H-File Attack - Principles of Chess Middle Games

siddharth026

May 10, 2023, 11:42 AM | 1

“The Game of Chess is not merely an idle amusement; several very valuable qualities of the mind, useful in the course of human life, are to be acquired and strengthened by it, so as to become habits ready on all occasions; for life is a kind of Chess, in which we have often points to gain, and competitors or adversaries to contend with, and in which there is a vast variety of good and ill events, that are, in some degree, the effect of prudence, or the want of it.”

- Benjamin Franklin

# Introduction -

Welcome to the series "Principles of Chess Middle Games". Here we discuss the most fundamental theoretical concepts of chess. The intention is to make you aware that the middle game is the same as the endgame. Like we say, Two rooks endgame or Bishop knight mate similarly, we in the middlegame say an outpost or weak squares or blockade and restriction. When we put this in this way chess becomes simple and more understandable.

# Topic for today -

Today we will discuss the aggressive part of chess. This concept is not a chess theory but a fundamental understanding to use this concept. This goes by the name H phile attack. It may be an h4 - h5 push or bringing your pieces to h phile for creating the mating net.

# Why is it IMPORTANT -

This concept will help you understand the piece-to-square value in a deeper sense. It will help you to know how pieces interact while creating an attacking pattern. Also, it will develop your building plan skills. Generally, the game ends quickly when h phile attacks are considered.

Content

#H-File Attack

You could use this plan to start an attack against the short castle. Attacking the king is often made easier by opposite-side castling, but even when the kings are both short-castled, it’s still an idea to keep in mind. There are two different ways of launching an h-file attack. More commonly, it is achieved by starting a pawn storm which is used to break open the defences and exchange the defending pawns around the opponent’s king. Less often an attack is successfully led using only pieces. That is so because pieces will have to sacrifice themselves to create holes for the attack. Regardless, if you checkmate the material is irrelevant, so both methods work.

#This is how the opponent king feels in h phile attack

# Things to be noted

One of the most common ideas is the advanced h4-h5, aimed usually against a fianchetto type of structure. This is very effective in such cases as the rook quickly activates, making the attack even more dangerous;

Another idea to open the h file, this time a tactical one, is sacrificing a light piece on g5. How can we do that? As always, you need as many pieces as possible to help sustain your attack, hence bringing a knight or a bishop on g5 is most of the time very useful. When your opponent tries to chase it away by h6, you can play h4 (!), leaving the piece there with the idea of capturing back with your h pawn and opening the powerful h file;

If your rook is no longer on h1 and your kingside structure can’t be weakened by the advance of the h pawn, always remember the idea of a rook lift. It can be brought in the attack via the 3rd rank on h3 and create mating threats.

#Grand Master games -

Boris Spassky vs Larry Evans
"Latchkey KID" (game of the day Jan-17-2016)
Varna Olympiad Final-A (1962), Varna BUL, rd 10, Oct-07
King's Indian Defense: Saemisch Variation (E80) · 1-0

Here Spassky played h4 with the clear intention to play h5 -h6. A good defence for a flank push is always to strike in the centre. So Larry plays d5.
Bb3- dxe4,
Now here, we have to note that Spassky played h5.
# Why not cxe4 ?
In chess, when we are going for h phile attack or any attack time is considered to be the essence. The timing for h phile attack matters a lot since if the player is strong enough and you miss one move, he will punish you. This is a risk-reward situation. If you are willing to take a chance you might be rewarded.
Boris Spassky didn't want to waste time and tempo. So he played h5.
h5-exf3,
hxg6 ( H phile is now opened ) -hxg6,
Bh6 ( trying to remove pieces near the king) -fxg2,
Rh4 ( Moving rook to safety and on the good square ) - Ng4 ( Double attack on bishop ),
Bxg7- Kxg7,
Qxg2- Nh6 ( a defensive move ),
Nf3- Nf5 ( Attacks rook ),
Rh2 - Qd6,
Ne5- Nd7,
Ne4.
( In this position, Spassky has bought all the pieces in action and he will show us how powerful coordinated pieces give you the win.)

The continuation -

# Overall game -

Now For me being not uploaded for 4 days, we will see one more game. YEAHHH...

when I was searching for the game to analyse I saw my favourite female player. She is none other than GM Judit Polgar.

