middle game issues

I always end up in these middlegame situations where I don’t know how to continue. This time I played h5 as black to stop his pawn from advancing, but it turned out to be a mistake. I don’t understand why, and I don’t know what I should have been thinking instead.

Sure, I understand I’m weakening my king, but is that really a threat here? Can’t I just expand on the queenside or something?

Can someone explain?

Good question. This is often a problem that occurs in intermediate games of opposite side castling. An experienced player wouldn't even consider a move like h5. Why is that? Simply because you're weakening the g5 square irreparably and effectively creating a possible hook for your opponent to exploit. As a general rule of thumb, don't push pawns in front of your king unless you have to. Better would be to expand on the queenside with a move like a5 followed by b5 and start creating weaknesses on the white king. If you notice, white has essentially no pieces defending the king on the queenside. While for you, you have many defenders on the kingside making a kingside attack for white less possible. Your pieces are also better placed to spring into action with moves like Nd5, Qa5, Qb6, Bb4, whereas white's pieces are all tripping over each other with little coordination.

White's plan would be to play h5 followed by h6, or if black responds h6 then follow up with g2-g4-g5. Only one problem, how could white possibly achieve that when the knight is on g3 and moving it would surrender central control of e4, allowing black's knights to get active? The only way for white to achieve this would be something like Qd3 followed by Ne4 to trade a pair of knights and free up the g pawn to be moved. This is a lengthy plan which allows you to stir up more than enough counterplay on the queenside in the mean time. By playing h5 yourself, you've effectively solved his problem of inactive and uncoordinated pieces by allowing white to obtain the g5 square for free and consequently the f4 square by allowing Nf4 with tempo on h5 (which if you are to defend with g6, only creates more weak squares around your king).

After a5, h5 by white isn't a threat since you can meet it with h6, stopping whites pawn in its tracks and with the knight on g3, the g pawn will be extremely tough to get moving for white which allows you plenty of time to play on the queen side in the mean time. As mentioned before, white's plan would be to remove the knight from g3, without allowing black's knight to hop in the center and gain activity, followed by g2-g4-g5. This plan being way too slow and effectively impossible.

Allow me to show this on a board for clarity.

Hope that helps

In opposite side castling you should be attack each other. If you defend in this situation, you will lose I have no doubt in that. The reason why h5 is a mistake is because it makes a hook pawn. A pawn that can be used by the opponent to open up lines and since that pawn(in this case) can’t move after white prepares g4 white will take on g4 or you take on g4 which opens the g file because the g pawn is no longer blacking. If there hook pawn can move, but you can fork that pawn with any other piece(including a pawn) then it’s a forced trade. If there is no hook pawn for you(when you’re attacking) then you should fork 2 pawns in near the king and make sure your pawn is defended so that when they take your forking pawn(it has to fork 2 pieces pls remember) you can take back which opens the file and if they don’t trade you trade and open up a file. In some cases you can sac a pawn to open lines just to go fast. While pawn storming you need to go fast. The player with the fastest attack wins.

The best description of these kind of positions is Kotov's chapter in his and Keres masterwork The Art of the Middle Game. It exist in Swedish as Konsten att vinna i schack.

CoachBucci’s response is excellent!

At present, your position is a bit passive but it has no weaknesses. White’s attack in the Kingside will be slow to develop. In he plays h5 and you respond h6, it will take White at least 4 or 5 moves to move his Knight and play g4 and then g5.

if you allow White to advance h6, you can respond with g6. Again, it will then take White at least 5 moves to prepare f4 and f5.

In either case, you have at least 4 or 5 moves of your own to advance on the Queenside.

Your move h5 does not slow down White’s attack. It speeds it up! White can now open the g-file in 2 moves, by moving the knight and playing g4.

How about me? Hello?

Thank you all so much for the clarified explanations and the clear examples. I really understand it much better now.

Honestly, just from this one example, I feel like I’ve gained 200 ELO in my head. Can’t wait to get a similar position in a future game, gonna crush it!

This was today’s lesson, looking forward to the next one.