Hacking Up The King - David Eggleston (Print Layout)

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David Eggleston
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Hacking Up the King
Printed in the United States of America
BOSTON
First English edition
© 2014 David Eggleston
0987654321
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Publisher.
Publisher: Mongoose Press
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ISBN: 978-1-936277-56-8
Library of Congress Control Number:

2014932108
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1 2
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Title Page 1
Title Page Copyright 1
Copyright Dedication 3
Dedication Contents 4
Contents Introduction 6
Introduction Chapter 1: Basic Attacking Ideas 10
Chapter 1: Basic Attacking Ideas Chapter 2: Finishing Off the Attack! 37
Chapter 2: Finishing Off the Attack! Chapter 3: Sicilian Attacks 82
Chapter 3: Sicilian Attacks Chapter 4: Attacking When Only 143
Chapter 4: Attacking When Only You Have You Have an Attack
Chapter 5: Hacking Up the 213
an Attack Scandinavian
Chapter 5: Hacking Up the Scandinavian Chapter 6: Taking Your Chances 263
Chapter 6: Taking Your Chances Chapter 7: Attacks Featuring 325
Chapter 7: Attacks Featuring Opposite-Side Opposite-Side Castling
Castling Chapter 8: Misplayed Attacking 368
Chapter 8: Misplayed Attacking Positions Positions
Chapter 9: Nice-Looking Attacking
Chapter 9: Nice-Looking Attacking Ideas that Ideas that Shouldn’t Work, But Often 405
Shouldn’t Work, But Often Do in Practice Do in Practice
Chapter 10: Attacking to Exploit an Early Chapter 10: Attacking to Exploit an 450
Lead in Development Early Lead in Development
Chapter 11: Attacking in the Endgame Chapter 11: Attacking in the 512
Endgame
Index of Players
Introduction
after playing through the first variation,

Introduction you don’t find yourself unable to get
back to the starting position to look at
Ihope that reading Hacking Up the King will
another, as you can simply refer to the
help you to develop your chess-playing skills,
position on your pocket set! Some variations
especially the skills of calculation and
aren’t very long and you will be able to
analysis. Some chess books consist mainly
follow the analysis in your head.
of short fragments of games without much
Everyone will be able to do this to a
exploration of possible variations. They are
greater or lesser extent, but if you find
easy to read, often without the need to even
yourself getting lost often then it is time
set the positions up on a board. But,
to set the position up on a board.
aside from being pleased with his
progression through the book, how much Sometimes I ask what should be played next,
does the reader really learn? There is only so when it is beneficial for you to do your own
much you can learn from a verbal explanation analysis before looking at mine. Trying to
of a position, no matter how eloquently work things out yourself can always be
put, without delving deeply into the helpful, so whenever you find yourself really
other lines that could have occurred. intrigued by a position and feel like musing
over it on your own, then go ahead – there
This is not one of those books. Apart from
doesn’t need to be a prompt in the book for
the first chapter, which you can consider a
you to do this!
warm-up, all of the other chapters are very
heavily annotated with comments and So, on to the theme of the book. Trying to
variations. “Will it be hard work to get checkmate my opponent in the middlegame
through a game?”, I hear you ask. The answer has always been my favorite part of chess, ever
is a definite, “Yes!” But it will also be since I began to play the game. Since
rewarding and, if you pause in complex checkmate ends the contest, it can be possible
positions to try and work out the to sacrifice vast amounts of material for an
continuations for yourself, it should vastly attack on the king because, if the attack
improve your calculation skills. works, the extra material doesn’t matter.
Sacrifices for attacks occur time and time
I would definitely recommend playing
again throughout this book. The attacks are
through the games on a board. It is probably
grouped together in chapters based upon
worth also having a small pocket set on hand.
common themes. One thing all the
That way, when you reach a position where
games in every chapter have in common
there are several continuations for a side to
is that, for the attack to succeed, you
choose between, you can quickly store
need more attacking pieces than your
the position on the pocket set – so that,
opponent has defenders around your
6 7
Introduction
opponent’s king. If you like, you can January 2014

think of very badly placed defending
pieces which block the king from
escaping as counting as unintentional
attackers – a bit like friendly fire in a war.
Most of the time, attacking very early in the

game is not to be advised, as your opponent
will probably be able to easily beat off your
aggressive schemes. But there are exceptions,
as you will learn in Chapter 10 about
attacking to exploit an early lead in
development. Time and time again,
midway through the attack, it is when you
pause in the heat of battle to bring your last
piece into the attack that your opponent’s
defenses will begin to crumble. This is a
golden rule and should always be somewhere
at the back of your mind.
The editor might observe that, by the time I

finished this book, the king could have simply
died of old age rather than being hacked up.
This is a similar situation to the timid kings
of countries today, who will typically live into
their nineties. The kings of 500 years ago
have more in common with the kings in this
book, as their sense of adventure and
warmongering would often lead them to
being “hacked up” on the battlefield!
Anyway, enough from me for now.
Happy hacking!
David Eggleston
Durham, England
8 9
Chapter 1: Basic Attacking Ideas
From your own games, you will know that

both sides usually castle to get the king to
Chapter 1 safety and that it is often advisable to avoid
moving pawns in front of your king because it
can damage their effectiveness in providing
cover from the opponent’s pieces. This
typically leads to a situation where White
will have
♔g1, Pf2, Pg2, and Ph2 and Black will have

♔g8, Pf7, Pg7, and Ph7 – as in the following
example. If a rook or queen can reach the
opponent’s back rank in this situation without
getting captured or blocked by a piece, it will
be checkmate.
Here, moving a rook or queen to the back

rank would be unsuccessful: Black would
simply capture it.
This should make you think of ways to

distract the black rook on a8. What other jobs
does it do for Black in this position? It defends
the rook on a7.
Basic Attacking Ideas 1. ♕xa7!
Back Rank 1 Now Black loses a rook and the game.
It is easy to look at a well-played attacking

game and think, “Wow! How did he find all of
those plans and ideas – I could never do that
myself,” without realizing that there are typical
attacking patterns that occur time and time
again. Mastering the ability to recognize them
and implement them in your own games is a
key skill to develop and that is the subject of
this chapter. We will start with the back-rank
checkmate.
10 11
1…♖xa7 black king runs away and White has no

further checks. 21.♕c7 doesn’t work,
The a8-rook can’t perform both tasks at the
either. The threat is 22.♖h8+ ♘g8
same time.
23.♖xg8# with a back-rank mate, but Black
2. ♖d8#
gets there first with 21…♕e1#.
And White wins with the back-rank
checkmate. 21. ♕f3?? ♕d2+!
White was hoping for 21…♕xf3??

22.gxf3, whereupon the knight on f1 is
trapped and White wins material, for
example 22…♗xf5 23.exf5 0-0-0 (23… ♘e3
24.♖h8+ and here a back-rank check picks up
the rook in the corner: 24…♔d7 25.♖xa8)
24.♖xf1:
analysis
This would have gone very badly wrong for

Black.
Also, 21…♕e1+? would achieve nothing since

here the back-rank mate doesn’t work – White
blocks with 22.♕d1 and survives.
Back Rank 2
Ryan Rhys Griffiths (2137) – David

Eggleston
British Championship 2009
In this position, White will not succeed

with 21.♖h8+ because after 21…♔d7 the
12 13
After 21…♕xd2+, White resigned because of 1. ♘h6+!

22.♔b1 ♕e1+. The white king has been
Deflecting the queen from guarding the a8
pushed to b1
square.
and it’s over after 23.♕d1 ♕xd1#:
1…♕xh6
analysis
1…♔f8 2.♕xf7#.
Black delivers a back-rank checkmate even
though both white rooks are on the back rank! 2. ♕a8+
And White mates. Black can’t block with the

knight on g7 as it is pinned to his king by the
rook on g5.
2…♖b8 3. ♕xb8#
Back Rank 4
GM Mark Hebden (2516) – FM Richard

Vedder (2293)
Back Rank 3 Batavia Grolsch, Amsterdam 2012
Here, Black is up a bishop for a pawn and White to play and win. This is a more
complicated example of a back-rank mate;
White’s back-rank threat of ♕a8 doesn’t work
White creates the back-rank threats in an
since Black can simply capture it. On top of
unusual but effective manner after forcing
that, Black is threatening …♕c1#. Is there a the black king behind its kingside pawns.
way for White to strike first?
14 15
1. ♗g4! ♖e1+ 2. ♔h2! 4…♔g8
2.♖xe1+? ♕xe1+ 3.♔h2 ♕e5+ 4.♔g1 (4.g3 4…♔e8 5.♗d7+ ♔f7 (5…♔d8 6.♗e6+
♕b2+) 4…♕e1+ leads to a draw. ♔e8 7.♕d7+ ♔f8 8.♕f7#) 6.♕e6+ ♔f8
7.♕e8#.
2…♖xc1
5. ♗e6+ ♔h7 6. ♗f5+ ♔g8 7. ♗g6!
There was no way to defend d7.
This is the key move – one that could be
3. ♕xd7+ ♔f8 hard to spot. White calmly brings his
bishop in to tie the black king to the back
How can White’s attack succeed, given his
rank. The white queen plans to deliver the
small attacking force of only a queen and
back-rank mate and Black’s queen and rook
bishop?
are too badly placed to stop it.
3…♔f6 4.♕e6+ ♔g5 5.♕f5#.
7…♕f6 8. ♕b8+ ♕f8 9. ♗h7+!
4. ♕d6+ Another nice twist. The bishop cannot be
taken because the queen hangs.
9…♔f7 10. ♕f4+
Picking up the rook on c1. White would

have needed to see this before playing
1.♗g4. White has optimally exploited all of
the factors in the position to his advantage.
10…♔e7 11. ♕xc1
16 17
And White is winning. secret; Troy was sacked and its power
destroyed.
In the same way, ♗xh7+ isn’t a gift either

– the intention is a winning attack.
Sometimes, matters aren’t so simple and
Black’s position may withstand the attack
after a few accurate moves. In the
following example, White wins:
1. ♗xh7+! ♔xh7
1…♔h8 2.♘g5 is crushing: Black is under

attack and he’s not even going to get any extra
material.
If here 2…f5 or 2…g6, White continues with

3.♕f3-h3 and Black has no defense.
If 2…f6, White wins by 3.♘xe6 ♔xh7

4.♘xf8+:
The Greek Gift
The Greek Gift sacrifice is characterized by a

combination of ♗xh7+, ♘g5+, and the
queen’s joining in the attack on h5, g4, or a
square on the b1-h7 diagonal.
It is named after the description in Virgil’s

Aeneid of the giant wooden horse that
the Greeks left outside the gates of Troy after
sailing away, seemingly abandoning their siege.
The Trojans took the horse into their city.
However, it wasn’t really a gift as the horse’s
belly concealed Greek soldiers who slipped out
during the night and opened the city gates for
the rest of their army, which had returned in
18 19
analysis
2. ♘g5+ ♔h6
There are two other typical scenarios when the

Greek Gift is accepted: 1. When the king
ducks back into his castled position. 2…♔g8
3.♕h5:
analysis
– and ♕h7 will be checkmate next move; 3…f5 4.♕h3 f4 (4…♖h8 5.♕xh8 ♗xe5
6.dxe5 f4 7.♕h7+ and White finishes the
2. When the king ventures out: 2… ♔g6 attack in the same way as after 4… f4)
3.♕d3+: 5.♕h7+ ♔xg5 6.h4+ ♔g4 7.f3+ ♔g3
8.♗d2:
analysis
analysis
An experienced player should be able to judge,
purely on intuition, that White is likely to be
– and Black is powerless against ♗e1#.
winning here because all of Black’s pieces are
on the queenside, too far away from the 3. ♘h3+
defense of their king. I give all of the possible
mates to show the typical ways to conclude the 3.♘xe6+ and 3.♘e4+ also lead to checkmate,
attack: 3…♔h6 4.♕h7#. a sign of just how crushing White’s position is.
3…♔h5 4.♕h7+ ♔g4 5.♕h3#. 3…g5
20 21
3…♔h7 4.♕h5+ ♔g8 5.♘g5+–. 4…♔g7 5.♗f6+ and again the black king is
doomed: 5…♔h6 6.♕d2+ ♔h7 7.♕g5 ♖g8
Black could have lasted a move longer with
8.♕h5#: analysis
3…♔g6 4.♕g4+ ♔h7 5.♕h5+ ♔g8 6.♘g5.
5. ♕d3+ ♔h5
Both these lines give the same position as
the line above when Black played 2…
5…♔g7 6.♗f6+ ♔h6 7.♘f4:
♔g8 and White replied with 3.♕h5.
analysis
4. ♗xg5+ ♔g6
with ♕h3# next move. Notice how all of the
4…♔h7 5.♕h5+ ♔g8 6.♗f6: escape squares on the g-file are controlled by
White’s knight and bishop.
5…f5 6.exf6+ ♔f7 7.♕h7#:
analysis
– and ♕h8# follows.

analysis
22 23
6. ♕h7+ ♔g4 7.f3# 1.♕b3+
This is a nice final position and shows can be met by 1…♖f7. The answer lies
what can happen when a king is dragged in giving up the white queen, because the
out of its fortress. opportunity to use a powerful attacking
technique has arisen.
Notice that Black’s e8-bishop is a massive
hindrance for the defending side. But for its 1. ♖xb7! ♖xd3
presence, Black might have time to move the
rook from f8 to the queenside, making way for Otherwise Black is a piece down.
the king to escape to f8 and then e8 or e7, but
the bishop blocks the rook from moving which 2. ♖xg7+ ♔h8
in turn hems the king in.
This is the position that White was aiming for.
Now, when White’s rook moves, the black
king will be exposed to a check by the a1-
bishop. This means that White can threaten
any black piece he wants with his rook and
have the time to take it on the next move. The
motif was made famous by the game Torre –
Lasker, Moscow 1925.
3. ♖g5+!
Of course, White goes for Black’s queen.
3.♖xa7+?, trying to grab a pawn before

getting the queen, doesn’t work: 3…♖f6!:
Windmill 1
How should White proceed here? The obvious

1.♕c4+ leads nowhere after 1…♕f7, while
24 25
analysis Black not to calculate what would happen

if he just went and pushed the c-pawn right
4.♗xf6+ ♔g8 5.♖g7+ ♔f8 and, by giving up away, giving up the bishop.
the rook on f8, Black now has this square for
his king and escapes the windmill, when he 42. ♖xb2
should survive with a draw.
The bishop must be captured.
3…♔h7 4. ♖xh5
42…c1♕+ 43. ♘xc1 ♖xc1+
White is winning.
It would be possible to (very quickly)
subconsciously half-calculate pushing the
pawn, reach this position in your
calculations, and then dismiss it, as on the face
of it Black is simply a pawn down. It is
important to look closer and examine the
position properly.
44. ♔h2
Now what is Black’s best move? Remember

that the consequences had to be foreseen
Windmill 2 before playing 41…c2.
Steffano Vezzani (2162) – David Eggleston
White’s other move, 44.♗f1, runs into 44…
Trieste Open 2013 ♗h3!–+ and Black wins the f1-bishop and the
game. It is very important that after 45.♖b8+,
Black is better in the following position. Is
Black can just play 45…♔h7, running away.
there a way for him to press his advantage
home?
44…♘g4+!
41…c2!
It is natural to want to queen the c-pawn

without losing the bishop on b2. If Black
could achieve that, then he would just win
a knight for a pawn and obtain a
winning position. It is not possible to do
this, though, as on c3 the pawn guards
the b2-bishop. It would be a mistake for
26 27
Double check. Instead 45…♘xe3+? is a

mistake; in the game I made sure I had this
position without the f2-pawn on the board.
The line continues 46.g4! (escaping the
windmill) 46…hxg4+ 47.♔g3 ♘xg2.
White is in trouble, but he may yet survive,

especially if he finds 48.♘e2! chasing the
black rook away before recapturing the knight
on g2, so that 48…♖c5 49.♔xg2 ♗xa6 can
be met by 50.♘f4 defending the d3-pawn,
when Black has problems converting his two-
pawn advantage.
46. ♔h2 ♘g4+
Black can repeat the windmill position and

then go and capture the next pawn.
47. ♔h3 ♘xe3+ 48. ♔h2 ♘g4+ 49. ♔h3

Here’s the windmill! A knight-and-bishop
49…♘e5+
windmill like this is a very unusual
combination and this game is the first time
that I have seen it.
45. ♔h3
The black knight moves away from g4

and White is in discovered check from
the c8-bishop.
Unfortunately, there is no way for Black to

exploit this to win White’s rook, knight, or
bishop, but there are lots of pawns sitting Now it makes sense to give up the windmill to
there, waiting to be picked off. round up two more white pawns.
45…♘xf2+ 50. ♔h2 ♗xa6 51. ♗xd5 ♗xd3
28 29
Two pawns up with the white king still in

trouble, Black is easily winning.
52. ♖b8+ ♔h7 53. ♔g2 ♖d1
Eyeing the d4-knight and the d5-bishop.
54. ♖b4
Played to guard the knight on d4, but this

runs into…
Mate on g7
54…♗f1+
How should White proceed? It seems as
Now White resigned, as 55.♔f2 runs into though Black has an overwhelming material
55…♘d3+, picking off the rook on b4; advantage and there is little to be done about
55.♔g1 (or 55.♔h1) allows 55…♗c4+, it. ♕h6 looks like it will create threats around
when the discovered check wins the the black king, but the knight on e8 is an
excellent defender as it guards the g7 square
bishop on d5; and 55.♔h2 ♘g4+
and also could meet 1.♕h6 with 1…♘xf6,
56.♔h1 (or 56.♔g1) 56…♗h3 is
simply taking White’s dangerous bishop. The
checkmate. 0-1
answer becomes clear: White must remove the
e8-knight, even at the cost of sacrificing more
material!
1. ♖xe8!
Now Black will be mated – there is nothing he

can do to save himself, as all of his pieces are
too far away from his king.
1…♖fxe8
Both 1…♘d5 and 1…♘d7 would be

met by 2.♕h6. Then Black would have
to take on f6 to stop
♕g7#: 2…♘xf6, but now instead 3.♕xf8#.
30 31
analysis shreds.
25. ♖ff3!
If White doesn’t attack here, Black will be for

preference because of his queenside pressure.
25…♗xc4?
Black should seek to neutralize White’s

attacking chances by playing 25…♕c7!,
when White has nothing better than 26.♕f6
as he must avoid the exchange of queens,
2. ♕h6
otherwise he will be worse in the
♕g7 will be checkmate next move. This is a endgame. There follows 26…♕d8 27.♕e5
typical mating pattern and you should look ♕c7 and the game will be drawn by a
out for the chance to execute it in your own repetition of moves.
games. Note that a white pawn on f6, instead
of a bishop, would be just as effective. 26. ♖xh7!
The only move not to lose, but Black is mated!
26…f6
26…♔xh7 27.♖h3+ ♔g8 28.♖h8#.
After the game move, the queen and rook are

both attacked – what can White do?
27. ♖fh3!
Piece Sacrifice Around the King
David Eggleston – Neil Moss
Tyne and Wear Open (England) 2000
This game is an example of sacrificing major

pieces to rip your opponent’s king cover to
32 33
Here’s a little self-hack.
Sacrificing the queen. This must have come as

a surprise to Black. Attacking the opponent’s
queen is one of the most forcing tactics in
chess – but occasionally it can be ignored.
27…fxe5 43. ♕d4! (Black was threatening to take

over the initiative) 43… ♔xf6?? (43…
27…♗xd3 28.♕xe6+ ♖f7 29.♕xf7#. ♕a7! forces an exchange of queens with
44.♕xa7 ♖xa7, when the white rook will
28. ♖h8+ ♔f7 29. ♖3h7+ 1-0
retreat, the d6-pawn will drop, and the game
Either 29…♔f6 30.dxe5# or 29… ♔e8 will be drawn.; 43…♖e1?! keeps material
equality but the black pieces are
30.♗xg6# with a pretty finish:
awkwardly placed: 44.♖f2 ♕b3 wanting to
David Eggleston – GM Aleksander Delchev go to g3, so 45.♔h2 when Black should still
(2643) manage to draw, but he has made things
harder than they needed to be and it is
Bad Wiessee (Germany) 2013
34 35
Chapter 2: Finishing Off the Attack!
dangerous to not keep a close eye on the

d6 pawn) 44. ♕f4+!:
Chapter 2
– winning on the spot. White never intended
to go for a simple exchange of queens. This
example shows how important it is to consider
every check, even if a simple capture is the
obvious move. Black resigned here, since the
only move, 44…♔g7, is met by 45.♕xe5+
and next 46.♕xa1, effectively swapping rooks
but winning a full knight in the process.
44.♕xa1?? ♕xd5 was no doubt what Black

had in mind, when the weak d6-pawn will
drop off and the second player can hope to Finishing Off the Attack!
squeeze out a win, although it should probably
GM Vassily Ivanchuk (2769) – GM Wang
still be a draw if White is careful.
Hao (2726)
1-0
Istanbul Olympiad 2012
The attack has gone well and a winning

position has arisen on the board. Winning,
that is, if you play a series of accurate moves
that guarantee the mate or a big gain of
material. Since accuracy is required, good
calculation at this point is essential. You will
often need to look six or seven moves in
advance to make sure you choose the line that
is a win and don’t miss a resource that allows
your opponent to escape with a draw. The
aim is to see the mating positions several
moves in advance from when you start
calculating and this tells you that the initial
move in your combination is correct. The
more you practice, the faster and more
accurate your calculation will become. But
how do you know how to spot such a
position? By past experience, usually. Lots
36 37
of practice is very helpful and this chapter

will help to provide it. The first move here is
pretty obvious and White proceeds with it.
21.f5
Making inroads towards the black king.
21…f6
The only way to challenge White.
♖xe6 25.♘g4+!. White’s last two moves

After 21…exf5 22.♖xf5 ♖e7 23.♖af1
were clever and won him his extra pawn.
♗d5 24.e4! ♗e6 25.♖f6+–, Black is
hopelessly tied up and White will continue 25…♔e7 26.hxg3
♕h4, ♖1-f3, g2-g4, and ♖h3 with a

♖d8±:
mating attack. Now, stop at the position
after 21…f6 without looking further at the analysis
writing below; calculate for 10-15 minutes (or
less if you find the win more quickly) and try All the chances are White’s but Black has a
and find a way to mate. good grip on the central light squares and a
hard fight will ensue to decide if this is enough
22.fxg6! for Black to make a draw. Proper evaluation of
the resulting position is more important than
22.♘g4?! is weaker. Obviously, swapping being pleased with yourself because you have
queens in a position like this must be wrong. It found an idea that works tactically!
just kills White’s attack even if he does
manage to emerge with an extra pawn. 22…fxe5
One extra pawn is not always enough to
win! While this line is better for White, a Black must take the knight, else his position is
player who chose it would have made the in ruins for nothing.
mistake of being satisfied just because he was
better, without deeply considering the 23. ♖f7!
alternatives and looking to see if there was a Invading the seventh rank.
winning move available instead. Now there
follows 22…♕xg3 23.♘xf6+ ♔f7 23…♕c6
24.fxe6+!
Lining up a battery of queen and bishop
against g2. This idea looks at first as if it
38 39
may provide an adequate defense. Black is

ready to take twice on g2, giving up a bishop
in order to swap queens. While this does lose a
piece, Black is relying on White’s having
sacrificed more material (e.g. that rook on f7)
to try and get to the black king, so that the
counter-sacrifice on g2 (which may be the only
way to prevent mate) still leaves Black with
a material advantage for the endgame.
Although this is a good idea in general,
unfortunately it does not work here! analysis
24.gxh7+!! ♔xf7 25. ♖f1+ ♔e7 26.h8(♕)! 28.dxe5+!
Deflecting the rook that was guarding the e7 Creating the mating net. This is the key move
square. in the whole combination. Without it, White
would have had to take a draw here, and
26.♕g7+ ♔d6 (26…♔d8 27.h8♕ wins)
22.♘g4 would actually have been a good
27.h8♕! ♖xh8 transposes to the game. move – the continuation giving the best
chances to win the game.
26…♖xh8 27. ♕g7+ ♔d6
28.♕xe5+? lets Black off with a draw. It is
27…♔d8 28.♕xh8+. The problem is that tempting to check with the queen, but it is
28…♔c7 29. ♖f7+ ♔d6 30.♕e5 is mate; more important to open the d-file. 28…
therefore, Black must part with his queen – ♔e7 29.♕f6+ ♔d6 30.♕e5+ ♔e7
28…♕e8 29.♖f8+–: 31.♕g7+ ♔d6, and White has nothing
better than to continue checking and take the
perpetual.
28…♔d5
28…♔c5 29.♕e7+ ♔d5 30.♖d1+ ♔e4

31.♕g5, and we arrive at the same
position that 28…♔d5
leads to.
40 41
Black resigned after playing 28… ♔d5 but This shows the importance of accurate
before he could get mated by 29. ♖d1+ ♔e4 visualization, holding the position at the
end of the variation in your head accurately
30.♕g5: analysis
– as you would need to when considering
This is the nicest finish, which leads to mate move 22. You would need to reach this
position in your calculations in order to make
one move quicker than 30.♕g6+ or 30.♕g4+.
the decision to choose 22.fxg6!. If the position
White will mate next move, as he threatens
somehow became blurry in your mind, you
both ♖d4# and ♕f4# and Black cannot might not notice that the king on e4 blocks
control both of those squares with one move. Black’s queen and bishop on the long diagonal,
Notice how, if Black could take on g2 with the and thus reject the whole line because you
queen and bishop, he would enter the
would think …♕xg2+ wins for Black! 1-0
endgame
David Eggleston – Malola Prasath
Durham vs. Hetton 2012
White has a very promising position: all of his

pieces are actively placed. There is more than
one way to win from here (for example,
the quiet 26.♖f2 should do so in the
long run), but can you see a more
forceful and direct way – one that wouldn’t
give your opponent a glimmer of hope?
26. ♗xd7! ♔xd7 27. ♖e7+!
At first it looks like this won’t work, because

after…
27…♗xe7
…the f1-rook is loose, but White has a way to

defend it.
easily winning with an extra rook, as 27…♔c8 is hopeless after 28.♖fe1 ♔b8
White has sacrificed large amounts of 29.♘f5 ♗c7 30.♖xf7:
material during his attack.
42 43
31…♔d7 32.♕e7+ ♔c8 33.♕xf8+ ♔c7

34.♕xa8 leaves Black with no pieces to
keep the queen company!
31…♔c5
analysis
and White’s f-pawn will win the game.
28. ♕f5+!
This gives a check and defends the f1-rook

before recapturing on e7.
Not 28.fxe7??, as Black doesn’t need to

take back on e7 but can play 28…♕xf1+
picking up the undefended rook.
28…♔d8 29.fxe7+ ♔xe7
30. ♖e1+!
30.♕e5+? ♔d7 and Black wriggles out – there

32. ♕d4+?
is no mate 31.♖f6 ♕c5=.
I missed 32.♕e3+ and mate next move: 32…
30…♔d6
♔d6 33.♕e7#; 32…♔c4 33.♕d4#; 32…d4
30…♔d8 31.♘e6+ fxe6 (otherwise 32.♘d4+ 33.♕xd4#.
wins the queen) 32.♕xf8+ ♔d7 33.♕xa8

32…♔d6 33. ♘f5+?
leaves White a rook up.
33.♕e5+ wins instantly.
31. ♕e5+
44 45
33…♔c7 34. ♖e7+ ♔b8 35. ♘d6 ♕xb2 capturing on b7, as that would leave Black
36.c4 ♕b1+ with two rooks against the white queen.
Instead, White embarks on a campaign of
36…♕xd4?? 37.♖xb7# : harassment to drive the black queen from
the b-file. 39…♕b4 40.♕f6 (the
analysis immediate 40.a3 ♕b3
was something Black wasn’t going to fall for.
41.♕a2(c3) would fail to 40…♕f4+ followed
37. ♔h2 dxc4 by …♖xd6) 40…♖f8 41.a3! ♕b1 (41…
♕b3 42.♕c3 ♕b1
After 37…♖d8 38.c5 a5, find White’s killer
move: 43.♕c2+–) 42.♕f5 ♕b2 43.♕c2+– and the
black queen has run out of squares on the b-
file.
38. ♘xc4 a5 39. ♘e5 ♖g8
Find the finish!
40. ♘xc6+
Splat! Black resigned without waiting for 40…

bxc6 41.♕d6+ ♔c8 42.♕c7#. 1-0
Paweł Stoma (2246) – IM Marek Stryjecki

(2430)
Kraków Open (A) 2003
We join the game at a point where White has a

very pleasant position. He is ahead in
development, his king is safe, and all of his
pieces are centralized. Black badly needs to get
his king to safety. In order to do this, he has to
defend e7 first or White would simply meet
analysis
Black’s castling with ♖xe7.
39.♕a1!. White does not want to win the

black queen for a rook and a knight by
46 47
20.♘xf7, 20.♗e4, or 20.♗xg6, for

example 20.♗xg6 ♗xe5 (20…fxg6
21.♖xd5+–) 21.♗xf7+ ♔f8 22.♗xd5:
analysis
White isn’t even down on material and ♘e6+

and ♕g5 are coming to finish Black off.
b) 19…0-0:
analysis
An important position. Black is threatening to

play …♘xd5 now that he has castled and he
can put a rook on d8 to increase the pressure
on this pawn. White must find the correct
continuation now or most of his advantage
will disappear. Once you realize that White
can’t passively hold on to his extra pawn, this
17…♕xd5?
Black understandably wasn’t impressed by

the alternatives, but they would have put
up a tougher resistance. He must have
missed the flaw within this move. Can
you now find a move that exploits the
positions of Black’s king and queen?
17…♘e5? 18.♗xe5 dxe5 19.♖xe5 and

White wins a pawn. Black can now play either
a) 19…♘xd5; or b) 19…0-0:
should make you think that an active
continuation is required. Compare this
a) 19…♘xd5?? would be a hopeless
position to a normal Dragon setup for Black
attempt to recover the pawn too early
– what is the main difference? Here, the
while leaving the king helpless in the
h-pawn, which in the Dragon is usually
middle of the board. White would win by
on h7
48 49
defending the g6-pawn, is on h5. Can you of the board where the black king could try to
find the best move for White? be safe.
20.♘xf7! is strong because g6 will fall, Black can now choose between a) 18…hxg4
but not 20.♖de1? ♘d7 (20…♘xd5 is and b) 18…0-0:
also reasonable) 21.♖xe7 ♕xd5 when Black a) 18…hxg4 (avoiding the swap of the dark-
is over the worst of it, White only has an extra squared bishops, thus keeping an extra piece
pawn, and Black has lots of activity, with ideas on the board to defend the black king)
of …♘e5 or …♘b6-a4. 19.fxg4,
Now 20…♘d7 (20…♖xf7 21.♗xg6 ♖ff8 a1) 19…♘xd3 20.♕xd3 ♖xh4 (a cheeky
and White has three pawns for the piece, pawn grab. Can you see how White can
plus 22.♗f5! meet this with a strong counterstrike?)
21.♘e6!:
followed by ♗e6+ provides a crushing
initiative; or 20…♔xf7 21.♕g5 and the
capture on g6 is decisive) 21.♖g5 ♖xf7
(21…♔xf7 22.♗xg6+ ♔g8 23.♕e3 and,
with ideas of ♕e6+ and ♕xe7, Black will
not survive; White can meet 23…♘e5 by
taking twice on e5) 22.♗xg6 ♖f6 23.♗f5!:
analysis
White’s threats are too strong and Black

can’t defend his king. A good example of
this is 23…♖c4
24.♕e1 ♘f8 25.♕g3 e6 26.♗xe6+ ♘xe6?

(Black is lost anyway after 26…♖xe6 27.dxe6
♘xe6 28.♖xh5) 27.dxe6 ♖xe6 28.♖d8+
with mate coming.
Black’s best is 17…♘c5, necessary to defend

e7 before castling kingside. After 18.g4, White
would still have an initiative and should get to analysis
work opening up the position in the only part
50 51
Now Black can play either a11) 21… fxe6 or

a12) 21…♗h8:
a11) 21…fxe6 22.♕xg6+ (22…♔d7

23.♕xg7 ♘xd5 24.♕f7± as White will
take on e6 and Black’s king will continue to
struggle to survive) 22…♔f8?? 23.dxe6 ♔g8
24.♗xf6 exf6 25.e7+–: analysis
and White queens the e-pawn, winning.

analysis
a12) 21…♗h8 22.♕g3! (putting the
White should be quite confident of converting
question to Black’s rook) 22…♖xg4
his extra exchange.
23.♕h3 fxe6 (23…♖xd4
a2) 19…0-0 (This is perhaps the most
24.♕xh8+ ♔d7 25.♘f8+ [it was important sensible way for Black to play the
for White to foresee this clever little check; position. White has no immediate knockout
without it, Black would have won on the spot] blow and the attack must enter a different
25…♖xf8 26.♕xf8 ♖xd1+ 27.♖xd1 ♘xd5 phase. White must patiently maneuver his
28.♕xf7 ♘e3 29.♖g1 and White takes on g6 pieces to better squares and defend his
with good chances to win the endgame) own king before he can continue with the
24.dxe6! (Taking the bishop on h8 instead attack.) 20.♗f1! (the pawn is immune
would have been a mistake. That way, White because ♗h3 would pin the knight on g4 to
would have lost the option of taking on f6 and
the rook on c8) 20…b4 21.♕g2! (eyeing the
grabbing the rook on g4.) 24…♔d8 (the only black king down the g-file with ideas of
move) 25.♗xf6 ♗xf6 26.♕xg4 g5: h4-h5) 21…♘h7 (21…♘a4 and now …
♘c3+ is an annoying threat, so White
needs to take a move to prevent it with
22.♔a1± and Black is struggling as
White’s kingside attack powers on, for
example 22…♘h7 23.♘xh7 ♗xd4
24.♖xd4 ♔xh7 25.h5+–) 22.♘xh7
♔xh7 23.♗xc5 ♖xc5 24.h5!±:
analysis
52 53
White makes contact with the black king b12) 22…♕xd5 23.♘xf8 ♖xf8 24.♖xe7±.
before Black’s attack has really started. At least here Black fends off the attack, but
White is up an exchange for a pawn.
b) 18…0-0 19.gxh5 ♘xh5 (At first sight,
it seems that Black has solved his b13) 22…♘xd3 23.♕xd3:
problems. After the exchange of dark-
squared bishops, the h-file looks to be analysis
permanently blocked and Black plans …b5-b4
and at the very least White will win an
and …♘a4 to generate some attacking ideas exchange, since if the rook moves from f8,
of his own.) 20.♗xg7, and now: b1) 20… then ♖g1 followed by the crunching ♖xg6+
will win immediately.
♘xg7 21.h5! (crudely opening up the
position in White’s favor) 21…♘xh5 b2) 20…♔xg7 21.♖g1! (taking aim at
22.♘e6! when White’s attack crashes g6) 21…♘xd3 (21…♕xd5? fails to the
through. Some sample lines:
shot 22.♘xf7 ♖xf7
[22…♘xd3 23.♕h6+ ♔xf7 24.♕g6 is

checkmate] 23.♖xg6+ ♔f8 24.♕h6+
♖g7 [Black had two alternatives, one
allowing an obvious mate in one, the
other allowing an obvious trick to pick
off the queen] 25.♖g5+– and White will win
a lot more than the h5-knight) 22.♕xd3±.
Unfortunately for Black, he will be unable to
fend off White’s aggressive intentions which
include pushing the f-pawn, ♘e6+/♘xf7
sacrifices, and crashing through on g6. An

example of one attempted defense is 22…♖g8
23.f4!: analysis
The pawn is immune because of ♕d4+.

23…f5 (otherwise White plays f4-f5)
24.♕d4+ ♘f6 25.h5!
b11) 22…fxe6 23.♕h6+–.
54 55
gxh5 26.♕d3 (notice how, in all these lines, 19…e5 20.♗xe5 ♕xe5 21.♕b3 wins the
the black queen is hopelessly out of play) 26… queen and the game.
♕d7 27.♘e6+
20. ♗xe5 ♕xe5
Undoubtedly, this is where Black had missed

something when he played his 17th move. He
must have stopped his calculation at this
point, thinking he would be a piece up and
White wouldn’t have gone into this line.
Unfortunately for him, it is again the case of a
player’s stopping his calculation a move too
early!
20…♕c6 21.♗c3 leaves Black hopelessly

♔h8 28.♕xf5, and White’s initiative unable to prevent ♕e6 or ♘e6 next move:
continues.
21…e5 22.♕d3
18. ♗xg6!+–
(22.♗xe5? ♕xc2+ 23.♔a1 0-0 favors White,
All the tactics favor White, and Black is but Black lives to fight on) 22…0-0 23.♕xg6
completely lost after this blow! and the game is over.
18…fxg6 21. ♕b3!
The bishop sacrifice must be accepted. If the queen moves, then ♕f7+ is deadly.
19. ♕e3 21…♘e4 22. ♖xe4 ♕f6 23. ♖e6 ♕f5

This threatens checkmate on e7 and at the Black has stopped the check on f7 but is still
same time uncovers the influence of the lost.
d1-rook on the black queen on d5. Now
only the d4-bishop needs to move for the
black queen to be under attack and this brings
us to White’s second threat – winning a piece
with ♗xf6. Black can’t defend against both
threats.
19…♘e5
56 57
Rilton Cup, Stockholm 2003
White has a nice-looking position with his

pieces placed aggressively; the rooks are
doubled on the f-file and the bishops
observe both sides of the board. Also, the
queen on g5 is well placed for a direct
attack on the black king. Having said
that, Black’s position is solid enough – he
has no obvious weaknesses and is ready to
progress further with his queenside play with
…b5-b4. If White is going to have a successful
attack here, he is going to have to play well.
25.h4
Played with a simple idea in mind. After

playing h4-h5 and hxg6, White will then be
able to consider
24.g4 hxg4 25.fxg4
25…♕xg4 26.♖xe7+ ♔xe7 27.♕f7+ ♔d8

28.♖xd6+ ♕d7 29.♕xd7#.
25…♕f8
26. ♖exd6! exd6 27. ♕e6+
This game was yet another reminder of the the sacrifice ♗xg6, giving up a bishop for two
importance of fast development and accurate pawns to open up Black’s king, following
calculation! which a rook lift to the h-file might prove to
be dangerous for Black.
1-0
25…♖a4
GM Nick de Firmian (2553) – Joel
Wikström (2191) Black puts pressure on the d4-bishop. Now it
is advisable for White to play 26.c3
58 59
in order to support the bishop. Now
26…b4
gives Black a target for his b-pawn.
27.h5
White decides to press on with the attack;

there were no natural alternatives.
27…bxc3 28.hxg6 hxg6 29.bxc3 ♖ca8
Now that Black has swapped off his b-

pawn, his queenside play has almost come
to an end. 29…
♖ca8 would have prepared to trade off a pair

of rooks by playing …♖a1, when White’s
attacking options would be greatly reduced. If
White wants to strike, he needs to do it now.
30. ♗xg6! Simply allowing White to force mate down the

h-file.
30.♖4f3 ♖a1 31.♖3f2 ♖xf1+ 32.♖xf1:
31…♕e7!, preventing ♖f4-h4, was
analysis
absolutely necessary (32.♖f6? ♖a1 and
The alternative was to play something now it’s Black who’s playing for a win) –
passive like this, when most likely the 32.♖1f3!:
game would shortly result in a draw since
analysis
neither side has an active plan and has nothing
better to do than to shuffle pieces forward and This prevents Black from swapping rooks with
back. Sacrificing the bishop on g6 would be
…♖a1 since the white king will be safe on h2.
doomed to failure without both pairs of rooks
Let’s examine some possible defensive ideas
on the board.
that Black could try:
30…fxg6 31. ♕xg6 ♕d7??
a) 32…♖4a6? 33.♖g3!±. Now White intends
♕h6 and ♖f6, possibly followed by ♖fg6
60 61
and Black is helpless.
b) 32…♖c4?. It is true that White can’t play

♖h4 or ♖h3 to attack up the h-file because
these squares are covered by black pieces.
However, White can play 33.♖f6!. This is
strong now that Black has no annoying …
♖a1 to hit a rook on f1. Play could
follow 33…♖c6 (an indication that
Black’s previous move wasn’t a great idea)
34.♖g3!, planning the slow but very c) 32…♖8a6 is Black’s best attempt at a
defense, but it is nonetheless insufficient.
dangerous idea of ♕h5 followed by
Play continues 33.♔h2! (33. ♖f6! is also
♖h6/g6. It appears that Black cannot strong):
defend. One possible unsuccessful attempt
analysis
to do so is 34…♖f8
Improving the position of the king before
35.♕h5! ♕d7: 36.♖xg7+ ♕xg7 (36…♔xg7 embarking on the maneuvers seen in the
37.♕h6+ ♔g8 38.♖xf8#) 37.♖g6+– as the other lines.
queen and bishop combine well to attack the
black king. White also has ideas of pushing his Suddenly, Black is defenseless, for example
g-pawn. 33…♖c4 34.♖g3 ♖c8 35.♕h5 ♕e8
36.♖g6 ♕e7 37.♖h4
analysis
♔f8 38.♖g3:
analysis
38…♖ac6 (38…♔g8 will be met by

39.♕h8+ ♔f7 40.♖xg7#) 39.♖f3+ ♗f7
40.♖hf4 (White finally wins some material
and Black’s defensive chances are history)
40…♖h6 41.♖xf7+ ♕xf7 42.♖xf7+
♔g8
43.♖f5 ♖xh5+ 44.♖xh5:
62 63
than move pieces backwards and forwards and

it might well be that a slow, maneuvering
attack-plan is exactly what is called for!
32. ♖h4!+– ♗f7 33. ♕h7+ ♔f8 34. ♗c5+

1-0
GM Yehuda Grünfeld (2471) – GM

Alexander Huzman (2588)
Israeli Championship 2004
In the following example, Black neglects his

king’s safety, which allows White to build up a
powerful attack. White slips up at a crucial
moment and almost spoils it, but Black returns
the favor on the very next move.
analysis
And White will easily win the endgame with

two extra pawns. The maneuvers in this line
might seem long-winded, but you must
remember that, first of all, White needed to
create safe squares for his rooks on the h-file.
Then, after moving a rook to that file, he
needed to take advantage of the black king’s
moving away to f8, which involved retreating a
rook so he would be able to place it on the f-
file to make a deadly pin. This process was
slow, but Black had no active counterplay
whatsoever and was reduced to moving his
pieces back and forth – so, it wasn’t as if
White didn’t have time for these actions.
Look out for positions in your own games
where your opponent has nothing better to do
64 65
15…♘a5? 16…f6! (Now, if White takes on h7 with the

bishop, the black king calmly moves to h8 and
Black had to play 15…f6 or 15…h6 to the attack is over. If he takes on h7 with the
prevent the white knight from taking up an knight, then Black improves the position of his
aggressive posting on the g5 square. knight on the side of the board by moving it
to a more active square on c4 and White’s
16. ♘g5! h6 knight will have difficulty extricating itself
16…g6 17.♕f3! ♕d7 (indirectly defending

d5 because of …♗xh2+) 18.c4! (Attacking
d5. After cxd5, White will be able to play
♘e4 with the deadly threat of ♘f6+.
White also has the positional threat of
♗xa5 followed by c4-c5, creating a strong

supported passed pawn.) 18…♗a6! (the only
move) 19.♗xa5
(19. ♕xd5? allows Black to temporarily give

up his bishop to swap queens: 19…♗xh2+! from h7. Unfortunately, 16…f6 creates a
20.♔xh2 ♕xd5 fresh weakness, but this is nonetheless
Black’s best move because the resulting
21.cxd5 ♗xd3=) 19…h6: position is more tenable than after 16…g6 or
16…h6.): analysis
analysis
17.♕f3! (going for the a8-rook or the d6-
(or 19…bxa5 20.c5 ♗xd3 21.♕xd3 ♗c7 bishop) 17…fxg5 18.♕xd5+ ♗e6
22.g3±) 20.♗xg6! (combative, otherwise 19.♕xd6 ♘c4! (otherwise White’s two
the knight is driven away to the passive h3 bishops will dominate; Black needs to swap
square) 20…♗xh2+! (defending d5 with the one of them off ) 20.♗xc4 ♗xc4 . Black
queen before taking on g6) 21.♔xh2 should probably be able to hold on in this
opposite-colored bishops position a pawn
fxg6 22.♘h3 bxa5 23.c5±. Black is in trouble down. His king is not in any danger, which
because of his exposed king and White’s strong makes his position a lot easier to play.
c-pawn, but he may yet survive.
17. ♕h5!
66 67
Aggressively bringing the queen into the

attack.
17…♗b7?
This loses. Note that the knight is immune

from capture because 17… hxg5?? is mate in
short order: 18.♕h7+ ♔f8 19.♕h8+!
(important; 19.♗g5?, attempting to cut
off the black king’s escape route, is
inadequate after 19… f5 when the king
can move to f7) 19… ♔e7 20.♗xg5+ +–
with ♕xg7+ or ♗b5+
coming next move.
18. ♘h7?
But White fails to take advantage.
18.♗h7+! and now Black can play a) 18…

♔h8, or b) 18…♔f8: analysis
a) 18…♔h8 19.♗f5! ♔g8 (Defending f7. 21…♕xf7 22.♗e6+–.

Now why did White put the bishop on
b) 18…♔f8 19.♗f5! (19.♖e1? would have
f5?) 20.♖e1!
allowed Black to escape the danger. This move
(because it allows him to win the black queen!) chases the queen to a better square on d7
20…♕f8 21.♘xf7! splat!: where it guards both f5 and f7.) 19…♗c8
(Exchanging off the dangerous white bishop,
but Black’s rook and knight are still both out
of the game. Watch how White wins by direct
attack using all of his remaining pieces.)
20.♖e1 ♗e7 21.♘h7+! (now the knight
can come in…) 21…
♔g8 22.♘f6+!:
68 69
analysis
(…so that it can sacrifice itself to open lines)

22…gxf6 23.♗xc8 ♖xc8 24.♕g4+ ♔h7
25.♗xh6! (opening more lines) 25…♗f8
(giving up the queen, but what else can
Black play? White’s powerful attack has
forced this concession: 25… ♕g8
26.♕h3!, forcing 26…♕g6 27.♗c1+
♔g7 28.♕xc8+– and the rook drops; or
White does not let the win slip again. If you
25…♔xh6 26.♖e3, when ♖h3# will crown a
have been following the notes carefully, you
well-played attack) 26.♖xe8 ♖xe8 27.♗e3+– should be able to find White’s next move very
and the queen dominates the rook and knight. easily.
18…♕c6?? 19. ♘f6+!+– ♔f8

18…f5! had to be played; giving up a pawn is
19…♔h8 20.♗xh6+–; 19…gxf6
a small price to pay for ending White’s attack
when his knight will be trapped on h7 after 20.♕xh6+–.
the queens are exchanged: 19.♕xf5 ♕f7!
20. ♗xh6! gxh6
20.♖e1 ♕xf5 21.♗xf5 ♘c4∞.
20…♗xh2+ 21.♕xh2 ♕xf6 22.♗f4+–, e.g.
The knight can’t be won but, since it can’t
escape either, a tough struggle is ahead. 22…♘c4 23.♗xc4 dxc4 24.♕h8+ ♔e7
25.♖e1+ ♔d7: analysis
26.♕h3+! (the queen retreats to rejoin the

attack) 26…♔d8 (26…♔c6 27.♕f3+ ♔b5
28.♕xb7) 27.♕g4!
♗c8 (the only way to prevent ♗g5, winning

the queen) 28.♕f3 and now the a8-rook is
trapped.
21. ♕xh6+ ♔e7 22. ♖e1+ ♔d8
70 71
White now needs to find just one more This game highlights the importance of
accurate move. keeping enough defensive pieces around an
attacked king. Note that, after 23.♕h8+?
23. ♕g7! 1-0
♔c7, White can’t take on f7 and
24.♘e8+ ♖xe8 25.♕xe8 ♕xe8 26.♖xe8
leaves White better but allows the game to go
on.
FM David Klein (2366) – IM Petar

Arnaudov (2439)
Haarlem (Netherlands) 2011
1.e4 e5 2. ♘f3 ♘c6 3. ♗b5 a6 4. ♗a4

♘ge7 5.d4 exd4 6. ♗b3 ♘g6 7. ♘xd4
♗c5 8. ♘f5 0-0 9.0-0 d6
10. ♘c3 ♘a5 11. ♕h5 ♘xb3 12.axb3

♗xf5 13.exf5 ♕h4 14. ♕d1
14…♘e5?
Black had to play 14…♘e7 and meet 15.♖a4

with 15…♕f6 with a balanced position.
Black resigned because there is no satisfactory

way of preventing ♕xf7 followed by ♖e8: a)
23 …♕c7 then 24.♕g8 mates;
b) 23…♔c7 24.♕xf7+ ♔b8 25.♘d7+ wins

everything;
c) 23…♗c8 24.♕xf7 ♗d7 25.♗f5! (so that

White can play ♖e8) 25…♗xf5 26.♖e8+
♕xe8 27.♕xe8+
♔c7 28.♕xa8 also wins everything.
72 73
♗e7, realizing that the only way to stave off

immediate disaster is to admit that a pawn has
been lost for nothing: 20.♘xe7+ ♕xe7
21.♖g4 ♔h8 [the only move, otherwise it’s
splat on f6] 22.♖c4±, but Black faces a long
and miserable task to try and get a draw)
20.♗xf6, and now 20…♕xf5 (20…gxf6
21.♖g4+ ♔h8 22.♕xf6#) doesn’t work
because 21.♖g4! forces 21…g6 and now
15. ♖a4! ♕d8 16. ♕h5 ♘d7 17. ♕h3 there is 22.♖f4!:
This doesn’t spoil White’s advantage, but it is

not the most forcing move.
Instead, 17.♗g5!:
analysis
is very strong as the a4-rook swings across

to h4 and the attack becomes too
powerful. This is a good example of using
one of your pieces to bring another one into
the game. By sacrificing itself, the bishop gives analysis
the rook the time it needs to get to h4.
forcing the queen away, when White’s queen
Black now has a choice between: a) 17…♘f6; will walk into g7 via h6, so Black’s only choice
b) 17…♕e8; and c) 17…f6: is 22…♕h5
a) 17…♘f6 18.♕h4 (now Black will not but then 23.♕xh5 gxh5 24.♖f5! wins a
be able to escape his self-inflicted pin) bishop for nothing because Black needs to
18…d5 (the only way to prevent ♘d5 or prevent ♖g5#.

