3 32 Kg2 Nh4+ 33 Kg1 g2 34 Nxg2 Rg8 –+.

White to play

35...Rg8! The final precise move, stopping Qg2. 35...Qxf3+?? 36 Qg2 would let White off the hook.

26...Bc5 27 Bxd7+ Rxd7 Despite being a rook up, White is helpless in the face of Black’s pressure.

36 Rf1 Be5 0-1 Gelfand had no choice but to resign due to the forthcoming ...Qh3+.

28 Qe2 28 Qf2 Rd3 –+ will lead to an easily winning endgame for Black.

Considering the importance of pawns in attacking play, maybe the chapter’s title should be more politically correct and instead read ‘Include All the Pieces and Pawns in the Attack’! But that wouldn’t be as catchy now, would it?

28...f5! 29 Qf2 29 exf5 Rh7 –+ leaves White with no antidote to the threat of ...Qg3+. 29...Qxf2+

Sometimes, it is quite straightforward to bring pieces into the attack. Yet in other situations, it may be necessary to use some pieces as bait in order to open the floodgates for other pieces to enter the enemy camp:

29...Qxe4 was in fact even stronger. 30 Kxf2 f4 31 Rad1 Bxe3+ 32 Ke2 Bc5 0-1

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In the next example, White has everything geared against Black’s king: two bishops, a rook, and a queen right at Black’s doorstep.

Rg3 Kf8 46 Qd4 f4 47 Bxf4! {threatening mate on h8} 47...Qf6 48 Qxf6 Rexf6 49 Be3 h6 50 Rg4 +/– ) 44...Rh6 45 Rh3 Rg6 (the tables have turned; Black is the one on the offensive now) 46 f3 Qa5 47 Kh2 Qxc5 48 h5 Re6 49 Rg3 h6 50 Bc2 Ba2 51 d7 Rxd7 52 Qxf5 Rxe5 0-1. Timman came to the disheartening realization that his attack does not have enough firepower and thus resigned. 40...a4 What else to do? 41 g4! a3 42 gxf5 Bb3 43 f6 g6 44 Bxg6 +– White crashes through as easily and quickly as lightning. Therefore, we see the importance of creativity. While the concept of bringing more pieces into the attack is relatively primitive, the process of figuring out how to accomplish this can be quite sophisticated.

White to play

Timman – Bareev Linares 1993 However, Black seems to be holding on to the edge of the cliff at the moment as he has all the targets covered – namely the g7- and f5-pawns. So when all the wood has already been thrown into the fire, what is there left to do? Certainly, the attack must not freeze to death; it must burn on! Therefore, quite literally, more wood (assuming you have the luxury of playing on a fine walnut or rosewood set) must be gathered for the attack; the only question is how. It appears that White has no remaining attackers left, but this can be proved to be an illusion if you discover the continuation that Timman could not... 40 Rg5!! All of a sudden, the foot soldier cowering behind White’s rook threatens to be the feather that will tip Black’s position over the cliff, or so the cartoons show. The idea of g4 will prove decisive as Black can no longer simultaneously hold f5 and g7. 40 Bc2? was played in the game, squandering White’s advantage: 40...a4! (immediately opting for counterplay and luring White’s bishop away from the kingside) 41 Bxa4 Bd5 42 Qf4 Re6 43 Re3 Qd8 44 h4? (it was paramount to bring the bishop immediately back into play, with the point that 44 Bc2! g5?! is not at all dangerous due to 45

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Exercises Make the most of all your troops!

Exercise 1: White to play

Exercise 3: Black to play

Exercise 2: White to play

Exercise 4: White to play

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Exercise 5: White to play

Exercise 7: White to play

Exercise 6: White to play

Exercise 8: White to play

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Solutions to Exercises

White to play

White to play

1) Tkachev – W. Watson

2) Pashikian – Greenfeld

London 1993

European Clubs Cup, Plovdiv 2010

20 Nd5! exd5 21 exd5 Qd7 22 Bxf6 gxf6 23 Rg3+ Kh8

16 a4!

23...Kf8 24 Qxh7 +–.

Seeing that the c1-bishop is doing nothing, White prepares to deploy it to the key a3-f8 diagonal.

24 Qxh7+! Kxh7 25 Rd4 1-0

16...c6

An elementary yet cute demonstration of using every piece to deliver mate!

16...h6 is smashed by 17 b5! axb5 18 axb5 Kg8 19 Nxf7! Kxf7 20 Ba3 Qd7 21 d6+ +–. 16...b5!? may have been the best attempt to slow White down, but he is still winning after 17 axb5 axb5 18 Bxb5 Qxd5 19 Qxd5 Nxd5 20 Bc4 +–. 17 Qb6 17 Ba3! b5 18 Qa7 Rd7 19 Qxa6 +– was even stronger. 17...cxd5 18 Qxb7 Bd7 19 Qxa6 +– White went on to win easily: 19...Qb8 20 Bf1 Ng4 21 g3 N6e5 22 Bg2 Bf5 23 Bf4 h6 24 Nf3 Nxf3+ 25 Bxf3 Qxb4 26 Bc7 Nxf2 27 Bxd8 1-0

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Black to play

White to play

3) Krush – Daulyte

4) Roiz – Miroshnichenko

Women’s Olympiad, Baku 2016

European Clubs Cup, Plovdiv 2010

20...Rxf3!

35 Qc7+!

This must have come as a shock for Irina Krush.

The less conclusive 35 Qg7+? was played in the game: 35...Kd6 36 Qxh8 Rxe2 37 Rf6+ Kc7 38 Kxe2 Qe3+? (38...Qg2+! 39 Rf2 Qe4+ +/– would have made Roiz’s job much more difficult, as he must give up one of his rooks to avoid perpetual check) 39 Kf1 Qd3+ 40 Kg2 Qc2+ 41 Rf2 Qe4+ 42 Kh2 Qxb1 43 Rf7+ Nd7 44 Qe5+ Kb6 45 Rxd7 1-0.

21 Kxf3 Qh3 22 Ke2 In the event of 22 Rh1 Black cleans up after 22...Rf8+ 23 Ke2 Qg2+ 24 Kd1 Rf2! 25 Ne2 Qxh1+ 26 Kc2 Qh2 –+. 22...Bh6 23 Qc2 Ne6 24 Kd1 After 24 Nd5 Qg4+ 25 Kf1 Rf8+ 26 Kg2 cxd5 –+ Black still has an overwhelming attack. 24...Nd4 25 Qf2 Rf8 26 Qg1 Rf3 0-1

35...Ke4 35...Rd6 36 Qg7+ Ke6 37 Qxh8 +– is easy now that ...Rxe2 is impossible. 36 Kc2! The silent killer, bringing the remaining forces into the fray. White’s king helps to create the threat of Bd3+ and clears the e1-square for the b1-rook. 36...Rh3 37 Rbe1 Rc3+ 38 Kb1 +–

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White to play

White to play

5) Carlsen – Ponomariov

6) Bagaturov – Lima

Moscow blitz 2008

Biel Interzonal 1993

27 Re1!

17 Bg5!

Including the rook in the attack is not only principled; it is also the strongest! Other moves:

The dormant bishop on c1 awakes and wreaks havoc on the black kingside.

a) 27 Bxc5? fails to 27...Qf7! 28 Bd4 Rh7 (28...e5!? 29 Qh4 exd4 ) 29 Bd5 e6 30 Qxh7+! Qxh7 (30...Kxh7? 31 Rf4 +/–) 31 Bxe6+ Kf8 32 Bxc8 Qxh3 =, when Black is able to force perpetual check.

17...hxg5

b) 27 Bd5+? e6 28 Rxf5 gxf5 29 Bxg7 Qxg7 30 Bxe6+ Nxe6 31 Qxe6+ Kh7 32 Qxf5+ Qg6 33 Qd7+ Qg7 34 Qxc8 Qxg5+ +/–. White may still be winning, but his task is unnecessarily complicated now.

17...Nb4! was the only defensive try, although Black is still struggling after 18 axb4 hxg5 19 Qf5 Bxd5 20 Bxd5 Nxd5 21 Nxg5 Nf6 22 Rxd8 Rexd8 +/–. 18 Nxg5 Black is helpless against the threats. 18...Ne4

27...e6 28 Rxe6!

Or: 18...g6 19 Nxf7! Kxf7 20 Nf4+ +–; 18...Bc5 19 Nxf7! Kxf7 20 Nf4+ Kf8 21 Ng6#.

Black has no way to close the a2-g8 diagonal.

19 Nxf7!

28...Nxe6 29 Bd5 Re8 30 c7 Kf7 31 Bxg7 Qg8 32 Bd4?

In the game, White played 19 Nxe4 and won without too many problems, but this move seals the game immediately.

32 Bf6! Rc8 33 Bd8! Ke8 34 Qh4 +– is a much more accurate way to convert the advantage into victory.

19...Qh4

32...Ke7 33 Bb6 Kd7 34 Qh4 Qg7?

19...Kxf7 20 Ne7+ Kxe7 21 Qxe4+ Kf6 22 Qf4+ Kg6 23 Bf7+ +– is soon mate.

34...f4 would have kept Black in the game a while longer.

20 g3

35 Qc4 Qc3 36 Bxe6+ Rxe6 37 c8Q+ 1-0

Unfortunately for Black, the queen has no safe squares to retreat to. 20...Qh5 20...Qg4 21 Nh6+ gxh6 22 Nf6++ +–. 21 Nf4 +–

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White to play

White to play

7) Botvinnik – Smyslov

8) Nepomniashchy – Kokarev

World Ch (18), Moscow 1958

Ekaterinburg 2013

In the game, Botvinnik played 23 Bh3? and won after an unusually blunder-plagued game for a world championship match, but missed a great chance to seal the deal immediately: Closing the d-file, but more importantly opening up the white bishop to join the attack. 23...Nxd4

38...Bxf5 39 Ne3 Bg7 40 Nxf5 gxf5 41 Rxf5 +– is easily winning for White, who will just stack everything on the f-file. 39 Ne3 f4 40 gxf4 exf4 41 Qg2+

23...cxd4 24 Bd5+! results in forced mate: 24...Rxd5 25 Re8 +– or 24...Kh8 25 Re7 Nxe7 26 Rxe7 +–. 24 Re7

41 Rg1+? Kh8 42 Nd5 Bxd5 43 Rxd5 Qb6 44 Rxh5+ Nxh5 45 Qxh5+ Bh6 results in a very unclear position. 41...Kh7 42 Qg5 Bh6 43 Qxf6 fxe3 44 Rd7!

Move-order is important! 24 Bd5+? would blow the lead after 24...Rxd5 25 Re7 Ne2+! 26 Kf1 Rf7 27 Rxf7 Kxf7 28 Qxh7+ Kf8 29 Qh8+ =. Mate is coming on f8.

Nepomniashchy senses that the light squares around Black’s king are not as safe as they appear. 38...gxf5

23 Nd4!!

24...Rf7 25 Bd5 Rxd5 26 Re8+ +–

38 f5!

The final battalion arrives at the field. Perhaps it is difficult to find this idea from the first move of the combination, but it should come as no surprise given the e6-bishop is the only thing in the way of White’s forces crashing through on the light squares to the opposing king. 44...Bxd7 44...e2 also loses easily after 45 Qxe6 exf1Q+ 46 Bxf1 +–. 45 Qxf7+ Kh8 45...Bg7 46 Qxh5+ Kg8 47 Qf7+ Kh7 48 Bxd7 +– is totally decisive. 46 Rf6 Bg7 47 Qxh5+ Kg8 48 Qf7+ Kh8 49 Bxd7 Bxf6 50 Qxf6+ Kh7 51 Qh4+ Kg7 52 Qg4+ Kh8 1-0 Black resigned. He loss of the c8-rook.

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7: Attacks on Colour Complexes MICHAEL SONG Attacks on colour complexes are without a doubt one of the most essential concepts in standard same-side castling attacks. The explanation is rather simple: if the opposing king has a reasonable proportion of its army shielding it, it is nearly impossible to launch a successful attack simply by smashing straight through the defences. In a way, the concept of attacking on colour complexes in chess is most similar to war in our world. Instead of charging his whole army towards the enemy, it is the general’s job to pinpoint the weak points in the enemy camp and amass a concentrated but effective attack by zeroing in on these weaknesses. As Sun Tzu wrote in The Art of War, we must avoid what is strong and strike at what is weak. If we take a philosophical approach to the game of chess, it seems almost as if the game was created with the purpose of generating attacks on colour complexes. The bishop and the queen can wreak havoc on a weak complex for obvious reasons, and even pawns only attack one colour at a time. Although knights can function on both complexes, as it stands on any given square, it only attacks one colour as well. It goes without saying that in most instances, an attack on a certain colour complex requires the absence of the defender’s bishop of that colour to be successful. Note that the term ‘absence’ is used ambiguously here; the bishop does not have to be physically removed from the board, but it needs to be positioned in an area where it cannot manoeuvre back to the aid of his king in time. Such a position arose in the game between myself and the other co-leader of the North American Youth Chess Championship at the time this game was played.

tremendously weak? In addition to the warrior on f4, controlling both the g2- and h3-squares around White’s king, White’s bishop on b3 plays no role in the defence of the light-squared complex. I would like to point out to the reader a very important point when it comes to colour complexes: just because there are no obvious ‘holes’ in the opponent’s structure does not mean that a colour complex is safe! Despite the g2-pawn seemingly holding the light squares together, this quickly turns out to be an illusion. 15...dxc3 is suggested by the engines, but this looks like a peculiar practical choice. 16 exf6 cxd2 (16...Qxf6 17 Nf3 c5 18 bxc5 bxc5 19 Re1 d4 20 Bxf4 Qxf4 21 Bxe6 fxe6 22 Qb3 is evaluated as rough equality, but White seems like the one pressing to me) 17 fxg7 Re8 18 Bxd2 Qg5 19 g3 Nh3+ 20 Kg2 Qxg7 21 Rc1 c6 and although Black is a pawn up, White should have easily sufficient compensation thanks to his bishop-pair and Black’s shattered structure.

Black to play

A. Grabinsky – Song Windsor 2016 It is Black to move; how should he continue? 15...N6h5! The knight hops over to support his comrade on f4. When looking at the position, did you intuitively sense that the light squares around White’s king are

16 cxd4 Qg5

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Now White is forced to make ‘holes’ in his lightsquared complex, after which it becomes blatantly obvious that Black is creeping near White’s king.

A desperate attempt to regain some control over the light squares, but this is too little, too late.

17 g3 Bg4! 18 Nf3

20 Kh1? loses to the same idea as in the game.

18 gxf4?? obviously loses on the spot to 18...Nxf4 –+.

20...N5f4+! 21 Kh1?

18 f3? is desirable from a positional point of view to cover some light squares, but runs into concrete problems after 18...Bh3! –+, when Black’s threat of ...Nxg3 will force White to surrender the exchange: a) 19 g4 is annihilated by 19...f5! 20 exf6 Nxf6 – + followed by a sacrifice on g4. b) 19 Kf2 Nd3+ 20 Ke2 Nhf4+ 21 gxf4 Nxf4+ 22 Ke3 Ng2++ 23 Kd3 Qe3+ 24 Kc2 Qxd4 –+ is also decisive.

19...Nh3+! 20 Kg2

Virtually throwing in the towel. 21 gxf4 Bf5+ 22 Ng5 Bxc2 23 Qg4 Nxg5 24 fxg5 h5 –/+ was the only way to continue the fight, but in an oppositecoloured bishop position with an exposed king, White is practically lost. 21...Qxc2! 0-1 The queen cannot be taken due to ...Bxf3#, but White has no defence in any case. A massacre on the light squares.

c) 19 Qe1 is met by 19...Qg6! –+, first stepping out of the way of the f4 advance before deciding what to do. There is no rush to exchange the powerful h3-bishop for the rook. 18...Qg6 (D)

Black to play

Mikaelyan – Jobava Poti 2015

It is clear that Black has achieved total domination of the light squares. White has been forced into a seemingly eternal pin as the black bishop casts storm clouds over the white kingside. Although Black stands better, the game is still playable for White after a normal move such as 19 Re1. In the game, however, my opponent decided to go down quickly...

It is immediately clear that White’s position has the potential for disaster due to the weak light-squared complex on the kingside. However, the f1-bishop covers all this for now, depriving Black of any real attacking chances. The obvious attempt to eliminate the f1-bishop with 26...Bb5 leads nowhere after 27 Bc3!, and an outrageous attacking move like 26...g5?! may even land Black in trouble after 27 Bc3 Raa8 28 e4!, when it is Black who should worry about getting mated. That being said, how can Black exploit White’s weak light squares?

19 Bc2??

26...Rb5!!

White to play

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A brilliant exchange sacrifice, but we have come to expect nothing less from the ingenious Georgian grandmaster. The positional threat of ...Rb3 followed by ...Bb5 with domination on the queenside encourages White to part ways with the guardian of the light squares, which is worth more than a rook in this closed position.

Qf5 =+ and Black still has excellent winning chances as White’s rook is essentially worthless.

27 Bxb5?

31...h4! was a more direct win: 32 Rae1 (after 32 gxh4 Rxe3 33 fxe3 Bd3! –+ the bishop will swing over to e4 with decisive effect) 32...hxg3 33 fxg3 Rh6! (threatening ...Qh3) 34 g4 Rg6 35 Qh5 and even stronger than 35...Qxg4+ is 35...Qd8!, when there is no defence to ...Rh6 followed by an eventual ...Qh4.

Falling for the cheese in the mouse trap. It was wiser to stay put with 27 Rdc1! Rb3 28 Rc3, when White holds the balance. One line continues 28...Bb5 29 Rxb3 axb3 30 Bxb5 Qxb5 31 Rc1 and White is out of the woods. 27...Bxb5 (D)

28...Rxe4 29 Re1 Rxh4! Black has restored material equality while maintaining a deadly attack. 30 Qg5 Rh3 31 Re3 Kh7?!

32 Rf3 Be2 33 Re3 Bc4 34 Rf3 Be2 35 Re3 Ba6 36 Rf3 Bc8 37 Rc1 Qg4 38 Qxg4 Bxg4 (D)

White to play

28 e4?

White to play

A desperate attempt to break free of the bind on the light squares, but this accelerates White’s downfall. Other moves: a) 28 Bc3 is obliterated by 28...Qh3! 29 Rab1 Re4!! (bringing the final piece into the attack) 30 Rxb5 (30 f3 Rxe3 31 Qg2 Qd7 –+ obviously gives Black a decisive advantage) 30...Rg4! 31 Rb2 Bxg3 32 fxg3 Rxg3+ 33 Qg2 Rxg2+ 34 Rxg2 Qxe3+ –+ and Black will mop up too much material. b) 28 Rdc1 Qh3 29 Rc3 Bc4 –/+ also does not look appealing for White. c) 28 Re1 Re4! (not allowing White to break free of the light-square bind with any e4 ideas) 29 Kg2 (29 f3?! Re6 gives Black a tremendous attack with ...Rg6 coming) 29...Rxh4! 30 Rh1 Rxh1 31 Rxh1

Black has maintained a small advantage in the endgame and now successfully ground down his opponent. I shall give the rest of the moves without annotations: 39 Re3 Bd7 40 Kg2 h4 41 Rh1 Rxh1 42 Kxh1 g5 43 Bc1 Kg6 44 Rc3 hxg3 45 fxg3 Kh5 46 Bd2 Kg4 47 Kh2 f5 48 Kg2 Bb5 49 Re3 Bc4 50 Bc1 b5 51 Kf2 b4 52 axb4 Bxb4 53 Re6 a3 54 Rg6 Be7 55 Re6 a2 56 Bb2 Ba3 57 Bc3 Bb4 58 Bb2 Bd2 59 Re8 f4 60 gxf4 Kxf4 61 Re7 g4 62 Re8 g3+ 63 Kg2 Bb4 64 Bc1+ Kf5 65 Re5+ Kg4 66 Bb2 Bd3 67 Re3 Be4+ 68 Kf1 Bd2 69 Ra3 Kf4 70 Re3 Kg4 71 Ra3 Kf4 72 Rxa2 0-1

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It is worth nothing that an attack on a colour complex is a common reason for exchange sacrifices. Out of all the pieces, the rook is arguably the weakest attacker of colour complexes, which makes it expendable when seeking total colour domination, as Jobava did in this game.

25 Rxf3 Bxf3 26 Qxf6 e4 (D)

White to play

We see that White’s king has no physical way to escape the mating threat of ...Rd1 followed by ...Rxf1+ and ...Rd1#, thanks to Black’s iron grip on the light squares through his bishop. Black to play

Bregadze – Song Washington 2016 When I foresaw this position in my calculation a few moves earlier, I had assessed that it must be fine for Black thanks to White’s weak light squares and my domination of the d-file. However, once this position appeared on the board, I became somewhat concerned about the plan of Bf3, exchanging the bishops, followed by quickly pushing the h-pawn. It is not obvious how Black will generate sufficient counterplay to match this, as his own king is weak as well. For instance, even if Black is successful in grabbing one or even both pawns on the queenside, it will not be easy to push his a- and b-pawns quickly, whereas White’s hpawn would be nearly unstoppable thanks to the black king and f-pawns blocking the paths for his forces to reach the kingside. Wary of this, I decided to take immediate action based on the weakness of the weak colour complex surrounding White’s king. 23...Qd5 24 Bf3 Qxf3!! Despite sacrificing a queen and a few pawns, the weakness of White’s light squares ensures Black at least equality as White’s king is trapped inside a box by his own pawns.

White should be content to give perpetual check and force a draw, but being higher-rated, it was only natural for my opponent to want to continue the fight. A general tip: when playing a higherrated opponent, it is often very unpleasant for him to reach a line in which he is forced to steer the game towards a draw by means of perpetual check and repetition. From a psychological perspective, an overly ambitious player may sense that being higher-rated, he has the obligation to continue the struggle for a win, even when it is practically impossible to do so. What followed in the game is a typical pattern for a higher-rated player turning a draw into a loss. 27 Qxa6 27 Qe5+ Kf8 28 Qh8+ Ke7 29 Qe5+ Kd8 30 Qb8+ = is what I expected, when Black cannot escape perpetual check. 27...R7d5! There is no need to rush with ...Rd1. Black’s bind on the kingside is permanent. 27...Rd1? is most likely what he expected me to play, in which case only White can fight for a win after 28 Qxb5 Ke7 (28...Rxf1+? 29 Kxf1 Ke7 30 Qe5+ Kd8 31 Qa1 Rd1+ 32 Qxd1+ Bxd1 33 Ke1 +– is too many pawns for Black to handle) 29 h4 +/–. Although Black is probably still fine with pre-

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cise play, it is clear that only White is pressing. Seeing this, my opponent became deluded by this improbable chance of winning the game and overlooked my quiet 27th move. 28 Qa8+ Ke7 29 Qa3+? A fatal step in the wrong direction. 29 Qb7+ Kf8 30 Qc8+ Kg7 31 a4 Rd1 32 Qc3+ f6 33 axb5 Rxf1+ 34 Kxf1 Rd1+ 35 Qe1 Bg2+! 36 Ke2 Bf3+ 37 Kf1 leads to a draw. An attempt to play on with 37...Rxe1+? 38 Kxe1 can only provide White with winning chances. 29...Kf6! 30 Qb2 Ke6?

ed, when Black is one tempo short from winning) 35 Rxd1 Rxd1+ White must choose carefully: a) 36 Kg2? Bf1+ 37 Kg1 and at the board I couldn’t find any way for Black to proceed, but it turns out he has the simple 37...Re1! –+, when White has no way to prevent the dual threats of ...Bh3# and ...Bb5+. b) After 36 Qxd1+ Bxd1, Black has gained a tempo since the white king is now on g1 instead of f1, but nevertheless 37 Kf1 appears to draw; e.g., 37...Kc6 38 Ke1 Bg4 39 Kd2 Kb5 40 Ke3 f5 41 h4 Kxb4 42 Kf4 Kc3 43 h5! Bxh5 44 Kxf5 with a position that the six-man tablebase confirms to be a draw.

White gets a reprieve, though for reasons that were hard to foresee. Black’s king seeks safety from checks, but 30...Kg6! is the right way. Black then wins; e.g., 31 Qc3 Rd1 32 a4 bxa4 33 bxa4 Be2 34 Re1 Rxe1+ 35 Qxe1 Rd1 36 Qxd1 Bxd1 37 a5 Be2 –+.

After this, all hope is lost. 37 b5 = would make a draw fairly easily.

31 b4?!

37...Ba4 –+

31 a4! is a simpler draw, since White obtains counterplay as quickly as possible. 31...Rd1 (31...bxa4 32 bxa4 Rd1 33 Qb3! =) 32 Qc2 Rxf1+ 33 Kxf1 Rd1+ 34 Qxd1 Bxd1 35 axb5 Bxb3 36 Ke1 gives White enough counterplay with his bpawn to hold the balance.

Now Black’s bishop is able to control everything.

31...Rd1 32 Qb3 (D)

33 a4 bxa4 34 Qxa4 Rxf1+ 35 Kxf1 Rd1+ 36 Qxd1 Bxd1 37 Ke1??

38 Kd2 38 h3 would not help, as after 38...Bb5 –+ Black has the idea of ...Bf1! to force the h4 advance. 38...Kg4 39 Ke3 f5 40 h4 Bc6 41 Kd4 f4 42 b5 Ba8 43 gxf4 Kxf4 44 h5 Kg5 45 Ke5 Kxh5 46 Kf5 Kh4 47 Kf4 Bb7 48 Ke3 Kg4 0-1 What a hero the light-squared bishop was in this game! Of course, a big part of attacks against weak colour complexes is creating these weaknesses in the first place. This is almost always accomplished by provoking or forcing an enemy pawn to move, which cedes control of some crucial squares. The following game is an excellent illustration of how Kariakin manages to do just that against the reigning world champion.

Black to play

32...Kf5 After 32...Kd6!? 33 a4 bxa4 34 Qxa4 Be2 (34...Rxf1+ 35 Kxf1 Rd1+ 36 Qxd1+ Bxd1 37 Ke1 Bg4 38 Kd2 Kc6 39 h4 f5 40 Ke3 Kb5 41 Kf4 Kxb4 42 Kg5 Kc3 43 h5 Bxh5 44 Kxh5 Kd3 45 Kg5 Ke2 46 Kxf5 Kxf2 = is the line I had calculat111

Attacks on Colour Complexes

Black to play

White to play

Carlsen – Kariakin

21 Nh2?!

Berlin blitz 2015 White’s position seems solid, and even somewhat resembles a ‘Carlsen-like’ positional grind with a strong knight on c5 versus the ‘passive’ bishop on c8. However, in just a matter of moves, White’s position deteriorates. 16...Ng4! Due to the threats on h2 caused by ...e4 or ...exd4, White is forced to create weaknesses. 17 g3 17 h3 is of course answered by 17...exd4 18 hxg4 dxe3! (the strongest continuation) 19 Nde4 Qe5 20 f4 Qe7 =+, when Black will regain the piece with interest. 17...Qh6! Forcing a further weakening of the light squares. Realizing that White has no piece to hold his light squares, Black begins to pave the way for his bishop to wreak havoc in the future. 18 h4 In a span of just two moves, Kariakin forces White to compromise the integrity of his kingside pawnstructure.

21 Nd2 was probably a better defensive try, when it is not entirely obvious how Black proceeds with his attack. Still, the shadow of the black forces lurks over White’s king, and from a human perspective, it is understandable why Carlsen felt the need to exchange the strong attacker on g4. 21...Qg6 22 Rh1 and then: a) One interesting option is 22...Rd8!?, trying to swing the rook into play via d6 and f6. 23 Qe2 Rd6 24 Nxa6 Rf6 25 Rhf1 Nh6 (making way for the bishop to land on g4) 26 Nc5 Re8 27 Ra2 Bg4 (after 27...Qf5 28 Rh1 Ng4 29 Rf1 the engine claims that Black has nothing better than to take the repetition after 29...Nh6 30 Rh1 Ng4 =) 28 Qe1 Qf5 29 Rh1 Bf3+ 30 Nxf3 Qxf3+ 31 Kg1 seems to be holding for White. b) 22...f5 23 Nf1 f4! 24 h5 (24 exf4? e3 looks like a crushing attack) 24...Qh6 25 gxf4 g5! 26 f5! (keeping the position closed) 26...Bxf5 27 Nh2 with a wild position. 21...Nxh2 22 Kxh2 g5! 23 Rh1 23 h5? f5! will also give Black a blistering attack, with moves such as ...Rg7 and ...f4 to come. 23...gxh4 24 Kg1 h3 (D)

18...Ra7! An instructive sequence to include the a8-rook in the attack. 19 Kg2 Rae7 20 Nf3 e4 (D)

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In fact, there was a funny forced mate that occurs after the sadistic 31...Ra1! 32 Qxa1 Qxf2+ 33 Kh1 Bf3+ 34 Rg2 Qxg2#. 32 cxd5 cxd5 33 b4 Rb8 34 Na6 Rb6 35 Nc7 Rxb4 36 Qa2 Ra4 37 Qb2 Ra5 Despite Kariakin constantly missing the idea of bringing his rook to the back rank, White has no chance of salvation anyway. 38 Ne8+ Kg6 39 Nc7 h5 40 Qc2 Kh7 41 Qb2 Qf6 42 Rc1 Qf3 43 Rg1 Qf5 44 Rc1 Ra7 45 Ne8 Qf3 46 Rg1 Ra6 47 Qc2 Re6 0-1

White to play

Now it is clear that White’s light-square weaknesses are fatal. 25 Nxa6 Ra7 26 Nc5 Rxa1 27 Qxa1 Bg4 28 Kh2 Qf6 29 Qb2? The computer assessment jumps wildly after this move, but in Carlsen’s defence, his position was untenable in any case. 29 Qe1 Qf3 30 Qf1 is suggested by the computer at first, but I doubt this would appeal to any human after 30...Ra8 31 Na4 Kg7, with a picturesque position where White is almost in zugzwang and can only shuffle his king and rook between three squares in the corner. After 32 Rg1 h5 33 Rh1 Rh8 34 Nc5 Rh6 35 b4 Rf6 36 Kg1 Bc8! followed by ...h4, White is mated. 29...Qf3 30 Rg1 Ra8 31 c4 (D)

Carlsen resigned as 48 Nc7 would be met with 48...Rc6!, winning the knight. This game demonstrated in a nutshell that it is not only important to know how to attack weak colour complexes, but knowing how to create them is just as important! Without a doubt, a chapter on attacking colour complexes would not be complete without a few examples on how to attack the fianchetto. Of course, such a vital topic in chess cannot be reduced to a few examples, so it is ultimately up to the player to get a feel for these procedures. However, in practice, there are arguably two plans that pop up on a regular basis: the first is straightforward – simply trade off the fianchettoed bishop! As we all know, this is usually accomplished by some Qd2 + Bh6 (or ...Qd7 + ...Bh3 for Black) idea to create weak dark squares around Black’s king, which can later be exploited by attacking plans such as h4-h5. There is a second reoccurring plan which we shall explore later in this chapter as well. Moreover, the idea of using the h-pawn to challenge the fianchetto will be illustrated in Chapter 9. Anyhow, here is a simple and short game featuring a simple, yet typical attack on a castled king with the fianchetto structure. Song – Du Toronto 2014 1 d4 d6 2 e4 Nf6 3 f3 c5 4 d5 g6 5 c4 Bg7 6 Nc3 0-0 7 Nge2 Na6?!

Black to play

31...Kg7

This plan seems too slow to me. I would prefer 7...Nbd7 or 7...e6. 8 Be3 Nc7 9 Qd2 a6 10 Bh6

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The first phase of the attack has concluded. White is successful in exchanging the fianchettoed bishop in front of Black’s king.

Now White’s attack is extremely powerful. 12...Nb5 13 0-0-0 Qa5 14 g4 (D)

10...b5 11 h4 (D)

Black to play

14...Rb8?

Black to play

Losing by force, but Black’s position was on the verge of disaster in any case.

11...bxc4? A serious error. The c4-pawn plays no useful part in the game, nor does taking it aid Black’s counterplay in any way. 11...Bxh6! was the best defence. When attacking the fianchetto, this is a very important idea to remember. Often times, for attackers and defenders alike, players assume that this move which invites the queen into h6 is suicidal. However, the idea of ...Bxh6 is often a key defensive resource; if the attacker is not immediately smashing through, the queen may find itself misplaced on h6 and one day, it may have to retreat to deal with central or queenside counterplay, thus gaining time for the defender. Never ignore this possibility! After 12 Qxh6 e5! (immediately opening up the important e7-square for the queen, from which it can help to hold Black’s kingside) 13 dxe6 (13 h5 Qe7 leads nowhere for White) 13...Bxe6 14 Nf4 (14 h5 Bxc4 should not be too scary for Black; for instance, 15 Nf4 Bxf1 16 Kxf1 b4 17 Nce2 Qe7 18 g4 Ne6 19 g5 Nd7 20 hxg6 fxg6 21 Nxe6 Rxf3+ 22 Ke1 Qxe6 23 Qxh7+ Kf8 24 Rh6 Qf7 and Black survives) 14...b4 15 Nd1 Nd7 16 Ne3 Ne5 White’s attack does not lead to anything meaningful since 17 h5 can be met with 17...g5! 18 Nd3 Qe7, when Black has no problems; in fact, the queen on h6 may find itself in trouble one day. 12 h5

14...Qc7 is recommended by the computer, but it is hard to imagine any human playing this passively. The idea of including the queen in the defence along the second rank is worth remembering, however. 15 Bxg7 Kxg7 and now: a) 16 a4!? takes advantage of the fact that Black’s knight is short of squares. 16...Nd4 (after 16...Nxc3 17 Nxc3 Rb8 18 hxg6 fxg6 19 e5! dxe5 20 Qh6+ Kg8 21 Bxc4 Qb7 22 d6+ e6 23 Rd2 Qg7 24 g5! Qxh6 25 Rxh6 Nh5 26 Ne4+ Black will lose c5 and the d6-pawn is too strong) 17 Nxd4 cxd4 18 h6+ Kg8 19 Qxd4 Rb8 20 Bxc4 +/– looks terrible for Black, who does not have any real attacking chances. For instance, after 20...Bb7 21 g5 Ne8 22 f4 Black will find himself mated far sooner than White will. b) 16 hxg6 fxg6 17 Qh6+ Kg8 18 g5 Nh5 and now 19 Rxh5?! gxh5 20 g6 e5 21 dxe6 Qg7 22 gxh7+ Qxh7 23 Qxh7+ Kxh7 24 e7 Re8 25 Nd5 Be6 does not look entirely convincing. Instead, 19 f4! intending f5 looks strong, though after 19...Rf7 20 f5 Rg7, White still has a lot of work ahead of him. 15 hxg6 Notice that White did not embark on any exchanges until he was completely prepared with moves such as g4. It is important to have patience when preparing the final assault against the fianchetto.

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The fianchetto structure, by nature, is very immobile; the bishop is usually pinned to the rook on f8, and none of Black’s pawns can move without creating fatal weaknesses. Hence, there is no need to rush; an early exchange on g6 would have allowed resources such as ...Rf7, for instance. 15...fxg6 16 Bxg7 Kxg7 17 Qh6+ Kg8 18 g5 Nh5 19 Rxh5! (D)

White has clearly made big strides in his attack. He has opened the h-file and forced Black to recapture with the h-pawn, denying him the defensive resource of ...Rf7. Indeed, because the rook can no longer enter the defence, my opponent offers it to try to take the sting out of White’s attack. How should White continue? 17 Bg5! Recognizing that the f6-bishop is the only glue holding Black’s dark-square complex together, I made this move without even considering taking the rook on f8. The attacker should know that when attacking the fianchetto structure, in most instances the defender’s bishop is far more valuable than the rook, the reason simply being that the bishop plays a far greater role in the defence than the rook. For instance, if Black sits with his king on f8 and bishop on g7, how can White ever break through this impregnable defence? Unless the rook can join the defence via f7, it only acts as a hindrance, blocking the escape of Black’s king. 17...Bxg5

Black to play

17...Bg7 simply loses to 18 Bxe7 +–.

The typical exchange sacrifice to break through.

18 Qxg5 f6

19...gxh5 20 g6 hxg6 21 Qxg6+ Kh8 22 Qxh5+ Kg7 23 Bh3 Making way for the rook to deliver the final blow.

Forced to open some air for the king. 19 Qh6 Kf7 20 f4 Nxc4 21 Bxc4 Qxc4 (D)

23...Bxh3 24 Rg1+ Kf6 25 e5+ 1-0

White to play

22 f5 White to play

Song – Obafunmilayo

Another good option is 22 Qh7+ Ke8 23 Qg7!, with the deadly threat of Rh7. 23...Qd3 24 Rh7 and then:

Guelph 2016 115

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a) 24...Qe3+ 25 Ne2 Qxe4 and now 26 Rc4! was the move that I had missed when calculating this variation. Black’s queen is comically helpless in the middle of the board. 26...Qe3 27 Rc3 (27 Qxg6+ Kd8 28 Rc3 +– also traps the queen) 27...Qe4 28 Kf2 +– and there is no defence to either Re3 or Rc4!. b) 24...Qg3+ 25 Ke2! (it is important first to provoke the bishop to g4, where it will be picked off after Qxg6+) 25...Bg4+ 26 Kf1 Qxf4+ 27 Kg1 Qxc1+ (27...Qe5 28 Qxg6+ Kd7 29 Qxg4+ +–) 28 Nd1! (this funny sacrifice leaves the black queen with no way to get back and hold e7) 28...Qxd1+ 29 Kh2 +–. And let’s not forget that Black cannot castle as he has already moved his king of course! 22...Rg8? Setting himself up for a cute combination. 22...Ke8! was the last defensive try, although Black is in big trouble after the excellent prophylactic move 23 Rd1!!. With one move, the rook strands the black queen by taking away the d4- and d3-squares, making it extremely difficult for the queen to enter the defence. 23...Qb4 (after 23...gxf5 24 Qg7 +– White wins easily as there is no satisfactory answer to Rh7) 24 Rd2! (no rush: just take care of first things first) 24...gxf5 25 Qg7 Qb6 26 Rh7 Qd8 (26...Qc7 27 Nb5 is the same) 27 Qxf8+ (the engines even like 27 e5 more, but this is simple and sweet) 27...Kxf8 28 Rh8+ Kf7 29 Rxd8 +–.

How quickly Black’s defences collapse after the exchange of his fianchettoed bishop! 26...Rxh8? 26...Be6 could have been tried, and now the most merciless continuation for White is 27 g4!!. The idea is that after an eventual ...Qd3-g3+, Black will not have the move ...Qxg6 as the g4-pawn is in the way. For instance: 27...b5 28 b3 Qd3 29 dxe6 Qg3+ 30 Kd2 (there’s no ...Qxg6!) 30...Qf2+ 31 Ne2 +–. 27 g7+ 1-0 In the previous two games, we have seen two examples of attacking the fianchetto with the Bh6 plan to exchange the bishops. While this is by far the most frequent occurrence in practice, there is another fairly common plan that we should be aware of, and which we shall examine now. In the fianchetto structure, the bishop is obviously the primary defender of the black king. However, if it is impossible to go after the bishop (such as in the next example), the focus of attack must switch to the g6-pawn. The g6- (or g3-) pawn can be considered the secondary defender of the king. If this pawn is removed, not only will the bishop be vulnerable to attacks along the g-file, but the other colour complex may become fatally weak.

