ATTACKING THE KING Middlegame attacks can be divided into 3 main types: (1) Attack on the uncastled king (2) Attack on the same side castled king (3) Attack on the opposite side castled king
UNCASTLED KING This is a king that has not yet castled, or can never castle, because it has moved (or both rooks have moved). It is often less safe than a castled king. A king sometimes cannot castle as it will move through or into check. A sacrifice may cause the uncastled king to move.
UNCASTLED KING TIED A king may be tied to pinned or attacked piece on K2 or Q2 and hence prevented from castling.
EXPOSED KING A king with insufficient, sometimes no, pawn protection, usually in the middlegame. ATTACKING KING SAME SIDE Pawn storms sometimes happen, but the attacks tend to be piece only. ATTACKING KING OPPOSITE SIDE Castling on opposite sides often leads to mutual pawn storms.
PAWN STORM A pawn storm is a pawn advance with the object of opening up the opponents king. Advancing pawns in front of your own king position, tends to open up your own king, so it tends to happen more often with opposite sides castling. Sometimes a pawn storm with doubled or isolated can be more effective than with good pawns. There are various types of defensive blocking pawn moves. Exposed pieces can accelerate the pawn storm.
MATE THREATS Threats on a castled king position often form an important part of the attack. Sometimes they can force the defender to weaken his position with a pawn move. Threats on R2 or N2 are common.
SACRIFICE TO EXPOSE KING There are many ways in which a piece sacrifice may be used to break up a castled king position.
SACRIFICE ON R7 When a bishop sacrifices on this square it is known as Greek gift or classic bishop sacrifice. DECLINING THE GREEK GIFT Declining the Greek gift usually leads to a strong attack as the rook pawn is missing. In a few cases, declining the sacrifice will refute it, especially if the bishop cannot retreat.
GREEK GIFT: HELPFUL FACTORS Factors that make a Greek gift more likely to work include a bishop on the c1 -h6 diagonal (makes it less likely for the king to escape to h6) ,a pawn on K5 (stops a knight from going to f6) and on rook on K1 which may later join the attack.
GREEK GIFT: DEFENCES AFTER NN5+ After NN5+, the defender has several defensive tries. Moving to h8 usually loses quickly. Running back with the king to g8 can be good if h7 can later be defended. Escaping to h6 is often impossible if there is a white bishop on the c1 -h6 diagonal, because of a powerful discovery. Moving to h6 can sometimes be O.K., especially if there is no bishop. Moving to g6 can sometimes be the only move, but can sometimes escape.
Other common sacrifices include GRECOS mate which involves a sacrifice on h7, followed by a queen check on h5. Sacrifices on g7 can be dangerous, as the N pawn is the worst pawn to be missing. Sacrifices on f7 can be dangerous, especially with a bishop on the long diagonal. Sometimes the capture of a pawn that has moved to KR3 is possible, especially if 2 pieces are attacking that square. A sacrifice sometimes happens after the defender has played P-KN3 , usually when it is defended only once. If it defended twice, sometimes a double sacrifice on that square may be possible. An exchange sac on B3 is a possibility on this square. A knight sacrifice may happen here.
EXCHANGE SAC An exchange sac will sometimes weaken the defender's king position and lead to a dangerous attack. If the attacker can keep the initiative, then it may well be worth the exchange.
BACK RANK CHECKMATE A castled king may be vulnerable to a back rank attack. A back rank attack may involve a sacrificial capture or a decoy. Having an entire rook tied to the back rank is quite a handicap.
OPENING LINES The attacker open benefits by opening ranks, files and diagonals against the king. It is sometimes worth sacrificing pawns and/or pieces to do this.
EXCHANGING DEFENDING PIECES Eliminating the last defending pieces can be useful, for example a fianchettoed bishop on N2.
KEEPING THE KING CONFINED Creating a net around the king is sometimes more useful than immediate checks.
UNSTOPPABLE MATE If mate is threatened, you must either stop the mate or check.
MATE THREAT ON BACK RANK A mate threat on the back rank can tie down a rook.
CHECKMATE To initiate a successful middlegame mating attack, you usually need a minimum of queen plus 2 other pieces.
If the king is very exposed a queen plus one piece often mates easily. One or two rooks plus one or more minor pieces can often be successful against a fairly exposed king.
Minors pieces alone rarely mate, except as an endpoint of a queen or rook sacrifice.
DEFENDING THE KING Some methods of defending against an attack on the king, include piece exchanges, sacrificing material, running away with the king ,keeping lines closed and direct defence.
EXCHANGING PIECES Exchanging off the attacking pieces ,especially the queen, is one of the most effective ways of meeting an attack. Exchanging queens when your king is less safe, is often advisable.
RETURNING MATERIAL Sacrificing material to break the attack, particularly if the attacker has already sacrificed, can be an effective way of regaining the initiative.
RUNNING WITH THE KING Fleeing with the king to a safer part of the board is more effective than generally realised.