♘e4; as usual, 18…h6 would have been met
b) 17…♕e8 18.♖h4 h6 19.♗xh6 f6, and
by 19.♗xh6) 19.♘xd5! (but White crashes White has won at least a pawn for nothing,
through regardless; before playing this move
but actually after 20.♕g4! Black is totally
you would have needed to see the mate at the
flattened.
end of the line) 19 …♕xd5?? (better is 19…
74 75
c) 17…f6 18.♖h4! fxg5 19.♕xh7+ ♔f7 ♗h6 is an extremely annoying move for Black
20.♕g6+ ♔g8 (20…♔e7 is met by to deal with. (Notice that 20…
either 21.♕e6# or 21.♘d5#) 21.♖h7! ♕f6
♕f6 21.♘d5 ♕xf5?? loses to 22.♖xg7+,
22.♕h5!: giving up the rook with gain of time so White
analysis can pick off the black queen on f5.) There can
follow 20…♖e5 21.♘e4! (bringing the
With the queen behind the rook, ♖h8 will be knight into the attack; 21.♗h6 g6
mate as the white queen guards f7. This forces
Black to play 22…g6 23.fxg6 and now White
threatens g7 followed by ♖h8# as well as
simply taking the knight on d7. Now 23…
♖fe8! (Black makes a cheeky threat, which
will turn the tables if White doesn’t see
it) 24.♖f7! (but perhaps it was too obvious:
24.♖xd7?? ♕xf2+ 25.♖xf2 ♖e1# and if
you fell for this in a game you would never
live it down!) 24…♕h8 25.♕xh8+ ♔xh8
26.♖xd7 and up two pawns with active
pieces, White is winning this ending.
17…♖e8 18. ♖h4!
Making Black put his pieces on passive

squares.
18…♘f8
The knight is needed here to defend h7.

would have left White without an obvious way
19. ♘e4?! to continue the assault) 21… ♔h8 (enabling
Black to meet
This gives Black a chance to get back into the
game.
♗g5 with …f7-f6 since now the king has
walked out of the firing line of White’s rook;
19.b4 ♗a7 20.♖g4! was the correct way to
continue. See how, after Black defends h7, now Black can meet ♗xf6 with …gxf6)
White switches his focus towards g7. Now 22.b3! (simply preparing ♗b2, hitting e5 and
76 77
g7; Black is close to losing here) 22…♖xf5 only good way to prevent ♕xf7# without
(doesn’t help matters) 23.♖xg7 ♔xg7 allowing ♕h8#; 23…♗xg5?? 24.♕h8+!
24.♕xf5 ♗d4 (the only good way to stop ♔e7
♗b2) 25.♕d5
♗e5:
analysis
White can win at least a pawn or continue

with the attack.
19…f6?
Black needed to bring his bishop back to f6 to

help out with defensive duties: 19…♗d4!. 25.♗xg5+ ♔d7 26.♕xg7 ♕c8 27. ♕xf7+ is
Quite often, the more pieces you have hopeless for Black) 24.♘h7+ ♔e7 (24…
around your own king, the harder it is ♔g8?? doesn’t work because after 25.♘xf6+
for your opponent to attack it! White
gxf6 26.♗h6 the black king is caught in
replies 20.♘g5! (20. ♖g4 g6 21.♗g5
a mating net) 25.♗g5!±, increasing the
♕d7 22.fxg6 fxg6! [22…hxg6?? 23.♘f6+
pressure on f6 with a large advantage for
♗xf6 24.♗xf6 ♘h7 White. But Black is still in the game: he has an
extra exchange, he can play 25…d5 to gain
25.♕xh7+ ♔xh7 26.♖h4+ ♔g8 space, and if he is careful he will not be
27.♖h8#] 23.♕h4 d5= and Black has checkmated.
managed to neutralize White’s attack) 20…
♗f6! 21.♖xh7! (sacrificing the exchange to 20. ♖g4!±
drive the black king from its castle) 21…
White wisely switches targets to g7.
♘xh7
20…♘d7 21. ♘g3!
22.♕xh7+ ♔f8 23.♕h5!:
Heading for h5.
analysis
21…♖e7 22. ♘h5
Black must now deal with the threat to
f7. (White doesn’t gain anything by
22…♔h8?
playing 23.♕h8+ ♔e7.) 23…♕d7 (the
78 79
Black goes wrong under the pressure.
22…♕e8! was necessary. Maybe Black was

worried about 23.♘xg7? ♖xg7 24.♗h6,
when it looks as if Black loses on the spot, but
on closer inspection he has the resource 24…
♖g5! 25.♗xg5 fxg5 26.♖xg5+
♔h8 and, after getting the a8-rook into the

game, he shouldn’t be worse.
24.b4 ♗b6 25. ♕b3+ ♔f8 26. ♖h4! ♔e8
Instead of 23.♘xg7?, White should
27. ♘e6 ♖xe6 28. ♕xe6+ ♕e7 29. ♖xh7
proceed slowly with 23.♗d2 followed by
♗c3 and ♘f4, improving the placement of Overall, a very well-played game by White. 1-
his pieces with both knight and bishop looking 0
in the black king’s direction, when Black is a
lot worse but still in the game.
23. ♘f4!+–
Eyeing g6. Suddenly White’s pieces swarm

around the opposing king and there is no
defense.
23…♔g8
23…♘e5 24.♘g6+! ♘xg6 25.fxg6 h6

26.♗xh6! gxh6 27.♕xh6+ ♔g8 28.♖h4
and ♕h8 will be checkmate.
80 81
Chapter 3: Sicilian Attacks
analysis
Chapter 3 It doesn’t seem natural to move the same

piece twice in the opening, but this
exploits White’s weakness along the long
diagonal. 10.♗e3 h5! (10…♕xb2 11.♘a4
♕a3 12.c4 b5 13.cxb5 axb5 14.♘b6
♘xb6 15.♘xb5 ♕a5 16.♘c7+ ♔d8

17.♘xa8 ♘xa8=) 11.g5 ♘g4 12.♕d2 ♘xe3
13.♕xe3 ♕xb2 14.♗e2
♕b6 and Black has a favorable kind of

poisoned-pawn position.
Sicilian Attacks 10. ♕f3
David Eggleston – Oliver Jackson Now Black’s chance for an edge has gone and
both sides have equal prospects.
Blackpool Open 2012
10.g5 looks tempting, but Black is fine after
1.e4 c5 2. ♘f3 e6 3.d4 cxd4 4. ♘xd4 a6 5. 10…hxg5 11.fxg5 d5:
♘c3 ♕c7 6. ♗d3 ♘f6 7.0-0 d6 8.f4 ♘bd7
I had nothing planned for this variation

and wasn’t too sure what to play here; I
opted for the most aggressive move.
9.g4?!
But 9.♔h1, getting the king off the a7-g1

diagonal, is a better continuation, when one
plan would be to continue with ♕e2, ♗d2,
♖ae1, and e4-e5. 9.♘f3 is also possible and
we will look at it in the next game.
9…h6?!
9…♕b6!:
82 83
Intending g4-g5, when Black will be unable to

recapture because his h8-rook is pinned.
11…♘c5
11…♕b6 12.♗e3 ♕xb2 13.♘de2 (13.

♘db5 axb5 14.♘xb5 ♕b4! 15.♘c7+ ♔d8
16.♘xa8 ♕a5 is fine for Black) 13…♘c5!
14.♗xc5 dxc5 15.g5 ♘h7 leads to a complex
position where Black is not worse.
analysis
Black can swap the knight off on e4 instead of

retreating it because White must take a move
to deal with the checkmate threat on h2.
(11…♘h5 12.g6 ♘hf6 13.gxf7+ ♔xf7 is also
fine for Black – it could be a hard line to
pick because the king looks strange on f7
but White’s king is equally exposed on
g1.) 12.♗f4 ♕b6 13.gxf6 ♕xd4+ 14.♔h1
g5 leaves Black level with an easy-to-play
position.
10…♗e7
10…♕b6 11.♗e3:
analysis
11…♕xb2 is again possible, but here

White will have enough play for the
sacrificed pawn, though no more than that.
12.♘ce2 ♕a3 13.♘b3=; White plans ♕g2 12.g5 ♘fd7?
and g5.
This is an error. 12…♘h7! keeps e6
11. ♕h3 sufficiently defended so g5-g6 is not a strong
move for White; 13.♗e3 b5=.
84 85
13.g6±
The pawn is a thorn in Black’s side:
analysis
13…0-0
13…fxg6? 14.♘xe6! ♘xe6 15.♘d5! ♕d8

(15…♕c5+?? 16.♗e3 ♘d4 17.b4+– with
ideas of ♕g2 and c2-c3) 16.♕xe6± and
White swaps on e7 twice. 16…♘e5 17.♕b3 ♕c5+ 18.♔h1 ♘xd3
19.cxd3 ♗g4 looks as if it may be risky
14.f5?!
for White because his king is so exposed,
but there is no way for Black to get to it and
14.gxf7+! is stronger – 14…♖xf7 15.♘xe6!
after 20.f5±, planning ♗f4, White has a
♘xe6 16.♕xe6±:
pleasant edge.
analysis
14…fxg6 15.fxe6
White has grabbed a pawn and he can get
The idea is to control the d5 square. However,
away with it – but it would be hard to play
it wasn’t as good for White as I thought.
like this in a practical game because Black has
lots of alternatives, some of which look rather
15…♖xf1+ 16. ♗xf1 ♘f6?!
dangerous. For example,
16…♗f6! 17.♗e3 ♘f8 18.♘d5 ♕d8= and
Black recaptures the pawn.
17. ♘d5! ♕d8
17…♘xd5? 18.exd5± and the e6-pawn is a

monster.
18. ♗d3 ♘fxe4 19. ♗xe4 ♘xe4
20. ♕g2?!
20.♗xh6! ♗f6! (the only move: 20…

♗g5?? 21.♕g2+–; 20…gxh6?? 21.♕xh6
86 87
♕e8 22.♘c7 and Black’s position falls 20…♘g5??

apart; 20…♘f6?? 21.♘xe7+ ♕xe7 22.♗g5
The losing move; 20…♘f6! 21.♘xe7+ ♕xe7
and, with ♖f1 and ♕h4 coming, Black’s
22.♕xg6 ♗xe6 23.♘xe6 ♕xe6 24.♗xh6
position is hopeless) 21.♕e3 gxh6:
♕f7 25.♕xf7+
♔xf7 26.♗f4=.
21. ♗xg5! ♗xg5 22. ♖f1!+–
White’s e-pawn and knights are monsters

and his queen and rook are in the attack
as well: he is attacking with all of his
pieces. Black’s extra pawn on g6 is
meaningless and his queenside pieces are
still at home, unable to come to the defense of
their king.
analysis
22…♕e8 23.e7 ♗f5 24. ♘xf5 gxf5 25.
22.e7! (the natural-looking 22. ♕xe4?! is ♘c7 ♕xe7 26. ♘xa8 ♗e3+ 27. ♔h1 f4 28.
surprisingly OK for Black after 22… ♕d5+ ♔h8 29.a4 b6
♗xd4+ 23.♕xd4 ♕g5+
30.b4 ♕h4 31. ♘c7 ♗f2 32. ♘e6 ♗g3 33.
24.♔h1 ♗xe6 25.♘f6+ ♔f7 26.♖f1 ♕a8+ 1-0
♕b5!= or 26… ♔e7, when White has
no good way to continue the attack) 22… IM Tom Wedberg (2510) – GM Constantin
♗xe7 23.♕xe4 ♗f6 (23…♗f8? 24.♔h1! Ionescu (2465)
±, when ♖g1 and ♖xg6 will be very Berliner Sommer 1988

powerful instead of taking this pawn with the
queen) 24.♕xg6+ ♗g7 25.c3 ♕g5+ 1.e4 c5 2. ♘f3 e6 3.d4 cxd4 4. ♘xd4 a6 5.
26.♕xg5 hxg5 27.♖e1 . White’s knights are ♘c3 ♕c7 6. ♗d3 ♘f6 7.0-0 d6 8.f4 ♘bd7
placed very well, his rook is active, he 9. ♘f3
has the better pawn structure, and he is
ahead in development. All of this more The over-aggressive 9.g4?! was played in the
than compensates for Black’s bishop pair previous game.
and White would have good chances to win
from this position. 9…♗e7 10. ♕e1 0-0 11.e5
88 89
With his last three moves, White has pointed 13.♔h1 f5 14.exf6 ♘7xf6 is fine for Black)
his pieces at the opposing monarch. The f6- 12…exd5 13.♗d2 dxe5 14.fxe5 ♘c5 and
knight has to move away from defending the
Black can continue with …♗e6 and …h7-h6.
h7 square and White’s light-squared bishop
now has an open diagonal to
12. ♕g3 ♘c5 13. ♗e3 ♗d7?
Again, this is too passive and now Black comes

under attack.
13…f5 14.♖ad1± and, although Black’s

position will remain unpleasant for a long
time, his king is not in danger.
14. ♗xh7+!
Wedberg had correctly realized that his g5-

pawn will provide dangerous threats. Black’s
position is quite uncoordinated, with the e8-
knight blocking his back rank and the c5-
knight having nothing to do, but left hanging
in some lines.
14…♔xh7 15. ♘g5+ ♔g8
Black’s king.
11…♘e8?!
This is too passive: retreating when there is no

need to.
11…♘d5 looks level: 12.♘xd5 (12. ♕e4

♕c5+! [12…f5?! 13.♘xd5 ♕c5+ 14.♗e3
exd5 15.♕d4 is a bit nicer for White]
90 91
recapture your material, especially if you end

up with an extra pawn, but if the resulting
endings aren’t going to be winning (as is the
case here) then you need to realize this when
looking ahead at this position as you make
your decision on move 18, and ask yourself,
“Is there a stronger continuation – one
that would have allowed White’s attack to
continue?” Such thinking would lead you to
investigate other moves in more detail.
15…♗xg5 16.fxg5 leads to the same line

as in the game, when Black must play
16…♔g8 because 16…dxe5 17.♕h4+ ♔g8
(17…♔g6 18.g4 and ♕h5 will be checkmate)
18.♖f3 mates down the h-file: analysis
16. ♕h4 ♗xg5 17.fxg5 ♗c6! 18. ♖f4?
This move is too slow and would have cost

White his advantage had Black responded
correctly. With his previous move, Black had
prevented ♖f3 and the plan of swinging the
rook to the h-file, delivering mate – so White
should have thought of some other way to try
and break through.
18.exd6 looks tempting, but after Black’s

best, 18…♘xd6! (giving the piece back)
19.♗xc5 ♖fd8
20.♖ae1 ♗b5! 21.♗xd6 ♕xd6:

Then, you might come up with 18.g6! fxg6
analysis 19.♖xf8+ ♔xf8:
White only has a slight advantage despite analysis

the extra pawn. Black’s passed e-pawn will
be useful in endgame scenarios. It can be This is a key moment. Perhaps Wedberg had
very tempting to “cash in” like this and reached this position in his calculations and
92 93
stopped here after looking at the variation up the rook on a8) 24.♕xg6 ♔d6!:
20.♕h8+?! ♔e7 21.♗g5+? ♔d7, when the
king runs away and Black wins with his
extra piece.
Bear in mind that White would have been

looking at this position before playing his 18th
move. When calculating variations, it is easy
to be thinking about a position two or
three moves into the future and consider
only the obvious move in that position. In this
case, 20.♕h8+ would have stood out as it is
check
– the most forcing of forcing moves. You must

guard against this tendency: it can lead you
into missing the stronger move that doesn’t
seem so forcing.
20.♕h7!± was the way to go and you might

find it if you think of the purpose that the
queen check on h8 fulfilled – it stopped …
♔g8 – and that was all. After doing that,
the queen was rather out of play.
analysis
Playing the queen to h7 stops …♔g8 too, but
it also gives White the important option of (24…♔d8? 25.♕g5+ +– ♔c8 26.♕e7 and
playing ♕xg6. the knight on c5 and the threat of ♖f8 cannot
both be defended; 24… ♘d7?! 25.♘e4±
After 20.♕h7, Black has three options: a) and White dominates the position, e.g.
20…♗xg2; b) 20…♗e4; and c) 20…♔e7: a) 25…♔d8 26.♖d1 b5 27.♘c5 ♘ef6
20…♗xg2 (an attempt to exploit the
position of White’s king) 21.♔xg2 ♕c6+ 28.♕f7+) 25.♖d1+ ♔c7 26.♕f7+ ♘d7
22.♔g1 dxe5 27.♘e4 ♘ef6! (only move) 28.♘c5 ♖h8!
(only move) 29.♘xd7!
23.♖f1+ (Black has lots of pawns to shield his
king with) 23…♔e7 (otherwise White picks (the knight could offer no further help in the
attack, so it was time to swap it off; not
94 95
29.♘xe6+? ♔b8
which chases the black king to where it wants

to go) 29…♘xd7 30.♕e7±: analysis
Black is tied down to the knight on d7 and

♖d3-c3 is coming. The second player will
find it hard to survive. Maybe 30…e4
31.♗f4+ e5 32.♗xe5+ ♔c8 33.♕xg7 ♖d8
offers Black the best chances, but now White
has the extra h-pawn, which should mean that
all endings are winning for White.
b) 20…♗e4 (often, a defender will have

several different ways to attempt to keep
the position together; this move tries to block
the f-file after ♖f1+ with …♗f5, when g2-g4
will gain the piece back in an undesirable way
for White).
Now White can choose between b1) 21.♘xe4

analysis
or b2) 21.b4:
♖h3 is a powerful threat and White’s
b1) 21.♘xe4! ♘xe4 22.♖f1+ ♔e7
attack is now decisive. Note that White
23.♕xg6 (threatening both the e4-knight isn’t even material down in this position.
and ♖f7+) 23…♘4f6
b2) 21.b4?!:
24.exf6+ gxf6 25.♖f3!:
(see diagram)
analysis
The “obvious” way to win the piece back,

White attacks the defender of the bishop.
However, White is almost certain to recover
his piece anyway (Black needs to give it back
to try and survive the attack), so the question
is which position – once you have recaptured
96 97
the piece – is stronger. A position where you ♕c4!=) 28… ♔e7 29.♘g5 and White wins.
have weakened your queenside pawn structure
with the move b2-b4 is unlikely to be the 25.g4 b6!
correct one. This move also gives Black more
Again the only move.
defensive options, whereas 21.♘xe4 was
forcing.
26.♗d4 (26.gxf5 ♘xf5 [at last the
weaknesses White created when playing
21…♗f5 (21…♗xc2 and 21…♖c8 are both
b2-b4 are exposed]
possible, and may or may not help Black
survive, but the need to assess these options
27.♗d4 e5! 28.♖xf5+ gxf5 29.♕xf5+ ♔g8
makes White’s job harder when examining
30.♕g6 ♕d7 31.♗xb6 ♖e6 32.♕f5 ♕c6
21.b4 in comparison to 21.♘xe4) 22.exd6
and …♖g6+ should give Black enough play
♘xd6 23.♗xc5 ♔f7! 24.♖f1:
to hold) 26…e5!:
analysis
analysis
Planning g2-g4. Black is still worse, but has
The point – the rook supports e5. Again,
good chances to survive after…
this is the only move! 27.gxf5 gxf5
28.♘e2 (28. ♖xf5+
would have transposed to the previous

note) 28…exd4 29.♘xd4 ♖e5 30.♘xf5
♖xf5 31.♖xf5+ ♘xf5
32.♕xf5+. This ending should be drawn.
c) 20…♔e7 21.♖d1! threatening to capture –

first on d6 and then on c5. Black has three
tries at this point:
24…♖e8!!
c1) 21…♕a5 22.exd6+:
A beautiful defensive move, the only way to
hold Black’s position together.
c11) 22…♔d7 23.♕xg6! (else Black
24…a5? falls just short: 25.a3! axb4 26.axb4 wriggles away to safety with …♖d8 and
b6 27.♗d4 ♘e8 28.♘e4! (the only strong …♔c8) 23…♖d8
move; 28.g4?
98 99
(23…♔c8 24.♕g5 b6 25.♕e7 and wins, 29.♕e3+– prevents the black queen from
White again plans ♖f1-♖f8) 24.♕g5! (once using the c5 square – the ending would be
again the e7 square is key) 24…b6 25.♕e7+ much worse after an exchange on c5 – and
♔c8 26.♗g5 (Black has managed to leaves him in a hopeless mess) 29.♔f1
castle by hand, which avoids immediate (29.♔h1 ♘xd8 30.♕g6 ♕f2 is annoying for
defeat, but the rook is badly placed on d8) White) 29…♘xd8 30.♕g6 leaves White with
26… ♘b7 27.♕xe6+: good chances of winning.
c12) 22…♔f7 23.♖f1+ ♘f6 24.♖xf6+!

(without this, the attack would have ended,
but now it breaks through) 24… ♔xf6
25.♕h4+! (retreating moves can often be
the hardest to spot in analysis – it is
important to look out for them!) 25…g5
(25…♔f7 26.♕e7+ ♔g8 27.♗d4 e5
28.♗xe5 ♘e6 29.♕xe6+
♔h7 30.♕e7 ♕c5+ 31.♔h1 and Black must

give up since 31…♖g8 runs into 32.♕h4#)
26.♕xg5+ (now Black has the g6 square to try
and use to escape, but it doesn’t help) 26…
♔f7 27.♗d4! (27. ♕e7+ ♔g6
28.♕g5+ ♔f7 just repeats moves; 27.♗xc5?

lets Black defend with 27…♕d8 with a
draw as the likely outcome) 27…e5 (27…
♖g8 28.♕h5+! ♔f8 29.d7 and White wins)
analysis 28.♕e7+ ♔g6 29.♕xe5 ♖g8: analysis
27…♔b8 (27…♗d7 28.♕c4+ ♕c5+ 30.♘d5! with too many threats (30. g4?,
29.♕xc5+ ♘xc5 30.♗xd8 ♔xd8 and White with the idea of mate on h5, fails to
has good chances to win this endgame, as his 30…♘b3! defending by tactical means,
extra pawns will be hard for Black to when 31.♕e6+?! ♔h7 ends the attack) 30…
cope with) 28.♗xd8 ♕c5+! (28…♘xd8? ♗xd5 is forced, and now 31.g4!!.
100 101
At this point …♘b3 will not work for c13) 22…♔d8 23.♕h4+ ♔c8 (23… ♘f6
Black, because he has an extra bishop on 24.♕h8+ ♘e8 25.♕f8 and Black’s
d5 blocking his queen’s defense. It is position falls apart) 24.♕e7+–. All of Black’s
important to understand how this ♘d5 idea pieces are passive. One possible finish is 24…
would occur to a strong player. First of ♗d7 25.♖f1 ♔b8 26.♖f8.
c2) 21…♘e4 22.♘xe4 ♗xe4 23.exd6+

♘xd6 24.♕xg7+ ♔d8 (24… ♘f7
25.♗g5+ ♔e8 26.♕g8#) 25.♕f6+ ♔d7
26.♕f7+ ♔c6 27.♕xe6 ♖d8 28.♗f4:
analysis
and Black won’t be able to survive the

pressure on d6. 28…♕b6+ looks
plausible, but then 29.♔f1!
all, they would look at playing g2-g4 right
away, realize it doesn’t work because of …
♕xb2 30.♖xd6+ ♖xd6 31.♕xe4+! ♔d7
♘b3, and then look for alternatives. 30.♘d5
(31… ♖d5 32.♕e6+ ♔c5 33.♗e3+
suggests itself, and it would be a common
♔c4 34.♕e4+ ♖d4
mistake to think that 30… ♗xd5
35.♕xd4+ ♕xd4 36.♗xd4 ♔xd4 37.♔f2
31.♕xd5 doesn’t work because of …♕e1
and White wins the pawn ending)
checkmate, so to reject the line for
White. This shows the importance of 32.♗xd6 ♔xd6 33.♕xg6+
looking at each position with a fresh pair of
should win for White.
eyes, which allows White to find 31.g4 when
he makes his previously incorrect idea work.
c3) 21…♕b6 22.exd6+, and now 22…♔d7
31…♔f7 (there was no other way to stop 23.♕xg6 and White wins, e.g. 23…♖d8
mate) 32.♕xd5+ ♔f8 33.♗xc5 and White 24.♕g5.

wins as soon as the checks run out: 33…
18…dxe5?
♕e1+ 34.♔g2 ♕e2+ 35.♔g3 ♕e1+
36.♗f2 ♕e2 37.d7 ♔e7 38.♗c5+ ♔d8 18…♘d7! defends. Black was obviously
worried about 19.♕h5 and ♖h4 is
39.♕d6 ♕e1+ 40.♗f2 ♕a5 41.♗b6+.
102 103
coming which looks scary, but after 19…g6 loses to 23…

20.♕h6 ♘g7 21.♖h4 ♘h5:
♘e5 or 23…♕b4;
c) 22.♗d4 ♘xe5 23.♖f1 ♕e7 24.g4 f6!:
analysis
This is often Black’s key defensive move.

25.♗xe5 (25.gxh5? fxg5! wins for Black,
who suddenly gets his own attack down the f-
file) 25…dxe5! 26.gxh5 (26.♕xg6+ ♕g7
27.gxh5 ♕xg6 28.hxg6 fxg5 and the ending
seems level) 26… fxg5 27.♕xg6+ ♕g7
28.♖g4 ♕xg6 29.hxg6 ♖xf1+ 30.♔xf1
♖f8+ 31.♔e1
♖f5 is fine for Black;
d) 22.g4?! fails to mate Black after 22…

♘xe5 23.♖f1 (23.gxh5 ♘f3+ picks off
the h4-rook) 23…
♘f3+ 24.♖xf3 ♗xf3 25.gxh5 f6!, when Black

analysis
will have good chances to consolidate the extra
Black blocks the h-file just in time and White exchange, e.g. 26.hxg6 ♕g7 .
has no better than a draw: a) 22.♖xh5 gxh5
23.g6 fxg6 24.♕xg6+ ♔h8 25.♕h6+ ♔g8
26.♕g6+ with a draw by perpetual check,
since if White tries 26…♔h8 27.♕xh5+ ♔g8
28.♕g6+ ♔h8 29.exd6 ♕xd6 30.♖d1??,
he loses to 30…
♕e7;
b) 22.exd6 ♕xd6 leaves White with nothing

better than 23. ♖xh5 with a draw, as 23.g4
104 105
19.g6!
White doesn’t miss it this time! This was

undoubtedly his idea, since the alternative
was the grim-looking 19.♖g4.
19…fxg6
19…♘f6 20.♖xf6 fxg6 21.♖xf8+ ♖xf8

22.♗xc5 leaves White with an extra piece
and a winning position.
20. ♖xf8+ ♔xf8 21. ♕h8+
White is completely winning. He is only a

pawn down and enjoys a decisive attack.
Perhaps White realized how good his position
was here and this tempted him to play for
19.g6 instead of the immediate 18.g6?. Note
that Black would be fine after 21.♗xc5+?
♔g8.
analysis
21…♔e7
Perhaps this is the move that White
21…♔f7 22.♗xc5 g5 23.♖f1+ ♔g6 24.g4!: missed. 24…b6 (24…♗xe4 25.♕xe8+
and mates; 24…♔b8
analysis
25.♗d6) 25.♘d6+ ♔b8 26.♘xe8.
and the threat of ♕h5# forces Black to play
…♘f6, giving away the rook in the corner. 23…♔c8!
22. ♗xc5+ ♔d7 23. ♖f1? 24. ♘e4?
White goes astray. 24.♕f8! planning ♖f7 still leaves White

much better.
23.♖d1+! ♔c8 (23…♗d5 24.♘a4! wins)
24.♘e4!+–: 24…♗d7?
106 107
Black needed to find the only move, 24…

♕d8!, when after 25.♘d6+ ♘xd6 26.♕xd8+
♔xd8 27.♗xd6
♖c8 the game should end in a draw.

Really, 24…♕d8 should not have been
too hard to find since it breaks the pin on
the back rank and takes the sting out of
♘d6+. If Black had found this, White (rated
over 2500) would have seen his winning
position turn into a draw after a couple
of inaccurate moves! This shows the
importance of not losing one’s concentration
and rounding off the attack accurately.
25. ♘d6+!+–
Black doesn’t get another chance!
25…♔b8
If 25…♔d8, then 26.b4 followed by ♕h4+

and ♖xf6 wins.
26.b4!
26…♕c6 27. ♘xe8 ♗xe8 28. ♕xg7 b6

29. ♖f8 ♖a7 30. ♕g8 ♖d7 31. ♖xe8+
♔a7 32. ♗e3 ♕e4
33. ♗xb6+ ♔xb6 34. ♕xe6+ ♔c7 35.

♕xe5+ 1-0
David Eggleston – IM Chris Beaumont

(2305)
Autumn Masters 2010
108 109
Black moves to swap off White’s well-

placed knight in the center, but this will
not stop White’s initiative.
22.f5 ♘xd5 23.exd5
23…♔g7?
23…b5!. Black should be playing like this,

aiming to get activity before it is too late.
There follows 24.fxg6 (24. cxb5? ♖a5!, and
The following is an example of how to
Black has solved all his problems in a couple of
conduct attacks in positions where only
moves. This illustrates the kind of thing that
queens and rooks remain on the board. It
White should try to avoid. It is important to
is typical that attacks with only the major
direct your pieces towards your opponent’s
pieces will be most dangerous in situations
king when you have an attack and not be
like this, where one side has extra space and
diverted by attempts to grab material.) Now
the opponent’s king position is weakened
Black has a choice of a) 24…hxg6 or b) 24…
slightly.
fxg6:
Here Black is cramped and swapping off some
a) 24…hxg6? 25.♖f3! and the rook is ready to
minor pieces hasn’t solved all of his problems.
transfer over to the h-file.
The pawn on g6 is a target that can be
attacked by White’s f-pawn. Black faces a new choice: a1) 25… bxc4 or a2)
25…♕c7:
20. ♘d5
The knight takes up a powerful position a1) 25…bxc4?? is far too greedy, trying to grab
in the center of the board. It will prove a pawn instead of defending the king, and
tricky for Black to stop White from playing allows mate in short order by 26.♖h3
f4-f5. The extra space means White’s queen ♖b8 27.♕h6 ♕b6+ 28.♔h1 ♕d4
and rooks will become active very easily, 29.♕h7+ ♔f8 30.♖f1 (30… f5 31.♕xg6
whereas Black’s major pieces are passive and is hopeless for Black) 30… ♕g7:
blocked by their pawns, especially the f8-rook.
The c-file is currently Black’s only half-open
file, so activating his rooks will not be easy.
20…♖e8 21.f4 ♘c7
110 111
25.cxb5 (25.♕e6+ going after the king

immediately looks tempting, but after 25…
♔h8 26.♖f7 ♕c8!= all of a sudden White
has no good follow-up. This shows that
good judgment is crucial in chess. In one
situation it is correct to continue with the
attack; in another, you must simply grab a
pawn. An important rule is to look out for
your opponent’s resources. If he has a clever
defensive move like …♕c8, then an attack
may be premature, and if his pieces are still
relatively passive, such as after 24…fxg6 when
both rooks are on the back rank, then you
probably have time to grab a pawn.) 25…
♕d7 (covering e6; 25…
♖a5 is no longer possible as White wins after

26.♕e6+ ♔h8 27.♖f7 ♕c8 28.♕e4) 26.b6
♕b5 27.♖f2
analysis ♖ab8 28.♕e6+ ♔h8 29.♖af1 ♕xb6
and now the move that White needed to see 30.♔h1 ♕d4! (the black queen arrives to
before playing ♖h3 and ♕h6: 31.♖xf7+! defend just in time) 31.♖f7
(splat!) 31…♕xf7 (31… ♔xf7 32.♖f3#) ♕e5! 32.♕h3 ♕h5 33.♕c3+ ♕e5 34.♕d2
32.♕h8+ ♕g8 33.♖f3#. ♖g8 (34…♖xb2?? 35.♕h6 mates):
a2) 25…♕c7 26.♔h1±. Black’s pieces will

find it difficult to protect the king while
maintaining material equality, for example
26…e5 27.♖h3 ♕e7 28.cxb5 ♖ab8
29.♖f1±.
b) 24…fxg6! opens up Black’s king, but it

looks like he can get away with it: analysis
112 113
27…♕c5+?
It wasn’t too late for 27…b5, when

28.fxg6 hxg6 29.cxb5 (29.h5 can be met
by 29…♕a7+ 30.♖f2
♖xc4 31.♖xc4 bxc4 32.♕g4 g5 33.♕f5

♖h8= and there is no knockout blow since
Black has managed to
analysis
Black has survived, although after 35.h3!

(forestalling any back-rank mates) 35…♕xb2
36.♕h6 ♖g7, White has 37.♖xe7! ♔g8
(37…♖xe7?? 38.♖f8+ ♖xf8 39.♕xf8#)
38.♖e6 and White can continue to
pursue an attack while looking out for
favorable endings to go into.
24. ♖ae1 swap off a pair of rooks) 29…♖b8 30.♖xa4

♖xb5 31.♕d4 :
Black has taken a move to place his king closer
to the danger zone and now all of White’s analysis
pieces are participating in the attack.
and White will have a better ending.
24…♕c7 25. ♕f4 f6 26.h4
28. ♔h2
Getting ready to pry the black king-side open
with h4-h5 after first taking on g6. Now White is probably winning. The black
queen is badly misplaced on c5, as it is not
26…♖ac8 27. ♖e4 contributing to the defense of the kingside. It
is blocked out of the game by the pawns on c4
White defends the c4-pawn from the side and d5, and it has no entry squares down the
while keeping an eye on e7 and getting ready a7-g1 diagonal.
to swing over to the g- or h-files if required.
28…♖c7
114 115
28…♕c7 had to be tried, even though this is 34. ♖xf6+

an admission that the previous move was bad.
Forcing mate.
29.fxg6! hxg6 30.h5!
34…exf6 35. ♖e8+ ♔g7 36. ♕g4+ ♔h6
The black king’s shelter is demolished. 37. ♖xg8 1-0
30…gxh5 Bernd Voekler – Andreas Junglas
30…♖h8 is what Black would like to play, Porz 1989

but there is a very big problem with it:
31.♖xe7+ ♖xe7 We join the game in a typical “English Attack”
position. White has castled queenside and is
32.♕xf6+ ♔g8 33.♕f8+ and mates. advancing his pawns on the kingside. Black
intends to attack the white king on the
31. ♖f3 ♔f7 32. ♕f5 ♖g8 33. ♕xh5+ queenside but his attack is slower than White’s
♔f8 and the first player can strike immediately to
exploit this.
6.g6!
Cracking open the black kingside pawn

structure. Black can’t capture with his f-pawn
because White would play 7.b3 to attack the
black queen; after it moved away, he could
play 8.♘xe6, placing his knight in the heart
of Black’s position to stop him from
castling – and as a bonus the d5 square
would be available for the other knight.
6…b4?
Driving the knight to where it wants to

go – it would quite like to be
maneuvered around to the
116 117
Trying to strike in the center is too

ambitious with the black king so
vulnerable and it ends up just getting it
exposed even more. Instead, Black had to
swap h-pawns and rooks, play …♘f8 as
in the previous line, and just try to defend.
8.b3 ♕c7 9.gxf7+ ♔xf7 10.h6
This move, played in the game, was good. But

10.♘xe6! was an instant knockout: analysis
10…♔xe6 11.♘f4+ ♔f7 12.♘xd5. After

the black queen moves to most squares,
the d7-knight or b7-
kingside via e2 anyway.
6…hxg6 was the best way for Black to play:

7.hxg6 ♖xh1 8.♖xh1 ♘f8 9.gxf7+ ♔xf7,
when Black’s king is a bit exposed on f7 and
the d6-pawn is potentially weak, but there is
bishop drops off, while 12…♕d6 13.♗f4!
no raging attack for White here. 10.♘ce2 :
♘e5 14.♕h2! wins the knight on e5. On
analysis 12…♗xd5 13.♕xd5+
White plans ♗g5 to swap off the defender of now the king can’t move to the back rank
d6 and then ♘b3 and ♖d1 to increase the because the a8-rook drops and if it goes
pressure on d6, with the b3-knight maybe to f6 then ♕f5 is checkmate.
making a nuisance of itself by coming to a5.
10…♘c5?
7. ♘ce2 d5?
10…♗f6 would have obligated White to play
well to finish off the attack.
118 119
11.hxg7
Now the black king is truly out in the open.
11…♔xg7 12. ♘f4 ♔f7
13.exd5 was more straightforward.
13. ♕h2
13…h5 14.exd5 ♗xd5 15. ♘f5! ♗xf3 16.

♘xe7 ♗xd1 17. ♖xd1 analysis
Black cannot take the knight with the king and Black must lose the queen on f6 or the
because ♘d5+ wins the queen. rook on a8.
17…♘e4 18. ♖f1 ♘c3+ 19. ♔a1 ♔xe7 20. ♘g6+

♔d8 21. ♕h4+ 1-0
17…♕xe7 18.♘g6 ♔xg6 19.♕g2+ (not
Black resigned since, after the king moves,
19…♔h7 20.♗xc5 followed by ♖d7+ and
White will take the rook in the corner and
mate on g7) 19…
have an extra bishop – and the attack still
♔f7 20.♖f1+: continues.
Rikard Winsnes (2355) – Ari Ziegler (2315)
Swedish Championship 1989
120 121
In this position, White is up a piece for a 31.♘c6! ♕c7

pawn, but the king on a1 is very
uncomfortable, and a bad move by White 32.♕f7+ ♕xf7 33.exf7+ ♔xf7 34.♘xb4
could lead to a quick checkmate for leaves White with an easy win due to his extra
Black. White decides to give the black piece.
king a few problems of its own.
31…♔h8
28.f5! ♖xc1+
28…♔g8 29.fxe6 ♖f8 30.♕g2!. White has

to be very careful about the placement of his
queen. After Black plays…♗c3+, White needs
to be able to take back with the knight and
uncover the queen along the second rank in
order to defend the mate threat on b2. So, for
that reason, a blunder like 30.♕g3?? would
lead to checkmate in two. 30…♕xe5
31.♕h3! (White gets ready for ♖h1 and an
attack down the h-file; now if the queen
retreats to b8, White can simply block
the b-file with ♘b3 and then play ♖h1)
31…
♗xd3 32.♖h1 g5 (desperately trying to make

some space for the king) 33.♕h5 but White
doesn’t actually need to checkmate here. He
will take on g5 with the queen, exchange
queens, and win with his extra piece.
32. ♘c6?
29. ♗xc1 ♗xd3
White doesn’t sense the danger – it’s so easy to
Black’s pieces are doing their best to create assume that if a queen is attacked it has to
trouble for White’s king. move.
30.fxe6+ ♔g8 31. ♕f7+? 32…♕b5?
A natural-looking move that unfortunately Black misses his chance.

spoils White’s winning position. Instead
122 123
32…♗xe2! (the black queen cannot be taken,

as the two black bishops can checkmate the
white king) 33.♘xb8 (33.♘xb4 ♕xb4 and
Black wins, e.g. 34.♕g6 ♕d4+ 35.♔b1
♗d3+) 33…♗c3+ 34.♔b1 ♗d3#: analysis
33. ♕h5+
33…♔g8 34.e7 wins.
33…♗h7 34. ♕e8+ ♗g8 35. 36.♘xb4 simply wins, e.g. 36… ♕xb4
37.♕e8+ ♗g8 38.e7 and White gets another
♕h5+ ♗h7 queen.
It was a poor decision for White to take a draw
36…♗g8 37. ♕h5+ ½-½
by repetition – likely, he was in bad time
trouble. IM Tom Wedberg (2515) – GM Helgi
Ólafsson (2545)
36. ♕e8+
Zonal Tournament, Espoo 1989
1.e4 c5 2. ♘f3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4. ♘xd4 ♘f6

5. ♘c3 a6 6. ♗e3 e6 7. f3 ♘bd7 8.g4 h6
9.h4 ♘e5 10. ♗e2
d5 11.f4 ♘c4 12. ♗xc4 dxc4 13. ♕f3
This position arose from a Najdorf

Sicilian. White is already a bit better since
he is far ahead in development and he has
an impressive formation of pawns on the
fourth rank, ready to advance and attack
Black’s king. Black’s bishop pair isn’t so
important here, since it is hard to activate
them. After 13…b5
you can see what happens if Black tries to

quickly exert pressure down the long diagonal
124 125
from a8 to h1. ♘d7 16.0-0-0 ♗b7?? (finally getting on the

long diagonal) 17.g6! (e6 is now fatally
13…h5
undermined) 17…
13…b5 14.g5! (Driving the knight away. But
fxg6?? (Black had to play 17…♕f6) 18.♘xe6
14.e5?! is misguided: 14… ♘d5 15.♘xd5
♕c8 19.♕g3:
♕xd5! [15…
analysis
♗b7?? – Black plans to install a strong bishop
on d5, but he has missed an obvious tactic – and Black can resign.
16.♘f6+ gxf6
14.0-0-0?!
17.♕xb7 and White wins a piece] 16.♕xd5 It made more sense to exchange on h5 and
exd5 17.f5 ♗c5. Black is fine here. He has castle later. If Black tried to save time by not
managed to swap the queens, which relieves taking back right away, White could
the pressure on his position. There isn’t much advance with h5-h6. Black doesn’t want to
point in White’s advancing his kingside pawns capture with the pawn because it would
now, since with the queens off the board he compromise his pawn structure, but if he
won’t get to mate the black king even if it gets captures with the rook then f4-f5 will
gain time on the rook on h6 and attack e6
at the same time.
14…hxg4
14…♘xg4? 15.♘c6 wins on the spot but, of

course, Black wasn’t going to fall for that.
15. ♕f2
15…♕a5? is another losing variation that

exposed. Black plans to continue with …h7- Black has to avoid. 16.♘c6 attacks the queen
h5, undermining the f5-pawn, and then swap and threatens
on d4 and take on f5 with the bishop.)
14…hxg5 15.fxg5 (had White taken back ♖d8, so Black plays 16…bxc6 but then
with the h-pawn, Black could have traded 17.♗b6 and now ♖d8 is coming again and
rooks and then annoyingly placed the knight the queen on a5 is attacked so Black is in
on g4, gaining time by attacking the e3- big trouble, even though mate is not imminent
bishop) 15… because the black king can move to e7.
126 127
If Black plays 17…♕b4, then 18.♖d8+ ♔e7

19.a3 actually traps the black queen. This
♗b6 and a2-a3
queen-trapping idea is something that Black

has to watch out for in quite a few Sicilian
variations.
If Black plays 17…♕h5, then after 18.♖d8+

♔e7 19.♕d4 ♘d7 (to stop ♕d6#) 20.♖d1,
Black can’t stop White crashing through on to ride out the storm.
d7 so his position falls apart.
Better is 17…♘xe5! 18.fxe6 fxe6 19.♗f4:
15…♕c7 16.e5 ♘d7 17.f5 ♘c5?
analysis
Too submissive. Black is going to be attacked
anyway, so he has to take the white pawn on Black probably saw this position and assumed
e5 and try it was too dangerous because it looks as if the
pin on the e5-knight cannot be broken, when
Black would be in serious trouble. He would
have considered 19…
♗d6 but then noticed that 20.♘db5 seems to

win the d6-bishop with check, when White
will follow up by taking on e5 and use the
queen and knight to checkmate the black
king. But, if he thought that way, he
would have missed something…
19…♗d6! 20.♘db5? (20.♔b1 is how White

should continue: 20…♘d3! [solving the
problem of the pin by tactical means]
21.♗xd6 ♘xf2 22.♗xc7 ♘xh1 23.♖xh1
b5 with even chances; Black’s extra
material is compensated by White’s superior
development) 20… axb5 21.♘xb5 ♘d3+!
(the saving move, hitting c1, f4, and f2)
22.cxd3 ♗xf4+ 23.♔b1 ♕b8:
128 129
analysis needed to look a little further and

discover that 21…♘d3+! would disrupt
and Black wins with his extra piece. After
White’s ideas.
playing out this variation in full, it is
obvious that Black is completely winning 18. ♗g5!
after 20.♘db5?. However, it is a variation that
Black would have to be afraid of the first time Trading dark-squared bishops will favor
he noticed it because it does create White. Black is in big trouble now.
serious threats. Remember that Black
would have been looking at this position 18…b5
from three to four moves away. One
tempting solution is to just play 18…♗e7 19.♖hf1! puts pressure on f7. What
something can Black do about it? Clearly, he will be
mated if he castles kingside after White swaps
bishops on e7 and plays f5-f6. Maybe 19…
♖f8 is relatively best, but this is not a move
that Black wants to play. That leaves 19…
♗xg5+ 20.hxg5 (Black trades bishops so that
his queen defends f7) 20…♗d7 (Black
hopes to get castled queenside) 21.fxe6
♗xe6 22.♘xe6 fxe6
23.♖d6+–:
analysis
but his king will be stranded in the

center. An example of how the game
might conclude is 23…b6
24.♘e4! ♘xe4 25.♖xe6+ ♔d7 26.♕f5 ♔d8

27.♖d1+ ♔c8 28.♖xb6+ ♕d7 29.♕xd7#.
19.fxe6
else – maybe this is why Black played 17… 19.♘dxb5 axb5 20.♘xb5 ♕a5 21.♖d8+
♘c5?. However, taking the pawn has to be the ♕xd8 22.♗xd8 ♔xd8 23.♖d1+!:
right move if the tactics work, so Black
130 131
20. ♘xe6 ♘xe6 21. ♘d5 ♕a7 22. ♕g2!
White’s threat is ♘c7+. If Black takes with

the queen, then the a8-rook drops off,
while if he takes with the knight then ♕c6
is checkmate.
22…♖c8 23. ♕xg4
White has recovered his pawn and the

analysis onslaught continues.
23…c3 had to be tried, but after the best

Black is given no respite. He has a rook and
move 24.b3!, keeping White’s king nice
two bishops for the queen, which is usually
and safe, Black would have run out of ideas.
more than enough, but here his rooks and
bishops are all on their starting squares 23…b4
and White’s queen, rook, and knight are
perfectly positioned for the attack. Being down 24. ♖hf1
on material sometimes scares off the attacking
side from entering a variation like this, 24.♘f4 was a quicker kill. The knight
but not in this game, since the game can’t be taken because the c8-rook drops,
continuation 19.fxe6 is winning as well!
so Black has to defend it. 24…♕b6
Now after 23…♗d7 (23…♘d7 24.♕b6+
25.♘g6! (the real point of going to f4; this
♔e8 25.♕c6 ♖b8 26.♘a7 wins the c8-
was not so easy to spot) 25…fxg6 26.♖d6!
bishop and the game) 24.fxe6 fxe6 25.♘d6,
White is attacking the c5-knight and and now Black must give up his queen,
threatening ♘f7+ to win the h8-rook, so since otherwise he will be mated: 26…
Black’s next move is forced: 25…♗xd6, but ♗xd6 27.♕xe6+ ♔f8
after 26.exd6+– White’s queen will sweep up
lots of pawns while the black pieces will 28.♖f1+ ♕f2 29.♖xf2#.
struggle to coordinate.
19…♗xe6
After 19…♘xe6 20.♖hf1, Black wouldn’t be

able to deal with the pressure down the d- and
f-files.
132 133
27…♔xe7 28.♕f6+! gxf6 29.exf6#:
analysis
Pawns can get to checkmate now and then!
Or 27…♕xc7 28.♖xd8+ ♔xe7 (28… ♖xd8

29.♕xf7+ ♔d7 30.♗d6+ wins) 29.♕d5
♖xd8 30.♕xf7#.
28. ♖xd8+ ♔xe7 29. ♕d5 ♕e3+ 30. ♔b1

24…♕b7
f5 31.exf6+ gxf6 32. ♕d6+ ♔f7 33. ♕xf6+
This allows an instant knockout. 1-0
24…b3 also allows a nice finish: 25.axb3 cxb3

26.♕a4+ (the queen suddenly swings over to
her side of the board) 26…♕d7 27.♘f6+
gxf6 28.♕xd7#.
24…♗c5 doesn’t help, either. White

simply plays h4-h5 followed by h5-h6 and
with ♘f6+ in the cards after the g7-pawn is
removed, Black’s position soon falls apart.
25. ♕f3!
Hitting f7 and gaining time on the black

queen, since Black has to deal with the
threat of ♘f6+ and
♕xb7.
25…♕a7 26. ♗e7!
Stopping the black queen from defending f7. Black opted to resign rather than be mated:
33…♔g8 34.♖xf8+ ♔h7 35.♖xh8#.
26…♘d8 27. ♘c7+! ♖xc7
Joseph McPhilips (2142) – David Eggleston
134 135
Sunningdale Open (England) 2013
This position arose from a quiet variation of

the Najdorf Sicilian. I have managed to amass
all of my pieces on the kingside to attack
the white king, with the queen coming to
h6 and the final piece on the queenside,
the a8-rook, ready to transfer to f8 to join the
attack. White has been playing on the
queenside and in the center, but he should
have tried to push c4-c5 earlier when his
d-pawn might have been dangerous. Also, 29. ♗g1
White had a chance to bring his knight to e6
The bishop guards h2. That is OK as long as
via d4, but instead played ♗d4. On e6, the White follows up correctly.
knight would have been annoying, attacking
the g5-bishop before the queen had a chance 29.h3 ♘e3. At first sight it seems as if
to come to h6, and controlling the important White can’t live with the e3-knight, but
f8 square that I need for my queen and rooks.
the calm 30.♔g1 is possible, so that when
There may have been annoying mate threats
Black sacrifices on h3 it doesn’t come with
on g7 to take into account. If I captured
check.
the knight with my light-squared bishop,
then after White recaptured with the d-pawn, In this variation, White has a choice of a)
he would have had an extremely dangerous
30.♗xe3 or b) 30.♔g1:
pawn on e6 and the f3-a8
a) 30.♗xe3??. It seems natural to eliminate
diagonal would have been opened up for
the invader, but the e3-pawn will be a
the white bishop on f3. Instead of going
real nuisance, controlling the escape square
to d4, the b3-knight moved to a5 and then
on f2 that White had for his king and cutting
c6, where it may have looked pretty but in
off the communication between the queen on
reality had nowhere to go to so was out of play,
c3 and the bishop on f3. 30…fxe3 and
far away from the defensive duties it was
now White has no good defense to …
needed for on the kingside.
♗xh3, when Black wins, e.g. 31.♘d4 ♗xh3!
28…♕h6 32.gxh3 ♕xh3+ 33.♔g1 ♕g3+ 34.♔h1
(34.♗g2 would have been met by 34… ♖f2)
Threatening mate on h2. How should White
respond? 34…♖f4:
analysis
136 137
and …♖h4# is coming.
b) 30.♔g1! ♗xh3 (Black can’t really play

slowly since White could get on with c4-c5)
31.gxh3 ♕xh3
32.♖f1 (the only good way to stop mate on

g2 and guard the bishop) 32…♕g3+ 33.♔h1
♘xf1 34.♖xf1
♖e8. Now, after White transfers his queen to

f2 to exchange queens, it will be unclear who
stands better.
29.♗xg4? ♗xg4 is a bad idea, since it gives

Black the opportunity to push forward soon
with …f4-f3, when his pair of bishops will be
able to control all of the squares around the
exposed white king. White needs to play
30.♖c2! to offer any sort of resistance to f3.
Now 30…♖af8! (the final black piece arrives analysis
on the kingside) 31.♔g1 (What else? White
and 36.♔f1 ♗h3# shows the power of
has run out of useful moves) 31… f3! 32.♖f2!
the black bishops) 32…fxg2 33.♖xf7
(again, the only defense; not 32.g3?? f2+!
when Black forces his way through: ♖xf7 34.♖e8+ ♖f8
33.♖xf2 ♖xf2 34.♗xf2 ♖xf2 35.♔xf2
35.♖xf8+ ♕xf8 36.♗f2 ♕f4 when Black’s
♕xh2+: initiative continues.
29…♗h4
Putting the question to the rook on e1.
30. ♖e2?
Can you spot Black’s killer blow?
138 139
30.♗xg4!. White probably didn’t even

consider this move, because it is easy to
subconsciously think,
“He takes on e1 first, then he takes on g4, so

I’m an exchange down and I can’t play that.”
As so often happens, you need to look a little
further. The h4-bishop is also doing a good
defensive job of controlling the e7 square.
Black can play a) 30…♗xg4 or b) 30…♗xe1:

analysis
a) 30…♗xg4 (ignoring the e1-rook; how
33…♖xf3!! 34.gxf3 ♕xc1! and White is
can White stop …f4-f3?) 31.♖e4! (now if
mated after 35.♕xc1 ♗xf3# – a very
the pawn advances, the g4-bishop can be
unusual checkmate. The light-squared
taken) 31…♕g5 32.♘d4 f3 33.gxf3 and bishop does the job by itself, with the g1-
White is OK. bishop and h2-pawn getting in the way.
If White plays 33.♘xf3??, Black has b) 30…♗xe1 31.♖xe1 ♗xg4 32.♘e7+:

something very nasty up his sleeve:
analysis
The point. 32…♔f8 would allow

33.♕h8#, so Black has to give the
exchange back: 32…♖xe7
33.♖xe7 and White is fine here, as both sides

now have exposed kings.
30…♘xh2!
Now White is lost. 31.♔xh2 ♗g3 is

checkmate, while 31.♗xh2 ♗g3! leaves him
unable to prevent …
♕xh2 on the next move.
140 141
Chapter 4: Attacking When Only You Have an Attack
31.g3 ♘xf3 32.gxh4 ♕xh4+ 33. ♗h2 ♗e4!

