Articles
A Gentlemanly Rook Move

A Gentlemanly Rook Move

TheGadfly1897
| 1 | Other

This article was inspired by Kramnik's 7...Rg8! that led to a devastating attack and quick victory over Levon Aronian in the Candidates' Tournament in Berlin. I quickly recalled several more games, including classics, where a similar move with the rook was played, and here we are. I call this type of move "gentlemanly" because the intention behind it is clear, one prepares an advance of a pawn in front of the rook in order to attack the opponent's king. In other words, one shows the cards early on and lets the opponent know, "I am going to launch a direct attack against your king. Defend if you can!"  

As you should have learned by now, the uniting element of all these games is the "hook" that let the attacker open up an important file and attack the opponent's king. Therefore, be careful when you make pawn moves near your king, especially when your opponent's king hasn't castled on the same side. Good luck!

More from GM TheGadfly1897
Rook Endgame Essentials - Part 4

Rook Endgame Essentials - Part 4

Rook Endgame: The Principles

Rook Endgame: The Principles