4/4/2023 – Middlegame secrets are revealed - in a series of articles featuring videos by Jan Markos. Next we'll discuss the Rook, exploring things like the impact of the 7th rank or the difference between rooks and light pieces! If you wish to know more, we recommend the full course by Jan Markos: Middlegame Secrets Vol.2: The Potential of the Rook| Photo: Benjamin Smith/Unsplash
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Let us explore together how the rooks should enter the game in the early middlegame, how they operate on open files and how they sometimes join a deadly attack, being transferred in front of the pawn chain and many more topics!
Middlegame Secrets Vol.2: The Potential of the Rook
For a chess player, chess pieces are like specific tools in a toolbox. We need to know how to use them best, like a craftsman knows their tools. We shouldn’t use a screwdriver to hammer in a nail; and we shouldn’t use the queen just for defence. This series will show you in great detail the specific qualities of each chess piece, so that you can maximize their effectiveness and thus improve your game. Everyone knows that a rook is dangerous on the 7th rank, and that it belongs behind the pawn. However, there is so much more to learn about this inconspicuous piece! Let us explore together how the rooks should enter the game in the early middlegame, how they operate on open files and how they sometimes join a deadly attack, being transferred in front of the pawn chain. We will also discuss the cooperation of the rooks and many more topics.
Let us explore together how the rooks should enter the game in the early middlegame, how they operate on open files and how they sometimes join a deadly attack, being transferred in front of the pawn chain and many more topics!
The 7th rank
The rook can be very effective on open files. The 7th rank plays an important role in the advanced middlegame. In this example, Jan Markos shows how to use the rook on the 7th rank to the best advantage.
Kamsky vs Ponomariov
In spite of simplifications, White maintains unpleasant pressure. With his next move, Ponomariov tries to solve his problems by unblocking the d4-square and activating the a8-bishop (something Nimzovich would certainly recommend from general point of view) but misses Kamsky's spectacular reply. The video clip from the video course will give you insights.
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35.Rc7In spite of simplifications, White maintains unpleasant pressure.
With his next move, Ponomariov tries to solve his problems by unblocking the
d4-square and activating the a8-bishop (something Nimzovich would certainly
recommend from general point of view) but misses Kamsky's spectacular reply.d4?36.e6‼This successive pawn moves are very much related to each
other regarding their basic ideas but differ enormously from the point of view
of their objective merits. White cleares the fifth rank for his queen and the
long dark diagonal for his bishop, forcing Black to weaken his seventh rank at
the same time. Can we ask for more from a modest pawn?Qb1+Removing the
queen from the exposed b2-square. The immediate36...fxe6would have been
met by37.Rxg7+!37.Kh2fxe638.Qh5The Black king is helpless against
the combined action of the white pieces.Nd639.Bxd4The bishop captures
this pawn 3 moves later than Ponomariov might have expected and with
devastating effect we must say.Bxf340.Rxg7+Kf841.Qh6After41.Qh6Re7(What else?)42.Qf6+Black has a choice betwen two echo-variations:Rf7In case of42...Nf743.Rg8+Kxg8the mate is delivered on a
different square:44.Qg7#43.Rg8+Kxg8and now44.Qh8#1–0
Jan Markos is a grandmaster from Slovakia.. He is the author of numerous excellent books and for some time has also been a writer for ChessBase. Besides his column in ChessBase Magazine "Practical tips for the tournament player" he writes a column for ChessBase News "The Winning Academy". With his new video series "Middlegame Secrets" the specific qualities of each piece are explained in detail. Each piece has certain tasks for which it is better suited than others. With the help of rules of thumb and principles, The Queen and the Rook are dealt with in the first two volumes. Markos knows how to break down the complexity of the pieces into simple rules of thumb. This makes it easier to learn and apply. On the occasion of the publication of the courses, we have made a nice interview with the author:
Let us learn together how to find the best spot for the queen in the early middlegame, how to navigate this piece around the board, how to time the queen attack, how to decide whether to exchange it or not, and much more!
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