0-1
Chapter 4
The bishop cannot be taken because …♕xh2
would be checkmate, so White resigned.
Attacking When Only You Have an Attack
Quite often, positions will arise where your

opponent has no active counterplay. On the
plus side, this means that they won’t mate you
before you mate them. This does not
necessarily mean that you are destined to win
with best play – frequently, if your opponent
finds the key resources at the right time, your
attack will be neutralized. Since they will only
be looking for defensive ideas and not
aggressive ones, in a way this makes them
more likely to find the correct defensive ideas
when they arise. In this chapter, we will look at
how to play such positions.
David Eggleston – GM Alexander

Berelovich (2581)
Coulsdon (England) 2009
1.e4 g6 2.d4 ♗g7 3. ♘c3 d6 4. ♗e3 a6 5.

♕d2
142 143
This setup is known as the 150 Attack.

White intends to shove the h-pawn up
the file, castle queenside, and hack Black up.
Often, he tries to continue with swapping h-
pawns, playing the bishop to h6, swapping on
g7, then ♕h6+ followed by ♕h8 mate.
Obviously, things are rarely as simple as this –
but it is understandable why this line is

attractive to players of White.
5…b5
5…♘d7 is a popular alternative.
6. ♗d3
Now, if …b5-b4 the knight can move to e2

without blocking in the f1-bishop and Black
needs to be careful that the pawn on b4
doesn’t turn out to be a weakness. Once
Black plays …b5-b4, White will always
have the option of meeting a later …c7-c5
with c2-c3 to support his center, but this
option will not be available if Black tries to 7…b4 8. ♘ce2 a5 9. ♘g3 ♘d7 10. ♘f3
engineer an early …c7-c5 without pushing h5?!
the b-pawn, since the white knight will still
be on c3. Weakening Black’s kingside complex too
much.
6…♗b7 7.a4
10…c5 would be consistent with Black’s
Black isn’t going to play …b5-b4 too early if earlier moves: 11.c3 (11.0-0 cxd4 12.♘xd4
left to his own devices – so, White forces the
♘gf6 13.♗h6
issue.
♗xh6 14.♕xh6 ♕b6 15.c3 is fine for Black,
as White has lost some control over the central
squares and the black king is safe in the center.
White’s queen keeps the black h8-rook out of
the game but, apart from that, it is not ideally
144 145
posted.) 11…♘gf6 12.0-0 0-0 13.h3 ♖c8 Taking with the queen would have been a
and a middlegame struggle is developing, with mistake. The d2-pawn is needed to ensure that
even chances. White has no problems defending e4.
11. ♘g5! 15…0-0 16.0-0 ♕d7 17.f5
Now this knight can only be kicked away by a Black is under unpleasant pressure and has
pawn with …f7-f6 – something Black does no natural moves. White’s plan is very
not want to do – so this knight will be straightforward:
able to sit on g5, a bit too close for
comfort for the black king, for the ♘f3 followed by ♗h6 and then looking for
foreseeable future. the best way to continue the attack.
11…♘gf6 12.h3 e5 13.dxe5 ♘xe5 17…♖ae8?!
17…h4! looks ugly, but it seems to be a

13…dxe5 14.c3! ♕e7 (14…bxc3 15.♕xc3 )
good defensive resource: 18.♘e2 ♘h5
15.cxb4 ♕xb4 (15…axb4 16.♕c2!,
(now it is not so obvious how I should
intending a4-a5, is unpleasant for Black)
continue: Black’s h5-knight guards f4;
16.♕xb4 axb4 17.a5 :
otherwise, ♘f4 to hit g6 would be really
analysis annoying for him to deal with) 19.♘f3 (if
19.fxg6, then after 19…fxg6 Black is fine
This pawn will be a real nuisance for Black in since he has more space than before and can
the coming endgame. start trading off rooks), and then 19…d5!,
chipping away at e4, would be just in time.
Black’s other moves do not inspire confidence:

19…gxf5? is too greedy, wrecking Black’s
structure and coordination: 20.♘xh4 (now
Black will never be able to regain control
of f5) 20… fxe4 21.♖f5!
(without this move, White would be

struggling to show enough compensation
for the pawn) 21…♘f6
22.♗h6! ♘e8 23.♖g5 f6 24.♖g6 :

14.f4 ♘xd3+ 15.cxd3
146 147
analysis are some sample lines to demonstrate

Black’s hopelessness:
It is important for White that he can quickly
bring more pieces to the black king’s vicinity – a) 29…f4 30.♘f6+ ♖xf6 31.♖xf6 ♖f7
in fact all of his pieces have quick routes over 32.♖6xf4;
there: ♕d2-h6, ♘e2-f4, ♖a1-f1. Black’s a8-
rook and b7-bishop are miserably out of the b) 29…♗c6 30.♖h6 ♘e8 31.♘g6;
game. 24…f5 25.♗xg7 ♘xg7 26.♘f4 ♖ae8
27.♘h5 e3 28.♕e2 ♖e7 29.♖f1!+–: c) 29…c5 30.♖h6! ♕c6 31.♘g6 ♖fe8
32.♕g4! ♕xg2+ 33.♕xg2 ♗xg2 34.♘xe7+
♖xe7 35.♔xg2.
After 19…d5!, White can play 20.e5!,

sacrificing the f5-pawn (20. ♘xh4?
enthusiastically gets on with the attack
but, unfortunately, Black’s counterplay in
the center is too strong after this: 20…
dxe4
21.fxg6 exd3 22.gxf7+ ♖xf7 23.♖xf7 ♔xf7

24.♖f1+ ♔g8 leaves Black’s king without
pawn cover, but with plenty of pieces to
defend it and a massive pawn on d3) 20…
♕xf5! (Black must take) 21.♘ed4 ♕d7
22.♗h6 c5 23.♗xg7 ♔xg7 24.♘b5:
analysis
with a level position. White will recapture the

pawn on h4 but Black will be able to break
with …f7-f6.
analysis
18. ♘f3!
The only move to offer White a
significant advantage, but it turns out to
be a winning one. The last piece enters
the game, and Black can’t defend. Here
148 149
19…♗a6? 20.♗xg7 ♔xg7 21.♕g5!

♗xd3 {21…♘ h7 22.f6+ +– with ♘ f5+
or ♕ h6 coming}
22.fxg6 fxg6 23.♘h4+– ♗xe4 {23…♕ f7 24.

♘ xh5+ +–} 24.♖xf6 ♖xf6 25.♘xh5+ +–])
20.♘h4±: analysis
20…d5 (20…♗e5 [an attempt to sacrifice

some material to somehow improve Black’s
Making way for ♗h6.
position] 21.♗xf8
18…c5
♘xf8 [Black’s threat to take on g3 is illusory
Attempting to gain some counterplay on the and there are several powerful continuations
queenside. It is hard to suggest an for White, the strongest being 21…♗xg3?
improvement. 22.fxg6+– fxg6 {22…♗ xh4 23.gxh7+ +–}
19.e5? 23.♘xg6 ♘xf8 24.♖xf8+ ♖xf8
Sometimes, in the heat of the moment, you 25.♘xf8 ♔xf8 26.♖f1+ ♔g8 {26… ♔ e8
can get carried away and here I noticed that I 27. ♕ g5+–} 27.♕g5+ ♕g7 28.♕d8+
could win the f8-rook if Black took this ♔h7 29.♖f5+– and Black only has one
pawn – but it allows the black king to
check on d4] 22.♘xh5!+– gxh5 23.♕g5+
remain safely defended and improves some
with ideas of f6, ♕xh5, and ♖f3-g3)
of Black’s pieces, notably the b7-bishop and
the queen. When attacking, it is a common 21.♗xg7
mistake to think that winning material is
sufficient without analyzing further and seeing ♔xg7 22.f6+! ♔h8 (22…♘xf6 23.♘hf5+
your opponent’s possibilities. gxf5 24.♘xf5+ ♔g8 25.♕g5+ and mate)
23.♕h6 ♖g8 24.♘f3 g5
I did so here: it’s only material – it isn’t mate!
(stopping ♘g5) 25.♕xh5 dxe4 26.♘xe4
19.♗h6! was the right course, just continuing
♗xe4 27.dxe4 ♖xe4 28.♖ae1±:
to play the natural attacking moves: 19…
♘h7! (the only move to keep Black in the
game; he guards some key squares around his
king, notably g5, before it is too late [not
150 151
might just think, for example, “it loses an

exchange so it must lose,” and while – most of
the time – such generalizations will be true,
there will be plenty of exceptions. Sometimes,
there will be only one way to escape from a
dangerous-looking position
– so, you must often calculate all the lines

available to you in order to find it. This
involves checking all forcing moves, however
unlikely they may appear. Actually, this line
wasn’t too hard for Black to find.
The thinking should go like this: “19…dxe5.

Looks unlikely, but I should check it. He takes
on c5. Now do I have any forcing moves?
…e4 would be nice, but he takes it with
the pawn and then the f3-knight guards
his queen. I know – what if I take the
knight first? Rook takes then …e4 and he
can’t take it because his queen hangs; he can’t
play ♖e3 because …♗h6 wins an exchange –
analysis so, he must retreat and then I get a big pawn
on d3 for the exchange: surely, I must be OK
White’s attack continues. there. What if, when I take on f3, he takes
back with the pawn? Then I play …h4, kick
19…♘d5? his knight on g3 away, and play …♕xf5.
Then I have a
19…dxe5! 20.♗xc5 ♗xf3! (setting up a clever
tactic down the d-file, made possible by the
activity I have granted Black’s pieces) 21.♗xf8
♖xf8 22.♖xf3 (22.gxf3? h4 23.♘e4 ♕xf5 )
22…e4!: analysis
Black wins a pawn, which proves to be a

monster on d3. It is important when
defending to look at lines where you
sacrifice material. On the face of it, you
152 153
pawn for the exchange – all my pieces The losing move. 22…gxh5! doesn’t look
will be active soon, his pawn structure is nice but it had to be tried. 23.♕g5+
awful, and I am threatening the dangerous ♔h7 24.♕xh5+ ♔g7
…♘d5-f4. I must be OK there.”
25.♕g5+ ♔h7 26.f6 ♘xf6 27.♕xf6:
After 22…e4!, the variation continues 23.♖f2
(23.♖e3? ♗h6 ) 23…exd3 24.♕f4! and
White stops
…h5-h4 when he should be able to hold the

balance.
20. ♗h6!±
I didn’t turn down the opportunity to bring in

the bishop this time, but of course it was my
plan against
…♘d5.
20…dxe5
The only move.
21. ♗xg7 ♔xg7
22. ♘xh5+!
The point of the whole combination; without analysis

this move, Black is fine. Had I not seen the
strength of this at move 19, I would not have Perhaps Black calculated this far and thought
played 19.e5. However, this could have cost that, since it was equal material and he was
me my advantage if Black had reacted still under attack with almost no pawn shelter
correctly. It goes to show that, in a sharp for his king, he must be lost. However, while
position, you should investigate all plausible Black is worse, White has no killer blow,
lines in detail. unlike after 22…♔h7? and 22…♔g8?. Over
the board, the best way for the defending side
22…♔h7? to realize that 22…gxh5 is the best move is to
find the wins for White after both king retreats
154 155
and choose it by process of elimination. Now

Black can play either a): 27…♗xf3, or b)
27…♕c6.
a) 27…♗xf3 eliminates an attacker, so this

move makes some sense, but it improves the
position of White’s f1-rook: 28.♖xf3 ♕d4+
29.♔h2 ♖e6 (the rook is ready to move
across to protect the king, or so it thinks…)
30.♕f5+ ♖g6 (30…♔g7 is probably
preferable: 31.♖e1± with nasty ideas of
♖e4-g4, but Black can fight for a draw)
31.♖e1!, with two options for Black:
a1) 31…♖fg8! 32.♖e4 ♕d5 33.♕xf7+

♕xf7 34.♖xf7+ ♔h6 35.g4. With an
extra pawn and more active rooks, White
will probably win this position;
a2) 31…♕xb2?? is too greedy and loses:

b) 27…♕c6 28.♕h4+ ♔g8 29.♖f2
32.♖g3!+– ♔g7 (32…♕d2 33.♖ee3! (defending the mate threat on g2, freeing
cuts the queen off from its desperate
the f3-knight to move) 29… ♕g6 (29…
attempt to reach h6, and wins) 33.♖e4!+–:
♖e6?? loses to 30.♘xe5! ♖xe5 31.♕g3+
analysis picking off the rook) 30.♖c1± (picking off the
c5-pawn, but Black will play …f7-f6 with
33…♖d8 34.♖h4! (threatening ♖h7+ chances to survive).
followed by ♕xf7 and mate) 34…♖dd6
22…♔g8? also loses after 23.♘h4! (23.♕h6?
(defending g6) 35.♕c8!+–
gxh5 transposes to 22…gxh5 when Black has
so White mates on h8 instead. chances to survive). Now:
a) 23…gxh5 24.♕g5+! (24.f6?? would be an

awful blunder – move order does matter here!
– 24…
156 157
♘f4!–+ [the white queen is suddenly blocked 24.♘e4 ♘f4 25.♘xf4 also wins.
off from the attack and Black wins] 25.♖xf4
24…fxg6 25. ♘f7+!
exf4 26.♕xf4
Again, the only winning move. White takes
♕d4+) 24…♔h7 25.f6 ♘xf6 26.♖xf6+–;
advantage of Black’s poor piece coordination.
b) 23…♔h7 24.♕g5! (the only way to 25…♖xf7

win, ganging up on g6) 24…♕d6 (24…
♕c6 25.♖f3+–) 25.fxg6+! fxg6 and the 25…♕xf7 26.♕h6+!+–; or 25…♔g8
nicest finish is: 26.♘f5!+– with ♕h6 to 26.♕h6+–.
follow: analysis
26. ♕h6+!
23. ♘g5+! ♔h8
26…♔g8
On 23…♔g8, 24.♘e4!+– is the only way to
win; perhaps Black had missed this move: 26…♖h7 27.♕f8+ ♖xf8 28.♖xf8#.
analysis
27. ♕xg6+ ♔f8
24…gxh5 (24…f6 25.fxg6 and then g6-g7
followed by ♕h6 wins) 25.♕g5+ (25. f6?? 27…♖g7 28.♘xg7+–. The point is that
again loses to 25… White picks off the e8-rook. This line
had to be calculated accurately in advance,
♘f4) 25…♔h7 26.f6 ♘xf6 27.♘xf6+ ♔h8 as over the last few moves there was
28.♕h6#. often only one winning move. If your
opponent doesn’t have too many alternatives at
each turn and your own moves are natural,
then noticing a key point to win the game at
the end of the variation (such as a loose piece
to pick off ) means that such calculation is
often achievable over the board.
28. ♕g7+! 1-0
In the following game, White develops a

promising attacking position very early, but
making use of the h-file proves harder than it
24.fxg6! looks at first sight.
158 159
David Eggleston – IM Lorin D’Costa 11.♘b3 here, which is the usual square for the
(2441) knight in ♗e3-Najdorf lines.
4NCL Teams (England) 2011 However, the situation in this particular
position is rather different.
1.e4 c5 2. ♘f3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4. ♘xd4 ♘f6
5. ♘c3 a6 6.h3 g6 7. ♗e3 ♗g7 8. ♕d2 11. ♘f3!
Heading for g5 when, all of a sudden, h4-h5

will become a real threat.
11…b5
Black ignores his development, and White

is better after the next move. Plans
involving …♕f8 to swap queens would also
have been too slow. So – did Black have an
active plan to start a counterattack?
White lines up some ♗h6 ideas. The notes to 11…♕b6 suggest so but, with
accurate play, White wins by a tempo, so the
8 …0-0 9. ♗h6 ♗xh6 10. ♕xh6 blame must lie with 10…e5? and not 11…b5.
Black is doing OK here since h4-h5 will take
11…♕b6 12.0-0-0 ♗e6 (Black covers d5
quite a lot of time to organize and it can be
met by … because, after ♘f3-g5, ♘c3-d5 will be a
nasty threat to deflect the f6-knight, while
♘g4 anyway; besides, the pawn has 12…♕xf2?? is far too greedy: 13.♗e2,
already moved and such a strategy would planning ♖hf1 and ♘g5, and White
leave White behind in development. Black wins) 13.♘g5 (how to deal with h4-h5?)
should probably proceed with …♕b6 and … 13…♖c8 (giving the king a bolt-hole on
♘c6 with a fine position. f8 and preparing …
10…e5? ♖xc3 sacrifices seems to be the only playable

move).
This move, however, pushes the knight to
where it wants to go. My opponent confessed
Here White has a choice of a) 14.♗e2 or b)
after the game that he had considered only
14.h4:
160 161
a) 14.♗e2?!: nuisance for White. Otherwise, White would

have plowed on with h4-h5.
17.♘xe6 fxe6 (now h4-h5 is not possible

with the e2-bishop hanging) 18.♗c4 ♖e8
and Black is fine, White’s pawn structure is
in ruins, and the f6-knight is defended by its
companion on d7 this time, so there is no
nasty ♖f1. Neither of White’s most direct
attempts would get him anywhere in this
position: a1) 19.♖xd6 ♕c5!:
analysis
20.♗xe6+ ♖xe6 21.♖xe6 ♕xc3!. It

might be two rooks against two knights,
but Black has a perpetual check; his activity
has saved him.
a2) 19.h5 ♘g4! 20.♕g5 ♘e3 21.♖d2 ♕f4!

22.♕xf4 exf4 23.♖xd6 ♘c5∞. Black’s
superior structure and the activity for his
analysis knights, threatening lots of white pawns,
make up for the exchange deficit and a
This quietly prepares ♗g4, so Black needs complex fight lies ahead. Black will probably
play …g6-g5 next move.
to react quickly. 14…♖xc3! (not 14…
♕xf2?? 15.♘xe6 b) 14.h4! ♕xf2. Again, h4-h5 was coming so
this is the only option. It is too soon to
fxe6 16.♖hf1, winning a knight) 15.bxc3 sacrifice on c3.
♘bd7!, and White’s king now feels just
as vulnerable as Black’s! One variation
continues 16.h4 (16.♗g4 ♘c5 [approaching
White’s king while at the same time
defending] 17.♗xe6 fxe6 leaves Black with
enough active counterplay) 16… ♕xf2!. This
will not always be a bad move – here, it is a
162 163
crash through, as the variations

demonstrate. The importance of time in an
attack usually cannot be overestimated! If
instead 18.♔a1?, then 18…♕a5! and Black
gets a draw: 19.♘xe6 ♕xc3+ 20.♔b1
♕b4+ 21.♔c1 ♕a3+ 22.♔d2 ♕b4+
23.c3 ♕b2+ 24.♔e1
♕xc3+ 25.♖d2 ♕c1+ 26.♔e2 ♕c4+

27.♔e1 ♕c1+ =.
Now Black has to pick between b1) 18…axb5

and b2) 18…♕xb5+:
b1) 18…axb5 comes very close to surviving.

Play continues 19.hxg6 ♖xa2+ (19…b4
20.gxh7+ ♘xh7
21.♕xh7+ ♔f8 22.♘xe6+ ♔e7 23.c4 wins)

20.♔b1 ♕a6 21.gxh7+ ♘xh7 22.♕xh7+
(Not 14…♖xc3? 15.bxc3 ♕xf2?? [15… ♔f8 23.♘xe6+ ♔e7
♘bd7 16.h5±] 16.♘xe6 fxe6 17.♗c4+–.)
But then 15.h5! and, because of an 24.♕h4+!. Even though White has an extra
amazing resource for White, it seems that rook, this is the only way to win! In a way,
Black cannot even save himself in this though, this is not surprising: Black has
line – dangerous threats, so White must play
accurately. 24…♔xe6 25.♕g4+ ♔e7
15…♖xc3 16.bxc3 ♕e3+ 17.♔b2 ♕b6+:
26.♕g5+ ♔d7:
analysis
analysis
Now 18.♗b5!! wins. What is the point of
such an outrageous move? Black would
otherwise have a perpetual check, so White
gives up a bishop to get the black queen off its
checking path. The tempo thus gained is
enough for White’s dangerous attack to
164 165
♕b4+ 28.♔c1 ♕a3+ 29.♔d2 ♕b4+

30.♔e3:
analysis
and the white king runs away.
12. ♘g5!±
Now the black knight is tied to h7 with

White’s kingside ideas gathering momentum,
and Black will never be able to win the e4-
pawn while his opponent’s knight stands on
g5.
12…♗b7
12…♗e6 13.h4! is similar to the game.
13.h4!
13…♘g4 would win the white queen if it

Now, what is White’s only way to win – the
weren’t for the small matter of 14.♕xh7
knockout blow that effectively consigns 11…
checkmate!
♕b6 to the scrapheap? 27.♖xd6+!. If Black
takes with the queen, then 28 ♔xa2 and
White is simply an exchange up, but on the
other hand 27…♔xd6 28.♖h6+ wins the
queen.
b2) 18…♕xb5+ 19.♔c1, and one

example of Black’s helplessness runs 19…
♕c5 20.hxg6 ♕e3+
21.♔b1 ♕b6+ 22.♔a1 ♕a5 23.gxh7+

♘xh7 24.♕xh7+ ♔f8 25.♘xe6+ ♔e7
26.♖hf1 ♕xc3+ 27.♔b1
13…♘bd7 14.h5 ♕e7!
166 167
The only defense. Black gets ready to recapture 17…axb5 18. ♖xa8 ♖xa8 19. ♗xb5
on g6 with the f-pawn, and then the queen ♘cxe4
gives added protection to h7.
19…♖a1+ 20.♔e2 ♖xh1 21.♕xh1
15.a4! ♘c5 16.hxg6 fxg6
♘cxe4 22.♘cxe4 ♘xe4 23.♘xe4 ♗xe4
So – the h-file is now open for White’s rook should be a draw, e.g.
and the b5-pawn is under pressure on the
queenside. The black b-pawn can’t move 24.♗d3 ♗d5 25.f3 e4 26.fxe4 ♗xe4
because ♗c4+ would be too dangerous. 27.♗xe4 ♕xe4+ 28.♔d2=.
Now, I became overeager to make
immediate gains, and played 20. ♗c4+ d5 21. ♘gxe4 ♖a1+ 22. ♔e2
♖xh1
17.axb5?
17.f3! was called for:
analysis
17…♘e6 (17…b4? 18.♗c4+ ♔h8

19.♕xg6 ♕g7 [19…bxc3?? 20.♗f7!+–;
the bishop does a crude blocking job and
then it’s splat on h7] 20.♕xg7+ ♔xg7
21.♘e2± and White emerges with an extra
pawn) 18.♘xe6 ♕xe6 19.axb5! (now it’s
time for this) 19…axb5 20.♖xa8 ♖xa8
21.♗xb5 d5 (21…♖a1+?!
22.♔d2 ♖xh1 23.♕xh1 d5 24.exd5

♗xd5 25.♕e1±; White has consolidated
and has good chances to convert the extra
pawn in the endgame) 22.exd5 ♗xd5
23.0-0 ♗c4 24.♗xc4 ♕xc4 gives Black
reasonable chances to survive, since White’s
queenside pawns are somewhat vulnerable to
attack.
168 169
After a few forced moves, we arrive at this there is no knight fork.

position. I made a bad miscalculation which
could have landed me in trouble. 26.♗d5 ♗a6+ 27.♔e3 ♔xf6 28.♘g8+
♔g7 29.♘e7 ♔f8 30.♘c6 ♗b7 31.c3
23. ♘xd5? ♖a4 will give me some chances to draw
because of the reduced material, my active
23.♕xh1 dxc4 (23…♘xe4? 24.♘xd5 ♕d8
pieces, and the dangerous queenside pawns –
25.♘e3+ ♔g7 26.♕e1 leaves White a pawn
up) 24.♕h4
♔g7 25.♕xf6+ ♕xf6 26.♘xf6 ♔xf6 27.f3

h5=.
23.♘xf6+ ♕xf6 24.♗xd5+ (24. ♕xh1 dxc4

25.f3 ♕f5 26.♕d1=) 24… ♗xd5 25.♕xh1
♗c4+ 26.♔e1
♕f4! and Black is fine because of his threats.

Play could proceed 27.♘d1 ♕g4 28.♘c3
♕f4 29.♘d1=. but it wouldn’t have been pleasant!
23…♘xd5? 24. ♕xh1 ♔g7 25. ♗xd5! ♗xd5 26. ♘c3
23…♗xd5? 24.♘xf6+ ♔h8 25.♘xd5! I have an extra pawn, but the bishop is the
♕c5 26.♕xh1 ♕xc4+ 27.♔e1 ♕xd5 better minor piece. Now, 26… ♗b7, keeping
28.♕h4 . Queen endings are tricky, but the the bishop actively posted on the long
extra pawn will offer winning chances. diagonal, would maybe have been a better idea
than the game move.
23…♖xh6! is where I had missed
26…♗c4+ 27. ♔d2 ♕g5+ 28. ♔d1 ♕f4
something: 24.♘xe7+ ♔g7 25.♘xf6 and
29. ♕e1 ♕g4+ 30. ♔c1 ♕xg2?
now 25..♔xf6 isn’t possible because of
26.♘g8+, so I thought this was better for 30…♕d4 would put the onus on White to
White, but we both missed 25… ♖h4!: find a way to improve his position.
analysis
31. ♕xe5+ ♔g8 32.b3 ♗f7 33. ♘e4±
– hitting the bishop on c4 and now the
f6-knight is genuinely attacked because
170 171
Here comes my second attack of the game!

Black was very resourceful in managing to
survive with almost no time left on his clock.
33…h5 34. ♕f4
The queen was better placed on e5, even

though ♘f6+ wasn’t winning on the spot.
34.b4! threatens to advance and asks Black
what he intends to play: 34…h4? 35.b5 h3
36.b6 h2 37.b7 wins for White even though
analysis
Black queens first, e.g. 37…h1♕+ 38.♔b2
♕xe4 39.b8♕+ ♔h7 40.♕bh8#. Because (36…♔h6 37.♕f4+ ♔h7 38.♘g5+)
the h-pawn can’t advance, Black would have 37.♕d8+! ♔h7 38.♘g5+. Of course, finding
been in trouble. forced wins like this one, when they arise, is of
crucial importance. They can be easy to miss
34…♗e6?? when you are low on time, especially if you
are playing without an increment, but it
This hands me the win on a plate, but I was
is very important to develop a sense of
short of time too. 34…♕f1+ 35.♔b2 when you might have been presented with a
(35.♔d2 ♕a1 and the white king is a bit chance. The bishop moving to e6, where it is
exposed) 35…♕d1! makes things tougher for undefended, is a big clue here.
White, as 36.♘g5 can be met by 36…
35…♗f5!
♕d7.
The only move to stay in the game.
35. ♔b2?
36. ♘g3?
35.♕b8+! wins outright: 35… ♔h7
36.♕b8+ was still strong – though not as
(neither 35…♔f7 36.♕c7+ ♔e8 much so as on the previous move. Now
37.♘d6+ ♔f8 38.♕d8+ ♔g7 Black’s queen is allowed to re-enter the game
and things peter out to a draw.
39.♕e7+, nor 35…♔g7 36.♕e5+, saves
Black) 36.♕c7+ ♔g8: 36…♕d5 37.c4
White can’t come down to a pawn ending

because the black h-pawn would queen
172 173
whereas the black king catches the white b-

pawn just in time.
37…♕e6 38. ♕d4 ♔f7 39.b4 ♕f6 40.

♕xf6+ ♔xf6 41.b5 ♗d7 42. ♔c3 ♔e5
43. ♔d3 h4 44. ♘e2 g5
45.f3 h3 46. ♔e3 h2 47. ♘g3 ♗e6 48.b6

♔d6 49.c5+ ♔c6 50. ♔f2 ♗d5 51. ♔g2
♔xc5 52. ♔xh2 ♗xf3 53.
1.e4 c5 2. ♘f3 d6 3.d4 ♘f6 4. ♘c3 cxd4 5.
♘f5 ♔xb6 54. ♔g3 ♗h5 55. ♘g7 ♗e2 ♘xd4 a6 6. ♗c4
56. ♘e6 g4 57. ♘d4 ♗d1 58. ♘f5 ½-½
This is one of the most aggressive lines against
IM Simon Williams (2466) – GM Jonathan the Najdorf .
Rowson (2572)
6…e6 7. ♗b3 b5 8. ♗g5 ♘bd7 9.f4
4NCL Teams (England) 2005
White is choosing the most aggressive squares
for his pieces.
9…♗b7 10.0-0 ♗e7 11.f5 e5 12. ♘e6?
This is a step too far, though.
12…fxe6 13.fxe6 ♘b6?
But Black fails to punish White’s over-

optimistic play. The b6 square might look like
a good spot for the knight, overprotecting d5,
but it leaves him vulnerable to another
sacrifice. Instead 13…♘c5! leaves White
struggling to show enough compensation
for the material he has invested. After
14.♗xf6 ♗xf6, White has four options:
a) 15.♗d5 ♗xd5 16.♘xd5 (16.exd5 b4–+)

16…h5! keeping out the queen, and White’s
174 175
attack has lost momentum; (keeping out White’s queen again, as in line a)
16.c3 (16.♖f5 ♗xd5 17.♗xd5 ♖c8
b) 15.♖xf6 ♕xf6 16.♕xd6 ♕e7–+ and
18.♖xh5 ♔e7–+) 16…
there is no knight for White to pick off
on b6, unlike in the game; ♖c8 and Black can take on d5 and play …
♔e7.
14…♗xf6!
White doesn’t need to be asked twice.
14…♗xf6
14…gxf6?? 15.♕h5+ ♔f8 16.♕f7#.
15. ♖xf6!
The logical follow-up. Now White has

sacrificed a whole rook!
15…♕xf6
c) 15.♕h5+ g6 16.♕h6 ♘xb3 17.axb3

♕e7 18.♘d5 ♗xd5 19.exd5 and,
despite White’s massive pawn on e6, an extra
bishop is too much material, although this
might prove hard for Black to play over the
board;
d) 15.♘d5 h5!:
analysis
176 177
This loses the game. Necessary was 20…

♕b6+! 21.♔h1 ♕c5, when Black appears
to be OK, for example 22.b4 and now
Black has two choices: a) 22… cxb3, or b)
22…♕xb4?.
15…gxf6?? 16.♕h5+ again mates on f7.
16. ♕xd6 ♕d8!
The best move – otherwise White takes on b6

with a large advantage.
17. ♕xe5
Let’s take stock of the position: White has

only three pawns for the rook, but his
development is excellent (the a1-rook will
soon enter the game), whereas Black’s king is
stuck in the center and the e6-pawn helps
White to create lots of threats while disturbing
the coordination between Black’s pieces. All in
all, this means a pretty unbalanced struggle is
in store! a) 22…cxb3 23.axb3. It is important for
White to recapture with this pawn,
17…♘c4 maintaining the possibility of playing c2-c4 to
defend the d5-pawn. 23…♖f8! (at last getting
Both 17…♖f8 and 17…♕e7 are also unclear.
a rook into the game) 24.♖e1 ♖f6∞: analysis
18. ♗xc4 bxc4 19. ♘d5 ♗xd5 20.exd5 Black is OK because the rooks will be able to
help defend.
20…♕f6??
b) 22…♕xb4? 23.d6±. Once White has two
pawns on the sixth, things are grim for Black.
178 179
On c5 the queen was doing an excellent job of

stopping the d-pawn from advancing. 23…0-
0-0 24.d7+! ♔b7 25.c3!
(25.e7? ♖xd7 26.e8♕ ♖xe8 27.♕xe8 cashes

the pawns in for just a rook – they were worth
far more than that on the board! – and White
loses the advantage. He is actually in trouble
after 27… ♖e7! [threatening mate on e1]
28.a3 ♖xe8 29.axb4 ♖e2 , when Black has
good chances to win the rook ending.) 25…
♕b5
26.♕e4+ ♔a7 27.♖d1 (27. ♖b1?! looks like

it puts an end to the game but it actually gives
Black small chances to survive after 27…
♖xd7!, with mate threats on d1; 28.exd7
♕xd7 29.♕xc4±) 27…h5 28.a4!
(pushing Black’s queen off its defensive post)

28…♕b7 29.♕d4+ ♕b6 30.♕xc4+–: 21…♕d8
analysis
The only attempt at a defense.
and White is beginning to threaten e6-e7 in
earnest. 21…♖d8 22.♕c6+ ♔e7 (22…♔f8
23.♖f1+–) 23.♕c5+ ♔e8 (23…♖d6
21. ♕d6!+–
24.♕c7+ +– picks off the rook) 24.♖f1
Suddenly – just like that – Black is lost! and Black must give up the queen since he is
mated after 24…♕e5 25.♕c6+ ♔e7
26.♖f7#.
22. ♕c6+! ♔e7
analysis
22…♔f8 23.d6 and it’s all over after e6-e7.
180 181
23. ♕b7+ 23…♔f6? 24.♖f1+ ♔e5 25.♕xg7+ ♔d6

26.♕g3+ ♔c5 27.♕e3+ ♔d6 28.e7 ends
23.♖f1!+– was perhaps more straightforward:
the game immediately: 28…♕xe7 29.♕b6+!
23…♖f8 24.♕b7+ ♔d6 25.♕b4+!, when
♔d7 (29…♔xd5 30.♖d1+ ♔e5 31.♖e1+
Black has a) 25… ♔xd5, and b) 25…♔c7:
♔f5 32.♖xe7) 30.♕c6+: analysis
a) 25…♔xd5 26.♖d1+ ♔xe6 27.♕xc4+ +–

30…♔d8 31.♕xa8+.
and this looks somewhat like the game on
move 28; b) 25…♔c7 26.♕c5+ ♔b7 24. ♕c6+
27.♖xf8! ♕xf8 28.♕c6+ ♔b8 (28…♔a7
White repeats.
29.♕c7# – the king is nicely boxed in on
the edge of the board) 29.♕b6+ ♔c8 30.d6!: 24…♔e7 25. ♕b7+
analysis And repeats again.
25…♔d6
26.♕c6+?? would allow Black to claim a

threefold repetition based on the fact that he
could play …
♔e7 next move.
26. ♕b4+
Winning, but perhaps Black comes quite close

and it’s over: 30…♖a7 (30…♕d8
to escaping.
31.♕c6+ ♔b8 32.e7) 31.♕c5+! (31.
♕xa7?! ♕xd6 32.♕a8+ ♔c7 26…♔xd5?
33.♕e4 is still winning for White, but there is 26…♔c7 still loses but makes White find
work to be done) 31…♔d8 (otherwise some good moves. After 27.♕c5+, Black can
White wins with e6-e7) 32.♕b4 ♖b7 (if play: a) 27…♔b7? 28.♖f1 ♖c8 (28…♖f8
the king moves, then d6-d7+ wins) 33.e7+ 29.♖xf8 ♕xf8 30.♕c6+ ♔b8 31.♕b6+
♖xe7 34.♕b8+ ♔d7 35.♕xf8+–. ♔c8 32.d6+– transposes to a line we looked at
above) 29.♖f7+ ♖c7:
23…♔d6
182 183
come to his second rank) 28…♖e8

(Amazingly, White has no immediate
knockout blow here. Black plans …♖a7-b7,
when all of his heavy pieces are on reasonable
defensive squares.) 29.b3!:
analysis
White attempts to blast open a route to the

black king. Unfortunately for Black, he
appears to be lost here even though he has
time to bring his pieces into the defense!
a) 29…♖xe6?? 30.bxc4+– ♖a7 31.♖b1+

♖b7 32.♖xb7+ ♔xb7 33.♕d5+ ♔b8
34.♕xe6+–; b) 29…c3 30.♖e1 ♖a7
31.♖e3! and d6-d7 followed by ♖xc3 will
win;
c) 29…♖a7 30.bxc4 ♖b7 31.♕e5!:

analysis
30.e7! (a surprising – and the only – winning

move!) 30…♕e8 (30…♕c8 31.♕b4+! and
♖f8! next move clinches it; 30…♕d7
31.e8♕+–) 31.♕b4+ ♕b5 (else ♖f8 wins for
White) 32.♕xb5+! axb5 33.d6+– and 33…
♖e8 is the best Black can do, but after
34.dxc7 ♔xc7 35.♖xg7 it’s totally hopeless.
b) 27…♔b8! 28.d6!. This must have

looked very scary over the board, but
Black has chances to survive if White fails to
find the right way next move (28.♖f1?! ♕c7!
and Black is perhaps over the worst of it now;
White should not give Black’s queen time to
184 185
analysis
After White finds this move, Black has no

more defensive tries. 31…♕b6+ (31…♕f6
32.d7+! ♕xe5
33.dxe8♕+ ♔a7 34.♖d1+– and White has

too many pawns; 31…♔a7 32.♖d1+– is just
too strong) 32.c5!
♖xe6 33.♕xe6 ♕xc5+ 34.♔h1 ♕xc2 The white queen and queenside pawns
35.h3+–. The extra monster pawn on d6 will dominate the black rooks. The game
decide the game. ended up lasting 100
27. ♖d1+ moves, but the outcome was never in doubt.
Now White has an easy win. 34…♔f6 35. ♕d6+ ♔f7 36. ♕f4+ ♔e7
37. ♕e5+ ♔f7 38. ♕f5+ ♔e7 39.h4 g6 40.
27…♔xe6 28. ♕xc4+ ♔f6 29. ♕c6+ ♔f7
♕e5+ ♔f7 41. ♕c7+
30. ♕c4+ ♔f6 31. ♕h4+ ♔g6 32. ♕g4+
♔f7 33. ♖d7+ ♕xd7 ♔f6 42. ♕d6+ ♔f7 43. ♕d7+ ♔f6 44.b4
♖he8 45. ♕xh7 ♖e1+ 46. ♔h2 ♖e4
34. ♕xd7+ +–
47. ♕h6 ♖ae8 48. ♕g5+
♔g7 49.c3 ♖8e6 50. ♕d8 ♖f6 51.

♔h3 ♖c4 52. ♕e7+ ♖f7 53. ♕e5+
♔h7 54.g3 ♖fc7 55. ♕d6 ♖7c6
186 187
56. ♕e7+ ♔h6 57. ♕f8+ ♔h7 58. ♕f7+ 1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3. ♘c3 ♗b4 4.e5 c5
♔h6 59.a4 ♖xc3 60.b5 axb5 61.axb5 ♖c7 5.a3 ♗xc3+ 6.bxc3 ♕c7 7. ♕g4 f5 8.
62. ♕f4+ ♔h7 63.b6 ♕g3 cxd4 9.cxd4 ♘e7
♖g7 64.h5 ♖c6 65.hxg6+ ♖cxg6 66. ♕e4 10. ♘e2

♔h8 67.b7 ♖xg3+ 68. ♔h2 ♖b3 69.
♕e8+ ♖g8 70. ♕h5+ ♔g7
71. ♕g5+ ♔h7 72. ♕f5+ ♔g7 73. ♕e5+

♔h7 74. ♕e7+ ♔h8 75. ♕f6+ ♖g7 76.
♕f8+ ♔h7 77.b8♕ ♖xb8
78. ♕xb8 ♖g5 79. ♕d6 ♖g6 80. ♕f8

♖g8 81. ♕f5+ ♔h6 82. ♔h3 ♖g5 83.
♕f7 ♖g6 84. ♔h4 ♖g4+ 85. ♔h3
♖g6 86. ♕e7 ♖g7 87. ♕f8 ♔h7 88. ♔h4

♖g6 89. ♕f7+ ♔h8 90. ♕e7 ♖g7 91.
♕e5 ♔g8 92. ♕e8+ ♔h7
93. ♔h5 ♖g8 94. ♕e6 ♖g7 95. ♕f5+

♔g8 96. ♔h6 ♖f7 97. ♕c8+ ♖f8 98.
♕e6+ ♖f7 99. ♕e8+ ♖f8 100.
♕g6+ 1-0
10.♗d2 0-0 11.♗d3 b6 12.♘e2 ♗a6
In the next game, again, it is only White who
13.♘f4 ♕d7 14.h4 ♗xd3 15.♕xd3 was
has an attack and Black has the opportunity to
played in Kasparov – N.
grab some material, but in this case the attack
proves too strong and there is nothing Black Short, Novgorod 1997, and although
can do to hold it off. Kasparov went on to win with a nice kingside
attack, Black is fine in this line since White’s
David Eggleston – FM Philip Short (2282)
kingside play is a lot slower than in the present
Dublin Masters 2012 game.
10…0-0
188 189
10…♔f7 11.c3 b6 12.♘f4 ♗a6?? loses on

the spot to a simple tactic, but one that several
players of Black’s side have overlooked in
similar positions: 13.♕xg7+! ♔xg7
14.♘xe6+, and the knight’s feast will end in
the corner.
11.c3 b6 12. ♘f4
Note how …♗a6 is not possible right away

because Black needs to keep the e6-pawn
defended. So he plays:
13.a4 ♗a6 14. ♗b5!
12…♕d7 Positionally, White doesn’t want to swap his
“good” bishop for Black’s “bad” bishop, but
12…♘g6 attempts to exploit White’s there is no way to avoid it – so, he organizes it
queen’s being tied down to c3: 13.♘xg6 in a way that will cause the most
hxg6 14.♗d2 inconvenience to Black’s queenside
development. After taking on b5, the b8-
(14.♕xg6?? ♕xc3+ –+) 14…♔f7 15.h4 knight needs to move before the a8-rook can
(Black’s king is hardly safe on f7 with h4-h5 enter the game, but the knight won’t be able
coming) 15…♖h8 to go to c6 or a6. The only other square
is d7, but the black queen needs this
16.♗e2 ♗a6 17.h5±: square to defend the e6-pawn; this prevents
the queen from taking the pawn on b5. It is
analysis better in general to leave the defense of a
pawn to another pawn or a minor piece
White has a big attack.
– not to the most powerful piece which
could be conducting active operations.
Contrast this to the white queen, which
is eyeing the black king down the g-file.
14…♘ec6
It would be more natural to block with

the other knight, but it is busy guarding
the bishop. Instead 14…♗xb5 15.axb5 a5
190 191
16.♗a3 ♖e8 17.h4± leaves Black struggling

for activity. Black should be able to meet h4-
h5 with …h7-h6 here, but White can castle
and can always put his rooks on the b- and c-
files to prepare an alternative plan of c3-c4,
putting pressure on the center, and maybe
planning to invade down the c-file, which
would be helped by ♗d6 at an opportune
moment.
15.h4 ♗xb5 16.axb5 ♘a5
It looks like Black is gaining some counterplay

on the queenside. What should White do
about it?
17.h5
Threatening to advance to h6 and ignoring

Black’s intentions for now.
17…♘b3? On 17…h6?! (stopping White from playing

h5-h6), 18.♕g6 forces 18…♖e8 19.g4!
17…♔h8?? (there is really no point to
this move but White’s finish would be cracking open the g-file: 19… fxg4 20.♖g1!,
and play might proceed:
nice…) 18.♘g6+
(winning the exchange – the knight cannot a) 20…♘b3 21.♖b1 ♘xc1 22.♖xc1 a6
be taken) 18…hxg6 19.hxg6+ ♔g8 23.♖xg4 ♔h8 24.♔d2 with ongoing
20.♖h8+ ♔xh8 21.♕h2+ pressure for White; b) 20…♕f7?. It seems a
good idea to swap queens, but it doesn’t
♔g8 22.♕h7#. work… Play continues 21.♖xg4
17…♕f7 is probably Black’s best chance: ♕xg6 22.♖xg6 ♔f7 23.♔e2!+– and Black is
18.♗a3 ♖c8 19.h6 g6 20.0-0 but ♕g5 hopelessly unable to defend g7 and e6 after
is coming and Black’s position remains White doubles rooks on the g-file, for
unpleasant. example 23…♘d7 24.♗a3! ♘c4
192 193
25.♖ag1 ♖g8 (25…♘xa3 26.♖xg7+) analysis

26.♗b4 1-0 GM Pavel Smirnov – Gurpreetpal Singh,
Mumbai 2004. I admit that the main game
♖ae8 27.♖a1:
wasn’t entirely my own inspiration and I
analysis was aware of this previous game, but a
good theoretical foundation can help the
Now White picks off a7 instead. attacking player! My opponent clearly
wasn’t aware of this, otherwise he would
18.h6!! not have allowed the position after 18.g6 to
appear on the board, and this illustrates the
White lets Black have the rook if he wants it!
dangers of not knowing your theory.
18…♖f7
After 18…♘xa1, Black will emerge with an
extra piece, but he won’t keep it for long!
18…g6? 19.♘xg6 hxg6 20.♕xg6+ ♔h8
19.hxg7 ♕xg7
21.♗g5+–:
(on 19… ♖f7 20.♖xh7! ♖xg7 21.♖xg7+
♕xg7 22.♕xg7+ ♔xg7 23.♘xe6+ ♔f7
24.♘c7 White is winning with two extra
pawns; Black can’t eat the knight in the corner
because after 24…♔e7 25.♘xa8 ♔d7 26.f3
[intending g2-g4] 26…♔c8 27.e6 ♔b7,

White can queen the e-pawn) 20.♕xg7+
♔xg7 21.♘xe6+ ♔g8
22.♘xf8 ♔xf8 23.♖xh7+–:
analysis
The knight and rook are stuck in the corner,

and after White plays e5-e6 followed by ♗a3
(or ♗g5 or
♗h6) combined with the powerful rook on

h7, Black’s position will fall apart. Notice that
194 195
despite Black’s extra pieces, none of them is wins and 21…♔h8

offering his king any protection!
22.♖xh7+ ♖xh7 23.♕g8# is a nice finish.
19. ♘h5?
20. ♖b1 ♘xc1?
The first move I made for myself was a
mistake! 20…f4? 21.♘xf4 ♘xc1 22.♖xc1+–.
20…♕xb5! 21.♘f4! ♕a4? 22.♘xg6 ♘xc1

(22…♕a2 23.♘e7+ ♔f8 24.♕g8+ ♔xe7
25.♗g5+ ♔d7
26.♕xf7+ +–) 23.♖xc1 ♕e8 24.♘f4+ ♔h8

25.c4+–.
20…♕xb5! (I was afraid of this during

the game) 21.♘f4! was my intention, but
after 21…♘d7
19.♖b1! was simple and correct: 19…
♘xc1 20.♖xc1 g6 (20…a6 21.hxg7 22.♘xg6:
♖xg7 22.♕e3+– and White will play ♘h5-
f6) and now 21.c4! opens a second front, a) 22…♕c4! 23.♘f4+ ♔h8 24.♘xe6, White
threatening to take on d5 when e5-e6 will be is much better but far from winning. In
in the air, so Black must play 21…dxc4 general, Black is in trouble once he loses the
22.♕f3 (exploiting the rook in the corner) e6-pawn and this is no exception, but after
22…♕b7 23.♕xb7 24…♘dc5 or 24…f4 the position is complex.
♖xb7 24.♖xc4+–: b) 22…hxg6?? 23.♕xg6+ ♔f8, now 24.h7

queens the pawn.
analysis
c) 22…♖e8?. During the game I noticed
– and either e6 falls or the white rook is that White has no strong discovered
allowed to reach c8. check, which is surprising given the position
19…g6! of Black’s king, but I missed 23.♖h5!+–:
19…♘xa1 loses to 20.hxg7 with ♘f6

coming. If 20…♖xg7??, then 21.♘f6+
196 197
25.♖e1! finishes Black off as White crashes

through on e6, e.g. 25…♕d8 (25…♕c8
26.♖xa2 ♘d7
27.♖ae2+–) 26.♖be2! ♕xf6 (26…♘d7

27.♖xe6 ♘xf6 28.♖e7+ ♕xe7 29.♖xe7+
♔xe7 30.♕e5+ ♔f7
31.♕c7+ ♔f8 32.♕g7+ +–) 27.♖xe6:
analysis
powering down the g-file. There follows

23…♕c4 24.♘f4+ ♔h8 (24…♔f8
25.♗a3+ +–) 25.♖g5 and
♖g7 will win.
21. ♘f6+!+–
White nets the exchange because the black

knight on c1 is trapped and then the game analysis
should be over.
27…♕xe6 28.♖xe6 ♔xe6 29.♕e5+ ♔d7
21…♖xf6 22.exf6 ♘a2 23. ♖b2 a5 24.0-0 30.♕xd5+ +–.
♔f7 25. ♖a1?
25…♕d8! 26. ♖bxa2 ♘d7 27. ♖a4
198 199
The rook is placed clumsily here, but I just

manage to get away with it: 27.♖e1± ♕b8
28.♕f3 ♕c7
29.♖c2 ♖c8 30.♕e2 ♕d6, and White gets

in 31.c4.
27…♘xf6
27…♖c8 28.♖c1:
34…♕h5! 35.g4! stops Black from
a) 28…♕xf6 29.♕d6! ♕e7 30.♕xe7+ ♔xe7
31.c4±; swapping queens (35.♕xh5? gxh5 gives
Black reasonable drawing chances, thanks to
b) 28…♘xf6 29.c4 ♘g4? 30.c5+–; his dangerous a-pawn) 35…♕g5 36.♖e5±.
c) 28…♕c7 29.♕xc7 ♖xc7 30.c4±. Now 35. ♖cc1?

after 30…e5, Black might have had
chances to survive if the crushing 31.c5! 35.♖e5!+– ♕b1+ (35…♕f6 36. ♖xd5+–)
weren’t available. 36.♔h2 ♕xb5 (36…♕a2 37.♖c8 plans
♖h8 when …♘f6
28.c4 dxc4 29. ♖xc4 ♘d5 30. ♖ac1±
can be met by ♕xf4) 37.♖d6, and Black’s
30…f4 31. ♕g4 ♕f6 32. ♖c6 ♖e8 33. position falls apart.
♖e1 ♕f5 34. ♕f3 ♖e7?
35…♘b4??
My opponent was in time trouble by now.