CLOSING LINES The attacker tries very hard to open lines against the king, while the defender tries to keep these same lines blocked. CENTRAL THRUST A central thrust may be a good way of meeting an attack on the flank. COUNTERPLAY When the opponent is attacking, counterplay on another part of the board can be very useful.
MIDDLEGAME PAWN MOVES Every individual pawn move is described in its own section, except pawn moves to the 7th or 8th ranks which are handled in the queening section, as this is the most important issue in those cases.
Sometimes only queenside moves are done, (mirror the board to get the kingside pattern).
P-R3 Creates a retreat for bishop. Prevents P-N5 attacking knight. Prevent BN5 (pin) or NN5. Guards a pawn in case of Queenside castling Prepares P-N4 advance Can biff a bishop on N5, which allows: (1) A later unpin with P-N4. (2) May give a back rank escape (3) Drives a bishop to a less mobile square.
P-R4 Allows rook development via R3. Restrains P-N4. Guards piece on N5 Creates a retreat for a bishop. Breaks up the black b pawn. Supports knight or bishop on c4 by deterring b5 by the opponent. May prepare h5.
P-R5 Restrains the N pawn. Drives bishop or knight to a worse square. May open the rook file
P-R6 Can drive bishop on N2 away. Can make pawn on R2 a target. Can weaken opponent’s Bishop3. May threatens mate on N7. Can drive a bishop to h8 Can force a king to block a rook. P-N3
pa7 White prepares to advance with a3 and b4, but if rushed, black can reply with a4, holding 2 pawns with 1. Prepares P-QR3 and P-QN4 Holds p on half open b file Guards c4 a4 Can create a back rank escape.
P-N4 Can harass pinning bishop Prepares f5 or h5
P-N5 Drives knight from Bishop 3 Prepares attack on h7
P-N6 Can be an attacking move
P-B3 Supports e4 or g4 Keeps piece from g4 Dissolves opponent pawn on e4 Allows 2nd rank defence Defends long diagonal Weakens diagonal to g1 Weakens e3 King development in endgame
P-B4 Opens file for castled rook
P-B5 Gains space on the wing. Threatens f6 with attack. Cuts the queen bishop’s retreat. Blocks queen bishop. Keeps king bishop blocked.
P-B6 The defending pawn structure is broken up. The bishop is driven to a bad square.
P-Q3 Can exchange off a cramping pawn on K5.
P-Q4 May begin an advance in the centre.
P-Q5 Gains space in the centre.
E5 Opens b1 -h7 diagonal versus king Drives knight from f6
D6 May create a wedge in the opponents position.
E6 May force doubled e pawns. Opens a2 -g8 or h5 -e8 diagonal.
CASTLED POSITION 3 PAWNS (ADD PIECES in brackets) Most flexible formation, but there is no back rank flight square. Good, provided there is no sac on rook 3. The pawn on h4 is loose.
DOUBLED The defender has doubled pawns in front of his king. The front doubled pawn may be a strength, but there may be open lines against the king.
2 PAWNS The defender has a pawn missing. Missing the N-pawn tends to be the most serious, especially if the remaining pawns are split. Missing the R-pawn makes the R1 square vulnerable, while missing the B-pawn is the least serious as the king can hide on R1.
1 PAWN The defender has one pawn left. Additional defence with pieces is probably needed. The rook pawn may be best to have left.
NO PAWNS The defender must be shielded by pieces, else risk a serious attack.
CASTLED QUEENSIDE The queen rook pawn is initially undefended and the consolidating KN1 may be useful. A moved or missing bishop pawn may leave the king weak.
MIDDLEGAME PRINCIPLES Keep your king safe In every middlegame position evaluate the safety of both kings. An attack on the kings may be very sudden. Open lines against the king Expose the king by pawn exchanges and demolition sacrifices. Don't attack unless you have the advantage. An equal of equal of inferior strength (in position) will fail against correct defence. If an attack fails, the counterattack will succeed. A failed attack will leave the attacker overextended. Meet an attack on the flank with a thrust in the centre. If you are not strong in the centre , then a flank attack may fail. Return the sacrificed material to break the attack. Sometimes the defender should consider sacrificing to reach a favourable endgame. Examine all forcing moves. combinations are at their richest when the pieces are at their most active. A decisive blow may rapidly change the course of the game.
Advance pawns to gain space. gaining space may give you more room to move and your opponent less and may pave the way for an attack. Don't play weakening pawn moves.
Avoid exchanges when you have more space. The corollary is exchange to free a cramped position. (Priority is important in determining exceptions here.) Exchange when under attack. This is one of the best ways of defending the king, queen exchanges are particularly important.
Improve the position of your worst placed piece. When you don't know what to do, quietly build up your position. Move pieces to their best squares. Minor pieces in particular, can be moved to string outposts where they can’t be driven away. Prepare for the endgame. Anticipate what exchanges are likely to happen and aim for the type of endgame you want. 20% of moves are captures and knowing what and what not to exchange is very important.