Sipke Ernst - Attacking Chess: Know When to Strike

by ChessBase
10/29/2026 – GM Sipke Ernst explains how to recognize when an attack is truly justified, focusing on factors such as development, king safety, open lines and central control. Through successful and failed examples, he shows when to strike, when to build pressure, and when a quieter or prophylactic move is the stronger choice.
Most players don’t lack the urge to attack, they just strike at the wrong moment, and GM Sipke Ernst shows you which signals tell you to go for the king and which tell you to choose another plan.
Most players know how to attack. What separates strong players from the rest is knowing when. In this course, GM Sipke Ernst, a grandmaster from the Netherlands and experienced coach, addresses the mistake he sees most often in his own students: attacking with the right idea, at the wrong moment.
Free video sample: Introduction
Free video sample: Example Game: Ernst - Mediema

Attacking Chess: Know When to Strike

by Sipke Ernst

Most players know how to attack. What separates strong players from the rest is knowing when. In this course, GM Sipke Ernst, a grandmaster from the Netherlands and experienced coach, addresses the mistake he sees most often in his own students: attacking with the right idea, at the wrong moment.

Free video sample: Introduction

Free video sample: Example Game: Ernst - Mediema

You'll learn to read the signals that indicate an attack is justified, such as a shortage of defenders around the enemy king, a lead in development, or open lines and weaknesses near the king's position. Just as important, you'll study examples of attacks that failed, and why.

The course also covers when to increase pressure gradually instead of forcing complications, when a prophylactic move does more for your attack than another aggressive one, and how central control determines whether a flank attack succeeds or backfires. A final chapter draws on GM Sipke Ernst's own games to show how strong grandmasters generate attacking chances even from inferior positions.

What you'll get:

  • A practical framework for recognizing when to attack, and when to hold back
  • Instructive examples of both successful and flawed attacking play
  • Chapters on pressure vs. calculation, prophylaxis, flank attacks, and attacking from worse positions
  • Real games from GM Sipke Ernst's own practice

Learn to attack when it counts, not just when you want to.

Running time: 5 hours 18 minutes

Most players don’t lack the urge to attack, they just strike at the wrong moment, and GM Sipke Ernst shows you which signals tell you to go for the king and which tell you to choose another plan.
Most players know how to attack. What separates strong players from the rest is knowing when. In this course, GM Sipke Ernst, a grandmaster from the Netherlands and experienced coach, addresses the mistake he sees most often in his own students: attacking with the right idea, at the wrong moment.
Free video sample: Introduction
Free video sample: Example Game: Ernst - Mediema

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