35…♕h5! forces White into the
aforementioned endgame.
36. ♖e5!+– ♕f6 37. ♖c8
And Black can’t solve his back-rank problems.
37…♖d7 38. ♕a8 ♕e7 39. ♖h8
It is not enough to attack well for part of the

game if you then give your opponent chances
200 201
to escape, as happened here. 1-0 challenge the bishop with …♗d6 at any point
because I swap and then c4-c5 forks the queen
David Eggleston – GM Keith Arkell (2472)
on d6 and the knight on b6.
12…♘bd7
Black tries to relocate the knight to help with

the defense of the kingside.
13. ♘e5 ♖e8 14. ♖ad1 ♘f8 15. ♗g3
Making way for the f-pawn to advance.

All of my pieces are in the game now
since the rook on f1
supports the f-pawn.
1.e4 c6 2.d4 d5 3. ♘c3 dxe4 4. ♘xe4

15…♘6d7
♘d7 5. ♘g5 ♘gf6 6. ♗d3 ♘b6 7.
♘1f3 ♗g4 8. ♕e2 ♗xf3 Trying to exchange knights. Black has less
space, so a trade will give him more room to
9. ♘xf3 e6 10.0-0 maneuver his pieces; I retreat my knight to
avoid the swap.
The opening is a variation of the Caro-Kann
where Black trades his light-squared bishop for 16. ♘g4 ♘g6
a white knight to try and ease his problems
stemming from the lack of space. The bishop
would have been very passive on c8 with black
pawns on c6 and e6. I am slightly better
thanks to the bishop pair and my extra space,
but I will have to play well to make any
headway since Black’s position is very solid and
hard to break down with the c6- and e6-pawns
plus the f6-knight hindering me from playing
d4-d5.
10…♗e7 11.c4 0-0 12. ♗f4
Preventing the black queen from going to its

natural square on c7. Notice that Black cannot
202 203
17. ♘e3 19…♕d7
My knight is placed well here, ready to There were two other options:
support pawn advances to f5 or d5. Maybe
a) 19…c5 20.dxc5 (20.d5 exd5 21.cxd5
Black should have played 17… ♗h4 to try
and exchange the dark-squared bishops. ♗d6 22.♘c4 was another way for White
to go, but d6 is adequately blockaded and
17.d5 is an attempt to break through, but it f4-f5 can always be answered by …♘e5) 20…
needs more preparation: 17… exd5 18.♗xg6 ♕a5 21.f5 exf5 22.♘xf5 ♕xc5+
hxg6 19.cxd5
23.♔h1 ♕b6 was possible, but White can get
cxd5 (19… ♕b6 was also fine for Black) a better ending after 24.♘h6+ gxh6 25.♕xf6
20.♖xd5. White plans to attack the ♕xf6 26.♖xf6
knight on d7 again next move, winning it
since it won’t be able to move as it is ♗g7 27.♖f5 :
pinned to the queen. Unfortunately, Black
has 20…♕c8! which is the only move to
escape the pin. White cannot increase the
pressure with ♖c1
because his dark-squared bishop is not

guarding c1, so Black is fine.
17…♘f6 18.f4 ♗f8 19. ♕f3
When White plays f4-f5, he wants to take

back with the knight as it will be superbly
placed on that square, looking in the black
king’s direction.
After the immediate 19.f5 exf5, 20.♘xf5

is not possible because the queen on e2
hangs, so it is important to play ♕f3
before f4-f5. As well as being a natural
square, the queen needs to go to f3 to
prevent …♘h5 by Black, which if allowed
would attack the g3-bishop and the f4-pawn.
204 205
analysis This move was prepared by 22 ♗c2. Now

Black cannot take on e5 with the knight
Black’s kingside pawns are in tatters and White
because dxe5 wins a piece, attacking the f6-
can recapture the b7-pawn with ♖b5 if Black knight while the d1-rook hits the queen on d7.
takes on b2, but Black should have gone for
this as it will be hard for White to convert his
advantage.
b) 19…♘e7 (trying to prevent f4-f5) 20.♗h4

(White intends to take on f6 and then play f4-
f5, which Black can’t allow, so he has to
return with his knight; if 20.f5 ♘xf5
21.♘xf5 exf5 22.♗xf5 ♕b6 and Black’s
chances of defending are better than after
20.♗h4 as the knight is much better placed
on f6 than g6) 20…♘g6 21.♗g5!. White
wants to play f4-f5 next move anyway, so
21…h6 is needed to disturb White’s plans.
23…♕e6?
But White just ignores it: 22.f5! exf5 23.♗xf6
♕xf6 24.♘xf5±. This position is unpleasant This is probably the losing move.
for Black, since h6 is attacked and White
23…bxc4! had to be played, even though
might play c4-c5 at some point, when …♘e7
Black ends up with an awful pawn
can be met by ♘d6
structure and is under attack: 24.♗xf6
gxf6 25.b3!. It would be a mistake to try
and White can play ♗c4 at the right moment,
to collect the c4-pawn with the queen. It
increasing the pressure on the f7-pawn.
is important to try to get the bishop on
20.f5! exf5 21. ♘xf5 the b3-g8 diagonal as soon as possible.
25…c5 (Black isn’t compliant and
All of a sudden the black minor pieces don’t counterattacks in the center; 25…cxb3
have any sensible squares to move to. Black has 26.♗xb3 would give White a large advantage
to sit back and hope that White can’t break – he can continue with ♕h5 and ♖d3-h3 to
through.
attack h7) 26.♗e4 (26.bxc4 cxd4 27.♗e4 –
eyeing up d5 and c6 –
21…♖ad8 22. ♗c2 b5 23. ♗e5!
27… ♖xe4! 28.♕xe4 ♕e6! 29.♘g3 ♕xc4
30.♘h5 ♗e7 31.♘xf6+ ♗xf6 32.♖xf6
206 207
♕xa2 . Black has fought his way back into

the game. Material is now equal, the
black king is safe, and the d-pawn is
annoying.
White will find it hard to win this.) 26…

♖xe4!:
analysis
As in the other line, Black needs to play

this – otherwise White’s light-squared The bishop takes up an active posting and
f7 becomes very sensitive. This is probably
bishop will be too strong. 27.♕xe4 ♕e6
the winning move.
28.♖fe1 cxd4 29.bxc4 ♕xc4 30.♔h1 ♕xa2
31.♖xd4 ♖b8 and a hard fight still lies 26.♗d3. Now Black should play …a7-a6 and
ahead. White is still a lot better. However, he might
try 26…
24. ♗xf6
♕xa2?. Now White can gain an
24…♕xf6?? 25.♘h6+. Black can’t capture overwhelming position by simply taking
because his queen drops, so after 25…♔h8 on b5, forcing the e8-rook to move, and
26.♘xf7+ ♔g8 then playing b2-b3 (defended by the
queen on f3) and ♗c4, securing the
27.♕xf6 gxf6 28.♘xd8, White picks up an bishop on its best diagonal. Instead,
exchange and is totally winning. though, it might be tempting to try and
dislocate the black knight with 27.h4?
24…gxf6 25.cxb5 cxb5 26. ♗b3! ♕xb2!
(Black isn’t unduly concerned) 28.h5 a6!. Now

he simply defends the b5-pawn. It is not a
good idea for White to continue with 29.hxg6
hxg6 30.♘e3 ♕xd4:
analysis
Black has four pawns for the piece and

White is down to his last pawn. Black’s
kingside pawn structure has been repaired
208 209
by White’s desire to win a piece. Overall, Now Black has no defense to the deadly
Black’s position has improved massively over threat of ♖h3. That is why he allowed
the last few moves. He is fine in the me to win the exchange.
complications after 31.♗xg6 ♕b6. It would
be easy for White to head for a line like 28…♘f4
this after being blinded by the
opportunity to win a piece, without 28…♕e2 29.♘g3! (after 29…♕e7 the white
stopping to realize that the resulting position queen captures the b5-pawn and then the
isn’t actually in his favor. knight returns to f5) 29…♕xb2 30.♕xb5
(now White is threatening ♗xf7+ to pick off
26…♕e4 the black queen on b2, as well as simply
attacking the d7-rook) 30…♖xd4
26…♕e2 27.♕b7 leaves Black unable to
31.♕xe8 (grabbing the other rook is
defend f7 since 27…♘e7 loses the knight
simplest) 31…♖xd1+
after 28.♖fe1.
32.♗xd1 ♕d4+ (Black gets a bishop back)
Likewise, 26…♕d7 27.♕h5 leaves Black
33.♔h1 ♕xd1+ 34.♖f1 ♕c2 35.♕e2:
totally defenseless against the idea of ♖d3-h3.
analysis
The resulting position is easily winning for

White.
29. ♕g4+!
Seeing the tactics in the position. Now the

knight is forced to retreat.
29…♘g6 30. ♘h6+!
The white knight gives itself up to make way

27. ♕h5
for the queen to capture the loose black rook
on d7.
Threatening ♗xf7+ followed by ♕xh7+,
picking off the g6-knight. 30…♗xh6 31. ♕xd7
27…♖d7 28. ♖f3!
210 211
Chapter 5: Hacking Up the Scandinavian
Chapter 5
With an extra exchange, strong d-pawn, and

better pawn structure, White is easily winning
here and he eventually converted for the full
point. (1-0, 73)
Hacking Up the Scandinavian
Certain sacrificial and mating ideas are

intrinsic to particular openings, and you
cannot play the positions ensuing from those
openings well without at least considering
these ideas during the game.
Of course, the same thing can be said about

positional ideas – but this is a book about
attacking! In this chapter, we will be
considering the Scandinavian line where
Black attempts to play aggressively –
castling queenside and trying to put White

under maximum pressure from the very start
of the game. You will see, over and again in
this line, the standard ideas of: (i) White
sacrificing a pawn on the queenside to open
files against the black king; and (ii) White
marching a pawn to c6, whatever the
positional concessions, to try and mate Black
on b7. So, here we go…
David Eggleston – GM Igors Rausis (2514)
212 213
Gatwick International 2012
1.e4 d5 2.exd5 ♕xd5
2…♘f6 is another option.
3. ♘f3
Here, most players of White will play 3.♘c3

attacking the queen immediately. To me,
3.♘f3 makes more sense because the
queen is not going to retain its position 6…♘h6 7. ♘bd2
in the center of the board anyway, so
Developing quickly, giving extra support to
White needn’t be in such a hurry to push it
d4, and blocking the d-file.
away. After calmly playing ♗e2 and d2-d4, it
is possible to play c2-c4, gaining space before 7.♘c3 may look tempting now, quickly
the queen’s knight comes out and giving centralizing a piece after Black’s king’s knight
White a better overall quality of development has lost touch with d5 and e4 by not going to
in the center. f6, but the problem is 7…♕f5! 8.0-0 and now
the calm retreat 8…♕g6!.
3…♗g4
Of course, Black doesn’t have to play like this. There are potential ideas of …♗h3 in the
air, and it is becoming clear that the
A quieter approach with 3…♘f6 is possible –
black queen has been driven to a square
playing passively and planning …e7-e6, …
where it wanted to go. Now d4-d5 will leave
♗e7, and …0-0. This would serve to
White overextended in the center with a
avoid White’s attacking possibilities seen in formation that will be broken down by …
this game – but such a passive setup is not to e7-e6. Once you see that d4-d5 doesn’t
everybody’s taste. work, it becomes apparent that White
lacks an active plan and is regretting
4. ♗e2 ♘c6 5.d4 0-0-0 6. ♗e3
blocking the c-pawn. Something like 9.g3
Here, turning up the heat by 6…e5 is possible e6
and we will be looking at it in the next two
games. 10.♘h4 ♕h5 11.♗xg4 ♘xg4 12.h3 ♘f6
totally fails to convince for White.
The alternative 7.h3 ♗xf3 8.♗xf3 ♕d7:
214 215
analysis
leaves Black fine – White has problems with

the d4-pawn.
7…e6 8.c3
Black’s …♘f5 is coming and d4 needs extra

defense.
8…♘f5 9.0-0
Kicking the black queen away.
Getting the king to safety before thinking
about natural attacking ideas like b2-b4 and 11…♕d7 12.b4
♘b3.
Now the pawns begin to advance. White’s
9…♘xe3 10.fxe3 f6 attacking ideas here are very natural and easy
to remember; you can implement them in
A sensible idea: the pawn was vulnerable on f7 similar positions in your own games. The
and it now takes control of the e5 square. knight comes into c5 via b3; if it is taken, you
However, to look at the overall position, the will recapture with the b-pawn, after which
exchange on e3 seems to have helped White, ♕b3 and ♖ab1 are possible to create pressure
who will no longer have problems with the on b7. However, you should never be
d4-pawn – this makes his queenside distracted by the idea to attack in one specific
attack easier to carry out. The e3-pawn way only – you will see later on in this
isn’t a weakness, as there is no way for Black particular game why that approach would have
to attack it right now and, later in the game, it been bad for White. There are lots of other
might advance to e4 potential attacking ideas, such as: (i) ramming
the a-pawn to a6 and then continuing with
– meaning that f5 will never be a secure square
for Black’s bishop; in the Scandinavian, it ♗b5 and ♕a4 to try and win the c6-knight;
often is. (ii) shoving pawns to a5 and b5 and then
trying to break through with b5-b6; and (iii)
11. ♗c4 maybe trying to get a knight to a5 and another
to c5, targeting b7.
12…♘e7
The start of a maneuver to get this knight to

b6, where it will attack the bishop, but this
216 217
gives me three moves to improve the

deployment of my own pieces.
13. ♘b3 ♘d5 14. ♕d3
The queen improves its placement and the f-

knight is now unpinned and free to come into
the game via d2 on its way to the queenside.
14…♘b6
This position is rather unusual for an Now the first player has a choice between a)
opposite-sides castled position, in the sense 15.♘fd2 and b) 15.e4:
that usually both sides would have attacks
whereas only I have an attack here. Black’s plan a) 15.♘fd2 e5 is possible, when White can
varies from that norm. Here, he is relying on play 16.♖ab1 (to prepare the sacrifice of his
stopping my attack and then somehow being
knight on c5) 16…exd4 17.exd4 b6 18.♘c5:
better – maybe because I have overextended or
maybe by using his bishop-pair “advantage.” analysis
Two bishops are usually better than a knight
and a bishop, but this is not always the Now Black can play a1) 18…bxc5 or a2) 18…
case. With Black’s previous move, he aims ♗xc5:
to get two bishops against two knights
and tries to exchange queens; without any a1) 18…bxc5? would be too greedy. Black
obvious outposts for the knights, Black cannot keep the extra piece because of
would almost certainly have the better ♗a6 and mate threats on b7, so after
prospects. However, exchanging queens will be 19.bxc5+ he has to play 19… ♘b6 when
hard for him to organize in this position. White’s attack gains momentum, and after
20.♕g3! (threatening to crash through on
14…♔b8 is a move that Black will almost
certainly have to play later, so it makes sense to b6) 20…♔a8 21.♗b5! c6 22.♗xc6+
play it right away. Then he would be more ♕xc6 23.cxb6 axb6
flexible with the placement of his other pieces.
24.♕xg4±, the attack continues with Black’s
king even more exposed.
a2) 18…♗xc5 19.bxc5 ♖he8! leaves Black at

least level – all of a sudden he has rapidly
218 219
completed his development and has threats of

…♗e2 and …♖e3.
b) 15.e4! looks like a good idea. Black can

respond with b1) 15…♘b6 or b2) 15…♘f4:
b1) 15…♘b6 effectively ends White’s
attack after 16.♘c5 ♗xc5 17.bxc5 ♘xc4
18.♕xc4 ♗xf3, removing the option of
♘d2-b3-a5. But with 19.♖xf3 White has a
slightly more pleasant endgame thanks to his
analysis
extra space.
It looks as though White will have slightly
b2) 15…♘f4 is more combative: 16.♕e3 g5 the better prospects, but a complex
(at last a kingside initiative is getting going for struggle is just beginning.
Black) 17.e5 (so White counterattacks in the
center, trying to exploit the weakened f6- 15. ♘fd2
pawn) 17… ♗xf3 18.♕xf3
15.♘c5 ♗xc5 16.♗b5 looks clever (16.bxc5
f5 19.♖ab1: ♗f5 17.♕e2 ♘xc4 18.♕xc4 ♔b8 is fine for
Black), but after 16…c6:
analysis
17.bxc5 cxb5 18.cxb6 a6 19.c4 ♗xf3

20.♖xf3 bxc4 21.♖c1 ♔b8 22.♖xc4 ♖c8,
Black has no problems.
15…♗f5?!
Retreating to g6 costs too much time, but

15…♘xc4 16.♘xc4 e5!:
220 221
17…♗g6 18. ♘ca5
Getting closer to the king, but there are still no

direct threats.
18…♔b8 19.b5
Creating potential sacrificial threats with

♘c6+.
19.♘c5 (over-eagerness can kill the attack!)

19…♗xc5 20.bxc5 ♕a4! 21.♘b3 (forced)
21…e5.
Black is beginning to take over the

initiative and from a4 the queen kills
White’s queenside play stone
analysis
exploits the position of my queen on the d-file,

and the bishop can come back into the game
via e6, when Black is fine.
16.e4 ♘xc4 17. ♘xc4
Houdini (version 1.5, 32-bit) doesn’t like this

move. I think it missed that White is going to dead.
build up the attack quite slowly.
19…♔a8 20. ♖fe1
17.exf5 is possible, since after 17… ♘xd2
This defends the e4-pawn again, leaving the
White has 18.fxe6 ♕xe6 19.♘xd2, but Black
queen free to move to c4 in support of the
continues by putting all of his pieces on
attack.
good squares (♔b8/♗d6/ ♕f7/♖he8)
and then it is hard to see how White 20…e5 21. ♕c4 exd4 22.cxd4 ♗f7 23.d5?!
could make much progress.
222 223
Overlooking a strong resource available to his axb6 28.♕c4 b5. This blocks the threat,
opponent. 23.♕a4, with ideas of regrouping but with 29.♕c5 fxe4 30.♘c6! ♗xd5
with ♘c4, was necessary.
31.♘e7+!+– White switches from an attack
23…♕d6? on the black king to winning a piece
instead: 31…♔b7
I think that it is now quite obvious what
Black’s intentions are: the queen is to go to b6 32.♖ad1, and if 32…c6 33.♘xd5 cxd5
and the bishop to d6, when it looks as though
34.♖b1 then it is back to mate again. Or if
Black is controlling lots of squares. However, I
noticed a potential problem for him with this 25…♔b8?? 26.♘c6+
idea and so I encouraged it by making Black
defend c7. ♔b7 27.♖ac1+– is the simplest, taking the c5
square away from the black bishop before
23…f5! had to be played, undermining proceeding to play ♕a4 and mate.
my d5-pawn: 24.♘xb7 (maybe Black was
afraid of this speculative sacrifice; 24.♘d4 Returning to 25…♔a8, White now plays
[the “normal” move] 24…fxe4 25.♘e6 26.♘c6 eyeing a7:

♗xe6 26.dxe6 ♕d4+ 27.♕xd4
♖xd4 28.♘b3 ♖b4 29.♖ad1 ♗d6 and

my e6-pawn cannot be supported, e.g.
30.♘d4 ♗c5 31.♖xe4
♖e8, when it will be hard to hold onto the e-

pawn in the long run) 24…♔xb7 25.♘a5+
♔a8!. This is the only move. Even though I
have analyzed Black’s other two options, it can
be seen without calculation that they are bad
moves and that the king is safer in the corner.
Most strong players would play …♔a8 almost
on instinct, without much consideration:
25…♔c8?? 26.b6! (threatening ♕a6 and

mate) 26…♗c5+ (the only defense)
27.♕xc5 (else Black plays …cxb6) 27…
224 225
b) 28…♕xb5 29.♕xb5 ♖xb5 30.♘xf7

♗c5+ 31.♔h1 ♖f8 32.♘g5 :
analysis
It is likely that, when Black rejected 23…f5,

he had overestimated my prospects in this
position, as 24.♘d4 is nothing to be afraid of.
26…♖b8!. This idea is key to the position –

without it, Black is lost. The rook heads for b7
to defend a7. Now 27.♖ad1 (threatening e5;
not 27.♘xb8? ♔xb8 when the two bishops
dominate White’s rook) 27…fxe4 28.♘e5,
and now Black has a choice between a) 28…
♕e7 and b) 28…♕xb5: a) 28…♕e7?!
29.♕c6+ ♖b7 30.♘xf7 ♕xf7 31.♖xe4: analysis
analysis and I would have had to defend an endgame a

pawn down. However crushing your position
and White’s back-rank threats give him a draw: might seem, missing a key defensive resource
31…♗e7 32.♖de1 ♖f8 (32…♖e8 33.♖f1 like 26…♖b8 can change the outcome of a
♕g8 34.♖fe1 game.
♕f7=) 33.h3 ♕f2+ 34.♔h1 ♗d8 35.♖e8 24. ♖ac1 ♕b6+ 25. ♔h1 ♗d6
♖xe8 36.♖xe8 ♕f1+ 37.♔h2 ♕f4+
25…♗a3 26.♖c2 ♖c8 leaves Black in
38.♔g1 ♕g5 39.♕d7 ♖b8
trouble after 27.♖b1! followed by ♕a4.
40.♕c6+ ♖b7 41.♕d7=; 26.a4!
226 227
The key to White’s play. This move takes a4 Too clever. It was part of my idea in playing
away from the white queen, the square that is 27.♕f1 to hit the f7-bishop with this move,
crucial to attacking Black up the a-file. but this is flawed.
However, while Black has a7 overprotected he
has unwittingly created other problems for The simple 30.♘xd6! gives an easy win:
himself. 26.a4 does the critical job of 30…♖xd6 31.♘d2! and, despite his extra
defending the b5-pawn – can you see the pawn, Black cannot resist White’s threats of
threat?
♘c4 coupled with ♖b1 or ♕f2 to attack b6,
or simply invading at c7 in some variations.
26…♖he8? 27. ♕f1!+–
Possible continuations are:
Simply threatening ♘c4 to pick off the black
a) 31…b5 32.axb5 axb5 33.♕xb5 ♔b8
queen, and the only way not to lose the lady
on the spot is to move the a- or c-pawn, 34.♘c4 ♖a6 35.♕d7+–;
creating fresh weaknesses. Also winning is
b) 31…f5 32.♕xf5 ♗g6 33.♖c8+ ♖xc8
27.♕c2.
34.♕xc8+ ♕b8 35.♕c3+– with ♘c4
27…a6 coming; c) 31…♖d7 32.♘c4 ♖c7 33.♘d6
♕b8 34.♖xc7 ♕xc7 35.♘xe8 ♗xe8
The best attempt at a defense.
36.e5+–.
30…♗b4?
Making the win easy for me, but Black was in

time trouble around here.
30…♗xe5! 31.♘xe5 ♗xd5! (the point)

32.♘c4 (this retreat is the only way to keep
the extra piece) 32…♖xe1 33.♖xe1 ♗xc4!
(the threats to b6 are too dangerous) 34.♕xc4
♕b8! :
28. ♘c4 ♕a7 29.b6!
Shutting the queen off from the game.
29…cxb6
30.e5?
228 229
Black gave up in this hopeless position.
An important lesson to learn from this

game is that, if you have pieces clustered
around your opponent’s king, he is likely to
miss possible defenses and allow the attacking
pieces to remain in place.
Over the board, it is very hard to calculate

everything correctly and your opponent might
actually see a good defense but reject it because
he is worried about missing a possible decisive
move by you – even if there isn’t one there. I
think that my opponent (a strong player)
missing 23…f5! is a good example of this.
David Eggleston – Alan Merry (2210)
Gatwick (England) 2012
analysis
Finally the queen re-enters the game. Now I

only have a knight for three pawns and Black
has got rid of his weaknesses. Swapping queens
would probably favor Black because of his
queenside pawns, and winning from this
position would not have been an easy task for
me.
31.e6!
1.e4 ♘c6 2. ♘f3 d5 3.exd5 ♕xd5 4. ♗e2
The pawns are now monsters, much more ♗g4 5.d4 0-0-0 6. ♗e3 e5
important than an exchange.
The main variation.
31…♗h5 32. ♕g1! ♗xe1 33. ♖xe1 a5
7.c4 ♕a5+ 8. ♗d2 ♗b4 9.d5
34.d6 ♕a6 35. ♘xb6+ ♔b8 36. ♘c5 1-0
230 231
Otherwise, Black creates havoc down the d- 17.dxc6 ♘xc6 18.c5:

file.
9…♗xf3 10. ♗xf3
10…♘d4 will be seen in the next couple of

games.
10…♗xd2+
This bishop trade helps White with his

development.
11. ♘xd2 ♘d4 12.0-0
Many of White’s previous moves have been

forced, but now he has almost completed
development and can start to think about
advancing his queenside pawns.
12…f5?
Black’s attack is always going to be too slow

here, and this creates additional weaknesses.
12…♘xf3+?! was played in Adair – analysis

Kolbus, British Championship 2012, but
after 13.♘xf3 f6 18…a6?! (18…♘d4 had to be tried: 19.♘xd4
♖xd4 20.b5 and White’s advanced pawns give
14.♕c2 ♘e7 15.♖ab1 White’s play on the him a slight edge, but with only heavy pieces
queenside gets going faster than Black’s on the on the board this will not be easy to exploit,
kingside. 15… especially since Black can coordinate his rooks
well down the d-file after playing …g7-g6 to
c6 tries to gain some control in the center,
but this really just helps White’s queenside guard h7) 19.b5 axb5 20.♖xb5 ♖d5
initiative. (15…
21.♖fb1 (now White will crash through
♔b8 16.b4 ♕a6 17.a4 is an unpleasant on b7 with an overwhelming position)
alternative.) The game continued 16.b4 ♕c7 21…♖hd8 22.h3 ♘a7
232 233
23.♖xb7 ♕xb7 24.♖xb7 ♔xb7 25.♕xh7

♖8d7 26.♕b1+ ♔a8 27.♕e4 ♔b8
28.♕c4 ♔b7 29.♘h4 ♔c6
30.♘f5 ♖xc5 31.♕a6+ ♔d5 32.♘e3+ ♔e4

33.♕a4+ ♖d4 34.♕xa7 1-0.
12…♕b4! makes sense. It is strange that, in

an opposite-sides castled position, two
standard ideas –
counterattacking and swapping off your

opponent’s pieces – are both bad, but you
must concern yourself with what the exact
position in front of you demands. Black’s plan
with …♕b4 is quite simple: to take a pawn
on b2 and then trade the queens off with …
♕c2, after which White won’t be able to mate
down the b-file. This idea is helped by the
white queen’s being tied to the d2-knight.
Let’s see what happens if White provokes it: Moving the queen allows White to win
13.a3 ♕xb2 14.♖b1 ♕c2 (14… ♕xa3?! material on d4. Also bad is 13… ♘xf3+?
15.♘b3! is too greedy and gives White 14.♕xf3 and White simply picks off the f5-
an attack; 14…♕c3? 15.d6!) 15.♕xc2 ♘xc2 pawn.
16.♗d1 ♘d4 17.f4 f6:
14.axb3±
analysis
All of a sudden, White has the open a-file for
Suddenly Black has a bit of a problem the attack to add to Black’s development woes.
with his kingside. 18.fxe5 fxe5 19.♖f7

14…♕b6
♘f6 20.♖xg7, and White recaptures the
pawn with a level endgame. Still, this shows 15. ♕c1?!
that …♕b4 has been a success.
Trying to conduct the attack in a controlled
13. ♘b3! ♘xb3 manner. However, there was a stronger and
more direct way to proceed. The aggressive
234 235
15.b4! was very promising. Now Black can b) 15…♕xb4? 16.♖xa7 ♘f6 (16… ♕xc4
choose between a) 15…e4 looks tempting, but after 17.♕d2 White’s
and b) 15…♕xb4: attack is too strong, for example 17…♕c5

[17…e4? 18.♕g5 wins everything]
a)15…e4 16.c5! ♕xb4 17.♖xa7!± works out 18.♖fa1 ♘e7 19.♕e2! ♘g6
well for White, but this kind of line is very
hard to see over the board. 17…♘f6 (if 20.♖xb7+–) 17.♕c2 e4 18.♗e2 and White’s
17…exf3? White just ignores the loss of a initiative continues with ♖fa1. Note that if
piece and proceeds with the attack: 18.c6! – 18. .. ♔d7?, then 19.c5 wins because 19…
splat – 18…bxc6 19.♖a8+ ♔d7 20.dxc6+ ♘xd5 runs into 20.♖a4, trapping the queen.
+–) 18.♕c1!+– ♖xd5 (18…♘xd5 19.c6
♘b6 15…e4 16. ♗e2 ♘f6??
Losing on the spot… which I failed to exploit!

20.cxb7+ ♔b8 [20…♔d7 21.b8♕ ♖xb8
22.♕xc7+ +–] 21.♕c6 ♔xa7 22.♖a1+) Black should play 16…♔b8! and answer
19.c6!: analysis
17.♕c3 with 17…♘e7, when 18.c5 can be
19…♖a5 20.cxb7+ ♔b8 (20…♔d7 met by 18…♕f6
21.b8♕+–) 21.♖a8+! ♔xb7 (21… ♖xa8 and Black is still very much in the game after
22.bxa8♕+ ♔xa8 19.♕a5 ♘c8 since he has managed to defend
his king just in time. The aggressive 20.c6
23.♕xc7+–) 22.♗xe4+ ♘xe4 23.♖xh8 and
bxc6 21.dxc6 ♕xc6 22.♕xf5 leaves White
White has a decisive material advantage.
with a better pawn structure, but no attack.
17. ♕c3?±
17.c5!+– was the way to go: 17… ♕xb3

18.♖xa7 ♘xd5:
analysis
I looked at this line too superficially, rejecting

it because I didn’t want to spoil my position –
I thought that losing a pawn was risky, and
I could tell that 17.♕c3 was good for
White. This is an example of making a
236 237
split-second decision about a position and 19.c5! ♕f6 20.c6!

assuming it is correct without really delving
into the details. Had I spent more time on it, I The arrival of a pawn on c6 is very bad news
would have easily noticed that White is for Black.
winning here. 19.c6 leads to massive material
gains and there is also the simple 19.♗c4 20…♘b8 21. ♕c5 ♕d6
followed by ♖a8+, swapping rooks and At least this makes me find a good move, but
taking the d5-knight for free. It is it falls short. Still, Black’s position was
important not to be content with finding hopeless. Also losing are 21…bxc6 22.dxc6
a strong move like 17.♕c3 ♕xc6 23.♗xa6+ ♔d7 24.♗b5; and 21…b6
without making sure there isn’t a better one! 22.♗xa6+ ♘xa6 23.♖xa6 with mate on a8.
17…♘d7 18.b4 a6 22. ♕a5! ♖he8?
After 22…♕xd5 I have 23.cxb7+!:
analysis
This was the only winning move, so it

was important to calculate it in advance.
23…♕xb7 (23…
♔xb7 24.♗xa6+) 24.♕xf5+ (now this pawn

drops off ) 24…♖d7 25.b5 is one way to
finish it. Black’s king is massively exposed and
the end is nigh. 25…axb5 26.♗xb5 c6
27.♗c4+–.
Alternatively, 22…bxc6 23.dxc6!

(23.♗xa6+? chasing the black king around
is a bad mistake, as White cashes in too
early, driving the king away from its mating
net on the queenside to the relative safety
Black has no counterplay and is reduced to

making passive moves like this!
238 239
♕a5+ 8. ♗d2 ♗b4 9.d5
♗xf3 10. ♗xf3 ♘d4
Black decides to keep more pieces on the

board than in the previous game.
11. ♘c3
White is now threatening a2-a3 to embarrass

the queen and bishop, so Black plays: 11…
of the center of the board for a gain of only ♕a6
one pawn. 23…♘xa6 24.♕xa6+ ♔d7
25.dxc6+ ♔e7 , and this position will be hitting c4.
hard to win. If White gets carried away and
12.b3
brings his queen into b7, Black might even be
able to push his pawn to f3 and start an attack
of his own!) 23…♕xc6 24.♕xf5+. Now
White has a winning position similar to that
after 22…♕xd5.
23.b5!
The attack is crashing through, but after…
23…b6?
24. ♕xa6+! ♘xa6 25. ♖xa6
…it is mate immediately after …♔b8 ♖fa1,

so Black gave up. 1-0
David Eggleston – Torben Kyhl Sørensen

(2181)
Aarhus (Denmark) 2012
1.e4 d5 2.exd5 ♕xd5 3. ♘f3 ♗g4 4.

♗e2 ♘c6 5.d4 0-0-0 6. ♗e3 e5 7. c4
240 241
12.♗e2 is the most common move, but 12…

♘f6 13.a3 ♖he8 14.axb4 ♕xa1 15.♕xa1
♘c2+ 16.♔f1
♘xa1 17.♗d1:
analysis
leads to a very sharp position where play

revolves around the black knight on a1. I don’t
see any point in going for this as White, since
it seems that Black is OK. Also, it gives your
opponents the chance to trot out their
preparation, being confident about the type of
position they are in since it is the main line so
they will probably have analyzed it extensively
and won’t have to think for themselves until
maybe even move 25. All of this is definitely to
be avoided!
12…♕a5
The c4 point has been defended, so the

Here, I thought for 40 minutes and found:
black queen moves back to a5, where the
c3-knight is now undefended. 15.a3!
13. ♖c1 sacrificing a pawn and exploiting tactical

opportunities to attack the black king. If
It looks as though Black will continue actively White plays anything else, he will have no
with …f5 and …♘f6 and whip up play on constructive plan and Black will take over the
the kingside while White is behind in initiative.
development with a rigid pawn structure and
no active possibilities. This would be true if 15.♖e1?! (a random weak move) 15…♖he8.
White didn’t have a strong move available later How does White continue now? Let’s try
on. 16.♗e2 ♔b8
13…f5 14.0-0 ♘f6 and now I think you get my point: after a
single careless move, 15.♖e1, White suddenly
242 243
has nothing to do in this position. An example

of how play might proceed is 17.♗f1 h5
18.♖e3 f4 19.♖e1 g5 20.♗d3 g4 : analysis
This line demonstrates the problems you can

run into if you play even a single move
superficially –
for example, thinking that “I’ll just attack that

pawn first and then decide what to do next
after he defends it.” Instead, if you try to find
a series of active moves to improve your pieces
and realize there aren’t any, you are well on the otherwise Black could have played …♕xa3, so
way to finding 15.a3! since you will have the rook does this job in preparation for b3-
recognized the need to change the nature of b4.
the position. After 15.a3!, the task required
of you changes and the next few moves 15…♗xa3 16.♖a1! (16.♘b5?! ♕a6 17.♖a1
are about accurate calculation, not planning. ♘xb5 18.cxb5 ♕d6 and Black keeps his
bishop with no worries) 16… ♕c5 17.♘a4
15…♕xa3
♕f8 18.♗e3 :
15…♗e7 16.♖a1! . Without a bishop on analysis
b4 to be embarrassed, the a3-pawn needs
defending, Black is passive, with a7 under pressure.
16. ♘b5! ♕xb3
16…♘xb5 17.♖a1! (this move keeps

cropping up; this time it picks off the
b4-bishop) 17…♕b2
18.♗xb4 ♘d4 (18…e4 19.♗h5 [19.cxb5

♖xd5 20.♕e2 ♕d4!=]:
analysis
Why here, when …g7-g6 will just kick it

away? Again, there is a tactical reason. White
didn’t want to capture on b5 when Black could
244 245
take on d5 with the rook before taking on f3,

and ♗e2 would walk into
…♘d4. 19…♘xh5 [19… g6 20.cxb5

♘xh5 21.♖xa7±] 20.♕xh5 ♕xb3
21.♕xf5+ ♔b8 22.♗e7! wins some
material: 22…♕xc4 23.♗xd8 ♖xd8
24.♕xh7 . Here the extra exchange is not
so clear because Black has compensation in
the form of his queenside pawn mass.)
trouble, but as usual the attacking side is
rewarded for attacking and energetic play
(Returning to 18…♘d4) 19.♖xa7 ♕xb3
with a further resource: 22.d6! (defending e7
20.♗e7! (moving the attacked piece with
and attacking b7) 22…♘xf3+ 23.gxf3:
gain of time and exploiting the fact that …
♖d7 runs into ♖a8#) 20…♕xd1 21.♖xd1 analysis
♖de8. It looks as if Black is out of
23…♔d7! (♖b1 was coming, so Black
gives up b7 right away) 24.♖xb7 ♖c8
25.♖a7 and Black’s position remains
unpleasant.
17. ♗xb4
17.♕xb3 is the alternative: 17… ♘xb3

18.♗xb4 ♘xc1 19.♖xc1 a6 20.♘c3:
analysis
White has two bishops for a rook and two

pawns. Two bishops usually work well
together, so I think White should be slightly
better. The plan of ♗d1-a4 is strong but
White will have to play very accurately to
exploit this and, given the choice between a
position like this or keeping the queens on and
attacking in a superior position, I would take
the attack every time!
246 247
17…♕xb4 Black’s queenside looks very bare and White

has the following ideas: bring rooks to the a-
17…♘xf3+? 18.♕xf3 ♕xb4?? meets a sticky and b-files; advance the pawns in the center;
end: 19.♘xa7+ ♔b8?: unleash an attack on b7 from the f3-bishop
when the d-pawn advances.
19…c5?
19…a6??. It is amazing that this move was

played against me about a month after the
present game! In Eggleston – Vich, Mallorca
2012, my opponent said in the post-mortem
that he had seen the present game and planned
to deviate a few moves earlier – but then
changed his mind at the board. However, his
first new move was a losing blunder! A word of
warning: don’t make this same mistake
yourself in your own games! Stick to your
preparation – or look at the whole of
your opponents’ previous games. I replied
20.♖b1!+–. Now my threats are just too
strong and Black is utterly helpless. The game
concluded 20…c5
21.♕a1 ♕d2 22.♕a3 ♖d7 23.♕xc5+ ♖c7

(23…♔b8 24.♕a3 and White continues with
analysis ♖fd1 and c4-c5-c6, winning) 24.♕a7 ♖d8
25.♖xb7 ♖xb7 26.♕a8+ ♔c7 27.d6+
(19…♔d7 20.♕xf5+ ♔e8 21.♕xe5+
♖xd6 28.♕xb7+ ♔d8 29.c5 ♖d7
♕e7 22.♕g3 and Black’s position is
hopeless) 20.♘c6+! bxc6 30.♕b8+ ♔e7 31.c6 ♕d6 32.♕xd6+ ♖xd6
33.c7:
21.♖b1 wins the queen and the game.
18. ♘xd4 exd4 19. ♕xd4
Black may be a pawn up here, but he is

in trouble as White’s attack continues.
248 249
23.♖xa5 ♘e4!, and Black escapes after

24.♖xa7 ♘d2 25.♖c1:
analysis
25…♔d7! (25…♘xc4?? 26.d6!+–). White

has no good square for his f3-bishop; a
possible continuation is 26.♖a2 ♘xf3+
27.gxf3 ♖a8, when the position is equal since
Black’s king can come to c5 quickly.
20. ♕e5±
It can be easy for your opponent to crack

like this when under pressure. Now I
have a protected passed pawn, the black
queen is cut off from the game, and f5 is
falling.
20…♘e8??
This hastens the end. 20…♕b6 21.♕xf5+

analysis ♔b8 22.♖b1 ♕d6 23.♖fe1 might be very
close to losing for
Black resigned without waiting for 33…♔d7
34.♖c1 ♔c8 35.♗b7+! ♔xb7 36.c8=♕+.
The ugly-looking 19…b6! is the best attempt

to keep Black’s position together: 20.♕d3
♘e4 21.♗xe4
fxe4 22.♕xe4 . Black’s position is unpleasant,

but he is unlikely to get mated anytime soon.
After 19…b6! White’s alternative 20.♕a1

fails to convince: 20…♕a5! (Black realizes
the need to swap queens even at the cost of
material) 21.♕xa5 bxa5 22.♖a1 ♖he8
250 251
GM Alexander Areshchenko (2645) –

Richard Almond (2101) Port Erin 2007
1.e4 d5 2.exd5 ♕xd5 3. ♘f3 ♗g4 4.