23 Qh7+ Rg7 24 fxg6+ Kf8 25 Qh8+ Rg8 26 Rh7! (D)

White to play

Alexander – Pachman Hilversum Zonal 1947 Black to play

In other words, if the g6-pawn were to be removed in this position, Black would have tremendous difficulty guarding the light squares around his king 116

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such as h7, since the fianchettoed bishop does not help the defence in this regard. Having said all this, White’s move should come as no surprise. 23 Nf5! White muscles his way into the black camp. This idea is essential: when there is no way to get the bishop, the idea of Nf5 (or sometimes Nh5) to force the g6-pawn out of the way is extremely powerful. 23...gxf5? With this fatal breaching of his defences, Black puts up no resistance. Instead: a) 23...Nxf5? also allows White a powerful attack. 24 gxf5 h6 (24...Nc4 25 Bc1 Qd8 26 b3 Nb6 27 fxg6 fxg6 28 h5 Qf6 29 Be3 and White is close to smashing through completely) 25 Nxf7+! Rxf7 26 Rxg6 provides a perfect example of how the fianchettoed bishop plays no defensive role when the target of attack switches to the other colour complex. Due to Black’s loss of control of the light squares (his pawns on f7, g6 and h7 have all moved or been captured), he is helpless in the face of White’s attack. 26...Be8 27 Rag1 Rd7 28 Re6 Bf7 29 f6 Bf8 30 Qg4 (although White has nothing immediate, Black is left completely paralysed) 30...Nc4 31 Bc1 Rb8 32 Bd1 a5 33 Qg3 +– followed by Bh5. b) The only real attempt to put up a fight is 23...f6, meeting both 24 Nxg7 and 24 Nxe7 with 24...fxg5, and seeking positional compensation for a pawn (or an exchange) in several lines.

Black to play

White has won two pawns and still holds a deadly attack. The rest is simple. 31...Qe7 32 Rg1 Nc4 33 Bc1 Bd7 34 Qf3 Rf8 35 b3 Nb6 36 h5 f5 37 Bg5 fxe4 38 Qe2 Qe8 39 Bxe4 Bf5 40 Bh6 Rf6 41 Qf3 1-0 The lesson from this game is not to be fooled by the fianchetto! As Alexander demonstrated, attacks on the opposite complex to the fianchettoed bishop can also be highly destructive. With the next game, I would like to alert the reader to one common misconception about attacking colour complexes: namely, just because the opponent has pawns on a certain colour does not for a second mean that the colour complex is safe.

24 gxf5 +– Now Black cannot stop the demolition about to unfold on his kingside as he cannot bring pieces to aid the defence of the critically weak h7-point, and White makes no mistake in realizing his advantage. 24...f6 25 Nxh7! Ripping open the light squares. 25...Be8 25...Kxh7 26 Qh5+ Kg8 27 Rxg7+ Kxg7 28 Rg1+ +– leads to mate of course. 26 Rxg7! Black to play

Yet another violent blow. 26...Kxg7 27 Nxf8 Kxf8 28 Bh6+ Kf7 29 Qh5+ Ng6 30 fxg6+ Kg8 31 Qf5 (D) 117

Aroshidze – Jobava Georgian Under-16 Ch, Tbilisi 1999

Attacks on Colour Complexes

Intuitively, a player might feel that White’s queenside dark squares may be vulnerable and he will look for a way to exploit this. This optical illusion makes it very easy to overlook Black’s next move: 16...Bh3!! Despite having all but one of his pawns on light squares, ironically it is the weakness of the light squares that leads to White’s demise in this game. 17 0-0 Not: 17 Qxg5?? Nxf3+ –+; 17 gxh3?? Nxf3+ –+. 17...g4! White to play

The light-squared assault continues. 18 fxg4 18 f4 is desirable, but runs into 18...Nf3+! 19 gxf3 gxf3 20 Nd4 h4. With moves like ...Rg8, ...Qh5 or even ...Rc8 coming up, White is helpless against the attack. Objectively, the best defence is 21 Qd3 but this falters to 21...Rg8! 22 Kh1 Bg2+ 23 Kg1 Qh5 24 Be3 (24 e5 Bh6 –+) 24...Bxd4 25 Bxd4 (25 Qxd4 runs into the cute 25...f2+! 26 Rxf2 Qg4 –+) 25...Bxf1+ 26 Kxf1 Rg2 –+ with a crushing attack.

Black’s forces have gathered on the kingside as White can only watch the forthcoming invasion from afar. 26 h3 Bxe2 27 Nxe2 Be3! 0-1 White resigned in the face of hefty material losses.

18...Bxg4 Black’s tactical operations have left him clearly on top, with trumps such as a dominant knight in the centre as well as a still-vulnerable white king. 19 Rad1 Rc8 20 Bd4 White can force an endgame with 20 Nd5, although Black is clearly on top after 20...Qxd2 21 Rxd2 h4! –/+ since ...h3 cannot be stopped due to the tactical point 22 h3? Bxh3! 23 gxh3 Nf3+ –+. 20...Bh6 21 Qe1 Rg8 22 Kh1 Nc6 23 Bg1? 23 Qf2 Nxd4 24 Rxd4 puts up much more resistance. 23...Qg5 The army is zeroed in on White’s king now. 24 Qf2 24 Rf2 Nb4! –+ actually leaves White scrambling to find an answer to the threat of ...Nxc2. 24...Ne5 25 Rd5 Qg6 (D)

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Exercises Once you spot where the weak squares and colour complexes are, you should have no problem solving these positions.

Exercise 1: Black to play

Exercise 3: White to play

Exercise 2: White to play

Exercise 4: Black to play

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Exercise 5: Black to play

Exercise 7: White to play

Exercise 6: White to play

Exercise 8: White to play

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Solutions to Exercises

Black to play

White to play

1) Andruet – Spassky

2) Naiditsch – Grandelius

Bundesliga 1987/8

Wijk aan Zee 2013

28...Qf3! 0-1

23 Ng5!

Of course an ex-World Champion will not let such an opportunity go unnoticed! White resigned in view of the forced mate after 29 gxf3 Nexf3+ 30 Kh1 Bh3. Spectacular! Three minor pieces are enough to score the victory simply thanks to some weak light squares.

The light-square weaknesses around Black’s king are fatal and Naiditsch immediately exploits this. 23...e4 23...hxg5 24 Qg6 +–, followed by Be4 with inevitable mate, is the same. 24 Qxe4 hxg5 25 Qg6 1-0

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White to play

Black to play

3) Adly – Lazni ka

4)This is opening analysis conducted

World Junior Ch, Erevan 2007

by Michael Song in 2016.

Sacrificing to force crucial pawns in the defence to move can create devastating weaknesses on colour complexes. This is why the g-pawn is without a doubt the most important pawn that defends the kingside, and naturally makes a great target of attack, as it is the only defender of the colour complex the pawn stands on. If it is removed, its two neighbouring pawns are helpless to cover the weaknesses created. 23 Nf6!

16...Nh5! The knight comes to assist in the assault on the light squares. 17 Kh1 Black wins after 17 Nxc5 Nf4 18 Nd1 Qh3! 19 Ne3 Nxg2 20 Qd2 f5 –+ followed by ...f4. 17...Bxg2+! 18 Kxg2 Qf3+ 19 Kg1 Nxg3 20 hxg3 Qxg3+ 21 Kh1 Qf3+ 22 Kg1 Re5 –+

Forcing the g-pawn to move and surrender the dark squares. 23...gxf6 23...Qd8 24 Nd6 +–. 24 Qh6+ Kg8 24...Ke8 25 Qxf6 Rg8 26 Nd6+ Kf8 27 Bh6+ Ng7 28 Nf5 +– was Black’s best try, but of course it does not matter at this stage. 25 exf6 Re8 26 Bf4! Such a position must be a paradise for the darksquared bishop! 26...Rc8 27 Bd6! Taking away the f8-square, so Black has no defence to mate. 27...Ncd4 28 Qg7+! 1-0 Black resigned, not wanting to see the humiliation after 28...Nxg7 29 Nh6#.

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32 g4! Prying open the light squares for an attack. 32...f4 33 Re1 33 g5! is even stronger. Then 33...Rf5 is met by the annihilating 34 Rg1!; e.g., 34...Be8 35 Qh3 Rxg5 36 Rxg5 hxg5 37 Bh7+! Kf8 38 Ne4 +–. With that in mind, the immediate 33 Rg1!, preparing g5 without relinquishing f5 just yet, is very strong too. 33...Qc8 34 Bxd6?

Black to play

5) Piket – Kasparov Tilburg 1989

This positionally well-motivated exchange (seeking full domination over the light squares) loses control over the game. 34 Qg6 or 34 Rg1 should have been preferred. 34...cxd6 34...Bxg4 is also OK for Black. 35 Bg6 Rf8 36 Ne4 f3?

25...a6!

Kasparov senses that White has lost all grip on the 36...Bxg4 had to be tried, meeting 37 Qh4 with dark squares in his camp and immediately makes 37...f3, when it’s rather unclear who is attacking whom. way for his queen to punish his opponent. 37 g5 Rf4 38 Rg1?? 26 Qd3 26 hxg3 fxg3 27 Rfc2 Qa7+ 28 Kf1 Rf4 –+ leaves Uncharacteristically, Petrosian allows his opponent to escape. 38 gxh6 Bh8 39 Rg1 +– is simply the White with no defence to ...Rh4 and ...Rh1+. end. 26...Qa7 27 b5 axb5 28 Bxb5 Nh1! 0-1 38...Bf5?? And his opponent decides to hand the game back! After 38...Bg4! 39 Bf7+ Kh8 40 gxh6 Bxh5 41 hxg7+ Kh7 42 g8Q+ Qxg8 43 Bxg8+ Rxg8 44 Rxg8 Kxg8 45 Nxd6 Rd4 =+ Black has repelled White’s attack and can play for a win. 39 gxh6 Bxe4 40 Bxe4 1-0

White to play

6) Petrosian – Suetin USSR Team Ch, Riga 1954 123

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White to play

White to play

7) E. Hansen – Gonzalez Vidal

8) Jobava – Ponomariov

Baku Olympiad 2016

Baku Olympiad 2016

18 Rxf5! exf5 19 e6!

17 Bh6!

The real point of the combination. White sacrifices Out of nowhere, the absence of Black’s darkan exchange and a pawn but gains absolute domi- squared bishop proves fatal. nation over the light squares instead. 17...gxh6 19...Qxe6 20 Bf4 Ne5!? 17...Nc6 is smashed by 18 Bxg7! (18 Qg5 Nh5 19 Perhaps the best try. Black’s pieces are horrible and Rxe6 fxe6 would keep Black breathing for now) he would much rather solve his pawn-structure than 18...Kxg7 19 Qg5+ Kf8 20 Rxe6 fxe6 21 Qxf6+ +– hold on to a useless knight. with devastation. 21 Nh4!

18 Qxh6 Rxc3

White is not interested in the poisoned knight, and After 18...Ne8 19 Bxf5 +– White wins on the spot. the Canadian grandmaster Eric Hansen puts his op19 Qg5+ Kf8 20 Qxf6 Rxd3 ponent away easily from here. 20...Rc7 21 Bxf5 +– and the e7-rook is taboo due 21...Nc6 22 Qd2 Rae8 23 c3 Qe4 24 h3 Rf7 25 to Qh8#. Qf2 Rfe7 26 Qg3 Rd7 27 Bg6 21 cxd3 1-0 The light squares have become a cancer in Black’s Black resigned as there is no defence to the threats position. of both Rxf7+ and Re1xe6. 27...Nd8 28 Nxf5 Qe6 29 Bxh6 Ree7 30 Bxg7 Rxg7 31 Re1 1-0

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8: Pawn Play RAZVAN PREOTU If there is an equivalent for the phrase ‘all-in’ in chess, it must be the pawn-storm. Although extremely common in opposite-side castling positions, a pawn-storm is a risky method of attack when both kings have castled on the same side. It weakens your own king’s position and could invite a strong counterattack from your opponent. That is why an important factor that determines the strength of a pawn-storm attack is the situation in the centre. If the centre is solid and closed, then it will be very difficult for your opponent to counter-attack and take advantage of the weaknesses created by advancing your pawns. However, if the situation in the centre is not clarified, then the opponent might be able to launch a devastating counter-attack which will hurt the pawn-storm’s chances of success since the attacker will have to respond to threats in the centre.

14 f4!? White advances the f-pawn, supporting the bishop. This weakens the e3-pawn, but White will get strong play on the kingside in return. 14...f6 Black forces the exchange of bishops, but at the high price of weakening his kingside pawnstructure. 14...Bb4 might be stronger, planning ...f6 as the bishops can no longer be traded. However, after 15 f5 Nd7 16 Bf4 Nf6 17 g4 White can still continue his attack. 15 Bxd6 Qxd6 16 Rf3!

White to play

White’s rook will be very well placed along the third rank, as it contributes to the attack while defending the e3-pawn.

Riumin – Kan Moscow 1936 I am sure that most players, including grandmasters, who are familiar with the typical Queen’s Gambit Declined plans would exchange bishops on d6 and prepare a pawn-minority attack on the queenside revolving around the advance b4. While this is a sound way to play and arguably the most conventional plan in today’s chess, it is not very ambitious, and at best White will obtain a small plus. Instead, Riumin realized that he could start a pawn-storm attack on the kingside, as the situation in the centre is fairly stable. Black’s only play will be along the e-file, but that will not be significant enough to distract White from his attack.

16...Be6 17 Kh1! Making way for the reserve to enter play via g1. 17...Re7 18 Rg1 Rae8 19 g4! (D)

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22 f5! (D)

Black to play

White has made all the preparatory moves and begins the pawn-storm attack! Note that this is only sound considering Black cannot break open the centre. 19...Bf7 20 Qf2 Kh8 21 h4 a6 Black wants to counter-attack in the centre with the break ...c5. Kan was discouraged from doing so immediately though, since Nb5 was an annoying response, gaining a tempo on the queen and heading for the blockade on the d4-square. Nonetheless, 21...c5 was still probably the better move, as Black’s counterplay in the game came too slowly. 22 Nb5 (22 Ne2 is similar to the game, but White is now a tempo behind; this gives Black more time to generate counterplay) 22...Qc6 23 dxc5 Qxc5 24 Rfg3 (24 Nd4 Ne6 = allows Black to destroy the blockade anyway) and then: a) Bringing the knight to c5 and then to e4 is too slow, as the knight is needed in the defence: 24...Nd7? 25 Nd4 Qb6 26 g5 Nc5? 27 Bxh7! +– leads to a crushing attack. b) After 24...Rxe3?! 25 Nd6 Qxd6 26 Rxe3 += White wins material, although Black still maintains great compensation. c) 24...d4! is a strong pawn sacrifice that opens the centre even more – without a roof of pawns over his castle, White’s king is beginning to feel the cold winds seeping through. After 25 Nxd4 Qd5+ 26 Kh2 Ne6 , in sharp contrast to the game, Black has obtained strong counterplay in the centre for the low price of a pawn, and has brought White’s attack to a halt.

Black to play

White prevents ...Ne6, which could have put annoying pressure on the d4-pawn after a subsequent ...c5, while opening a great square on f4 for his own knight. 22...c5 It is very difficult to recommend any improvement for Black. 22...Nd7 23 Ne2 Nb6 and then: a) 24 b3? doesn’t actually prevent Black’s threat. After 24...Nc4! 25 bxc4 dxc4 26 Bc2 Bd5 27 e4 (otherwise the e3-pawn is lost) 27...Bxe4 28 Bxe4 Rxe4 29 Nc3 Rxd4 30 Re1 = material is equal and perpetual check from either side is likely to occur. b) 24 Nf4! (White’s threat of g5 followed by g6 is immensely strong) 24...Nc4 25 g5 Rxe3 26 Rxe3 Rxe3 27 g6 Be8 28 b3 Qe7 29 bxc4 dxc4 and with 30 Bc2 +– White maintains his extra piece and still has good attacking chances. But not 30 Bxc4?, when 30...Qe4+ –/+ followed by ...Rf3 wins the knight, as Ng2 allows ...Rh3#. 23 Ne2 cxd4 24 exd4 Black has managed to open the e-file, but all the invasion squares for Black’s rooks are covered. The best he can do with it is force the exchange of a pair of rooks, which does not alleviate the pressure. 24...Qb4 25 Nf4 Re1 26 Rg3?! White defends the back rank but it was not necessary. 26 g5 Rxg1+ 27 Kxg1 +/– is more to the point: White continues the pawn-storm attack. The endgame after 27...Qe1+ 28 Kg2 Qxf2+ 29 Rxf2 is very bad for Black and similar to the game.

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26...Rxg1+ 27 Rxg1 Qe7?! 27...h6 seems like an improvement, trading more pawns if White plays g5. This looks very weakening, but White cannot take advantage of it, and queens are likely to be exchanged because of the open e-file: 28 g5 hxg5 29 hxg5 fxg5 30 Rxg5 Qe1+ 31 Kg2 Nh7 32 Rg3 Nf6. 28 g5 The threat of g6 is too strong. Black must capture.

33...Bc6 34 Kf3 Rf7 35 Kg4 Rc7 36 Ne6 Nxe6 37 fxe6 Kg8 38 Kf5 Kf8 39 Ke5 g6 40 Kd6 Re7 41 Bxa6 Ke8 42 Bd3 1-0 Not only was the pawn-storm attack objectively quite strong, it also put severe psychological pressure on Black, which prompted him to simplify into a lost endgame by exchanging the queens. An armada of pawns charging towards the king is always intimidating, and thus players often have a tendency to overreact to the attack.

28...fxg5 29 hxg5 (D)

Black to play

White to play

29...Qe3?

Carlsen – E. Hossain

Black is worried about his king safety and thus impulsively offers a queen exchange, neglecting the fact that the endgame is completely hopeless. White’s dangerous pawns and active pieces offer an overwhelming positional advantage.

Baku Olympiad 2016

With 29...Kg8 +/– Black gets off the h-file, making 30 g6 not a big deal since 30...hxg6 31 fxg6 Be6 is fine. There is no clear way to break through on the kingside, but White is still much better positionally due to his more active pieces. 30 Qxe3 Rxe3 31 Kg2 +– White’s activity is too great. The rook will invade on the c-file and the king will invade through the middle to the e5-square. There is no way to protect against all the threats.

Initially, it seems like Hossain has a playable position against the World Champion. After all, the position in the centre is closed, which tends to favour the pair of knights over the pair of bishops. He also has no obvious weaknesses for White to attack. However, Carlsen realized that he could take advantage of the closed centre himself by launching a powerful pawn-storm on the kingside. 17 f4! exd5 Black senses the danger and tries to open the centre. Unfortunately, just an open e-file won’t do much to distract White from the attack. 18 exd5! Keeping the doubled c-pawns, which robs Black of any hopes of counterplay.

31...Be8 32 Kf2 Re7 33 Rc1 33 Nxd5 Rd7 34 Rc1! Rxd5 35 Rc8 +– was more accurate.

18 Nxd5 Nxd5 19 exd5 would only assist Black, who wants to trade as many pieces as possible due to his space disadvantage. There is no reason why

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White should help Black solve the problem of his ‘superfluous’ knight. 18 cxd5? allows Black strong counterplay against the e4-pawn by 18...c4! (opening up the c5-square for the knight) 19 Bc2 Rfe8 20 Qd4 Nc5 =, when Black’s pieces spring to life.

Out of any reasonable ideas, Hossain decides to wait for the inevitable and just moves back and forth. 27 Bd2 Rde8 (D)

18...Rfe8 19 g4! (D)

White to play

28 f5 +– Black to play

Carlsen gives Hossain no time to generate counterplay. The threat of g5 has to be met. 19...Nf8 19...g6 creates too many dark-square weaknesses. After 20 g5 Nh5 21 Ng4 the knight is heading to h6 with the f5 advance to follow. Black has no adequate way to prevent this; for example, 21...Kh8 22 Nh6 f5 23 Nxf5 +–.

All preparations have been made for the final pawn advance. It is clear now that there is no way for Black to defend. 28...Ne5 Black takes his opportunity to trade a pair of knights. 29 Nxe5 Rxe5 30 Bf4 Nd7 31 f6! Carlsen is not interested in winning material, and wisely swoops in for the kill.

20 g5 N6d7 21 h4

31...g6 32 hxg6 fxg6 33 Bxg6 1-0

Simple play from Carlsen: keep advancing the pawns!

Black resigned as White will deliver mate on the hfile using the queen and rook.

21...Rad8

A crushing victory for Carlsen, who generated an unstoppable attack by advancing all his kingside pawns! He recognized that with the centre being so closed, there was no way for his opponent to generate any kind of counterplay, allowing him slowly but surely to conduct the attack that proved impossible to defend against.

It is almost impossible to recommend any improvement for Black. Because his pieces are all shut out of play, there is simply no way to put up resistance against the attack. At this point, one could comfortably claim that White is just outright winning! 22 h5 Bc8 23 Ng4 Re7 24 Rg2 Kh8 25 Qf3 Carlsen doesn’t rush and brings all his pieces into the attack first. 25...Rde8 26 Qg3 Rd8

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White to play

White to play

Alekhine – Monticelli

21 Nf3

San Remo 1930 When playing with a kingside pawn-majority (usually spearheaded by a pawn on e5), the pawn-storm becomes an increasingly attractive option. In this game, Alekhine seems to have a pleasant position because of the strong central pawns. On the other hand, it is not clear how to improve since Black’s only ‘weak’ pawns on b5 and d5 are sufficiently defended. Seeing that the centre is closed, the 4th World Champion starts to mobilize his kingside pawn-majority. 19 Ng5 19 g4! Bg6 20 Ne1 is a better way of preparing the kingside pawn-storm, as Alekhine retreated his knight to e1 in the game anyway. After 20...Nd8 21 f4 Be4 22 f5 White’s pawns are a force to be reckoned with. 19...h6

21...Nd8 Black prepares to transfer the knight to e6 and play ...c6, defending the d5-pawn. 22 Ne1! White’s idea is to transfer the knight to d3 and advance the f-pawn. As previously mentioned, it was wiser to do this earlier. 22...c6 23 Nd3?!

19...Nd8 20 g4 Bg6 is stronger, stopping White’s idea of playing e6. White is also not ready to advance the f-pawn now as the knight would be captured, ruining the structure after fxg5. 20 g4 Bg6 (D)

21 e6! would have given White a pleasant positional advantage. 21...Qd6 22 Nxf7+ Bxf7 23 exf7 Rxf7 24 Bc2 g6 and after 25 Be3 += White enjoys the bishop-pair advantage. Black can trade bishops with ...Bg5, but it would compromise his pawnstructure. Note that White must avoid 25 Bxh6? g5, when his bishop is trapped, so he must make some unfavourable exchanges: 26 Bf5 Qxh6 27 Be6 Rf6 28 Rxc6 Bd6 =, when Black has enough activity for equality.

This is too slow. White should advance the f-pawn immediately: 23 f4! Be4 (23...f5 24 exf6 Bxf6 25 f5 Bf7 26 Bf4 +/– is also extremely unpleasant for Black) 24 f5 gives White strong play on the kingside. 23...Ne6 (D)

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After 25...Bxd3 26 fxg7+ Kxg7 27 Rxd3 it looks like Black just lost a pawn for nothing, but now the centre has opened and he can start a counter-attack along the open lines. 27...Rbe8! (Black threatens to move the knight with a future discovered attack on White’s queen) 28 Qf2 Ng5 29 f5 Bd6 += offers Black decent compensation for the pawn because of his more active pieces and White’s exposed king. 26 f5 Nxd4 27 cxd4 Bxd4+ 28 Kg2 +– Black has no fruits to justify the material deficit. 28...Rbe8 29 Qf3 Bf7 30 Nf4 Be5 31 Ba3 Rg8 32 Bc5 Bb8 33 Bf2 Re4?? White to play

A blunder, but no other move would have swayed the result of the game in any case.

24 f4? A mistimed advance from Alekhine. As the attacker, it is important always to watch out for central counterplay when conducting a pawn-storm. If the centre can be broken apart, then the pawn-storm will usually fail since enemy pieces are able to invade and stir up threats against the now-exposed king.

34 Qxe4 1-0 So although Alekhine appeared to win rather easily in the game, he could have been severely punished for advancing his kingside pawns at an inappropriate time.

Defending the d4-pawn by 24 Be3 was necessary to stop Black from playing ...b4. 24...f5? Monticelli misses his chance to counter-attack the centre. 24...b4! causes White huge trouble, as the d4-pawn is undermined and the bishop on b3 will be hanging. After 25 f5 bxc3 26 fxe6 Qb7! (the key move that both players must have missed: Black gains a crucial tempo on the hanging rook on a6, and will win back the piece) 27 Nf4 Qxb3 28 Nxg6+ fxg6 29 Rxc6 Rfc8 30 Rxc8+ Rxc8 31 Qd3 –/+ Black has a strong passed c-pawn and the safer king along with great winning chances. Alekhine chose the wrong time to start a pawn-storm, as the opponent had a perfect opportunity to undermine the centre with ...b4! A pawn-storm should under no circumstances be executed without precise calculation! 25 exf6 Bxf6? Monticelli goes for a piece sacrifice to eliminate White’s strong pawns, but it is obviously insufficient compensation. Once more, we see that the psychological pressure created by the pawns induced an unsound and desperate lashing-out from the defender.

White to play

Sutovsky – Van Wely Tilburg 1996 Although pawn-storms are almost automatic in opposite-side castling Sicilian positions, the fact that they are not at all infrequent in same-side castling Sicilians is a testament to this opening’s dynamic nature. In this position, Sutovsky plays a move that was not very common at the time. 10 g4!?

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White advances his g-pawn in order to chase away Black’s well-placed knight by playing g5. It looks weakening to advance the kingside pawns in such a manner, but for the moment the centre is fairly closed and Black’s pieces lag behind in development.

Black’s knight, where it would be optimally placed to defend the kingside, so the move is rather double-edged. Now:

10...b5

b) 12...b4!? is also possible, attacking White’s knight. 13 fxe6 bxc3 14 exf7+ (after 14 exd7 Nxd7 15 Nf5 Re8 16 bxc3 Ne5 = Black’s knight secures the kingside; White is a pawn up but has a terrible structure) 14...Kh8 15 Ne6 Qb7 16 Qd4 Ne5 17 Nxf8 Nbc6! (a precise intermezzo attacking the white queen; 17...Bxf8? allows the unexpected shot 18 Qxd6! Nbd7 19 Qd5 cxb2 20 Rab1 +=, when White’s rooks are very active and are superior to Black’s uncoordinated minor pieces) 18 Qxc3 Bxf8. White has a rook and three pawns for two pieces, but Black has consolidated and will win the f7-pawn after ...Be6. In the middlegame two pieces tend to be worth more than a rook and some pawns, and so I would even feel more comfortable as Black here.

10...d5! is in my opinion the best response for Black. As we know by now, it is a good defensive technique against a pawn-storm to open the centre in order to generate counterplay. Then: a) 11 e5 closes the centre, but makes it difficult to advance the f-pawn as e5 would be hanging. After 11...Nfd7 (11...Ne4!? 12 Nxe4 dxe4 is also possible, with the idea of defending the e4-pawn by playing ...b6 and ...Bb7) 12 Qd2 Nc6 =+ White’s attack has come to an end, and the pawn on g4 looks very silly. b) 11 exd5 Nxd5 12 Nxd5 exd5 13 Bf3 Nc6 =. Black has an isolated d-pawn but has managed to open the centre, making White’s king feel a bit vulnerable and leading to dynamic equality. 11 g5 Nfd7 (D)

a) After 12...Ne5 13 f6 Bd8 14 fxg7 Kxg7 = Black’s knight on e5 acts as superglue, holding his entire position together.

12...Re8 (D) Black opens the f8-square for either knight or bishop. Completing development by 12...Nc6 was also possible, as 13 Qh5 is met handily by 13...g6 14 Qh6 Re8 15 Nxc6 Qxc6 16 Bd4?! Bf8, when Black is at least equal.

White to play

12 Bd3 White places the bishop on a strong attacking diagonal where it defends the c2- and e4-pawns as well. White’s queen also now has access to the dangerous h5-square. An interesting alternative was 12 f5!?, which continues the pawn-storm attack with the idea of opening up the black king by playing f6. At the same time, it permanently surrenders the e5-square to

White to play

13 Qh5 g6 14 Qh4 b4 This move chases the knight towards the kingside attack. 14...Nc6 seems much safer: 15 f5 Nde5 16 f6 Bf8 .

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15 Nce2 Bb7?

The next plan on the agenda is Rh3 followed by f6.

Van Wely allows White time to bring his rook into the attack with disastrous consequences.

20...exf5 21 Nxf5 Nf8 22 Nxg7 Kxg7 23 Bd4+ Re5 24 Raf1 1-0

15...Nc6 was the critical test, giving Black the opportunity to trade a pair of knights to relieve some pressure. After 16 Rf3 (16 f5 accomplishes little after 16...Nde5 =) 16...Nxd4 17 Bxd4 e5! (Black needs to free the e5-outpost for the knight without weakening the kingside; 17...h5?! 18 f5! Ne5 19 Rf2 followed by Raf1 and ideas of Ng3/Nf4 followed by Nxh5 is very dangerous) 18 Be3 exf4 19 Nxf4 Ne5 Black’s knight holds the position together, while the exchange sacrifice 20 Raf1 Nxf3+ 21 Rxf3 looks dangerous but doesn’t seem to provide anything after 21...d5! 22 Nxd5 Qe5 23 c3 h5 =, since White’s own open king position makes it difficult to continue the attack.

Black is unable to defend f7, as 24...Ng6 fails due to 25 Rxf7+ Qxf7 26 Rxf7+ Kxf7 27 Qh7+.

16 Rf3! (D)

An instructive example showing the power of a pawn-storm attack that was successful in chasing away the enemy’s defensive pieces. Although we have examined many examples of pawn-storms, this is not the only way pawns can get involved in the attack. Advancing the h-pawn is another common attacking technique, which is so important that I have decided to dedicate the next chapter to it. Yet it is also possible for other pawns to rush into the attack, fight for crucial squares and create weaknesses as well. The final example of this chapter is a very unusual one from Fischer.

Black to play

White threatens Rh3 with a crushing attack. Without the knight exchange on d4, Black is just unable to fight against the attack.

White to play

Fischer – Andersson

16...h5

Exhibition game, Siegen 1970

The problem is that Black cannot hold by simply defending the h7-pawn by moving the knight to f8: after 16...Nc6 17 Rh3 Nf8 18 Qh6 +– Black is helpless against f5 followed by f6, threatening mate on g7. 17 Ng3 White sacrifices the knight in order to open the hfile for the queen and rook. 17...Bf8 18 Nxh5! gxh5 19 Qxh5 Bg7 20 f5

Unlike the previous games from this chapter, Fischer does not have a space advantage or a pawn-majority on the kingside. So how could he possibly attack on the kingside using his pawns when he does not stand better on that side of the board? In all truthfulness, there is no direct answer to this question, but in this case it is mainly because of Black’s weakness on f6 and the pressure on the long a1-h8 diagonal. In addition, the light squares around Black’s king have been slightly weakened by the move ...f6 as well.

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13 Kh1! The start of a brilliant idea. White makes room for his rook to slide over to g1 in order to advance the g-pawn. White could of course play on the queenside with 13 Ne4 Qd7 14 Rac1 but it is less clear how to break through. 13...Qd7 14 Rg1 Rad8 15 Ne4 Qf7?!

With the support of the g-pawn, Fischer intends to play Nf5, opening up the g-file. 20...Nd7? Andersson chases White’s knight away from c5, but it will become better placed on e4 as it can participate in the kingside attack. Furthermore, the c8bishop is now blocked, which introduces some tactical ideas for White.

It seems odd to move the queen away and allow White to play the move g4 without forcing him to play the preparatory h3. 15...Nb6 16 h3 Qf7 17 Nfd2 Be7 18 g4 would be similar to the game, but probably a better version for Black as h3 is not useful and the pawn may even become a target.

20...Kh8 was again a stronger defence. White might need to move the knight back in order to advance the h-pawn. After 21 Bf3 Bf8 22 Ne4 Nd5 it is difficult to see how White breaks through in spite of his obvious pressure.

16 g4!

Now Andersson has serious challenges to prevent the key move Nf5.

The time has come to advance the pawn. White prepares to double the rooks.

21 Ne4

21...Nf8

16...g6

Other lines:

Black plans to fianchetto his bishop in order to block the g-file and fight against White’s darksquared bishop. 16...Nb6 17 Nfd2 Be7 18 Rg3 Qf8! would be an interesting way to defend, putting pressure on the a3-pawn so White’s rook cannot join the attack so easily.

a) After 21...Kh8, 22 d4! is a fantastic break. White threatens Bc4, after which Black’s queen will have no good square. 22...exd4 23 Bc4 Re6 (23...Qf8 24 Nxg6+! hxg6 25 exd4 +– and Black’s position will collapse, as White threatens Rh3+ followed by d5) 24 Bxe6 Qxe6 25 exd4 +/– leaves White the exchange up and he can still continue the attack, with ideas of advancing the f-pawn.

17 Rg3 Bg7 18 Rag1 Nb6 Black retreats the knight in order to open the way for the d8-rook and e6-bishop. On the other hand, the knight was very well placed on d5. 18...Kh8 would have been a more useful move, getting off the g-file immediately. 19 Nc5 Bc8 20 Nh4! (D)

b) 21...Ne7 22 Qxc7 Qxb3 doesn’t quite work, as the a2-g8 diagonal is too weak: 23 Nd6 Nc6 (23...Qxb2? 24 Qc4+ with the typical smothered mate pattern) 24 d4 Qxb2 25 Bc4+ Kf8 26 Nxc8 Rxc8 27 Qxd7 Ne7 28 Qe6 (Black is forced to give up material for insufficient compensation) 28...Rxc4 29 Qxc4 +/–. 22 Nf5 White is able to get rid of Black’s defensive darksquared bishop, making the attack even stronger. 22...Be6 23 Nc5 Ne7? Black’s knight needed to remain on c6 to defend the e5-pawn: 23...Nd7 24 Nxe6 Rxe6 (24...Qxe6? runs into trouble on the diagonal: after 25 d4! Nb6 26 Nxg7 Kxg7 27 dxe5 fxe5 28 f4 +/– White’s two bishops rule the board) 25 h4 +/– and White’s attack rages on with the plan of h5. 24 Nxg7 Kxg7 25 g5! (D)

Black to play

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thumb is to make sure your opponent is unable to start a counter-attack of his own, as then your king may regret ordering his bodyguards to run forward. This is why the most favourable situation for launching a pawn-storm is when the centre is closed.

Black to play

Black’s structure is undermined and White’s darksquared bishop is finally ready to breathe fire. 25...Nf5 26 Rf3 b6 26...Bd5! 27 e4 b6 at least makes the position a little more murky. After 28 Na6 Bxb3 29 Qc6 Nd4 30 Bxd4 Rxd4 31 Rxf6 Qd7 32 Rc1 +/– Black has been able to trade queens and stop White’s attack, but will lose the c7-pawn. 27 gxf6+ Kh8 28 Nxe6 Rxe6 29 d4 +– The position is being blasted open, which certainly favours the bishop-pair. 29...exd4 30 Bc4 Black loses the exchange. 30...d3 31 Bxd3 Rxd3 32 Qxd3 Rd6 33 Qc4 Ne6 34 Be5 Rd8 35 h4 Fischer continues his attack, opening up more lines toward Andersson’s king. The rest is a matter of technique. 35...Nd6 36 Qg4 Nf8 37 h5 Ne8 38 e4 Rd2 39 Rh3 Kg8 40 hxg6 Nxg6 41 f4 Kf8 42 Qg5 Nd6 43 Bxd6+ 1-0 A very creative attacking idea from Fischer. The plan of Kh1, Rg1 and g4 was not something you saw every day, but it has now become a standard plan for Black in some hedgehog structures. After seeing these games, you should understand that even if both players have castled on the same side, it is still possible to attack the opponent by advancing your own pawns. However, the rule of 134

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Exercises

Exercise 1: White to play

Exercise 3: White to play

Exercise 2: White to play

Exercise 4: White to play

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Exercise 5: Black to play

Exercise 6: Black to play

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Solutions to Exercises

White to play

White to play

1) Song – Sevillano

2) Vaganian – Shirov

Las Vegas 2015

Istanbul Olympiad 2000

28 Nxf5! gxf5 29 g4!

17 g4!

This thrust is what my opponent had overlooked. 29 Qxf5? Qe7 is extremely complicated.

Seeing that Black’s pieces are focused on the queenside, White begins a kingside offensive.

29...Bh6 30 gxf5 +–

17...Bxc3 18 bxc3 Rxc3 19 g5! Rxd3

The e- and f-pawns steamroll the black position.

19...Ne4 20 gxh6! Qd8 (20...Rxd3? 21 Ne5 +– threatens both the rook and h7+) 21 Ng5 g6 (21...Nxg5? 22 fxg5 Rxd3 23 hxg7 Kxg7 24 Qh6+ Kg8 25 g6 +–) 22 Bxe4 Rxc1 23 Rxc1 dxe4 24 h7+ Kg7 25 h8Q+ Qxh8 26 Qxh8+ Rxh8 27 Rc7 +/– offers White great winning chances in the endgame.

30...Nf8 31 Rg1+ Kh8 32 Rg4 Qe7 33 Bh4 1-0

20 gxf6 Rxe3 21 Qg4 g6 22 Qh4? 22 f5! was the correct way to proceed: 22...exf5 23 Qf4 Re6 24 Qxh6 Rxf6 25 Ng5 +– or 22...Re4 23 Qh3 h5 24 fxg6 fxg6 25 Ne5 +–. 22...h5 23 Qg5 Qb4 24 Rb1 Qa3 25 Nh4 Kh7?? 25...Be8! 26 Rxb7 Re2! would leave White with no clear path forward. 26 Rxb7 Rd8 27 f5 exf5 28 Rxd7 Rxd7 29 Nxf5 1-0

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Pawn Play

White to play

White to play

3) So – Kamsky

4) J. Polgar – Berkes

USA Ch, St Louis 2016

Budapest 2003

A spectacular sacrifice by Wesley So, based on the power of his pawns.

The key to this exercise is realizing that White would love to play h4 to open the h-file, but unfortunately Black can meet this with ...g4. Once you grasp this, Polgar’s brilliant idea is not too difficult to find.

22 Nhf5!

22...gxf5 23 Nxf5 Re6 In the event of 23...Ng8 24 Nxd6 Qb8 25 Nxe8 Qxe8 26 f4! +– White’s pawns roll through.

14 g4!!

24 Bxh6 Ne8 25 Bg5 Bf6

After 14 Bxa8? g4 –/+ White cannot save the knight due to the pin with ...Bg5.

