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TARGETS – f7, g6, h7.

An attack against a castled King is a very important part of the middle game, perhaps the most important part. Once the King escapes the center, a successful attack becomes more difficult. There are different kinds of castle arrangements: pawns f2-g2-h2 (f7-g7-h7), f2-g2-h3 (f7-g7-h6), and at times the f-pawn advanced two squares forward instead of one. The safest castling arrangement is the one with f2-g3-h2 (f7-g6-h7). Usually, it's also supported by a fianchettoed Bishop and a Knight nearby. Such castles are often broken in two different ways:

 1) Attack along the f-file.

 2) Attack along the h-file.

In some very rare cases an attack along both of these files is possible.

Frequently, to obtain an attack along the h-file, the player must push the h-pawn forward, although at times a very strong attack can be achieved by transferring a Queen to the h-file and combining its efforts with a Knight and (or) a Bishop. A similar situation occurs with an attack along the f-file, although the f-file can also become open if the f-pawn supports the e-pawn (a capture of the e-pawn might allow the f-pawn to recapture, thereby opening the f-file). We can see such a situation in the following game.

Curt Hansen – Carsten Hoi
Denmark Championship
1.e4 g6 2.d4 Bg7

Black chooses the King's Bishop Fianchetto. Sometimes this line is also called “The Rat” (I don't know why). Frequently, however, as in this game, the game transposes into the Pirc Defense.

3.Nc3 d6 4.f4 Nf6 5.Nf3 O-O 6.Bd3

Other options are 6.Be3 and 6.Be2, as well as the aggressive 6.e5.

6...Nbd7

According to the Encyclopedia of Chess Openings, 6...Nc6 is Black's best chance for equality. For instance, 6...Nc6 7.0-0 e5 8.fxe5 dxe5 9.d5 Nd4 10.Nxe5 Nxe4 11.Bxe4 Bxe5 12.Bf4 Bg7 12.Qd2 Nf5, as in Polgar - Arduman, 1993. Other possibilities are 6...Bg4 and 6...c5. In both cases Black counterattacks the d4-square, which has been weakened by White's Bishop move to d3. I don't think that 6...Nbd7 is so good here, since White already obtained a lot of space in the center and 6...Nbd7 appears too passive.

7.e5 Ne8 8.Ng5!?

White shows his aggressive intentions and stops ...c7-c5 for now. Here the threat of e5-e6 is very strong. The Knight also attacks h7, a detail that does not seem to be important at the moment, but it will be crucial a few moves later.

8...dxe5 9.fxe5 Nb6

Black takes the d5-square under control and opens his light Bishop, stopping e5-e6. Here 9...c5? would be met by 10.e6!

10.Be3 c6?

A mistake that costs Black further problems because he once again fails to address the problem of the center. In Blaiz - Santasiere, USA, 1968, Black played 10...c5! 11.dxc5 Nd5, breaking up White's center and obtaining counter chances. For instance, 12.Nxd5 Qxd5 13.0-0 Qxe5. Still, after 14.Qf3 White would have good play. Black's choice, 10...c6?, is too passive and gives White time to castle.

11.0-0 Nc7?

Hoi is preparing ...Nc7-d5 or ...Nc7-e6, but after seeing the opponent's next move he must have had a hard time holding on to his chair. The only move was 11...f5!, blocking the dangerous b1-h5 diagonal. After 12.exf6 Nxf6 Black castling position is somewhat compromised, but he is still in the game.

12.Nxh7!!

With an exception of the Rook on a1, White totally mobilized his pieces and proceeds forward with an unexpected sacrifice.

12...Nbd5

In case of 12...Kxh7 White would continue 13.Rxf7! Rxf7 14.Qxh5+ Kg8 15.Bxg6, with a very strong attack, similar to that in the game. If 15...Be6, then 16.Qh7+ Kf8 17.Bh6! Qxd4+ 18.Kh1 and the threat of checkmate on h8 decides the game.

With 12…Nbd5 Black tries to bring his pieces closer to the kingside using the fact that 13.Nxf8 can be answered by 13...Nxe3.

13.Nxd5 Nxd5 14.Bg5! Kxh7

The alternative is 14...Re8, but after that Black does not have a single threat.

15.Rxf7!

The point of White's combination. Now Qd1-h5+ is coming, so the response is forced.

15...Rxf7 16.Qh5+ Kg8 17.Bxg6

What a great sacrifice! The combination is standard, but beautiful nevertheless. I love this kind of chess. It's good for your health too, because it keeps the blood running fast!

White is basically winning here is spite of his opponent's huge material advantage. One of the deadliest threats is Qh5-h7+, followed by Bg5-h6, threatening checkmate on h8.

17...Nf4

Black tries to bail out by returning a Rook. In case of 17...Be6 18.Qh7+ Kf8 19.Bh6! (threatening Qh7-h8 checkmate) 19…Ke8 20.Qxg7 White has three pawns for a piece and Ra1-f1 is unstoppable. The text moves gives Black a bit more time, but not much more.

18.Bxf7+ Kf8

It's possible that Black saw the sacrifice, but thought that this position was defensible. Really, 19.Bxf4 Qxd4+ 20.Kh1 Qxf4 does not look bad for Black. The next move would have made young Bent Larsen proud, he must have really enjoyed watching this game!

19.Qh7!! Qxd4+ 20.Kh1 Kxf7 21.Rf1

White is down two pieces again, but the Knight on f4 is lost and the King is under fire.

21...Qxe5

Or 21...Ke6, then 22.Qxg7 Nd5 23.Bxe7! Nxe7 24.Qf6+ and now 24...Kd7 loses to 25.e6+, or 24...Kd5 25.Qd6+ Kc4 (25...Ke4 26.Re1+ Qe3 27.Qd3+ and wins) 26.b3+ Kc3 27.Rf3+ and White wins.

22.Rxf4+ Ke8 23.Qg6+ Kd8 24.Re4 Qd5 25.Rxe7!

Now 25...Qd1+ 26.Re1+ loses a Queen, while Qg6-e8+ threatens checkmate. Therefore, Black resigned.

In the next game White had a great attack, but missed a winning opportunity.

GM Joel Lautier – GM Peter Leko, Tilburg, 1997
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 d5

The Gruenfield Defense is enjoying a surge in popularity recently.

4.Nf3 Bg7 5.Qb3

Lautier chooses the Russian Variation. Played by Smyslov in the 1940s and 1950s, this line came to popularity again after being played in one of the Karpov vs. Kasparov matches.

5...dxc4 6.Qxc4 0-0 7.e4

This is the point of White's play. He has a strong center, supported by pieces. The drawback of this line is the somewhat vulnerable position of the Queen on c4.

7...a6

Black prepares the extended fianchetto of his light Bishop with ...b7-b5.

8.Qb3 b5 9.e5 Nfd7

This move is the best here. In a few games Black tried 9...Be6? but after 10.exf6! Bxb3 11.fxg7 Kxg7 12.axb3 White has very strong compensation for a Queen.

10.h4!?

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