♗e2 ♘c6 5.d4 0-0-0 6. ♗e3 e5 7.c4
♕a5+ 8. ♗d2 ♗b4 9.d5
♗xf3 10. ♗xf3 ♗xd2+ 11. ♘xd2 ♘d4

12.0-0 ♕b4
Black, with ♖e6 coming, but at least he is

trying to achieve some coordination.
21. ♖b1 ♕a5 22. ♖b5 ♕c7 23.d6! ♕xd6

24. ♕xf5+ ♖d7
You might ask how, on the next two moves, I

missed the very simple ♖d1 winning on the
spot. The answer is that I had seen that the
move I played was winning, so I didn’t stop to
look for something even better. I think this
happens quite a lot, especially as players get We have already visited this position – in
excited by the win – but slowing down and the notes to the game Eggleston – Merry.
stopping to rethink can often save you from Still, it is interesting for us to see how a
having to play an extra dozen moves! strong GM handles White’s side.
25. ♗g4 b6 26. ♕f3 ♔b8 27. ♗xd7 ♕xd7 13. ♖e1
28. ♖xc5! Attacking e5 right away.
Now the black queen goes. 13…f6
28…bxc5 29. ♖b1+ ♔c7 30. ♖b7+ ♔d8 This is passive, but there is no way for White
31. ♖xd7+ ♔xd7 32. ♕d5+ ♘d6 33. to take advantage of it.
♕xc5 ♖c8 34. ♕xa7+
13…♘f6!, simply putting the pieces on good
squares, is the easiest way to play this position:
♖c7 35. ♕d4 ♔e6 36. ♕d5+ 1-0
14.♕c1
252 253
(14.♖xe5 ♘xf3+ 15.♘xf3 ♕xc4 16.♖e7 18.♖xe5; 15…♘xf3+?? 16.♕xf3 ♕xd2

♖xd5 17.♕e1 ♖hd8 18.♖xf7=) 14… 17.♕xb7+ ♔d7 18.dxc7 with ♖d1 next)
♖he8 15.♗d1 (now this idea from the 16.♖xe5 ♖xd6 (otherwise c4-c5,
main game is not so effective) 15…♔b8 cementing the powerful d6-pawn, was
16.♕c3 ♕d6 (16…♕xc3?! 17.bxc3 is a coming) 17.♖e8+ ♔c7 (17…
positional error, as in the game) 17.b4 (White’s
problem is that it is hard to play c4-c5 without ♔d7 18.♖b8+– and White crashes through;
leaving d5 17…♖d8?? 18.♖xd8+ ♔xd8 19.♘b3+–).
Black now has two extra pawns. How should
undefended) 17…g5 launching operations on White proceed? 18.c5! (the rook is holding
the kingside: Black’s position together, so White attacks it)
18…♖e6 19.♖a8!+–:
analysis
Now there are lots of possibilities but

18.a4 c6! looks OK for Black: after 19.a5!
cxd5 20.c5 ♕a6
21.♕g3, White should regain the pawn but

won’t be able to inflict further damage on the
black camp.
13…♕xb2?! is not a good move – this

was shown in another of Richard’s games:
14.♖b1 ♕xa2.
(14…♕c2 15.♕xc2 ♘xc2 16.♗g4+ ♔b8

17.♖xe5 ♘f6 18.♗d1 ♘d4 19.♗a4
initiating kingside action.
White is planning ♖e7 and has pressure

down the b-file. Black can’t play …♖e8
and his position is difficult.) Now White
faces a choice between a) 15.d6 and b) 15.
♖a1: a) 15.d6! was the way to go: 15… c6 analysis
(15…cxd6 16.♗xb7+ ♔d7 – running away – Black cannot develop the knight and rook on
17.♘f3 and White wins, e.g. 17… ♕xc4 his kingside because of the pin on the back
254 255
rank, which leaves White with an this pawn is only three moves away from
overwhelming majority of pieces in play. queening.) 19.d6! cxd6 20.cxb5 ♘xf3+
The black queen is tied down to the 21.gxf3!:
defense of a7. Play might proceed 19…
♕c2 20.♕xc2 ♘xc2 21.♘c4 b5 22.♘d6
♖xd6 23.cxd6+ ♔xd6
24.♖c8+–.
b) 15.♖a1? was played in the game. White’s

pieces were geared towards attacking b7, not
a7. 15…
♕c2= (now Black is off the hook) 16.♖xa7

♕xd1 17.♖xd1 ♘f6 18.♖b1 b5?! (This is
too loosening; 18…
b6! is more solid and Black will have the

option of …♔d7 to run away if needed: 19.c5
[White tries to hack his way through
regardless] 19…♔b8 20.♖ba1 bxc5
21.♘c4 [the knight joins in the attack]
21…
♘xf3+ 22.gxf3 ♘xd5! [eliminating White’s

pawn, which could be quite dangerous if it
advanced to d6]
23.♘xe5 ♘b6 24.♘xf7 c4 25.♘xh8 ♖xh8:
analysis analysis
With his advanced supported pawn on c4 Leaving the knight ready to come into c4.
and White’s weakened kingside pawn White has a raging initiative and is only one
structure, Black should be able to draw this pawn down.
easily. It is important that Black’s pawn is as far
advanced as c4 because if White goes all-out to 21…♔b8! (the only defense) 22.♖ba1
try and make something of his kingside pawns, d5?? (22… ♖c8 is the only way to stay
256 257
in the game: 23.♘c4! example 17.♘xd4 ♕xd1 18.♖cxd1 exd4

19.♖xd4 ♖d7=.
[exploiting the back-rank threats] 23…
♖xc4! [otherwise ♖a8+ would have been
too strong with the knight in the game]
24.♖a8+ ♔b7 25.♖xh8 d5 . It is quite
characteristic of this kind of position that
when White takes the exchange he loses both
his attack and some coordination between his
pieces. I would not envy Black’s position, but
he has some chances to defend.) and now
23.♘b3!+– is the killer. The problem for
Black is that the second rook is coming
into a6, followed by ♘a5. The game
concluded with 23… 14…♘h6 15. ♗d1
♖c8 24.♖1a6 ♖hd8 25.b6: White defends c2 and removes the bishop
from potential capture in preparation for his
analysis
next move.
1-0 Rutter – Almond, 4NCL Teams (England)
15…g5?!
2008.
This is a mistake, making White’s plan
14. ♕c1
stronger. Instead, 15…♘f7 16.♕c3 ♕xc3
The start of an interesting positional concept. 17.bxc3 ♘f5 leaves Black fine, as f6 is not
weak.
14.♘b3 was an alternative: 14… ♕xc4 (14…
♘xf3+?! 15.♕xf3 ♕xc4 is what White wants 16. ♕c3!
[15…♔b8 Now Black has to watch out for
16.♖e4 ] 16.d6! ♖xd6 17.♖ac1 . White’s ♕h3+.

pieces are very active, as can be seen after 17…
♕f7 18.♘c5 16…♕xc3 17.bxc3 ♘df5 18. ♘e4
c6 19.♕a3! [threatening ♘xb7] 19…♕c7 18…♖hf8

20.♕xa7 ) 15.♗e4 ♘e7 16.♖c1 ♕a4,
but Black seems to be fine here, for
258 259
Because of 15…g5, it is necessary to spend a 23.d6 ♘c6! and Black continues with …♘a5,
move tying a rook down to this pawn. driving the bishop away. When advancing
your pawns, it’s important not to leave good
19. ♗b3 squares for your opponent’s pieces to move
into!
I know the queens are no longer on the board,
but there is an attack coming up soon! 23…b6
19…♘g8 20.c5 23…bxc6?? loses immediately: 24.dxc6 ♘xc6:

Black’s knights look misplaced and White analysis
advances on the queenside.
25.♗a6+ ♔b8 26.♖ab1+ ♔a8 27.♗b7+
20…♘ge7 21. ♖ed1 ♘g7 22. ♗c4 h6
♔b8 28.♗xc6+ +–.
24. ♗a6+ ♔b8 25.c4 f5 26. ♘c3
White improves the placement of all his

pieces. Once the pawns advance to a5 and c5
and the knight arrives on b5, Black won’t be
able to stop his position from falling apart. I
wouldn’t be surprised if Black were already
totally lost in this position.
26…♘e8 27.a4 ♘d6 28.a5 e4 29.c5
This is an important moment. What is the

best way for White to proceed?
23.c6!
260 261
Chapter 6: Taking Your Chances
Chapter 6
29…♘dc8
29…bxc5 30.♖ab1+ ♔a8 31.♘a4!+–. After

♘xc5, the plan is ♗b7+ followed by ♘a6#. Taking Your Chances
30.axb6+– cxb6 31. ♘b5! In this chapter, we examine games where there
should be no real possibility of a mating attack
The most clinical approach. but careless play by one of the players
allows the hidden offensive potential in
31…♖xd5 32.c7+ ♔a8 33. ♖xd5 ♘xd5
his opponent’s pieces to come to life.
34.c6 ♘xc7 35. ♘xc7+ ♔b8 36. ♘b5 f4 Winning like this is often about calculating
37.c7+ ♔a8 38. ♗xc8 well and taking your chances. If there wasn’t a
strong attack before your opponent erred,
1-0 then quite often – if you don’t take your
opportunity when it presents itself – the
attacking potential in your position will
disappear as quickly as it appeared.
IM Yuri Zimmerman (2374) – David

Eggleston
Port Erin 2006
1.d4 e6 2.g3 f5 3. ♗g2 ♘f6 4. ♘f3 ♗e7

5.c4 0-0 6.0-0
The typical starting position for the Dutch

Defense.
262 263
6…♘e4
This line isn’t very popular, but is known as

Alekhine’s Variation and it can’t be bad for a
line to be named after a former world
champion.
7. ♕c2
White has lots of other possibilities. 7.♘c3,

7.d5, 7.b3 and 7.♘fd2 all lead to interesting
positions.
7…♗f6 8. ♘c3 ♘xc3 9. ♕xc3
9.bxc3 is maybe stronger, planning ♖e1 and

e2-e4, grabbing space in the center. If Black
has played
…d7-d6 by then, after a pawn trade on e4,

Black’s e6-pawn will be weak, although
defended by the c8-bishop.
9…d6 10. ♕d3 Instead the strange-looking 10.♗e3, blocking

the e-pawn, was advisable, leaving White with
This approach with the idea of playing e2-e4 chances to gain a slight edge – for example, by
looks a bit slow, especially since White could meeting …♘c6 with ♕d2 followed by d4-d5.
have kept the queen on the b1–h7 diagonal by
playing bxc3. Black will now be sufficiently 10…♘c6 11.d5 ♘e5 12. ♘xe5 dxe5?!
developed for e2-e4 not to be dangerous.
This is too risky.
A better way to play the position is 12…

♗xe5! 13.dxe6 c6!:
analysis
Black has no problems after …♗xe6 next

move.
264 265
13.e4! 16.♕xd5+ ♕xd5 17.♗xd5+ ♔h8 18.♗b2 :
Grabbing space in the center. analysis
13…h6 White plans to gang up on the e5-pawn for

the rest of the game. This would have been
Possible is 13…♗e7, relocating the bishop to unpleasant and provided me no attacking
a new diagonal – but White is better after
chances whatsoever. 16.♗xd5+ was also
14.f4, taking even more space and exploiting
promising.
the bishop’s recent departure from the f6
square: 14… ♗d6 15.fxe5 ♗xe5 16…♗e7!=
16.exf5 exf5 17.♗f4! ♗xb2 18.♖ab1 ♗f6 The bishop relocates to block White’s d-pawn
19.c5! : and prevent any d5-d6 or ♗a3 ideas.
analysis 17. ♗b2 ♗d6 18.f4?
Too ambitious. A normal move such as

18.♖ac1 should have been preferred.
18…♗h3?
This, too, is a serious mistake.
18…exf4! grabs the pawn and White’s

threats are insufficient: 19.♗h7+ ♔h8
20.♕g6?? (maybe I was afraid of this
dangerous-looking move in the game but, if
so, I hadn’t looked far enough!), and now 20…
♗c5+!:
Black has an extra pawn but White will
have a dangerous advanced d-pawn after
d5-d6. White is fully developed and his
bishops rake across the black queenside, while
most of Black’s pieces remain on the back
rank.
14.b3 fxe4 15. ♗xe4 exd5 16. cxd5?!
266 267
28.♖e1 :
analysis
White’s dangerous e6-pawn will give Black

headaches.
20…♗b4!=
Black has the possibility of …♕b6+ and this

holds the balance.
21. ♖ed1 ♕b6+! 22. ♔h1 exf4 23. ♕h5?
Overambitious, inviting my last undeveloped

piece to join the game in a natural way.
23.gxf4!, recapturing the pawn, had to be

played, when 23…♖xf4 24.d6!, giving up a
second pawn,
analysis
followed by ♕xd5+, is a killer.
19. ♖fe1 ♕f6 20. ♕e2?!
As in the 18…exf4 line, it was wrong to

be afraid of the opponent’s pieces being
around my king!
20.♗xe5! ♗xe5 21.fxe5 ♕f2+ 22.♔h1 ♖ae8

23.♕c3 ♖f5 24.e6 ♖ef8 25.♖g1! and all of
Black’s threats have been guarded against,
despite his ominous-looking pieces. 25…
♖h5 26.g4 ♗xg4 27.♖g2 ♕f4
268 269
A powerful centralizing move, threatening

♖xg7+ followed by mate. This position is
quite unusual in that both sides are attempting
to attack each other with just queens, rooks,
and bishops in the absence of central pawns
or far-advanced pawns. White’s king has
less pawn cover but is safer, as the d5-
bishop does a great job of covering the h1-a8
diagonal. White has two bishops, a rook, and a
queen all pointing at Black’s king, while
looks as if it may create some problems for Black’s f8-bishop and a8-rook are passive
Black. The idea is to force Black to recapture and the queen on b6, rook on f4, and
on d6 with the bishop, and then the black
queen is temporarily blocked from moving
across the sixth rank to defend while
White launches a very quick attack. 24…
♗xd6! (24…♕f2? 25.♕xf2 ♖xf2
26.dxc7± and White’s c7-pawn is too strong)
25.♗d5+. This leaves Black with a difficult
choice: where to put the king?
Black can play a) 25…♔f8; b) 25… ♔h7; or

c) 25…♔h8:
a) 25…♔f8?? is out of the question as

26.♖g1 wins: 26…g5 27.♕h5+–:
analysis
with a double attack on h6 and h3.

Remarkably, if White didn’t have 27.♕h5
here, he would have been worse, which yet
again illustrates the importance of spotting
forcing moves. bishop on h3 are poorly coordinated. This
indicates that Black should be in big trouble.
b) 25…♔h7?! 26.♖g1 ♗f8 27.♕e5!:
analysis
270 271
27…♖f6 (the only move; 27…♕f6?? Now White has a choice: c1) 26.♖g1; or c2)
28.♕xc7! [exploiting the loose rook on f4] 26.♕h5:
28…♖c8 29.♕xc8
♗xc8 30.♗xf6 ♖xf6 31.♖af1+–) 28.♖g3!

(there was no immediate breakthrough, so
White calmly makes way for his last piece to
join the attack and at the same time kicks
away the h3-bishop) 28…♗f5 29.♖ag1
(Black cannot withstand White’s pressure)

29…♖d8 (29…♗c2 30.♗e4+ ♗xe4+
31.♕xe4+ ♔h8 32.♗xf6
♕xf6 33.♕xb7±) 30.♖f3:
analysis
30…♗g6 (30…♖xd5 31.♕xd5 ♕e6

32.♕xe6 ♗xe6 33.♗xf6 ♗d5 34.♔g2
gxf6 and White’s rook gives him good
chances to win this ending) 31.♖xf6 gxf6 (it
might look at first as if Black has got
everything covered with 31… ♕xf6?:
c1) 26.♖g1 ♗f8 27.♕e5 ♖f5! (the
analysis
difference; if the king were on h7, this
but after the clever 32.♗e4!, White wins would have walked into
material and the game) 32.♕g3 ♕xg1+ ♖xg7+ and mate) 28.♕xg7+ (28.♕c3
(forced; not 32…f5?
attempts to play on: 28…♖xd5 29.♖xg7
33.♕e5! and White mates) 33.♔xg1 ♖xd5 [looks dangerous, but…]
34.♕xc7+ ♔g8 35.♗xf6± and the queen will

29…♖c5! holds for Black – 30.♕d4! ♖b5:
be stronger than the rook and the bishop in
the ending. analysis
c) 25…♔h8!.
272 273
[30…♕c6+?? 31.♖g2+ followed by ♕h8#]

31.♖g5+! ♕xd4 32.♗xd4+ ♔h7 33.♖xb5
♖d8= and Black’s two powerful bishops are
enough to hold the balance) 28…♗xg7
29.♖xg7 ♖xd5: analysis
The windmill in action. This time Black has

too many pieces and White must take a draw.
30.♖g4+!
analysis
(covering d4; after 30.♖g6+?! ♖d4! 31.♖xb6
axb6 32.♗xd4+ ♔g8 33.♖g1+ ♔f8 , Black Perhaps most players would have halted their
has given up a lot of material to avoid the calculations at this point and concluded that
perpetual and can try to win this opposite- White was winning, with the threats of ♕xh3
colored bishop ending with an extra pawn)
and ♕xh6+ followed by mate, making the
30…♔h7 31.♖g7+ ♔h8 32.♖g4+.
decision to head for 25…♔h7
c2) 26.♕h5: instead. They would have stopped their
calculations one move too early!
26…♗a3!!. Now the queen guards h6

from b6 and ♕xh3 can be met by …
♗xb2. (27.♗xg7+ ♔xg7
28.♖g1+ ♗g4! 29.♖xg4+ ♖xg4 30.♕xg4+

♔h8=) 27.♗xa3.
What’s Black’s only move this time?
analysis
27…♗g4! 28.♕e5. And this time?
28…♖f5! 29.♕c3 (29.♕e4 unfortunately

allows 29…♗f3+ 30.♕xf3 ♖xf3 31.♗xf3 c6
with balanced chances; 29.♕e6?? ♗f3+
274 275
30.♗xf3 ♕xe6–+) 29…♗xd1 30.♖xd1 24.♕xh3 ♖xe4 25.gxf4 ♖exf4 26.♖g1 g5!
♖d8 (Black’s active pieces hold the and White can struggle on a pawn down.
balance) 31.♖g1 ♖g5 32.♖xg5 hxg5 24…f3—+
33.♗c5 ♕a6 34.♕h3+ ♕h6 35.♕xh6+
gxh6 36.♗xb7 ♖d1+ 37.♗g1 24…♖e2 also wins.
a5=. 25. ♗d4
23…♖ae8∓ 25.♕xh3 ♕xg6 is hopeless for White.
Suddenly Black’s attack is very powerful and 25…♗g2+ 26. ♔g1

White will have big problems saving the game.
26…♖e1+ 27. ♔f2 ♖e2+ 28. ♔g1 ♕xd4+
White resigned without waiting for 29.♖xd4

f2+ 30.♔xg2 f1=♕#. 0-1
FM Peter Sowray (2352) – GM Nigel Short

(2683)
Banyoles (Spain) 2007
The position is closed and White, being

the only one who can do anything
24. ♗g6?? constructive, is slightly better. If Black tries
to be active, he will make his position
Losing on the spot.
worse. Black must sit and wait as White
attempts to break through. Normally, you
276 277
would expect a position like this to 32…f6

involve slow maneuvers and, while this is
true in most cases including here, often a It is too late for 32…♗f6 because, after
big tactical chance will arise and you will 33.♕e3!:
have to be alert to it and find it when it
does – otherwise, the maneuvering will analysis
probably get you nowhere.
there is no way for Black to defend the c5-
27…♖h6 pawn. 33…♕d6 (33…♕c7 34.♗a5 wins the
exchange) 34.b4!
White was threatening 28.f6, winning the
bishop or the rook, as well as 28.d6 with
an attack. This move prevents both of these
possibilities.
28.c4
Gaining space.
28…bxc4 29.bxc4 ♖b6 30. ♕e2
Putting an end to Black’s activity.
30…h4 31. ♗e1 ♕b8?
31…♕d6! 32.♗c3 ♗f6 keeps Black’s

disadvantage to a minimum. All of the second
player’s pieces are reasonably well placed.
33.♖e1 is nothing to worry about – the
ending is equal after 33…♔f8
34.♗xe5 ♕xe5 35.♕xe5 ♗xe5 36.♖xe5

♖xb2. cxb4 35.c5+–.
32. ♗c3! 33. ♕h5+!
Defending b2 and attacking e5. Now White 33.♕c2? misses the chance – this was played
has a strong positional bind and is already
in the actual game! – 33… ♗d6 34.♖a1
winning.
♕c8 35.♕e4
278 279
♔f8 36.♔f2 ♕b7 and a draw was agreed.

White is still slightly better, but his only active
plan looks like g2-g3 followed by h3-h4 and it
is hard to believe that Black won’t be able to
cope with it.
33…♔d7
33…♔f8? 34.d6!:
analysis
34…♖xb2 35.d6! and now White wins
34…♗xd6 (34…♖xd6 35.♕h8+ picks the after 35…♖b1 36.dxe7+ ♖xd1+
queen off ) 35.♕h6+ ♔f7 36.♕g6+ ♔e7 37.♕xd1+ ♔xe7, while following 35…
37.♕g7+ ♔e8 38.♕xf6 ♗xd6 Black is mated by 36.♕f7+ ♔c6
37.♕d5+ ♔d7 38.♕e6+ ♔c6 39.♖xd6+
and White wins; 33…♔d8 34.♗a5+–.
♕xd6: analysis
34. ♗a5!
40.♕c8+ ♕c7 41.♕xc7#.
It is unusual to see two pieces coming in to
attack the black king from opposite edges of No better is 34…♖b7 35.d6! (again, the same
the board in this manner, but it is very idea) 35…♗xd6 36.♕f7+ ♔c6 37.♕d5+
effective here! ♔d7 38.♕e6+
34…♖d6 ♔c6 39.b4+–:
analysis
and c4-c5 is coming.
35.b4!
White’s queenside pawns join in the attack and

now it is decisive. White is attacking with
three pawns (or four if you count the f5-
pawn), the queen, and the bishop, with the
d1-rook ready to join the action. No wonder
280 281
Black is defenseless! Black’s d6-rook makes a 41. ♕e6+ ♔b8

sorry sight, blocking White’s passed pawn.
41…♖d7 42.♖c1 wins.
35…cxb4
42. ♖b1+
35…♕c8 36.♕f7 leaves Black in Zugzwang,
in the sense that he doesn’t have a decent move Black is mated.
to keep c5 defended. For example, 36…cxb4
(36… e4 doesn’t help, since after 37.♖e1 This game highlights the importance of taking
White takes Black’s e-pawn next move) your opportunities when you get them –
otherwise, they often disappear. It is
37.♗xb4 and White wins.
important to remain alert and 33. ♕h5+
was an obvious possibility – so it was
important to spend a reasonable amount of
time calculating it.
David Eggleston – Christian Harstad

(2029)
Dublin Open 2012
35…♕a7 36.♔h1 and again Black must

make his position worse.
36.c5
The rook is nearly trapped.
36…♕a7 37. ♗xb4 a5 38. ♗a3 ♔c8 39.

♔h1 ♖d8 40. ♕f7
Black’s position collapses. White threatens

41.d6, so Black plays:
40…♗xc5
Now White has only one strong move, but it

finishes the attack off nicely.
282 283
18.f3! ♗f5?!
18…♗e6! 19.♘c3 ♕g6 20.♕f2 and maybe

Black is just about level.
19. ♕d2!
We join the game in progress. Black’s king is

strangely placed but looks safe enough, while
White has an extra pawn but is somewhat
underdeveloped and must watch out for a
dangerous attack against his king along the g-
and h-files.
16. ♗e3?!
16.♕e4! ♗e6 (16…f5 17.♕f4 ♕e8

18.♘c3 ♕f7±) 17.♖e1 ♕e8 18.♗f4
♗f7 19.♕f5+ ♗e6 20.♕d3
♖g8 21.♘c3 ♕f7 22.g3 .
16…♖g8 17. ♔h1 ♕e8?!
17…♕e7! with the option of putting a

rook on e8: 18.♖g1 (18.f3? ♖ae8 ) 18… Covers d3.
♖g6 19.♘d2 ♖h8
19…♕g6 20. ♘c3 ♖g7 21. ♖ac1?!
20.♘f1=:
Eyeing the pawn shield around the black king,
analysis but this idea is flawed.
White’s last move covers h2. This looks

unpleasant to play for White.
284 285
Preferable was 21.g4! ♗e6 (21… ♗d3

22.♖fd1 ♗a6 23.d5 ) 22.d5 cxd5
23.♘xd5 ♗xe3 24.♘xe3
♖h8 25.♖ac1 :
analysis
Here Black hasn’t got much pressure against

White’s position.
analysis
21…♖h8?!
Black’s counterplay arrives just in time.
21…♗d3! 22.♖fd1 (hitting d3, but…) 22…
♖e8! (the mate threat on g2 prevents White 22.g4!
from taking on d3, and now d4-d5 is not
The only good move available to White. It is
possible because of …♗xe3) 23.g4 ♗c4 easier to find if you start by thinking that you
24.b3 ♗a6 25.♖e1 f5!=: would like to play 22.d5 to break through to
the black king but then notice that 22…
♗xe3 followed by …♕xg2# will win for
Black, so it makes sense to move the g-pawn
away from the mate threat first, and then d4-
d5 is playable.
22…♗e6?
22…♗d3! was forced. Now 23.♖fd1 ♗a6

24.d5 leaves Black in an unpleasant position,
but a long fight lies ahead.
23.d5! cxd5 24. ♗xb6 axb6 25. ♘xd5±
All of a sudden, it is the black king which

looks very vulnerable.
25…♗xd5 26. ♕xd5 ♖gh7?
286 287
This fails to a nice mating finish, but the thinking: after 27… f5!, Black starts having
alternative was also losing: 26…♕h6 27.♖c2 threats against White’s king, and now his
(the black king has nowhere safe to go) queen looks across and gives some
27…♖e7 (everything else falls apart protection to the black king. White might
be slightly preferable here, but a tough battle
instantly) 28.♕c6+ ♔c8 29.♕a8+ ♔d7
remains.
27…♔d8 28. ♕a8+ ♔d7
Find the finish.
29. ♖xc7+! ♔xc7 30. ♖c1+ ♔d7 31.

♕b7+! 1-0
Black resigned here instead of either moving

his king to the back rank which would have
been met by
♖c8# or playing 31…♔e6 which is beaten by

32.♖e1+ ♕e4 33.♖xe4#.
GM Pavel Eljanov (2736) – GM Aleksander

Delchev (2625)
French Championship 2010
30.♕a4+ ♔c8 31.♕a7, and ♕xb6 is a very

annoying threat.
27. ♕c6+!+–
It is very important in a position like this to be

calculating well and looking for the finish.
27.♖f2??, taking time out to prevent …

We join the game with White’s c4-pawn under
♖xh2+, making the assumption that White is
fire. Defending it with a move like ♕a2 would
a “safe” pawn up so will win anyway, is flawed
be very passive, so White decides he can let
288 289
this pawn go and instead activates his pieces to 17.fxe5 (the main alternative) 17… dxe5
put pressure on the black king. It is also 18.dxe5 ♕h4!=. White can’t take on d7
important that it is only a weak doubled pawn because of the mate threat on e1, and after
that White is losing. 19.g3:
13. ♘g3 ♗xc4 analysis
Once Black has threatened this pawn, it is only now Black can play a) 19…♕xe4 or b) 19…
logical to go ahead and capture it. ♕e7:
14. ♘f5 a) 19…♕xe4?! grabbing a pawn is tempting,

The knight points menacingly towards Black’s but Black’s pieces lose some coordination and
king. The only way to attack it with a pawn, the queen
…g7-g6, creates fresh weaknesses, especially
on h6.
14…♗xd3
14…♗e6 deserved attention, since Black will

always have the option of swapping this bishop
for the f5-knight if it looks like White’s attack
is getting too dangerous.
15. ♖xd3 g6
Black’s position will remain uncomfortable so

long as the knight is allowed to stay on f5.
16. ♘h6+ ♔h8
16…♔g7 would have been a mistake

because White would play 17.fxe5 dxe5
18.♘g4, threatening
♗h6+ to win the f8-rook, so Black is forced to

lose time preventing this.
would have been better placed on the more
17.f5 defensive e7 square: 20.♗g5! f6 21.exf6 ♘c4!
290 291
(planning to defend with …♘ce5; without analysis

this move, Black’s position would collapse
The dust has settled and material is equal as
immediately), and now 22.♖f1 Black has a rook, knight, and pawn for White’s
queen, but White’s pieces are more active and
allows 22…♘ce5 23.♖d2 ♕xc2 24.♖xc2
Black still needs to be very careful.
♖ae8 25.♖d2 ♖e6! when White has
nothing better than an equal endgame.
However, White can play instead 22.♖ad1!

♘ce5 23.♕a2!:
analysis
(ignoring the threat to the d3-rook,

because if Black takes it then White will
have his own threats with
♘f7+) 23…♘xf6! (the only move to stay in

the game; 23…♘xd3?? 24.♕g8+! ♖xg8
25.♘f7# is a famous checkmating pattern
where White gives up his queen to deprive the
black king of an escape square on g8) 24.♖e3!
♘f3+ 25.♔g2! (not 25.♖xf3? ♕xf3 when
Black is well on the road to victory). In order
to play like this in a game, White would
have had to foresee several moves ago that
both of Black’s double checks, 25…♘e1+
b) 19…♕e7. Black is threatening to take
and 25…♘h4+, are in fact harmless as
over the initiative with …♘xe5, so White
White simply walks his king away with
must play 20.♖xd7! ♕xd7 21.♗g5!:
26.♔h3! when Black’s position collapses.
25…♕c6 is no good, either, as it simply analysis
loses a piece after 26.♖xf3, thanks to the
active position of White’s king. So Black with the nasty threat of ♗f6#, but Black
plays instead 25…♘xg5+ (he had no can play 21…f5!, and 22.♗f6+ ♖xf6
choice but to give up his queen) 26.♖xe4 23.exf6 ♖f8 24.e5 ♕e6
♘gxe4 27.♕c4 :
292 293
followed by ♘c4 leaves him without any

problems. White’s pawns on e5 and f6 are
actually quite weak.
17…♕e7
Over the next few moves, both players try to

improve their pieces’ placement.
18. ♖h3 ♖ae8 19.d5 ♖c8 20. ♗d2
A sort of truce has been reached. There is no 21.f6!

obvious way for White to continue his attack,
Of course – Black relinquished control of f5
but there is no clear way for Black to repel it
with his previous move, so White takes the
either. If Black plays 20… f6?, planning 21…
opportunity to cement his knight on this
g5 to block things up on the kingside, then
excellent square, where it will never be
White strikes with 21.fxg6 hxg6 22.♘f5+,
bothered by a black pawn again.
winning the black queen. So what should both
players do? Black should have played …c7- Black was planning …f7-f6 on his next move,
c5 and …♘c4 without wasting two moves but White beat him to it!
with his rook.
21…♕xf6 22. ♘f5?
White can play ♖a1-f1-f3 and try to provoke
fresh weaknesses in Black’s position. Missing a great chance: 22.♖f1! ♕g6 (after
22…♕g7?, White should play 23.♘f5!,
20…g5? gaining a tempo by hitting the queen and
This is a mistake which allows a powerful winning at least the exchange: 23…♕f6?
pawn sacrifice. 24.♖h6 ♕d8 25.♕d1 followed by ♕h5
to launch a mating attack; or 23…♕g8

24.♘e7 ♕g7 25.♘xc8 ♖xc8 26.♗xg5!+–
transposing to the main line) 23.♗xg5!
♕xg5 (23…f6 24.♗e3 ♘c4 25.♖ff3!± as
♘f5 is coming and White will soon
double rooks on the h-file; this would not
have been so easy to do if Black had a pawn
which could move to g4) 24.♘xf7+ ♖xf7
294 295
25.♖xf7 ♘f8 (25…♘f6 fails to 26.♕f2!)

26.♕d1!+–:
analysis
White’s threats to kick the black queen around

with ♖f5 or ♖g3, followed by activating his
queen on the kingside, give Black a very hard
time.
22…♖g8?! analysis
After this, Black will have problems defending
Black will follow up with …f7-f6 and …♘b7-
h7.
c5, improving the position of his worst-placed
The slightly surprising 22…♕g6! was called piece with a rock-solid position.
for. Black simply gives White the exchange,
23. ♖f1
but since he is already two pawns up and the
f5-knight was a monster, he can afford to do Bringing the last piece into the fray.
this and now his queen is giving the h7-pawn
sufficient protection. 23.♘e7 (White grabs 23…♖cf8 24. ♕d1!
the material) 23…♕g7 24.♘xc8 ♖xc8=:
White realizes that he has better than 24.♘h6
♕g6 25.♘xg8 ♖xg8; we saw in the 22…
♕g6 line that winning an exchange does not
improve White’s position.
24…g4!
White was threatening 25.♖xh7+ ♔xh7

26.♕h5+ ♕h6 27.♕xh6#, so Black must
play …g5-g4 to block this idea. Everything
else loses on the spot, including 24…♕g6??
which tries to simply defend h7
with the queen, but then 25.♖h6 traps the

lady.
296 297
25. ♖h5!? White swaps his active h4-rook, which he

plans to use to mate the black king, for
This continuation is promising, but there was the passive a8-rook, for a gain of only one
probably better. Black did not have to collapse pawn; however, the white queen will be very
as he did in the game. strong on h3) 27…
♖xg4 28.♕xg4 ♖g8 29.♕h3 (29.♗g7+??

♖xg7 30.♘xg7:
analysis
It would be easy to miscalculate this from a

few moves ago, using the following reasoning:
“He takes on g7 with the queen and then I
take the knight on d7 with my queen – thanks
to my f5-knight’s moving out of the way –
with a winning position.” This logic has
one big flaw, another reminder that you
should double-check your variations: 30…
♕xf1+! 31.♔xf1 ♘e3+ 32.♔e2 ♘xg4 and
Black wins with his extra knight.) 29…
♘c5 (29…♕d8? 30.♕h5 – look for yourself,
White has too many threats and Black has no
defense) 30.♗c1! (the bishop retreats to c1,
the only safe square on the c1-h6 diagonal,
making way for the deadly ♘h6) 30…♖f8
25.♖h6? ♕d8 simply chases the black queen (Black must defend f7) 31.♘h6! ♕g7 32.♖f3
to a safer square and surrenders White’s edge. ♘xe4 33.♕h4!+–: analysis
25.♖h4!. Now Black can play a) 25… ♘c4 or Black’s knight is evicted from e4 and White
b) 25…♖g6: continues with ♖g3 to trap the black queen.
a) 25…♘c4 (after 25…♘c5, White also takes

on g4, and this is much worse for Black
because then both of his knights are stranded
on the queenside) 26.♗h6! ♖a8 27.♖xg4 (it
looks like this might be the wrong idea –
298 299
♕d8! (Black sees that he needs to play …f7-f6

and get his queen to f7 to defend h7) 28.hxg4
f6 29.g5 ♕e8
30.♕h5 ♕f7! (stopping mate just in time)

31.♖f3±:
analysis
White’s attack continues, but after taking on

g5 with the pawn next move, maybe Black will
survive.
25…♖g6 26. ♕e1
White had other promising alternatives in

26.♕e2, 26.♘h4, and 26.♗h6.
26…♘b3 27. ♗h6! ♖fg8??
Losing.
b) 25…♖g6 26.h3! ♘c4! (the natural 26…
gxh3? is met by a powerful rejoinder: 27.♖f3!
[doubling rooks on the h-file as quickly as
possible] 27… hxg2 28.♖fh3!:
analysis
and Black can’t defend his king) 27.♗c1!.

Quietly preserving the bishop. Black’s c4-
knight superficially looks strong, preventing
White’s bishop from coming out to d2 or e3,
but in reality White’s bishop does an excellent
job from its starting square, controlling the
only squares it needs to on g5 and h6, while
Black’s knight is far removed from the
kingside where extra defenders are badly
needed. There follows 27…
300 301
29…♔xh7 30. ♕h4+ followed by mate.
1-0
GM Christian Bauer (2607) – GM Jean-

Pierre Le Roux (2512)
Necessary was 27…♖e8 28.♘h4 (maybe

Black thought White was going to do this
anyway, and didn’t stop for long enough to
realize that he had another idea?) 28…♖xh6
29.♖xf6 ♖xf6 . The queen is better than the
rook and knight, but Black is still well in the
game.
28. ♗g5!+–
Black resigned here immediately without

waiting to see
28…♖xg5
28…♕xg5 is best, but still hopeless: 29.♖xg5

♖xg5 30.♘h6! (hitting g8 and threatening to
take on f7
and grab the rook on g5) 30…♖5g6

As we join the game, Black’s c6-knight is
31.♘xg8 ♔xg8 and White has a queen for
under attack. He needs to decide whether
two knights.
to exchange pawns on b5 first and then move
the knight or to move the knight right away.
29. ♖xh7+!
The point – the g8-rook occupies the vital 16…♘b8?

escape square needed by the black king.
302 303
16…♘a7 17.c5? (17.♗xd6 cxd6 gives a level

position) 17…e4! 18.cxd6 exf3 19.♕xf3
♘xb5 . After trading on c7, White will have
trouble defending a3 and c3 and must lose a
pawn.
16…axb5 17.cxb5 ♘e7 (Black has swapped

off one of White’s c-pawns, so c4-c5 to trap
the bishop isn’t an option). Now White should
play 18.♗xd6 cxd6=; instead 18.♘xe5?? is a
very bad mistake: 18…
♗xe5 19.♕xe5 ♘f5 20.♕f4 ♖xe1+

21.♖xe1 ♕xd2:
analysis
Black wins a piece for a pawn – White can’t

take on f5 because his e1-rook is loose.
17.c5! ♗f8
a) 20…axb5?! 21.♗b2! (suddenly Black’s
17…e4 (counterattacking instead of kingside is vulnerable) 21…♘g4 (21…
defending) 18.cxd6 exf3 19.♕xf3 (now with ♖e6?? 22.♖xe6
Black’s knight sitting passively on b8 with
nowhere to go to, as opposed to being ♕xe6 23.cxb5+–:
active on b5 after 16…♘a7, the position
analysis
favors White instead of Black) 19…cxd6
20.c4! (defending b5, thus continuing to keep – is a good illustration of how White can
the black knight out of the game, and switch from attacking on the king-side
improving the scope of White’s bishop). back to exploiting a queenside pawn
Now Black can play a) 20…axb5, or b) majority if the opportunity arises; Black needs
20…♕c7: to find a way to hold things together on both
sides of the board) 22.cxb5 ♕xb5 23.♗xg7!
(if White took the g4-knight, Black would
take the b2-bishop, so White plays this first
304 305
and Black ends up without his g7-pawn)

23…♖xe1+ 24.♖xe1 ♕h5!
(24…♔xg7?? 25.♕xg4+ ♔f8 26.♕d4!,

threatening mate on h8, wins easily for White)
25.♖e4!: analysis
Forcing the black queen to a bad square. This

move is hard to find because it is not natural
to force your opponent to take a pawn next to
your king with check. Continuing: 25…
♕xh2+ 26.♔f1 ♔xg7 (26…
analysis
♕h1+?? 27.♔e2 is no problem for the white White manages to grab the important h7-
king, but actually loses the game for Black, as pawn and he is better because of Black’s weak
his queen is now too far out of play) b7-pawn and his weak king, which will come
27.♖xg4+ ♔f8 28.g3! (threatening ♖h4 under more pressure after White plays the
to trap the black queen) 28…♕h3+ maneuver ♘f1-e3-f5.
29.♔g1 ♘d7 30.♖h4 ♕e6 31.♖xh7±: b) 20…♕c7 is a more sensible way to play,
making way for the knight to come out to d7.
21.b6 ♕c8
22.♖xe8+:
analysis
b1) 22…♘xe8 23.♖e1 ♘c6 24.♗b2 is nice

for White because Black must sort out the
problem of his e8-knight and 24…♘xa5?? is
out of the question since, after 25.♕c3!
♘c6, White has the mating combination
26.♖xe8!+ ♖xe8 27.♕xg7#.
b2) 22…♖xe8 23.♗xd6 ♘c6 is not too bad

for Black, who has managed to achieve
excellent piece coordination despite losing a
306 307
pawn, and White must constantly make sure of the game, while Black goes for a mating
that a5 is defended. attack) 24.a6 ♕g5 25.g3 ♕g4 26.♖e3!:
18.c6! ♕c8? analysis
Too passive, letting White dominate the Black can’t move in to play …♕g2# with …
position. ♕h3 because the f3-pawn drops off, so he
18…bxc6!. Now White can play a) 19.bxa6 or must satisfy himself with 26… ♕a4!. If
b) 19.♗xf8: Black didn’t play this, then a6-a7 would
be a disaster for him. Following 27.♖ee1!
a) 19.bxa6 e4! 20.a7 exf3! 21.♕xe8 ♘xe8! (27.♖xa4?? ♖d1+ leads to a back-rank mate)
22.a8♕ ♕xd2 23.♗xf8 ♔xf8 (now that 27…♕g4! 28.♖e3! both sides are forced to
rough material take the draw by repetition, lest they lose
immediately.
b) 19.♗xf8! 19…e4 (19…♔f8 20.a6 e4

21.♘d4 transposes) 20.♘d4 ♔xf8 21.bxa6
c5 (making way for the knight to move
so that a8 can be guarded just in time)
22.a7 ♘c6 23.♘xc6 ♕xc6 24.♘b3 ♖a8
25.♕c4 ♖xa7 26.♘xc5 :
analysis
The outside passed pawn gives White a

persistent initiative.
19. ♗xf8!± ♔xf8 20. ♘e4!
It was also possible to play 20.♘xe5, but it is

always nice to go for the king.
20…axb5
equality has been restored, White decides

that he wants to queen his second pawn
308 309
White continues with ♖e3 followed by

♖g3/h3 and probably ♘g4, and Black’s
kingside will fall apart soon anyway.
24. ♘f5 ♕d2 25. ♕h5 1-0
GM Maxime Vachier-Lagrave (2727) – GM

Todor Todorov (2493)
1.e4 g6 2.d4 ♗g7 3. ♘c3 d6 4. ♗e3 a6

5.h4
If Black plays 20…bxc6, then White continues

with the same plan as in the game.
21. ♘xf6! gxf6 22.cxb7! ♕xb7 23. ♘h4!
Black is a pawn up, but his king has no shelter White takes a very direct approach against the
and White’s attack plays itself. Pirc Defense.
23…♕d5?! 5…♘f6 6.f3 b5 7. ♕d2 ♘bd7 8. g4 ♘b6
Losing on the spot. However, after 23… This is a bit slow. 8…b4 or 8…c5 are more to
the point.
♔g8 24.♘f5 ♔h8 (running the king into
the corner was the only way to avoid 9.h5!
immediate defeat) 25.♘h6! ♖f8 26.♕h5+–:
Getting on with the attack. Black’s kingside is
analysis vulnerable.
9…♗b7 10. ♗d3?!
310 311
This is a natural-looking developing move, but

it was worth playing 10.a3 to stop Black from
pushing
…b5-b4.
10…♕d7?
The queen doesn’t belong here. Black needed

to start his counterplay.
10…gxh5! 11.g5 (11.gxh5 ♘fd7! prevents

White from playing ♗h6 because d4 would
drop off, and it also prepares the …c7-c5
break) 11…♘fd7 12.a4 (trying to break up
Black’s queenside pawn formation; the h5-
pawn isn’t going anywhere) 12…b4 (12…
bxa4?! [this is too compliant, giving White the
superior pawn structure] 13.♘xa4 c5 14.c3
♘xa4 15.♖xa4 cxd4 16.cxd4 ♘b6 17.♖a3 .
White will continue with
♘e2, when he can follow up with ♘f4 and analysis

♘xh5 while Black is struggling for space and
(wrecking White’s pawn structure) 17.exd5
lacks an active plan.) 13.♘ce2 c5 14.a5 c4!
♗xd5 18.♘f4 ♖b8!=. Black has enough
(counterattacking rather than playing the
active possibilities with his rook down the b-
passive and bad retreat 14…♘c8) 15.♕xb4
file.
cxd3 16.cxd3 (Black is a piece up but he must
lose one of them because of the pin on the b- 11. ♘ge2
file) 16…♘d5!:
Now none of the …gxh5 ideas works for Black
because after g4-g5 he can’t retreat the f6-
knight to d7
as his queen stands on this square.
11…♖c8 12. ♗h6 ♗f8 13.d5?!
312 313
13.♗e3 admits that going to h6 didn’t 13…c5!. Now White can play a) 14.♗e3, or
achieve too much, but White enjoys a b) 14.dxc6:
space advantage so he doesn’t really want to
exchange pieces and ease Black’s congestion. a) 14.♗e3 (preventing …c5-c4 trapping the
13…♗g7 14.a4!: analysis bishop, because the b6-knight would be loose)
14…♖g8!
It is possible for White to play on both sides of
the board here. A sample line is 14…b4 (since the b6-knight wasn’t under attack, Black
15.♘a2 c5 has time for this, and his kingside pawn
structure won’t be compromised) 15.hxg6
16.dxc5 dxc5 17.h6 ♗f8 18.g5 ♘h5 hxg6. Black is fine here, e.g. 16.b4 (this
19.♘xb4 cxb4 20.♗xb6±, and White has seems a bit too aggressive) 16…♕c7
won a pawn.
17.bxc5 dxc5. White can never play e4-e5
13…c6? because the d5-pawn would fall, and although
he can try the sacrificial 18.♘xb5 axb5
Right pawn – wrong square!
19.♗xb5+ ♘fd7 20.♖b1:
analysis
which gains two pawns for the piece and

tries to exploit the overcrowding of black
pieces on the queenside, for example in
the line 20…e6 21.♕a5 ♘xd5 22.♕xc7
♘xc7 23. ♗xd7+ ♔xd7 24.♖xb7, which
is unpleasant for Black, Black does not have to
fit in with White’s plans and he is fine after
20…
♖a8!= preventing the white queen from

utilizing the a5 square.
b) 14.dxc6 ♕xc6 15.♗g5 (White plans to

take on f6 and then play a2-a4, which would
be annoying for Black) 15…♘fd7! (getting
the knight out of the way; 15…♗g7 can be
met by 16.h6) 16.hxg6 fxg6 17.♘d4
314 315
♕c5 18.♘e6 ♘c4!: After 14…b4 15.♘d1 ♘a4 16.hxg6 fxg6

17.dxc6 ♕xc6 18.♕xb4, White wins a
analysis
whole pawn for nothing, and the fact that
Black had to see this move coming – this was Black’s best variation shows how bad
otherwise he would have been forced to 13…c6 was.
part with his dark-squared bishop. 19.♘xc5

15.hxg6! fxg6 16. ♘f4!
♘xd2 20.♔xd2 ♘xc5= and with the queens
traded off, Black’s position is fine. This shows why Black had to be able to
take back on g6 with the h-pawn. Now
there is a massive hole on e6 that the white
knight is going to land in.
16…♗g7 17. ♘e6 ♔f7 18. ♗h6 ♗xh6 19.

♕xh6 ♖cg8 20. ♖h4?!
20.e5! wins on the spot: 20…♘fxd5 (on

20…dxe5 21.♘g5+ ♔e8 22.♗xg6+ hxg6
23.♕xh8 ♘bxd5, White has won an
exchange for a pawn: 24.♘ce4! ♔d8 25.♕h2
and White wins) 21.♘g5+ ♔e8 22.♗xg6+
♖xg6 (22…♔d8 23.♗f5+–) 23.♕xg6+ hxg6

24.♖xh8#:
analysis
The back-rank mate can take many different

forms.
14. ♗e3!±
Gaining time on the b6-knight. Black has

problems with his development.
14…c5?
316 317
not possible for Black to run away with his

king to the center: 22…♔e8? 23.♖xh5! gxh5
24.♕xh5+ ♖g6 25.e5! (bringing the d3-
bishop into the attack) 25…♖hg8 26.♗xg6+
hxg6 (26…♖xg6 27.♕xh7 also wins for
White) 27.♕h7!: analysis
The rook is trapped on g8.
21…♔e8!
20…b4
Trying to escape from White’s king-side attack.
20…♕c8 followed by …♘fd7 and …♔e8
was perhaps the best defensive idea, but White 22. ♘e3
still has a massive initiative.
Bringing the knight towards Black’s kingside,
21. ♘d1?! but Black has an annoying response.
Black’s position is still difficult after this, but 22.b3 was worth considering to prevent Black’s
White had something better. next move.
21.g5! was more direct and stronger. If 22.g5 doesn’t win outright anymore: 22…
Black replies 21…bxc3, then after 22.gxf6 ♘fxd5! 23.exd5 ♗xd5 24.♘f4 ♗xf3
exf6 23.bxc3 25.♘e3. This still favors White, but Black
has three pawns for the piece and it will
White’s attack continues without Black
take White a couple of moves to extricate
having the f6-knight to defend his king
his queen from h6.
and White will be threatening ♕xh7+
♖xh7 ♖xh7+ ♔e8 ♖xd7, a useful 22…♕a4!±
simplifying combination that wins him a
pawn.
Alternatively, 21…♘h5 22.♘d1+–. So

why does it help White to include the
moves g4-g5 and …♘h5
instead of just retreating to d1

immediately? The answer is that now it is
318 319
23…♗c8! was best, when play might

continue 24.♖hh1 ♗xe6 25.dxe6 c4
26.♘xc4 ♘xc4 27.♗xc4
♕xc2+ 28.♗e2 ♕c5+ 29.♔g2 ♕e5

30.♕d2:
analysis
White is better since both of Black’s rooks are

out of play on the kingside, but the fight
continues.
24.g5!+–
The knight is forced to the miserable e8 square

and White’s rook invades on f7.
24…♘e8
Black correctly realizes that his queen was

getting in the way on d7. He wants to play …
♗c8 so he can eliminate White’s powerful
knight on e6 and this is the only square the
queen can go to to get out of the way! Black
might also play …♘fd7 followed by …♘f8.
23. ♔f2
Enabling the a1-rook to enter the game.
23…♔d7?
The losing move. The king is badly placed on

d7.
320 321
many ways to win, but the prettiest is 32.♕f7!

when, after 32…♖xf7 33.exf7, the only
way for Black to prevent White from
queening his f-pawn is to play 33…♘d7,
but then there comes 34.♘c4!:
analysis
trapping the black queen.
24…♘h5 25.♖xh5! gxh5 26.♘xc5+! dxc5

27.♕xb6. The only way for Black’s king to
find any shelter is 27…♔c8 28.♕xc5+ ♔b8
29.♕xe7, which is clearly hopeless.
25. ♖f4!
Black’s big problem is that after ♖f7 White

will play ♖xh7 and, after a rook trade, Black’s
other rook will be trapped on g8. This forces 29. ♖xh7 ♖xh7 30. ♕xh7 ♖f8 31. ♕xg6+
the knight that had just moved to e8 to move
♔d7 32. ♕g7
anew.
White’s queen on g7 controls the b2 square,
25…♘c7 26. ♖f7 ♘xe6 27.b3 ♕a3 stopping Black’s queen from re-entering the
28.dxe6+ game, so his initiative on the kingside and in
the center crashes through while Black can
28.♕h3 followed by ♕xe6+ is also crushing.
only watch.
28…♔xe6
32…♔e8 33. ♘f5 ♘c8 34.g6 c4 35.
28…♔d8 29.e5!. This thrust breaks the ♕xf8+!
communication between Black’s queen and
A nice finishing touch.
rooks. (The immediate 29.♖xh7 could be
met by 29…♕b2 when Black should still lose 35…♔xf8 36.g7+ ♔g8 37. ♖h1 cxd3 38.
but is wriggling.) Following 29…dxe5 ♖h8+ ♔f7 39.g8♕+ ♔f6 40. ♖h6+ ♔e5
30.♖xh7 ♖xh7 31.♕xh7 ♖f8, White has 41. ♕g3# 1-0
322 323
Chapter 7: Attacks Featuring Opposite-Side Castling
It is quite rare to see the king mated in the

center of the board.
Chapter 7
Attacks Featuring Opposite-Side Castling
Typically, when the players castle on opposite

sides of the board, one of the most common
ideas is to launch an attack at your opponent’s
king, involving all the pieces you can get near
to it: pawns, minor and major pieces – the
whole lot. The idea is that, even if you lose a
bunch of material in the process, somehow or
other a mating attack might be conjured
up and you win before you run out of
troops.
Obviously, this is something of an

oversimplification as there are lots of different
possible outcomes to the attack. Your
opponent might sensibly decide they have
enough of a material advantage to win in the
endgame and abandon their own attack to
concentrate fully on defense and repel the
offensive successfully. This technique is often
helped by defensive sacrifices. For example, if
you are a rook up but your king is in trouble,
it would make sense to sacrifice a rook for a
dangerous enemy knight that has got a bit too
close to your king. This could still leave you
with a winning material edge, while also
preventing you from getting mated. When
both sides castle on the same side, attacks
on the king typically involve pieces rather
than pawns, because the pawns you would be
using would be the ones in front of your own
king; advancing them could make it easier for
your opponent to attack your king. This is the
big difference from opposite-side castling:
324 325
there, the pawns are free to advance and

join the attack without exposing their own
king.
The first game of this chapter involves a

Najdorf Sicilian, which typically results in
opposite-side castling when White plays
6.♗e3 – the English Attack.
David Eggleston – Zhuo Ren Lim (2095)
Gatwick International 2012
1.e4 c5 2. ♘f3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4. ♘xd4 ♘f6

5. ♘c3 a6 6. ♗e3 e5 7. ♘b3 ♗e6 8. ♕d2
♗e7 9.0-0-0 ♘g4
10. ♔b1 ♘d7 11.g3 b5 12.f4 b4?!
This is a mistake. It forces the white knight to

go to where it wants to go anyway. Trying to
open up the white kingside with …a5-a4
13…♗xd5
will take too much time, especially since
Black hasn’t castled yet and the central
13…♘xe3 is the alternative. 14.♘xe3 does
tension with the pawns in the middle of the
give White control of the light squares in the
board is unresolved.
middle of the board, but Black can ignore this
and carry on with his attack: 14…0-0 and
12…♘xe3 13.♕xe3 ♕b6 is a good, if
slightly boring, way to play. White would now 15.f5 (15. ♗c4 a5 and Black continues
find it hard to improve his position after logically with …a5-a4 and …♘c5; 15.♕xb4
a queen trade because Black’s only real wins a pawn, but this is risky when there is a
weakness, the d6-pawn, is easily defended. black a-pawn ready to advance and knock
If White retreats his queen, then he cedes an White’s pieces back on its way: 15…a5!
important diagonal to Black. [Black cannot afford to wait around and
must play as actively as possible to justify the
13. ♘d5 sacrificed material] 16.♕c3 a4
17.♘d2 [keeping e4 defended and the knight

may move to c4] 17…exf4 18.gxf4 a3! 19.b3
326 327
♗f6 leaves an unclear position where Black’s

are the easier pieces to handle, he has
weakened the white king, and he intends to
continue with …♕c7 and …♘c5, with active
play for the pawn) 15…♗xb3 16.axb3 a5!
gives Black compensation for the weak d5
square down the a-file. Now 17.♗c4 a4
18.♗d5 axb3! (18…♖a7?
is positionally weak after 19.bxa4 ♖xa4

20.b3! ♖a7 21.♕xb4, when White has
won a pawn on the queenside, and the This is an important position from a strategic
open lines aren’t avenues of attack for Black, as viewpoint. White will play ♗h3 followed by
White has gained time – with the help of ♗d5 ♗xd7 and fxe5. Black has to find the best way
– and will consolidate his position with ♔b2 to counter this.
followed by ♖a1) 19.♗xa8 ♕xa8 with
15…♕c7?!
threats on a2, so 20.cxb3 ♕xe4+ 21.♕d3
♕xd3+ 22.♖xd3 ♘c5 23.♖dd1 ♘xb3∞: 15…0-0! (Black needed to complete
development as soon as possible) 16.♗h3
analysis ♗f6! (16…f5? is wrong here, because after
Black has adequate material compensation in 17.fxe5 ♘xe5 18.♘d4 White has the e6
an unclear position. square for his knight, while 17…dxe5
14.exd5 ♘xe3 15. ♕xe3 is met by 18.d6, when the pawn becomes
really strong) 17.♗xd7! (as soon as Black
has his e5-pawn adequately defended, the
d7-knight is free to move, and the only role
that White’s bishop is fulfilling is attacking
this knight – so he must take it before it
moves away) 17…♕xd7 18.♘a5 (jumping
into c6, eyeing the e5 square and the b4-
pawn) 18…♖fe8 19.♘c6 exf4 20.♕xf4 a5
21.♖he1: analysis
This position may seem a bit scary for

Black, but actually White has no real
328 329
threats. For example, after the calm 21…h5

22.♖xe8+ it looks as if White may win a
pawn, but after 22… ♖xe8 23.♘xa5 ♕b5
Black will gain a lot of activity following

24.♘c4 ♕c5. A sample line is 25.♘xd6 ♖e2!
26.♘c4, blocking the threat on c2.
(26.♖c1? seems to avoid the repetition
and win material, but is too optimistic
since Black’s pieces are too active: 26…♕xd5
Readers should be familiar by now with this
27.♕xb4 ♗g5! and it is Black who wins idea from the previous note.
material after 28.♖f1
16…♘b6
♗e7) Now 26… ♗e5! 27.♕h4 (the only
square to defend the knight) 27…♗f6 16…♗f6 17.♗xd7+ ♕xd7, and here
28.♕f4 ♗e5 yields a draw by repetition. White has an alternative strong idea at his
disposal other than taking the knight to the
16. ♗h3! c6 square: 18.♘d2!. The idea is to saddle
Black with a weak pawn structure by taking
off the f6-bishop. 18…0-0 19.♘e4 ♖ac8
(19… ♗e7? [this retreat is misguided]
20.fxe5 dxe5
21.d6 ♗d8 22.♖d5± and White can

continue with ♘c5 and ♖hd1, while
Black is struggling; 19…♕e7
20.♖he1 increases the pressure on the

central squares) 20.♘xf6+ gxf6 21.fxe5
fxe5 (now the doubled pawns are gone but
Black’s king is exposed) 22.♕g5+ ♔h8
23.♕f6+ ♔g8 24.♖hf1 with the threat of
♖f5
followed by ♖g5, so 24…♕d8 25.♕f5 a5:
330 331
analysis 19.♖xd5 ♕xc6 loses a pawn, but the position

is probably still level as White has a strong
White is not going to mate Black, who
bind on the light squares.
can play …f7-f6 when required. However,
White’s major pieces are the more active 19…♘xe7 20.fxe5 dxe5 21. ♖d7
and a setup with the queen on e4 and
rooks on f5 and f1 would be The point.
uncomfortable for Black.
21…♕c6
17. ♘a5 0-0 18. ♘c6?!
Of course, I had seen this. I am not winning a
The start of an attractive-looking pawn piece since the h1-rook is attacked, but the
sacrifice – but not the best way to proceed. idea is that Black is under a strong bind,
cannot challenge rooks on the d-file with
18.fxe5!, keeping it simple, is better: 18…dxe5 pieces, and has pawns under attack.
19.♖he1 ♗d6 20.♕d3 :
22. ♖hd1 ♘g6
22…♖ac8 was my main worry during the

game, when 23. ♖xe7? is not possible because
Black mates after …♕xc2+ and taking the
rook on d1. But after 23.♕f2 Black is fine
with 23… ♖c7!, chasing my rook off the
seventh rank.
23. ♗f5
analysis From here, my positional threat is taking
shape: the idea is to put the bishop on e4 and
Now a plan of ♘c6, g4, ♗h3-g2-e4, and h2-
the queen on f5, and then play h4-h5 with
h4 followed by pushing the kingside pawns
a massive attack. Black’s next move places
further would be slow but hard for Black to
the queen on the correct square, taking
deal with, while limiting his queenside
control of f5.
counterplay mainly due to the strong c6-
knight. 23…♕f6! 24. ♕d3
18…♘xd5 19. ♘xe7+ This was a key point in the game. Black had to
give his extra pawn back to neutralize my
pressure and
332 333
Now Black goes wrong:
29…♕f8?
This is a really bad move which deprives

Black’s knight of the defensive square it needs
on f8.
29…♖ac7! keeps Black’s coordination intact:

30.♗e4 ♘f8= when all of Black’s pieces are
on good squares and I cannot make further
activate his pieces. At the moment, he cannot
progress.
challenge on the d-file and his g6-knight is not
in the game.
30. ♗e4!+–
24…a5? All of a sudden, my attack is winning. One
tempo can make all the difference in opposite-
24…e4! was necessary: after 25.♗xe4 ♘e5
side castling positions. If you are playing
26.♕d4 ♘xd7 27.♗xa8 ♖xa8 28.♕xd7 g6, lower-rated opponents, they will often be
a level ending has arisen where White’s unable to find the correct defensive moves to
control of the d-file counts for nothing stay in the game – so a strategy of attacking all
because of the massively reduced material. the time can pay off.
25. ♖d6?! 30…♕e8

Chasing the queen off f6, but at the wrong The knight needs access to f8, so the queen
time. must move again and time is wasted.
Much stronger is 25.♗e4 followed by h4-h5,

preventing any …e5-e4 sacrifices by Black
once and for all and not allowing Black to
improve the position of his pieces, as in the
game.
25…♕e7 26.h4 ♖fe8 27. ♗e4 ♖a7 28.