25...f6 26 Bh6 +–.

14...Rb8 15 h4

26 Bxf6 Qxf6

Now Black must decide what to do with his king.

26...Rxf6 27 Qg5 +– followed by Re3 is crushing.

15...g6

27 d5! Re7

15...gxh4 16 g5 gives White a decisive attack. To show one possibility, play may continue 16...f5 17 Qf4! Kg8 (17...fxe4 18 Qxh4+ Kg8 19 Qh8+ Kf7 20 Qh5+ g6 21 Qh7+ Ke8 22 Qxg6+ Rf7 23 Rh7 +–) 18 Qxh4 Bd6 19 Bc6 Kf7 20 Rde1 +– with a lethal attack.

27...cxd5 28 exd5 Bxd5 29 Ne7+ +–. 28 g4!! 1-0 The g-pawn sinks Black’s ship as the threat of g5 is unstoppable.

16 hxg5+ Kg7 17 Qf4 Bb7 17...Bd6 looks OK at first, but is refuted by 18 Ne5 Be7 (18...Bxe5 19 dxe5 Rh8 20 Rh6! Rxh6 21 gxh6+ Kg8 22 h7+ Kg7 23 h8Q+ Qxh8 24 Rh1 +–) 19 Nxf7! Bxg5 (19...Rxf7 20 Rh7+ Kxh7 21 Qxf7+ +–) 20 Qxg5 +–. 18 Rh7+! The mating attack is in full swing now. 18...Kxh7 19 Qh2+ Kg8 20 Rh1 Bxg5+ 21 Nxg5 Qxg5+ 22 f4 Qxf4+ 23 Qxf4 Bxe4 24 Qxe4 1-0

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Black to play

Black to play

5) Debashis – Topalov

6) Duda – Leko

Gibraltar 2015

Berlin blitz 2015

23...Rh6!

30...g5!

This would have been extremely strong, clearing the way for the g-pawn to charge.

Although this exposes Black’s king, it is much more important to smash White’s pawn-shield to bits.

In the game, Topalov missed this excellent chance to attack by instead playing 23...Qd7?, and might have been punished if his opponent had found 24 Bb2!, preparing c4. For instance, the greedy 24...Qxa4?! (24...Nd5 25 Re1 followed by e4 seems OK for White) 25 c4 Re8 26 Ra1 Qd7 27 e4! cxd4 28 e5 += forces Black to make an unsound piece sacrifice of some sort. 24 Kg1 g5!! The g-pawn plays a crucial role in battering down White’s defences. 25 Be2 25 Qf2 clears the f1-square for the white king, but this does not save him. After 25...g4 26 hxg4 Nxg4 27 Bxg4 Qh2+ 28 Kf1 Bxg4 29 Qf4 the best White can do is exchange queens, but 29...Qxf4+ 30 exf4 Bf5 –+ is an easy process of conversion for Black.

30...Ne3+? was Leko’s choice in the game. After 31 Bxe3 dxe3 32 Bd1 Qh6 =+ Black was still objectively better, but after a few inaccuracies Leko even managed to lose. 31 Qe2 After 31 Bd1 Qh7 –+ Black maintains the attack, while threatening discovered attacks. 31 fxg5 Qxg5 also does not alleviate the pressure. 31...Qh7! Refusing the queen trade. Now Black will quickly break open the kingside with ...gxf4, after which his major pieces will be much better suited to exploiting the open g-file than White’s.

25...Bxh3! 25...g4?! 26 h4 Qg3 27 Qf2 –/+ gives White some hopes of survival. 26 gxh3 Qg3+ 27 Qg2 Qxe3+ 28 Qf2 Qxd2 –+ followed by ...Ne4 and Black wins.

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Charging the h-Pawn Forward

9: Charging the h-Pawn Forward RAZVAN PREOTU “A man who lives fully is prepared to die at any time.” Those were the words of the American literature pioneer of the nineteenth century, Mark Twain. Applying this quote to chess, we realize if there is one soldier in attacking play that deserves more recognition for its bravery, sacrifice and countless deaths, it is definitely the h-pawn. Advancing the h-pawn is a very typical attacking method. It is mostly used to provoke weak squares (usually g7/g2) against the castled king’s pawn formation, which pieces can later exploit. Unlike a pawnstorm, the advance of the h-pawn usually does not come with the benefit of chasing away the opponent’s defenders. However, there are great upsides that the h-pawn attack holds over a pawn-storm. Most importantly, it does not weaken your own king as much. Even with the absence of the h-pawn, the king can remain relatively safe, meaning there is less risk of allowing a strong counter-attack. In addition, a pawnstorm can sometimes be counterproductive, as the attacking pawns may take away important squares from the pieces themselves! Thus, pushing the h-pawn is a powerful and effective attacking weapon that is seen more and more in modern chess.

A nice attacking move. The pawn is heading all the way to h6, where it would cause Black massive headaches since the long a1-h8 diagonal and the eighth rank will always demand protection. Black could take the pawn on h5 when it arrives there, but that would still ruin his structure and weaken his king by opening the g-file. Furthermore, it is also a good prophylactic move as it eradicates White’s own back-rank problems. Two other moves are worth mentioning:

White to play

So – Maghsoodloo Baku 2015 In this example, So has great positional compensation for the pawn. His pieces are well placed and along with White’s superior minor piece, he has a potentially dangerous outside passed a-pawn. He could take on f7 and then e6 in order to win back the pawn, but that would only help Black simplify the position. Instead, So wisely takes advantage of the weakened dark squares on the kingside. 25 h4!

a) 25 Nxf7 Rxf7 26 Qxe6 Ra8 27 a4 += gives White a nice advantage because of his safer king and passed a-pawn. However, Black is only a queen trade away from getting an easily drawn rook endgame, even if it costs a pawn. So recognized this would not be an easy endgame to win, and decided to play in a more practical way. It would be a lot easier for his opponent to make a mistake when he is under attack. b) White could also try to promote the a-pawn, but that would allow Black to activate his bishop: 25 a4 e5! 26 a5 Bd5 27 a6 e4 28 a7 Ra8 (the pawn is well blockaded now and Black can force a queen exchange with ...Qg7) 29 Rdb1 Qg7 30 Qxg7+ Kxg7 31 Rb7+ Kf6 32 Rxh7 Rfb8 33 h4 Rb4 +=. White’s a-pawn gives him an edge but it is difficult to win.

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25...e5? Maghsoodloo aims to activate the bishop on d5, but it doesn’t work very well because White’s pawn is heading to h6. It was better to leave the pawn on e6 for the moment in order to have the option of a future ...gxh5, as the f5-pawn would still be defended. 25...Qg7! is a good defensive move, bringing the queen back to the kingside. Now ...e5 is a threat because after ...Bd5 Black would offer the queen exchange. Following 26 a4 e5 27 Nxf7 Rxf7 28 Qc5 Rc7 29 Rd6 Qe7 += White still has the advantage because of the passed a-pawn supported by a rook behind it, but Black’s king is much safer now that the minor pieces have been traded.

pawn, it plays an enormous attacking role by tying Black down to the defence of the g7-square. 27...e3 Essentially forced to draw the white queen away, as White threatened Rab1, to which Black would have no satisfactory response. For example, if Black passes the move with something like 27...Rb4?, then after 28 Rab1 Qxb1 29 Rxb1 Rxb1+ 30 Kh2 +– he cannot stop White from delivering mate on g7. 28 Qxe3 Bd5 (D)

We now return to 25...e5? (D):

White to play

For the price of a pawn, Black has gained an important tempo to activate the bishop and free the congestion on the kingside. Now Qe7 is met with ...Qf6.

White to play

29 Rab1! +–

26 h5 So continues his plan of advancing the h-pawn. 26 Rdb1 was another strong option. 26...Qd4 (after 26...Qxb1+ 27 Rxb1 Rxb1+ 28 Kh2 +/– White’s queen and knight combination is deadly and h5 is a huge threat) 27 Rxb8 Qxa1+ 28 Kh2 Rxb8 29 Qxf7+ Kh8 30 Qf6+ Kg8 31 Qe6+ Kg7 (31...Kh8 32 Nf7+ Kg7 33 Qe7 +– and there is no way to stop Ng5+) 32 h5! (White has ideas of Nxf5+ followed by h6+) 32...Qd1 33 f3 Qd2 34 Nxf5+ gxf5 35 Qxe5+ Kf7 36 Qxb8 +/– leaves White a pawn up, but in a queen endgame it might not be enough to win. 26...e4 27 h6! The h-pawn completes its trek northward, and sits in front of the black king. Although it is just a mere

A very strong move: White trades a pair of rooks in order to make Black’s back-rank problem even more glaring. Black is lost because his king is caught in multiple mating possibilities, all because of White’s pawn on h6. 29...Qf6 30 Rxb8 Rxb8 31 Ne8 Qf8 32 Re1 White threatens Qe5 followed by Nf6+. 32...Be4 33 Nc7 33 Ng7! also wins and might even be stronger. Unlike the game continuation, the knight is protected. 33...Qf7 is now met with 34 f3! Bd5 35 Ne8 (revisiting the plan of Qe5) 35...Be4 36 Nd6 Qe7 37 Nc4 +–, when White wins a piece as 37...Qb4 38 fxe4 Qxc4 doesn’t work due to 39 Qa7! with a double attack on the rook and mate on g7.

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33...Qf7 This allows White’s knight to manoeuvre to the overwhelmingly strong c5-square. 33...Qc8 deprives White’s knight of the a6-square, but only for a short time. 34 Qf4! (threatening Qe5 and Ne6) 34...Rb7 35 Na6 gives Black similar problems as in the game. 34 Na6 White attacks the rook and plans Nc5. 34...Ra8 35 Nc5 Rxa2 36 f3 Bd5 37 Qg5 White’s pieces are finally mouse-holing through Black’s defences. The rook invasion on e7 cannot be prevented.

Black returns the favour. Maghsoodloo surrenders his second rank, which results in huge material loss. 40...Qa7+! was an incredible resource. After 41 Rxa7 (or 41 Kh2 Qa1!, when Black’s queen miraculously prevents the checkmate on g7, and 42 Re8+ Rxe8 43 Qxa1 Re7 is similar to the main line) 41...Rxa7 +/– White may or may not be winning, but it will certainly be arduous to score the full point. Black’s rook will cycle between f7 and f8, not allowing White’s king to invade. 41 Qxe7 Bf7 42 Qf6 Kf8 43 Qh8+ 1-0 Black loses the rook as ...Bg8 is met by Qg7+ and Qxg8+. This was an instructive example, showing how Maghsoodloo’s position rapidly deteriorated after So managed to get his pawn to h6. The weak dark squares and back-rank issues were just too much to handle.

37...Qc7 38 Qf6 Ra8 (D)

White to play

39 Nd7? This serious error was probably caused by premove 40 time-pressure. So distracts Black’s queen from the g3-square, but it wasn’t necessary. It turns out that after 39 Re7! White’s king can escape from the checks. 39...Ra1+ 40 Kf2 (40 Qxa1? Qxe7 = leads to nothing) 40...Ra2+ 41 Ke3 Ra3+ 42 Nd3 and then:

Attacking a fianchetto structure is also one of the frequent causes for advancing the h-pawn. As we know, the fianchettoed bishop is the primary defender of the king, and if this bishop is exchanged then the colour complex around the king that the bishop used to control could be fatally weak. By pushing the h-pawn, the attacker threatens to include another force that could capitalize on these weak squares; for instance, a typical mating pattern is constructed with Qf6/...Qf3 combined with the h-pawn on h6/h3. Also, the h-pawn may give itself up in an exchange for the g6/g3-pawn in order to open up the h-file as an inroad to the enemy king.

a) 42...f4+ 43 Kf2 (White’s king is heading to h2) 43...Qb6+ 44 Kf1 Qb1+ 45 Ne1 Bc4+ 46 Kg1 Qb6+ 47 Kh2 and the checks have finally run out. b) 42...Qb6+ 43 Kf4 Qb8+ 44 Ne5. White’s king has escaped and mate is now unavoidable. 39...Qxd7 40 Re7 Qxe7?

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Caruana seems oblivious to the mounting pressure on the kingside. Once again, it was important for White to gain some light-square control on the kingside, so he should have played 14 h3!. Then 14...hxg3?! 15 fxg3 += is not a concession for White, since the half-open f-file offers him some activity, while the idea of playing g4 is always in the air. 14...b6? Kasparov allows Caruana to correct his mistake. 14...Nh7! tactically defends the pawn as the c3knight would be hanging after all the exchanges. White also does not have time for h3 any more because of the threat of ...Ng5. After 15 h3 Ng5! 16 g4 Nf3+! 17 Bxf3 exf3 –/+ the bishop is taboo due to the mate after ...Qg5+ and ...Qg2#, so White has nothing to compensate for his weaker king and Black’s bishop-pair.

Black to play

Caruana – Kasparov St Louis blitz 2016 Of course, you do not become a world champion without knowing this, so even after quitting chess for over a decade, Kasparov – when pitted against one of today’s top players – proves that he still knows how to attack!

15 Rfd1? 15 h3! would still have worked. 15...Bg4 16 Rdc1 Qd7 (D)

It is worth noting that Kasparov had previous experience with this opening line (from WebbKasparov, European Team Ch, Skara 1980), so some of the key ideas were already familiar to him – a major help in a blitz game. 12...h5! Black advances the pawn to h4, which will create unpleasant tension for White. At the right moment he could either capture on g3 to open the h-file or play ...h3 to amplify his control over the light squares. Thus, even if the attacker’s rook is not behind the h-pawn, advancing the h-pawn is still a typical attacking method against the fianchetto structure. 13 Qd2?! 13 h3! was important to gain some control over the light squares. Now ...Qd7 can be met with Kh2, while ...h4 is not particularly dangerous and may even be met with g4 to shut out Black’s lightsquared bishop in some cases. 13...h4?! 13...Qd7! is more precise, preventing White from playing h3 in response to ...h4.

White to play

Now White has no good way to alleviate the kingside pressure, and must suffer with clustered pieces and the lack of a real plan. 17 b4 Qf5 18 Bb2 Rad8 Kasparov decides not to rush the attack and first defends the d6-pawn. The direct 18...Bf3 19 Bf1 Qh5, with threats of ...Ng4 and ...hxg3, was also strong. 19 Nb5 Bf3 20 d5?

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This allows Black to distract White’s knight on c2, which is a surprisingly important defender. 20 a3 is better, to defend the b4-pawn. 20...Ne5?

22...hxg3 Black finally releases the tension, as White can no longer take with the h-pawn. 23 fxg3

Kasparov misses an immediate win. Here are the alternatives to consider: a) 20...Bxg2 looks promising, but allows White to put up annoying resistance after 21 dxc6 (21 Kxg2? Nxb4 will transpose to line ‘b’) 21...Qh3 22 Bxf6 Bxf6. Then: a1) After 23 Rab1? Bf3 24 Ne1 White is barely holding on for the moment, although Black easily finishes the game after 24...Re5 25 c7 Rc8 26 Nxd6 Rh5 27 Nxc8 Qxh2+! (the point) 28 Kxh2 hxg3++ –+. White can only pick how he prefers to get mated in one. a2) 23 Ne1! Bf3 24 c7 (24 Nxa7? allows Black to break through along the h-file in a very direct manner with 24...Kg7!; e.g., 25 c7 Rh8! 26 cxd8Q Qxh2+ 27 Kxh2 hxg3++ 28 Kxg3 Be5# – a nice checkmate while two queens and a rook down!) 24...Rd7 25 Qd5 Bxa1 26 Rxa1. White has lost the exchange and is most likely losing but can still put up tough resistance after 26...hxg3 27 fxg3 Kg7! 28 Nxf3 exf3 29 Qxf3 as although the c7-pawn will be lost, the future knight on d5 will make it difficult for Black to break through.

After 23 hxg3? Ng4 –+ White has no defence to ...Bxg2 and ...Qh5. 23...Bh6 Kasparov brings all his pieces into the attack. 24 Rab1 The rather greedy 24 Nxa7, with the idea of Nc6, also fails. 24...Ra8 and then: a) 25 Nc6 Ra3!. Suddenly, the invasion takes place on the other side of the board. White has nothing to prevent ...Bxe3+ as 26 Rc3 Rxc3 27 Qxc3 Ng4 28 Nxe5 Bxe3+ –+ is the end. b) 25 Nb5 Ng4 26 Rc3 (26 Nc2 Bxg2 27 Qxg2 Nxe3 –+) 26...cxb4 27 Rb3 Qf6! –+ and the threat of ...Rh5 is too much for White to deal with. 24...Kg7? This has the idea of bringing the rook to h8, but it is too slow. 24...Ng4! was more to the point. 25 Rb3 Qh5 and now: a) 26 h3 Bxg2 27 Kxg2 Qxh3+! (a nice combination winning a pawn) 28 Kxh3 Rh5+ 29 Kg2 (29 Kxg4 f5#) 29...Rh2+ 30 Kg1 Rxd2 –+ gives Black total domination.

b) 20...Nxb4!, however, is immediate annihilation. 21 Nxb4 Bxg2 (because White no longer has the Ne1 defence, Black breaks through) 22 Kxg2 h3+ 23 Kf1 Ng4 –+. 21 Bxe5 Rxe5 22 Ne1 (D)

b) With 26 h4 Re7! –+, Black opens the e5square for the knight or queen. White’s kingside is too weak to hold the position. 25 Rb3 (D) 25 Rc3 seems like the better rook to defend the pawn, as it gets off the c1-h6 diagonal that Black’s bishop looms over and maintains the b1-rook as a defender of the b4-pawn.

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Black to play

White to play

25...Qh5 25...a6 26 Na7 b5! was a strong idea, undermining the d5-pawn. This only works now because White’s rook is in an unfortunate spot on b3. 27 Nc6 bxc4 (an important tempo-gain on the b3rook) 28 Rxc4 Rxd5 –+.

White can no longer get rid of Black’s queen. The attack is decisive. 30 Qe2 Ng5 31 Kh1 Rh8! Black just needs to move the bishop to deliver checkmate. 32 Nxd6 Kg8

26 h3 Nh7

32...Nf3 followed by ...Bxe3+ was a quicker finish.

Kasparov goes all-in for the attack.

33 bxc5 Bf8+ 34 Kg1 Nh3+ 35 Kf1 Bxd6 36 cxd6 Rf5+ 37 Nf3 Rxf3+ 0-1

27 g4 Caruana forces the piece sacrifice, but this plays right into Black’s hands. 27 h4!? weakens the g4square but prevents Black’s idea of ...Ng5. 27...Bxg4! 28 hxg4 Qxg4 White’s king has no more pawns protecting it and Black is able to bring the rook and knight into the attack. 29 Qd1 29 bxc5 bxc5 30 Qb2 seems like the most resilient defence, threatening Nxd6 while preventing Black’s rook from entering the attack. However, after 30...Nf6 31 Nxd6 Qg3 (...Bxe3+ and ...Ng4 are both huge threats) 32 Qf2 Qxf2+ 33 Kxf2 Rxd6 –+ Black is a pawn up with the better pieces. White’s pawns are also incredibly weak.

Mate is unavoidable. Kasparov’s crushing attack was all possible because of the h-pawn advance, creating fatal weaknesses in White’s kingside structure. Another important piece of advice is that advancing the h-pawn is not only good against fianchetto structures; it can be equally strong against an uncompromised pawn-structure!

29...Qg3 (D)

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13...bxa3 14 bxa3 Na5 Black discourages the advance of White’s c-pawn, which would now concede the b3-square to the knight. 15 Ne3 Ba6 (D) 15...Rb8 also deserved attention, since stepping off the long diagonal nullifies any tactics based on the move c4.

White to play

Fischer – Mjagmasuren Sousse Interzonal 1967 Black’s pawn-shelter of f7, g7 and h7 is currently very solid. But the great Bobby Fischer does not let this last forever. 11 h4! Fischer gains control of the g5-square, into which he could dunk either the knight or bishop to generate threats against the black king. Also, it is possible to advance the h-pawn further to h6 in order to chip away at Black’s pawn-shield and weaken the f6- and g7-squares. 11...a5 Black’s counterplay is naturally on the queenside so Mjagmasuren develops his play on the side where he is stronger.

White to play

16 Bh3 Fischer plans Ng5 as now ...h6 would be met with a sacrifice on e6. However, the direct method of attack with 16 Ng5! would have been stronger. White is not scared of giving away material after 16...h6 17 Qh5! as White would be able to tighten the noose further on the kingside if the pawn gets to g5:

12 Bf4 a4 13 a3 Fischer prevents his opponent from playing ...a3 himself. Other options: a) 13 N1h2 a3 14 b3 Bb7 (as played in Duda-So, Leon rapid 2017) followed by a later ...Nd4 must not have appealed to Fischer. It is true that if the kingside attack fails, his position will be much worse because of Black’s strong a3-pawn. b) 13 c4!? was an alternative way to address Black’s idea of ...a3. If White is able to close the queenside completely, it will be difficult for Black to create any play. After 13...bxc3 14 bxc3 a3 the game takes the form of a complicated race between White’s attack on the kingside and Black’s counterplay on the queenside. 146

a) After 17...Nc6 18 Ng4 hxg5 (18...Nd4 19 Nxh6+ gxh6 20 Qxh6 Bxg5 21 Bxg5 Nf5 22 Qh5 Ng7 23 Qe2 += gives White ample compensation for the piece) 19 hxg5 Black’s position is very dangerous. For example, 19...c4, aiming to give the dark-squared bishop more squares, gets destroyed by 20 Bxd5! exd5 21 e6 +–, when White threatens to take on f7 followed by g6, as well as Kg2 and Rh1. b) 17...hxg5 18 hxg5 leaves Black under an unpleasant bind on the kingside: b1) 18...g6 19 Qh4! (White has many strong threats such as Nxd5, Ng4 followed by Nf6+, and bringing the rook to the h-file; 19 Qh6 allows Black an important tempo to bring the bishop into the defence with ...Bf8 after ...Re8)

The Chess Attacker´s Handbook

giving up the exchange) 24 Be4 Rf5 25 Bxf5 exf5 =.

19...Bb7 (19...Nc6 20 Nxd5! exd5 21 Bxd5 +– leaves Black with no defence to the threats of e6, Qh6, and Kg2 followed by Rh1) 20 Bf3 +–. The plan of Kg2 and Rh1 is decisive.

b) 20 Nxf7 Nxf4 and then: b1) 21 Nxd8 Nxh5 22 Nxe6 = and after the many exchanges, White’s strong kingside pawns compensate for the piece deficit.

b2) 18...Bb7 19 Kh2! (White threatens Rh1 followed by Kg1) 19...g6 (after 19...Nxe5 20 Bxe5 Bxg5 21 f4 +– White still threatens Rh1 followed by Kg1; Black will have to sacrifice a piece for no compensation in order to prevent it) 20 Qh4 f6 (Black needs to give up a piece in order to gain space on the kingside) 21 exf6 Nxf6 22 Bh3 Ra6 (22...Bc8 23 Qh6 Qe8 24 Rab1 +– leaves Black completely paralysed) 23 Qh6 Rf7 24 gxf6 Bxf6 25 Qxg6+ Rg7 26 Qh5 Rh7 27 Bh6 +/–. White has won a pawn and will be able to escape the pin because of Ng4.

b2) 21 gxf4! (keeping queens on the board will put Black under more pressure) 21...Rxf7 22 Bxe6 Qe8 23 Ng3 Bc8 (the only way to get out of the pin is to attack the bishop) 24 Bd5 Bb7 25 Bxf7+ Qxf7 26 Qg4 . White has a rook and two pawns for two pieces; it’s not clear which is stronger. c) 20 Bd2! (White has managed to provoke a big weakness by forcing Black to play ...h6) 20...Bc8 (20...hxg5? does not work since after 21 hxg5 +– White can play Re4 followed by Rh4) 21 Ne4 gives White strong pressure on the kingside, with ideas of Nh2-g4 followed by a sacrifice on h6.

16...d4 17 Nf1 17 Ng4 was another possibility. Fischer prefers to keep his bishop open. 17...Nb6

19...Bxg5

Black’s knight is heading to the d5-square, where it will cover f6.

Black needs to remove the knight, as Nxe6 and Qh5 were both serious problems.

18 Ng5 Nd5 (D)

20 Bxg5 After 20 hxg5 c4 White won’t have time to use the h-file as Black’s counterplay is just starting. 20...Qd7 21 Qh5 (D)

White to play

19 Bd2 19 Qh5 was a serious alternative. After 19...h6 White faces a major decision between sacrificing the knight or simply retreating the bishop: a) 20 Nxe6 fxe6 21 Bxh6 (after 21 Bxe6+ Kh7 22 Bd2 = White threatens Bf5+ as well as Bxa5 followed by Bxd5; Black’s weak king provides enough compensation for the piece) 21...Bc8 22 Qg6 Rf7 23 Bg2 Qf8 (Black is able to defend by

Black to play

Fischer has managed to increase his dark-square control, but Black’s counterplay is fast approaching. 21...Rfc8

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Black aims to play ...c4, but allows White access to the e4-square. 21...Bb7 22 Nd2 Nc3!, preventing Ne4 and Re4, seems to be sufficient for a draw. White has nothing better than to repeat moves after 23 Bf6 gxf6 24 Qh6 (24 exf6? Kh8 –/+ followed by ...Rg8 defends against the mate on g7) 24...f5 25 Qg5+ Kh8 26 Qf6+ Kg8 27 Qg5+ =. 22 Nd2 Nc3?! 22...c4 was better. Black should keep the knight on d5 in order to guard the f6-square. Black’s counterplay seems sufficient to distract White from his attack. Black to play

23 Bf6 Qe8 Forced. Black must have the option of ...Qf8, defending the g7-pawn.

White plans to play h5 followed by Rh4 with a crushing attack.

23...gxf6? no longer works like before as Black’s bishop does not control the long diagonal and the rook does not defend the f7-pawn any more. After 24 exf6 Kh8 25 Bf5! (25 Nf3 +–, with threats of Ng5 and Ne5, also wins) 25...exf5 26 Re7 +– White wins the queen for the rook.

26...c4

24 Ne4 g6? This creates huge dark-square weaknesses and seems to be the decisive mistake. 24...Bb7 looks like the best defence. Black attacks the e4-knight and is willing to give up the exchange after Nd6. After 25 Bxg7! (the most challenging move; in case of 25 Nd6 Qf8 26 Nxc8 Rxc8 27 Bg5 c4 White’s attack is over and Black’s active pieces compensate for the exchange) 25...Kxg7 26 Qg5+ Kf8 27 Nf6 Qc6 28 Nxh7+ Ke8 29 Kh2 Black’s king escapes but White might be able to win the rest of the kingside pawns. 25 Qg5 Nxe4 26 Rxe4 (D)

After 26...Bb7 27 Rg4 Rc7 28 h5 Bd5 29 Rh4 Qf8 30 Bg2 White plans to bring the other rook to the h-file following the exchange of bishops, which will prove too much for Black to handle. 27 h5 cxd3 28 Rh4 Ra7 28...Rc7 was more challenging, as Fischer’s move in the game is no longer convincing. White must find 29 Bg4! (after 29 Bg2 Bb7 Black’s rook is not blocked along its second rank) 29...dxc2 30 Rc1, which threatens an unstoppable checkmate after Qh6. 30...Rb8 31 Qh6 Qf8 32 Qxh7+! Kxh7 33 hxg6+ Kxg6 34 Bh5+ Kh7 (34...Kf5 35 Rf4#) 35 Bf3+ Qh6 36 Be4+ Kg8 37 Rxh6 followed by Rh8#. 29 Bg2 29 Bg4! dxc2 30 Rc1 wins in the same fashion as before. 29...dxc2 29...Qf8 prevents checkmate but loses huge amounts of material: 30 Be4 dxc2 31 hxg6 fxg6 32 Bxg6 hxg6 33 Rh8+ Kf7 34 Rxf8+ Rxf8 35 Qh6 and White will clean up everything. 30 Qh6 Qf8 31 Qxh7+ 1-0 Black elected to save face and not allow the nice finish after 31...Kxh7 32 hxg6++ Kxg6 33 Be4#. In this example the h-pawn played a huge role in the attack by allowing White’s knight access to the strong g5-square. This is what caused Black to give

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up the dark-squared bishop, a critical defensive piece. It also opened up the h-file at the end, which is the reason why White broke through.

Although it may feel natural to prevent Black’s bishop from giving check on e3 and getting on the fabulous a7-g1 diagonal, this allows Black’s queen to access the e7-square, which forces White to surrender a lot of dark squares on the kingside. 15 Rb1 is most commonly played, focusing on developing a pawn advance on the queenside. 15...Qe7 16 Kh1 h4 Black advances the h-pawn, gaining control of the g3-square. 17 Rg1 White opens up the f1-square for the knight in case it will become necessary to control the g3-square in the future. He may also be thinking about playing g3 himself in some cases. 17 Rb1, preparing to advance the queenside pawns, was also possible.

Black to play

17...Bg5

P. Kiss – Kotronias Kavala 2005 In some King’s Indian positions, Black uses the hpawn as an attacking weapon instead of the usual pawn-storm attack with ...f5-f4, ...g5 and so forth. Here there is a specific reason: 13...f5 runs into tactical issues after 14 exf5 gxf5 (14...Bxf5 is possible but risks leaving the e4-square to the white knights) 15 Bh5 (Black’s queen has very few squares) 15...Qc8 (15...Qb8 16 Be7 Rc8 avoids losing the exchange, but leaves Black’s major pieces awfully placed) 16 Be7, trapping the rook. Although Black will have compensation because of his mobile centre and active minor pieces, it’s questionable if it’s truly enough.

Black’s plan is to bring the knight to h5, where it will control important squares such as g3 and f4. But of course he cannot do it right away by playing 17...Nf6? as the h4-pawn would be hanging. 18 Qe1 Once again preventing ...Nf6. 18...Kg7 The king makes way for the rook to join the attack from h8. 19 Rb1 (D)

The h-pawn does not have to advance all the way to h3 in this case; it is often much more useful on h4, where it helps Black establish his grip on the dark squares, which White cannot challenge since g3 is often prevented by a black pawn on h4. 13...h5! Black threatens to trap White’s bishop with ...g5 and ...h4. 14 f3 White opens the f2-square for the bishop, but at the cost of weakening the dark squares on the kingside. 14...Bh6 15 Bf2?!

Black to play

19...Nc5

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Black moves the knight before it gets stranded on a6, but it was better to focus more on the kingside. 19...Nf6! has the idea of swinging the rook to h8, when there is no longer a need to defend h4. Then: a) 20 Bxh4 Bxh4 21 Qxh4 Ng4! (the queen is taboo because of the mate on f2) 22 Qg3 Nxh2! 23 Rgc1 Rh8 24 Kg1 Qf6 =+. Black enjoys a nice advantage because of his safer king and more active bishop. He may continue by doubling rooks on the h-file. b) After 20 b4 Nh5 21 Nf1 Rh8 =+ Black’s kingside pressure clearly outweighs White’s on the queenside, as ideas such as ...Ng3+ are already in the air. 20 b4 axb4 21 axb4 Na4 22 Nb3?!

28 Be3?

This is not active enough, and allows Black to focus entirely on the kingside. 22 Nxa4 Rxa4 23 c5, with the idea of Nc4, at least forces Black to respond on the queenside. 22...Nxc3 Exchanging knights doesn’t accomplish anything; in fact it helps White improve his queen position. 22...Nf6!, with the original plan of ...Nh5, was strong, as it is very difficult for White to meet both ...Ng3+ and ...Nf4. 23 Nxa4 (after 23 Bd1 Nxc3 24 Qxc3 Nh5 25 Re1 Ra2 26 Rb2 Rxb2 27 Qxb2 Nf4 =+ Black has all the play and will continue with the ...f5 break) 23...Rxa4 24 Bxh4 (after 24 Qc3 Nh5 25 Rge1 Bf4 =+ Black threatens ...Ng3+ and will probably gain the bishop-pair advantage, while the ...f5 break is also a plan) 24...Bxh4 25 Qxh4 Ng4 (the same tactical idea as before: Black wins back the pawn with a nice position) 26 Qg3 Nxh2 27 Rge1 Rh8 28 Kg1 Rxb4 =+. The h2-knight is awkward but cannot really be attacked, while Black has won an important queenside pawn in the meantime to deprive White of any counterplay. 23 Qxc3 Nf6 24 Ra1 Nh5 25 Rxa8 Rxa8 26 Ra1 White attempts to exchange rooks in order to eliminate Black’s attacking pieces. 26...Rh8 27 Kg1 Bf4 (D)

White to play

This is the decisive mistake, as it allows Black’s queen and knight to join the attack. White’s bishop needs to defend the g2-pawn: 28 Bf1 Qg5 29 Qe1 Ng3 30 Ra7 =. As long as White sits tight on the kingside, there is no way for Black to break through. 28...Qg5! The g2-pawn comes under fire. 29 Kf2 After 29 Bxf4 Nxf4 30 Bf1 Bh3 –+ Black wins the g2-pawn because of the pin. 29...f5? Black aims to open up the kingside, but there was a direct way to finish the game: 29...h3! gives White no good way of dealing with the threat to the g2pawn. After 30 g4 (30 g3 is demolished by 30...Bxg3+ –+) 30...Qh4+ 31 Kf1 Ng3+ (31...Bxh2 32 gxh5 Rxh5 –+ also wins as the h-pawn will decide the game) 32 hxg3 h2! 33 gxh4 h1Q+ 34 Bg1 Rxh4 –+ there is no way to prevent the threat of ...Rh3-g3, winning the bishop. 30 exf5 gxf5 A natural way to recapture, but Black had stronger options: a) 30...h3! is a good move to flick in, causing White to make further concessions on the kingside. 31 g4 Nf6 (Black will capture on f5 next as White has no way to prevent it) 32 fxg6 Rf8 –+ and Black will blast open the f-file to win the battle.

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b) 30...Qxf5! is also strong, getting out of the pin and attacking the h2-pawn. White has no good way to defend it, as 31 Rh1 Ng3 wins it anyway. 31 Bf1 Bxe3+ 32 Qxe3 f4 33 Qd2?!

used to activate the h1/h8-rook by creating space for a rook-lift. This could occur when the centre is closed and the king is safe in the middle of the board, as is the case in many French Defence-style positions.

33 Qa7! was the best defence, gaining a tempo on the b7-pawn and staying on the g1-a7 diagonal. 33...h3! (D)

White to play

Kasparov – Short

White to play

Novgorod 1997

White’s kingside structure now falls apart. 14 h4!

34 Ke1

34...Ng3!

Not only does the pawn advance to h6, where it will force dark-square weaknesses, but it also paves the way for the h1-rook to enter the attack on g3.

Black threatens ...hxg2 followed by ...Bh3.

14...Bxd3 15 Qxd3 Nbc6?!

35 Bd3 Ne4!

15...Rc8, intending to play ...Rc4 followed by ...Nbc6, is better, as it exerts more pressure on the queenside and centre to distract White from his attacking goals.

After 34 Kg1 Kf7 Black’s pressure on the g-file will be too much to handle.

The only direct win. Black’s h-pawn is the hero of the day! 36 Bxe4 hxg2 0-1

16 Rh3 Rac8 17 Rg3

Black wins the rook first and then the house. Because of the pawn on h4, Black was able to gain complete control of the dark squares, despite White having a dark-squared bishop himself. This allowed the g3- and f4-squares to become great outposts for the bishop and knight to participate in the attack. We have already seen several examples of the hpawn being used to create weaknesses in the opponent’s kingside. But our final example of charging the h-pawn up the board shows that it can also be

White’s rook puts strong pressure on the g7-pawn. The reason why White is able to do this is because the centre is closed, so if needed White has enough time to castle ‘by hand’. 17...Rf7?! Short plays prophylactically by defending the g7pawn, but this proves to be a waste of time since later on in the game, the rook moves back in order to provide the f7-square for the knight. 17...Nd8, opening the way for rook and overprotecting the e6-pawn, was better. Then 18 Nh5

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looks dangerous but is not an issue: 18...Ng6 19 Nxg7 Qxg7 20 h5 f4 21 Rg4 Nc6! (threatening ...Ncxe5) 22 Bc3 (22 hxg6? Nxe5 23 gxh7+ Kh8 24 Rxg7 Nxd3+ 25 cxd3 Kxg7 –+ is even winning for Black) 22...Rf5 23 hxg6 h5 24 Rh4 Qxg6 = and Black has consolidated the kingside. 18 h5 Nd8 19 c3 Rf8 The g7-pawn no longer needs to be defended by the rook as Nh5 is not an option for White any more. 19...Qc6, attempting to trade queens with ...Qc4, doesn’t quite succeed: after 20 a4! Qc4 21 Qb1 += White has pressure on the queenside as well, with ideas of Qb5, entering a favourable endgame.

24 Qd1 All of a sudden, Kasparov switches back to the kingside because Black’s knight is no longer on e7. 24 Qb5 does not accomplish much. After 24...Kh8 25 Nd3 Nb8 += White has a slight advantage because of his pressure on both sides of the board. 24...Ne7? Short brings the knight back into the defence, but it was necessary to secure his king one way or another:

Seeing nothing immediate to be done, Kasparov castles by hand to bring his king to safety.

a) 24...h6 seems safe, but White can still create some threats after 25 Ng6 Na5 26 Rh3! with the idea of opening the kingside with the g4 advance. One line that shows the potential of White’s attack is 26...R4c7 27 g4 fxg4 28 Qxg4 Nb3 29 Rg3! Nxd2 30 Ne7+ Kf8 31 Nxc8 Rxc8 32 Qxg7+ Ke8 33 a5! b5 34 Qf6 and White is on top.

20...Rc4 21 Kg1 Nf7 22 a4! (D)

b) 24...Kh8 (D) and then:

20 Kf1

Black to play

White to play

White gains some space on the queenside and gains control of the b5-square for the queen. Black cannot take twice on a4, since the e6-pawn requires protection. 22...Rfc8 23 Qb1 White’s main idea is Qb5, which would be very annoying for Black, as taking the queen would be met with axb5, fixing the a7-pawn as a weakness. Also 24 a5 b5 25 Nd3, followed by jumping into the outpost with Nc5, is another idea. 23...Nc6 Black stops a5 and makes Qb5 less of a problem as the diagonal is blocked. 152

b1) 25 h6 g6 26 Nxg6+! (the most challenging move; White has no other ways to attack on the kingside) 26...hxg6 27 Rxg6 Rg8 28 Qh5 Nfxe5! (Black is able to bring the queen into the defence) 29 dxe5 (29 Rxg8+ Kxg8 30 dxe5 Kh7 31 Re1 Rxa4 = also does not accomplish much for White) 29...Qf7 30 Rxg8+ Qxg8 =. For the price of a pawn, Black has managed to defend his king and stands better positionally due to White’s many pawn-weaknesses. White should go for perpetual check by sacrificing the h-pawn with h7.

