12/17/2023 – In order to attack the enemy king successfully in a game of chess, you need sufficient firepower and a clear target. Often there will be a complex of squares of the same colour that come under attack, and so we have white or dark-square games. Today we have some instances of attacks on both light and dark squares, featuring the likes of Johannes Zukertort (pictured) and Anatoly Karpov!
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From the same hymn sheet
[Note that Jon Speelman also looks at the content of the article in video format, here embedded at the end of the article.]
In order to attack the enemy king successfully in a game of chess, you need sufficient firepower — normally at least as much as the defender, though sometimes his or her pieces will get in each others’ way — and a clear target(s).
The second point is crucial. It’s all very well waving your pieces in the enemy king’s face, but if they aren’t coordinated but aiming at different squares, then the defender will have a much better chance than when everybody is singing from the same deadly hymn sheet.
That’s not to say that everything has to be aimed at exactly the same place, but often there will be a complex of squares of the same colour that come under attack, and so we have white or dark-square games. For instance, if White has a knight on f5 and a bishop on the long black diagonal against the black king castled kingside, then it’s very likely that a mating attack will focus on the dark squares and in particular g7. While if White has a bishop on the a2-f7 diagonal and the black king is on g8 then white-square play is likely to be indicated.
Gumularz vs. Girel - Hammersmith (2023)
LIght-square domination
Today we have some instances of attacks on both light and dark squares, starting with a magnificently violent game from the recent English Chess Federation event in Hammersmith, which was very kindly brought to my attention by Emmanuel Voyiakis: a Professor of Law at the London School of Economics.
I asked other people I teach for games decided by square complexes and Stephen Nelson-Smith suggested a quiet but deadly win by Anatoly Karpov against Judit Polgar: no ultra-violence, but plenty of subtle power.
I’ve added myself a famous 19th century game with a long black diagonal combination, and a game which I thought I must have used here but didn’t find in my collected database.
The next column will be on 7 January 2024. In the interim, Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to all!