♗c6 ♖c8 29. ♕f5
I am trying to gain time on Black’s rook

and then play ♗e4 followed by h4-h5.
334 335
♖h1-h8 will be mate. Black had probably

missed 38. ♗xg6+, for 38.♖h1+ looks
natural, but after 38… ♔g8, 39.♗xg6 is
not possible since it is not check and it simply
allows …♕xf6. However, even in this line, 39.
♕b6, with the idea of ♕e3-h6, is winning for
White.
31.h5! ♘f8 32.h6!
Now the threat is to take on g7.
32…gxh6
32…g6 33.♕f6 threatens mate on g7, so 33…

♘e6 is forced, when 34.♗d5 threatening
♖xe6 followed by ♗xe6+ wins even more
David Eggleston – John Redmond (2194)
quickly than the obvious 34.♕xe5.
33. ♖xh6 ♘g6 34. ♖dh1!
This position is strange for an attacking game
This is the problem for Black: in the space of in that the best move is the only one that
two moves, White has switched both of his doesn’t lose; White is in a kind of Zugzwang.
rooks from the d-file to the h-file, where
Black’s king is defenseless. 31.g5!
34…♖d8 During the game, I spent a long time thinking

about this move, seeing 35.♗h7+ but not
Black’s best is the miserable 34… ♕e6, when being sure how to continue, which made me
35.♕xe6 fxe6 36.♗xg6 leaves White a bishop reject the line. This was the wrong
up with a winning position, since 36… hxg6 is decision as my intuition told me that
met by 37. ♖h8+, picking off the c8-rook. White’s attack is dangerous and that White
will have at least a perpetual check – so it
35. ♖xh7 ♖d1+ 36. ♖xd1 ♔xh7 37. ♕f6 would have been possible to play the line
♕e7 38. ♗xg6+ 1-0 and work out the further details after
35.♗h7+ appeared on the board. If you
336 337
don’t have a perpetual check, then matters are

less clear. Still, you will usually be correct to
trust your instincts!
Instead, I played 31.♔a1??. I rejected

31.g5 so I decided to play the “safe”
31.♔a1 quite quickly.
This is a bad way to think. If you are just

playing a move as a fallback option in a
complicated position and haven’t examined
it deeply, there will often be something
you have missed. My opponent replied
31… ♕a6? (31…♗xg4! wins, which I
realized after playing 31.♔a1. Had I looked at
31.♔a1 closely, I would have realized that it
was losing and that I must play 31.g5 by
process of elimination! Thankfully, my
opponent had only a couple of minutes left on
his clock and didn’t find this: 32.♖xg4 ♖xc2!
33.♖xc2 analysis
[33.♕xc2 ♖xc2 34.♖xc2 ♕f1+ 35.♖c1 36.♕d2 (Black was threatening …♖xc2
♕xc1#] 33…♕f1+ and Black mates on the followed by …♕f1 with a draw) 36… ♕f1+
back rank.) 32.♔b1. 37.♕c1 ♕d3, draw.
Now I offered a draw, which my opponent This makes 31…hxg5 non-critical, but it is
accepted. I suppose it wasn’t too late to instead very interesting.
hope for him to play 32… ♕b5 and then
32.h6!
reply 33.g5.
Continuing to sacrifice. Blowing a path
31…hxg5
through to the black king is the way to play
this position.
31…♗xh5!. This doesn’t look as natural as
taking on g5, but it gives Black an easy route
32.♕xg5?? fails to 32…♗d3!, e.g. 33.♖xd3
to a draw: 32.gxh6 ♖xc2! 33.♖xg7+ ♔h8
♖xc2 34.♖xc2 ♕xd3 35.♕d2 ♕f1+
34.♖xc2 ♕f1+ 35.♕c1 ♕d3:
338 339
36.♕c1 ♕f5 37.♕d2 The key move, investing another piece in

the offensive. It was important to see this
♖xc2 38.♕xc2 ♕f1+ 39.♕c1 ♕d3+ far ahead when playing 31.g5. Without
40.♕c2 ♕xd4, and Black wins. ♗h7+, White would have been totally lost in
this position!
32…gxh6
35…♔h8
32…g4? 33.hxg7+–, e.g. 33…♖xg7 34.♗h7+
♔xh7 35.♖xc8. 35…♔xh7 gets mated: 36.♕h4+. During the
game, when considering my 31st move, I
33. ♖xg5+!! realized that I couldn’t play 36.♕h5+ and
incorrectly stopped calculating. I was getting
It is important that this comes with check so
short on time, but I think I still should have
that Black doesn’t have time to press his own
found 36.♕h4+. After this, Black can reply a)
attack.
36…♔g8 or b) 36…♔g6: a) 36…♔g8
33…hxg5 34. ♕xg5+ ♖g7 35. ♗h7+! 37.♖xc8+ ♔f7 38.♕f6#;
b) 36…♔g6 37.♕f6+ ♔h7 (37…♔h5

38.♖h1+ ♔g4 39.♖h4+ ♔g3 40.♕f4+
♔g2 41.♖h2+ ♔g1
42.♕f2#:
analysis
That would have been a nice finish!) 38.♖h1+

♔g8 39.♕xe6+ ♖f7 40.♖g1+ ♔f8
41.♕d6+ ♖e7 42.♕h6+
+–.
36. ♖xc8+ ♔xh7 37. ♕h4+ ♔g6 38.

♕g3+
Now White’s queen starts “walking down the

corridor” until it attacks the e6-pawn.
340 341
38…♔h7 44.♖c7+ ♔g6
45.♕e6+ ♔h5 46.♕f5+ ♔h4 47.♖g7 ♖c6+

48.♔d2 ♕b4+ 49.♔xe2 ♕b5+ 50.♔f2+–.
43. ♕xd3 ♕xd3+ 44. ♔xd3 ♖g3+! 45.

♔e2
At first sight, it looks like White may be

winning this ending, but then –
45…♔g7 46. ♖c5

38…♔f7 walks into 39.♖c7+.
46.♖c7+ ♔g6 47.♖xb7 ♖g2+ 48.♔d3
39. ♕h3+ ♔g6 40. ♕xe6+ ♖xa2 49.♖a7 ♔f5 looks like a draw, as
Black’s pieces are actively placed.
Crunch!
46…♖g2+ 47. ♔d3 ♖xa2 48. ♖xd5 ♔g6!
40…♔h7 49. ♖a5 ♔f5!=
40…♔g5 41.♕f6+ +–.
41. ♕f5+ ♖g6
It appears that White’s attack has run out of

steam and that he has nothing better than a
perpetual check.
However…
42. ♔c2!
Now Black can’t move anything and is almost

in Zugzwang.
42…♗d3+!
It is easy to see how Black can go wrong

in this position: 42…b6? 43.♕h3+ ♖h6
342 343
very powerful threat that Black will struggle to

deal with.
14. ♘ce2!
The knight begins its journey and Black will

soon have to defend e6.
14…♗d7 15. ♘f4 ♖ac8
Black holds the pawn tactically, for if

After 31…hxg5, White’s fantastic attacking White munches everything on e6 then …
efforts would have ultimately yielded only ♕xc2 will be
a draw, but there were lots of chances for
Black to go wrong along the way and he would
have had to play very well in a practical game
to survive! ½-½
IM Germán Della Morte (2383) – Pablo

Palmero (2139)
Buenos Aires 2009
We join the game in what seems to be a fairly

typical opposite-sides castling position in the
Sicilian Defense – with one big difference: checkmate at the end of the variation – but
Black’s kingside pawn structure is wrecked. this defense is flawed.
The doubled pawn on f6
15…♕c8 tries to overprotect e6, but it fails to
would much rather be back on g7; this gives
the crude 16.♕h6! ♔h8 17.♘h5 ♖g8
White the edge. The key is to maneuver the
white pieces to better squares where they 18.♘xf6 ♖g7±
can pressure the black king. The e6-pawn and Black has to give up a pawn to avoid
will be a particularly difficult weakness for getting mated.
Black to defend, since under no circumstances
can he take on f5. The h6 square is free for the 15…♘c6 also fails to solve Black’s
white queen to go to and playing this in problems. White could just grab a pawn
combination with ♘ce2-f4-h5, threatening by playing 16.fxe6?
♕g7 with checkmate, is a very direct and
344 345
♘xd4 17.exf7+ ♖xf7 18.♖xd4, but it is not 16.fxe6! fxe6 17.♕b3!:

so simple because Black has 18…♕a5! with
counterplay –
threatening …♕e1+ as well as taking the a2-

pawn. The most straightforward continuation
is not always the best one. Instead he has
16.♘xc6! ♕xc6 17.♗d3!. White realizes that
he will be able to force his way through to
the black king. The simple idea is to play
fxe6 and then e4-e5, hitting h7 and
threatening checkmate when Black’s king
would be too exposed for him to put up a analysis
proper defense. (17…e5 18.♘d5
It is surprising that White overlooked this,
allows White to mate Black quickly, in especially since in the game he played a rook
addition to it being positional suicide to allow move with the purpose of defending the
such a powerful knight unchallenged on a c2-pawn. Maybe he got carried away by
strong central outpost.) Now 17… ♕c5 tries looking at lines where ♕h6 and
to bring the queen to e5 to organize a defense.
♘h5 just win for White, without realizing
At least this would prevent White’s d3-bishop
that other strong attacking ideas were
from hitting h7. Therefore, White gets rid of
available, and that the queen doesn’t have to
this pawn to make sure his bishop can hit
go to h6. The queen offers extra defense to c2
h7: 18.e5! ♕xe5 19.fxe6! ♕xf4+ (the while at the same time attacking e6
knight goes with check) 20.♔b1 (but now
Black needs to prevent ♕xh7# and his d7- one more time. Black is forced to lose a
bishop is attacked) 20… h6 21.exd7: analysis pawn, e.g. 17…♖f7 18.♘fxe6 ♗xe6
19.♕xe6±. The e6-pawn holds Black’s
Material is equal but Black is lost, based on the position together and it would be surprising if
ongoing attack to his king, the dangerous Black managed to survive from here.
pawn on d7, White’s vastly superior bishop
(the guy on e7 can barely move), and Black’s 16…♕a5
destroyed pawn structure –
A reminder that White is not the only one
quite a list. who can attack.
16. ♖d2? 17.a3
346 347
After 17.♕b3, the chance to land a knockout

blow is gone. The problem is that Black
responds with 17… ♘c4, putting the
knight on a good square and forcing
White to waste time moving his
threatened rook.
17…♘c6?
Just when Black had survived the worst of it,

he commits a real clanger!
Black must attack: 17…b4!. The pawn

structure around his king is too weak for him
to play passively.
18.fxe6 fxe6 19.♘fxe6 ♖fe8, and now

White has nothing better than entering
the endgame after 20.♕e3
bxa3 21.♕xa3 ♕xa3 22.bxa3 ♔f7

23.♘f4, when Black regains his pawn and
is fine after 23… d5! analysis
24.♘xd5 ♗xa3+ 25.♔b1 ♗xg4∞. and Black’s attack wins.
Instead 20.♕h6?? is a losing blunder, as the b) 22.♘xf8 22…bxa3! (the star move;
lines below demonstrate: 20…♗xe6 21.♘xe6 22…♖xf8? 23.♕e3 gives White the
♗f8: Now White can play a) 22.♕xf6 or b) chance to try to consolidate his extra pawn)
22.♘xf8: 23.♕xh7+ ♔xf8:
analysis
a) 22.♕xf6 bxa3 23.bxa3 ♕c3! (the strongest
– White has …♕a1# and …♘d3+, picking Look at the position. Suddenly White is
off the white queen, to worry about) 24.♔d1 attacking with a lone queen and Black
♖b8!: has a queen, pawn, rook, and knight ready
to mate White’s king. It can sometimes be easy
to get carried away with forcing moves, but,
348 349
when that series of forcing moves runs

out, if you have no attack left and your
opponent’s position has massively improved,
you could have just forced him to win the
game! Remember that your attack must lead
somewhere. After 24.♕h8+ ♔e7 25.♕g7+
♔e6, the checks have run out and Black wins.
18. ♘b3
This is very strong, but 18.♕h6 is more analysis

direct. Black can respond a) 18… ♔h8 or b)
The first player should convert his material
18…♘xd4: a) 18…♔h8 19.♘g6+! fxg6
advantage quite easily due to Black’s problems
20.fxg6 ♖f7 (the only way to stop with the weakness at e6.
♕xh7#) 21.gxf7 (White has won an
exchange) 21…♘e5 22.♕e3 ♘xf7 b) 18…♘xd4. Maybe White was scared of
23.♕b3!+–: this and did not calculate far enough to
see that Black eventually runs out of checks
– the material that Black wins along the way is
irrelevant since ♕g7# cannot be prevented.
Now White can play b1) 19.♖xd4, or b2)

19.♘h5:
b1) 19.♖xd4??. This automatic recapture

meets a sticky end: 19…♕e1+! 20.♖d1
♖xc2+! 21.♔xc2
♖c8+ 22.♗c4:
analysis
(22.♔b1 ♕xd1+ 23.♔a2 ♖c1 and …♖a1#)

22…♕xe4+! 23.♘d3 bxc4, and Black wins.
Instead of 22…♕xe4+!, 22…♖xc4+?? would

be a grave mistake that actually wins for
350 351
White! Let’s see: 23.♔b3! (the white king will and Black’s attack ends, whereupon White
find safety on a2) 23… ♕xe4 24.♘h5 ♕c2+ plays ♕g7#.
25.♔a2 ♖xg4 26.♘xf6+
18…♕b6
♗xf6 27.♕xf6, and White continues with
The most natural square for the queen.
♕d8+ and ♖hg1 when his attack will
eventually succeed. 19. ♔b1?!
b2) 19.♘h5 ♖xc2+ (19…♘b3+ 20.♔b1 19.g5! smashes through Black’s defenses: 19…
♘xd2+ [Black wins the rook for free but that ♘e5! (the alternatives were even worse: 19…
doesn’t help] fxg5??
21.♔a2+–) 20.♔b1! (20.♖xc2?? ♕e1#) 20.♕h6! f6 [to prevent White from playing
20…♖c1+ 21.♔xc1 ♘b3+ 22.♔b1 ♘xd2+ f5-f6 himself and to allow ♘h5 to be met by
23.♔a2: …♖f7] 21.fxe6
♗e8 22.♗h3, but White just plays ♗f5

and ♘d5, winning; 19… exf5?? loses in a
similar way after 20.♕h6!) 20.gxf6 ♗xf6
21.♖g2+ ♘g6 (21…♔h8 22.♕h6 hands
White an extra piece) 22.fxg6 fxg6
23.♖hg1!:
analysis
analysis
352 353
Piling up on g6. White is a piece up for a

pawn and will almost certainly win, but Black’s
position is so bad that he should just be
grateful that he hasn’t been mated yet.
19…♔h8?
Walking into a trick.
19…♘e5! 20.♕h6 ♔h8 21.♘h5 ♖g8

22.♘xf6 ♗xf6 23.♕xf6+ ♖g7±. Here
Black loses a pawn for nothing, but he isn’t
going to get mated anytime soon and retains
some chances to survive.
20. ♘g6+!
This is similar to what could have happened if

White played 18.♕h6!.
20…fxg6 21.fxg6 ♖f7

In the following game, Black nicely sacrifices
The only way to prevent mate.
material to get to the white king.
22.gxf7 ♘e5 23. ♘d4 ♘xf7 24. ♕b3! GM Julian Hodgson (2615) – GM Keith
Arkell (2525)
Now White is simply an exchange up for
nothing and wins neatly. Surrey International Open 1996
24…♕b7 25. ♗d3 ♘g5 26. ♖e2 e5 27.h4 1.d4 e6 2.e4 d5 3.e5 c5 4.c3 ♘c6 5. ♘f3
♗xg4 28.hxg5 ♗xe2 29. ♕f7 1-0 ♕b6 6.a3 c4 7. ♘bd2 ♘a5 8.h4 ♗d7
9.h5 0-0-0 10.g3 f5
11.exf6 gxf6 12. ♗h3 ♗d6 13.0-0 e5 14.

♗xd7+ ♖xd7 15. ♖b1 e4 16. ♘h4 ♘e7
17.b3
354 355
17.♕g4? runs into 17…♖g8 or 17… e3,

when the white queen is kicked around and
Black gains time for his attack on the opposing
king.
17…♕c7
It seems natural to retreat the queen to this

square. However, 17…e3! is more to the point
– there is no need for Black to delay the attack
on the white king: 18.bxc4 ♕a6!. Connecting a) 19.fxe3? (not even attempting to hold the
with c4 while maintaining the queen’s
king’s shelter together; 19.♘df3 ♘xc4 is more
defense of the a5-knight; we will see why
this second point is important in the solid but favors Black) 19…♗xg3 20.♘g2
variations below. Instead 18…♕c7 19.fxe3! (20.♘f5 was no better, since Black simply
swaps knights and plays …
♗xg3 20.♘g2 is OK for White, as it will take
far too long for the black queen to enter the
♖g8 and the white king is totally exposed)
attack.
20…♕e6!–+:
After 18…♕a6!, White can choose from a)
analysis
19.fxe3 or b) 19.♘b3:
The black queen rushes into h3 and White
can’t prevent his position from falling apart.
b) 19.♘b3, and now Black can play either b1)

19…exf2+ or b2) 19…dxc4: b1) 19…exf2+?!
(it looks natural to smash through to f2 as
soon as possible, but the problem is that
Black’s attack isn’t winning and White
gains more space for his pieces) 20.♔xf2
(White couldn’t take back with the rook,
when …♗xg3 would hit f2 and h4)
20…♖g8 (20…dxc4 doesn’t enable Black
to transpose to 19…dxc4 because White
can play 21. ♘d2! as there is no longer
a black pawn on e3
356 357
controlling this square and, with Black’s queen

and knight on the a-file both out of play and
White’s knight heading for the
center/kingside, White is fine; also, the
immediate 20…♘xc4 allows 21.♔g2
♖g8
22.♖f3! when White has safely defended g3

and his prospects are no worse than Black’s)
21.♖g1 ♘xc4
b2) 19…dxc4! 20.♘xa5 exf2+ (an important
22.♕d3!: in-between move) 21.♔xf2 ♕xa5 : analysis
analysis The black queen connects with the kingside
The white queen takes up a comfortable post, via the fifth rank and he plans …♖g8 and …
hitting h7 and planning ♘f3 and ♘bd2 and ♘d5. The h5
it is hard to see how Black keeps alive his
and c3 squares are weak.
initiative.
18.bxc4
The solid, if passive, 18.♘g2 seems to

make more sense, overprotecting the e3
square and so preventing Black from playing
…e4-e3.
18…e3 19.fxe3 ♗xg3 20. ♘g2
The only good square for the knight. It is

important to block the g-file.
20…♖g8 21. ♕e2
21.♖xf6 also had to be considered. The rook

can be quite annoying once it reaches f7.
21…♘ec6?!
358 359
Making way to double rooks along the g-file analysis

and not caring about the pawn on d5.
However, 21…♕c6 White’s king is safe now. He plans ♖b5,
swapping off the last pair of rooks, and then
planning …♕e6 with an eventual …♕h3 he will have an endgame advantage thanks to
looks a better bet. his more centralized pieces and pawns. It is
important not to miss defensive concepts like
♖h5.
b) 23…♘e7 (calmly retreating) 24.e4 (White

defends the d5-pawn forever) 24…♖d8!
(finally Black gets his wish and obtains the
chance to double rooks on the g-file) 25.♘f3
♖dg8. So White has two extra pawns, but
Black has the attack. Chances appear even.
22…♖dg7!
22.cxd5 Ignoring the threat to the knight and getting

on with the attack.
22.h6!. Simply stopping the rook from ever
reaching g7. Neutralizing Black’s attack in this 23. ♘f3
way should be a lot more attractive of a
concept than grabbing a pawn, but when the 23.dxc6 ♗h2+! 24.♔h1 ♖xg2! 25.♕xg2
pawn grab attacks a knight as well, it ♖xg2 26.cxb7+ ♘xb7 27.♔xg2 ♕g3+
becomes more tempting. 22…♖g6 (Black 28.♔h1:
is undeterred and goes for the crude
attack anyway; after 22…♘xc4 23.♘xc4
dxc4 24.♖b5, White can swing this rook over
to the kingside and play e3-e4, when his king
should be sufficiently defended) 23.cxd5, and
now Black has a) 23…♗h2+ or b) 23…♘e7:
a) 23…♗h2+?! (too eager) 24.♔h1 ♖xh6
25.♖f5! (White plans to block Black’s
check) 25…♗f4+
26.♖h5 ♖xd5 27.♖xh6 ♗xh6 28.♘e4 :

360 361
game if he follows up this move correctly)

24.dxc6?? (this loses; White can fight on
after either 24.h6 ♖g6 or 24.♕a2 ♕h3
25.♖b2 ♘d8, although both are still much
better for Black) 24…
♕h3!–+ (25.cxb7+ ♔b8 [White has no more

threats, the black king is hiding safely on b8]
26.♖b2 [trying to defend g2] 26…♖g5!,
and if White takes this there is mate on
analysis h2, otherwise …♖xh5 and the devastating
…♕h1 cannot be prevented) 25.♖b2:
28…♗g1!. Black exploits White’s inability to
take this bishop because of …♕h3# to bring analysis
it to a much better square on f2, when …
♕h3# will be a big threat. Bearing in mind 25…♖g5! (without this killer move, White
that Black is also threatening the immediate would have good chances of winning!)
…♕h2#, White’s next move is forced: 26.♖e1 ♖xh5 27.♔f1
29.♘f3 ♗f2! 30.♘h2 ♕h4!. The queen is
threatening to go to the deadly e4 square when
White will be mated, so White’s next move is
forced: 31.♔g2 ♕e4+!, and now we see the
other drawback of White’s position: the rook
on b1 drops off. 32.♔xf2 ♕xb1 . With
queen for rook and bishop, Black will have
good chances to win this position. White’s
extra pawns aren’t very important. Far more
relevant is the excellent coordination between
Black’s queen and knight, which will create a
big headache for White’s king after Black plays
…♘d6, eyeing the big hole on e4. ♕h1+ 28.♘g1 ♖f5+! (Black switches to the
f-file) 29.♘f4 ♗xf4 30.♕f2 ♖fg5! and Black
23…♕f7? crashes through on g1.
23…♕d7! (heading for h3 to exploit 24.dxc6 ♕xh5 25.cxb7+ ♔b8 26. ♖b2
White’s weaknesses on h1, h2, and g2;
now Black is almost certain to win the White needs to defend g2.
362 363
26…♕h3 analysis
26…♘b3 was the alternative: 27.♖xb3?! Here White would be mistaken if he thought
he had enough compensation for the queen –
(27.♘fh4! [giving up a piece to end
with ideas of
Black’s attack] 27…
♖b1 or ♖b2 to win the b3-knight –
♕xe2 28.♖xe2 ♗xh4 29.c4 , and White can
start grinding with his extra pawn). Now, because Black has 33…♗g3! . 34.♖b1
Black can force a draw with 27… ♗h2+! can be met by 34…♗b8, while 34.♖b2
(White cannot take this because then the ♗f4! forces White to give up his strong pawn
queen drops) 28.♔h1 ♗f4+ 29.♔g1 by promoting it next move before taking on
b3 because 35.♖xb3?? ♗e3+!–+ would be a
(29.♘gh4?? ♖g3! 30.♕h2 ♖xf3! and Black disaster.
wins) 29…♗h2+, and the position is
repeated. Best is 28.♕c2!, continuing to overprotect
g2: 28…♘c4 (28…♘b3? [trying to
27.e4 ♖g4 distract White from
Again, 27…♘b3 was worth considering.
28.e5?
White just throws away a pawn for nothing.
28.d5? looks superficially attractive: 28…

♘b3!. The same idea keeps on cropping
up. Now White would have to find the only
move to stay in the game with 29.♗e3! ♖h4
30.♗xa7+! ♔xa7 31.♘gxh4!. It looks
suicidal to open up the g-file for Black’s rook,
but White had to stop …♖h1# and taking on
h4 with the other knight would have
allowed …♕h2#. The variation continues
31… ♗xh4+ 32.♕g2 ♖xg2+
33.♖xg2:
364 365
guarding g2 with a knight sacrifice] 29.♗e3!±,

when the bishop finally enters the game and
Black’s attack is running out of steam) 29.♖a2
♗d6 30.a4 ♖xg2+ 31.♕xg2 ♖g4!=. If White
takes this rook, Black gets the e4-pawn.
28…fxe5∓
29.dxe5??
White was struggling badly and 29.♕a6! was

31. ♘gxh4 ♗f2+ 32. ♔xf2 ♕g3#
his only hope, but after the forcing sequence
29…♗h2+ Apart from the king, every piece that Black has
left is involved in the attack! 0-1
30.♔f2 ♖4g6 31.♕xa5 ♖xg2+ 32.♔e1
♖xb2 33.♗xb2 ♗g3+! 34.♖f2 ♗xf2+
35.♔xf2 ♖g2+ 36.♔e3
exd4+ 37.cxd4 ♕h6+ 38.♔d3 ♖xb2:
analysis
– Black is left with a winning position anyway.
29…♘c4!–+
Hitting the b2-rook and taking the e3

escape square away from the white king,
leaving White’s position totally defenseless.
30. ♖c2 ♖h4!
Finding the mate in 3.
366 367
Chapter 8: Misplayed Attacking Positions
irrelevant pawn, far away from the center of

the board where all of the important action is
Chapter 8 taking place.
15. ♕xb7?
15.♗e3!. Notice how, with this move, White

develops his last minor piece with tempo,
whereupon his rooks are ready to join the fray.
Then 15…♘xe5 16.fxe5 ♕xe5. It can be seen
that, with the loss of his f-pawn, White
uncovers an attack on the f5-bishop. (16…
♕xd3?? 17.♖ad1 and the black queen must
move, when White just wins a piece by taking
on f5 as the black queen is no longer
threatening the e3-bishop) 17.♗f4! (an
important move to play before ♘d5;
17.♘d5?! ♖xd5! [Black has to play this;
17…♗g6??
18.♗f4! ♕e6 – the only move to defend the

e7-bishop – 19.♖ae1, winning a piece, is
what White was hoping for] 18.cxd5 ♗xd3
19.♗f4 ♕f5 :
Misplayed Attacking Positions
analysis
Love Janse (2152) – IM Johan Eriksson
(2414)
Rilton Cup, Stockholm 2003
White has a promising position. At first

glance, it looks as if the d3-pawn will be lost
owing to the heavy pressure that Black is
exerting on it – but this is not the case. White
could, with advantage, decide to give up his f-
pawn instead but he chooses to grab an
368 369
and Black isn’t doing so badly) 17…♕d4 because of …♕e1#.

18.♘d5 ♖xd5 19.cxd5±:
Instead 18.♗f4! ♕xf4 19.♕xe7 ♕xc4
analysis limits the damage to being a clear pawn
down with no compensation.
The difference is that Black’s queen is deprived
of the comfortable f5 square and now taking 18…♗e4??
the d3-pawn gives him problems: 19…
♗xd3 (19… ♕xd3? 20.♖ae1+–; after the
bishop moves, ♗d6 nets material for
White) 20.♖fe1! ♗f6 21.♗e3! ♕b4
22.♗xc5 ♕xc5 23.♕xd3 and White has
emerged with an extra exchange without
Black’s getting a pawn for it.
15…♘xe5 16.fxe5 ♗xd3
It is hard to see how White could have

thought that this position was good for him,
unless he missed this obvious move which
attacks the f1-rook.
17. ♖d1?
At least 17.♖e1 holds onto the e5-pawn.
17…♕xe5 18. ♘d5??
White probably thought that it was a good

idea to attack both black bishops at one stroke. It’s Black’s turn to commit a howler.
As well as hitting e7, this move blocks the
black rook from defending d3. When you look 18…♗xc4! simply wins on the spot.
at it closely, however, there are so many White cannot escape his back-rank
reasons why this wouldn’t work. Even if problems: 19.♘xe7+
Black didn’t have a certain clever resource
available to him, he could simply move his (19.♕xe7 ♖xd5 and the best White can do is
dark-squared bishop and White couldn’t take the pathetic 20.♗g5 ♕xg5) 19…♕xe7!:
the bishop on d3 analysis
370 371
Not a hard idea to spot. Black has back-rank

possibilities on d1 and e1. But he must have
missed it, otherwise he would have played
18…♗xc4. Yet again, the need to look
one move further when calculating crops up
in a practical game. It is very important to stay
alert to tactical ideas. Now 20.♕f3
(the only attempt to save material) 20… ♗e2

– splat!
19. ♕xa6??
White returns the favor. This is materialism at

its worst. For a mere pawn on the edge of the
board, White puts his queen out of play and
leaves his king to its fate.
19.♗f4! gets White out of trouble. (Notice

that if White tried this against 18…♗xc4,
then 19…♗xd5
19…♖xd5!
would win a piece for nothing.) 19…♕xf4
This is not the only win – almost any sensible
(19…♗xd5 20.cxd5 ♕xf4 21.♕xe7=) move wins! This begs the question as to just
20.♕xe7= and White’s back-rank problems what White had missed. See if you can find
have dissipated. some of the other wins by yourself.
19.♘xe7+?? ♕xe7–+ and again White’s back 20.cxd5 ♗d6

rank costs him. So maybe Black noticed the
back-rank issues but failed to appreciate the And it’s disaster on h2.
other differences between 18…♗xc4 and
21. ♔g1 ♕xh2+
18…♗e4.
The king hunt begins.
22. ♔f2 ♕xg2+ 23. ♔e3 ♕f3+ 24. ♔d2

♕f2+ 25. ♕e2 ♗f4+ 0-1
372 373
Jindřich Kuba (2194) – IM Sergej Berezjuk 23…♔d8

(2381)
After 23…♔f8, moves like ♘xg5 and ♘d4
Vysočina Open, Havlíčkův Brod 2009 are winning for White, but I would prefer
The following position is winning for 24.♘bc5!, not just overloading the black
White. He has all of his pieces developed pieces that are defending f6 but also attacking
to active squares, while Black is massively the d7-knight: analysis
lagging in development and his king is
Black would be forced to give up his
dangerously exposed. Watch how Black is
queen on c5 with a lost position, because
actually allowed to win this game in about 20
moves’ time! after 24…♘xc5
White has started out well by playing a 25.♘xf6 he is mated, for example 25…♗xf6
strong check. It is important to deprive 26.♖xf6+ ♔e7 27.♕f7#.
the black king of
24. ♘xf6!
White plays the correct move. He has spotted

that he can win a pawn.
24…♗xf6 25. ♖xf6 ♔c7 26. ♖f7
26.♕h7 is a cleaner execution because if Black

plays …♔b8, then ♖xd7 wins material.
Without being able to play …♔b8, the king is
hopelessly stuck in the center.
26…♔b8
27. ♕h7
castling possibilities.
374 375
find good moves for Black. He has no move

that doesn’t lose a vast amount of material.
29…♘e5
What else?
30. ♕xd8 ♘xf7 31. ♕f6
Objectively, there is nothing wrong with this

move but, from a practical standpoint, it does
27.♖dxd7? ♗xd7 28.♖xd7 doesn’t win seem a bit strange. The attack has already
material because Black has 28… ♕g1+! to succeeded, so why not trade queens and play
pick off the white bishop. h2-h4 with an easily winning endgame?
Maybe this is a sign that White was being
27…♖d8 28. ♕g7 ♔a7 29. ♕xg5?! overambitious. Usually, there is a lot more that
can go wrong when trying to convert a
This is strong and still completely winning – winning position if the queens are still on the
but it is not the best. If you fail to find a board.
knockout blow and leave yourself with work
to do in order to complete the win, there 31…♘d6
is still a chance that you might badly
misplay the position or blunder later on. Now, 32.g5 is strong, but 32.♕d4 is simpler
and would have been my choice here.
29.♘d4! leaves Black without hope: Psychologically, it can be difficult to admit
to yourself that a plan or move is a good
analysis idea during a game when you have already
turned down the same plan or move a little
Were it White’s move here, he would check on earlier. Often, not noticing that something is
b5 with the knight and after the black king good the
retreated to b8, he would capture on d7
with both rooks and then the queen.
Now Black’s …♕g1+ wouldn’t work
because White would simply put the king on
a2, allowing Black to take the g2-bishop, and
play ♕c7# next move. Once more, we see that
bringing an extra piece into the attack pays off.
There is no need for me to give sample
variations here. Look for yourself and try and
376 377
Now, 35.♗xb7! would nicely exploit the

awkward placement of Black’s pieces; after
Black recaptures on b7 with the king, White
plays ♕xe6 and meets …♕xe6 with ♘c5+,
winning a pawn and simplifying the
position as a result of his little
combination. 35.♖d4 is another sensible way
to proceed.
35. ♖e1?
first time means that you don’t spot the same
pattern the next time it is available – but this is White finally makes a serious mistake – and it
not always the case. Sometimes, players might is a natural-looking move! He should have
see the idea the second time but won’t be able been more alert to Black’s potential threats.
to bring themselves to make the move because Had he looked carefully for active moves by
doing so involves admitting to themselves that his opponent, he would not have played this.
they have already made a mistake.
35…♖e8!
Of course, accepting that you have made a
poor move earlier is a better option – Lining the rook up against White’s queen and
pragmatism can be very important when rook. Notice that, even though White is up
playing chess. three pawns, Black now has the more active
pieces. If the white knight weren’t on b3, then
32. ♕f4?! Black could play …♕xb2#.
Simply attacking the d6-knight, but this gives 36. ♕d3?

Black a glimmer of hope.
Another mistake, and this time White’s
32…e5! winning prospects are gone for good.
He can only hope for a miracle, but first he
must activate his pieces.
33. ♕xe5 ♘c4 34. ♕e2 ♗e6
Finally, this bishop enters the game. All

White has to do now to win is not to
compromise himself tactically and this is
easier to do without queens on the board!
378 379
36…♗f5!=
36…♘a3+!= is the other way for Black to save

himself. This time he exploits the undefended
e1-rook by attacking it with his e8-rook after
taking the b3-knight with the bishop. 37.bxa3
yields a likely draw: 37…♗xb3 38.♕c3
♖xe1+ 39.♕xe1 ♗d5+ 40.♔c1 ♗xg2
41.♕e5, and White’s three pawns provide
enough compensation for the bishop;
whereas after 37.♔a2?! ♗xb3+ 38.♕xb3
36.♖c1± is a safe defensive move, admitting ♖xe1 39.♕xb6+ ♔xb6
the error on his previous turn. White still has
very good chances to win, but you can no 40.♔xa3 ♖e2 , Black can try to win the
longer say that he is definitely winning. endgame. Even worse is 37.♔a1?? ♗c4
Now 36…♘xb2 (not the only move: 38.♕d2 ♖xe1+ 39.♕xe1
36…♘e3 and 36… ♗f7 both keep Black
in the game) and, after 36…♘xb2, White ♘xc2+ winning the white queen. Finally,
has two promising continuations, but Black there is 37.♔c1 and now the star move: 37…
can fight on against each of them: a) 37.♕b5 ♘xc2!:
(swapping off the queens) 37…♕xb5 38.axb5
♘c4 39.g5. Black has some slight hope here
because of his active pieces and White’s weak
b-pawn;
b) 37.♔xb2 ♗xb3 38.♕b5 (only move;

38.♕xe8?? loses the queen after …♗xa4
with discovered check):
analysis
38…♗xa4 39.♕xb6+ ♔xb6. After the smoke

has cleared, White has an extra pawn but, even
if he plays this ending well, Black might be
able to hold on.
380 381
analysis
exploiting the unfortunate positions of White’s

pieces. Now 38.♖xe6! (38. ♕xc2?? ♖c8 and
the pin wins the white queen and the
game) 38…♕xe6 39.♔xc2 ♕e2+ 40.♕d2
♕c4+ 41.♔b1 ♕xb3 42.♕xa5+ ♔b8
43.♕d2 ♕xa4 44.h3, and this should be

a draw. There is no sensible way for
either side to make progress. White must have missed the fact that the c-
pawn can’t take the black queen because it is
37. ♕c3?? pinned to its king by the f5-bishop. Maybe
White got confused because the f5-bishop is
This blunder loses the game. The black
attacked by the g4-pawn. Now Black has a
queen, which could have been exchanged
bigger threat of taking on b2 with the queen,
many moves ago, provides the killer blow!
checkmating, so White is forced to play 39.
Correct was 37.gxf5, for instance 37…♖xe1+ ♕c3
38.♔a2 ♕b4 39.♕d4+ ♔b8 40.♕d8+ ♔a7 whereupon Black easily wins the ending.
41.♕d4+: analysis
39…♕xc3 40.bxc3 ♗xg4 41.h4 ♘d2+ 42.
and the game should end in perpetual check. ♔c1 ♘f3 43. ♗xf3 ♗xf3 44. ♔d2 ♔b6
37…♖xe1+ 38. ♕xe1 ♕xb3! 45. ♔e3 0-1
What are the most important lessons to learn

from this game? When you are winning, the
382 383
simplest way to convert your advantage is

often to simplify the position as much as
possible. Another important point is that you
need to recognize when to stop attacking. If
you are two pawns up for nothing, then the
attack has already succeeded and it’s time to
head for the endgame!
Christian Wagner (2252) – Gordon Andre

(2297)
Oberliga Ost-A (Germany) 2006 7. ♗b5+ ♘c6 8. ♘ge2 e6 9.0-0
1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.cxd5 cxd5 4. ♗f4 ♘f6 9…♘e4 10. ♗xc6+ bxc6 11. ♘xe4 dxe4
5.e3 ♕b6 6. ♘c3 ♕xb2 12. ♖b1 ♕xa2 13. ♘c3 ♕c4 14. ♘xe4
♗a6 15. ♕g4?!
Black has grabbed a pawn. In return, White
develops with check and Black has to be This seems wrong. The queen is misplaced
careful that his queen doesn’t get trapped. here.
With 15.♕f3! the queen eyes the c-pawn and

it is hard for Black to defend this because of
the lack of good squares for his own queen.
15…♕d5 16.♖fd1 ♗e7?, and now:
analysis
17.♘d6+!+– is the key move. White’s knight

makes way for the e-pawn to advance and the
black queen will have no way to hold the
bishop on d6. After 17…♗xd6 18.e4 ♕a5
19.♗xd6, Black’s king is stuck in the center,
all of his pieces are badly placed, and he
will not be able to survive the onslaught
from White’s fully mobilized army. A nice
sample variation: 19…♖d8 20.d5 ♖xd6
21.♖b8+ ♖d8 22.dxe6 0-0
384 385
23.exf7+ ♔h8 24.♖bxd8 ♖xd8 25.f8♕+ and Black manages to swap queens –
♖xf8 26.♕xf8#. 20.♕xh5 ♖xh5 21.♗xd6 ♗b5 . Without
queens on the board, the black king is in
15…h5! 16. ♘d6+?! no danger.
16.♕f3 is still possible, as …h7-h5 is not too b) 17.♘d6+! ♗xd6 18.e4 ♕xd4 19.♖fd1
useful for Black. Black replies 16…♕d5, ♕xd1+! 20.♖xd1 ♗xf4 21.♕xf4 0-0 . It will
whereupon White has a choice of a) 17.♖fd1, be quite hard for White to make progress after
or b) 17.♘d6+: Black plays …♗b5 followed by …a5-a4.
a) 17.♖fd1 h4! 18.♘d6+?! ♗xd6 19.e4 16…♗xd6 17. ♕xg7 ♔d7!=

♕h5!:
18. ♕xf7+?
It is obvious that White’s attack has gone

wrong – Black has an extra bishop and
his king is reasonably safe in the center.
Therefore, White should be looking for
equalizing variations instead of being too
aggressive and ending up with a lost position.
18.d5! exd5 (18…cxd5?? 19.♖fc1+–

embarrasses the black queen and White’s
rook will reach c7
once it takes on f7 and Black blocks on e7

with the bishop) 19.♕xf7+! ♗e7 20.♕f5+!
♔d8 21.♕e5!=:
analysis
386 387
rook, it is so dangerous for creating threats to

Black’s king after a well-timed d4-d5 break.
20.e4!+–
Black has no useful task for the a8-rook.
20…♖ab8
20…♕d3 fares no better: 21.♖fe1!

(defending the e4-pawn that Black might have
been able to take, and leaving him with no
analysis defense to White’s coming powerful series of
moves) 21… ♖ac8 22.♖bd1! ♕c2
Black’s problem is that, despite his extra
bishop, his piece coordination is very poor and
this gives White just enough time to stay in
the game. 21… ♖f8 22.♖fc1 (the black
queen has to stay defending the a6-bishop
because otherwise White plays ♕c7+ followed
by ♕xc6+ and taking the a6-bishop) 22…
♕d3
23.♖d1, and the game should end in a draw

by repetition: 23…♕c2 24.♖dc1.
23.d5! – splat – 23…cxd5 24.exd5 exd5
18…♗e7 19. ♗g5 ♖he8?? 25.♕xd5+ ♔c7 26.♗f4+ ♔b6 27.♖b1+.
What a difference it can make, playing the 21. ♖bc1?

wrong rook! This move gives White a
Allowing Black to survive. White had to
winning position, whereas defending the
realize that this was a critical position and
bishop with the other rook would have
put in the necessary effort at calculation.
been very good for Black: 19…♖ae8!
21.d5!+–. It also would have been possible to
20.e4? ♖hf8!–+ is the point – Black can play this based on instinct, realizing that you
now drive the queen away from the f7 need to attack before Black has time to
square where, in combination with White’s regroup his pieces. In the following variations,
388 389
Black has no time to swap rooks on b1 and the 24…a6!!:

b8-rook is a liability:
21…cxd5 (21…♖xb1 22.♕xe6+! ♔c7 [22…

♔d8 23.♖xb1! ♗xg5 24.♕d6+ ♔c8
25.♖b8#] 23.♖xb1
♗b5 24.♗f4+ ♔b6 25.♗e3+ ♔c7 26.d6+

♗xd6 27.♕xe8+–) 22.exd5 exd5 (22…♕xd5
23.♖xb8 ♖xb8
24.♕xe7+ ♔c6 25.♖c1+ ♗c4 26.♕xa7+–)

analysis
23.♕f5+!:
24…a5!! would have exactly the same
analysis
effect. After looking at Black’s alternatives,
This nasty check is the fine point of White’s it becomes obvious why trying to defend
variation, forcing Black’s king to the c-file this pawn with the b8-rook doesn’t work.
where White can pin the black queen to the 24…a6!! deals with both of White’s threats.
king. If Black plays 23…♔d6, then 24.♗f4+ If White takes on a6, then after …♖a8! there
♔c5 25.♗xb8 picks off the rook and is no ♖a3 for White because the black rook
covers this square and if White plays
then 25…♖xb8 26.♖bc1 wins the queen.
25.♖a3 immediately then it loses to …
If Black plays 23…♔c6, then 24.♖bc1
wins for White. ♖b1 since White has no crushing ♖a7+ as
the a6-pawn is in the way.
21…♕b5=
The alternatives include: 24…♖a8?
21…♕xd4 (a greedy attempt to win, but (defending a7 but this is too passive)
it falls just short if White plays actively) 25.♖a3!+– and now Black has no killer …
22.♖fd1! ♗d3 ♖b1 blow; or 24…♖b7? 25.♖a3!±. Now the
surprising 25… ♖h8! is the only way for
23.♗e3 ♕xe4 (now it might appear as if Black to stay in the game. The idea is
Black has safely escaped with a material plus, that, after White takes on d3, the black
but…) 24.♖a1! king can move to c8 and there isn’t a rook
on e8 to be picked off. 25… ♖b1??
(hitting a7 and threatening ♖a3 hitting d3 –
26.♖xa7+ ♔d6 27.♖xb1+–.
the e7-bishop is pinned by the white queen)
390 391
After 24…a6!!, play could continue 25.♖xa6!

