Understanding before Moving 19: The rook lift

One more piece joins the attack

In many middlegame situations, especially those with an isolated pawn in the centre, a player can launch an attack by directing his rook from the first rank through the third (or sixth) rank in the direction of the enemy king’s position. By pushing that extra rook into the battle, any attack gets new impulses, which often culminates in beautiful tactical possibilities.

The rook is nicely hidden behind that isolani, preventing the opponent from exchanging it. In the diagram, several white pieces are aimed at the black king’s position. What continuation do you think will give White an advantage?

Try to calculate a few variations!

This week’s show (for Premium Members only)

Links

• More videos...
• Understanding before moving 1: How to design a concept in the opening
• Understanding before moving 2: How to improve the activity of my pieces
• Understanding before moving 3: Queen in the corner
• Understanding before moving 4: King in the box
• Understanding before moving 5: Locked up pieces
• Understanding before moving 6: Paralyzed
• Understanding before moving 7: Divided in two - Part 1
• Understanding before moving 8: Divided in two - Part 2
• Understanding before moving 9: Hunting the king - Part 1
• Understanding before moving 10: Hunting the king - Part 2
• Understanding before moving 11: Pattern Recognition
• Understanding before moving 12: Advantage in Development
• Understanding before moving 13: Compensation
• Understanding before moving 14: Smoking the king out
• Understanding before moving 15: Knight on the Rim
• Understanding before moving 16: Limiting the opponent’s activity
• Understanding before moving 17: The Panno knight
• Understanding before Moving 18: The bad bishop
• Herman Grooten - An interview with a chess authority