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In that line, White put the pawn on h6 and then the knight on g6. It seems stronger to play these moves in reverse order: b2) 25 Ng6+! Kg8 (25...hxg6 26 hxg6 Nh6 27 Qh5 Kg8 28 Re1! followed by Bxh6 looks too dangerous for Black to defend) 26 h6! hxg6 27 Rxg6 Ncxe5 (forced: Black needs to open the 4th rank to exchange rooks) 28 dxe5 Rg4 29 Rxg4 fxg4 leads to a messy position that should favour White because of Black’s exposed king. 25 h6! g6 26 Qh5 Kasparov takes the opportunity to get the queen into the attack while Black’s king is still on the gfile. Now Qh4 followed by Qf6 is a huge threat. 26...Rxa4? Short’s greed acts as the catalyst of his downfall in this game. It was again necessary to move the king off the g-file: 26...Kf8! 27 Qh4 g5 28 Rxg5 Nxg5 29 Qxg5 Ng8 (there is no checkmate but White has great compensation for the exchange) 30 a5 b5 31 Rb1 a6 32 g4! Qe7 33 Qg7+! Qxg7 34 hxg7+ Kf7 35 gxf5 +/– and although White enjoys a favourable endgame, Black is by no means lost.

Qg8+ Ke7 34 Qxc8 Qh6+ 35 Kg1 and now 35...Qc1+, with perpetual check, is one way the game could end. After 35...Qxh7 36 Qb7+ Kf8 37 Qc8+ Kg7 38 Qxe6 it is not too late for Black to go for a perpetual, but he should be careful not to be overambitious as White’s e-pawn is able to hold the balance. b) 28 Kh2!! steps out of any back-rank checks, and now White is threatening Nxg6 as well as Nxe6. Black cannot meet both simultaneously. After 28...Nh8 (28...Qd7 29 Nxg6 Nxg6 30 Rxg6+ hxg6 31 Qxg6+ Kf8 32 h7 +– and with Bg5 coming, the h-pawn decides the game) 29 Nxe6 Qc6 30 Nf4 +– Black’s pieces are a complete disaster, and it’s just a matter of time before White breaks through. White threatens Qh4 as well as Bc1-a3. 28...Qc2? This allows White’s queen to invade with devastating effect. After 28...Rc6! Black’s rook can defend along its third rank. 29 Nf4 Kf8 30 Qe2 +/– gives White a large positional advantage but nothing decisive. 29 Qh4! +– Black has no satisfactory defence against Qxe7 and Qf6.

27 Rxa4 Qxa4 (D)

29...f4 30 Bxf4 Nf5 31 Rxg6+! 1-0 This leads to forced mate after 31...hxg6 32 h7+ Kh8 33 Qf6+ Kxh7 34 Qxf7+ Kh8 35 Qf6+ Kh7 36 Ng5+ Kh6 37 Ne4+ Kh7 38 Qf7+ Kh8 39 Nf6 Ng7 40 Bh6 Qd1+ 41 Kh2, when Black has no defence. A nice example showing how advancing the hpawn can allow the rook into the attack!

White to play

28 Nxe6? Kasparov gets so tempted by taking a free pawn that he misses a silent killer move. There were two significant alternatives:

I hope after seeing these games you appreciate that pushing the h-pawn can be a very strong attacking idea even in positions with same-side castling. The main idea is to create weaknesses in your opponent’s king position. It can also be used just to gain control of key squares for your pieces, such as playing h4 to support Ng5, and as we have just learned, it can also open a road for the rook to enter the attack. Not bad for just one pawn!

a) 28 Nxg6? is also premature. After 28...Nxg6 29 Rxg6+ hxg6 30 Qxg6+ Kf8 31 h7 Qd1+! (the reason why 28 Kh2 is so strong!) 32 Kh2 Qxd2, White can equalize, but no more than that. 33 153

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Exercises These exercises are designed to provide you with practice on how to make best use of a fantastic attacking force: the h-pawn!

Exercise 1: White to play

Exercise 3: White to play

Exercise 2: White to play

Exercise 4: White to play

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Exercise 5: White to play

Exercise 6: Black to play

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Solutions to Exercises

White to play

White to play

1) Naiditsch – Zumsande

2) I. Sokolov – J. Polgar

Isle of Man 2016

Hoogeveen 2003

18 Nh2!

33 Ne7!

Although the knight looks like it gleams in shining armour on g4, in reality it serves little purpose. It is far more important to include the c1-bishop in the game in order to exploit Black’s dark-square weaknesses provoked by the h-pawn.

A fantastic combination made possible by the presence of the h-pawn near Black’s king.

18...Rfc8 19 Nf3 a3 20 Bg5 Bf8 21 Qd2 Rc3 22 Bh4?!

33 Qg7+ Qxg7 34 hxg7+ Kg8 35 gxf8Q+ Kxf8 36 Nd6+ Ke7 37 Nc8+ Kd7 38 Nxa7 +/– is better for White, but Black is certainly not without drawing chances. 33...Re1+

22 Re2! Rac8 23 Ne1 += was a better option, freezing Black’s counterplay. In the meantime, White can slowly but surely build up on the kingside.

33...Rxg5? gets mated right away: 34 Rxf8+ Rg8 35 Rxg8#.

22...Ra7?

Protecting the f8-rook and controlling the g8square. 34...Qc7+ is met by 35 g3 +–.

22...Rac8! is more natural and frankly also objectively much stronger. After 23 Rac1 Qc7! 24 Qf4 Nc5 –/+ or 23 Qf4 Qa7! 24 Ng5 Nb8 –/+ White has no real way to continue his attack.

34 Kh2 Qb8+

35 Rg3! 35 g3?? would throw the game away in view of 35...Ne6 –+.

23 Re2 Qc5 24 Qf4 Rxc2?

35...Rxe7

After 24...Nb8 25 Ne1 Rc7 26 Rd1 +/–, followed by Rdd2, Black can only watch White’s attack brewing.

35...Ne6 is mated by 36 Qg7+! Nxg7 37 hxg7#.

25 Ng5 Nb8 26 Rxc2 Qxc2 27 Rc1 Qxd3 28 Nxe6! g5

Black is helpless and went down within a matter of six moves.

28...fxe6 29 Bh3 +–.

36...Ne6 37 Qxe6 Qf4 38 a4 a6

29 Nxg5 Bxh6 30 e6 1-0

Or:

36 Qxe7 +–

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a) 38...Rd8 39 Kh3 Qd4 40 Rg4 +–.

31...Bxd1 32 hxg7 Kxg7 33 Bxf7 Bxc2

b) 38...Rf7 was Black’s best chance, although she still swims in boiling water after 39 Qc8+ Rf8 40 Qc3+ Rf6 (40...Qf6 41 Rf3! +–) 41 Kh1! Qxh6+ 42 Kg1 Qf8 43 Rf3 Kg7 44 Qc7+ Rf7 45 Rg3+ Kh8 46 Qe5+ Rg7 (46...Rf6 47 Rf3 Kg7 48 Rd3 Kg8 49 Rd7 +–) 47 Rc3 Qd8 48 Rc6! +–, when Re6 is a decisive threat.

33...Rxf7 34 Be5+ +–. 35...Bd3+ 36 Kg2 Qd8 37 Bxc4+ Qxe7 38 Bxd3+ Kg8 39 dxe7 Re8 40 Bc4+ +–.

39 Qxb6 Rb8 40 Qe3 Qh4+ 41 Rh3 Qf6 42 Qc3 1-0

36...Kg6

34 Be5+ Kh7 35 Qe7 Qd8

36 Bg8++! A pleasing finishing touch. 36...Kh6 37 Bg7+ +–. 37 Bh7+ Kh5 38 Bxc2 Qxe7 39 dxe7 Re8 40 Bd6 1-0

White to play

3) Shirov – Movsesian Sarajevo 2005 White to play

29 h6!!

4) Akopian – Ivanchuk

Even at the cost of a rook, the tactical magician Alexei Shirov wastes no time in going for mate!

Astrakhan 2010

29...Bf3+?

17 Ned2!

This loses relatively easily, although Black could not save the game even with best play. 29...Qd8 30 Bg6 Bf3+ 31 Kd2! (Ribli gives only 31 Kf1, but this is much stronger) and now:

White reorganizes his pieces for an attack on the black king, which has been exposed by the hpawn’s charge to h5. White protects the e5-pawn with the queen and frees the f3-knight to move, which will not only improve the knight but also clear the path for the f-pawn to advance.

a) 31...Qa5+ 32 c3 Qa2+ 33 Ke1 Qb3 34 Rc1 Qxc4 35 Bxf7+ Rxf7 36 Qe8+ Kh7 37 hxg7 Qe4+ (37...Kxg7 38 d7 Rxd7 39 Qxd7+ +–) 38 Qxe4+ Bxe4 39 Be5 Bc6 40 f4! gxf3 41 Kf2 +–.

17...Rh8 18 Nh2! b6 19 f4 gxf4 20 Rxf4 Bg5 21 Raf1!

b) 31...Qd7 32 h7+ Kh8 33 Bxf7 Qxf7 34 Qxf7 Rxf7 35 Re1 bxc4 36 Kc3 +–, when White’s c- and d-pawns cannot be slowed down.

The glue holding Black’s position together is the bishop on g5, which is certainly worth at least a rook.

30 Kf1 bxc4 31 Bg6!

21...Bxf4 22 Rxf4 a5

31 hxg7?? Qh5! = is a nice trap. 157

Charging the h-Pawn Forward

22...Qc7 23 Nc4 was probably a better try for Black, though White retains an attack.

22...Bh6 23 Qd2 +/–.

23 Ng4 +/– 1-0

Black’s position is horrendous.

23 h6! g6 24 Ne4 +–

Perhaps Ivanchuk’s resignation was premature, but at the same time, it was difficult to find an adequate defence. Krasenkow gives the following possibilities: a) 23...Ra7 24 Nf6 Rc7 25 Qe4 Kf8 26 Nc4 Ke7 27 Nd6 Nxe5 28 Qxe5 Qxd6 29 Nd5+ (29 Ng8+ Rxg8 30 Rxf7+ Kxf7 31 Qxd6) 29...Qxd5 30 Qf6+ Kd6 31 Rxd4 +/–. b) 23...Qc7!? tries to prevent the g4-knight from moving. After 24 Nc4! b5! (24...Ba6 25 Nd6 +–) 25 Nd6 f5 26 exf6+ Kf8 27 Nxc8! Rxc8 (27...Qxc8 28 Ne5; 27...Qxf4 28 Qxe6 Qc1+ 29 Kh2 Qf4+ 30 Kh3 +–) 28 Qxe6 Re8 29 Qf5 +– White has accrued much more than enough interest for his small material disadvantage. Black to play

6) Winants – Piket Harlingen 1991 22...h4! The best way to chip away at White’s defensive line. 23 Bxh4 After 23 gxh4 f4 –/+, with ...Nf5 coming, White is in big trouble. 23...f4! 24 gxf4 Ng4+ 25 Kg3?!

White to play

5) Sashikiran – Rozentalis Warsaw 2008 White opted for 18 Rad1 in the game and ultimately won, but missed a great opportunity here: 18 h5! Nxe5 19 dxe5 Nd7 20 Rad1! Bxg5 20...Nxe5 also leads to a very unpleasant position after 21 Bf4 f6 22 Rd7! Qc8 (22...Qb6 23 Bxe5 fxe5 24 Ne4 Rf7 25 h6! +–) 23 Bxe5 fxe5 24 h6 Rf5 25 Ne4 +–, when White has the safer king and dominant pieces. 21 Rxd7 Qb8 22 f4 Be7

25 Kg1 is a better defence: 25...Rxh4 26 f5! (the key move, opening the path for the queen to the g5-square and deflecting Black’s bishop off the a2g8 diagonal) 26...Rxf5 (or 26...Bxf5 27 Qg5! with Bd5 ideas, winning back the lost material) 27 Rxf5 Bxf5 28 Qg5!. Then Black cannot keep the material advantage; the best try seems to be 28...e4, opening lines for the dark-squared bishop, but after 29 axb4! Be6 30 Qxh4 Bd4+ 31 Kh1 Nf2+ 32 Kh2 Nxd1 33 Bxe4 White has plenty of pawns for the piece. 25...Bf6! This is much stronger than the move Piket chose in the game, i.e. 25...Nf6?, when White could have consolidated with 26 Qe3!. 26 Bxf6 Nxf6 27 Rh1

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27 Ng1 Nh5+ 28 Kh2 Nxf4 –/+. 27...exf4+! 28 Kf2 28 Nxf4 Nh5+ 29 Nxh5 Rxh5 –+ leaves White’s king fatally exposed. 28...Bxh3 Black has a decisive attack.

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10: Opposite-Coloured Bishops RAZVAN PREOTU It is well-known that endgames with opposite-coloured bishops are very drawish, favouring the defender. However, in the middlegame with major pieces on the board, the opposite is true. Having oppositecoloured bishops actually favours the attacker. This is because the defender’s bishop poses very little resistance against an attack that occurs on the opposite-coloured squares. In the following example, Karpov makes an interesting decision to change the character of the game.

At the moment, White cannot take advantage of Black’s weakened king. So first Karpov improves his position. 22 Bg4 Black’s queen is now tied down to the defence of the e6-pawn. 22...Rc4 23 h3 23 Qg6 does not accomplish anything as after 23...Qc6 Black is able to chase away White’s queen with ...Qe8. 23...Qc6 24 Qd3 Kh8 25 Rfd1 a5 25...Rc1 at any moment was possible, but would not do much to alleviate Black from his long-term light-square weaknesses. After 26 Rxc1 Qxc1+ 27 Kh2 Qc6 28 g3 += play will probably be similar to the game.

White to play

Karpov – Kasparov World Ch (4), Moscow 1985 Most people would probably opt for a normal move such as 21 Rfd1, putting more pressure on the weak d5-pawn. But seeing that the tiny move ...h6 has softened Black’s grip over the light squares around his king, Karpov radically changes the position.

26 b3 Rc3 27 Qe2 Rf8 (D)

21 Nxe6! White trades his good knight for Black’s bad bishop and ‘unisolates’ Black’s d-pawn. However, the point is that an opposite-coloured bishop configuration has been established in which Black’s darksquared bishop contributes very little to the defence of the kingside’s weak light squares. 21...fxe6 White to play

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Karpov has developed all his pieces and secured the queenside. It is high time to focus on developing an attack on the light squares. 28 Bh5! The bishop has done its job tying down the queen to the defence of the e6-pawn, and now re-routes to the deadly b1-h7 diagonal. 28...b5 29 Bg6 Bd8 30 Bd3 White forces the b-pawn to advance, which helps clarify the queenside structure. 30...b4 31 Qg4 Qe8 Black must prevent Qg6. White has successfully created one weakness (Black’s weak light squares on the kingside), but Kasparov has adequately met this threat. It is therefore important to create a second weakness to begin overworking the black pieces that will find themselves ‘double-business bound’ in the words of Shakespeare. Now that White’s pieces are optimally placed, Karpov breaks open the middle. 32 e4! (D)

b) 32...Bb6! is better, exerting pressure on the f2pawn via the newly-opened a7-g1 diagonal. In opposite-coloured bishop positions, king safety and the initiative are the most important positional factors. In the game, Kasparov played too defensively, which is the overall reason why he lost. He should have taken the opportunity to go on the offensive when it arose. Then: b1) After 33 Re2 Qf7 34 exd5 Bxf2+ 35 Kh1 exd5 White doesn’t have any reason to justify being a pawn down, as Black’s king is perfectly safe. White must win the d5-pawn, when the position peters out to a draw: 36 Bg6 Qc7 37 Qf5 Qd8 38 Qxd5 Qxd5 39 Rxd5 Bg3 40 Rd1 =. b2) 33 exd5 exd5 34 Bg6 Qc6 35 Bf5 Rc1 leaves Black’s pieces too active for White to consolidate fully. 36 Qf4 Bc7 37 Qg4 =. b3) After 33 Rf1 Rf6 34 Bb1 Qf7 = Black’s pieces are optimally placed for attack and defence. Neither side can make any real progress. 33 Rc2 Rxc2 34 Bxc2 Qc6 34...Bd8! is best, planning to return on the g1-a7 diagonal. Black must seek active counterplay! After 35 exd5 exd5, White cannot avoid the queen exchange unless he is willing to go on the defensive, which is definitely not an option. 36 Qg6 Qxg6 37 Bxg6 Bb6 38 Rd2 Rf6 39 Bh5 g5 = gives White a better pawn-structure but he can’t expect to do much with it because of the oppositecoloured bishops and lack of material left on the board. 35 Qe2 Qc5 36 Rf1 (D)

Black to play

The exchange of the e-pawns will favour White, as the f5-square would become open to the queen and the d5-pawn will become a weakness. 32...Bg5?! Kasparov takes the opportunity to trade a pair of rooks, which benefits the defender. However, the bishop now becomes misplaced. Other moves: a) 32...d4? is clearly not an option due to 33 e5 +/– threatening the pawn on d4 and also Qe4.

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Black to play

Opposite-Coloured Bishops

White has defended the f2-pawn and now is able to go on the offensive. The main idea is to line up his queen and bishop on the b1-h7 diagonal.

51 Re1? allows Black to trade queens as there is no square for the queen to protect the bishop: 51...Qg8 52 Qg6 Qf7.

36...Qc3

51...Bd2

36...Bf6 37 exd5 Qxd5 is a better way to defend, with the idea of parking the bishop on d4 and pawn on e5. Black’s pawn-structure is worse than in the game, but he has greater activity, which is a better fit to the demands of the position.

Kasparov guards the e1-square in order to deny White’s rook access to the e-file. However, there are other ways to bring the rook into the attack. After 51...Bf6 52 Re1 Qg8 53 Qg6 Qf7 54 Qg4 +/– the attack rages on.

37 exd5 exd5 38 Bb1 Qd2?!

52 Rd1 Bc3 53 Rd3 (D)

Active counterplay against the f2-pawn was still best: 38...Bd8! 39 Qe6 Qf6 40 Qxd5 Bb6 (Black has lost a pawn but has gone on the offensive) 41 Kh1 g6 42 f4 Kg7. Both kings are equally weak now, and it seems very difficult for White to make any progress. 39 Qe5 Rd8 39...Bd8 is desirable, but impossible due to 40 Qd6! Qf4 41 Qg6 Kg8 42 Qh7+ Kf7 43 Re1!, when Black’s king is caught in boiling water. 40 Qf5 Karpov’s queen has finally been able to get on this diagonal, which is bad news for Kasparov’s king. Black to play

40...Kg8 41 Qe6+ Kh8 42 Qg6 Kg8 43 Qe6+ Kh8 44 Bf5 The direct check on h7 did not promise anything yet. White first must be able to bring the rook into the attack. 44...Qc3 Trying to rush the queen back to f6.

53...Rd6? 53...Qg8 54 Qg6 Bf6, with the idea of chasing White’s queen away after ...Qf7, was more tenacious. 54 Rf3 +–

45 Qg6 Kg8 46 Be6+ Kh8 47 Bf5 Kg8 48 g3! This gives the king a safe square on g2 and allows White to advance the h-pawn. White could have won a pawn with 48 Be6+ Kh8 49 Bxd5 but after 49...Qf6 White’s attack is quickly repelled. Karpov knows keeping the attack is more important than a small amount of material! 48...Kf8 48...Qf6 fails to 49 Qh7+ Kf7 50 Re1! +–, with the very simple but unstoppable threat of h4, followed by h5 and Bg6+. 49 Kg2 Qf6 50 Qh7 Qf7 51 h4

White’s rook now has access to either the f3- or e3square.

White’s attack is now decisive, as there is no good way to block the f-file. 54...Ke7 54...Bf6 grants White’s rook access to the e-file with devastating effect: 55 Re3 (the threat of Qh8+ followed by Re8+ is too much to handle) 55...g6 (55...Rd8 56 Be6 +–) 56 Qxh6+ Bg7 57 Qf4 (an important tempo-gain on the rook) 57...Rd8 58 Qg5 Rd6 59 Bd3. White has won a pawn and still has a strong attack. 55 Qh8 Kasparov’s king is now stuck in the middle with nowhere to hide.

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55...d4 56 Qc8 Rf6 57 Qc5+ Ke8 Staying off the e-file with 57...Kd8 was more resilient. After 58 Qc8+ Ke7 59 Rf4 Kd6 there is no good way to bring the rook into the attack, but White is able to win a lot of pawns starting with 60 Qa6+ Kc5 61 Qxa5+ +–. 58 Rf4 The rook finally manages to reach the e-file. 58...Qb7+ 59 Re4+ Kf7 60 Qc4+ Kf8 61 Bh7 Rf7 62 Qe6 Qd7 63 Qe5 1-0 Mate cannot be prevented. For instance, 63...Re7 (after 63...Qd8 64 Qc5+ Re7 65 Bg6, there is no way to stop Rxe7 followed by Qc8+) 64 Rf4+ Rf7 65 Qb8+ Qe8 66 Qd6+ Qe7 67 Rxf7+ Kxf7 68 Bg6+ Kf8 69 Qb8+ Qe8 70 Qxe8#. An instructive game showing the importance of having the initiative in opposite-coloured bishop middlegames! Kasparov decided to defend passively instead of going for a counter-attack against the f2-pawn, and this gave Karpov time to consolidate and generate a fearsome attack. Opposite-coloured bishop positions can be very difficult to evaluate properly. Take a look at the next example.

draw. However, that is not the case at all, and Black’s position is actually quite unpleasant. This is because White has a kingside pawn-majority that can become mobile, potentially creating dangerous threats against the enemy king. White also has a target to work with, namely the f7-pawn, whereas Black has no equivalent. But most importantly, Black’s pawn-majority on the queenside is firmly blockaded. Blockaded pawns are a huge disadvantage in opposite-coloured bishop positions for several reasons: they restrict the mobility of your own bishop, they are unable to chase away or block the attacker’s bishop, and some endgames may be lost due to this deficiency. Therefore, although the position seems innocuous for Black, he would probably lose this position more often than not in practice. 22 Rd1 Kg7 23 Rcd2 Rxd2 24 Rxd2 Rd8 25 Rxd8 Qxd8 26 Kg2 Black has managed to trade rooks, making it somewhat easier to defend. But he is not close to being out of the woods yet; there is the serious issue of his lack of counterplay. While it is true that Black has a passed c-pawn, it is useless as it is firmly blockaded. White, on the other hand, can take his time advancing the kingside pawns. Ivanchuk is in a gruelling position where the only thing he can do is react to White’s plans. 26...h5 Black gains some space on the kingside and can attempt to trade a pair of pawns with ...h4, making the position easier to defend. 27 Qe4 Bc3 28 Qb7 Bf6 29 Bc4 Aronian zeroes in on Black’s weakness: the f7pawn. 29...Qe7 30 Qd5 (D)

White to play

Aronian – Ivanchuk Nalchik 2009 This might seem like a completely equal position where neither side will have any problem holding a 163

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counterplay with the queen. After 35 Qb7+ Kh6 36 Qxb6 Qa4 37 Bb3 Qd7 Black threatens ...Qh3 and can meet Qb8 with ...f5, when his bishop covers the h8-square. The endgame after 38 Qe6 Qxe6 39 Bxe6 is an easy draw, as Black’s king is able to make it to the queenside in time. 35 Qg8 (D)

Black to play

White’s pieces are now optimally placed, targeting the f7-pawn and tying down Black’s queen. 30...h4 Ivanchuk takes the opportunity to trade the hpawns. 30...Qe6? challenges White’s queen and offers to go into a pawn-down opposite-coloured bishop endgame. This would be a reasonable idea in some situations, but it does not work in this instance. After 31 Qxe6 fxe6 32 Bxe6 +–, with the a-pawn still remaining and it being the ‘correct’ rook’s pawn (since a8 is a light square), Black is unable to give up the bishop in order to eliminate all the kingside pawns. The c-pawn provides little value, so White is essentially two pawns ahead and can easily roll his kingside pawns up the board. 31 e4 hxg3 32 hxg3 Bd4 33 f4 f6? A serious mistake, allowing White’s queen to penetrate to the g8-square. Ivanchuk attempts to defend passively and forgets the importance of seeking counterplay. 33...Qf6 34 Kf3 g5! =, weakening White’s king, would have been sufficient for a draw: it is very difficult for White to keep advancing his kingside pawns when his king must constantly hide from checks. 34 Kf3?! 34 Qg8+ Kh6 35 Kf3 is a far more precise moveorder. 34...Kh6 34...Qe8! would have punished Aronian’s faulty move-order. Black covers the check from g8 and gives up the b6-pawn in the hope of obtaining

Black to play

35...g5? Ivanchuk attempts to bait Aronian into playing Bf7, which would allow a cute tactical trick. However, this opens up the b1-h7 diagonal, leaving White with a strong reply that Ivanchuk must have been disappointed to see. 35...Qh7 (or 35...Qg7, transposing) is the only defence. However, the resulting position is very grim for Black: 36 Qf8+ Qg7 37 Qc8 (White threatens Qh3# and forces Black’s queen or king to h7) 37...Qh7 38 g4 g5 39 f5 +/–. White has gained a huge amount of space on the kingside and made Black’s king position even weaker. White’s king, on the other hand, is free to move to the queenside and attack Black’s pawns. 36 e5! +– White opens the b1-h7 diagonal for the bishop, creating mating threats against the black king. Black has no adequate defence. Instead, 36 Bf7?? runs into 36...g4+! 37 Kxg4 Qxe4 =, when Black’s queen is so active that White must accept the queen exchange, leading to an easy draw. 36...fxe5?

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This loses on the spot. Black had to chase away White’s menacing queen, although even this would only prolong his suffering: 36...Qg7 37 fxg5+ fxg5 38 Qe6+ Qg6 39 Qxg6+ Kxg6 40 Ke4 (White’s king threatens a decisive invasion through the d5square; Black must advance the g-pawn to delay it) 40...g4 (now White’s king is unable to advance via d5 because of the weak g3-pawn; however, Black has also sentenced the g4-pawn to its death) 41 a4 Bc3 42 Kf4 (after 42 Kd5? Be1 43 e6 Bxg3 44 e7 Kf7 = the d6-square is covered by Black’s bishop) 42...Bb2 43 e6 Kf6 44 Kxg4 +–. White has a winning opposite-coloured bishop endgame, as his king will invade the queenside via the c4-square, and then Black will not be able to contain all three of White’s pawns.

White to play

E. Romanov – Kazhgaleev

37 Bd3

Russian Team Ch, Sochi 2007

All of a sudden Black is getting checkmated! 37...e4+ The long diagonal must be opened so that the bishop can defend the f6-square. 38 Bxe4 Qg7 39 Qe6+ Qf6 40 Qd7 1-0 There is no good defence against Qh7#, as ...Qg7 is met with Qh3#. As Ivanchuk learned the hard way in this game, even with just queens on the board, oppositecoloured bishop attacks are very dangerous! Another key point to store in mind about oppositecoloured bishop positions is that fighting for a space advantage is not as important as usual. We have already seen the example Karpov-Kasparov, where although Black held a slight space advantage, his light-square weaknesses proved fatal. Here is another good example illustrating this idea:

The position is of course close to equal. Both sides’ bishops are placed well and exert pressure towards the opponent’s king. It appears as if the game is destined to be a draw, but after a display of overambition from Romanov, it is instructive to see how quickly his position deteriorates. 18 Nb4 Ra8 The d-pawn is clearly taboo in view of the knight fork on a6. 19 d5? Perhaps assigning this move a question mark is objectively too harsh, but strategically it is a major step in the wrong direction. White seizes more space and strives to obtain the c6-square as an outpost for his knight, which in many positions would be a major thorn in Black’s throat. However, this comes at the cost of reducing the activity of the b3bishop, which, as we know, is a red flag in opposite-coloured bishop positions. Let’s consider 19 Rxa8 Rxa8 20 dxe5! dxe5 (D).

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into the c6-outpost, in reality this achieves nothing. But the more significant change is the difference in bishop activity. While White’s bishop stares like a dunce at the e4-pawn, Black’s bishop roams freely on the a7-g1 diagonal. Recognizing the danger, Romanov attempts to liquidate pieces to achieve a draw. 26 Qb1 Kg7 27 Rxa8 Qxa8 28 b4? Another serious mistake, which allows Black’s queen to penetrate on White’s back rank. Waiting with a move such as 28 Qc1 =+ would have been better, although in a practical game it is incredibly difficult from a psychological standpoint to resign oneself to doing nothing for the rest of the game!

White to play

Although these exchanges seem innocuous at first glance, a deeper look into the position shows that Black faces some difficulties. Yes, one may argue that both bishops are equally effective in exerting pressure on the enemy’s kingside; however, the location of the white queen on f3 makes the attack against f7 significantly more powerful. In addition, White’s knight on b4 ties Black’s pieces to the defence of the c6-pawn, which cannot be alleviated with ...c5 as this would surrender the key d5square. Finally, White can seize the initiative immediately with moves such as 21 Rd1 and 21 g4. By no means would Black’s defensive task be easy here. 19...c5 20 Nc6 c4 21 Bc2 Qb7 22 g3 Rxa1 23 Rxa1 Ra8 24 Qd1 g6 25 Kg2 Bc5 (D)

28...cxb3 29 Qxb3 Qa1 Black’s pressure begins to reach boiling point now that the queen has entered the fray. White cannot chase it away due to the weakness of the c3-pawn. 30 Bb1 h5! Now that all Black’s pieces are optimally placed, the infantry joins the attack. 31 Nb4 After 31 h4 Ng4 32 f3 Ne3+ 33 Kh3 Nc4 –+ the dual threats of ...Nd2 and ...Na3 cannot both be neutralized. 31...h4! 32 g4 (D) 32 Kf3 may have been the best try, although Black would be much better in a similar way to what unfolded in the game.

White to play

The position has changed dramatically from seven moves ago. Although White has occupied some space in the centre and lodged his knight firmly

Black to play

32...Qa4

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Certainly good enough, but Black had an even stronger move: 32...Bxf2! is an unexpected blow that would have finished off the attack in spectacular fashion. 33 Kxf2 Qa7+ and then:

defended the only two weaknesses in the position, namely the d6- and b7-pawns. In order for White to make progress, attention needs to be turned to the kingside.

a) 34 Ke2 Qg1 35 Qd1 Qg2+ 36 Ke3 Qg3+! 37 Kd2 (37 Qf3 Qe1+ –+) 37...Qxh3 –+ and the hpawn will soon be crowned a queen.

31 Rd3!

b) After 34 Kg2 Qe3 –+, followed by ...Qg3+ and ...Qxh3+, the h-pawn is once again too mighty. 33 Qxa4 bxa4 –+ Kazhgaleev eventually succeeded after another 48 moves from this point in converting his advantage. Not the most thrilling finish in this book on attacking chess, but I highly doubt that was uppermost on the players’ minds at the time! Reiterating the lesson from this game, do not prioritize other pieces over the bishop, as White unwisely chose to do. In opposite-coloured bishop middlegames, the bishop is king! With opposite-coloured bishops, the most effective targets fulfil two criteria: they are close to the king (if not the king itself) and they can be easily attacked by the bishop. In essence these principles are rather self-explanatory, so let us examine how they apply in practice.

White aims to target the f7-pawn, which is the main protector of Black’s king. The rook will move to f3 while the bishop will go to c4. 31...Qc7? Black misses an opportunity to break out of the bind: 31...g6! 32 Rf3 d5!. It should come as no surprise that going for active counterplay is the best defence. Black gives up a pawn but creates a kingside pawn-majority and activates the darksquared bishop. After 33 exd5 Rd6 34 Qb3 Rb8 35 Re3 f5 36 Ra4 e4 += Black is able to blockade White’s pawns with an active position and good chances to save the game. 32 Rf3 +/– Now Black is doomed to passivity; there is no way to create any counterplay. This is the Najdorf Sicilian player’s worst nightmare! 32...Bf6 33 Qb3 Rb8 34 Bc4 h6 (D)

White to play

White has managed to pile up the pressure against the f7-pawn, but it seems like Black has successfully defended against it. However, Pogonina finds an ingenious way to add more fuel to the fire.

White to play

35 g4!

Pogonina – The World Chess.com 2009 White has a nice advantage because of the more active bishop. However, Black has successfully

White threatens to play h4 followed by g5, chasing away Black’s bishop from the f-file. The f7-pawn will then be hanging. This is very difficult to pre-

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vent, as Black’s major pieces are tied down on the queenside defending the b7-pawn. 35...b5 The only way to stop White’s plan is to advance the b-pawn and exchange pawns. Unfortunately, this also creates new problems for Black. 36 axb6 Rcxb6 37 Rxb6 Rxb6 38 Qa2 Qb7 39 b4 The a-pawn is now fixed on a light square and is a permanent weakness for Black to defend. Also, notice the difference in bishop activity. With such a big difference, it is almost guaranteed that Black will lose this game. 39...Qa7 40 Kg2 Rb7

Black to play

Black must give up the a6-pawn as White was getting ready to advance the kingside pawns as before. After 40...Qb7 41 Bd5 Qc7 42 h4 +– there is no way to save the f7-pawn.

The pawns are now able to advance, which will anchor the bishop on c6.

41 Qa4 White threatens to invade with the queen to e8 and c6.

Black must bring the bishop to the queenside in order to blockade the b-pawn. But as one problem is solved, another is created as the only real defender of Black’s king abandons his captain.

41...Kf8

48 b5 Ba5 49 Qe6!

41...Re7 42 Qc6 attacks the d6-pawn and leaves Black completely tied down. Black must chase away the queen but after 42...Rc7 43 Qe8+ Kh7 44 Bd5 +– White will play c4 and be able to swing the rook to the a-file and attack the a6-pawn. Black will not be able to defend so many weaknesses.

Now that Black’s bishop has sprinted over to the queenside, the focus shifts back to the kingside. White’s queen transfers to the kingside and gives the light-squared bishop access to the d5-square. The f7-pawn will come under tremendous pressure.

42 Qc6 Rd7 43 Bxa6 +– White has won a pawn and still has a dominating position. 43...Qc7 44 Qd5 Of course, White is not interested in trading the strongest attacking piece. 44...Bg5 45 Bb5 Rd8 46 Bc6 (D)

46...Bf4 47 c4 Bd2

49...Kg8 50 Qf5 Bb6 51 Bd5 Rf8 This and 51...Rd7 are the only ways to defend the pawn, but they both lose in the same fashion. 52 g5! With all the attacking pieces in position, White begins the final assault. 52...hxg5 53 Qxg5 Rg3 is unstoppable and Black is unable to defend the g7-pawn. 53...Qd8 54 Qg6 Qe7 55 Rg3 1-0 A nice example showing the consequences of remaining passive and not seeking active counterplay. Black had the opportunity to give up a pawn in the variation 31...g6! 32 Rf3 d5! in order to fix the pawn-structure and activate his bishop. After failing to seize the opportunity, Black was

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forced to suffer in a hopeless position with no chances of survival.

26...Kg7 27 h5 Qf7

The final example of this chapter illustrates the importance of king safety and the initiative in opposite-coloured bishop positions. Both of these factors directly correlate with the position of the bishops. As a rule of thumb, you should always strive to have the bishop pointing at the opponent’s king.

27...g5 +/– closes the kingside but also buries the bishop. It is safe to assume that White would have excellent winning chances here, although maybe the task would be harder than in the game.

Black over-protects the g6-pawn and puts some pressure on the f-file.

28 hxg6 hxg6 29 Rh1 +/– White’s plan is clear: double the rooks on the hfile. 29...Rfa8 (D)

White to play

Elianov – Paunovi

White to play

Andorra la Vella 2003

30 Qd3

While the e4- and g5-bishops both seem to be active in this position, this appearance is wholly deceptive. In reality, the g5-bishop serves no purpose, while the e4-bishop, pointing at the black king, will make its impact felt on the game. 25 h4!

30 Qc2! was an even stronger way to defend the a3-pawn, as the queen exerts pressure along the cfile. The tactical idea is that 30...Rxa3? 31 Rxa3 Rxa3 32 Rxh6! +– works because of the queen fork on c1. 30...Bg5

A move that should be typical by now. White wants to advance the pawn to h5 in order to make the g6-pawn a weakness. 25...Bh6 26 Kg2!

There was not much else that Black could have tried; e.g., 30...Rf8 31 f3 (31 Qe2 would transpose to the position two moves earlier) and then:

There is no need to rush because Black has no counterplay. Before playing h5, it is a good idea to be able to place the rook on h1.

a) 31...Raa8 32 Rh4! Bg5 33 Rg4 Qf6 34 Ra2! (planning Rc2) 34...Rh8 35 Rc2 Rac8 36 f4 +–. The second point behind Ra2 is to take the rook off the a1-h8 diagonal. Black has no defence.

26 h5?! is premature as 26...gxh5 27 Qxh5 Bd2 28 Reb1 Bc3 29 Ra2 Bd4 allows Black to activate the bishop against White’s king. With the king on g2, White would have the strong reply Rh1 instead of Rb1.

b) 31...Bg5 32 Rh2 +– (simple and also very strong) 32...Raa8 33 Rah1 Rh8 34 Rxh8 Rxh8 35 Rxh8 Kxh8 36 Bxg6 Qf6 37 Be4 +–. With the presence of queens, the a-pawn will be almost impossible to stop.

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31 Rh3 Rf8 32 Qe2 32 f3 is also possible, with similar play to the previous note. Perhaps Elianov did not think this was a good idea as it weakens the white king and closes the white queen’s path to the g4-square. 32...Raa8 33 Rah1 Rh8 34 Rxh8 Rxh8 35 Rxh8 Kxh8 (D)

bishop as there are no more threats of perpetual check. 42...Kh6?? But Black hands back the half-point immediately. This move takes away the h6-square from the queen, which is important for keeping the hopes of counterplay alive. 42...Kg8 (or 42...Kh8) would have been sufficient to draw. 43 Qc3 (43 Qxd6 Qd2+ 44 Kh3 Qh6+ = shows the difference: White can’t escape the checks) 43...Qc1! 44 Qxc1 Bxc1 45 Bxg6 Kg7 (D).

White to play

Black has managed to trade rooks but the position is even worse than ever. There is no good way to defend the kingside weaknesses while keeping White’s potential passed a-pawn in check.

White to play

36 a4!, creating a passed pawn right away, is even stronger.

Despite being two pawns down, Black is able to create a blockade on the dark squares, and there is no way for White to break through.

36...Bc1 37 a4 Kg7 38 Qe2 Qd7 39 Qc2 Ba3

43 Qxd6

The bishop gets into serious risk of being trapped. 39...Bg5 40 Bxg6 +– allows White to win a pawn for nothing, however.

With ...Qh6+ no longer being a possibility against Kh3, Black has nothing to show for the two-pawn deficit.

40 Qc3 Qg4 41 f3

43...Bc1 44 Qf8+ Kh7 45 Qf7+ Kh6 46 Qf8+ Kh7 47 d6 1-0

36 Qg4

41 Qxc7+! Kg8 (41...Kh6 42 f3 Qg5 transposes to the game) 42 Qd8+! (White denies the g5-square to Black’s queen before playing f3) 42...Kg7 43 f3 +– . 41...Qg5 42 Qxc7+?? This serious mistake throws away the win by allowing Black to get counterplay against White’s king. 42 f4! keeps everything under control. After 42...Qg4 43 Bf3 Qf5 44 fxe5 +– White wins the

The pawn cannot be stopped. After seeing these games it should become clear that the most important factors of oppositecoloured bishop positions are king safety and the initiative. Material is not as significant; it is better to be a few pawns down but to have all the play than the other way around. This is because attacks with opposite-coloured bishops are stronger than normal, as the defending bishop can do very little against an attack focused on the opposite-coloured squares.