(25.♖a3?? ♖b1–+) 25…♖a8! (Black analysis
couldn’t allow
Black is still hanging on by the skin of his
♖a7+) 26.♖xa8 ♖xa8 27.♗c5! ♖e8 teeth and 26…♖f8! is the only move to stay
28.♖a1! (here comes the other rook) and now in the game: 27.♖c7+ ♔xc7 28.♕xe7+ ♔c6
28…♗a6!, exploiting White’s back-rank 29.♕xf8 a5 . Black’s king is safe for now due
weaknesses. White can’t take the bishop to the reduced material and he may even gain
because of …♕e1#. If he tries to create Luft some chances of his own with the outside a-
for his king with 29.h3?, then Black ends pawn if White is careless.
White’s attack with 29… ♕d5!, and stands
22…♗b7 23. ♖c5 ♕b3??
better. So White has nothing better than
29.♖d1+, when Black must block again on d3 After this, Black doesn’t get another chance.
with the bishop to avoid material losses: 29… Necessary was 23…♕b4! 24.♖fc1 ♖bc8!
♗d3 30.♖a1, and the game concludes in a 25.e5 a5=.
draw by repetition.
24. ♖fc1
22.h4
The immediate 24.d5! was more to the point,
22.d5 is now adequately met by 22… but this wins too.
cxd5 23.exd5 ♕xd5 and, compared to the
winning variation above, White’s rook is now 24…♖bc8 25. ♖e5!
on c1 instead of b1, so it is not possible to
simply trade rooks and then take on e7. Getting ready for d4-d5.
24.♖fd1 ♗d3 25.♖c3, and here Black can
25…♗a6 26.d5!
save the day with 25…♖b1! 26.♗c1:
26…♔c7 is hopeless: 27.♖xe6 ♔b8
28.♗xe7, and now White has two extra
pawns as well as a winning position.
26…cxd5 1-0
After playing this, Black resigned before White

could reply 27.♕xe6+ ♔d8 28.♕d6#.
This game illustrates how hard it can be

to attack well. Slight differences in the
392 393
placement of the pieces can have a big effect Looking at the position, the attacking ideas
on whether the attack is successful or not. One seem quite obvious. White will try and blast
way to increase your chances of putting the open lines on the kingside by advancing his
pieces on the correct squares is to make sure pawns near to the black king, and Black will
that all of them are doing a useful job in each try to attack down the b-file with queen and
position. Another way is to calculate the rook. Having said that, neither of these ideas
resulting variations and find the knockout looks to be particularly promising. Black
blows that work if one of your pieces is on one should meet 1.g6 with 1…fxg6 2.hxg6 h6,
square, but fail if it is on another! when White is struggling to further
expose the black king; ♖xh6
M. Plajnšek – T. Petovar
sacrifices are hardly likely to work because
Pokljuka Open 1991
(after the white queen arrives on h6) the e7-
bishop can move and the black queen covers
h7. Black’s idea isn’t fantastic, either: …♕b6
can be met simply by b2-b3, preventing
the threat to b2. Both sides have
everything to play for but shouldn’t expect
the result to be decided quickly from this
position.
15…♖b8 16.g6 h6?
This weakens g6, g7, and e6 and also

misplaces the black king.
16…fxg6! 17.hxg6 h6 is correct – Black can

make use of the f-file and, if White continues
calmly, a natural placement of pieces would
be to put the rook on f8, pawn on d5,
and bishop on d6 or f6, for example
18.♔b1 ♖f8 19.♗h3 d5 20.♖hf1 ♗d6
21.♘e2 a5 (played with the idea of …a5-a4
and …♕b6, to soften up b3):
Here, we have a typical opposite-castling
attacking position that has arisen from the analysis
Sicilian Defense.
394 395
Once White’s kingside attack has been 18…♔g8

blocked, he must be careful not to drift into a
passive position. Running away.
If playing g5-g6 doesn’t break through, it isn’t 19. ♕g6!

necessarily a good idea.
19.♖g1! is the alternative, planning ♗d3
followed by tripling on the g-file with
♖g2 and ♖dg1, maybe followed by f4-f5,
with decent attacking prospects.
19…♖f8 20. ♗d3?
But here White goes seriously wrong.
20.♖g1! is natural and good: 20… ♗f6

21.e5! (an important sacrifice to nullify
Black’s possible ideas of taking on c3 or
b2 and to bring the knight into the
17.gxf7+ ♔xf7 18. ♕g3!
attack via e4) 21…dxe5 22.♘e4 ♕e7
Looking down the g-file.
(defending f6) 23.♘xf6+ ♕xf6 (23…♖xf6??
18.♖g1 might appear to be a blunder on – can you spot why this loses? – 24.♖d8+!
the surface because 18…♕b6 hits g1 and [the rook can’t be captured because of mate on
b2, but after 19.♗d3 ♕xb2+ 20.♔d2, g7] 24… ♖f8 25.♗d3!!:
losing the b2-pawn hasn’t hurt White’s
position as the black queen is now
misplaced and the king is safe enough on d2.
Indeed, after 20…♕a3 (played since White
was threatening
♖b1, winning the b8-rook), White has 21.e5!

with an ongoing initiative and the added
possibility of ♗g6+
to pick off the e8-rook, as well as bringing the

knight to e4.
396 397
It is hard to understand this move, giving

White time for ♖g1 and opening the a2-
g8 diagonal for
♗c4+.
20…♖xf4? allows 21.e5!, when White’s queen

will reach h7 and displace the black king. So
Black kicks the white queen away before
taking on f4 by playing instead 20…♖f6!
21.♕e8+ (21.♕g3 ♖xf4!
analysis
and White cannot take the rook because
White checks on h7, then crashes through on …♗g5 would win his queen) 21…♗f8.
g7 and wins the house. You should look for The white queen is stranded in enemy
ideas like this when your opponent’s pieces territory and it looks like …♗b7 will win it
are seriously short of squares. 25…♖xd8 for a rook. But White has 22.e5!, offering
26.♕h7+ ♔f8 27.♕h8+ ♔f7
28.♖xg7+ ♔f6 29.♕xh6#) 24.♕xf6!. Now

White changes tack and goes for a large
endgame advantage.
24…♖xf6 25.fxe5 ♖f5 26.♖d8+ ♖f8 (26…

♔f7 27.♗xa6 wins an exchange) 27.♖d6±:
analysis
Both of White’s rooks are active and his bishop

will come to c4 to put pressure on e6. Look at
how passive Black’s bishop is, blocked in by
the pawns on a6 and e6! When calculating
variations, you should not forget about the the queen extra escape routes via c6 or g6, so
possibility of reaching a favorable ending. Black must give up two rooks to win it. 22…
Quite often this is the natural conclusion to a ♗d7 23.♕xb8
well-played attack!
♕xb8 24.exf6 gxf6 . Black continues with …
20…e5? d6-d5, …♗d6, and …♔f7 and takes over the
398 399
initiative. The queen and bishops coordinate to create a bolt-hole for his king before
better than the rooks and Black’s four taking on d5. [31.exd5?! ♗h3!,
central pawns control a lot of squares. threatening …♖f1, is less clear.] After
21.fxe5? 31.a4!, White will take on d5 and expose the
black king with a winning position.) 30.♖h1!
21.♖dg1! threatens mate on g7. Moving ♗h4 (trying to be clever; if White takes
the other rook to g1 is also strong. 21… this bishop then …♕e1+ leads to a back-
♗f6 22.♕xh6 rank mate; 30…♗xg7 31.♕h7+! [a useful
couple of checks enables White to pick
(grabbing a pawn but, more importantly,
making way for White’s h-pawn to advance) off the black bishop] 31…♔f8 32.♖f1+
22…♕b6 23.♗c4+ ♔e7 33.♕xg7+
d5 24.♗b3 (blocking Black’s attack on b2) ♔d6 34.exd5+–) 31.♕h5!+–. White displaces
the bishop and also introduces the defensive
24…exf4 (24… ♕e3+? 25.♔b1 ♕xf4
possibility of
Black fails to swap queens: 26.♕g6!+– and
h5-h6 is coming) 25.♕g6! (playing h5-h6 is ♘d1 now that the queen on h5 will be
White’s main attacking idea and it is defending it. Play might continue 31…♕g5
important to do it as quickly as possible)
32.♕h8+ ♔f7 33.♖f1+
25…f3 (Black tries to get some
counterplay) 26.h6 ♕e3+ ♔e7 34.♕f8+ ♔d7 35.♖f7+ ♔e6 36.exd5+
♔e5 37.♕c5, and the black king in the
27.♔b1 f2:
middle of the board will soon be mated.
analysis
21…dxe5?
Now White just goes forward and ignores
21…♗g5+! (Black needed to play this as an
Black’s threat: 28.hxg7!!+– fxg1♕+ 29.♖xg1.
in-between move before recapturing on e5 to
Black has an extra rook for the time being, but
prevent a rook sacrifice on g5) 22.♔b1
that doesn’t help. White is crashing through
down the g-file or the h-file, or on d5. 29… dxe5 23.♖hf1 . White’s position is more
♖d8 (29…♖f7? 30.♕h7+! ♔xh7 31.g8♕+ comfortable, but there is still everything to
play for.
♔h6 32.♕g6#; or 29… ♕xg1+ 30.♕xg1
♗xg7 22. ♖hg1!
31.a4!. Moving the pawn one square forward

to a3 would have been good too. White needs
400 401
24.♗c4+!+– ♔h8 25.h6. Look for yourself –

Black has no defense. 25… ♗h3 26.♖d6!:
analysis
White will take on g7 with the pawn, then

play ♕h5+ and meet …♕h7 with ♖h6 to
win the queen.
24…♖f6??
Black doesn’t get another chance.
24…♖b4!. Black must prevent ♗c4 and

this is the only way to do so. (24…
♕f7?? 25.♗c4! ♕xc4
26.♕g7# is probably what White was hoping

for) 25.♕xg5 ♖f6 26.a3 ♖d4 27.hxg7 ♕xg7
28.♕xe5±:
22…♗g5+??
The losing move. Now Black will be

unable to defend his king. Instead after
22…♗f6 23.♕xh6
♗e6±, White has won a pawn and can

consolidate his king’s position with b2-b3 and
♔b1 before moving his queen and trying to
play h5-h6.
analysis
23. ♖xg5! hxg5 24.h6?
This favors White but Black can struggle
Rushing with the h-pawn, White misses a on since, after 28…♖d8, 29.♗c4+ ♔h7
stronger continuation. 30.♖xd8 doesn’t work because of 30…♖f1+
when White’s queen is loose on e5.
402 403
Chapter 9: Nice-Looking Attacking Ideas that Shouldn’t
Work, But Often Do in Practice
25. ♗c4+ ♔f8 26.hxg7+ ♕xg7 27. ♖d8+
1-0
Chapter 9
And Black resigned before mate next move.
Nice-Looking Attacking Ideas That

Shouldn’t Work,
But Often Do in Practice
Quite often, an idea will be visually attractive

and look like it solves the problems you face in
a position. When that move also contains a
tactical trap and a positional threat, you would
be forgiven for thinking that you were on to a
winner, but that is not always the case. This
position is a good example: GM Vlastimil
Hort (2600) – IM Kick Langeweg (2395)
Amsterdam 1982
25. ♖e6?!
The rook can’t be taken because ♘e7+ wins

the black queen. It looks good to place a rook
where a pawn can take it but shouldn’t – any
ideas Black had of capturing on d5 can be
dismissed since the queen on g6 would hang
and ♗xf6 is threatened, ruining the pawn
404 405
structure around the black king… not bad for
one move? You might think so.
With 25.g4!, the knight is cemented on f5 and

Black begins to experience some difficulties.
Quite often the simple moves are better than
the flashy ones. Black has problems in all
variations: a) 25…♘xd5 26.♗xg7 leaves
Black’s king too exposed;
b) 25…♔h8 26.f3 (shoring up g4) 26…h5

analysis
27.b3 planning ♕b2 with ongoing pressure;
c) 25…♕g5 26.♕c1 (the queen trade doesn’t White wins a critical pawn on d6.
help Black’s cause) 26…♕xc1 27.♖xc1 and,
25…♔h7!
with the potential threat of ♗xg7 tying Black
down and ♖c6 in the air, White has a nice Black’s queen on g6 is suddenly safe and
position; d) 25…h5 26.♖e6! (now this move White must deal with the threat to his e6-rook
gains in strength) 26…♕h7 (26… ♔h7?? from the f7-pawn that could not capture it on
27.gxh5 and White wins material next move, the previous turn. Black must have been
kicking himself for not playing this in the
for example 27…♕xh5 28.♘xd6+) 27.♖xd6!
actual game.
cxd6 (27…♖xd6 28.♕xc7 and White
mates on the back rank) 28.♗xf6 gxf6 25…fxe6?? was played instead – Black fell
29.♕c7±: for White’s threat! – 26.♘e7+! ♗xe7
27.♕xg6+– (the queen dominates the rook
and knight) 27… ♖xd5 28.♗e3?! (28.♗xf6!
was stronger: 28…♗xf6 29.♕e8+
♔h7 30.♕xe6 ♖d1+ 31.♔e2 ♖a1

32.♕xa6+–:
406 407
32.fxg5 ♘d5 (32…♘e8 33.♕xe6 ♖a5 34.g6
♘d6 35.♔g2! followed by ♕d7 and ♕xc7 is
also hopeless for Black) 33.♗d4:
analysis
and g7 was going and with it the game. 1-0
26. ♗xf6
Hitting d8. The exchange sacrifice

26.♖xf6 was not an attractive alternative
– in this instance, the strong knight on f5
would give insufficient counterplay.
26…fxe6
26…gxf6? 27.♖e2. Black lacks active

counterplay. White will improve his position
with ♕e4, g2-g3,
♔g2, ♖c2, and ♖c6, and it is hard to see

analysis how Black can avoid losing material in the
long run.
and White will be able to pick off black pawns
on the queenside and then advance his
kingside infantry) 28…♔f8! (simply
stopping ♗xh6) 29.f4 ♖a5?! (29…e5!
30.fxe5 [30.f5 is harmless as the f-pawn
can then no longer support g4-g5] 30…
♖xe5 31.♕d3 keeps White’s advantage
under control, now he is deprived of any
powerful g4-g5 break) 30.g4! (threatening g4-
g5, when White can win the e6-pawn) 30…
♖xa2? (30…♘d5 followed by …♗f6 was

Black’s last chance to hold his position
together) 31.g5! hxg5
408 409
than a position with equal chances or a draw
to begin with!
26. ♖ff3 d4??
This just plain loses right away. Black misses

the main tactical point of White’s attacking
idea.
26…♖xc3! is the only move to hold the

balance, swapping off one of White’s
27. ♗xd8 rooks before
Now the game would have petered out into a

draw by
27…♕xf5 28. ♕xf5+ exf5
Black has survived to an easily drawn bishop

ending.
IM Daniel King (2430) – Marinus Kuijf

(2370)
Amsterdam 1982
We have a position where White would like to

move a rook to the h-file to attack the
opposing king.
Obviously the c3-rook isn’t available since the

white queen on c2 would hang, so White
decides to use the f1-rook instead. By the way,
this is the best move in the position! Just
because the defender manages to repel the
attacks in this chapter doesn’t mean that the coordinating his pieces to organize the
attacker erred with his first move. Sometimes defense: 27.♖xc3 (27.♕xc3?? ♔xh7+– no
that is the case but quite often, as in this more attack) 27…
example, the attacking side had nothing better
♕b5!:
410 411
analysis 27. ♖h3! ♖xc3
Black’s counter-threat prevents White’s rook

from moving to the h-file. 28.♗g6
(28.♖h3?? ♗c5+
29.♔h1 ♕f1#) 28…f5 and Black is fine,

since with …♕b6 and …♔g7 coming, White
will no longer have an attack.
Another alternative, 26…f5?, meets with a

nasty surprise: 27.♖h3 ♔g7 28.♗xf5!
(28.♖cg3+? ♔f6
and the black king survives despite the

attention of all of White’s pieces!
29.♖h6+ ♔e7 30.♖g7+ ♖f7
31.♖xf7+ ♔xf7 32.♕d1 ♔f8! 33.♕h5??

♖c1+ 34.♔f2 ♕g7! and …♕xb2+ will win
for Black) 28…exf5
29.♖cg3+: An admission of defeat; Black realizes that his

position is hopeless.
analysis
27…dxc3 is undoubtedly what Black had
and White will pick off the black queen
planned, but before making the move, he must
with his rook checks, emerging into a
have noticed to his horror that 28.♗f5+!:
rook ending with more pawns: 29… ♔f6
30.♖h6+ ♔f7 31.♖h7+ ♔f6 32.♖xd7 analysis
♖xc2 33.♖xd6+ ♔e7 34.♖xd5±. It is
important to keep count of the material in wins instantly after 28…♔g8 (28…♔g7
your calculations when attacking. 29.♖h7+ wins the queen) 29.♗xe6+! ♕xe6
Otherwise it might be possible to actually 30.♕g6#. It is really important to calculate
see all of a line like this one, but for the final well in critical tactical positions. One
position to be somewhat blurry in your mind, oversight can cost you the game, as seen
so that you end up rejecting it because you here. Before playing 26…d4, I believe that
don’t realize you have two extra pawns!
412 413
Black correctly recognized that 27.♖h3 was
the only idea that could be potentially very
dangerous for him, but had a quick look,
thought he was OK, and blundered into it.
But Black should have realized that 27…dxc3
is critical, Black is a rook up, if White has a
resource it has to be here. And since Black’s
pieces are so precariously placed, with the king
on h8 shielded from the h3-rook only by
White’s own h7-bishop, he should have
recognized this as a position where he needed With mate coming. 1-0
to calculate every single tactical idea available
to White, since if one of them works, it is too Ruslam Irzhanov (2385) – Bolat Asanov
late once you reach the position. By doing this (2360)
I think he would have found 29.♗xe6+ in
Karaganda 1994
time and avoided disaster.
We join the game at a point when White
28.bxc3+– ♖b8
threatens checkmate by both h3-h4 and ♘f3.
Black absolutely has to play
28…♕g7 29.♗d3+ (White doesn’t even need
to go to f5 here) 29…♔g8 30.♖g3 wins the 48…♖xa3+
queen.
and then meet
29. ♗f5+ ♔g8 30. ♖h7 d3 31. ♗xd3
♗c5+ 32. ♔h1 ♕d6 33. ♕e2 ♔f8 34. 49. ♘f3+
♕h5
with
49…♖xf3+ 50. ♔xf3
Now Black is only slightly behind on material.

What would you play in this position as Black?
The way to find the best move here is to
consider what White would play if it
were his turn. He would obviously play h3-
h4+ followed by ♕h6#. What can Black do to
prevent that?
414 415
50…f5 might cross your mind. But then Unlike in the game, Black must exchange
White plays 51. h4+ anyway. Black must queens because his queen is pinned to the king
respond with 51… on g4, and the endgame is better for White:
54…♕xc8 55.♖xc8 ♔f5 56.♖f8 g5
57.♖xf7 and Black has drawing chances,
but at least he hasn’t been allowed an instant
draw, as in the game.) 53.♕h6+! ♔f6
54.♕h4+ ♔e5
(54…♔g7 55.♖b8 and ♕h8 mates) 55.hxg4:
analysis
Now Black can pick between a) 55… fxg4, b)

♔f6 to avoid the mate just seen, but then 52. 55…f4+, and c) 55…♕a7:
g5+ ♔e5 53. ♕g7+ f6 54. ♕xf6 is still
a) 55…fxg4??. White’s aggressive play gives
checkmate. Which leads us to the move Black
Black plenty of chances to go wrong, and this
played in the game.
is one of them. It looks natural to grab a pawn,
After 50…h5! 51.h4+ ♔xh4, then 52. but here it leads to Black’s demise: 56.♕g5+ f5
♕h6 is pointless because the h5-pawn (56…♕f5 57.♖e8+
shields the black king from check.
+–) 57.♖f8! and White will play ♕f4# next
50…h5! 51. ♕c8?! move;
51.♖h8!. It seems nonsensical to give up b) 55…f4+?. The black king is heading

for the hills on c4, but this does not
the g-pawn with check, but ♕h6 is a
powerful threat. If it were White’s turn solve its problems: 56.♔f3 ♔d4 57.♕f2+
now, play would proceed 1.♕h6+ ♔h4 ♔xc4 58.♕a2+! (it is important to prevent …
2.♕xh5+ gxh5 3.♖xh5 checkmate! So ♔xd5) 58… ♔d4 59.♖h2!:

51…
hxg4+ 52.♔e3! and now Black must deal with

the threats to his king. (52.hxg4?? ♕xg4+; of
course White was never going to recapture on
g4) 52…f5 (52…♔f5 53.hxg4+ ♔xg4
54.♕c8!. Now White goes to c8.
416 417
meanwhile, 62.♖xd3+? fails to the surprising
62…♔c4+!:
analysis
when amazingly White can’t defend his d3-

rook, as ♔e2 is met by …♕g2+ or …♕e4+),
and now 62…
♔e6!. Otherwise Black loses the knight for

nothing at all.
Here White can play b11) 63.♔xd3, or b12)

63.♕a2+:
b11) 63.♔xd3 ♕f3+! 64.♔c4 ♕c6+ 65.♔b3

♕b7+ 66.♔c2 ♕e4+:
analysis
Here Black can play either b1) 59… ♘d3, or

b2) 59…♔e5:
b1) 59…♘d3? 60.♕a1+! ♔xd5 61.♖d2!

(going for the d3-knight) 61… ♕c6! (61…
♕b7 had the same tactical motif; 61…♕b5?
defending the knight directly loses to the
simple 62.♕c3 and it drops next move)
62.♔e2! (the only safe square for the king –
Black was threatening a nasty discovered check
with his king; 62.♔g2? ♔e6+! 63.♔g1
♘e5–+ and Black’s queen, knight, and f-
pawn will overwhelm the bare white king;
418 419
analysis
Amazingly, it seems that Black has

managed to get a perpetual check here!
67.♖d3 ♕g2+ 68.♖d2
♕e4+ 69.♔c3 ♕c6+ 70.♔b2 ♕b7+ 71.♔c1

♕c6+ 72.♖c2 ♕h1+ 73.♔b2 ♕b7+
74.♔a2 ♕a6+ 75.♔b1
♕f1+ 76.♖c1 ♕d3+ 77.♔a2 ♕a6+. There

seems to be no way for White to escape!
b12) 63.♕a2+!+– ♔e5 64.♔xd3 ♕f3+

65.♔c2 ♕c6+ 66.♔b2 ♕b5+ 67.♕b3:
analysis
This time there is no perpetual. What a

difference that check on a2 has made! It
would have been tempting to just take the
d3-knight right away, but you should analysis
always watch out for your opponent’s
possibilities. the reduced material means Black will be
able to get a draw. His resources are
b2) 59…♔e5!. Now White has b21) probably tested most seriously in the line
60.♖e2+ and b22) 60.♖d2: 69.♔e3 g5 70.♔d4 ♔g6 71.♖a3 g4
72.♖a6 ♔g5 73.♖xd6 g3 74.♖a6 g2
b21) 60.♖e2+ ♔f6 61.♕c4. White is 75.♖a1
threatening to play ♕d4+ and then to take on
f4, so Black really needs to play 61…♕a4!, ♘xd5! 76.♔xd5 ♔f4! 77.♔d4 ♔f3 78.♔d3
when after 62.♕xa4 ♘xa4 63.♔xf4 ♘c3 ♔f2=.
64.g5+ ♔g7 65.♖d2 f6! 66.♖d3 fxg5+
b22) 60.♖d2 60…♔f6 61.♕c4 ♕a4
67.♔xg5 ♘e4+ 68.♔f4 ♘f6!: 62.♕xa4 ♘xa4 63.♔xf4 g5+! (63…♘c3
is now too slow after g4-g5+ and ♖d3;
White will be able to put his rook on the
seventh rank to prevent Black from playing …
420 421
f7-f6) 64.♔e3 ♘c5 65.♖a2:
analysis
and White retains chances to win this

endgame with the help of Zugzwang
ideas. For example, …♔e5
walks into ♖f2, rounding up the f-pawn,

when …f7-f6 would run into ♖f5#.
analysis
c) 55…♕a7 56.♖e8+ (56.♕g3+ looks
tempting to win the d6-pawn, but it allows For now, Black only has a couple of pawns for
Black a perpetual check after 56… ♔f6 the rook and, at first sight, defeat appears
57.♕xd6+ ♘e6+! 58.♔f3 fxg4+ 59.♔xg4 inevitable.
♕d4+ 60.♔f3 ♕d3+ =) 56… ♘e6+
However, to avoid the perpetual, White
will have to give up more pawns. 60…
57.♔f3 ♕a3+ (Black is trying to get
perpetual check, when it won’t matter that ♕f1+! 61.♔h2 ♕e2+
he is dropping the e6-knight) 58.♔g2

62.♔g1 ♕d1+ 63.♔f2 ♕c2+ 64.♔f1 ♕d3+
♕a2+ 59.♔h3 (the checks have run out and
65.♔g2 ♕e2+ 66.♕f2 (after walking around
…♕b3+ would be met by ♕g3+) 59…♕xc4 with his king for several moves, White finally
60.dxe6: gets to block the check) 66…♕xg4+! (Black

allows White to trade queens; not 66…
♕e4+?? as Black must be aware that it is
disastrous if the checks run out without
him getting some material back in return:
67.♕f3 ♕c2+ 68.♔g3+– and Black has no
more checks) 67.♕g3+ ♕xg3+
68.♔xg3 fxe6:
analysis
The dust has cleared and Black has four

connected pawns for the rook! White can try
422 423
and win, but a draw is probably the most – but he just needed to look a tiny bit further
likely result. and realize that after 55…♕d1+ (or any other
51…hxg4+ 52.hxg4 f5?! queen check) 56.♔g2 ♕e2+ he definitely has

a perpetual check at the very least.
52…♕a4!. Black was probably afraid of
53.gxf5
53.♕f5+ ♔h6 54.g5+, when …♔h5
allows ♖h8# and … Now Black is under pressure again.
fxg5 allows ♕h3#, but he could simply play 53…♕a4

54… ♔h7:
After 53…♕xf5+ 54.♕xf5+ ♔xf5, Black
would have good drawing chances, but the
same can be said about 53… ♕a4.
54. ♕e8!
The only move to keep up the pressure on

Black.
54…♕xc4?
Can you see what Black missed? He

probably just thought that White would
play fxg6 and then he would get a
perpetual check with …♕f1+, without
being alert to possible dangers and
looking more thoroughly at White’s other
options.
analysis
Perhaps he saw this, but was worried about

55.♕c8 when it looks as if White has a
dangerous attack
424 425
56. ♕xg6+ ♔h4 57. ♕h6#
It can be easy to just assume that the

offensive is over once White is reduced to
a single attacking piece, but here the white
king helps its queen by covering squares
on the g-file and this oversight cost Black
the game. You should always calculate that
little bit further to make sure!
IM Vartan Kagramanianz (2257) – GM

analysis Spartak Vysochin (2599) Zaporozhye Cup
2004
54…♕xe8 55.♖xe8 ♔xf5 was again
possible; while 54…♕b3+ 55.♕e3+
♕xe3+ 56.♔xe3 ♔xf5
could also be played; or 54…♕d1+ 55.♕e2

♕h1+ 56.♕g2+ ♕xg2+ 57.♔xg2 ♔xf5
58.♔f3: analysis
Black really had to go for one of these three

lines. He shouldn’t have been too scared about
the rook-vs.-knight ending and at least could
think that with 53…♕a4 he made White Here we have a position where Black has an
find a good move to force him into the isolated queen’s pawn. This will usually give
ending, instead of just playing 53…♕xf5+ him active piece play, but there is a danger that
and entering it right away. the isolated pawn could become a weakness
and, if Black plays too passively, White might
55. ♖xg6+! 1-0 be able to pick it off. Compared to the typical
positions, White is not doing well here. His
Black resigned without waiting for knight is badly out of play on a4 and his h-
pawn would be much better off on h2, where
55…fxg6 it would give additional protection to the g3-
pawn.
55…♔h5 56.♕h8#; 55…♔xf5 56.♕xf7+
♔e5 57.♕f6+ ♔xd5 58.♕xd6#. 20. ♘c3
426 427
White brings his offside knight back into the
game and challenges Black’s well-placed knight
in the center of the board. How should Black
respond?
20…♘xf2!
Black strikes sacrificially to open up White’s

king. Notice how his pieces are nicely
positioned for the attack. His queen is hitting
g3 and his bishop and e8-rook are bearing
down on e3.
21. ♗xf7+
21.♖xf2 was the alternative and 21…♖xe3

22.♗xf7+ ♔h8 transposes to the game.
21.♔xf2?? ♖xe3!–+.With the rook

threatening nasty discovered checks including
going to d3 to pick off White’s queen, and
with g3 under attack, White is doomed. Trying to hide in the corner. White could
not leave his king on the same diagonal
21…♔h8 as Black’s dark-squared bishop.
21…♔xf7 makes life easy for White: 23…♕xg3 24. ♕f1?

22.♖xf2+ ♔g8 23.♕xd5+ ♕xd5
24.♘xd5 ♗xe3 25.♘xe3 24.♕g1! is the only move to hold the position
together:
♖xe3=.
a) 24…♕xg1+ (trying to gain a material
22. ♖xf2 ♖xe3 23. ♔h1! advantage for the ending) 25.♖xg1
(25.♔xg1? ♖f3–+ and Black wins too much
material) 25…♖h3+ 26.♖h2 ♖xh2+
27.♔xh2 ♗xg1+ 28.♔xg1. Even though
Black has a rook and two pawns for the two
bishops, White should be fine here thanks to
his active pieces.
428 429
b) 24…♕h3+ 25.♖h2 (25.♕h2?? ♕d7–+ are under pressure with the clock ticking and
and White is powerless to prevent … you know that a single slip could cost you the
♖h3, picking off his queen) 25… ♕f3+ game!
26.♕g2 ♕xf7 27.♘xd5: 24…♖f8!–+

analysis
White is tied up and in a jam. The bishop
The dust has settled and Black has emerged cannot leave f7 and White has no good moves.
with an extra pawn. Suddenly, though, it is If he plays 25.♕g1, he is likely to lose the f7-
White who’s on the attack: g7 is under bishop. This highlights the importance of
pressure, ♖f1 is coming, and now the calculating well in a tactical position. White
might have thought that f1 was a
white king is safe on h1: 27…♖e6
reasonable defensive square for the queen,
but what matters is whether or not it holds
28.♖f1! ♕g8 and White is fine, as can
your position together – and you need to
be seen from the sample variation
examine the variations in order to discover if it
29.♕xg7+ ♕xg7 30.♗xg7+ does.
♔xg7 31.♘c7 ♖ee8 32.♘xa8 ♖xa8 25. ♘xd5?

33.♖g2+ ♔h8 34.♖f7=. While Black’s
attack was accurately and energetically Making it even easier for Black. 25.♖g2 was a
played, sometimes the defending side has better try, but it still fails: 25…♕e5!
enough resources to stay in the game. White (threatening …
was under pressure and had to find lots of
good moves to maintain the balance, which is ♖h3) 26.♖f2 ♕e7, and either h4 or f7 will
why Black’s idea was nice but shouldn’t have fall.
led to victory. However, finding the best
defensive moves is never easy when you 25…♖xf7??
25…♕xh4+!:
analysis
This leads to forced mate. After 26.♔g1

(26.♖h2 ♕e4+! [the only move to win –
all the rest lose; maybe Black missed this
check?] 27.♕g2 ♖e1+ 28.♖xe1 ♕xe1+
29.♕g1 ♕xg1#) 26… ♖g3+ 27.♕g2
430 431
♖xg2+ 28.♔xg2 ♕xf2+ 29.♔h3 ♖xf7, 27…♖xf6 (27…♔xg7 28.♘h5+!. Maybe
Black mates in short order. this simple retreating knight fork to win
the opposing queen escaped White’s
26. ♘xe3?? attention. Without it, he would have been
completely lost. This highlights yet again the
Missing a golden chance to get back in the importance of analyzing forcing lines out to
game. Better is 26.♗xg7+! exploiting the their conclusion.) 28.♗xf6!. Crucially, the
awkward placing of Black’s pieces. Now Black bishop now guards the h4-pawn from capture
has the choice of: a) 26…♕xg7, b) 26…♔g8, by the black queen. Black’s attack has failed,
or c) 26…♖xg7: a) 26…♕xg7?? 27.♖xf7+–. for example 28…♕g4 29.♕c4+
The black queen has abandoned the attack.
♕xc4 30.bxc4 ♖h3+ 31.♔g2 and White is
b) 26…♔g8?? 27.♘f6+!: an exchange up.
c) 26…♖xg7 27.♘xe3 :
analysis
After Black’s disastrous move 25, it is now

White who’s playing for the win. The e3-
knight enjoys tactical immunity because of
Black’s back-rank problems. Many players,
when looking at this variation, might have
suffered from the common calculation
problem of stopping their analysis too early.
They might assume that, “Black takes on e3
and then it is good for him because he has two
minor pieces for the rook,”
without examining both possible captures

on e3 and realizing that they both have
flaws. The variation continues 27…♕xh4+!
(27…♖g8! [defending the back rank; now
Black retains some threats] 28.♖f3!
[solving the problem of the e3-knight] 28…

♕xh4+ 29.♖h3 . An exchange up for a pawn,
analysis it is White who is trying to win. Instead
432 433
after 27…♕xe3?? Black loses to mate in analysis
two: 28.♖f8+ ♖g8 29.♕f6#; while 27… and White picks off the bishop on e3 with an
♗xe3?? also loses: 28.♖f8+ ♖g8 29.♕f6+
extra exchange.) 28.♖h2 ♕e4+ 29.♘g2! :
♕g7 30.♖xg8+ ♔xg8 31.♕e6+!: analysis
The knight does a good job of blocking Black’s

attack. ♖e1 is coming and suddenly
White’s pieces start to coordinate.
26…♖xf2–+
This time, Black plays the correct move –

which is also the most natural one on the
board.
27. ♗xg7+
If only White had found this one move

earlier…
27…♔g8!
An accurate move, not falling for a knight fork

of his king and queen or leaving the f2-rook
unguarded.
28. ♕c4+ ♔xg7
434 435
Now, after 29.♘f5+, White has nothing 16. ♗xh7+!
guarding the knight.
29. ♕c3+ ♔g8 30. ♕c4+ ♔f8 0-1
This was an exciting game where both

sides missed strong moves. Different types
of positions demand different approaches. In
a maneuvering game, there will typically be
limited interaction between the opposing
forces; in such cases, there should be a greater-
than-normal emphasis on trying to find the
best squares for your pieces and the routes
needed to get them there. In a game like the
one we have just seen, where there are loose The most testing move for Black to face.
pieces all over the place and both kings are
under attack, it is a big clue that the only thing 16…♔xh7 17. ♘g5+ ♔g8
that really matters is deep and accurate
calculation and analysis. You could almost 17…♔g6? exposes the king too much:
expect to blunder if you were playing this 18.♕e4+! f5 19.exf6+ ♔xf6 20.♖e1±. White
game and weren’t looking at least five moves only has a pawn for the piece, but Black’s king
ahead on every turn from move 20 onwards! will never find safety.
Marcelino Vega Viejo (2186) – José María 18. ♕h5 ♘f8

Valle Abraldes
The only move.
San Miguel Open 2004
19. ♕xf7+ ♔h8 20. ♖e1
Here we see a typical Greek Gift sacrificial
attack. Whether or not a Greek Gift sacrifice White had no intention of taking a draw by
will lead to a win depends greatly upon the repetition with 20.♕h5+.
placing of the defender’s pieces. Here, all of his
pieces (apart from the king) are on the 20…♖c7?
queenside, which indicates in general that
White’s attack will have good chances of This move looks unnatural, blocking the black
working, but in this specific case Black could queen’s route back to defend the king via c7,
have held the balance had he found the correct and now White’s attack gets stronger.
defensive resources.
436 437
Amazingly, 20…♕xd4 offers an unlikely way
of keeping Black in the game. Now White has
a choice: a) 21.♖e4, b) 21.♕xb7, or c)
21.♕h5+:
a) 21.♖e4?? plans ♖h4 with mate, but

unfortunately 21…♕d1+ mates for Black
instead.
b) 21.♕xb7 (it is possible for White to just

take the bishop) 21…c3! (It is important for
Black to get his c-pawn going as soon as white rook. White has to play 27.♔f1 to hold
possible. Now if White tries to bring his
the rook, and after 27…♕d3+ 28.♔g1 Black
knight to d6 to attack the c8-rook, then Black
can make his own threats with the c- could repeat with 28…♕d1?. However, this
would be a bad idea because he has even better
pawn.) 22.♘f7+ ♔h7 23.♘d6 c2 24.♖b3
than a draw: 28…♘e2+
♖c3! (Black needs to block the potential
check on h3 and he is able to leave the a8-rook
forces 29.♔h1 and after …♘xc1 Black is an
hanging since the tactics work out for him)
exchange down but enjoys the better prospects
25.♖xc3 (25…♕xc3? 26.♖e4± and Black’s because his c2-pawn is so close to the queening
king is in a bad way) 25… ♘xc3! : analysis square. Notice that 26…♘e2+ would be a
mistake because, after 27.
A complex fight lies ahead. Now White should
play 26.♕f3 to bring the queen back into the ♔h1 ♘xc1, White can play 28.♕f3! and
game. use the queen to defend. With the black
queen on d3, this wouldn’t work because
If instead he tries 26.♕xa8?, then Black has at Black would simply swap queens and then
least a draw by repetition with 26…♕d1, play …♘d3, queen the c-pawn, and win a
attacking the rook for it, coming out with two knights
against a single knight in an endgame.
c) 21.♕h5+. White gives this check to cover

d1 with the queen. Now the plan is ♖e4
followed by ♕f7
and ♖h4. 21…♔g8 22.♖e4 g6!:
438 439
analysis
(Unfortunately for White, Black has this

resource which keeps him in the game. Black
would have had to see this move and his
next one before playing 20…♕xd4.)
23.♕f3 (So, White has met the threat to
his queen and it now has a different route to
f7, while the black queen is still under attack.
How will Black manage to parry all the
threats?) 23…♘f4! (Black simply ignores the
threat to his queen. The knight has blocked
the queen’s route to f7 and at the same time
uncovered the bishop from b7 which pins the
white rook to the queen. Now, Black will also
get White’s queen.) 24.♖xd4 ♗xf3 25.♖xf4
♗d5 . The dust has settled. Black lost the
piece back but he also swapped queens and
avoided getting checkmated. It will be hard for
White to make anything of his extra pawn
since Black’s advanced c-pawn will be analysis
dangerous.
Black has safely guarded his king and should
The alternative 20…♕c7! is not as interesting be fine – but he isn’t better because White’s
as 20…♕xd4, but it is a stronger move: pieces are active and he has two pawns for the
piece.
21.♕h5+ ♔g8
21. ♕h5+ ♔g8 22. ♖e4
22.♖e4! g6! (the only move to stop the attack)
23.♕h3 ♕g7=: Here comes the obvious follow-up; the rook is
coming over to h4.
22…♘f6??
Now White wins easily. Better is 22…g6!

23.♕h6, when Black can play a) 23…♕a5 or
b) 23…♘f6: a) 23…♕a5? 24.♖b4!+–,
crudely cutting off the black queen from e1,
440 441
and now White’s attack crashes through. (Not
24.h3?; looking at this move shows why
24.♖b4! was so strong, and why the
standard method of preventing a back-rank
mate by creating Luft on h2 wasn’t as
good: 24…♘f6! [otherwise Black is dead]
25.exf6 ♗xe4 [now 26.♘xe4?? loses to 26…
♕e1+ followed by …♕xe4 when White is
down a rook] 26.♖b4! [White still has a
strong attack even here, but with a tempo
analysis
wasted on h3, Black can stay in the game]
26… ♗d3±.) bringing the last piece into the game.
Black doesn’t have time to move the
Now Black has a choice of either a1) 24…♘f6 bishop because then White takes on c7 and
or a2) 24…♘xb4: plays f6-f7+. The line concludes 26…♖d7
27.f7+! ♖xf7 28.♗e5!, when the
a1) 24…♘f6 25.exf6 ♗xe4. White’s strongest threatened mate on h8 forces massive material
move here is 26.♗f4!+–: gains.
a2) 24…♘xb4. Now White proceeds with the

attack – 25.♖h4!:
analysis
25…♖h7 26.♘xh7 ♘d5 27.♗d2 (it is time

for this quiet move, preventing mate on e1)
27…♕xd2 (what else?) 28.♕xd2 ♘xh7
29.♕h6 ♘f8. Black has three minor pieces for
the queen, but White continues with
30.♕h8+ followed by ♖h3 and ♖f3+, and
Black’s pieces start dropping off.
b) 23…♘f6! 24.exf6 ♗xe4. Here White has

to pick from b1) 25.♘xe4, or b2) 25.♗f4:
b1) 25.♘xe4 (the obvious capture) 25…e5!.
In order to find this move, Black would have
442 443
to realize why the move he wanted to play 26…♖xf7 27.♗b2+–:
doesn’t work and why giving this pawn
away first gives him a better version of it. analysis
(25… ♕xd4?? threatens the knight on e4 and
mate on d1. Unfortunately, White has a killer ♕h8# is coming.) 26.dxe5 ♕d4!:
blow: 26.f7+!. If Black takes this with the king,
analysis
then White checks with the queen on f4, also
hitting the c7-rook. Black might think, “no Again, hitting e4 and d1. 27.♘g3 (27.f7+??
problem: you take my rook and I mate you on
doesn’t work anymore: 27… ♖xf7–+ 28.♗b2
d1.” Trouble is, there is no good square for
Black’s king to go to. If it goes to the seventh ♕xe4, and now there is no mate on h8
rank, then taking on c7 is check, while … because the e5-pawn blocks the b2-bishop
from defending the queen. This was the point
♔e8 and …♔g8 both fail to the behind playing 25…e5!. White can’t even
discovered check ♘f6+, winning the black play e5-e6 because the b1-rook is
queen on d4. Instead after hanging.) 27…
♕d1+ 28.♘f1 (the knight blocks to

prevent mate) 28…♕d3!. The position is
unclear; both sides have their advantages on
different parts of the board and a tough fight is
ahead.
b2) 25.♗f4. Black has b21) 25… ♗xb1, or

b22) 25…♖aa7:
b21) 25…♗xb1?? (too greedy) 26.♗e5!:
444 445
33.♘f6+ picks off the rook) 33.♖xc2, and
after the active 33…♖b7! , White’s better
structure gives him slight chances to play for
the win.
23.exf6+– ♗xe4?
Not even trying to put up a defense. He had to

try a) 23…g6 or b) 23…gxf6, when there
would have still been a chance for White to go
wrong:
a) 23…g6 24.♕e2!:
analysis
and suddenly White is winning (the obvious

26.♗xc7? is bad: 26…♕xc7
27.f7+ ♕xf7 28.♘xf7 ♔xf7 when White

has won the black queen, but Black has
got too much material for it) 26…♘h7
27.♗xc7 ♕xc7 28.f7+ ♕xf7 29.♘xf7.
b22) 25…♖aa7! gives badly needed extra

protection to Black’s second rank. Now White
should cash in with 26.♗xc7 ♖xc7 27.♘xe4
♕xd4 28.♖e1 c3!:
analysis
(Black needs counterplay) 29.f7+! (trading

the f-pawn for Black’s dangerous c-pawn)
29…♖xf7 (29…
♔xf7?? loses Black’s rook to 30.♕f4+) analysis

30.♕e3! ♕xe3 31.♖xe3 c2 32.♖c3 bxa4
(32… ♖d7 is not possible because This queen retreat shows why Black needed to
play …g7-g6 on move 22 instead of move 23.
446 447
After Black gave up the knight instead on 24.f7+ ♖xf7 25. ♕xf7+ ♔h8 26. ♘xe4
move 22, White could move the queen to a ♕xd4 27. ♗b2 ♕d7 28. ♗xg7+ 1-0
more central square since he had already
gained some material from his attack (and This game shows that if you find the best
he knows that the mate down the h-file defensive ideas, such as 20… ♕c7, then
isn’t going to work anymore because the black attacks can be turned back. If you don’t,
bishop will take on e4 next move). After 22… then the attack can become much harder to
g6, if the white queen retreated he would have deal with but you may often still get another
simply been a piece down and there would chance to stay in the game – albeit with a
have been no need for Black to give back the worse position (as in this case, if Black found
knight at all. So 23.♕h6 was needed to 22…g6!).
threaten mate with the rook on the h-file,
forcing Black to give up the f6-knight, but
then the white queen would be misplaced
on h6. After 24…♗xe4
25.♕xe4, White has a bishop and two pawns

for a rook, so material is even, but White is
winning since his queen will be a monster on
e5: 25…♕b7 26.♕e5! ♖d8 27.♗f4+–.
White can take on b5 and play f6-f7+ to win
back the exchange, emerging two pawns ahead
with a crushing position.
b) 23…gxf6 24.♖g4! (24…fxg5 25.♕xg5+

♔f7 26.♕h5+ ♔e7 27.♖g7+ ♔d8 28.♗g5+
mates quickly) 24…♖g7:
analysis
Can you find White’s killer blow?
25.♘f7! ♖xg4 26.♘h6+ (the knight sets

up deadly threats on g8) 26… ♔h8
27.♕xg4 ♘d7 28.♕g6, game over.
448 449
Chapter 10: Attacking to Exploit an Early Lead in
Development
The standard response. White captures on
c6 before Black has a chance to play …
Chapter 10 ♗b7 and so is deprived of the natural
recapture …♗xc6.
8…dxc6
After 8…♕xc6, White usually castles, but

9.e5, threatening ♗e4, is an interesting
possibility: 9…♗b4
10.0-0 (developing as quickly as possible)

10…♗xc3 11.bxc3 ♗b7 (the greedy
11… ♕xc3?? loses to 12.♗e4 ♖b8
Attacking to Exploit An Early Lead in
Development 13.♕d6, when the rook is trapped and
White plans ♗c5 with mating threats)
If your opponent neglects his development,
12.♕g4
then the opportunity to attack very early in the
game can arise. Most often, early attacks do (defending g2 while at the same time attacking
not work when your opponent has his pieces g7) 12…♘e7 13.♗d4:
developed since he can usually just push
your attacking pieces back. However, if he analysis
does delay development, you often must
attack as he might be gaining space with his White is slightly preferable here. The bishops
pawns, and then routine development on your eye both sides of the board and White can
part can give his pieces a chance to enter continue with a2-a4 next, putting pressure
the game, getting rid of any advantage on b5. Note that 13.♕xg7?? loses, as
you might have had. The following game Black now gets a mating attack with 13…
is an example of this: ♖g8, crashing through on g2.
David Eggleston – José Antonio Herrera 9.f4

Reyes (2167)
Barcelona Open 2011
1.e4 c5 2. ♘f3 e6 3.d4 cxd4 4. ♘xd4 ♘c6

5. ♘c3 ♕c7 6. ♗e3 a6 7. ♗d3 b5 8. ♘xc6
450 451
Development
Routine development with 10.0-0 gives Black
the chance to play 10…c4 11.♗e2 ♗c5! with
equality, as he exchanges White’s active e3-
bishop and stands ready to follow up quickly
with …♗b7, …♘f6, and
…0-0. White has no strong plan here.
10…♗b7
10…f5 is possible, depriving White’s pieces