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1.c4 This wonderful game was played in the GM A tournament in Hammersmith a few weeks ago. It features a magnificent attack by the young Polish grandmaster, and I only hope that he found at least the majority of the game over the board rather than in fearsome home preparation.e52.g3Nf63.Bg2c64.d4e45.a3d56.Nc3Be77.f3exf38.Nxf30-08...dxc49.0-00-010.e4b511.h3a512.Kh2Ra613.Nh4b414.Ne2c515.e5Ne816.axb4cxb417.Nf5Bxf518.Rxf5Nd719.Rf1Nc720.Nf4Bg521.Nh5g622.Nf4Nb623.d5Bxf424.Rxf4Re825.Qf1Qd726.Rf6Rxe527.Bf4Re828.Bh6Nbxd529.Rxa6Nxa630.Rd1Nac731.Qxc4Re532.Qd4Qe733.Re1f634.Bxd5+Rxd535.Rxe7Rxd436.Rg7+Kh837.Rxc7Kg838.Rg7+Kh839.Rf7Rd840.Rxf61-0 Theodorou,N (2586)-Pranav,V (2588) St Louis Summer A Saint Louis USA 2023 (9.4)9.0-0h6 Preventing Bg5 but weakening g6...I must say that I would have been tempted by dxc4, though of course White gets plenty of compensation for what is likely to be a long term pawn sacrifice.9...dxc410.e410.cxd5cxd511.Nh4Nc612.Qd3A novelty as far as I know. Nf5 was played by David Navara a couple of years ago against Nikita Vitiugov.12.Nf5Be612...Bxf513.Rxf5Qd714.Bh3g615.Rh5Qd816.Rxh6Ne417.Bg2Bg518.Rh3Re819.Bxe4dxe420.d5Ne521.Bxg5Qxg522.Qd4f523.Rd1Rad824.Qxa7Ng425.Qxb7Qe3+26.Kg2Nf627.Qc6Kg728.Qc7+Rd729.Qf4Qb630.Qh6+Kf731.Qd2Red832.Rh4Qb333.Rh6e334.Qxe3Qxb235.Rb1Qxa336.Rb6Rd637.Rb7+R6d738.Rxd7+Rxd739.Qg5Qxc340.Qxg6+Ke741.Qg7+Kd642.Rxf6+Kc743.Qh81-0 Vaibhav,S (2595)-Vaishali,R (2418) Norway Chess Open Masters Stavanger NOR 2023 (5.2)13.g4Re814.Nxe7+Nxe715.g5hxg516.Bxg5Nh717.Bh4Qd718.e3Nf519.Qe1Nf820.Rd1Ng621.Bg3Nh622.e4dxe423.Qxe4Re724.Nd5Bxd525.Qxd5Qxd526.Bxd5Ng427.Rd3Rd828.Bb3Nf629.d5Re230.d6Ne531.Rc3Nc632.Rd3Ne533.Bd1Re434.Rc3Nc435.Bf3Nd236.Bxe4Nfxe437.Rc7Nxf138.d7Kf839.Kxf1Nxg3+40.hxg3Ke741.Rxb7Rxd742.Rb5½-½ Navara,D (2717)-Vitiugov,N (2731) 2nd Prague Masters 2020 Prague CZE (7.3)12...Re8
This looks natural and harmless enough but runs into a massive attack.12...Be613.Nf5Re813.Bxh6!gxh613...Ne4!?14.Be3Bf615.Rad1Nxc316.bxc3is pretty playable, but it would have required considerable self control to refuse the bishop.14.Bxd5!The point - White gets a second pawn and threatens Qg6+.Kg7If14...Nxd5the idea of course is to play Rxf7, but when I first looked at this I tried out Qg6+ next move without thinking, and while this is fascinating and I'm showing the analysis, it's irrelevant because White has mate in 3!15.Rxf7Kxf716.Qh7+‼which I totally missed!16.Qg6+Kf817.Rf1+Interestingly the obvious Nxd5 is insufficient:17.Nxd5?Nxd418.Rf1+Bf519.Nxf519.Rxf5+Nxf520.Qxf5+Bf621.Nxf6Qd1+22.Kg2Qxe2+23.Kh323.Kg1Qe623...Qe619.Nxe7Nxe2+19...Kxe720.Qg7+Ke621.e4Bxe420.Kg220.Kh120...Nf4+21.Rxf4Qd2+19...Nxe2+20.Kg220.Kf2Bc5+21.Nfe3Nf422.Kg1Qxd523.Rxf4+Ke720...Qxd5+21.Kh3Qf722.Ne322.Qxh6+Kg823.Nxe7+Qxe724.Rf5Qh722...Qxf1+23.Nxf1Bg517...Nf617...Bf618.Nxd5Qxd519.Qxf6+Kg820.Qg6+18.e3!But not18.Qh7Qxd4+19.Kg2Ne520.Ne4Qe321.Nxf6Qxe2+22.Kg1Qxf1+23.Kxf1Bxf6and with a whole box of pieces for the queen, Black is winning easily.18...Be618...Nxd419.Qh7Ne2+20.Kh119.Qh7Bf720.Qh8+Bg820...Ng821.Ng6#21.Qxh6+Kf722.d5!