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Exercises I am positive you will not find these positions to be ‘drawish’ at all. Go after the king!

Exercise 1: White to play

Exercise 3: White to play

Exercise 2: White to play

Exercise 4: Black to play

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Exercise 5: White to play

Exercise 6: Black to play

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Solutions to Exercises

White gives up a rook to interfere with the black queen’s defence along its second rank. 36...Bxe7 36...Qxe7 loses to 37 Rxe7 Bxe7 38 Qh7+ Kf8 39 Qh8+ Kf7 40 Ba2+ +–, when White wins the full house. 37 Qh7+ The queen penetrates behind enemy lines and signals the beginning of the end. 37...Kf8 38 Qh8+ Kf7 39 Ba2+ Kg6 40 Qe8+ Rf7 41 Qg8+ Rg7 42 Bb1+ d3 42...Kh5 43 Qxg7 +– is no better. White to play

43 Bxd3+ Kh5 44 Qxg7 Rxf2 45 Rxe7

1) Bologan – Adly

45 Bg6+ Kh4 46 Qxh6+ Kg3 47 Re3+ Kf4 48 Re4+ Kg3 49 Rg4# was a bit quicker.

Khanty-Mansiisk 2009 32 Bf5!

45...Qc5

An excellent move, opening up the e-file for White’s rooks and also trapping Black’s rook on f4. White threatens both Re6 and g3.

Generously allowing a cute finish. 46 Qxh6+! 1-0 White gives mate next move with Rh7#.

32...Rd5 32...Qf7 33 g4! +– cements the bishop in place and isolates Black’s rook. Black cannot stop the threat of Re6, as after 33...Rd6 34 Rc2 White now threatens to invade along the c-file. With the f4-rook out of play, there are just too many pieces in the attack and not enough defenders. 33 Be6! A nice re-routing of the bishop. Bologan plans to set up a deadly alignment of queen and bishop by moving the bishop to a2 and then to b1. By now, we should be familiar with this attacking plan in opposite-coloured bishop positions. 33...Rd6 34 Ba2 Rdf6 35 Bb1 Kg8? 35...R6f5 is a more resilient defence, though after 36 g3 Rf3 37 Qxd4+ Rf6 38 Qe4 Kh8 39 Rd1 +– the position is hopeless. White has won a pawn and still has a very strong attack. 36 Re7!

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White to play

White to play

2) Topalov – J. Polgar

3) Bortnyk – Kamsky

Dos Hermanas rapid 2008

Dos Hermanas blitz 2010 Kamsky was eventually ground down after 45 Kg1 in the game, but White missed an immediate win here:

39 Qb6! +– Creating the deadly threat of Qb8. 39 Qa7? was played in the game, but this lets Black off the ropes significantly. However, the game proceeded 39...Qxc3?? (going down without a fight; 39...Rxg3! would put a tall task ahead of White: 40 Kxg3 Qxc3+ 41 Kh2 Qe5+ 42 Kg1 Bd5 +=) 40 Qb8 Qg7 41 Be5 Rd8 42 Qxd8 Qxe5+ 43 g3 Bd5 44 Qg8+ Qg7 45 Qe8+ Qf7 46 Qxb5 +– and Topalov breezed to victory.

45 g5! Stranding the black bishop on the side of the board. 45...hxg5 46 Qh5 Qb8 Preventing fxg5 due to ...Qg3+. After 46...Be1 47 fxg5 Bd2 48 f6 +– Black’s bishop escapes, but the same cannot be said for his king.

39...Rxg3 40 Qd8!

47 Re7 Rf8 48 Be8! +–

The key move, and a difficult one to spot. White threatens Qg8#.

The bishop sneaks in, and issues an ultimatum for Black: resign or face heavy material losses.

40...Kh7 41 Qe7+ Kg8 42 Kxg3 Qxc3+ 43 Kh2 +– The differences in the positions of White’s queen and Black’s king as compared to the game are immense. Black cannot parry all the threats.

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Black to play

White to play

4) Hector – Krasenkow

5) Svidler – Leko

Malmö 1995

Linares 1999

40...a2

28 Re3!

If you found 40...g5! then congratulations for finding a much easier (and stronger) solution! 41 c7 (41 hxg5 h4 –+) 41...gxh4 –+ leaves White helpless against Black’s queen-bishop tandem.

This move prevents ...Bc3 as well as threatening Ref3. White could also play the equally strong 28 Rf3!, with the same ideas.

41 c7 a1Q 42 c8Q Qxg3+!! 43 Kxg3 Bf4+ 44 Kf2 44 Kh3 Qa3+ –+. 44...Qd4+ 45 Kf1 Qd1+ 46 Kf2 Qd2+ 47 Kf1 Bg3 A funny occurrence: White’s two queens are worth as much as a wooden shield in a blazing fire. 48 Qxf7+ Kxf7 49 Qc4+ Kg7 50 Kg1 Qe1+ 51 Qf1 Bxh4 52 Qxe1 Bxe1 53 Bf3 Kh6 0-1

With opposite-coloured bishop positions, material is not as important as the initiative, so we should not be tempted into 28 Bxf7? Bc3 29 Qxf8+ (29 Qxc3+ Rxc3 30 Bxg6 Rxf1+ 31 Rxf1 Kxg6 =) 29...Rxf8 30 Bxg6 Bxe1 31 Rxe1 Kxg6 32 Kg1 +=, when the game is much closer to a draw than a white victory. 28...Qg5 29 Qd2 Bf6 30 h4 Qc5 31 Re4! 31 Ref3?! allows the defence 31...Qd4! +/–. 31...h5 32 Ref4 Now Black cannot hold his position together. 32...Rc6 33 Rf5 Qc3 34 Qf4 Rd8 35 Rxh5 Qd2 36 Qg4+ Kf8 37 Rh8+! Ke7 38 Rh7 Rf8 39 Qe4+ Kd7 40 Bxf7 1-0

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Black to play

6) Filippov – Khalifman Linares 1997 After reading the previous chapter, finding the next move should be automatic. 27...h5! The plan of ...h4 is a severe threat to White’s king safety. 28 Qf1 h4 29 f5 29 gxh4? Rg6+ –+. 29...hxg3 30 Rf4 30 hxg3 does not offer much resistance either: 30...Rxc3! 31 Bxc3 Rxc3 32 Qh3 (32 Kh2 Qc7 –+ with the threats of ...Rc1 and ...Qxe5) 32...Rc1+ 33 Rf1 Bxf5 34 Qg2 Rc2 35 Rf2 Rc3 –+. 30...gxh2+ 31 Kxh2 Rh6+ 32 Kg3 Rh5 33 e6 33 f6 Rh1 –+. 33...fxe6 34 f6 Qf7 35 Rg4 Rxc3+! The attack crashes through from the other side of the board. 36 Bxc3 Qc7+ 37 Rf4 37 Qf4 Qxc3+ 38 Kf2 Qc2+ –+ will lead to mate. 37...Qxc3+ 38 Kg4 Qe5 0-1

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11: Same Idea, Different Games MICHAEL SONG As a student who has just graduated from high school, one of my pet peeves was hearing the stereotypical bratty student complain, “Why do I need to learn this? It’s not even useful in the real world!” Of course, one would think that young chess-players tend to be somewhat more mature than their peers, but nonetheless a similar issue is apparent among many up-and-coming players of today’s generation, who are growing more and more addicted to gimmicks such as online tactical trainers, video lessons and so forth. These are great learning tools, but the classics cannot be neglected. While the game of chess itself has evolved greatly over the last half-century or so, it is still worth knowing the ideas demonstrated by our predecessors. Perhaps the opening theory and such from games past are obsolete, but ideas and motifs in chess never expire. Of course, the ideas featured here will not be as pedestrian as a Bxh7+ sacrifice, but you will be amazed at how similarly the plans unfolded. Just as a writer must study the works of Shakespeare, all successful chess-players must study the games of prior champions as well. In this chapter, I have collected a few pairs of games, which may look spectacular in their own right, but as we shall see, the ideas featured may have not been as innovative as they looked. These ideas do not exactly fall under any specific chapter, which is why I decided to dedicate a separate chapter to this topic. The first ‘classic’ game featured here is a jewel from the Polish-Argentine grandmaster Miguel Najdorf.

Glücksberg – Najdorf Warsaw 1929 1 d4 f5 2 c4 Nf6 3 Nc3 e6 4 Nf3 d5 5 e3?! This is an inaccuracy as it needlessly restricts the c1-bishop. Better options were 5 Bf4, 5 Bg5 and 5 g3. 5...c6 6 Bd3 Bd6 7 0-0 0-0 8 Ne2?! Seeing that his knight was doing nothing on c3, White relocates it to the kingside in the hope of some future on f4. In hindsight, it may have been better for White to play 8 b3 followed by normal development with Bb2. Black to play

8...Nbd7 9 Ng5?! (D) As many sneaky chess masters often do, Glücksberg was unsatisfied with his position and tried to bait Najdorf into a tempting sacrifice on h2, which he assumed did not work...

9...Bxh2+!

9 Nf4 Qe7 =+ is still more pleasant for Black, thanks to possibilities such as ...Ne4 and ...g5. Meanwhile, White has no clear plan.

10 Kxh2 Ng4+ –/+ is obviously just a free pawn for Black.

Najdorf fearlessly takes up the gauntlet. 10 Kh1

10...Ng4 11 f4?

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White’s idea was that the h2-bishop would fall after the plan of g3, Kg2 and Rh1, but as Najdorf proves, this is much too slow to be successful. Objectively, virtually any other sensible move would have been better; however, White would look rather foolish giving up h2 for nothing then. 11...Qe8! Bringing the most powerful piece into the attack. 12 g3 Qh5 13 Kg2 (D)

Black to play

But now how should Black continue the attack? Given time, White can easily consolidate with Qe2. Meanwhile, Black only has two pieces in the attack: the queen and the knight. The rest of his pieces (the c8-bishop, both his rooks and the d7knight) are playing no role in the attack. Najdorf simultaneously activates all his pieces with his next move. 15...e5!!

Black to play

Glücksberg seems to have achieved his plan: the bishop on h2 is stranded, and White’s king appears rather safe behind the closed centre and kingside pawn-structure. However, Najdorf quickly dispels this illusion. When looking at this position, it is rather obvious that the bishop on h2 has no attacking value whatsoever. It must give way for the black queen to penetrate on h2. After recognizing this, it is easy to spot the blow:

Blasting open the centre, and also the c8-h3 diagonal for Black’s sleeping bishop to join the fray. The mating threat of ...e4+ forces White to expose his king. 16 dxe5 Ndxe5+! 17 fxe5 Nxe5+ 18 Kf4 Ng6+ 19 Kf3 (D)

13...Bg1! The bishop plays a key role in forcing White’s king to march forward by cutting off the rook’s access to the crucial h1-square. However, the more natural move 13...Bxg3? fails to 14 Rh1! Bh2 15 Nf3, when we see that White’s defensive scheme has been successful in repelling the black attack. 14 Nxg1 14 Rxg1?? allows immediate mate: 14...Qh2+ 15 Kf1 Qf2#. 14...Qh2+ 15 Kf3 (D)

Black to play

Do you see how Najdorf finished the attack?

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19...f4! Simultaneously opening the f-file and the c8-h3 diagonal to awaken the sleeping giant on c8 and initiate the final sequence. 20 exf4 Bg4+! 21 Kxg4 21 Ke3 Bxd1 –+ is obviously hopeless as well. 21...Ne5+! 22 fxe5 h5# (0-1) An attack as unique as this seems almost impossible to duplicate, doesn’t it? However, as we shall see, our next game contains a striking resemblance to this one.

lowed by ...Qh6, but given how weak White’s king is at the moment, there must be a stronger move. Hence, Black’s continuation is fairly obvious. 20...Bxe3+! 21 Kf3 But now what to play? White has the same threats as before, plus the e3-bishop will be hanging in many lines. After examining the previous game, you should have no trouble finding Mark’s next move. 21...Bg1!! (D)

In many open tournaments, the first round is a cakewalk for the top masters; however, with a thorough knowledge of the ‘classic’ games, perhaps you will be one of the lucky few who defy this trend! One memorable instance of a much lower-rated player beating a higher-rated player is this next game, played in the first round of the 2016 World Open by two of my dearest friends: my former coach Israeli grandmaster Victor Mikhalevski and fellow Canadian junior Mark Plotkin. White to play

Essentially the same idea as before. Not only does this move stop Rh1, which would hold White’s kingside together, but it also strands the white king out in the open with no hope of returning. 22 Rxb7 f5! Borrowing the same idea as Najdorf of charging the f-pawn forward to open the f-file for the reserve on f8. In addition, Black is threatening immediate mate with ...Qh5+. White’s reply is forced. 23 Rxg1 f4 23...Qxg1 24 Qd1 Qxd1 25 Nxd1 Rad8 26 Nf2 Rf7 –+ is given as objectively much stronger by the computer, but from the human perspective, it is extremely difficult to exchange the queens with such great attacking prospects on the board.

Black to play

V. Mikhalevski – Plotkin

24 Ne4

Philadelphia 2016 Out of what seemed to be a very quiet Catalan-type opening, suddenly a wild position has arisen. White is not only threatening the b7-bishop, but also to trap the queen with Rh1. Of course, Black may be able to parry both threats with 20...Bc8 fol-

24 Rh1?? Qxg3+ 25 Ke4 Qe3# is mate of course. 24...fxg3+ 25 Kg4 Rf5! (D)

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d1) 28 Bxg2? Raf8 –+ gives Black a decisive attack. d2) 28 Qc3? h5+ 29 Kh4 Qf2+!!. The key move as the check forces White to retreat his knight. But without a doubt, it would be incredibly difficult to find 26...g2! in a practical game. 30 Nxf2 g1Q 31 Ng4! e5 32 e4 (32 Nh6+ gxh6 33 Bxf5 Qg5+ 34 Kh3 Qxf5+ 35 Kg2 Kh8 –+ is also winning for Black) 32...hxg4 33 exf5 gxh3 34 Qg3 Qxg3+ 35 Kxg3 Rf8 36 Rxa7 Rxf5 37 Kxh3 Rf4 38 Ra6 Rxc4 39 Rxb6 Rxa4 40 Rxc6 Kf7 –+ and Black should win this rook endgame fairly easily. d3) 28 Kh4! is the critical defence, although certainly in practice 28...Qd4 29 Bxg2 Raf8 30 Bh3 would be a difficult position for White to defend.

White to play

Boxing the king in, and threatening an identical mate as the previous game with ...h5#. 26 Nxg3??

26...h5+ 27 Nxh5 Rxh5 –+

The decisive mistake. 26 Bh3! was the only defence, to create some sort of hiding square on h4 for the king. Then:

White is helpless in the face of the onslaught.

a) 26...Qxg1?? 27 Qc3! h5+ 28 Kh4 +– would even win for White. b) 26...h5+? 27 Kh4 Rf4+ 28 Kg5 Qxh3 29 Rxg7+! (29 Kxf4? Rf8+ 30 Ke5 Qf5+ 31 Kd6 Qf4+ 32 Kd7 Qf7+ 33 Kxc6 Rc8+ 34 Kb5 Qxb7 –/+ would still give Black something to play for, but the position is by no means clear) 29...Kxg7 30 Qc3+ Kg8 31 Kxf4 Rf8+ 32 Ke3 h4 (32...g2+ 33 Kd2! is the point behind sacrificing the rook on g7; since the queen was able to shift from b3 to c2, ...g2+ does not win the queen) 33 Qe5 Qf5 and although Black is not worse, White is more or less out of the woods. c) 26...Raf8 is very natural, but White is not without defences: 27 Rxg7+! (27 Qxg3?? Qxe2+ leads to mate; 27 Qe3?? h5+ 28 Kh4 Rf4+ 29 Kg5 Qxh3 30 Qxf4 Rf5+! –+) 27...Kxg7 28 Qxg3 Qxg3+ (not, of course, 28...Qxe2+?? 29 Kh4+! Kf7 30 Qc7+ Ke8 31 Nd6#) 29 Kxg3 –/+ and although Black is still clearly better, he will have to work for his point. d) 26...g2!? threatens mate with ...Qf4#. 27 Qg3 (27 Qe3? Raf8 –+ leaves White with no good response to the threat of ...Rf4+) 27...Qxg1 and then:

28 Bh3 Qe5 29 Rxg7+ Kxg7 30 Kf3+ Kh8 31 Rg3 Rf8+ 32 Kg2 Qxe2+ 33 Kh1 Qf1+ 0-1 Although not identical to Najdorf’s game, it is easy to recognize the similarities. Black’s attack was started by the same idea, ...Bg1!, stopping White’s rook from entering the defence and cutting off the king’s retreat. Later Black built up his attack by charging forward the f-pawn and opening the f-file, and finished off with a thrust of the h-pawn. Not a bad imitation, wouldn’t you say? The following game made a very strong impression when my former coach, American grandmaster Gregory Kaidanov, showed it to me. Being a King’s Indian player as Black, these English setups with 1 Nf3 and 1 c4 always annoyed me somewhat, since I couldn’t get the mating chances that arise in the traditional King’s Indian main lines. From this game, I learned that even against the ‘solid’ English set-ups, there are still chances aplenty to play for mate if that is what we desire! Petrosian – Vasiukov Moscow Ch 1956 1 Nf3 Nf6 2 g3 g6 3 Bg2 Bg7 4 0-0 0-0 5 c4 d6 6 Nc3 Nc6 7 d3 Nh5!? (D)

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7...e5 of course leads to a very standard English Opening position, and a slower game.

White to play

Activating with tempo. The threat of ...Bxf3 followed by ...Nd4 forces White to respond. 13 e3

White to play

Vasiukov devises an extremely creative attacking scheme against the future World Champion. Tigran was famous for his ‘Python’ strategy of slowly restricting the opponent’s forces, and this move made it clear that Vasiukov had no intention of playing into his opponent’s hands. The idea is rather caveman-like, but interesting: to clear the way for the fpawn to charge to f4 and exert great pressure on the white kingside. 8 Rb1?! Already this move is an inaccuracy. Despite being the natural English plan to play Rb1 and b4, White should adapt to Black’s early attacking plans. 8 d4! is the best option for White, transposing into a form of Fianchetto King’s Indian in which it is not clear if the extra tempo of ...Nh5 helps Black at all. In those lines, the knight often retreats to d7, followed by ...e5 and perhaps ...Nc5 one day.

Notice that White can never kick the bishop with h3 as Black would respond with ...Bxf3 and ...fxg3. The tandem duo of the g4-bishop and the f4-pawn acts as a clamp on White’s kingside, and Black must maintain this in order to have a successful attack. Because White is paralysed on the kingside, Black has what feels like an eternity to deploy his forces for an attack on that side of the board. There is no time for 13 b5? due to 13...Bxf3 14 Bxf3 Nd4 =+. 13...e5! It is interesting that the computer equally prefers 13...fxg3? but after 14 fxg3 +/– Black is strategically lost. He has no real attack after losing the clamp on f4. 14 b5 Ne7 15 Ne4 Qd7 16 Bd2 (D)

8...f5 9 Qc2 Now that the knight is protected, White is threatening b4. 9...a5 10 a3 f4! 11 b4 axb4 12 axb4 Bg4! (D) 12...e5? 13 b5 +/– would be terrible for Black, as he does not get sufficient counterplay.

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ask yourself the question, “What is my worst piece?” Let us go step by step. The g7-bishop is the obvious answer. However, similar to in King’s Indian positions, it is needed to guard the king and essentially hold down the fort. Plus, it has no realistic chances of entering the game effectively as we see that Black’s own pawn-chain prevents this. Black’s rook, queen and g4-bishop are all doing an excellent job of exerting pressure. The g6-knight is also well positioned, keeping both ...Nf4 and ...Nh4 ideas alive. That being said, it is clear that Black’s h5-knight is not ideally positioned. It exerts no real pressure, and the queen would much rather be there to exert additional pressure on the d1-h5 diagonal. 24...Bf6!? (D)

Black to play

Can you find the best way to increase the pressure? 16...h6! Preparing to expand on the kingside, while also restricting White’s knights from hopping. 17 Bc3 g5 Black’s pressure on the kingside is on the verge of becoming overwhelming. 18 exf4?! This marks the beginning of Petrosian’s downfall in this game. 18 d4! was necessary, following the principle that when the opponent is playing on the flank, you should counter in the centre! After 18...exd4 (18...Bxf3 19 Bxf3 g4 20 Be2 f3 21 Bd3 exd4 22 exd4 Nf5 23 Qb2 +/– leaves Black with no real follow-up in his attack) 19 Bxd4 fxe3 (counterplay by 19...Bxd4 20 Nxd4 Bh3 also deserves attention) 20 fxe3 Qe6 the engines prefer White, but the position is closer to ‘unclear’ in my eyes.

White to play

The beginning of a powerful reorganization of Black’s forces. 25 Kh1?

Now ideas such as ...Nf4 and ...Nh4 are in the air.

Fatally, White decides to sit and wait. He had a chance here to fight back by 25 Nc3 intending Qe4, the main point being to meet 25...Ng7 26 Qe4 Qh5 with 27 h3! Bf5 (27...Bxh3? drops the g6-knight) 28 g4 Bxe4 29 Nxe4.

20 Ra1 Rxa1 21 Bxa1 b6!

25...Ng7! 26 Bb2 Ne6 27 Qc2 Qh5 28 Ned2 Ng5

A good prophylactic move to shut down White’s queenside counterplay. Black is in no rush with his attack, while White must scramble to offer any resistance.

Black has successfully manoeuvred to put pressure on the f3-knight, and now the defender must leave.

22 Bc3 Qf5 23 Bd2 Kh8 24 Bc1

Not 30...f3?? 31 d4! +/–, which turns the tables completely, but 30...Ne7! followed by ...Nf5 is also very strong; for instance: 31 d4 Nf5 32 dxe5 fxg3 33 exd6+ Bf6 34 fxg3 Nxg3+ 35 Kg1 Nxf1 36 Nxf1 Qc5+ –+.

18...gxf4 19 Qe2 Ng6

Despite having a massive presence on the kingside, it is not clear how Black breaks through. In order to find Vasiukov’s next series of moves, you must

29 Nxg5 Bxg5 30 Be4 Be2!

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31 Kg1

10 Qc2?!

If the rook moves, then Black’s rook will penetrate into f2 with decisive effect. 31 d4 fails to 31...fxg3 32 fxg3 Bxf1 –+.

I was pleased to discover that my hypothesis was correct.

31...f3!

Of course, we must maintain the clamp on f4.

Of course, the e2-bishop is far more valuable than the lousy rook on f1. 31...fxg3! 32 hxg3 Nf4! –+ is just as good, if not even better.

12 b4 axb4 13 axb4 Bg4 (D)

10...f4! 11 e3 e5

32 Re1 Bxd2 33 Rxe2 Bg5 34 Re1 Qh3 35 Bxf3 Rxf3 36 d4 Petrosian tries his last bid for counterplay, but Vasiukov quickly puts him away: 36...Nf4! 36...Nh4! is the same thing. 37 gxf4 Bxf4 0-1 Mate is coming soon. The next example is from the penultimate round of the 2016 Canadian Youth Chess Championship. A win here would have essentially clinched the tournament. I had spent all of the previous night doing preparation in the Dutch, but my opponent and good friend IM Richard Wang decided to surprise me...

White to play

After the first thirteen moves, we have an identical position to the previous game. Black is already comfortable, with severe pressure on White’s kingside. Richard decided to deviate from Petrosian with his next move: 14 Nd5

R. Wang – Song

White is now threatening to capture on f4. Clearly, Black does not want to exchange his f-pawn and lose his clamp on the white kingside, so his next move is virtually forced.

Canadian Junior Ch, Windsor 2016 1 c4 f5!? With this move, I figured that the game would probably transpose to a Dutch at some point. 2 g3 Nf6 3 Bg2 g6 4 Nc3 Bg7 5 d3 0-0 6 Nf3 d6 7 0-0 Nc6 8 Rb1 a5 9 a3 The funny thing was, I had actually shown the previous game to one of my students just one week earlier! Having the ideas still fresh in my mind, I decided to follow in Vasiukov’s footsteps.

14 b5 was seen in the previous game. 14...Ne7! Immediately hunting down the strong knight in the centre of the board. 15 Bb2 15 exf4 Nxd5 16 cxd5 exf4 still gives Black great pressure.

9...Nh5!?

15...Nxd5 16 cxd5 Qd7 17 Rbc1?

This move threw Richard off, and he began to think from this moment forth. I felt confident that because he normally does not play fianchetto systems, he wouldn’t find the unnatural but strong move 10 d4!, and that I could obtain a game similar to what we have just seen.

A desperate attempt for counterplay, but Black can refute this tactically. 17 exf4 exf4 18 Bxg7 Nxg7 =+ was White’s best attempt, although Black is still better due to his

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space on the kingside along with some shattered pawns to attack. 17...Ra2! Threatening ...Rxb2 followed by ...Bxf3 and ...e4, winning material. 18 e4 (D)

Black to play

22...Nxg3+

Black to play

We are in a similar situation as last game. Black’s pressure is on the verge of being unbearable; he just needs to include a little more firepower. In the previous game, Vasiukov employed a brilliant knight manoeuvre to accomplish this. Here it is hard to imagine how the h5-knight can be improved, but in this case, there is another piece that can be:

I smashed down this move without thinking, as I had seen it in my earlier calculations, but it turns out I had an even simpler win: 22...Bxf3! 23 Rxf3 (23 Bxf3 Qh3 and mate is unstoppable; for instance, 24 Rg1 Nxg3+ 25 Rxg3 Qf1+ 26 Rg1 Qxg1#) 23...Rxf3 24 Bxf3 Qh3 –+ and White has no defence to the threats of ...Qf1# and ...Nxg3#. 23 hxg3 Bxf3 Of course, White is still lost. 24 Kh2 Bg4 25 Rxf8+ Kxf8 26 Bb2 Qg7! The queen slides laterally towards the poor white king. 27 Bh3 Qh6 28 Qg2 b5 29 Bc3 Ke7 30 Qf1 Qh5 31 Qg2 g5 32 Ba1 Kd8 33 Qf1 Bf3 34 g4 Bf4+ 35 Kg1 Bxg4 36 Bxg4 Qh2# (0-1)

18...Bh6! The bishop joins the attack. 19 Ra1?? When I played 18...Bh6, I saw that this natural move loses on the spot. However, White’s position was already extremely difficult. 19 Rce1! was the best defence, although after 19...Qb5! 20 Qc3 Qb6! (attacking g3 due to the pin on the f2-pawn and also protecting c7) 21 Kh1 Ra4 –/+ Black will pick off a pawn for free while maintaining a big initiative. 19...Rxa1 20 Bxa1 fxg3 21 fxg3 Be3+ 22 Kh1 (D)

In addition to the opening and early middlegame being identical to the last game, notice the similarities in how Black built up his attack. Never did he remove the dominant pawn on f4, but rather he built his attack around that pawn, until the pressure was too much to handle. Once all the pieces were in position (the knight manoeuvre in Vasiukov’s game and the inclusion of the dark-squared bishop in the attack in my game) White’s position quickly crumbled.

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14 0-0-0 +/– is also a fully acceptable way to play the position.

Fischer – Benko USA Ch, New York 1963/4 What would an attacking book be without a complete game from Bobby Fischer? In this famous game, he demonstrates a very powerful attacking idea: sacrificing a piece in order to block the opponent’s defences.

14...Nd6 15 Qg3

1 e4 g6 2 d4 Bg7 3 Nc3 d6 4 f4 Nf6 5 Nf3 0-0 6 Bd3 Bg4?!

16...c6 17 Qh5

Today, Black’s main choices are 6...Na6 and 6...Nc6, but of course opening theory half a century ago was not as advanced as in our day and age. Benko’s move surrenders the bishop-pair much too easily.

17...Qe8?? (D)

Threatening the obvious Bh6. 15...Kh8 16 Qg4! Stopping any ideas of counterplay with ...f5. Now Fischer zeroes in on the h7-pawn. Losing at once (17...Ne6 +/– allows Black to fight on longer, although he is still suffering).

7 h3 Bxf3 8 Qxf3 Nc6 9 Be3 e5 (D)

White to play

White to play

10 dxe5! The correct recapture, allowing White to retain attacking prospects on the kingside. 10 fxe5? would be a serious mistake. After 10...dxe5 11 d5 Nd4 12 Qf2 Nd7 = it is hard to imagine White ever being able to build up an attack on the kingside. 10...dxe5 11 f5! gxf5? It is understandable that Benko did not want to allow Fischer to expand with g4 and roll his pawns forward, but this move is much too weakening. 11...Nd4 12 Qf2 b5! 13 g4 b4 14 Ne2 c5 would be a better attempt to get some counterplay. Meanwhile, White’s attack is not so obvious; for instance, 15 g5?! c4! 16 gxf6 Bxf6 17 0-0-0 cxd3 18 Rxd3 Bh4, when play is very unclear.

Frightened by Fischer’s bind on the kingside light squares, Benko’s idea was to nudge the f-pawn, which would allow his queen to enter the defence. But Fischer was not kind enough to let this happen; do you see the win in this iconic position? 18 Bxd4 exd4 19 Rf6!! Blocking the f-pawn, and there is simply no defence to playing e5 and mating on h7. 19 e5?? at once would not work due to 19...f5 20 Qxe8 Nxe8 =+. 19...Kg8 After 19...Bxf6 20 e5 +– the bishop is in the way of ...f5. 20 e5 h6 21 Ne2 1-0 If the knight moves, then Qf5 leads to mate, and Benko had no choice but to call it a day.

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e) 19 Bxd8 Raxd8 20 Qg5 (20 Nxe6 fxe6 21 cxd3 Qg7 and Black is more than OK) 20...f6 21 Nxe6+ fxg5 22 Nxc7 Nxb2 23 Nxa6 Rd2 24 Nb4 Nc4 = and Black has comfortably equalized.

The following example could very well have been used as a calculation exercise, yet I chose to show it here due to the resemblance to Fischer’s game.

We now return to 18...Kxg7? (D):

White to play White to play

Ravinsky – Ilivitsky 19 Rxf4!

Riga 1952 However, the situation is somewhat different; if White does not act now, he will find himself much worse. From a positional point of view, Black has achieved a dream Sicilian: his knights are active, White has a weak isolated e-pawn and the darksquared bishops are about to be swapped off. White’s next move should come as no surprise.

19 Qh6+? is not as convincing. 19...Kg8 20 Rxf4 Nxd3 (20...f6 is also another possible defensive try; after 21 Rf3! Nxd3 22 cxd3 Qg7 23 Raf1 +/– White is of course much better, but the game is not over) 21 Nd5 Bxd5 22 Bxd8 Nf2+! 23 Rxf2 Raxd8 +/– and Black can still fight.

18 Nxg7! Kxg7?

This allows White to deliver forced mate, but at this point Black could not hope for survival in any case. One line continues 19...f6 20 Bh6+ Kh8 (20...Kf7 21 Qh5+ Ke7 22 Nd5+ Bxd5 23 exd5 +– and White will soon invade on the kingside) 21 Bxf8 exf4 22 Nd5 Bxd5 23 Bxc5 Qxc5 24 exd5 f5 25 Qxf4 Qxd5 26 Bxf5 +–, when White emerges two pawns up with the safer king.

This seemingly forced move is actually the decisive mistake. 18...Ncxd3! was the only defence, and should maintain equality with proper play. No matter what White tries, there is nothing special: a) 19 g3?? is a serious error due to 19...Nh3! 20 cxd3 (20 Bxd8 Ndf2+! 21 Kg2 Raxd8 –+) 20...Nxg5 21 Qh6 f6 –+. b) 19 Nxe6? fxe6 20 Bxd8 (20 cxd3? Qg7! –+) 20...Qxd8 21 Qxd8 Raxd8 22 cxd3 Nxd3 =+ and Black maintains an annoying initiative in the endgame.

19...exf4?

20 Qh6+ 20 e5?? allows Black to defend successfully and even win after 20...f5 21 exf6+ Kh8 –+. 20...Kg8 (D)

c) 19 cxd3? Kxg7 20 Qh6+ Kg8 –/+ does not give White sufficient compensation for the piece. d) 19 Qg3 Kh8 20 cxd3 Bxg5 21 Qxg5 Rg8 22 Nxe6 fxe6 23 Qf6+ Qg7 24 Qxg7+ Rxg7 =.

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1-0 The final move of the combination. The e2-bishop serves as a shield for White’s king and so Black has no defence to mate. Did you calculate up to this point when you decided on 18 Nxg7? Remember, as we discussed in Chapter 5, no attack will work without precise calculation! Hopefully from these three pairs of games, I was able to showcase the importance of studying previous games and absorbing the ideas. The same ideas can reoccur at any given moment in chess, so it is better to be prepared. While studying chess games is not exactly the same as learning how to ride a bike, there are some ideas that you will never forget!

White to play

21 Bf6! Fischer’s idea! Well, to be honest, this game was played eleven years before Fischer’s game, so who knows? Perhaps Fischer borrowed his Rf6 move from this game! In any case, it is remarkable that the same attacking idea can be reused time and time again. The bishop sacrifices its life to block the required ...f5. 21...Bxf6 22 e5! Nxd3 23 exf6 Black’s position looks resignable, but it is actually not over yet... 23...Nf2+ 24 Kg1 Nh3+! 25 Kf1! Not 25 gxh3?? Qc5+ 26 Kh1 (26 Kf1?? would even lose to 26...Bxh3+! 27 Qxh3 Kh8 –+) 26...Qc6+, when White cannot escape the perpetual. 25...Bc4+ 26 Ne2 Bxe2+ 27 Ke1!! (D)

Black to play

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12: Prophylaxis MICHAEL SONG After a tedious and seemingly endless week, I find no greater pleasure in life than coming home on a Friday evening to enjoy a good old-fashioned steak dinner. In fact, I would even dare to say that my craving for steak is almost as great as my love for chess. However, there is a factor that prevents me from devouring an entire animal: I cannot help but feel guilty reaching out for a second serving without having finished all the asparagus on my plate. But what does this have to do with attacking and positional play, you may ask. After all, this is a chess book, not a culinary one. Picture chess as a steak and asparagus dish. For true attacking aficionados, attacking play is the steak – the main reason why they ordered the plate. Yet positional play is often detested by the same people in the same way that I detest my asparagus. Although asparagus is indubitably an essential part of the dish, I have a tendency to neglect its significance. Unfortunately, the same approach happens too often among attacking players when it comes to positional play – they tend to brush aside the boring concept as a whole, effectively restricting their game to one dimension. While this makes for good coffee-house chess, it is no serious way to attain the levels of mastery in chess. When people hear the term ‘prophylaxis’, the first thing that comes to mind is positional play. This is usually recognized in two forms in most chess literature: either squeezing the opponent by preventing counterplay in a long positional struggle, or stopping the opponent’s attacking ideas when one is on the defensive. True, prophylaxis is arguably one of the greatest components of positional play, but what has been largely neglected is that prophylaxis is often very important in the attack as well. In most cases, attacks require some degree of control and stability in the position. It is very difficult to include your pieces in an attack if there are hindering factors, such as a weak king. It is easy to get carried away by tempting attacking possibilities and neglect one’s own king safety. Thus, the first principle of prophylaxis in the attack is that the attacker must ensure that his own king is not in danger before moving in for the final assault.

Timman – Karpov London 1984 Karpov finds a magnificent way to continue his attack: 19...Ka8!! Sidestepping all the attacks, while Black will maintain a very strong initiative. Karpov handled such positions almost flawlessly. By stripping White of any hope of counterplay against the black king, White is left to perish with his own king fatally exposed. Black to play

Instead, 19...d5 20 Qc2 c5 21 Qd1 offers Black relatively little.

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19...g5 (D) is a rather cold-blooded approach, but equally as valid.

White to play

In fact, when I stumbled upon this position, it was the solution I chose. The multitude of possibilities makes chess an interesting game indeed!

vives to tell the tale) 24...Kxc6 25 Qxc5+ Kd7 (25...Kb7?? would even lose after 26 Qa7+ Kc8 27 Qxa6+ Kd7 28 0-0 with a crushing attack) 26 Qd5+ and since 26...Ke7?? runs into 27 Bc5#, Black has no choice but to accept the draw after 26...Kc8 27 Qa8+ Kd7 28 Qd5+. c2) 22...Ka8! enables Black to win, but it feels very counter-intuitive to place the king into a discovered check. 23 Na5+ (23 Bd2 Qg6 24 Qd5 Qd3 –+ repels White’s attack) 23...Kb8 24 Nc6+ Kc8 25 Na7+ Kd8 (25...Kd7 26 Qa4+ Ke7 27 Qxa6 gxf4 28 0-0 is objectively better for Black, but by no means clear at all) 26 Nc6+ (after 26 Qa8+ Ke7 27 Nc6+ Kd7 28 Qxa6 Qg6 –+ Black wins back his piece with an easy win) 26...Kd7 27 e6+ Rxe6 28 Nb8+ Ke7 29 Nc6+ Kf6! 30 Be5+ Rxe5 31 Qxe5+ Kg6 32 Qe6+ Kg7 33 Qe5+ Kg8 34 Qd5+ Qf7 35 Qxg5+ Qg6 36 Qd5+ Kg7 37 Qd4+ Qf6 38 Qg4+ Kf7 39 Qd7+ Be7 40 Qxe7+ Qxe7+ 41 Nxe7 Kxe7 (D).

a) 20 Bd2 d5 21 Qe3 Bd6 22 Nc5+ Ka8! leaves White with no defence to ...Rxe5; e.g., 23 e6 Bxg3+! –+ with mate soon to come. b) 20 Na5+ Ka8 21 Rxc6 d5! (exploiting the fact that White’s queen must guard against mate on e2) 22 Qc2 gxf4 –+ and Black wins easily: 23 Rxa6 Rxe5+ 24 Kd2 (24 Kf1 Qf3+ –+) 24...Re2+ –+. c) 20 Rxc6 is probably White’s best chance. 20...dxc6 21 Na5+ Kxa7 22 Nxc6+ (D) and now:

White to play

Black to play

c1) 22...Kb6?? 23 Be3+ Bc5 24 Qb4+! (after 24 Bxc5+? Kxc5 –+ Black’s king somehow sur-

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After a long and practically forced variation, Black makes it out alive and should win this endgame easily. However, when making the decision to play 19...g5, could any human possibly calculate 22 moves ahead up to an endgame on move 41? Although objectively speaking, 19...g5 is just as good as Karpov’s 19...Ka8, in a practical game, Karpov’s choice is much stronger. After 19...Ka8, Black is in no danger and his position plays itself, whereas White struggles to keep the game afloat. In comparison, after 19...g5, Black has to rely on scarylooking moves such as 22...Ka8! that are hard enough to play over the board, let alone to find in calculation. In general, the attacker should

Prophylaxis

look for the win that restricts enemy counterplay and complications to a minimum. Since we obviously do not possess the ability to calculate like computers, there is always the chance for a miscalculation in variations such as 19...g5 that could come with severe consequences. We now return to 19...Ka8!! (D):

Black to play

A brief glance at the position shows that Black has more than enough compensation for the exchange due to the vulnerability of the white king. Nevertheless, it is not so obvious how Black should proceed with his attack. 24...h6! White to play

20 h4 Necessary to stop the threat of ...g5. 20 Na5? is coolly refuted by 20...Bb4+! –+, when the bishop is untouchable due to the mate on e2. 20 Qe3 g5! 21 Bxg5 Bd6 –+ leaves White with no defence to the threat on e5. 20...d5 21 Qe3 21 Qg2 was a better try, but of course White is still helpless after 21...Bb4+ 22 Kf2 Rxe5! 23 Bxe5 Qxe5 24 Kg1 Rf8 25 Kh2 Qe3 26 Rc2 Bd3 –+ with absolute domination. 21...g5! 22 Bxg5 Bb4+ 23 Kf2 Rhf8+ 24 Kg2 Rxe5! 25 Qxe5 Qf3+ 26 Kh2 Qf2+ 0-1 Mate will come after ...Bc8+. Notice how Karpov’s win seemed effortless, while 19...g5 would have led to massive complications. Such is the power of prophylaxis! The next position arose as I was doing opening preparation on the Symmetrical English one day.