An important move, not giving Black the
of the e4 square. It might seem strange
opportunity to play …e6-e5. 9.0-0 e5 10.f4
to make yet another pawn move, but chess
♘f6! is fine for Black, since 11.fxe5 is met by has lots of exceptions to its recommended
11…♘g4 with ideas of …♘xe5 and …♗c5. strategies and here controlling e4 is more
important than developing.
9…c5?!
Now White has a choice: a) 11.exf6, b)
After nine moves, Black has developed only his
11.♕h5+:
queen. It is time for White to play actively
before his chance disappears. a) 11.exf6?! seems natural at first sight,
opening the position to exploit the lead in
9…e5!. Anyway! Another pawn move –
development, but this turns out to be the
but it prevents White’s plan of e4-e5.
After 10.fxe5 (10… wrong strategy! 11…♘xf6 12.♕f3. Black
might have been put off by this, when e6
♕xe5 11.♕f3 is nice for White, who will
looks weak and White is developing with
continue with 0-0 and ♗f4, gaining time
tempo, but after 12… ♗b7 13.♕h3,
against the black queen), 10…♘e7! seems although e6 looks weak, Black can continue
to be Black’s strongest idea, intending …♘g6 with 13…0-0-0.
and …♘xe5 and transposing to the …♘f6-
g4 line. Now White should play 14.0-0 ♔b8
15.♗e2 ♗d6, when Black has active play
10.e5! and is beginning to take over the initiative.
Giving White a square on e4 for the knight or Instead, 14.♕xe6+? ♔b8 favors Black –
White has big problems with his pieces
bishop, gaining space, and stopping …♘f6.
452 453
Development
24.♖xe3 ♗f4 25.♔d2 ♖e8 also wins for
Black] 23…♕f1+ 24.♔d2 ♗f4 and Black
wins) 22…♗c6!
(another important move, eliminating the

defender of the c5 square) 23.b3 ♗xa4
24.bxa4 ♗c5, and Black wins.
a2) 21…♕xc4?? obviously fails to 22.♖xe8+.
on the e-file and ..♖e8 is a big threat. a3) 21…♖xe3?. This is a classic example of
Without much thought, experienced players of trying to cash in on an attack to gain material
White would reject 14.♕xe6+ as being advantage too early, which backfires on
obviously wrong but it is important to learn Black: 22.♕xe3 ♕xc4 leaves Black with
how such greedy moves by your opponent can an extra piece, but it hands the initiative
hand you the initiative, and how to to White. 23.♕g3+, and now Black can
exploit them energetically, so we will
choose between a31) 23…♕c7 and a32) 23…
study this line in detail.
♔a7: a31) 23…♕c7 24.♖e8+ ♗c8
15.0-0-0 ♖e8 16.♕h3 b4! (taking control of 25.♕g4. White has threats of ♘b6 and
key central squares) 17.♘a4 ♘d5 18.♖he1 ♖xf8 followed by ♕b4+, so Black should
♘xe3 19.♖xe3 play 25…h5 26.♕f5 g6, when 27.♖xc8+
♕xc8 28.♕e5+ ♕c7 29.♕xh8 ♕f4+
♕xf4 (Black regains his pawn with pressure 30.♔d1 ♕f1+
against e3) 20.♖de1 c4! (the killer blow, Black
doesn’t let White rest for a second) 21.♗xc4: 31.♔d2 ♕xg2+ 32.♔d3 only leaves Black
with slightly better prospects in the endgame.
analysis
a32) 23…♔a7?? meets a very sticky end after
Now Black can play a1) 21…♗d6, a2) 21… 24.♕f2+ ♔b8 25.♖e8+ ♔c7 (25…♗c8
♕xc4, or a3) 21…♖xe3: 26.♘b6 wins) 26.♕b6+ ♔d7 27.♕d8+
♔c6:
a1) 21…♗d6!! winning! This guards the
sensitive h2-b8 diagonal and completes
development while maintaining the attacking
threats. 22.♗e6 (22.♗b3 fails miserably:
22…♖xe3 23.♖xe3 [23. ♕xe3 ♕xe3+
454 455
Development
a323) 28.♕b6+ ♔d7 29.♖d8+? ♔e7
30.♕d6+ ♔f7 31.♕d7+ looks tempting,
but White has to consider what he is doing
to the opponent’s king. He might be getting
lots of checks in but, after 31…♔g8!
32.♕xb7 ♕f1+ 33.♖d1 ♕f4+ 34.♔b1 h5,

the h8-rook enters the game and Black’s king is
safe. White has only an extra pawn and Black
will have reasonable chances to draw.
analysis
Instead 31…♗e7?? is a blunder. White can
Now White has a choice between a321)
reply a3231) 32.♖xh8, or a3232) 32.♕f5+:
28.♖e1, a322) 28.♖xf8, and a323)
a3231) 32.♖xh8?? shows the point of
28.♕b6+: a321) 28.♖e1!!. This retreat is the
Black’s previous move: 32…♕f1+ 33.♔d2
key move. It is important to look for calm
defensive moves when attacking as, although (33.♕d1 ♗g5+
they can seem unusual, they are often needed
34.♔b1 ♕xd1#) 33…♕xg2+ and Black has a
to make the attack successful. Here, the rook
winning attack. The queen and two bishops
defends White’s back rank. White couldn’t
tear the white king to shreds, for example
play 27. ♕xb7+ because his e8-rook was
34.♔e1 ♕e4+ 35.♔d1 ♕f3+ 36.♔e1 ♗c6
hanging, so now 29.♕b6+ is a renewed
(Black takes a break from checking but White
threat and Black can’t move the f8-bishop
has no checks of his own) 37.♕a7 ♕h1+
because the h8-rook drops. White has a
38.♔d2 ♕xh2+ 39.♔d3 ♕d6+.
decisive material advantage after 28…♕f4+
Torturing your opponent with all of these
29.♔b1 ♕c7 30.♖e6+ ♗d6 31.♕xh8.
checks can be fun. Black can just take the a4-
knight at any time, though, with a winning
a322) 28.♖xf8? cashes in on the attack far too
position. There follows 40.♔e3 ♕h6+
early: 28…♖xf8 29.♕xf8. White is only a
41.♔e2 ♗b5+ 42.♔f3 ♗xa4, and White can
pawn up and after 29… ♕d4 White’s king
resign.
and kingside pawns are vulnerable, his knight
is out of play, and after …♔c7 a3232) 32.♕f5+! ♗f6 33.♖d7+! (33.
Black’s bishop will be very strong. The ♖xh8? – again, this greedy move is
position is level. wrong: 33…♕e2! and despite being an
exchange and a pawn down, Black can look
forward to a balanced struggle. He has two
456 457
Development
excellent bishops and White’s king is the more ♗b7 13.0-0 b4 14.♘d1:
exposed: 34.♖d8 ♗c6 35.b3 ♕xg2, with
analysis
chances for both sides.) 33…♔e8 34.♖xb7.
White is only a pawn up, but Black is when White has the more comfortable game.
defenseless against the mate threats.
♕h4-f6 may be annoying at some point.
b) 11.♕h5+ gives up ideas of an immediate
11. ♗e4
attack and aims for a positional advantage.
This seems the most promising way to
11.♘e4? is very bad: 11…0-0-0 with threats
proceed. It is important to recognize that you
cannot attack in every position – the demands of …c5-c4 and …♘h6-f5. Black is better.
of the position must be met! 11…g6 (11…
11…♘e7?!
♕f7 misplaces the queen: 12.♕h3 ♗b7
13.0-0 ♘h6 11…f5! 12.♗xb7 ♕xb7 13.♕h5+ g6
14.♕e2 is similar to 10…f5, but here White’s
edge is tiny.
12. ♗xc5?!
12.♕f3! ♗xe4 (12…0-0-0 13.♗xc5±; 12…

♘c6 13.0-0 and White continues with ♖ad1
and f4-f5 with an initiative) 13.♘xe4 ♘d5
14.0-0-0. Now Black has a choice: a) 14…0-0-
0, or b) 14…♗e7: a) 14…0-0-0 15.♘c3
♕b7 (15…♕c6? 16.♖d2 ♗e7 17.♖hd1
and White wins a pawn) 16.f5 ♗e7
14.♗e2!. It is important to stop …♘g4.
White is for preference. If 14…♗e7, an 17.♘xd5 ♖xd5 (17… exd5 18.♕h3 when
attempt to develop quickly, then 15.♗f3 e5-e6 and ♗f4 will cause Black problems)
♗xf3 16.♕xf3 0-0 17.h3 keeps the h6- 18.♕g4, and g7
knight shut out of the game. White can
play and e6 are sensitive.
♖ad1 and ♕c6, showing that the queen b) 14…♗e7:

needs to be on c7.) 12.♕h4, and play might
continue with 12…
458 459
Development
If, instead of 18…f6, Black played 18…
♖fd8, then the game would proceed as
follows: 19.f6 ♗f8
20.fxg7 ♗xg7 21.♘f6+ ♗xf6:
analysis
22.exf6! (22.♕xf6 is a mistake that lets Black

back in the game because, after 22…♕d7
23.♗h6, he has 23…♕g4 stopping the mate
on g7 just in time) 22…♔h8 (forced,
otherwise ♕g3 is deadly) 23.♗h6 ♖g8
24.♖e1. White can play ♗g7+ at any time,

recovering the material, while the attack
continues.
12…♘d5!
Putting the question to all of White’s minor

analysis
pieces and speeding up Black’s development.
15.♖xd5! (gaining control of d5, the square
13. ♘xd5 ♕xc5 14. ♘f6+
that solidifies Black’s position) 15…exd5
16.♘c3 0-0 (16… Forced, but this gives White control of the
light squares.
♕c8 17.♘xd5 ♗d8 [preparing to castle]
18.f5 0-0 19.f6 and again White’s attack is
very dangerous; here
♕g3-g5 and maybe to h6 is an important

idea) 17.♘xd5 ♕a7 18.f5, and now
White threatens the extremely strong f5-f6,
so after Black stops this with 18…f6 White
plays 19.e6 and the strong e6-pawn guarantees
him a lasting advantage.
460 461
Development
14…gxf6 15. ♗xb7 Forcing Black’s king into the center.
Positions featuring opposite-colored bishops 17…♔d8

tend to lend themselves to attacking chess
because, when White attacks on the light 17…♔e7 fares no better: 18.0-0-0 ♗h6
squares, Black will have one less piece to 19.♖d7+ ♔f8 20.♕h5! (the direct
defend those squares (his dark-squared approach works) 20…
bishop), so here I was looking forward to
attacking the black king. ♕e3+ 21.♔b1 ♕xf4 22.♕d1!, and Black is
powerless against ♖f1.
15…♖b8?
18.0-0-0+ ♔c7
This is a mistake.
15…♖d8! and Black is fine: 16.♕e2 (e5 was

under attack) 16…♗g7 17.♗xa6 0-0
18.♗xb5 fxe5: analysis
White has two extra pawns but his king is

stuck in the center, whereas Black’s king is safe
and he is ready to blow open the a1-h8
diagonal and bring his bishop into the
game. Black’s piece coordination here makes
a marked contrast to the game. Chances are
level following 19.c3 e4 (threatening … 18…♔c8 19.♖d3 and White doubles rooks
on the d-file with a winning position.
♗xc3+) 20.♖b1 e3 21.0-0 ♖d2 22.♕c4
♕f5 23.♖be1. 19. ♖d7+ ♔b6 20. ♗a8?
16. ♕f3 fxe5?? This is good for White, but I missed

something even stronger.
16…♗g7! was Black’s best. Black realizes he
was in danger of coming under attack and opts 20.♗b7! is winning: Black replies 20…b4!
for a pawn-down ending: 17.exf6 ♗xf6 giving the king more space and simply
18.♕c6+ ♕xc6 19.♗xc6+ ♔e7 20.0-0-0 preventing White from playing b2-b4, but
ultimately this is hopeless, though Black stays
♖hd8, with chances of making a draw.
in the game in the short term. (20…
17. ♗c6+
♗h6:
462 463
Development
analysis
21.b4! [the point; the pawn joins in the attack

to dislodge the queen from its good defensive
square] 21…
♗xf4+ 22.♔d1 ♕c4 [22…♕xb4 23.♕c6+

and mate on a6] 23.♖d6+ ♔c7 24.♖c6+
wins) 21.♖hd1!. Play might continue 21…
exf4 22.♔b1 (stopping the queen trade with
…♕e3+) 22…h5 23.♖xf7 ♖e8 24.♕d3 analysis
♕b5 25.c4 bxc3 26.♕xc3 ♖e7 27.♖xe7 Now Black has a further choice between: a1)
♗xe7 28.♕xh8+–. 23…♔c5, a2) 23…♔a7, and a3) 23…♔c7:
a1) 23…♔c5 24.fxe5 defending d6, and
20…♗h6? ♕e3+ follows with mate to come.
The losing move. Alternatively, Black could a2) 23…♔a7 24.♕e3+ ♔b8 (25. ♖b6+?.
play a) 20…♕c8 or b) 20… ♖c8: a) 20… This “obvious” move leads nowhere, apart
♕c8? wins a piece. This cheeky retreat from a lost position – a rook down! 25…
hits a8 and d7. With 21.♖hd1!, White ♔c7 26.♕c5+ ♔d7 27.♖d6+ ♔e8, and the
gives up the bishop in the corner to bring his checks run out) 25.♕xe5!, and now Black’s
last piece into the attack; in comparison, all of best is 25…♔b7 26.♕e4+ ♔b8 27.♖b6+
Black’s pieces are on the back rank – except his
♔a7 28.♕e3 (the king can’t move; not
king! 21…♖xa8 22.♖1d6+ (preventing Black
28.♕d4?
from using his f8-bishop in defense by
eliminating it) 22…♗xd6 23.♖xd6+: ♕c4! and Black escapes) 28…♖b8
29.♖c6+ ♔a8 30.♖xc8 ♖hxc8 31.♕e4+
♖b7 32.♕xh7, with a winning ending for
White.
a3) 23…♔c7 24.♖c6+ ♔b8 25.♖xc8+

♖xc8 26.fxe5 ♖a7 27.♕e4 ♖ac7 28.c3± and
despite the equal material, Black will struggle
to defend all of his pawns, particularly the h-
pawn.
464 465
Development
b) 20…♖c8!. It is usually best to stay active. front of you. Also, the longer the forcing line,
21.c3 ♖c7, and now 22.♖hd1. If instead the greater the chances that you have missed
something and it can often be really hard
22.♕b7+: analysis
to evaluate a position looking at it from
– the “windmill” combination in action – ten moves away!
22…♖xb7 23.♖xb7+ ♔c6 24.♖xf7+
After 22.♖hd1, with 22…b4! Black’s position
♔b6 (24…♔d6 walks into 25.♖d1+ +–) is unpleasant but there is no killer blow for
25.♖b7+ ♔c6 26.♖xh7+ ♔b6 27.♖xh8 White.
♔a7. Where has all of this left White?
After 28.♖d1 (28.♗f3 runs into 28…e4, 21. ♖b7+
planning …♕e3+) 28…♔xa8 29.♖d8+ Winning, but 21.a3 is simpler, in that it

♔b7 30.♖hxf8 ♕e3+ 31.♖d2 deprives Black of all prospects for further
resistance, since after 21… ♗xf4+ 22.♔b1
exf4, Black’s dangerous pawns give him level
♗d2 isn’t possible.
chances. This line illustrates that the
important thing is to
21…♔a5 22.a3 ♕c4?
Missing the threat. 22…♗xf4+ 23.♔b1 ♗d2

24.c3 (reinforcing the threat of b2-b4; not
24.b4+? ♗xb4
and Black survives) 24…♗xc3 (stopping b2-

b4 at all costs) 25.♖c1 (reinforcing the
threat…) 25…e4!: analysis
(the only way to ensure immediate survival)

26.♕xe4 ♕f5 27.♖xf7! ♕xe4+ 28.♗xe4
♗d2 29.b4+ ♔a4
make a correct evaluation of the resulting
position after all the forcing moves have
30.♔a2 (threatening ♗c2#) 30…♗xb4
finished. It would be easy for White to get
31.axb4 ♔xb4. White is winning the ending,
carried away with the spectacular forcing
but it is always nice to find the simplest win
sequence after 22.♕b7+, without realizing
that doesn’t drag the game out!
that it doesn’t lead anywhere, whereas 22.
♖hd1 promises a pleasant edge which is easy 23.b4+ ♔a4 24. ♔b2 1-0
to judge from just looking at the position in
466 467
Development
British Championship, Liverpool 2008
1.e4 c6 2. ♘e2 d5 3.e5 c5 4.b4
The Caro-Kann has turned into a sort of

French Wing Gambit. Normally, this
gambit is dubious as White doesn’t gain
enough compensation for the pawn – but here
White should be OK because he has an extra
move.
4…cxb4 5.d4 ♘c6 6.a3 e6 7. axb4 ♗xb4+

8.c3 ♗a5
8…♗f8 is a safer alternative. The bishop

defends the g7-pawn, which is going to
become sensitive in the game.
9. ♘g3 ♘ge7 10. ♘h5 0-0
Black resigned in view of 24… ♕d4+ 25.♔a2

♕c4+ 26.♕b3+ ♕xb3+ 27.cxb3#.
I think this game illustrates the importance of

calculation when you are conducting an
attack. Often you can’t just pick the “obvious
move” because you need to examine it and see
where it leads; there might be a nasty shock
waiting for you in a couple of moves’ time!
Equally important is the principle that It may look as if Black is “castling into
grabbing material without consideration for it,” but this is probably the best option,
the other factors in your position, such as completing development. After the alternative
getting developed and keeping the initiative, 10…♔f8 11.♗d3 ♘g6 12.0-0, White
as often as not will end in disappointment! follows up with ♕f3 with a nice attack and
Black isn’t even castled.
Michael Surtees (2182) – IM Jovanka
Houska (2405)
11. ♗g5!
468 469
Development
A very dangerous move. The bishop could Now White has a choice: a) 12.♗h4, b)
have gone to a3, but here it is ready to point a 12.h4, or c) 12.♗xh6:
gun at g7.
a) 12.♗h4 ♕c7 13.♗d3. White builds the
11…♕c7? attack up in a slower, more measured way than
sacrificing material at once. As in the other
Looking at this game with an engine
lines, Black must hurry to defend the king as
illustrates how computers can make
quickly as possible: 13…
mistakes with their assessments since, at first,
the computer rates this move as level when in
♘f5, and now there is a further choice to
fact it loses. I guess this has to do with the
computer’s horizon not being long enough make: a1) 14.♘f6+, a2) 14.♗f6, or a3)
(it takes quite a few moves before it 14.♗xf5: a1) 14.♘f6+:
becomes evident that White has a crushing
attack). However, human players could work it
out, after seeing the first couple of moves, that
White has a very promising initiative. The
lesson when doing opening preparation is to
always check a position yourself instead of
relying on an engine. I don’t know if Black had
reached this position before the game, but this
position is a good example in case she had. If
you want to use an engine in your opening
preparation, best to leave it running for a
longish time and guiding it down lines so you
can check to see if it changes its mind – and
avoid positions where your king is in danger.
The engine can often overlook the strength of
an attack until it is too late!
11…h6!. Moving pawns around your own

king is often the wrong thing to do; it
can create extra targets for your opponent’s
pieces, it exposes your king, and – as I’m sure
you’ve heard before – pawns can’t move
backwards. However, 11…h6 is an exception! analysis
The bishop is forced to move again earlier
14…♔h8 (14…gxf6 surprisingly holds:
than it would have liked, and in fact this is the
only move that doesn’t lose! 15.♗xf6 ♔h7 16.g4 ♖g8 17.♔f1 ♖g6
470 471
Development
18.h4 ♗d7 19.gxf5 exf5
20.h5 ♖xf6 21.exf6 ♖g8, and Black is fine

despite the missing exchange; 22.♕f3? walks
into 22…♘xd4!
when 23.cxd4?? ♕c1+, followed by …♖e8, is

decisive) 15.♗xf5 exf5 16.♘xd5 ♕d7
17.♘f4, and Black survives. The safest way to
play now is to trade the queens off: 17…
♕xd4 18.♕xd4 ♘xd4 19.♖xa5 ♘c6
20.♖d5 g5=.
a2) 14.♗f6 gxf6 15.♗xf5 (15.♘xf6+ ♔h8

16.♗xf5 exf5 17.♕c1 ♔g7 18.♘h5+ ♔h7
leads to a draw) 15…exf5 transposes to
14.♗xf5.
a3) 14.♗xf5 exf5 15.♗f6 (15.♕d2 ♔h7

analysis
16.♗f6 gxf6 17.♘xf6+, draw) 15… gxf6
16.♕d2: analysis 14…♖e8 15.♕h5 ♘g6 16.♕h7+ ♔f8
17.gxf6 and mate) 13.♘xg7:
16…fxe5 17.♕xh6 f6 18.♕g6+ ♔h8
19.♕h6+ ♔g8 20.♕g6+, draw. analysis
b) 12.h4 ♕c7 (12…hxg5?? is very greedy; the This is a critical position for Black, who needs
move 11…h6 was not intended to take the to find the best move. She can select from b1)
13…
bishop right away: 13.♘f6+ [13.hxg5 also
wins, but 13.♘f6+ leads to a quick mate] ♔xg7, b2) 13… ♘xd4, or b3) 13…hxg5:
13…gxf6 14.hxg5:
b1) 13…♔xg7 can be dismissed
immediately since, after 14.♗f6+, White’s
attack continues automatically and
crushingly with ♗d3, g2-g4 (or ♕g4), etc.
472 473
Development
b2) 13…♘xd4!: b3) It might seem tempting for Black to take
the bishop now, but this would be a wrong
decision. 13…
hxg5? 14.♘h5 (14.hxg5? looks plausible

but fails to 14…♘xd4! [White was
hoping for 14…♔xg7
15.♕h5, with mate to follow in short order]

15.♕xd4 [15. ♕h5 would have been met by
15…♕xe5+ and 16…♕xg7, defending the
king just in time] 15…♗b6 16.♕f4:
analysis
The e5-pawn needs to be defended, but after

16…♘g6 17.♕h2 ♕xe5+ 18.♕xe5 ♘xe5
19.♘h5 ♗d8, Black is a pawn to the good)
14…♘xd4!. Black was relying on this shot,
which gains counterplay in the center. It
ultimately comes up short, though. White’s
attack doesn’t look too impressive but it
analysis continues to sizzle on, as extra white pieces
join the game while the a8-rook and c8-bishop
It seems weird to sacrifice a piece when two of
look on as spectators.
your opponent’s pieces are hanging, but Black
must gain counterplay to avoid being Play might proceed 15.♕xd4 ♘f5 16.♘f6+
mated, and you can often easily get
♔g7 17.♘h5+:
mated if you are too materialistic.
14.♕xd4 ♗b6! 15.♕f4 hxg5 16.♕f6

(16.hxg5 ♘g6 transposes to a line seen below;
Black is better) 16…
♘g6 leaves Black a pawn up after …♕xe5+

next move.
474 475
Development
queen) 18… ♕xe5+ 19.♗e2 ♗d8 20.hxg5
♔g8 21.♖a4!:
analysis
The rook swings over to the king-side to

join in the attack. This piece makes all
the difference –
without it White’s attack was running out

of steam. After 21…♖e8 (enabling the
king to run away) 22.♖g4 ♔f8 23.f4±,
White has a nice positional bind and an attack
for only a pawn. The initiative will continue
and the position is very hard for Black to play,
e.g. 23…♕h8 (23… ♕d6 24.♘f6 picks up
the exchange) 24.♘g3 ♕g7 25.♘xf5 exf5
26.♖gh4 ♔g8 27.♕xd5 ♗e6 28.♕d3±:
analysis
Now Black has: b31) 17…♔h8 or b32) 17…

♔g8:
b31) 17…♔h8 aims to win the pawn on e5,

but it doesn’t solve Black’s problems: 18.♕d2!
(18.♕g4
looks tempting, but with 18…♗xc3+

19.♔d1 ♗xe5 20.hxg5 ♖d8 21.♘f6+ ♔g7
22.♖h7+ ♔f8 23.g6 ♗xf6
24.♖xf7+ ♕xf7 25.gxf7 ♔xf7, Black has

survived to a slightly better ending by
managing to grab enough material for the
476 477
Development
c) 12.♗xh6 gxh6 13.♕c1 ♔h7 14.♘f6+
♔g7: (14…♔g6, bringing the king
further out, looks wrong and in fact loses to
15 ♗d3+) 15.♘h5+ ♔h7 16.♘f6+, and
White has no better than a draw. (16.♗d3+ f5
17.exf6+ ♘g6 favors Black, as after 18.♗xg6+

♔xg6 19.♕c2+ ♔xh5 White has no
followup, for instance 20.g4+ ♔g5 running
analysis away to f6.)
The queen is headed for h3. The overall impression from these lines is that,
after 11…h6, Black must play extremely
b32) 17…♔g8. Black wisely allows the draw accurately in order to not lose right away,
by perpetual. However, White has a way to which is clearly an undesirable situation in a
practical game, even if a series
play on: 18.♕d3! ♕xe5+ 19.♗e2 ♗d8!
(Black needs as many defensive pieces as
possible here; 19…d4? is too aggressive,
because after the strike 20.♖xa5! ♕xa5
21.♘f6+ ♔g7 22.hxg5 Black doesn’t have
enough pieces in the right places to defend
her king) 20.hxg5 ♖e8 (20… ♗xg5?
21.♖a4!. Again, the rook will be very
powerful on g4. Certain ideas tend to crop up
time and time again in similar positions, and
this is White’s star idea.) 21.g4 ♘d6 22.f4
of “only” moves will hold the position
♕h8 (22… ♕e4? 23.♕h3 ♔f8 24.♘d2
together. These problems can be traced back to
♕h7 25.♘f6 ♕xh3 26.♖xh3±
putting the bishop on a5.
and White wins the exchange) 23.♘f6+: 12. ♖xa5! ♕xa5

analysis
12…♘xa5 13.♘xg7 leads to lines similar to
23…♗xf6 24.♖xh8+ ♗xh8 25.g6± and the the game.
queen is better than Black’s pieces.
13. ♘xg7!
478 479
Development
Despite the extra exchange, Black is in big
trouble. The white pieces swarm into the
attack and the queen is hopelessly out of
play on a5.
13…f5
13…♔xg7 14.♗f6+ ♔g8 15.♕g4+!

(15.♕h5? – it is not too late to muck up the
attack! – 15…♖d8!
16.♕h6 [16. ♗d3 ♔f8–+] 16…♘f5, and

after 17.♕g5+ ♔f8 Black’s king runs
away and now Black is winning) 15…♘g6
16.♕g5 ♘xd4 17.♗d3+– with ♕h6 and
♕g7# to follow.
14. ♘h5 ♘g6
14…♕c7 15.♗h6 ♖d8 16.♕c1 gives Black

no respite. analysis
15. ♘f6+ ♔h8? and the attack continues, e.g. 19…bxc3

20.♘xc3 ♘xd4 21.h4.
15…♖xf6!, giving the exchange back,
keeps Black in the game for now but 16. ♘xh7!+–
doesn’t solve the problems long-term.
16.♗xf6 (16.exf6?! e5! 17.dxe5 ♘cxe5 Ripping away the king’s shelter and finishing
reduces White to a modest edge; Black will the game.
develop quickly with …♗d7 and …♖e8)

16…♕c7
16…b5 (striving for play with …b5-b4
and …♗a6) 17.♕d2 16…♔xh7 17.♕h5+ ♔g7 18.♕h6+ ♔f7
19.♕h7+ ♔e8 20.♕xg6+ ♖f7 (20…
♖b8 18.♗d3 b4 19.0-0±:
♔d7 21.♕h7+ ♔e8
480 481
Development
22.♗e2 leaves the black king in a mating net) (Revolutionary Opening Theory). It involves
21.♗e2+–: trying to get the pieces developed without
actually moving them (his favorite systems
analysis include 1.d4 c6 2.c4 f6 3.e4 e5 4.dxe5
♗b4+ for Black, and 1.e4 c5 2.c3 d5
and Black is powerless against ♗h5, for 3.f3 for White). While I wouldn’t
example 21…♘e7 22.♗xe7 ♔xe7 23.♗h5. recommend this approach, and he has
suffered some painful losses, here he plays a
17. ♘xf8 ♘xf8 18. ♗f6+ +– really good game. I suppose this game fits in
with his ideas because, if you look at his
winning position after 18 moves, his only
piece off the back rank is the bishop on f6.
GM Vladimir Baklan (2631) – GM

Vladimir Burmakin (2625)
Balaguer Open 2008
White is a pawn up with a decisive attack.
18…♔g8 19.g4! f4 20. ♗d3 b5 21.g5 b4

22. ♕h5 ♘e7 23.g6 1-0
An impressive display by Mike Surtees. He has

his own way of playing the openings, to which
he has applied the acronym ROT
482 483
Development
White has more space and many ways to
conduct an attack against Black’s king.
With routine play, White would be slightly
better here. One promising method would
be ♕g4 followed by ♖e1 or an advance
of the f-pawn. However, such methods are
slow and not immediately forcing and
they would probably allow Black to survive
his slightly worse position in the long run with
a tough defense. Instead, White sensed the
chance to reap maximum gains from the
position and he played the sacrificial 14.
♗xh6! gxh6
Forced, else Black has lost a pawn for nothing.
15. ♕xh6 f6!
The only move. Not 15…f5? 16.♘f4 or

16.♖(either)e1, with the idea of a rook lift to
the third rank, and Black is lost.
16…♖f7! had to be played. The rook does a
16. ♖ae1! decent job of defending, mainly because
White won’t be threatening to pin it against
White has two pawns for the piece, but his the black king with a rook as this won’t win
attack is really dangerous. It is hard for Black material. An important point to note is that
to challenge the queen on h6, which is making this move wouldn’t change the evaluation of
the black king feel very uncomfortable and the the position: Black is still lost, but White has
rook is going to join the attack via e3 next to find a series of accurate moves to
move. Black now has a choice between two convert the win – so, in a practical game,
plausible-looking moves. there would be a decent chance that Black
would manage to survive, whereas it is much
16…♕f7? easier to find the correct moves for White after
16…♕f7.
This makes the win easy for White.
After 17.♕g6+ Black can try a) 17… ♔f8, or
b) 17…♔h8:
484 485
Development
a) 17…♔f8 18.♘f4!± (Black is in trouble)
18…♗d8 19.♕g4 ♖e7 (19…f5? 20.♕g6!
♖e7 21.♕h6+
♔g8 22.♖e3+– as Black can’t defend

against ♖g3 and ♘xe6) 20.exf6 ♘xf6
21.♘xe6+ ♖xe6 22.♕xe6
♕xe6 23.♖xe6±:
analysis hook since he can play 22…♔e7= as he is not

tied down to the defense of g7 and the king is
The rook and three pawns are far too much for
running away to d8) 22…♕e7 (22… fxe5
the two minor pieces.
23.dxe5 ♕e7 24.♘d4! and White will take on
b) 17…♔h8 18.♕h5+ ♔g8 19.♖e3 (with e6 with a decisive advantage after ♖g6,
threats along the third rank) 19… ♗f8 (19… because 24…c5 fails to 25.♘f4! when ♘g6+
♘cb6 20.♕g4+ is looming and 25…♖xf4 is crushed by
26.♖xg7
♔h8 21.♘f4± with dangerous threats)
20.♖h3 ♗g7 21.♕h7+ ♔f8 22.♖g3!: and ♘xe6+ next) 23.♘f4 (forcing 23…♔e8
24.♕h5!, with the threat of ♖xg7) 24… ♗f8
analysis
(24…♔d8: analysis
A very important quiet move, preventing
25.♖xg7! ♖xg7 26.♕h8+ ♔c7 [26…
the black king from escaping. (22.♘f4?
lets Black off the ♘f8 27.♘xe6+ ♕xe6 28.♕xf8+ ♔d7
29.♕xg7+ +– and White emerges with
three extra pawns] 27.♕xg7 ♕xg7
28.♘xe6+ wins) 25.♖g6! (looking at e6;
Black is hopelessly tied down and his
pieces are squashed together) 25…fxe5
(25…♔d8 26.♖e1!+–; all of White’s
pieces are in the attack apart from the
c2-knight, and such firepower – as is
often the case –
486 487
Development
proves to be the key in dismantling the
enemy position, e.g. 26…♘cb6 27.exf6
♖xf6 28.♘xe6+ ♔c8
29.♘g7+–) 26.♘xe6!:
analysis
(26.♖xe6?! exf4 27.♖fe1 ♔d8 28.♖xe7

♖xe7 29.♖xe7 ♗xe7± is possible, but
White may have trouble winning as a 17. ♖e3
result of the reduced material) 26… ♖h7
(26…e4 fails to the greedy 27.♘c7+ With obvious threats, forcing Black’s reply.
♔d8
17…♕h7 18. ♖g3+! ♔h8
28.♘xa8, when White now enjoys a large
19. ♕e3!
material advantage; or 26…♘f6 27.♕xe5
[leaving Black tied up in a massive knot] 27… Maybe Black had missed this sneaky retreat
♔d7 28.♕c7+ ♔e8 29.♖e1, and Black has which threatens ♖h3, trapping the queen.
nothing better than to take on c7 and lose the White is now winning.
rook in the corner) 27.♖h6+ ♖f7 28.♘xf8
♘xf8 29.dxe5 ♔d8 30.♘d4+–. White has 19…♕f5
regained his material and the powerful
19…♕f7 20.♖h3+ ♔g8 21.♕h6
initiative continues.
(threatening ♕h8#) 21…♕g7 22.♖g3+–.
This time the pin is down the g-file.
19…fxe5 20.♖h3 ♗h4 21.g3+– is equally

hopeless for Black.
19…♕e4 20.♖h3+ ♔g8 21.♕h6 ♔f7:
analysis
(21…♕f5 22.♖g3+ ♔f7 23.♘e3 wins the

queen due to the threat of ♕h5#) 22.♘f4!
(the killer move; not 22.♖g3? ♔e8 23.♕h5+
488 489
Development
♔d8 24.♖e1 ♕f5 25.♕xf5 exf5 26.♘f4± A bit sloppy, although White is still winning.
allowing the black king to slip away to
24.♕h6+! ♔g8 25.♘c5 ♘xc5 26.gxf3 is
completely winning. ♕xe6 followed by
♘e3 and ♘f5 is coming and Black’s pieces
are too poorly coordinated to do anything
about it.
24…♖f7?
24…e3! was the way to go, stopping the queen

from arriving on h6 by crudely blocking it
with a pawn sacrifice: 25.fxe3 ♗xc5 26.gxf3
relative safety, when Black will have chances to ♗b6. White is still winning after 27.♕g2!
save the game) 22…fxe5 23.♕h5+ ♔f6 exd4 28.♘xd4 ♘f8 29.♕g5:
24.♘d3!+–. ♖e1
and ♖f3 will end the game.
20. ♖f3!
Black’s queen has only one square.
20…♕e4 21. ♕d2
21. ♖h3+ transposes to the 19…♕e4 line

(both sides have made an extra move)
where White is clearly winning. The game
move is also winning.
21…fxe5
21…♖f7 22.♖e1 ♕g4 23.♖g3 ♕f5

24.♘e3 wins.
22. ♖e1 ♖xf3 23. ♖xe4 dxe4
24. ♘c5?! analysis
490 491
Development
but there is still some work to be done.
25. ♘xd7+–
Despite the equal material, White has too

many threats and active pieces, and Black’s
pieces are uncoordinated and undeveloped.
Black is doomed.
25…♖h7 26. ♘xe5 ♘d6 27. ♘g6+

♔g8 28. ♕f4 ♘f5 29. ♕xe4 ♖f7 30.
White is better here, because even though
♕xe6 ♔g7 31. ♘e3 ♘xe3
Black possesses an extra pawn and has castled
(usually a sign of good development), all of
32. ♘e5 1-0
Black’s queenside pieces are still at home. They
IM Maxence Godard (2340) – IM Nicolas are a long way from defending their king.
Giffard (2361) Black sorely misses his dark-squared bishop
(which he traded for White’s c3-knight) since
French Championship 2010 it was a useful defender of his dark squares,
most notably d6 and f6. White’s e5-pawn is a
valuable spearhead in his position, looking at
d6 and (more importantly) f6. White’s lead in
development around Black’s kingside is
pronounced, as his d2-bishop is ready to
sacrifice itself on h6 or g5 if necessary and his
knight can jump into f6 at any moment. The
queen can make ♗xh6 a threat by moving to
g4 and it’s not hard to imagine the h1-rook
quickly entering the action after h2-h4
followed by ♖h3-g3. Black doesn’t have
much space to organize a defense, and after
playing …♘d7 he would have to spend a
tempo on …
♖e8 before he could bring the knight into the

defense with …♘f8.
12.h4?!
492 493
Development
12.♕g4?! allows the freeing 12… f5! 13.exf6 13…♗d7?
♘xf6 14.♘xf6+ ♖xf6, when White has lost
Greedily hanging onto the extra pawn in a
two of his prized assets (the e5-pawn and the
e4-knight) and Black’s king is safe from all passive manner, while losing the …♗a6
threats, so Black is fine. idea connected with playing …b5-b4 and
taking away the d7 square that Black’s b8-
12.♕f3! is the most promising move for knight needs to go to – all of this in one move!
White. Now …f7-f5 can simply be met
13…b4!:
by ♘d6 and White intends ♕g3
threatening ♗xh6. analysis
After 12…♘d7 13.♕g3 ♔h8 14.axb5! cxb5 Black had to play this either here or on the
previous turn instead of 12… f5. Black cannot
15.♘d6, Black has to waste time defending
afford to sit and do nothing in this sort of
the b5-pawn while White improves the
position because White’s kingside attack will
placement of his pieces, e.g. 15…♕b6 come very quickly, with g2-g4
16.♗e2 ♗b7 17.0-0: analysis
and maybe g4-g5 or ♕xg4 and ♖g1 if
Black swaps on g4. Therefore, Black must
counterattack in the center immediately.
He does not mind giving back his extra
pawn to accomplish this; in fact, this is a
common way to defuse an opponent’s attack.
They sacrifice material to get an attack, and
then if you can give this material back at
the right moment you won’t be down on
material overall, as stopping to recapture
the material is often enough of a loss of time
Here ♗e2-h5 will be a useful way for for the attack to fade away. In some
White to attack f7 and Black must deal circumstances Black will be able to play …
with the immediate threat of ♗xc4 followed ♕b6 to attack the d4-pawn.
by ♖ab1, picking off the b7-bishop.
If White plays the immediate 14.cxb4,
12…f5 13. ♘d6 Black meets this with 14…c3 15.♗c1

♘a6, intending …
Black is fine with the white knight on d6 in
the middle of his position, but he has to find ♘axb4. The c3-pawn will probably be lost in
the correct plan. the long run, but in the short term it is a real
494 495
Development
nuisance for White. Now Black has two nice plans to choose from,
17…♘d7 followed by …♘7b6 to challenge
If White defends c3 instead of taking on b4,
the white knight on c4, or 17…c5 18.dxc5
when he follows this up with ♗xc4 Black will
♘c6 to destabilize White’s center, with level
be able to reply with …♗a6, swapping his chances in either case.
undeveloped bad bishop for White’s active
bishop on c4: 14.♖c1 bxc3 14.g4!
15.♗xc3 ♗a6 16.♗xc4. You might think this Hacking away at f5 and getting ready for
is too compliant, but Black was planning … ♖g1. You shouldn’t be surprised to hear
♘d7 followed by that White is already close to winning.
…c6-c5 when he would be threatening to take 14…f4?
over the initiative. There follows 16…♗xc4 Things keep getting worse. Black had to try
17.♘xc4: 14…♔h7, but his prospects would have been
grim; while 14…fxg4 15.♕xg4 leaves Black
powerless against White’s threats of ♖g1 and
♗xh6.
15.g5!+–
Black cannot deal with his problems down the

g- and h-files.
15…hxg5 16. ♕g4! gxh4 17. ♖xh4 ♘e7

18. ♕h5
analysis
496 497
Development
pawn, and it will take a long time for the a1-
rook and c1-bishop to enter the game.
10…0-0
10…♗g4 is the usual move, developing

another piece and gaining time by hitting the
white queen.
11. ♗f5
Black cannot stop both ♕h7# and ♕h8#, so 11.b3, planning ♗b2, and 11.0-0 are the
he resigned. 1-0 alternatives.
David Eggleston – Ankush Khandelwal

(2160)
British Championship, Torquay 2009
You might ask why this game is in this chapter,

since it is Black who gets an early lead in
development
– yet it is White who attacks! The answer

is that all of the pieces White does
develop are in prime position to home in on
the opposing king.
11…♗a6?
1.e4 e5 2. ♘f3 ♘c6 3. ♗c4 ♘f6 4.
It is hard to understand the point of this
♘g5 d5 5.exd5 ♘a5 6. ♗b5+ c6 7.dxc6 move, since the obvious idea is to stop
bxc6 8. ♕f3 ♖b8 9. ♗d3 me from castling kingside, but playing the
simple d2-d3 would thwart that idea and
♗d6 10. ♘c3 ask what the bishop is doing on a6.
The game started with a sharp opening Anyway, I have something a lot stronger than
variation where White grabs a pawn right d2-d3, which Black must have missed.
away, but in return Black gets faster
development. White has no pawn presence 11…c5 firmly clamps down on the d4 square
in the center, the d3-bishop blocks the d- and enables Black to develop his pieces
498 499
Development
harmoniously, but after 12.0-0 ♘c6 (the queen eyes up h7) 15…♖e8
13.♗xc8 ♖xc8 14.d3 ♘d4 15.♕d1 his 16.♘xf6+ ♕xf6 17.♕h7+
extra pawn still gives White the better
chances. ♔f8 18.♘e4 ♕e6 19.d3:
12. ♘ce4!
White’s four developed pieces are all looking

towards Black’s king, which is only defended
by the f6-knight.
12…g6!
If Black plays anything else, he will be overrun

immediately. The next few moves for both
sides are forced and logical.
12…♗c8 admits that 11…♗a6 was wrong,

but loses far too much time: 13.h4!: analysis
The pawn joins in the attack. Black will

probably soon have to play …h7-h6 or …g7-
g6 to relieve the pressure on h7. By pushing
the h-pawn to h4, White anticipates this.
After…g7-g6, the h1-rook gets into the attack
with h4-h5, while if Black plays …h7-h6
instead, he won’t be threatening to take on g5
analysis
because White would just leave the knight on
g5 – if Black takes it then White takes back
Now ♖h1-h3 is coming, threatening ♖g3
with the h-pawn, sends the queen to the h-file,
and crashing through on g7. Black would
and delivers checkmate on h8.
have to meet it with …♕g6, but then
13…h6 (13…g6 14.♗xc8! ♘xe4 15.♘xe4 White swaps queens and Black has to take
back with the f-pawn, ruining his pawn
♖xc8 16.♘f6+ ♔g7 17.h5!+– [Black
structure. White is winning because he has an
cannot take the f6-knight because his
extra pawn plus better pieces and pawns.
queen drops after h5-h6+]; something like
17…♖h8 18.d3 h6 19.♘e4 is clearly 12…♘xe4?? is no alternative: 13.♗xh7+
hopeless for Black) 14.♗xc8! ♖xc8 15.♕f5 ♔h8 14.♗xe4 ♕xg5 15.d3!. Suddenly
500 501
Development
the black queen is very short of squares to 16.♖g1!, and White eliminates all of the
go to to save the king from being mated by the pawn cover protecting the black king. If 16…
white queen along the h-file. 15… ♗h4 17.hxg6 fxg6
♕h4 16.g3! (only one square left…) 16…

18.♗xg6, Black cannot take back because
♕h3 17.♗f5!+–: he would be checkmated quickly: 18…
hxg6 19.♖xg6+ ♔h7
analysis
and now the queen is trapped. Black’s minor 20.♕g4, with ♕h5 next.
pieces on the queenside are too far away to
offer it any help. 14. ♗xg6! ♘xe4
13. ♕h3! If 14…fxg6, then 15.♕e6+ ♔g7 16.♘xd6

and White should win with his extra pair
The only good way to continue the of pawns. The white knights control most of
attack. White puts more pressure on h7 the squares that Black’s pieces would like to go
and the f5-bishop is immune, because if to.
Black captures it then White swaps knights on
f6 and plays ♕xh7#. 15. ♘xe4
13…h5! 15.♗h7+ is the alternative: 15…♔h8

16.♘xe4 ♔xh7 17.♕xh5+ ♔g7
Again, the only defense.
(18.♘g5+ doesn’t actually threaten anything
13…♘h5 tries to block the attack on h7, since after ♕h7+ the black king just walks
but 14.g4! forces a way through: 14… away to f6) 18.♕g4+ (starts the process of the
♗e7 15.gxh5 ♗xg5 white queen “walking down the corridor” to a
better square) 18…♔h8 19.♕h3+ ♔g8
20.♕g3+ ♔h7
21.♘g5+ ♔h8 22.d3±:
analysis
White has three pawns for the piece and the

black king is still very exposed, so White is
doing well.
502 503
Development
15…fxg6 16. ♕e6+ ♔h7 17. ♕xd6 Here is the solution to White’s problems: he
simply gives up a knight for nothing… well,
17.♘xd6? ♖f6 simply loses the knight for not exactly for nothing. You already knew that
nothing. the knight on e4 and queen on d6 were on
unstable squares.
17…♖f4!
18.♕xe5? is the most natural move, but
there is a big problem with it – Black
plays 18…♖xe4+!
19.♕xe4 ♕f8!. Black sacrifices an exchange

because he has spotted that the white king is
trapped in the middle of the board. There is
nothing that White can do to prevent …♖e8
next move, winning the queen for a rook.
Now White has a choice: a) 20.♕d4, b)

20.d3, or c) 20.♔d1:
a) 20.♕d4?? (playing dice with death) 20…

♖e8+ 21.♔d1 ♗e2+ (allowing this bishop to
arrive here must be very bad) 22.♔e1 ♗g4+!
(Black finds the killer combination) 23.♔f1:
analysis
What is the crucial move in Black’s attack? It’s

his next move, so look carefully and try to find
If Black didn’t have this move, he would it. If
be completely busted! Now White can’t
swap queens because Black takes the e4-
knight with check before recapturing on d8
and comes out a piece ahead. The knight can’t
be held with d2-d3 because Black takes on e4
with check, removing the defender of the
queen on d6, and then simply takes the white
queen for nothing next move.
18. ♘g5+!!
504 505
Development
♗xh1, and Black should win with his extra
knight.
18…♕xg5
Black has to take.
19. ♕c7+!
The white queen grabs this square now that

the black queen no longer guards it.
this were a real game, not a sub-variation, a
strong player of Black would not have put the 19…♔g8
bishop on g4
The only move.
without foreseeing his next move.
20.d3!
23…♕f3!!. White is helpless: 24.gxf3 ♗h3+
25.♔g1 ♖e1#. It is never great to fall for
a back-rank mate, but it’s even worse when
both of your rooks are still on the back rank!
b) 20.d3 ♖e8 21.♕xe8 ♕xe8+ 22.♗e3:
analysis
Black has slightly the better chances here

as the queen and knight will coordinate
more effectively than White’s rooks and
pawns.
c) 20.♔d1? ♖e8 21.♕f3. Now 21…

♗e2+? 22.♕xe2 ♖xe2 23.♔xe2 favors
White as he has two rooks and a lot of
pawns for the queen. Can you see what Black
should play instead?
21…♕xf3+! (the h1-rook is going to drop

off ) 22.gxf3 ♗e2+ 23.♔e1 ♗xf3+ 24.♔f1
506 507
Development
Time to assess the position. What has White capture on e3 and f1, so White plays 24.♕c5
gained for his sacrificed knight? He has gained defending e3 with the queen, and after castling
time to play d2-d3, blunting the a6-bishop – queenside he will have good chances to
then there are the attacked black pieces. The convert his extra pawn.
white queen attacks the b8-rook and the a5-
knight. The undeveloped bishop on c1 attacks
the rook on f4, and if the latter moves then
the queen on g5 will be attacked. But it
wasn’t enough to think about the position
in these general terms; White had to see
in advance that Black’s dangerous attacking
ideas in this position didn’t work,
especially 20…♕xg2.
20…♖bf8
20…♕d8 21.♕xd8+ ♖xd8 22.♗xf4 exf4
20…♕xg2 21.♗xf4! ♕xh1+ 22.♔d2 ♕xa1
23.0-0-0±. White has the material advantage
23.♕xb8+: of a rook and two pawns for a knight and
bishop, and Black’s minor pieces are out of
analysis
play on the a-file. His kingside pawns are
It would be easy to stop here when calculating overextended and his queenside pawns are
this line in advance and dismiss it as fine for weak and isolated, so he will have to fight hard
Black since he has an extra piece. In reality, all to have any chance of saving the game.
of Black’s pieces are out of play and White’s
21.0-0!
queen and bishop conduct a mating attack:
23…♔f7 (23…♔g7 and 23… ♔h7 are Finally, White castles. There was no need to
both hopeless after 24.♗xe5(+) when take on f4 (the rook wasn’t going anywhere),
White has ideas of ♕h8# and ♕c7+ to win and Black would have recaptured with the
pawn, at which point if White then castled
the a5-knight; there is also ♕xa7+) 24.♕c7+
kingside he would have had to watch out for
♔e6 25.♕xe5+, and White wins. the black pawn advancing to f3.
20…♖b7 21.♕xa5 ♕xg2 22.♖f1! ♖e4+. 21…♗b7??

The black queen and bishop combine to attack
f1, so White cannot capture on e4. It would be Now Black is totally lost. He intends …c7-c5,
easy to miss 23.♗e3!± just ignoring the e4- but this is far too slow.
rook. With 23…♖f7, Black threatens to
508 509
Development
21…♗c8! 22.f3! (not 22.♕xa5?? ♗h3 23.g3 Black resigned before White could finally
♕g4, and because of the weaknesses on g2 develop his queenside. 1-0
and f1 White will get checkmated soon) 22…
♘b7 23.♗xf4 exf4 24.♕xc6±. White has too
many pawns in the long run, but at least Black
can keep fighting.
22.f3!+–
Now Black’s position collapses.
22.♕xa5?? is too greedy and meets a

spectacular refutation. 22…♕xg2+!: analysis
23.♔xg2 ♖g4+ 24.♔h1 (24.♔h3 ♖f3#)

24…c5+ 25.f3 ♖xf3!, and White is
checkmated, e.g. 26.♖xf3
♗xf3#. I believe that seeing this line in

advance was the reason that Black played 21…
♗b7??. Maybe he got carried away with this
variation and forgot that White has other
options on move 22.
22…c5 23. ♕xa5 ♗xf3 24. ♖xf3
510 511
Chapter 11: Attacking in the Endgame
White plans h4-h5 followed by ♖gd3,

increasing the pressure.
Chapter 11
23…gxh4?
Black grabs the chance to create a half-

open file and some potential activity for
his rooks, because previously they had no
active prospects at all. However, this is a
serious mistake that leaves Black with a lost
position. Something passive like 23…♖bd8
had to be played.
24. ♖g7!
Attacking in the Endgame
Suddenly the black king has nowhere to go.
It is a common mistake to think that, once the White has the deadly threat of ♖xd6+
queens have been traded off and there are followed by ♖e7#.
relatively few pieces remaining, play should
then proceed according entirely to endgame 24…♖be8
principles. