Part 1: ATTACKING THE KING

Given that the aim of the game is checkmate, attacking the enemy king is the most obvious and direct way to win a game of chess. Chess is essentially a war game, and the basic principles of military conflicts frequently apply on the chessboard. In order to attack any particular target successfully, it is necessary to be able to bring superior forces to bear on the target. In chess terms, this means getting more (and more powerful) piece into the attack than the defender is to bring to the defense. In addition, any military commander understands that weakness is the defensive fortifications are an important element in aiding the success of an attack. On the chessboard, this frequently translates into a weakening of the king’s pawn-cover, with an advanced pawn (e.g. on h3 or g3) often providing a target for the enemy attack.

A key element in kingside attacks is the location if the kings. Essentially, there are three possible scenarios. The enemy king can either be in the center, castled on the opposite side from the attacking side’s king, or castled on same side. These three possibilities usually imply certain modifications of the attacking methods employed, and the three games presented in this chapter exemplify the three scenarios. In all cases, however, the ultimate aim of the attack is the same. The attacker tries to break open lines against the enemy king, so that his piece can then attack the king directly. This is frequently achieved by sacrifices. As noted above, the important thing in an attack is bringing more piece to the vital sector than the defender is able to do. If the attacker can achieve this, the fact that the overall material count is against him is usually of little importance. What matters is who has more pieces in the relevant area of the board.

Content:

Game 1: Averbakh vs. Sarvarov, USSR Team Championship 1959, Queen’s Gambit Declined, Exchange Variation

Game 2: Geller vs. Kotov, USSR Championship, Moscow 1955, Ruy Lopez (Spanish), Closed

Game 3: J. Polgar vs. Mamedyarov, Olympiad, Bled 2002, Ruy Lopez (Spanish), Open

GAME 1

Averbakh vs. Sarvarov, USSR Team Championship 1959, Queen’s Gambit Declined, Exchange Variation

In this example, we see an attack carried out in a position where both kings have castled, but on opposite sides of the board. The usual strategy in such situation is to advance one’s pawns against the enemy king, so as to break open lines, and this is the strategy illustrated here. As the game shows, speed is of the essence in such situations.

The Essential Lessons:

• In positions where the kings have castled on opposite sides, the normal strategy is a direct attack on the enemy king, using a pawn-storm to open lines.
• Speed is usually of the essence in such positions. He who first opens up the enemy king usually wins. Such positions therefore generally amount to a race between the opposing attacks, and Devil take the hindmost.
• Don’t be afraid to sacrifice material to accelerate the attack. The defender’s extra material frequently has no value, if it is out of play on the other wing and cannot come to the aid of his king.

GAME 2

Geller vs. Kotov, USSR Championship, Moscow 1955, Ruy Lopez (Spanish), Closed

In this game, the kings are both castled on the kingside. This typically has a fundamental effect on the strategy employed, since with his own king on the same side, the attacker must be very careful about advancing the pawns in front of his king. In many cases, this will expose his own king at least as much as the enemy’s. The more usual strategy is therefore to attack with pieces, which is what we see here.

The Essential Lessons:

• When both kings castle on the same side, a piece attack is much more likely than a pawn-storm in front of one’s own king.
• Sacrifices are frequently used to open up the enemy king-position.

• The important thing is not who has more material on the board, but who has more material in the vital sector. White’s attack above succeeded because he was able to concentrate all of his pieces on the kingside, while Black had pieces offside on the other flank, which were unable to take an effective part in the defense.

GAME 3

J. Polgar vs. Mamedyarov, Olympiad, Bled 2002, Ruy Lopez (Spanish), Open

The previous two games have both featured attacks on castled king. Here we see the black king trapped in the center of the board. In open positions, this is generally a highly dangerous situation for a king, as he is exposed to the full attack of the enemy pieces, down the open central files. The key feature of such attacks is to retain the initiative, and not allow the defender any time to evacuate his king from the danger zone, or to bring additional piece into the defense. The attacker must operate with continual threats, to keep the defender off-balance.

The Essential Lessons:

• A king which is trapped in the center can be vulnerable to a devastating attack.
• From the attacker’s viewpoint, it is frequently worth a sacrifice in order to trap the enemy king in the center.
• As with all attackers, success depends on getting more pieces into action in the crucial sector of the board.
• It is frequently better to bring additional pieces into the attack than to take material (17.Re1!)