4/29/2015 Day 24: The Minority Attack — 21 Days to Supercharge Your Chess by TheChessWorld.

com

Positional Package Day 24: The Minority Attack

Day 24: The Minority Attack
21% Positional Training Completed

In today’s lesson we will learn about another important middle game theme that many club players
misunderstand. The minority attack is common to certain unbalanced pawn structures, for example those in
Queen’s Gambit Declined. This technique can be used in some other openings as well, if the pawn structure
permits.

Let’s take a look at the fundamental pawn structure for the Minority Attack to take place:

http://www.thechessworld.com/supercharge/positional­package/day­24­the­minority­attack/ 1/15
4/29/2015 Day 24: The Minority Attack — 21 Days to Supercharge Your Chess by TheChessWorld.com

The Plan

The white’s queen side pawns are usually supported by pieces and pushed to be exchanged for the black’s
pawns. As a result, a weak c6 pawn is created. This pawn will become a center of white’s attention for the
next part of the game. White will double up his rooks on c-file, bring the queen and minor pieces to attempt
winning the pawn.

In the process, white will generate a strong attack, and regardless of whether he wins the pawn or not he
will get an advantage in terms to piece activity and space.

Let’s take a look at the real game example where white employs minority attack to win the game:
http://www.thechessworld.com/supercharge/positional­package/day­24­the­minority­attack/ 2/15
4/29/2015 Day 24: The Minority Attack — 21 Days to Supercharge Your Chess by TheChessWorld.com

Today we will analyse the game Reshevsky ‐

Treysman. We will focus on one very important
middle game theme ‐ the minority attack.
1. d4 d5 2. c4 e6 3.  c3 f6 4. cxd5
exd5 5.  g5 bd7 6. e3 e7 7.  c2
c6 8.  d3 O‐O 9.  f3 This is a classical line
of Queen's Gambit Declined: Exchange
Variation. e8 10. h3 f8 11.  f4 d6
12.  xd6 xd6 13. O‐O This is the key
position from which we will start our analysis.
Take a few minutes to look at the board and
decide what side has an upper hand? The position
is about equal, although white has some edge.
His pieces are positioned more actively: the
queen and bishop are controlling both the b1‐h7
diagonal and also keeping eye on the queens's
side. Rooks are connected and the knights are

What have we learned from this game?

1. Minority attack is a very powerful technique. It can be used to create weaknesses in the opponent’s
pawn structure that can be later exploited to mobilize your pieces and create a powerful attack on the
king.

2. The point of this technique is not just to win the backwards pawn, but more importantly to obtain a
strong initiative and launch a massive attack via 6th, 7th and 8th ranks.

3. Minority attack is a classical, straightforward plan which is based on the following factors:
http://www.thechessworld.com/supercharge/positional­package/day­24­the­minority­attack/ 3/15
4/29/2015 Day 24: The Minority Attack — 21 Days to Supercharge Your Chess by TheChessWorld.com

- creating a weakness,

- positioning the pieces to exploit a weakness,

- capturing a weakness,

- continuing with a strong attack on the king.

When you have an unbalanced pawn structure you should always keep in mind this type of attack. Remember
placement of the pieces: rooks behind the a-b pawns, knight on c3 to take control of b5 and often queen and
bishop assisting in the pawn advance.

Tactics Lab: Homework 24

Instructions:

Here is your practical (tactical) exercises. Solving these problems is a very important part of the program on your
way to improve your game. Try solving them by looking on the diagram. If that is hard you can setup pieces on the
board and attempt again. Solutions are given at the end. Check them only after your complete/attempt all problems.

http://www.thechessworld.com/supercharge/positional­package/day­24­the­minority­attack/ 4/15
4/29/2015 Day 24: The Minority Attack — 21 Days to Supercharge Your Chess by TheChessWorld.com

#134. Black to move and win

http://www.thechessworld.com/supercharge/positional­package/day­24­the­minority­attack/ 5/15
4/29/2015 Day 24: The Minority Attack — 21 Days to Supercharge Your Chess by TheChessWorld.com