We see that Black’s plan is to play ...Rc4, followed by the capture on a4 with the bishop to exert pressure on c2. However, this was not possible right away due to back-rank issues. After noticing this, it becomes obvious that the best way to continue the attack is first to ensure the safety of our own king. Despite it being White’s move, no matter what he plays, White is in serious trouble. The obvious 24...Rc4 leads nowhere after 25 Qxa3 since a4 is untouchable due to Black’s weak back rank: 25...Bxa4?? 26 Rd8+ Ne8 27 Qxa4! +–. 24...Nc6?! also does nothing after 25 Qxa3 +=. 25 Rd3 White attempts to bring the rook into the defence via c3, but ultimately falls short after a precise series of moves. Other possibilities: a) 25 e5? is easily refuted by 25...Rc4 26 Qxa3 Bxa4 27 Rd2 Ng4 –+, when the threat of ...Ne3 is decisive. 28 Re1 Bxc2 29 Rxc2 Qf2! –+ is one way the game could finish. b) 25 Kb1 Rc4 26 Qxa3 Qf2! will soon lead to a quick demolition. For instance: 27 Ne1 Bxa4 28 Rd8+ Kh7 (see how useful a move 24...h6 has become!) 29 Qb2 Qc5 30 Nd3 Qc7 31 Rd4 Bc2+ 32 Ka1 Bxd3 33 Rxd3 Rc2 –+ and White loses the bishop on g2.

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c) 25 Bf1, covering the c4-square, is probably the best defence, although Black still enjoys a pleasant advantage after 25...Nc6 26 Qxa3 Nb8!!. This is somewhat counterintuitive, but if it is the only way to get the bishop to take on a4, then so be it. After 27 Bd3 Bxa4 –/+ the knight will re-enter the game next move, and Black will have a strong attack. 25...Rc4 26 Qxa3 Bxa4 27 Rc3 Qf2! 28 Rxc4 Nxc4 29 Qxa4 (D)

We have just examined two instances of prophylaxis through taking care of our king safety before launching the final assault. However, this is not the only use of prophylaxis in the attack. Strictly speaking, if we were to classify the last two examples, an appropriate label would be ‘preventing the defender’s counterplay’. In the next few examples, I want to show the reader the other side of prophylaxis in the attack, namely ‘preventing defensive resources’. Although many attacks can be successful with ‘brute force’, attacking is often a combination of generating threats and shutting down enemy defences.

Black to play

29...Qd2+! An important zwischenzug. 29...Qxg2? 30 Rd1 Qxe4 31 Qb3! +/– makes it difficult for Black to meet the threat of Rd8+ followed by Qd3.

White to play

30 Kb1 Qxg2 31 Rd1

Aleksandrov – Bareev

31 Rc1 Nxe4 –/+.

FIDE Knockout, New Delhi 2000

31...Qe2! The point. The rook on d1 is no longer defended.

Do you see Black’s defensive idea, and if so, how to prevent it?

32 Rd8+ Kh7 33 Qb4

27 d5!

Threatening to bring the queen back with Qe1, but Black has a fantastic resource:

If you spotted that Black’s plan is to bring the a6bishop into the defence via c4, then this move is automatic. While the d5-pawn itself does not contribute directly to the attack against the black king, it plays a huge role by shutting the a2-g8 diagonal so the bishop cannot defend the f7-pawn.

33...Nd5!! Threatening ...Qd1#. 34 Qe1 Na3+! 35 Kb2 Qxc2+ 36 Kxa3 Qc5+ 37 Kb2 Qb6+ 38 Ka3 Qxd8 39 exd5 Qxd5 –/+ Black should win this endgame without too many problems. Notice that none of Black’s attacks would be possible without the move ...h6 making luft for the king.

27 Rae1?? was played in the game, but after 27...Bc4! the bishop entered the defence and White eventually lost. 27 Ng5?? also allows Black an easy defence after 27...Bc4 –/+. 27...Qxd5 After 27...cxd5? 28 Ng5! +– White crashes through on f7 now that the d5-pawn is in the way of the

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bishop. After 27...Bc4? 28 d6! +– White also wins back the piece as he maintains a crushing attack.

N7e6 Qb7 27 Rf1 +–, when Black has nothing left to fight for.

28 Rae1!

21 Qh5 Nxf5 22 Qxh7+ Kf8 23 Qxf5+ Kg8

First including another piece in the attack by threatening Re8+ before grabbing the c7-bishop.

23...Ke7 24 Qe6+ Kd8 25 Nf7+ +–.

28...Rg8 29 Rxc7 +/–

This idea is highly attractive and instructive, but 24 Re3 also wins, albeit in slightly messier fashion.

White is clearly on top since Black cannot grab the knight due to 29...Qxf3? 30 Qxg7+! Rxg7 31 Re8+ Rg8 32 Rxg8+ Kxg8 33 gxf3 with an easily winning endgame.

24 Qg6!! (D)

While most sacrificial continuations and combinations are composed of a series of forcing moves and threats, the hardest ones to calculate usually contain what we refer to as a ‘silent killer’ move. As the next game illustrates, this could be a deadly prophylactic move that obstructs the enemy’s defensive plans.

Black to play

Did you see this in your calculation? This silent killer move simply blocks Black’s last defensive opportunity by preventing the g-pawn from advancing and opening up the seventh rank, so Black’s queen is denied the chance of entering the defence. 24...Qd7 25 Re3 1-0 Black resigned as there is no defence to Rf3, followed by mate.

White to play

Teichmann – Schlechter Karlsbad 1911 Can you spot how Teichmann finished the game? 19 Bxf7+! Kxf7 20 Ng5+ Kg8 20...Kg6 21 Qg4 +– is a quick mate. 20...Kf6 is maybe the best practical chance, but Black is doomed nonetheless after 21 Nxh7+ Kf7 22 Ng5+ Kf6 23 Qg4 g6 24 Ng7!!. Black cannot avoid disaster; for instance, 24...Rh8 (24...Ng8 25 Nxe8+ Rxe8 26 Re3 Bc8 27 Qh4 +–) 25 f4! (opening the f-file against Black’s king) 25...Bc8 26 192

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White to play

Black to play

a) 20...Nh2? does not work due to 21 f4! Bxf4 22 g3! Bxg3 23 Rxh2 Bxh2 24 Qxh2 +–, when Black has no defence.

Dreev – Tiviakov Dos Hermanas 2003 From a first glance at the position, White stands better. He has a space advantage, pieces lined up towards Black’s king, and the duo of the c6-bishop and d5-pawn restrict the mobility of the black forces. In addition, White has attacking ideas such as Ng5 to threaten mate on h7, and if ...hxg5 is played, then the opening of the h-file will prove decisive. However, Black has the very annoying defensive plan of ...g6 followed by ...Bf5, after which White’s attack comes to a halt. Of course, White can easily prevent this with 19 h5, but at the cost of giving up the idea of Ng5. Dreev’s next two moves are an outstanding example of combining prophylaxis with an attack. 19 Rde1!? 19 Ng5! was thought to be harmless when the game was played, but subsequent analysis shows that this ‘brute-force’ method is very powerful, and indeed stronger than the game continuation. 19..hxg5 (19...g6? is refuted at once by 20 Ne6 +–) 20 hxg5 (D) and now:

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b) 20...Bh2 looks to be holding at first, but it turns out that Black is in serious trouble after 21 d6! Qxg5 (21...Bb7 22 Bxb7 Rxb7 23 f3 Ne3 24 Rxh2! Nxc2 25 Rdh1 f5 26 g6! leaves Black with no defence to Rh8#) 22 d7 Ba6 (22...Bb7 23 Rd5! Qe7 24 Bxb7 Rxb7 25 Rh5 f6 26 Qh7+ Kf7 27 R5xh2 Nxh2 28 Qh5+ Kg8 29 Qd5+! +– followed by queening with an easy win) 23 Bf3 +–, when White will recoup the piece with interest. c) 20...f5 is the most natural defence. Then: c1) After 21 gxf6 Nxf6 22 Rde1 the computer says White is clearly better, and although it is easy to see that White has a lot of compensation, the players did not feel as optimistic about White’s chances here during the game. c2) It is likely that both players did not seriously consider the slow but strong plan of 21 Rh5!, doubling rooks and holding the important g5pawn. Then: c21) 21...b5? is much too slow. After 22 Rdh1 Kf7 23 f3! Ne3 (23...Ne5 24 f4 Nxc6 25 dxc6 +– leaves Black with no good answer to g6+) 24 Rh7! (obviously the queen is taboo due to mate in one) 24...Rg8 25 Bxg7! Nxc2 (25...Rxg7 26 Rxg7+ Kxg7 27 Qc3+ Kg6 28 Be8+! +– leads to mate) 26 Bf6+ Kf8 27 Bxd8 +– Black has no defence to the onslaught with R1h6.

Prophylaxis

b) 20 Re6 (more critical) 20...Qc7 21 Rhe1 (21 Bb5 a6! 22 Bd3 Bxe6 23 dxe6 b5! 24 h5 b4 25 e7 bxc3 is about equal) 21...Ne5 (showing that Black’s control of e5 – thanks to 19...f6 – is important) 22 Nxe5 Bxe6 23 dxe6 Bxe5 24 Bxe5 fxe5 25 Bb5 Rf4 and Black might be holding on.

c22) 21...Be5 22 Rdh1 Bxc3 23 Qxc3 Kf7 24 f3 Nf2 25 Rf1 +/– and White reclaims his material. c23) 21...Kf7 22 Rdh1 still gives White excellent compensation for the piece. After 22...Rg8 (22...Be5 23 f3 +–; 22...Ne5 23 f4 Nxc6 24 dxc6 +–), the most clinical finish is 23 g3! intending f3; White not only covers f4, but brings in Qh2 ideas too. For instance, 23...b5 24 f3 b4 25 axb4 cxb4 26 g6+!? Kxg6 27 Bxg7! +–. So after further investigation, it seems that the rather ‘caveman-like’ 19 Ng5! is a good option for White. The game continuation is far more instructive, however. Thus we return to 19 Rde1!? (D):

20 Re6!! Dreev’s powerful rook-lift simultaneously stops the defensive resource ...Bf5, while also threatening to smash through with Rxg6+. Black’s reply is forced. 20...Bxe6 21 dxe6 f5 22 h5 Softening up the black kingside is more than sufficient to bring home the point. However, 22 e7! would have been slightly more convincing: a) 22...Bxe7 23 Rd1 Qc7 (whatever Black chooses, the end result is the same: 23...Qc8 24 Bd7! {seizing the e6-square} 24...Qc7 25 Be6+ Kh7 26 Rd7 +/–; 23...Bd6 24 Qb3+ Kh7 25 Qe6 Rf6 26 Bxf6 Qxf6 27 Qxf6 Nxf6 28 Rxd6 +–) 24 Qb3+ Rf7 (after 24...Kh7 25 Rd7 +– White wins easily) 25 Qe6 Bf6 26 Rd7 +– and White crashes through. b) 22...Qxe7 23 Bd5+ Kh7 24 Ng5+! hxg5 25 hxg5+ Bh2 26 Qa4!! is another excellent example of combining prophylaxis and attack. White threatens Qxg4 followed by Rxh2#, and taking the pawn with 26...Qxg5 fails to 27 Qxa7+ Kh6 28 Qg7+ Kh5 29 f3 +–. 22...gxh5

Black to play

19...g6? Unaware of Dreev’s intentions, Tiviakov carries out his plan of ...Bf5. However, this proves to be a decisive mistake. 19...f6 is definitely ugly, but was perhaps called for to seize further control of the g5-square to discourage Ng5 jumps. However, one must understand that it is extremely difficult for any human with ample chess understanding to play such a move due to the permanent corruption of the light squares, and so some mercy when rebuking the players’ decisions is appropriate. Here are some sample variations:

22...Be7 23 hxg6 Qd6 would put up slightly more resistance, although White is still easily winning after the simple retreat 24 Bb5, when there is no defence to ideas such as g7 and Rd1-d7. 23 Rxh5 (D)

a) 20 Qg6 is the automatic move but after 20...Qc7!, with ideas such as ...Ne5 or ...Qf7, Black seems to be holding on.

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ing that he had plenty of time left on his clock, it is astonishing that the tournament leader at the time did not find the whole continuation after... 35 Qf7! Threatening Qg8+ followed by Rc6+ with a decisive attack. 35...Qa4 (D) In the post-game interview, Caruana explained that he did not see a way to refute this move, which seizes control of the c6-square to prevent rook checks. Black to play

Black’s defences fall apart and the conclusion is simple.

Instead after 35...Qxb2 36 Qg8+ Kg6 37 Rc6+ Kf5 38 Qf7+ Ke4 39 Qf3+ Kd4 40 Qd1+ Ke4 41 Kh2! (avoiding the exchange of queens after ...Qd4+), Black has no satisfactory defence to the threat of Rc2, as 41...Qd4 runs immediately into 42 Qf3#.

23...Qe7 24 Nh4 Qxe6 25 Nxf5 Be5? Losing immediately, but there was not much hope in any case: 25...Kf7 26 Nxd6+ Qxd6 27 Qh7+ Ke6 28 Qe4+ Kf7 29 Rf5+ +– soon leads to mate; 25...Rf7 also succumbs to 26 Bd5 Qxd5 27 Nxh6+ Nxh6 28 Qg6+ Kf8 29 Qxh6+ Ke7 30 Rxd5 +–. 26 Bd5! 1-0

White to play

So what is White to do now?

White to play

Caruana – Giri Shamkir 2016 Perhaps if Fabiano Caruana had not let this win slip away, he would have won clear first in the 2016 Gashimov Memorial. Seeing no real way to make progress, he settled for a repetition following 35 Qd3+ Re4 36 Qf1 Re5 and so forth. Consider-

It is clear that 36 Qg8+? Kg6 leads nowhere for White, and an attempt to deflect the queen with 36 b3? Qd4+ 37 Kh2 Qb6 allows Black to hold everything, with ...Qf6 coming next. However, if we take a deeper look at the position, we begin to realize that Black’s main defensive plan is to bring the queen back to the sixth rank. From here, it will go to e6 or f6 and easily repel White’s attack. If Black’s queen fails to retreat to the sixth rank, White will be able to continue his attack with moves such as Qg8+ and Rc7. As soon as one employs this type of prophylactic thinking, the solution becomes clear: 36 Kh2!!

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This quiet king move strips Black of the possibility to retreat the queen via d4 and b6, and consequently Black has no defence. For instance: 36...h5 Trying to open an additional square on h6 for the king. 36...a5 is easily refuted by 37 b3!, forcing the queen back to b5, in which case Black has no more counterplay with ...Qf4+. Black is doomed after both 37...Qb5 38 Qg8+ Kg6 39 Rc7 +– and 37...Qb4 38 Qg8+ Kg6 39 Rc6+ Kf5 40 Qf7+ Ke4 41 Rc1! +–. 37 b4!! (D) Another excellent prophylactic move. By stopping ...Qe4, White ensures that the queen will never be able to defend the g6-pawn as in the variation 37 b3? Qe4 38 Qg8+ Kh6 39 Rc6+ g6 40 Qh8+ Kg5 =, when White has no way to make progress.

White to play

Khismatullin – Elianov European Ch, Jerusalem 2015 In this position, the d6-rook is obviously taboo due to ...Qxd1#. An attempt to play on with 44 Ra1? would severely backfire after 44...Rf6, when Black is close to winning. Virtually everyone spectating this game expected it to end quickly in a draw. For instance, 44 Qe7+ Kh6 45 Qf8+, with a repetition, seems like one logical way for the game to finish. The game can also conclude 44 f4+ Kh4! 45 Qxd6 Qxd1+ 46 Kf2 Qe2+ 47 Kg1 Qe1+, with perpetual check. There is even an amusing draw that occurs after 44 h4+ Kh5 45 g4+ Kxg4 46 Qxf7 Qxd1+ 47 Kg2, and thanks to the nakedness of Black’s king, he has no way to avoid perpetual check.

Black to play

37...a5 After 37...Qxb4 38 Qg8+ Kh6 39 Rc6+! +– Black cannot block with ...g6 due to the misplacement of his queen. 38 Qg8+ Kg6 39 Rc7 +–

However, when looking at the position, Khismatullin realized that in all lines, his rook on d1 plays no significant role in the attack against the black king, and is thus expendable. Black’s drawing idea is not defensive in nature, but rather to counter-attack the white king. Once Black runs out of play against White’s king, he will find himself in trouble... 44 Kg1!! (D)

Black has no defence. The final example of this chapter features one of the greatest moves that I have seen.

Simply evacuating the king to safety before continuing with the attack. What a remarkable demonstration of prophylaxis!

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47 Qf8+ Kg5 47...Kh5 48 g4+ Kg5 49 Qxf7 +– with mate soon to come. 48 Qxf7 (D)

Black to play

44...Qxd1+? The losing move. 44...Qxc6 45 Qxf7 Rf6 46 Qe7 +/– is very unpleasant for Black. 44...Rd5! is the best defence, but extremely difficult to find. 45 Kh2! (45 Qxf7? Qxd1+ 46 Kh2 Rf5 = is Black’s defensive idea, after which White has no choice but to deliver a perpetual sooner or later) and then:

Black to play

Despite being a rook up, Black simply has no way to parry the threats. 48...Rf6 49 f4+ Kh6 50 Qxf6 Qe2 51 Qf8+ Kh5 52 Qg7 h6 53 Qe5+ Kh4 54 Qf6+ Kh5 55 f5 gxf5 56 Qxf5+ Kh4 57 Qg6 1-0

a) Not 45...Qxd1? 46 c7 Qc2 47 c8Q Qxc8 48 Qxc8 d2 49 f4+ +–, when Black will not be able to queen. After 49...Kh5 50 g4+ Kh4 51 Qc3! (but not 51 Qf8?? d1Q 52 Qh6+ Rh5! –+) there is no defence to Qf6+. b) 45...Kf6! 46 e4 Rc5 47 Qd6+ Kg7 48 Rxd3 Rxc6 49 Qe5+ and although White can play on, Black should hold with good defence. 45 Kh2 +– Black now has no salvation. The threat of the cpawn, in tandem with the mating threats on the kingside, overstretches the black defences. 45...Rxc6 46 Qe7+ Gaining some time on the clock first. 46...Kh6 46...f6 47 f4+ Kh6 (47...Kf5 48 Qd7+ Re6 49 Qd5+ Re5 50 g4+ +– and White wins the house) 48 Qf8+ Kh5 49 Qg7! (precision; 49 g4+?? would be a terrible blunder as after 49...Qxg4 50 hxg4+ Kxg4 = White only has a draw according to the engines) 49...h6 50 g4+ Qxg4 51 hxg4+ Kxg4 52 Qxg6+ +– and White wins easily. 197

Prophylaxis

Exercises The key to solving these problems is first to find the opponent’s defensive resources and then to figure out how to stop or avoid them.

Exercise 1: White to play

Exercise 3: White to play

Exercise 2: Black to play

Exercise 4: White to play

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Exercise 5: White to play

Exercise 6: Black to play

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Solutions to Exercises

White to play

Black to play

1) Miroshnichenko – Maiorov

2) Aronian – Anand

Cappelle la Grande 2009

Wijk aan Zee 2013

White played 38 Be4 and subsequently converted his advantage after rather poor defence from Black, but much stronger was:

In one of the ‘modern classics’ of the 21st century, Anand finished off his attack in excellent style:

38 Bd5!

Seeing that White’s only defensive resource is found in Qh7+, Black simply eliminates this option for White, leaving Aronian helpless against the onslaught. Instead:

A killer move, stopping all of Black’s counterplay on the d-file and leaving him helpless against the advance of the f-pawn. 38...Rxd5 38...cxd5 39 f7 Rd2+ 40 Kf1 Qe6 41 Qf6+ Qxf6+ 42 Nxf6 +–. 39 cxd5 Nb4 40 Ne5

19...f5!

a) 19...Qh4? would be a serious error as it allows 20 Qh7+ Qxh7 21 Nxh7 Kxh7 22 h3, when Black has full compensation for the exchange, but probably no more than that. b) 19...Kxf8?! 20 Qh7! and then:

40 f7 Nd3+ 41 Kg3 Nxf4 42 fxg8Q+ Kxg8 43 Nf6+ +– is also good enough.

b1) 20...Nf2+? 21 Rxf2 Bxf2 22 f5! leaves matters complicated.

40...Nxd5 41 Nxd7 Nxf4 42 Rxf4 +–

b2) Despite ‘closing the stable door after the horse has bolted’, 20...f5! is surprisingly strong, the main point being 21 h3 Rxc3!, when 22 Qh8+ Kf7! 23 Qxd8?? Rxh3# is a pretty mate. However, after 22 bxc3 Qd5 23 Qh8+ Ke7 24 Qh4+ Ke8 25 Qg3 Bf2 26 Qxf2 Nxf2+ 27 Rxf2 Qd1+ 28 Kh2 Qe1!, although Black is much better, he has more work to do than in Anand’s continuation in the game. 20 Ng6

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20 Qd3 Qh4 21 Qg3 Qxg3 22 hxg3 Kxf8 –+ also leaves White totally defenceless against the threat of moving the king followed by ...Rh8#. 20...Qf6 21 h3 21 Qd3 was objectively a better chance, although White is still without hope after 21...Qxg6 22 Qg3 (22 Qxd4 is demolished by 22...Ne3! –+) 22...Nf2+ 23 Qxf2 Bxf2 –+, when Black should win as long as he demonstrates good technique. 21...Qxg6 22 Qe2 Of course the knight is taboo due to mate along the h-file.

lems with ...Qc7 against White’s king (e.g., 42 Rxb6 Qc7 or 42 fxe5 Qc7 followed by ...Qxe5). However, 42 Qf3! will give White a similar position to that in the game, so the choice is largely a matter of taste here. 41...Rg7 41...Qc7 does not slow f4 in view of 42 Rg1 Qg7 43 f4, when White has overwhelming pressure. Black’s best attempt to stir up some counterplay is 41...b5!?, intending 42 cxb5 Rb6. 42 f4 exf4 43 Nxf4 Nxf4 44 Rxf4 and White went on to win easily.

22...Qh5 23 Qd3 This loses immediately, but there was nothing to be done in any case. 23 Rf3 Bxf3 24 Qxf3 Nf2+ 25 Kh2 Qxf3 26 gxf3 Nd3 –+. 23...Be3! 0-1 White has no defence to the threat of ...Qxh3#.

White to play

4) Ivanchuk – Volkov (variation) European Clubs Cup, Saint Vincent 2005 29 f4!! An excellent prophylactic move. Although it opens up White’s king, the more important implication is that it stops Black’s main defensive resource, ...Qe5.

White to play

3) Gelfand – Van Wely

41 Kh1!?

29 Nxc5?!, for instance, would be a step in the wrong direction. Black could respond with 29...Qe5! 30 Ne4 (30 Rxc6?? Qxe3 31 Rc8+ Kf7 – + would be embarrassing) 30...Re6 31 f4 Qc7 +/–, when White is still clearly on top, but the conversion is by no means simple.

Gelfand steps off the b8-h2 diagonal in preparation of f4, when Black will not have any resources with ...Qc7. However, the immediate 41 f4 is also good. Black can play 41...Raa8, seeking to cause prob-

29 Rxa6! is also strong: after both 29...Qe5 30 Ra8+ Kf7 31 Rxg8 Rxe6 32 Rh8! and 29...Nd8 30 Nc7+ Kf7 31 Ra4! Rd7 32 Rf4 Rxc7 33 Rxf6+ Bxf6 34 Qh6, White should win.

European Team Ch, Plovdiv 2003 It is clear that White should continue his attack with the plan of f4 at some point, opening a second file on the kingside to attack.

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29...Ke7 is easily refuted by 30 Bb4+ Kd8 31 Qd6+ Qd7 32 Qf6+ +–, when White will enjoy three extra pawns on the kingside.

29...Kf7 Or: a) 29...Rxe6 30 Qxe6 Qxe6 31 Rxe6 Nd8 32 Rh6 +– gives White an easily winning endgame as his army of pawns will be too much for Black’s uncoordinated minor pieces to handle. b) 29...Nd8 30 Rxd6 Bxd6 31 Qd3! Nxe6 (31...Kd7 32 Nxc5+ Kc6 33 Qxa6+ Kxc5 34 Rb1 +– will lead to the black king’s slaughter) 32 Qxd6 Kf7 33 f5! +– and Black is helpless in face of the attack. 30 Nxc5

With the text-move, Black covers b4 and threatens mate with ...Qf1#, so it looks like he has everything under control. However, White has the stunning... 30 h3!! This prophylactic move (pointed out by Nunn) simply averts the threat of mate, and Black is helpless against the threat of a3 and Bb4+. For example:

Threatening Ne4, to which Black has no real defence (30...Rdd8 is impossible due to 31 Rxc6 +– of course) except the peculiar...

30...Bb5

30...Qh4!?

31 a3 a5 32 Bf4! +–

And now White has a silent killer move:

Note that Black now lacks the resource ...Ke7, since after Qg7+ Black’s queen is no longer on c8 defending the rook, so White wins.

31 Kh1! Rxg3 32 Qxg3 Qxg3 33 hxg3 Rh6+ 34 Kg2 Bxc5 35 Rxa6 +–

30...Rxh3 31 Qf6+ Ke8 32 gxh3 +–.

Black has managed to survive the attack, but with good technique, White should win this endgame easily.

Black to play

6) Alekseev – Svidler Russian Ch, Moscow 2008 White to play

28...Nxe3?

5) Yusupov – Ivanchuk (variation)

This natural move causes Black’s advantage to evaporate.

Candidates (8), Brussels 1991 29 Bd2! Threatening mate on the a3-f8 diagonal. 29 Bf4? Ke7 accomplishes nothing. 29...Qc4

The only move that keeps Black on top is the incredible 28...Rf7!!. It is not so obvious at first, but this move is necessary to prepare ...Nxe3. 29 Bd2 (the tactical point is that after 29 Qxd3? Nxe3! –+ everything hangs for White) 29...Nxe3 30 Rxf7 Kxf7 31 Bxe3 dxe3 –/+. Compared with the game

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continuation, 32 Qc2? h6 –+ does not offer anything promising for White, since the queen check from c7 can be met with ...Kg8. 29 Rxf8+ Kxf8 30 Bxe3 dxe3 31 Rc1? Alekseev could have held on to win the tournament had he found 31 Qc2!. Then 31...h6?? 32 Qc8+ shows the point of 28...Rf7!!. Because the king is on f8 instead of f7, Black can no longer play the crucial retreat ...Kg8, so White wins after 32...Ke7 33 Rf1 +–. Therefore Black has nothing better than 31...Rd8 32 Qc5+ Kg8 33 Qxe3 =. 31...h6? Now Black has time to make a burrow for his king to hide in. But 31...h5! is a better way to do so – see below. 32 Rc8+ Kf7 33 g4? White’s only hope was the drawish nature of rook endgames: 33 Qf1+ Qf5 34 g4! Qxf1+ 35 Kxf1, with real chances of holding on. But if Black had placed his pawn on h5 instead of h6, White would not have had this option. 33...Qe4 34 Rc4 Qd5 0-1 Alekseev had no choice but to resign in face of ...Rd2.

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13: Manoeuvring MICHAEL SONG As the game of chess evolves and becomes more sophisticated over time and players from all levels continue to make strides forward as a whole, we begin to notice that the amount of attacking chess tends to decrease. The reason is simple: players become stronger and are better equipped to defend against blunt and reckless attacks. A greater emphasis today is placed on the concept of manoeuvring, and positional play in general. As Dr Tarrasch put it, “If one piece is bad, usually the whole game is bad.” However, despite the shortage of 19th-century-style sacrifice-fests in modern chess, by no means does this imply that we cannot attack! In many games, it appears that the defender has successfully repelled the attack and is surviving. Such positions can be imagined as the good old-fashioned cartoons with the Road Runner hanging on to the edge of the cliff. Although it teeters on the edge without falling for the moment, a single feather is all it takes to bring its demise. The same idea is applicable in chess; sometimes all it takes is the improvement of one piece to secure victory. I felt it might be appropriate to start the chapter on manoeuvring with a game by none other than the author of My System, Aron Nimzowitsch.

How should White continue? Of course, White’s idea should be to exploit his dynamic control over the position by immediately going after the black king. It goes without saying that the white queen will land on h5, but what other pieces can join the attack? Once you spot White’s worst-placed piece, Nimzowitsch’s revolutionary concept at the time is really not that difficult at all. 18 Nh1! Improving White’s worst piece. The knight served no function on g3, and by retreating, it intends to hop to g5 via f2 and h3, where it will join forces with the queen to attack h7. 18...Bd7 19 Nf2 Rae8 20 Rfe1 Rxe2 21 Rxe2 Nd8?!

White to play

Nimzowitsch – Rubinstein Dresden 1926 It is instantly clear that the black king is in some trouble as it is restricted by the powerful bishop on c4. White also has some positional advantages such as control of the e-file and a small lead in development. Nevertheless, Black’s position is solid, and given a few moves such as ...Bd7 and ...Rae8, Black will stand OK with no structural weaknesses whatsoever.

Not wanting to compromise his kingside pawnstructure, Rubinstein commits to passive defence. However, this move is the beginning of his downfall. 21...h6! was a better way to meet the plan of Nh3-g5. Then 22 Nh3 accomplishes little due to 22...g6!. By depriving White’s queen of the h5square, Black secures his kingside and enjoys a decent position. 22 Nh3 Bc6?! 23 Qh5 g6 24 Qh4 (D)

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ingly ever-so-slight adjustment of White’s knight from g3 to h3 made a dramatic difference in his attacking possibilities. If there is anyone whose games deserve mention when talking about manoeuvring, it must be the 12th World Champion. Anatoly Karpov had an understanding of optimal piece placement that very few others could compare to. In the next two games, I wish to show the reader how Karpov masterfully generated attacks simply through manoeuvring and optimizing his pieces to the fullest of their abilities. Even when his play was not perfect (as in this next example), the ideas that he drummed up were instructive in their own right.

Black to play

With the knight manoeuvre to h3, White has obliged Black to weaken his kingside, while maintaining full control over the position. 24...Kg7 24...Bb5 exchanges off White’s powerful bishop, but White is still much better after 25 Bxb5 axb5 26 Ng5 b6 (defending against the threat of Ba5) 27 a3 Kg8 28 h3 +/–. Black is paralysed and White is in good shape to convert his advantage into victory, most likely by attacking the weak pawn on d4. 25 Qf2 Bc5 26 b4?! A poorly timed thrust. 26 Ng5! is better; e.g., 26...Re8 27 Rxe8 Bxe8 and now it is time for 28 b4! Be7 29 Qxd4+ Bf6 30 Qd5 and the ending should be won.

White to play

26...Bb6?

Karpov – Taimanov

26...Be7 is necessary. If White nabs the ‘free’ pawn on d4 by 27 Qxd4+?! Bf6 28 Qc5 (provoking a weakness on b6) 28...b6 29 Qf2 Re8 30 Rxe8 Bxe8 31 Ng5 Qd6!, Black has real compensation. White does better to keep positional pressure by 27 Ng5 Bf6 28 Nf3. After the text-move, Nimzowitsch elected to play 27 Qh4 and eventually won the game, but surprisingly he missed a very simple win with... 27 Qe1! This threatens destruction after Re7+. 27...Be4 28 Ng5 Re8 29 Nxe4 fxe4 30 Rxe4 Rxe4 31 Qxe4 +– White has an easily winning endgame in which Black’s king is still vulnerable. Note that the seem-

USSR Spartakiad, Moscow 1983 24 Nb1?! Seeing that the knight is doing nothing on a3, Karpov re-routes it to the kingside, where it will play a greater role. However, although the idea may be very instructive, Karpov should have opted for more concrete play: 24 g4! (expelling the powerful knight should be at the top of White’s to-do list; 24 Bxf5?! exf5 25 Qxf5 Bxa3 26 Bxa3 Qxc2 =+ is just better for Black) 24...Nh6 (24...d4+?! 25 Kg1 Nh6 26 Nc4 +/– is great for White, who can play on both sides of the board) 25 Qg3! (preparing the plan of h3, which will free a safe haven for White’s king on h2, while also restricting the h6knight) 25...Kh8!? (attempting to get the knight

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back into play; 25...Qc6 26 h3 += does not accomplish anything for Black) 26 h3 Ng8 and maybe now it was the right time to consider Karpov’s idea of 27 Nb1! Ne7 28 Nd2 Nc6 29 Nf3, when play remains extremely sharp, but White definitely maintains attacking prospects. 24...g6 25 Nd2 (D)

28...Qb4! is a more active and better defence; e.g., 29 Ng5 h6 30 e6 fxe6 . 29 Qh4 Re8 30 e6! Opening more space for White’s pieces to operate. 30...fxe6 31 Ne5 Qc7 31...Qd6?! would fail to 32 Qf6 Qe7 33 Ng4! +/–, when Black is forced to concede material due to the threats against his king. 32 Nxg6! Bg7 33 Ne5 (D)

Black to play

25...Qb6? Taimanov misses an important opportunity to obtain play. 25...d4! breathes life into the b7-bishop and also threatens ...Ne3. Then: a) 26 Bxf5 exf5! (26...gxf5? 27 Nc4 +/– is horrible for Black, who must allow Nd6 as the f8-bishop is needed to guard the kingside) 27 Nc4 Be4 28 Rxd4 (28 Rd2 Bb4 does not help) 28...Rxd4 29 Bxd4 Bxc2 –/+ and Black stands better. b) 26 Nc4 Bd5! –/+ does not solve any problems for White. c) 26 Rc1 Ne3 27 Rf2 a5! (generating play on the queenside) 28 Nf3 Qb6 29 Nxd4 Nxg2 30 Rxg2 Rxd4 31 Bxd4 Qxd4 32 Rf1 a4 –/+ and White will have to fight hard for a draw. 26 Bxf5 Needed to stop the threat of ...Ne3.

Black to play

Ten moves ago, the knight was sitting idle on a3, yet now it stands tall and proud in the centre of the board. White’s small material deficit is a small price in comparison to his piece domination. 33...Qe7 34 Qg3 Rec8 35 Rfe1 R8c7 36 Nf3 Kh8 37 Bxg7+ Qxg7 38 Nd4 Qxg3 39 hxg3 R2c3 40 Nxe6 +/– White’s manoeuvring and subsequent initiative and attack have resulted in a superior endgame that Karpov makes no mistake in converting. 40...Rc8 41 Kh2 Rxb3 42 Nd4 Rb6 43 Nxf5 Rf8 44 Nd4 Rg8 45 Re7 Rg7 46 Rde1 Rh6+ 47 Kg1 Rhg6 48 f5 Rb6 49 R7e6 Rxe6 50 fxe6 Rg8 51 e7 Re8 52 Nf5 Bc6 53 Nd6 Rg8 54 e8Q Bxe8 55 Nxe8 Rxg3 56 Nf6 1-0

26...exf5 27 Nf3 Rxc2 28 Bd4 In return for the pawn, White has greatly superior minor pieces in comparison to their black counterparts. 28...Qc6?

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After improving all his pieces and pushing Black to the back ranks, Karpov now sets his sights on the ultimate prize. 29 Nh2! Bg7 30 f4! The beginning of the end. 30...f6 30...exf4 31 Nxf4 Bd7 32 Nf3 +/– leaves Black utterly helpless as well. 31 f5! g5? A terrible concession that makes White’s attacking task much too simple. Perhaps a move such as 31...Nf7 would put up more resistance. White to play

32 Bc2! (D)

Karpov – Unzicker Nice Olympiad 1974 White clearly stands better. He has more space and the b7-knight is terribly misplaced. However, Black is solid, and there is no clear-cut plan for White at all. With his next move, Karpov buys himself an infinite amount of time to manoeuvre and organize a campaign against the black king. 24 Ba7!! One single bishop on a7 is enough to restrain all of Black’s forces. By preventing exchanges along the a-file, White keeps as much firepower as possible on the board. Of course, in principle, when a side has more space, he should look to avoid exchanges. After Karpov’s move, it is abundantly clear that Black’s rooks are ‘superfluous’ – that is, competing with each other for only a handful of squares. 24...Ne8 24...Qc7 is another option, threatening to solve the problems on the queenside by ...Na5!. However, Black is still suffering after the precise 25 Qb2! with the idea that after 25...Na5 26 Be3 Nb7 (26...Nb3 27 Rxa8 Rxa8 28 Bc2 += pockets a pawn for White, but was probably worth a try for Black at least to rid himself of his horrible knight), with the queen on b2 instead of e2, White can now play 27 Bc2 +/–, after which he will soon obtain total domination of the a-file. 25 Bc2 Nc7 26 Rea1 Qe7 27 Bb1 Be8 28 Ne2 Nd8

Black to play

With new inroads to exploit on the kingside, Karpov zeroes in on the black king by manoeuvring towards the h5-square. 32...Bf7 33 Ng3 Nb7 34 Bd1 h6 35 Bh5 +– White’s patient manoeuvring has paid great dividends; out of seemingly nowhere, Black’s king now finds itself unable to escape its grave. 35...Qe8 36 Qd1 Nd8 37 Ra3 Kf8 38 R1a2 Kg8 38...Nb7 also goes down after 39 Bxf7 Qxf7 40 Bb6 Rxa3 41 Rxa3 Ra8 42 Qa1 Rxa3 43 Qxa3 +–. 39 Ng4! Kf8 After 39...Bxh5 40 Nxh5 +– the knight is taboo due to the discovered attack with Nxf6+. 40 Ne3 Kg8 41 Bxf7+ Nxf7 42 Qh5 Nd8 43 Qg6! Kf8 44 Nh5 (D)

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but Black’s central formation with the doubled pawns on e6 and e5 seems to hold everything together. For example, an immediate attempt with 21 Nd5 would not lead anywhere after 21...exd5 22 exd5 Bb5 23 d6 Bf8, so it is not entirely clear how White should proceed. A major component of manoeuvring is identifying one’s worst piece and improving it. What I would like to add alongside this principle is that in most cases, this must be done immediately, especially if we are to talk about manoeuvring for attacking purposes! So let us examine this position from another angle. If Black were given one move to place his rook on c8, he would stand equal, if not better. However, as it is White to move, Adams seizes the opportunity immediately:

Black to play

1-0 Black resigned as he will either find himself quickly mated or doomed to suffer heavy material losses in the endgame. For example, after 44...Qf7 45 Bb6 Rxa3 46 Rxa3 there is no answer to the incoming Ra7.