Bringing another piece into the attack.15...Rf815...Rg8!16.Raf1Kf817.Bc4!I had to work hard to understand why the engine insisted on this move. The point is that it protects e2 in the event that the black knight lands on d417.Ba2Rg718.Ne4Qxd4+17...Rg717...Nxd418.Nd5Bc519.Kh1b520.Rxf618.Ne4Qxd4+19.Qxd4Nxd420.Nxf6and because of the c4-bishop White is winning.15...Bh316.g4!SFBxg417.Raf1Rg817...h518.Rxg4+18.h318...hxg419.Qd2Nxd520.Nf5+Kg821.Nh6+!21.Qh6?Bf821...Kg722.Rxf7+Kh823.Qc2Nf624.Qg6Qxd4+25.Kg2Rg826.Rh7+Nxh727.Nf7#18.Rxg4+Kh819.Rxg8+Qxg8+20.Bg220.Kh115...Bd616.Rf216.Rxf6Qxf617.Rf1Qxd4+18.Qxd4+Nxd419.Rxf7+Kh819...Kg820.Rd7+Ne621.Rxd620.Ng6+Kg821.Rd7+Ne622.Rxd6Kg723.Nf416.Bxf7?Bxf417.Qg6+Kf818.Bxe8Be3+19.Kg2Qxe820.Qxf6+Kg816...Rf816...Bh3?17.Bxf7!Kxf718.Qh7+Ke619.d5+Ke520.Nf3#17.Raf1Be718.Rf4transposes back to the game with both sides losing two tempi.16.Raf1Qd6?!16...Bh317.R1f2Rc818.Bb316...Nxd517.Rxf7+17.Ba2!The bishop has done its work on the a2-f7 diagonal for the time being and looks for an even better diagonal.Nd817...Bh318.g4Bxg419.Rxg4+18.Bb1Threatening Rxf6 and Qh7 mate.Rh818...Rg819.Rxf6Bxf620.Qh7+Kf821.Qxh6+Ke721...Ke822.Rxf6Qxd4+23.Kg222.Rxf6Qxd4+23.e319.Ng6!Bh3?!19...Ne620.Nxh8Nxf421.Rxf4Qa621...Be622.Ng622.Qc2could also be lost but perhaps slightly less so.22.Nb5Be622...Bd723.Nxf7Kxf724.Qg6+Kf825.Ba223.Ng6Bd824.Nh4Rc825.Nc3Qxd326.Bxd3+-22...Be623.Ng620.Nxh8Bxf121.Rxf1Nc621...Kxh822.Rxf622.Ng6!Pivoting on g6 and defending d4, since of course if Black captures there, he will lose the e7-bishop.22.Nxf7Qxd4+22...Kxf723.Qg6+Kf823...Ke624.Bf5#24.Ba223.Qxd4Nxd424.Ne5is surely winning for White, but he wanted more.22...Bd822...Nxd423.Nxe723.Nb5Qd724.Nh4+-
Not only is White a good pawn up, but he has a massive attack.24...Bb625.Nf5+Kf826.Qd2Switching to the dark squares for a moment.Ng827.Qf4a628.Qg4f6
29.Ba2I really like this move too, returning to its former diagonal in triumph.Qh730.Nc3Nge731.Nxe7Bxd4+32.e3!deflecting the bishop so that f6 will be en prise.Bxe3+32...Bxc333.Ng6+33.Kh1Nxe734.Rxf6+Ke8
Here some clever but also extremely stupid engines complain about Bf7+, since apparently Qh5+ would force mate quicker. Of course the human move forced resignation. A wonderful white square attacking game!35.Bf7+35.Qh5+Kd836.Rf8+Kd737.Rxa8Qg638.Qd1+Kc639.Qf3+Kc740.Qxe3Qd641.Qxe7+Qxe735.Bf7+Kd836.Qd1+35.Bf7+Qxf736.Rxf7Kxf737.Qf3+1–0
Most players prefer to attack rather than defend. But what is the correct way to do it? GM Dr Karsten Müller has compiled many rules and motifs to guide you, along with sharpening your intuition for the exceptions.
Jonathan SpeelmanJonathan Speelman, born in 1956, studied mathematics but became a professional chess player in 1977. He was a member of the English Olympic team from 1980–2006 and three times British Champion. He played twice in Candidates Tournaments, reaching the semi-final in 1989. He twice seconded a World Championship challenger: Nigel Short and then Viswanathan Anand against Garry Kasparov in London 1993 and New York 1995.
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