#135. Black to move and win

http://www.thechessworld.com/supercharge/positional­package/day­24­the­minority­attack/ 6/15
4/29/2015 Day 24: The Minority Attack — 21 Days to Supercharge Your Chess by TheChessWorld.com

#136. Black to move and win

http://www.thechessworld.com/supercharge/positional­package/day­24­the­minority­attack/ 7/15
4/29/2015 Day 24: The Minority Attack — 21 Days to Supercharge Your Chess by TheChessWorld.com

#137. White to move and win

http://www.thechessworld.com/supercharge/positional­package/day­24­the­minority­attack/ 8/15
4/29/2015 Day 24: The Minority Attack — 21 Days to Supercharge Your Chess by TheChessWorld.com

#138. Black to move and win

http://www.thechessworld.com/supercharge/positional­package/day­24­the­minority­attack/ 9/15
4/29/2015 Day 24: The Minority Attack — 21 Days to Supercharge Your Chess by TheChessWorld.com

#139. Black to move and win

Hide Solution

http://www.thechessworld.com/supercharge/positional­package/day­24­the­minority­attack/ 10/15
4/29/2015 Day 24: The Minority Attack — 21 Days to Supercharge Your Chess by TheChessWorld.com

Kljazkin vs. Judowitsch
1... e7 !

1... xf4+ ? 2.  xf4 e7 3.  b1

df8 4.  e2 d6 5.  xf8+ xf8
6.  f1 f3 7. c3

2.  b1 xh4 3.  xh4 xh4

Endgame Lab: Position 24
Instructions:

Here is your practical (tactical) exercises. Solving these problems is a very important part of the program on your
way to improve your game. Try solving them by looking on the diagram. If that is hard you can setup pieces on the
board and attempt again. Solutions are given at the end. Check them only after your complete/attempt all problems.

http://www.thechessworld.com/supercharge/positional­package/day­24­the­minority­attack/ 11/15
4/29/2015 Day 24: The Minority Attack — 21 Days to Supercharge Your Chess by TheChessWorld.com

White to move and draw

Hide Solution

http://www.thechessworld.com/supercharge/positional­package/day­24­the­minority­attack/ 12/15
4/29/2015 Day 24: The Minority Attack — 21 Days to Supercharge Your Chess by TheChessWorld.com

This is a very tricky endgame position. White is

losing because black's king is much closer to the
pawns. 1. d6 This is a good example of creative
thinking, if white cannot save the pawn he needs
to give it up in the right way. cxd6 Forced.
Black must retake the pawn. 2.  b3 Now
white obtains the opposition. c5

2...d5 If black chooses to play trying to

break the opposition it is also a draw.
3.  c3 c5 4.  d3 d4 And we arrived
to the position similar to main line.
5.  d2 c4 6.  c2 d3+ 7.  d2 d4
8.  d1 c3 9.  c1 d2+ 10.  d1 =
Stalemate.

3.  c3 d5 4.  d3 This position is already a

draw. We will play it out to refresh the concept.

Endgame Trainer
Instructions:

Practice the following endgame position against the computer until you are confident that you can play  it
correctly in actual game. Take your time and go through the exercise more than once if needed to fully understand
http://www.thechessworld.com/supercharge/positional­package/day­24­the­minority­attack/ 13/15
4/29/2015 Day 24: The Minority Attack — 21 Days to Supercharge Your Chess by TheChessWorld.com

the material. If you have any difficulties please refer to the lesson above.

Hide Practice Position: Day 24

White to move and draw:

http://www.thechessworld.com/supercharge/positional­package/day­24­the­minority­attack/ 14/15
4/29/2015 Day 24: The Minority Attack — 21 Days to Supercharge Your Chess by TheChessWorld.com

Great Job! That's it for today. You can move to the next lesson!

Next Lesson

Copyright 2015 21- Days to Supercharge Your Chess by TheChessWorld com . - All Rights Reserved

http://www.thechessworld.com/supercharge/positional­package/day­24­the­minority­attack/ 15/15