21 Bf1!

With this masterpiece, Karpov perfectly shows us chess fans an important principle: when the opponent has no counterplay, do not rush! Instead, spend as much time as you need to manoeuvre your pieces until they are perfectly arranged for an attack, as Unzicker learned the hard way.

21...Rd8

On g2 the bishop served no purpose, so it heads to c4 where it will exert pressure on the a2-g8 diagonal, potentially eyeing the f7-pawn after a Nd5 sacrifice. It is important to realize that Black is not in time to prevent White’s idea with 21...b5? on account of 22 Nd5!, taking advantage of the fact that the c6bishop is unprotected. After 22...exd5 23 Rxc6 d4 24 Bd2 Bb4 25 Bxb4 Qxb4 26 Qf5 Qe7 27 c3 +– the position opens up favourably as White is primed for invasion. 22 Bc4 The bishop arrives in its magnificent new home. 22...Nf8 Attempting to trade off White’s army, but White strikes first with... 23 Nd5! (D)

White to play

Adams – I. Sokolov Sarajevo 1999 This more or less resembles a standard Siciliantype position: Black’s king is stuck in the centre, 208

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Black to play

Black to play

23...exd5 24 exd5 Thanks to the repositioning of White’s bishop to c4, Black has no answer to White’s attack. 24...Qb4 24...Bb5 loses to the somewhat unexpected 25 Bxb5+! Qxb5 (25...axb5 loses on the spot to 26 d6 +–) 26 Rb6 e4! (26...Qc4 would go down without a fight after 27 d6 +–) 27 Qxe4 Qe2 28 Rc1 Rg6 29 Rxb7 Nd7 30 a3! (a simple prophylactic move, making luft for the king; 30 c4? Rb6! would enter unnecessary complications) 30...Rb6 31 Rc7 +– followed by an eventual rolling of the queenside pawns which Black can only sit and watch. The final attempt for counterplay with 31...Rdb8 fails to 32 Rh1 Rxb2+ 33 Ka1 Kd8 34 d6! Bxd6 35 Bxg5+ +– and White wins the queen.

The misplacement of Black’s queen deprives Black of any chances for survival. 29...Nd7 29...Qc7 30 Qd5 +– leaves Black with no defence to the dual threats of Rxa6 and Ba7. 30 Rc6 Bd8 31 Rc8 Ke7 32 Bc5+ 1-0 Sokolov decided to call it a day. As Michael Adams demonstrated in the previous game, improving the worst-placed piece can be a very powerful attacking tool. Here is another example:

25 dxc6 Rxd1+ 26 Qxd1 Qxc4 27 b3 Qb4 28 a3! Deflecting the queen away from the key squares b7 and c7. 28 c7?? Qc3 29 Bb6 Ne6 would be a gross error for White. 28...Qa5 28...Qb5 29 c4! +– only delays Black’s demise by a move. 29 cxb7 (D)

White to play

Spassky – Portisch Candidates (13), Geneva 1977

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White enjoys a comfortable position with an overall bind on the board. White’s pieces look optimally placed, but it is very difficult to suggest a good plan. The duo of the h3- and g4-pawns is halted, and if either of White’s knights ever moves, then ...d5 will be a very unpleasant break. So what should White do?

counterplay) 25...Nd6 26 Rd2 Be5 =+ and it is already White who must fight for equality. 23 Qg3 (D)

21 Bc1!! After a brief think, it should come as no surprise that her majesty on e2 is indeed misplaced. Not only does it stand in the way of a potential knight hop to e2, but it does not exert any pressure, and moreover may find itself a target for the rook lurking on e8. With this clever retreat, the ex-World Champion makes way for his queen to shift over to g3, where it coordinates harmoniously with White’s other forces to exert pressure on the black kingside.

Black to play

21...Kg8 22 Qe3 b5?

23...b4?

A serious error in a critical moment. Unaware of the danger, Portisch fails to recognize the intensity of the moment at hand and allows White to fulfil his manoeuvre uninterrupted.

Most likely this is the crucial error in the game. Uneased by Spassky’s powerful queen manoeuvre, Portisch immediately goes for play elsewhere on the board – not a bad idea in theory as we just saw in the previous variation, but wrongly executed, as now Black is forced to concede control over the d4-square, meaning the bastion on e5 will quickly be ousted from its central outpost.

22...d5! was necessary to break free and obtain some counterplay while Black still can, as White’s queen is not ideally placed on e3 at the moment. Then: a) 23 exd5 would be strongly answered by 23...f5!, when Black is on the verge of taking over, and White must settle for equality after 24 Ne6 Nxd5 25 Nxd5 Rxe6 26 gxf5 Rxf5 (26...Ree8 27 Qe4! is not good for Black, as White has the annoying idea of Nf6+!) 27 Rxf5 gxf5 28 Nf4 Bxg2+ 29 Kxg2 Qc6+ 30 Kg1 Re8, when Black obviously has no problems. b) 23 Qg3 gives Black a choice between two equally valid options: b1) 23...d4 24 Ncd5 Nxd5 25 Nxd5 Bxd5 26 exd5 g5! 27 Be4 Ng6 = and Black’s dark-square domination allows him to equalize fully. b2) 23...dxe4 24 dxe4 (24 Nxe4? Bc6 is already better for Black, who will prepare a timely ...f5) 24...Nc4 (with ...Qc7 coming, Black cannot be worse) 25 b3?! (25 Rd1! is objectively best, but the position is only roughly balanced after 25...Qc7 26 Bf1 Na5 27 Qf3 Nac6!, with

23...a5!, intending to recapture on b4 with the apawn, was called for, in which case Black should be more or less alright with similar ideas to the previous note. The game might continue 24 Nd1!? (or 24 Ncd5 Nxd5 25 Nxd5 Bxd5 26 exd5 g5! with counterplay; again, the dark-square domination should offer Black equal prospects) 24...d5 25 exd5 (25 Nc3!? d4 26 Ncd5 Nxd5 27 Nxd5 Bxd5 28 exd5 g5! is again fine for Black) 25...Nxd5 26 Nxd5 Bxd5 27 Nc3 Bxg2+ 28 Qxg2. Despite the position being objectively equal, perhaps White’s position is slightly more pleasant to play in practice thanks to his pressure on the f-file and the soon-tobe untouchable knight on e4. 24 axb4 cxb4 25 Nd1 d5 26 d4 N5c6 27 exd5 Nxd4 28 c4! (D)

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one; instead of forcing the issue with sacrifices and so forth, in which the defender’s reply is forced, it is much more difficult for the defender to play if the attacker is improving his pieces whereas all the defender can do is sit and wait for the end. This advice is extremely useful in practice; if as the attacker, you do not see a forced win, do not enter complications! By opting for forcing lines, the attacker is required to spend much more time and energy which could come with serious consequences in the latter stages of the game if there is nothing immediately decisive.

Black to play

Suddenly, White’s centre starts to roll. 28...bxc3 29 bxc3 Nb3 30 Ba3 Rc8? Objectively speaking, this is the losing move, although Black’s position was already very unpleasant. 30...Ba6 would have continued the struggle, but White is still on top after 31 Rg1, with tremendous pressure on the kingside and a multitude of attacking ideas such as Nh5. 31 c4 Na5 32 Re2 Rfe8 33 Rfe1 Bf8 All Black’s pieces are tied up, and it is time to strike. Black to play

34 Nh5! Nxd5

Kasparov – Caruana

34...gxh5 35 gxh5+ Bg7 36 Rxe7 +– is obviously resignable. 35 cxd5 gxh5 36 gxh5+ Bg7 37 Bb2 f6 38 Bxf6 Rxe2 39 Rxe2 Qf7 40 Re6 1-0 With Bxg7 and Rg6 coming, Black had no choice but to resign. In the previous games, we have explored how effective manoeuvring can be in the build-up stages of an attack. Now we shall see that manoeuvring can be just as useful in finishing attacks as well! Although most attacks are fast-paced and swift action is required, there are instances where the defender is completely tied up and cannot generate much counterplay even given time. In such positions, it is usually to the attacker’s benefit to optimize his pieces before going in for the decisive blows. This principle is not only sound from a chess point of view, but also from a psychological

St Louis blitz 2016 Here is one such position. Black is obviously the one attacking; he has tremendous pressure on g2, and White’s pieces are loose and awkwardly positioned. Even Kasparov himself is helpless as the Italian-American super-grandmaster effortlessly rearranges his forces. 23...Nc8! Seeing that the knight on e7 is only hindering the activity of his rooks and not doing anything itself, Caruana begins a powerful manoeuvre that simultaneously improves multiple pieces. 24 g3 Rde7 25 Ndf1 Nd6 The position has changed dramatically from three moves ago. Black’s rooks now exert enormous pressure along the e-file, and the knight on d6 is active and ready to jump into the action via e4. 26 Bd3 Be4

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26...b5!? is given as much stronger by the computer, seizing further control of the light squares and fixing White’s pawns, but Caruana’s move is good and doesn’t come with that silicon smell either.

for his manoeuvring skills, when we are to talk about attacking play, his name sits near the top of the list.

27 Qd1?! A serious inaccuracy, but it is hard to blame Kasparov for this, especially given that this was a blitz game. 27 Bxe4 Nxe4 28 c4!! (28 Nd5?? loses instantly to 28...Nxg3 29 hxg3 Rxe2 30 Rfxe2 Nf3+ –+) is an amazing defensive resource. After 28...h6 29 b5 Black will sooner or later have to take on f2, while following 28...Nxf2 29 Qxf2 the knight on h4 has trouble getting out. 27...Bxd3 28 Qxd3 Ne4! (D)

Black to play

Korchnoi – Fischer Herceg Novi blitz 1970

White to play

29 Nd5? 29 Ree2! is offered by the engines as a more tenacious defence, again with the idea that after the exchange sacrifice, the knight will have some problems on h4. After 29...Nxf2 30 Kxf2 Qh5 31 gxh4 Qxh4+ 32 Kg1 Qxf4 33 Nd5 Qd6 34 Rxe7 Rxe7 35 Qxf5 Re8 =+ Black still has winning chances due to the vulnerability of White’s king, but this is much better than the game continuation.

Fischer has obtained a dream King’s Indian, in which he has successfully carried out the thematic break ...g5-g4, and furthermore, White has no real counterplay on the queenside to compensate. Nevertheless, it is not clear how to continue the attack. Given a few moves, White will solidify his kingside with Rd3 and Bf3, in which case it will be extremely difficult for Black to break through. Thus, Fischer immediately pinpoints a target in the h3pawn, which often acts as a sacrificial altar in the King’s Indian, and never looks back. 24...Nh8!! Seeing that the knight is doing nothing particularly important on g6, Fischer quickly brings it towards the h3-pawn. 25 Rd3 Nf7 (D)

29...Rd7 –+ Now there is no hope for Kasparov. 30 Qc4 Nxf2 31 Rxe8+ Qxe8 32 Kxf2 Ng6 33 Nfe3 Qe6 34 Qb3 c6 0-1 I would like to conclude this chapter on manoeuvring with a game by my favourite player, Bobby Fischer. Although he was not especially celebrated 212

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White to play

White to play

26 Bf3? Korchnoi unwisely hedges his bets on the dream of the light-squared bishop holding together the entire kingside. 26 Nd2! was necessary, immediately bringing in the knight to counter Black’s own knight manoeuvre. Then: a) 26...Ng5 27 Qa4 (27 h4 is suggested by the engines, but looks awfully risky to me after 27...Nf7, when h4 will always be a source of concern for White, let alone the g4-square: 28 Nb5 a6) 27...Bd7 (27...Nxh3+!? 28 gxh3 Bxh3 29 Rxh3 Rxh3 30 Bf3 and White is holding) 28 Qb3 Qxa5 29 Qb7 Qd8 30 h4 Nf7 31 Nb5 a5 32 Ra3 a4 with an extremely messy position. One logical conclusion would be 33 Nc7 Rc8 34 Ne6 Qe8 35 Nc7 Qd8 36 Ne6 Qe8 =, when both sides should probably settle for the repetition. b) 26...Rg6 27 Nf3 (intending Nh4) 27...Bf8 gives the rook a square on g7 (where it will also cast an eye towards the queenside) and keeps Black’s kingside prospects very much alive. White must also look out for ...Qxa5. 26...Ng5 27 Qe2 Rg6 (D)

Not only is the knight improved from g6 to g5, but the manoeuvre also made way for the black rook to join the fight along the g-file. 28 Kf1? 28 Kh2 would put up better resistance, although White is still suffering after 28...Rb8 29 Rdd1 Rb4, threatening ...Nxf3+ followed by ...Rxc4 and with the point that 30 Nb5?! (30 Nd2 Qxa5 –/+) runs into 30...a6! 31 Bxb4 (31 Nxd6 Qxd6 32 Bxb4 cxb4 33 c5 Nxf3+ 34 Qxf3 Qd8 –+ and with ideas such as ...Rg3, ...Ng4+, ...Bxh3 and so forth, Black has a decisive attack) 31...cxb4 32 Na7 Bxh3! 33 gxh3 Nxf3+ 34 Qxf3 Rg3 35 Qf1 Ng4+ 36 Kh1 Qh4 –+, when Black crashes through. 28...Nxh3! The knight completes its journey and brings home the victory. 29 gxh3 Losing, but White’s position was untenable in any case. 29...Bxh3+ 30 Kf2 Ng4+ 31 Bxg4 Bxg4 0-1 Korchnoi had to resign as there is no defence to ...Qh4+ and a quick mate.

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Exercises If you have a piece that is not actively participating in the game or could be improved, find a way to make it shine!

Exercise 1: Black to play

Exercise 3: White to play

Exercise 2: Black to play

Exercise 4: White to play

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Exercise 5: White to play

Exercise 7: White to play

Exercise 6: White to play

Exercise 8: White to play

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Solutions to Exercises

Black to play

Black to play

1) Arsovi – Stojanovi

2) Shirov – Leko

Serbian Ch, Leskovac 2002

Cap d’Agde rapid 2003

Black stands better with more space, but how can he arrange his pieces before going for an attack? The game featured 18...g6, but in my opening preparation I found something better:

30...Qe8!

18...Bd8! 19 Nc4 Bc7 =+

31 Bxg6? hxg6 –+ is also bad for White, but 31 Be2! –/+ was White’s last chance to offer any resistance.

This strong bishop manoeuvre greatly strengthens Black’s position. The bishop holds the b6-pawn so that Black can contribute all his major pieces towards a future attack. In addition, the bishop also protects the e5-pawn so ...f5 will be possible in the future. And finally, the bishop keeps its eyes on the h2-pawn and could play a major role in a future attack against the white king. A true multi-purpose move!

Leko finds a way to activate the queen, via a4. 31 Kf1?

31...Qa4! The queen outflanks White’s defensive line, leaving Shirov with no good response. 32 Be2 Qxa2 33 Qd4 Qb1+ 34 Qd1 Qf5 35 Qd4 After 35 Kg2 Nh4+ 36 Kh1 Qh3 37 Qg1+ Kf8 –+ White cannot stop the manoeuvre ...Nf5-g3+. 35...Qh3+ 36 Ke1 Qxh2 37 Kd1 37 Nxe3 Qg1+ 38 Nf1 (after 38 Kd2 a5 –+ White is unable to stop the a-pawn) 38...Qxd4 39 cxd4 a5 40 Bb5 h5 –+. 37...h5 0-1

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White to play

White to play

3) Korchnoi – Spassky

4) Zhigalko – Iliushin

St Petersburg rapid (2) 1999

Moscow 2010

Once you notice that the glue holding Black’s position together is the duo of the e7-pawn and the bishop, the manoeuvre is easy to spot: 23 Ne2! The knight heads for h5, where it will demolish Black’s defensive barrier. 23...c4 24 Ng3 cxb3 25 Qxb3 Qc4 26 Nh5 Qxb3 27 axb3 Nbc8 28 Nxf6 exf6 29 Re6 +– White is easily winning. The game finished: 29...b6 30 Rc1 Rb7 31 Rc6 Rd7 32 Bd4 Kg7 33 g3 Kg6 34 Kg2 h5 35 Kh3 h4 36 gxh4 Ne4 37 Bxe4 fxe4 38 Bxf6 Kh7 1-0

30 Qd2! Although White has all his major pieces stacked on the e-file, he must reorganize them in order to launch the final assault. 30...Rd8 After 30...Qh4 31 R1e4! Bxe4 32 Rxe4 Qf6 33 Rf4 +– White wins the queen and the game. 31 Qg5! The queen arrives on a much more threatening location as opposed to two moves ago. 31...Rd7 31...Re8 32 R1e5 +– is quickly mate. 32 R1e5 Bd5 33 Qf6+! 1-0

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White to play

White to play

5) Leko – Adams

6) Z. Almasi – Movsesian (variation)

Dortmund Candidates 2002

Budapest 2003

41 Nc2!

24 Rd6!

Despite the knight being brilliantly positioned on b4, Leko sees that Black’s kingside defences are on the brink of collapse, so the knight treks towards f5 to finish the game.

Not only preventing ...Bc6, but also threatening to complete the manoeuvre by Rb6, with deadly effect.

41...Re8

24...Bxf3 25 Rb6 leaves Black with no good defence to Rb8+.

41...Rc4 may be a better defence to try to slow Ne3, but Black still perishes after 42 g5! Ng8 (42...hxg5 43 Bd3 +– is the end) 43 gxh6+ Nxh6 44 Bd3 Rcc8 45 Bxb5 Rxc2 46 Rg5+ Kf6 47 Kf4 Ng8 48 Rh8 Rcc8 49 Bd3 and Stohl claims that White is winning in his annotations for ChessBase, and I must say that I agree. 42 Ne3 Rce7 43 Kf4 Bc6 44 Bc2! Making way for the knight to hop into f5. 44...Bd7 45 g5 1-0

24...bxc3

25 Rb6 Bc8 26 a3! +– Many moves win, but perhaps this one, which prevents back-rank threats and permanently deprives the black queen of the b4-square, is the simplest. Black is almost in zugzwang. White has threats such as Rb8, or even discoveries against Black’s queen with Bc7. Black cannot stop this plan with his king due to Rd6+ followed by Rd5, trapping the queen.

Adams had no choice but to throw in the towel on account of 45...hxg5+ 46 Rxg5+ Kf8 47 Rh8+ Ng8 48 Rhxg8#.

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White to play

White to play

7) Gelfand – Van Wely

8) Kariakin – Giri

European Team Ch, Plovdiv 2003

Tashkent 2014

The hardest part of this exercise is first realizing that White’s pressure on the g-file realistically amounts to nothing. Given time, Black may even improve his position with ideas such as ...Bd6-c7, so White’s first move is obvious:

This was a missed opportunity to take down one of the world’s top players in the opening:

37 Rb1 Ra6 White needs more than the target on g6 to attack, and Gelfand realizes that the new target will be set on f6.

13 Ndxb5! In the game, 13 fxe5?! Nxe3 14 Qxe3 Bd7 15 Be2 += left Kariakin slightly better and he went on to win. 13...axb5 14 Bxb5+ Ke7 15 fxe5 White’s attack is near-crushing. For example:

38 Ng1!!

15...Nxe3

Bringing the knight to h3, where it will support the f4 advance to open an additional file for attacking purposes.

15...Nxe5 16 Ne4 f6 17 Rhf1 with a monstrous attack for the sacrificed material.

38...Bh6

This sly manoeuvre is probably what Kariakin missed. The threat of Qb4+ is crushing.

38...Bd6 attempts to control the f4-square, but White can continue forward with 39 Nh3 Bc7 40 Rg1 (now that the knight is improved, the rook swings back to where it is needed) 40...Raa8 41 Qf3! (with the deadly idea of Rxg6 followed by Qxh5+, as well as the obvious threat of Ng5+) 41...Nf4 (41...Raf8? 42 Rxg6 Rxg6 43 Qxh5+ Kg7 44 Qh6+ +–) 42 Nxf4 exf4 43 Bxf4 Bxf4+ 44 Rxf4 +– and White wins easily with the h5 advance still to come.

16 Qf4!!

The immediate 16 Qg5+?? can be handled by 16...f6 17 Qg6 Bb7 18 Rd7+ Qxd7 19 Bxd7 Kxd7, with unclear play. White has no obvious way to get at the black king. 16...Qa5 17 Qg5+ f6 18 Qg6 +– and Black can resign.

39 Bxh6 Kxh6 40 Nh3 White has improved magnificently, but to see how the game continued, I encourage you to revisit Exercise 3 in Chapter 12: Prophylaxis.

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14: Isolated d-Pawn Positions RAZVAN PREOTU The isolated d-pawn (or isolated queen’s pawn – IQP) arises in many different openings, which is why it is important to know how to play with it and against it. In general, positional players are not fond of this structure, whereas attacking gurus love its possibilities. Clearly, the d-pawn itself is a long-term weakness, as it cannot be defended by other pawns. However, in return it offers a lot of dynamic play. The side with the isolated d-pawn has control over the centre and more space, allowing his pieces a lot of freedom in the position. Moreover, the opponent’s pieces are usually occupied with attempting to blockade the isolated d-pawn, which may distract them from defending the kingside. These factors give the side with the isolated d-pawn great attacking chances. Truthfully speaking, the isolated d-pawn is often neither an objective asset nor a liability; whether one likes or distrusts these positions usually boils down to a matter of taste. That being said, there are definitely many typical attacking ideas that are worth knowing whether you choose to play the attacking side or the side defending against the isolated d-pawn. Let us turn to a game by the 6th World Champion, Mikhail Botvinnik, for some inspiration.

11...h6 is a move that Black generally wants to avoid. This creates weaknesses on the kingside that White can exploit by lining up queen and bishop on the b1-h7 diagonal, since Black may have difficulties blunting this with ...g6. In this situation it also does not accomplish anything, as White can just retreat with 12 Bh4. 12 Qd3 Botvinnik connects the rooks and prepares to bring one to d1. White’s rooks are often most optimally placed along the d- and e-files, as they exert pressure and support the advance of the d-pawn. 12...Nbd5 Black to play

Botvinnik – Vidmar Nottingham 1936 10...Nb6 11 Bb3 Just from a visual perspective, White’s pieces are more active than Black’s. The bishops have nice open diagonals, while Black’s bishop on c8 is blocked in. White’s f3-knight has the beautiful e5square as an outpost, which is typical in most isolated d-pawn positions.

Black’s main plan is to blockade the d-pawn and trade as many minor pieces as possible. In the endgame, Black would be much better as the isolated pawn would become a weakness without sufficient material to support it. White, on the other hand, has to avoid this and play as energetically as possible. On another note, 12...Nfd5! was a better way to seek exchanges. White should avoid the trade and go back with 13 Bd2 but then the bishop is in an inferior position, blocking the d-file. 13 Ne5

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The knight jumps to the dream position, putting pressure on f7. 13...Bc6 14 Rad1 (D)

Rxf7 19 Bxb4 Nxb4 20 Bxe6 Rf8 += leaves White with the slight material advantage of a rook and two pawns for two pieces. We now return to 16...Nbxd5? (D):

Black to play White to play

14...Nb4?! This is poorly timed, as White’s queen can swing to the kingside, where it exerts lots of pressure. Developing another piece by 14...Rc8 was an improvement.

17 f4!

15 Qh3

Black develops the rook, but to an unfortunate square, as it steps into the X-ray attack from White’s queen. Supporting the knight on d5 by 17...Qb6 18 f5 Rad8 seems better. However, after 19 fxe6 Qxe6 20 Qf3 +/– Black is completely tied down.

Now White has ideas of Nxf7 as the e6-pawn would be hanging. 15...Bd5 Black needs to block White’s bishop. 15...h6 does not work because of 16 Bxh6! gxh6 17 Qxh6 +–, when White threatens to attack Black’s knight with a3. The knight is unable to move from b4, as it must defend the d3-square to prevent White’s rook from swinging to the kingside. 16 Nxd5

White threatens to open the f-file with f5, exerting pressure on the f7-pawn and Black’s knights. 17...Rc8?

18 f5 exf5? This allows White’s rook to occupy an excellent position. 18...Qd6 was the best try, although Black is still under tremendous pressure after 19 Rde1 Rc7 20 fxe6 Qxe6 21 Qg3 Qd6 22 Rf5 +/–.

16 Ba4! is a strong alternative, avoiding the exchange and threatening to kick away Black’s knight with a3.

19 Rxf5 +–

16...Nbxd5?

19...Rc7 20 Rdf1 followed by Nxf7 and Bxd5 is unstoppable.

16...Nfxd5 was necessary now, trying to exchange White’s attackers. Then 17 Bd2 (17 Bxe7 Qxe7 18 f4 += gives White nice pressure on the kingside, but not nearly as strong as in the game) 17...Qd6 (Black prepares to play ...Nc6, challenging White’s strong knight; the immediate 17...Nc6?! allows White to gain a strong attack with 18 Nxf7! Kxf7 19 Rfe1 Qd7 20 Qh5+ Kg8 21 Rxe6) 18 Nxf7

White’s attack is now decisive. 19...Qd6

20 Nxf7! A nice finish: the rook on c8 becomes undefended. 20 Bxf6! Nxf6 21 Nxf7 also wins. 20...Rxf7 21 Bxf6 Bxf6 22 Rxd5 Qc6 23 Rd6 Qe8 24 Rd7 1-0

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The dynamic piece-play that the isolated d-pawn provided was just too much for Black’s positional advantages to compensate for.

Natural, but not the best. 12...Ba6!, preventing Qd3, is stronger, as Black no longer has to make any weaknesses on the kingside. The bishop can also control the d5-square by going to c4.

In the next example, we see how Smyslov forms the dream arrangement of all his pieces in an isolated d-pawn structure, leaving even the positional legend Anatoly Karpov in the dust.

13 Qd3 Rc8?! Closing the diagonal by 13...g6 seems necessary. Karpov didn’t want his opponent to play Bh6 in one move, but now White has a surprising shot. 14 Bg5 14 d5! was an opportunity missed by both sides. Black cannot capture because of the vulnerability of the h7-pawn. 14...exd5? loses to 15 Bg5 g6 16 Rxe7! (the rook proves that it was well placed on e1 after all) 16...Qxe7 17 Nxd5 +–, while after 14...Na5 15 Bg5 Rxc3! (15...g6 16 dxe6 Qxd3 17 Bxd3 +/– leaves White a pawn up for nothing) 16 Qxc3 Qxd5 +=, although Black has some compensation, White has won the exchange for a pawn. 14...g6 15 Rad1 (D)

White to play

Smyslov – Karpov USSR Ch, Leningrad 1971 10 Re1 White develops the rook on the half-open e-file, the best position for the rook. It controls many key squares such as e5, which is often occupied by the knight. 10...Nf6 11 a3! Black to play

A very useful move, preventing Black’s knight or bishop from using the b4-square. One of Black’s main plans revolves around the manoeuvre ...Nb4d5 in such positions. Now White can line up his queen and bishop on the b1-h7 diagonal unimpeded to provoke weaknesses in Black’s kingside.

White has achieved the optimal positioning of his pieces. His queen and bishop are powerfully aligned, his rooks in the centre force Black to think about a d5 advance, and he was successful in forcing Black to soften up his kingside.

11...b6

15...Nd5 16 Bh6

Karpov fianchettoes the bishop where it will help control the d5-square. This is typically how Black’s light-squared bishop gets developed, as the e6-pawn is fixed on its square.

White does not want to exchange any minor pieces.

12 Bc2 Bb7?!

16...Re8 17 Ba4! The bishop moves off the c-file, where it was quite vulnerable to tactics involving ...Ncb4. The pin is also rather annoying for Black. 17...a6

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Karpov prepares to block White’s bishop with ...b5, but this allows White to gain control over the d5-square. Other moves: a) Black can win a pawn with 17...Nxc3 18 bxc3 (18 Qxc3 Nb4 19 Qd2 Bc6 = does not pose any problems for Black) 18...Bxa3 but White is now able to launch a strong attack with 19 Ng5 as the bishop no longer controls the g5-square: 19...Be7 (otherwise White continues the attack with simple moves like Qf3 followed by d5) 20 Nxf7! Kxf7 21 Qf3+ Bf6 (21...Kg8? 22 Rxe6 is a disaster: Black is unable to withstand the pressure and must suffer huge material losses) 22 Bg5 and then: a1) 22...Kg7 allows White to win material after 23 d5 Ne5 24 Rxe5 Bxg5 25 Bxe8 Qxe8 26 Rxg5 Bxd5 27 Qe2 although there are some chances to draw. a2) 22...Rc7 23 d5 wins back the piece after 23...exd5 24 Rxe8 Qxe8 25 Bb3 (better than taking the knight right away) 25...Rd7 (25...Na5 26 Bxf6 Kg8 27 Bxd5+ Bxd5 28 Qxd5+ Rf7 29 Qa2! {threatening Rd8} 29...Nb7 30 h4! is also good for White, since although material is equal, Black’s king is seriously weak) 26 Qxf6+ Kg8 27 h4! Qe5 28 Qf3, leaving White with a big advantage due to his bishop-pair and safer king despite the one-pawn deficit.

White to play

18 Nxd5! Smyslov either forces Black’s queen to a vulnerable square or changes the pawn-structure. In general in IQP positions, it is important for the attacker to remember that if Black cannot safely recapture on d5 with a minor piece, an exchange on d5 could be quite effective, as it either forces Black to capture with the e-pawn and relinquish his positional advantages, or capture with the queen and risk losing vast amounts of time. 18...Qxd5

a3) 22...Rf8 23 d5 (forced; White must open the centre) 23...exd5 24 Rxd5 Nb8 (24...Na5 25 Rd7+) 25 Qh3! Bxd5 26 Qxh7+ Bg7 27 Bxd8 Rfxd8 28 f4! intending f5. White’s ongoing attack puts him on top despite Black’s material advantage (rook, bishop and knight vs queen). It’s important to note that 28...Rh8? fails to 29 Re7+ Kxe7 30 Qxg7+ Bf7 31 Qe5+ Be6 32 Bb3, winning the bishop.

18...exd5 19 b4 += gives White a slight advantage because of his more active pieces. The bishop is then completely misplaced on b7.

b) 17...Bf8! would have been quite annoying, chasing away White’s bishop: 18 Bg5 Be7 19 Bc1 (after 19 h4 Nxc3 20 bxc3 Bxg5 21 Nxg5 Rf8 = Black seems solid and prepares counterplay against White’s c-pawn with ...Na5) 19...Nxc3 20 bxc3 Qd6 =. Black will place the bishop on f6 and seems well prepared for White’s pawn advance.

Karpov chooses the wrong square to place the queen. 20...Qd7 was called for, to guard the rook on e8, but after 21 d5 exd5 22 Qxb6 Rxe1+ 23 Rxe1 += White’s pieces are much more active than Black’s.

We now return to 17...a6 (D):

19 Qe3 White prepares Bb3 followed by d5. 19 Bb3 Qh5 gives Black a valuable tempo against the darksquared bishop. 19...Bf6 20 Bb3 Qh5?

21 d5! The critical pawn advance in isolated d-pawn positions. If Black’s pieces fail to contain this advance, his position usually implodes rather quickly as White’s pieces spring to life behind the d-pawn. With the centre open, White’s major pieces become monstrous along the open files.

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21...Nd8 (D)

White to play

White to play

22 d6?!

Frolianov – Kornev

White advances the d-pawn one move too soon. After the superior 22 Bg5!, Black’s position falls apart: 22...Bxb2 23 Qxb6 +– or 22...Be7 23 Bxe7 Rxe7 24 d6 Rd7 25 Ne5 +–. 22...Rc5 23 d7 Re7? The last chance was for Black to give up the exchange with 23...Rf8 24 Bxf8 Kxf8 +/–. 24 Qf4 +– The double attack of Qxf6 and Qb8 is overwhelming. 24...Bg7 24...Bxf3 was a better try, although it does not influence the game’s result after 25 Qxf6 Qxh6 26 Qxe7 Qg5 27 Qxg5 Rxg5 28 Rd3!, when White is a healthy exchange up with a passed d-pawn. 25 Qb8 Qxh6 26 Qxd8+ Bf8 27 Re3 Bc6 28 Qxf8+ Qxf8 29 d8Q 1-0 Instead of an attack on f7 like in the previous example, White was able to provoke weaknesses on the kingside with the queen and bishop on the b1h7 diagonal and achieve the crucial d5 advance to open the floodgates into Black’s camp.

Ulan Ude 2009 11 Re1 Just like the previous game, White develops the rook to its best position, on the e-file. As we have seen, 11 a3, preventing ...Ndb4, is another good option. 11...Nf6 Black returns the knight to f6 in order to defend the kingside. The d4-pawn is now also hanging. However, 11...Ndb4 was the critical move. Black must have not liked that after 12 Be4 Nxd4 13 Nxd4 Qxd4 14 Bf4 White has very strong compensation for the pawn, as it will be difficult for Black to complete development. Nevertheless, objectively Black is most likely doing OK. 12 Bg5 White defends the d-pawn tactically and places the bishop on a more aggressive square. 12...h6 12...Nxd4?? of course fails to the beginner-level tactic 13 Nxd4 Qxd4 14 Bxh7+ +–. 13 Be3

Building upon the previous example, the following game further illustrates how powerful the d5 break can truly be, especially when Black does not defend precisely.

White retreats the bishop, having managed to provoke the weakening move ...h6. The idea is if White lines up his queen and bishop on the b1-h7 diagonal, the h6-pawn will be hanging in many lines if Black elects to play ...g6.

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There was also nothing wrong with 13 Bh4, keeping the bishop on the diagonal against Black’s knight. White’s plan would still be to align queen and bishop on the b1-h7 diagonal. You probably have the sense by now that this is a very important plan!

White will win back the d5-pawn with a strong attack) 18 Bxh6 Bf8 19 Rxe8 Qxe8 20 Bg5 Ne4! 21 Qxd5 Nxc3 22 bxc3 +=. White emerges a pawn up, though he still has a lot of work to do as his queenside pawns are not ideal.

13...Nb4 (D)

Too early. Black aims to trade the knight for the bishop, but he really should have completed development. After 14...b6 15 Ne5 Bb7 = Black has solved his development problems and controls the d5-square.

Black attacks the bishop and hops towards the strong d5-square.

14...Nbd5?!

15 Ne5! White needs to play energetically and prevent Black from finishing development so easily. Now Black cannot continue developing with ...b6, as Nc6 would be a major problem. 15...Nxe3 As just mentioned, 15...b6? is really asking for it. After 16 Nxd5 exd5 (16...Nxd5 17 Bxh6! gxh6 18 Nc6 Qd6 19 Bxd5 +–) 17 Nc6 Qd6 18 Nxe7+ Qxe7 19 Bd3 +/– White enjoys a lead in development along with the bishop-pair advantage. White to play

14 Bc4 White aims to control the important d5-square; however, it seems better to keep the bishop on the more menacing b1-h7 diagonal. Thus 14 Bb1! was stronger, when White is already scheming plots such as Qd2 and Bxh6. This is one way to take advantage of the weakening move ...h6. Then:

15...Qb6 16 Nxd5 exd5 17 Bd3 Qxb2 18 a4 offers White strong compensation for the pawn. Black is still unable to complete his development because White will create strong pressure on the b-file. 16 Rxe3 Qb6 (D)

a) 14...Nbd5 15 Nxd5 Qxd5 16 Qd2 Qh5 17 Bf4 Nd5 18 Be5 += leaves Black’s queen oddly placed on h5. b) 14...b6 15 Qd2 Re8 16 a3 and now: b1) 16...Nbd5 is refuted by 17 Bxh6! Nxc3 (after 17...gxh6 18 Nxd5 Black doesn’t have a great way to capture, as ...Bf8 would no longer work against Qxh6: 18...exd5 19 Qxh6 Bf8 20 Rxe8 Qxe8 21 Qxf6 +–) 18 Qg5! (an important intermezzo that saves the bishop) 18...Bf8 19 bxc3 Nd5 20 Qg3 Nxc3 21 Bg5 Be7 22 Bd3 since without the h7pawn Black’s king is very weak. b2) 16...Nc6 17 d5! (White aims to open the e-file; this breakthrough move should always be looked out for!) 17...exd5 (after 17...Na5 18 Qc2 exd5 19 Bd4 Be6 20 Bxf6 Bxf6 21 Qh7+ Kf8 22 Ba2

White to play

Black plans on targeting the d-pawn with ...Rd8 and finishing development by playing ...Bd7-e8. 17 d5

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White thinks it is the right time to crack open the centre before Black completes his development. 17...Rd8? Black’s rook unwisely abandons the f7-pawn. Now Black’s kingside comes under serious pressure. 17...exd5 18 Bxd5 += allows White strong pressure on f7. 17...Nxd5! was the best capture. After 18 Nxd5 (18 Bxd5 Bg5! = is an important zwischenzug: Black gets the bishop on a protected square away from the knight fork on d5 and only then recaptures the d5-bishop) 18...exd5 19 Bxd5 Bc5 20 Re2 Bf5 21 Qa4 (White plans to target the f7-pawn with Qc4) 21...Rad8 22 Qc4 Be6 23 Bxe6 fxe6 =, the activity of Black’s rooks and bishop compensates for the weak pawn on e6. 18 Qf3 (D)

Black’s queen is badly placed along the third rank. 19...Qc2 was the final attempt at salvation, although it would prove to be futile after 20 Re2 Qf5 21 Qxf5 exf5 22 Nxf7! (White wins a pawn) 22...Kxf7 23 d6+ Kg6 24 dxe7 Rd4 25 Rb4! (the only winning move: White creates the discovery threat of Bf7+ which cannot be stopped, as the dpawn threatens to promote) 25...Bd7 26 Bf7+ Kxf7 27 Rxd4, when the extra exchange is winning for White. 20 dxe6 fxe6 20...Bxe6 21 Nd5 Bxd5 (after 21...Qc5 22 Nxe7+ Qxe7 23 Nxf7 +– White crashes through) 22 Bxd5 Rxd5 23 Rxa3 Bxa3 24 Ng4! Rad8 25 Nxf6+ gxf6 26 g3 +–. White wins the b7-pawn and although the material is almost balanced, Black’s king and kingside pawns are too weak. 21 Qf5 Qa6 A desperate move, threatening a cheapo with ...Qxc4. 22 Rg3 1-0 White threatens mate with Rxg7+. This can be prevented, but then Black loses the queen: 22...Rf8 23 Rxg7+ Kxg7 24 Qg6+ Kh8 25 Bxa6. Although there is a major emphasis on fighting for the initiative when playing with the isolated dpawn – and rightly so – the following example shows that under special circumstances, it is permissible to exchange pieces for concrete positional reasons.