Judit Polgar vs Ferenc Berkes
"Hey Jude" (game of the day Sep-02-2016)
Hunguest Hotels Super Chess Tournament (2003), Budapest HUN, rd 7, Apr-18
French Defense: Classical. Burn Variation Main Line (C11) · 1-0

Now before starting, I would like to tell you Judit is one of the most aggressive players. How? You will see it soon.

In this position, Judit played Ng5 attacking the h7 weakness and knight being defended twice. Here natural looking h6 was played to remove the knight. But Judit is not scared like us. "Ohh my knight is under attack I should move back and play safely".
Judit goes straight into super Saiyan mode

and plays bh7. Kh8 is played by Black. Here Judit plays a move that shows her deeper understanding of Chess. She plays Be4 sacrificing her knight completely. Why? Because she wants open h phile in the long term.
hxg5,
g4 ( stopping further movement of a pawn ) - Rb8 ( saves rook );
h4 - g6,
hxg5 ( check ) - Kg7,
Qf4- Bb7,
Now if I give you this position you will be shocked to know here she found a variation where the opponent has to sacrifice the queen.
Woahh....!!!!
Yes she sacrificed the ROOOOOOOOOOOOOOOKKKKKKKK on h7

-Kxh7,
Qh2- kg8,
Rh1 - Bg5,
Nxg5- Qxg5,
f4- Qxf4,
Qxf4.

#lIST OF GAMES FOR STUDY -

Siegbert Tarrasch vs Karl Eckart
"Take Another Rook" (game of the day Apr-04-2009)
Nuremberg (1892)
King's Gambit: Falkbeer Countergambit. Blackburne Attack (C31) · 1-0
David Janowski vs Wilhelm Steinitz
11th DSB Congress, Cologne (1898), Cologne GER, rd 7, Aug-08
King's Gambit: Accepted. Bishop's Gambit (C33) · 0-1
Gustav Neumann vs Joseph Henry Blackburne
Casual game (1867), Dundee SCO, Sep-??
King's Gambit: Accepted. Traditional Variation (C38) · 0-1

This list involves kings gambit since I play it most of the time and this involves not pawn movement but piece activity on h phile.

This is the moment where I would conclude this blog and would like to inform you that you might see this and think, "Ohh it's simple" but in reality, you should not lose tempo in such cases and be ready to sacrifice material for the attack even to sacrifice the exchanges for opening phile. This play is not necessarily needed in the game. You can play more solid also but learning this play style is also important if your opponent is strong and you want to surprise them.

Well, classmates,
If you are unaware of this, This is a continuation of the Principles of Chess Middle Games series. We have already completed the following topics,

Blockade & Restriction ( https://www.chess.com/blog/siddharth026/blockade-restriction-principles-of-chess-middle-games )

Greek Gift sacrifice ( https://www.chess.com/blog/siddharth026/greek-gift-sacrifice-principles-of-chess-middle-games )

Opposite Side Castling ( https://www.chess.com/blog/siddharth026/opposite-side-castling-principles-of-chess-middle-games )

Weak Square & Outpost ( https://www.chess.com/blog/siddharth026/weak-square-outpost-principles-of-chess-middle-games )

The Bishop Pair ( https://www.chess.com/blog/siddharth026/the-bishop-pair-principles-of-chess-middle-games )

Prophylaxis ( https://www.chess.com/blog/siddharth026/prophylaxis-principles-of-chess-middle-games-2 )

Clearance sacrifice ( https://www.chess.com/blog/siddharth026/clearance-sacrifice-principles-of-chess-middle-games )

Weak Colour Complex (https://www.chess.com/blog/siddharth026/weak-colour-complex-principles-of-chess-middle-games )

Pawn structure (https://www.chess.com/blog/siddharth026/pawn-structure-principles-of-chess-middle-games )

Isolated Pawn (https://www.chess.com/blog/siddharth026/isolated-pawn-principles-of-chess-middle-games )

Attacking the uncastled king ( https://www.chess.com/blog/siddharth026/attacking-the-uncastled-king-principles-of-chess-middle-games )

Pawn Majorities ( https://www.chess.com/blog/siddharth026/pawn-majorities-principles-of-chess-middle-games-2 )