Black to play

Black is now unable to take the d5-pawn and, at best, will remain with a weak e6-pawn. 18...Qxb2? This is just too greedy. Black had to try to consolidate the kingside by forcing White to capture on e6. However, after 18...Re8 19 Rae1 Qc7 20 dxe6 Bxe6 21 Bxe6 fxe6 22 Ng4 +/– White will be able to win the e6-pawn. Black’s only compensation is that the bishop will be slightly stronger than the knight in the ensuing endgame. 19 Rb1 +– White’s piece activity is just too great now. 19...Qa3 White to play

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Smyslov – Ribli Candidates (7), London 1983 11 Be4 White challenges the d5-knight, and reserves the possibility of changing the pawn-structure at any time. This also opens up the d3-square for the queen. 11...Nce7 Black supports the knight so that White cannot force Black to make an isolated d-pawn of his own. After 11...b6 12 Qd3 h6 13 Re1 Bb7 14 Bxd5 exd5 15 Bf4 += White has a slight advantage because of his better-placed minor pieces and Black’s passive bishop on b7. 12 Ne5 Immediately capitalizing on the departure of the c6-knight. 12...g6?! This was not mandatory and it donates the h6square to White’s bishop. It was better for Black to develop his problematic queen’s bishop. After 12...b6 13 Qd3 Ng6 (13...g6 14 Bh6 Bg7 = is also possible, when Black’s position stands rock-solid) 14 f4 = both sides have their strengths in this dynamically balanced position: White has the e5square and Black the d5-square. 13 Bh6 White takes the opportunity to develop the bishop with tempo against the rook. 13...Bg7 13...Re8 14 Re1 += followed by Qf3 is very unpleasant for Black. 14 Bxg7 Kxg7 15 Rc1! (D)

Black to play

White develops the rook on the c-file. Although this is an open file, it is important for players to understand that normally it is not the ideal location for the rook, as Black can easily neutralize it by placing his own rook on c8. Any rook exchanges would also favour Black. Since White wants to prepare the d5 advance, the rook typically goes to d1. However, in this specific position, Black has a firm blockade on the d5-square, but is behind in development. Thus, ...Rc8 is not possible in the near future and White makes the most of this temporary advantage. 15...b6 16 Nxd5! Although White solves Black’s ‘superfluous knight’ problem, it is more important to open the cfile for the rook before Black completes development. In this case, dynamic play has priority over positional principles. 16 Qd2 would be an uninspiring continuation. After 16...Bb7 it is almost impossible for White to generate any threats on the kingside. After 17 Ng4 (17 h4 does not accomplish anything after 17...h5) 17...Nf5 18 Rfe1 Rb8 = Black threatens ...Nxc3, trading White’s attacking pieces. Although the position is equal, I would side with Black in a practical game. 16...Nxd5 16...exd5 17 Bf3 += grants White a very slight but permanent advantage due to the d-pawns and colour of the bishops on the board. 17 Bxd5 Qxd5?

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Allowing White’s rook to the seventh rank is not a good idea, as it becomes impossible to chase it away. Black should have taken with the e-pawn, although it’s not a pleasant position to play. After 17...exd5 18 Qf3 += White’s knight is stronger than the bishop and he can play safely for a win while keeping the draw ‘in hand’.

19...Rac8 20 Rd7 Qe4 21 Qxe4 Bxe4 22 f3 Bd5 23 Rxa7 Rc2 24 b4 is very similar to the previous line. Black will win the d4-pawn but still has problems activating the f8-rook and stopping White’s queenside pawns. 20 Rd1 White defends the d4-pawn, preventing Black from exchanging queens with ...Qe4 since the a7-pawn would be hanging.

18 Rc7 (D)

20...a5 (D)

Black to play

Despite trading many pieces and still having the isolated d-pawn, which would normally be a good sign for Black, White has managed to maintain dynamic piece-play. The rook and knight’s pressure against the f7-pawn is becoming unbearable and cannot be alleviated. 18...Bb7 After 18...Qd6 19 Rxf7+ Rxf7 20 Nxf7 +/– White wins a pawn because of the queen fork on f3. 19 Qg4 19 f3! is stronger, closing the diagonal and guarding the e4-square. Now Rd7 is a big threat. After 19...Rad8 20 Re1 Ba8 (trying to save the pawn by 20...a5? is too slow since 21 Re4 +– threatens to launch a strong kingside attack with ideas of Rf4 or Qc1 and Rh4; Black no longer has the reply ...Qd6 as the bishop would be hanging) 21 Rxa7 Qxd4+ 22 Qxd4 Rxd4 23 b4! +/– (23 Nxf7?! Rxf7 24 Rxa8 wins a pawn but allows Black active counterplay with 24...Rd2 +=) White still has strong pressure in the endgame and now the possibility of creating an outside passed pawn. 19...Rad8

White to play

21 h4 Smyslov advances the h-pawn to start an attack against the king. Instead 21 f3? allows Black to trade rooks with 21...Rc8 as 22 Rd7 Qb3 23 Re1 Rc1! works because of the check on e3: 24 Rxc1 Qe3+ 25 Kf1 Ba6+ 26 Rc4 Bxc4+ 27 Nxc4 Qc1+ 28 Kf2 Qxc4 =. However, evading the ...Qe4 idea by 21 Qg5! was even stronger. After 21...Rc8 22 Rd7 Qe4 23 f3 Qc2 24 Re1 White plans Ng4 followed by Qh6+ with a strong attack. 21...Rc8 22 Rd7 Qe4 23 Qg5 Bc6! The bishop attacks White’s rook and also frees the black queen from its defensive duties. 24 f3 Qf5? Black misses a big chance to simplify the position and rid himself of the pressure. 24...h6! forces a favourable exchange as there is no good square for White’s queen to move. After 25 fxe4 (25 Qc1 keeps the queens on but doesn’t offer anything af-

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ter 25...Qe2 26 Nxc6 Rxc6 27 Qxc6 Qxd1+) 25...hxg5 26 Nxc6 Rxc6 27 hxg5 Rc2 = Black’s active rook and superior pawn-structure are sufficient for him to defend the endgame a pawn down.

Black tries to close the kingside and create his own counterplay against White’s king, but White is just too fast. The g6 break will be decisive.

25 Ra7 Ba4

White ignores Black’s h-pawn and continues the attack.

Black’s rook is now able to invade on c2, attacking White’s pawns. 26 Re1 Rc2 27 b4 Despite activating his rook, Black’s game is still very unpleasant. White has full control over the position. 27...Bb3?

33 Rg3 h4 34 Rg4 h3 35 g6

35...h2+ 35...Rxg2+ 36 Rxg2 hxg2 37 Kxg2 leads to a losing endgame for Black; White will take on f7 and be two pawns up. 36 Kxh2 Rh8+ 37 Kg3 Rxg2+ A final attempt to create some chaos.

This allows White’s e1-rook to join the attack. 27...Bc6!, preventing Re4, is best. However, Black is still much worse: 28 Rc7 Ba4 29 Rxc2 Bxc2 30 Rc1 Ba4 31 Rc7 axb4 32 axb4 +/–. 28 bxa5 bxa5 29 Re4! (D)

38 Kxg2 Qc2+ 39 Qf2 39 Kg1 was quicker, as Black will run out of checks and has no way to defend his own king: 39...Qh2+ 40 Kf1 Qh1+ 41 Rg1 Qh3+ 42 Ke1 Qh4+ 43 Qf2 +– or 39...Qb1+ 40 Kf2 Qc2+ 41 Qe2 Rh2+ 42 Kg3 +–. 39...Rh2+ 40 Kxh2 Qxf2+ 41 Kh3 Qf1+ 42 Rg2 Qh1+ 1-0 Black resigned because even though White is lacking a queen, there is still no way to defend his king. After 43 Rh2 Qf1+ 44 Kh4 Qe1+ 45 Kh5 the checks have run out and White has Rxf7+ followed by Ng4, creating a mating-net.

Black to play

White threatens Rf4, winning the f7-pawn. Black has no good defence. 29...h6

With the isolated d-pawn, it is crucial to induce weaknesses in the opponent’s kingside. However, even after this is accomplished, many players struggle with the question of what to do next. While there is no one-line answer to this issue, I hope that the final example does a good job of illustrating dynamic play focused against weak squares on the kingside:

29...Qxg5 30 hxg5 Rc1+ 31 Kf2 Bc2 was objectively the best defence, but after 32 Re3! Black loses the a5-pawn or allows Rc3 followed by Rc7, in either case losing material. 30 Qe3 With queens on the board, Black has no chance of emerging in one piece. 30...Rb2 31 Rg4 g5 32 hxg5 h5

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Isolated d-Pawn Positions

14 Qe4 Mate on h7 is threatened, forcing Black to make a weakness in one way or another. 14...g6 After 14...Nf6? 15 Qh4 White threatens Bg5 and Ne5, bringing more pieces into the attack. 14...f5!? reduces White’s attacking chances as it closes the diagonal completely. However, it comes at the expense of leaving a backward pawn on e6 that White can attack: 15 Qe5 Bd6 16 Qe2 Bd7 17 Bd2 +=. 15 Bh6 Re8 16 Ne5 (D) Black to play

Grishchuk – Gelfand Linares 2010 11...Nb6 12 Bd3 The bishop retreats to the more active diagonal, exerting pressure on the h7-pawn. 12 Bb3 Bd7 13 Ne5 Bc6 shows one way for Black to neutralize White’s activity. Black prepares to block White’s b3-bishop by placing a piece on d5. The pawn-structure after 14 Nxc6?! bxc6 is at least OK for Black; the c6-pawn is isolated but it cannot be attacked easily and helps control the d5-square. In addition, it opens the b-file for Black’s rook. White has also exchanged one of his most ferocious attacking pieces, the knight on e5.

Grishchuk dunks the knight into the attack.

12...Nbd5 13 Nxd5

16...Bd7 17 Qf3 Qe7 18 Be4

White trades the knights, after which Black must either change the pawn-structure or allow the white queen access to the e4-square. 13 Bd2, defending the knight and planning Ne5, is also possible, while 13 Bg5!? Nxc3 14 bxc3 Bxc3 15 Rac1 is an interesting pawn sacrifice, activating the pieces as quickly as possible.

White plans to take on d5 in order to gain more control over the dark squares on the kingside. However, 18 Bc4! was a more precise way to accomplish the same goal. The bishop is better placed as it will not come under attack from ...f5. After 18...Rad8 19 Ng4 f5 20 Ne5 += White has provoked a weakening and stands better.

13...Nxd5

18...Bc6?!

13...Qxd5 does not solve Black’s problems, as 14 Bg5 Be7 15 Rfd1 += followed by Bc4 and d5 gives White strong play. The queen is not the best piece to blockade the isolated d-pawn!

With 18...Rad8! Black plans on attacking White’s knight with ...f6, as Ng4 is now met with ...f5, forking the two pieces. 19 Rfd1 (19 Bxd5 exd5 is fine for Black, as 20 Qxd5?! Be6 21 Qe4 f6 22 Nf3 Bd5 =+ leaves Black with more than enough compensation for the pawn) 19...f6 20 Nxd7 Rxd7 =.

13...exd5 14 Ne5 may be objectively level, but White has some pressure. The plan is to support the e5-knight by playing f4, creating some attacking chances.

Black to play

19 Bxd5

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White did not have to capture on d5 right away. 19 Rfc1 Rac8 20 h4 += would also have put Black under some positional pressure. 19...Bxd5 20 Qf4 (D)

White to play

23 Rfe1 White develops the rook before continuing the pawn advance. Other moves: Black to play

White’s light-squared bishop has served its purpose by causing the weakness ...g6. Although White has given up the bishop-pair, he has gained excellent dark-square control on the kingside. The bishop is extremely misplaced on b4 as it does not play any role in the battle for the kingside dark squares. 20...f5 White was threatening Bg5 followed by Bf6. 20...f6 allows White to win the pawn after 21 Ng4 Kf7 22 Bg5 Bd6 23 Qxf6+ Qxf6 24 Bxf6 h5 25 Be5 += though Black does maintain good drawing chances.

a) 23 h5 is not ideal as after 23...gxh5! White has no way to win back the pawn immediately: 24 f3 Qf6 25 Qg3+ Kh8 26 Bg5 Qg7 27 Qh4 Bxe5 28 dxe5 Kg8 29 Bf6 Qg6 . b) 23 Qg3 deserved attention, however, preparing h5 as well as tactical ideas featuring Bf4. After 23...Qf6 (23...Kh8 24 Bf4 leaves Black no good defence to Nxg6+) 24 a5 += White has a firm grip on the position, while Black lacks counterplay. 23...Qf6 24 Rc3 White threatens to bring the rook to the kingside, where it would be a very strong attacking piece. Black cannot permit this to happen.

20...Bd6 21 Bg5 Qf8 22 Qh4 Bxe5 23 dxe5 += looks extremely dangerous but might be playable for Black. It is not easy for White to bring more pieces into the attack and Black’s queen does a good job holding the kingside.

24...Rxc3 25 bxc3 Rc8 26 Qg3

21 h4!

26...Be4

A typical attacking method by now if you absorbed the lessons from Chapter 9! White plans to weaken the g6-pawn by playing h5.

Gelfand blocks the e-file so White can no longer capture the knight with the rook.

21...Rac8 22 Rac1 Bd6 (D)

The threat of h5 is now renewed. White would like to bring the rook into the attack, but after 26 Re3? Bxe5 there is no good recapture. The otherwise ideal Rxe5 leaves the c-pawn hanging.

27 h5 Bxe5 28 dxe5 Qf7 Black has forced the capture on e5 with the pawn, but has allowed White many moves to build up the attack. 29 Re3 (D)

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Isolated d-Pawn Positions

pawns: 34 Bxg7+ Kxg7 35 Qg5+ Kf7 36 Qxf4+ Ke8 37 Qh6 +–. 34 Qe7 White delivers forced checkmate. 34...Qe4 35 Qf6 1-0 As a summary, it is important for the side who has the isolated d-pawn to play as energetically as possible. Although the pawn is a long-term weakness, it offers a lot of dynamic play in the shorter term. Playing with pace and tempo is key, since if the defending side is given time to complete development, the d-pawn will come back to haunt us!

Black to play

White threatens Qh4 followed by hxg6 and Rh3. 29...Kh8? The decisive mistake in a very difficult position. The king is now placed in a much more precarious situation. 29...Qe8 +/–, opening up Black’s second rank for the rook, was a better defence. 30 Qh4 +– White threatens to open the h-file with hxg6, to which Black has no adequate response. 30...gxh5 It is too late to go back with 30...Kg8 31 hxg6 hxg6 32 Rh3 +–. 30...g5 31 Bxg5 h6 32 Bxh6 Kh7 33 Rg3 Rg8 prevents checkmate, but White is then two pawns up for nothing. 31 Rg3 White threatens Rg7 at the right moment, winning the queen. 31...Bd5 32 a5! A nice move, essentially putting Black in zugzwang! 32 Rg7? is premature, since after 32...Qxg7 33 Bxg7+ Kxg7 +/– Black is able to generate counterplay along the c-file. 32...f4 Black had no other good moves. The rook, queen and bishop have to stay put. 33 Rg7 Qf5 33...Qxg7 was best, but the endgame is obviously hopeless. White’s queen takes all the kingside 232

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Exercises

Exercise 1: White to play

Exercise 3: Black to play

Exercise 2: White to play

Exercise 4: Black to play

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Isolated d-Pawn Positions

Exercise 5: Black to play

Exercise 7: Black to play

Exercise 6: White to play

Exercise 8: White to play

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Solutions to Exercises

White to play

White to play

1) Gelfand – Bocharov

2) Bacrot – A.S. Rasmussen

Berlin blitz 2015

Berlin rapid 2015

16 Ne5!

20 Bg5!

One typical idea is to sacrifice the positionallyweak d-pawn in exchange for the bishop-pair and superior piece activity.

Removing the key defender of Black’s position.

16...Bxd2 16...Bxe5 17 dxe5 Qxe5 18 Bc3 Qh5 19 Qd6 Nd5 20 f4 offers White a promising attack with ideas such as f5 and Rf3. 17 Qxd2 Rd8 18 Qf4 Bd7 18...Qd6 was a better try, although White is still doing great after 19 Rc3!, the point being 19...Qxd4?? 20 Rd3 +–.

20...Bg7 21 Bxf6?! 21 Nxf7! Kxf7 22 Bxf6 Bxf6 23 Qxh7+ +– was a more precise move-order, which would transpose to the game. 21...Bxf6 22 Nxf7 Kxf7? 22...Bxd4? loses in amazing fashion: 23 Ng5 Bxf2+ 24 Kh1 Rc7 25 Rxe6 Rxe6 26 Bc4!! Nxc4 27 Rd8+ Kg7 28 Nxe6+ Kf6 29 Nxc7 Qxc7 30 Rf8+ Kg7 31 Rxf2 +– is a remarkable line.

19 Rc3!

22...Rc7! +/– leaves White much better, but at least Black can stay in the game.

The rook is thirsty for some blood.

23 Qxh7+ Kf8 24 Ne4?

19...Qd6? Losing on the spot, but Black was close to lost in any case.

This blows the win. 24 Bxg6 Re7 25 Qh6+ Bg7 (25...Rg7 26 Ne4 Bxe4 27 Rxe4 +–) 26 Qf4+ Kg8 27 Bh7+! Kxh7 28 Qh4+ Kg8 29 Qxe7 +–.

20 Bxh7+! Kxh7

24...Rc7 25 Qxg6 Bxd4 26 Nf6 Bxf6??

20...Kf8 21 Ng6+ +–.

26...Rd8! makes the position extremely unclear.

21 Rh3+ Kg8 22 Rh8+ Kxh8 23 Nxf7+ +–

27 Qxf6+ Rf7 28 Qh8+ Ke7 29 Qh4+ Rf6 30 Bg6 Rg8 31 Qb4+ 1-0

and Gelfand won easily.

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Isolated d-Pawn Positions

White has lost the exchange and Black still possesses the initiative. 29 Nxc1 Nf6 30 d6 Qc6 31 Na2 Qxd6 32 Bxb4 Qb6 33 f3 Qf2 0-1

Black to play

3) Khuzman – Aronian European Clubs Cup, Plovdiv 2010 18...Bxd4! It turns out White’s blockade on d4 is much more feeble than it looks. Black to play

19 Rxd4 After 19 exd4? Ne6 20 Qd3 Nxd4! –/+ Black wins a pawn, since the knight is taboo: 21 Qxd4?? Rxe1+! –+. 19...Ne6 20 Rd2?!

4) Renet – Conquest Clichy 2001 White had just played 14 Nf3-d4?!, unwisely drifting away from his king’s aid...

20 Rh4 is visually appalling, but was the only attempt to deny Black’s knight the key f4-square. 20...Rc4 21 Rxc4 dxc4 22 Bxb7 Qxb7 seems like a slightly better position for Black because of his queenside pawn-majority.

14...Qg5!

20...d4!

15 Kh1, preventing Black’s plan of ...Bh3, is a better defence.

Once this thematic advance is played, it is usually bad news for the defender.

Sensing the weakness of White’s king, Black’s queen immediately joins the hunt. 15 Nxc6?!

15...bxc6 16 Bd4 16 Rxc6?! is smashed by 16...Nxf2!, a typical sacrifice to undermine the e3-pawn. 17 Kxf2 (17 Rxf2 Qxe3 18 Nb6 Bxb6 19 Rxb6 Qxb6 –/+ is a better try for White) 17...Qxe3+ 18 Ke1 Bg4 19 Rc2 d4 20 Bc1 Qe4 21 Rf4 Qxg2 22 Qd3 Qh1+ 23 Rf1 Qxh2 –+.

21 Bxb7 Qxb7 22 exd4 Ne4 23 Rdd1 Nf4! Black’s knights dominate the board. 24 d5 a5! Preparing to kick the key defender away from c3. 25 Qb3 b4 26 axb4 axb4 27 Na2

16...Bh3 17 Bf3

Or: 27 Nxe4 Rxc1 28 Rxc1 Ne2+ 29 Kh1 Nxc1 30 Qc4 Qc8! –+; 27 g3 Nxc3 28 Bxc3 Ne2+ 29 Kg2 Nxc1 30 Rxc1 Qb8 31 Bd2 Rxc1 32 Bxc1 Qb7 –+.

Now instead of 17...Bxd4?! Black had a much more menacing attacking continuation in 17...Re6!, with great mating prospects.

27...Ne2+ 28 Kh1 Nxc1

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Black to play

White to play

5) Bronzik – M. Gurevich

6) Rodshtein – Kotanjian

Metz 2005

Moscow 2008

26...Be5!

20 Nxf7!

The idea is to destroy White’s blockade on d4, after which his defences will rapidly deteriorate.

20 Nxd5! is also strong, though not as convincing as the text-move. 20...Bxd5 (20...Nxd5? 21 Nxf7!) 21 Ba4, with Qh4 to follow, leaves Black under serious pressure.

27 Nxe5?! 27 Nh4! Bxd4 28 Bxg4 Qxg4 29 exd4 (29 Qxd4 Qe6 gives Black the initiative) 29...Qd7 =+ was a better try for White, although Black is positionally much better. 27...Nxe5 28 Qd1 Nxf2! This blows White away.

The other retreat was slightly more tenacious: 21...Qd7 22 Bxf6 Bxf6 23 Qxh7+ Bg7 24 Ng5+ Kf6 25 Rxc8 Bxc8 26 Qh4 Rh8 27 Qg4 Rh5 28 h4 Rxg5 29 hxg5+ Ke7 30 Qe4 +/–. 22 Bxf6 Bxf6?

29 Kxf2 Qxh2+ 30 Ke1 Qxg3+ 31 Kd2 Bxe2 32 Kxe2 Or: 32 Qxe2 Nc4+ 33 Kd3 Qg6+ –+; 32 Nxe2 Nf3+ 33 Kd3 Qg6+ 34 e4 Qxe4#. 32...Qg2+ 33 Ke1 Qe4 34 Ke2 Rc4 Black’s pieces dominate and with ...Re8 coming, White has nothing left to fight for. 35 Rxc4 dxc4 36 Bc3

20...Kxf7 21 Ne4 Qb6?!

22...Nxf6 was Black’s last hope, although after 23 Ng5+ Kg7 24 Nxe6+ Kh8 25 Qh6 Nh5! (25...Bf8 26 Nxf8 Rxf8 27 Rxc8 Rxc8 28 Re7 +– forces Black to give up the rook with 28...Rc1+) 26 Rxc8 Rxc8 27 g4! Qc6 28 d5 Qd6 29 gxh5 Rg8 30 Qf4 gxh5+ 31 Kf1 Qxf4 32 Nxf4 +/– White should be able to convert his material advantage into victory. 23 Rxc8 Bxc8

36 Qc2 Rxd4 –+.

23...Rxc8 24 Qxh7+ Kf8 25 Bxd5 exd5 26 Nxf6 +–.

36...Qg2+ 37 Ke1 Nd3+ 0-1

24 Bxd5 exd5 25 Ng5+! Bxg5 25...Kf8 26 Qh6+ Bg7 27 Rxe8+ Kxe8 28 Qxg7 +– is hopeless for Black. 26 Qxh7+ Kf6 27 Rxe8 1-0 Black resigned as there is no defence to the mating attack beginning with Qh8+.

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Isolated d-Pawn Positions

In return for the weak d-pawn, Black has obtained complete domination over the light squares and a long-term attack against White’s king.

Black to play

7) Brestian – Fta nik European Team Ch, Batumi 1999 18...d4!

White to play

Both sides should always be looking out for this essential thematic advance in isolated d-pawn positions! Black’s pieces spring to life after this move. Or: a) 19 Bxb7? is refuted by 19...Qxb7 20 Nxd4 Nfg4! 21 h3 (21 Ncb5 also runs into disaster after 21...Nf3+ 22 Nxf3 Qxf3 23 Rf1 Rxc1 24 Bxc1 Nxf2 –+) 21...Rxd4! 22 exd4 Nf3+ 23 Kf1 Ngh2+! (the knight venture deep into the enemy camp pays great dividends) 24 Ke2 Nxd4+ 25 Rxd4 Qf3+ –+. b) 19 Nxd4 Bxg2 20 Kxg2 Qb7+ 21 e4! (necessary in order to open the third rank for the queen; 21 Kg1? Nfg4! transposes to line ‘a’, while 21 f3? Rxd4! 22 exd4 Qxf3+ 23 Kg1 Nfg4 gives Black a decisive attack) 21...Nxe4 22 Nxe4 Rxc1 23 Bxc1 Qxe4+ 24 f3 Qd5 and now 25 Bg5! gains a tempo on Black’s rook and prepares to break the d-file pin following Rd2. After the long continuation 25...Qxb3 26 axb3 Rd5 27 Rd2 Bf8 28 b5 Bb4 29 Re2 Rxd4 30 Bf6 Rd3 31 Bxe5 Rxb3 32 Bf6 Kf8 White is a pawn down but has good chances to draw because of his active pieces and the fact that the b5-pawn holds back both of Black’s queenside pawns. 20 Kh1? Ng4 –+. 20...Bxf3 21 Rd3 Ba8! –/+

Gibraltar 2011 Black is threatening ...b4, winning a piece, so the question is how White should respond.

19 exd4

19...Nf3+ 20 Bxf3

8) Le Roux – Estrada Nieto

16 Rd3! Play in the spirit of isolated d-pawn positions! The initiative is above all else; in this case, even at the cost of a piece. With this rook-lift, the strength of White’s attack increases exponentially. 16...b4 Black cannot defend with 16...h6 due to 17 Bxh6! gxh6 18 Qxh6 +–, when Rg3+ signals the end for Black. 17 Rh3! g6 17...bxc3 is annihilated by 18 Bxh7+! Kf8 (18...Nxh7 19 Qxf7+ Kh8 20 Ng6#) 19 Bh6!, when Black can do little to stop the forthcoming Bxg7+. 17...h5 is the engines’ initial suggestion, but it is quickly refuted by 18 Rxh5 bxc3 19 Bh7+ Kf8 20 Bh6 +–. 18 Nxf7 18 Rxh7! was even easier than the game continuation. After 18...bxc3 (18...Kxh7 19 Nxf7 Qc7 20 Qh4+ Kg8 21 Bxg6 +–) 19 Bxg6! fxg6 20 Rh6 +– Black has no way to meet Rxg6+ as 20...Be4 21 Qh4 +– results in mate.

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18...Qc7 18...Kxf7 19 Rxh7+ Kg8 20 Bxg6 Nxh7 21 Qf7+ Kh8 22 Qxh7#. 19 Ne5! bxc3 20 bxc3! Black is helpless against the threat of Qh4 with a sacrifice on g6 to blow up the kingside. 20...Rf8 21 Qh4! Bd8 22 Bxg6! Qg7 23 Bh6 Nh5 24 Qg4 Qxh6 25 Rxh5 Qxh5 26 Bxh5+ Kh8 27 Nf7+ Rxf7 28 Bxf7 Bf6 29 Re1 Bd5 30 h3 Nc4 31 Rxe6 Bxe6 32 Qxe6 Be7 1-0

We hope you have found this book both instructive and pleasant to read. Attacking chess should certainly be the daring player’s bread and butter; with enough practice and experience to get accommodated to this way of playing chess, attaining levels of chess mastery is definitely not a pipe dream. So without further ado, we encourage you, dear reader, to start producing some brilliancies on the board. After all, life is too short to play ‘boring’ chess!

239

Index of Games

Index of Games When a player’s name appears in bold, that player had White. Otherwise the White. Italic signifies an exercise.

FIRST-NAMED PLAYER

was

ADAMS – Leko; Sokolov, I.

BOK – Stupak

ADLY – Bologan; Lazni ka

BOLOGAN – Adly

AKOPIAN – Ivanchuk

BORTNYK – Kamsky

ALEKHINE – Monticelli

BOTVINNIK – Smyslov; Vidmar

ALEKSANDROV – Bareev

BREGADZE – Song

ALEKSEEV – Svidler

BRESTIAN – Fta nik

ALEXANDER – Pachman

BRONZIK – Gurevich, M.

ALMASI, Z. – Khalifman; Movsesian; Movsesian

BROWNE – Karpov

ANAND – Aronian; Kariakin

BU XIANGZHI – Harikrishna; Kariakin

ANDERSSON – Fischer

BUKAL – Donev

ANDREIKIN – Siugirov

CAPABLANCA – Bernstein, O.; Tartakower

ANDRUET – Spassky

CARLSEN – Hossain, E.; Kariakin; Ponomariov; So

ANTIPOV – Van Foreest, J.

CARUANA – Giri; Kasparov; Kasparov

ARAVINDH – Xiong

CHEPARINOV – Navara

ARONIAN – Anand; Ivanchuk; Khuzman

CHERNIAEV – Oganian

AROSHIDZE – Jobava

CONQUEST – Renet

ARSOVI – Stojanovi

CVITAN – Movsesian

BACROT – Rasmussen, A.S.

DAULYTE – Krush

BAGATUROV – Lima

DE SOUZA MENDES – Fischer

BAREEV – Aleksandrov; Piskov; Timman

DEBASHIS – Topalov

BARTEL – Jakubowski

DING LIREN – Kuderinov

BEERDSEN – Ernst, S.

DINGER – Socko

BENJAMIN – Kamsky

DONCHENKO, AL. – Naroditsky

BENKO – Fischer

DONEV – Bukal

BERG, E. – Huschenbeth

DREEV – Tiviakov

BERKES – Polgar, J.

DU – Song

BERNSTEIN, O. – Capablanca

DUDA – Leko

BOCHAROV – Gelfand

EHLVEST – Short 240

The Chess Attacker´s Handbook

EL DEBS – Leitão ELIANOV – Khismatullin; Paunovi

IVANCHUK – Akopian; Aronian; Volkov; Yusupov; Yusupov

ERENBURG – Harmon-Vellotti

JAKUBOWSKI – Bartel

ERNST, S. – Beerdsen

JOBAVA – Aroshidze; Mikaelyan; Ponomariov

ESTRADA NIETO – Le Roux

KALMANOK – Kotov

FEDORCHUK – Sokolov, I. FELLER, S. – Motylev

KAMSKY – Benjamin; Bortnyk; So KAN – Riumin

FILIPPOV – Khalifman

KARIAKIN – Anand; Bu Xiangzhi; Carlsen; Giri

FISCHER – Andersson; Benko; De Souza Mendes; Korchnoi; Larsen; Letelier; Mjagmasuren

KARPOV – Browne; Kasparov; Smyslov; Taimanov; Timman; Unzicker; VachierLagrave

FROLIANOV – Kornev

KASPAROV – Caruana; Caruana; Karpov; Movsesian; Piket; Ribli; Short; So; Sunye Neto

FTA

KAZHGALEEV – Romanov, E.

FRIEDEL, J. – Song

NIK

– Brestian

GASHIMOV – Grishchuk

KHALIFMAN – Almasi, Z.; Filippov

GELFAND – Bocharov; Giri; Grishchuk; Van Wely; Van Wely

KHISMATULLIN – Elianov

GIRI – Caruana; Gelfand; Kariakin; Topalov GLÜCKSBERG – Najdorf GONZALEZ VIDAL – Hansen, E.; Wei Yi GRABINSKY, A. – Song GRANDELIUS – Naiditsch GREENFELD – Pashikian GRISHCHUK – Gashimov; Gelfand GUREVICH, M. – Bronzik GUSEINOV – Timofeev GUSTAFSSON – Naiditsch HANSEN, E. – Gonzalez Vidal HARIKRISHNA – Bu Xiangzhi HARMON-VELLOTTI – Erenburg HECTOR – Krasenkow HOSSAIN, E. – Carlsen HOU YIFAN – Svidler; Zimina HUSCHENBETH – Berg, E. ILIUSHIN – Zhigalko ILIVITSKY – Ravinsky

KHUZMAN – Aronian KISS, P. – Kotronias KLIMOV – Solozhenkin KOKAREV – Nepomniashchy KORCHNOI – Fischer; Spassky; Tal; Wolff KORNEV – Frolianov KOTANJIAN – Rodshtein KOTOV – Kalmanok KOTRONIAS – Kiss, P. KRAMNIK – Topalov KRASENKOW – Hector; Nakamura KRUSH – Daulyte KUDERINOV – Ding Liren LARSEN – Fischer; Spassky; Tal LAZNI

KA –

Adly

LE QUANG – Nepomniashchy; Ni Hua LE ROUX – Estrada Nieto LEITÃO – El Debs LEKO – Adams; Duda; Shirov; Svidler LETELIER – Fischer

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Index of Games

LIMA – Bagaturov

PONOMARIOV – Carlsen; Jobava

MAGHSOODLOO – So

PORTISCH – Spassky

MAIOROV – Miroshnichenko

POTKIN – Van Kampen

MAMEDYAROV – Yakovenko

PREOTU – Troff; Vilikanov

MIKAELYAN – Jobava

QI JINGXUAN – Vyzhmanavin

MIKHALEVSKI, V. – Plotkin

RADULSKI – Milov, L.

MILOV, L. – Radulski

RAPPORT, J. – Muzychuk, A.

MIROSHNICHENKO – Maiorov; Mochalov; Roiz

RASMUSSEN, A.S. – Bacrot

MJAGMASUREN – Fischer

RAVINSKY – Ilivitsky

MOCHALOV – Miroshnichenko

RENET – Conquest

MOHRLOK – Tal

RIBLI – Kasparov; Smyslov

MONNEY – Westerberg

RIUMIN – Kan

MONTICELLI – Alekhine

RODSHTEIN – Kotanjian

MOTYLEV – Feller, S.; Wang Hao

ROIZ – Miroshnichenko

MOVSESIAN – Almasi, Z.; Almasi, Z.; Cvitan; Kasparov; Shirov

ROMANOV, E. – Kazhgaleev

MUZYCHUK, A. – Rapport, J. NAIDITSCH – Grandelius; Gustafsson; Zumsande NAJDORF – Glücksberg NAKAMURA – Krasenkow; Samsonkin; Troff NARODITSKY – Donchenko, Al. NAVARA – Cheparinov

ROTLEWI – Rubinstein ROZENTALIS – Sashikiran RUBINSTEIN – Nimzowitsch; Rotlewi SAMSONKIN – Nakamura SASHIKIRAN – Rozentalis SCHLECHTER – Teichmann SEVILLANO – Song

NEPOMNIASHCHY – Kokarev; Le Quang

SHI – Song

NI HUA – Le Quang

SHIROV – Leko; Movsesian; Vaganian

NIMZOWITSCH – Rubinstein OBAFUNMILAYO – Song OGANIAN – Cherniaev PACHMAN – Alexander PASHIKIAN – Greenfeld

SHORT – Ehlvest; Kasparov; Timman SIUGIROV – Andreikin SMYSLOV – Botvinnik; Karpov; Ribli SO – Carlsen; Kamsky; Kasparov; Maghsoodloo SOCKO – Dinger

PAUNOVI – Elianov

SOKOLOV, I. – Adams; Fedorchuk; Polgar, J.

PETROSIAN – Suetin; Vasiukov

SOLOZHENKIN – Klimov

PIKET – Kasparov; Winants PISKOV – Bareev

SONG – Bregadze; Du; Friedel, J.; Grabinsky, A.; Obafunmilayo; Sevillano; Shi; Wang, R.

PLOTKIN – Mikhalevski, V.

SPASSKY – Andruet; Korchnoi; Larsen; Portisch

POGONINA – The World

SPIELMANN – Tartakower

POLGAR, J. – Berkes; Sokolov, I.; Topalov

STOJANOVI – Arsovi

242

The Chess Attacker´s Handbook

STUPAK – Bok

YUSUPOV – Ivanchuk; Ivanchuk

SUETIN – Petrosian

ZHIGALKO – Iliushin

SUNYE NETO – Kasparov

ZIMINA – Hou Yifan

SUTOVSKY – Van Wely

ZUMSANDE – Naiditsch

SVIDLER – Alekseev; Hou Yifan; Leko TAIMANOV – Karpov TAL – Korchnoi; Larsen; Mohrlok TARTAKOWER – Capablanca; Spielmann TEICHMANN – Schlechter THE WORLD – Pogonina TIMMAN – Bareev; Karpov; Short TIMOFEEV – Guseinov TIVIAKOV – Dreev TKACHEV – Watson, W. TOPALOV – Debashis; Giri; Kramnik; Polgar, J. TROFF – Nakamura; Preotu UNZICKER – Karpov VACHIER-LAGRAVE – Karpov VAGANIAN – Shirov VAN FOREEST, J. – Antipov VAN KAMPEN – Potkin VAN WELY – Gelfand; Gelfand; Sutovsky VASIUKOV – Petrosian VIDMAR – Botvinnik VILIKANOV – Preotu VOLKOV – Ivanchuk VYZHMANAVIN – Qi Jingxuan WANG, R. – Song WANG HAO – Motylev WATSON, W. – Tkachev WEI YI – Gonzalez Vidal WESTERBERG – Monney WINANTS – Piket WOLFF – Korchnoi XIONG – Aravindh YAKOVENKO – Mamedyarov 243

Index of Openings The numbers refer to the chapter in which the game can be found, though naturally clicking on the link will take you directly to the game or piece of analysis in question. Dutch Defence: 11 English Opening: 1, 11, 11 King’s Indian: 7 Modern Defence: 1 Pirc Defence: 11 Ruy Lopez: 1 Sicilian Defence: 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2

Copyright Information First published in printed form in the UK by Gambit Publications Ltd in 2017 First Kindle edition published by Gambit Publications Ltd in 2017 Copyright © Michael Song and Razvan Preotu 2017 The right of Michael Song and Razvan Preotu to be identified as the authors of this work has been asserted in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise), without prior permission of the publisher. In particular, no part of this publication or images thereof may be transmitted via the Internet or uploaded to a website without the publisher’s permission. Any person who does any unauthorized act in relation to this publication may be liable to criminal prosecution and civil claims for damage. ISBN-13: 978-1-911465-20-1 ISBN-10: 1-911465-20-1 (Printed edition: ISBN-13: 978-1-911465-16-4; ISBN-10: 1-911465-16-3). Gambit Publications Ltd, 50 Freshwater Road, Chadwell Heath, London RM8 1RX, England. E-mail: [email protected] Website (regularly updated): www.gambitbooks.com Edited by Graham Burgess Kindle edition prepared by Graham Burgess Cover illustration by Wolff Morrow Gambit Publications Ltd Directors: Dr John Nunn GM, Murray Chandler GM and Graham Burgess FM German Editor: Petra Nunn WFM

About the Authors The authors are the two highest-rated Canadian juniors. Razvan Preotu earned the Grandmaster title in 2016 at the age of 17. The most notable result during his meteoric rise was at the 2016 Calgary International, which he won outright ahead of a strong international field including five GMs. Michael Song became an International Master by winning the North American Under-18 Championship. He has represented Canada many times, winning a bronze medal at the 2011 World Youth Championship. His trainer is super-grandmaster Evgeny Bareev.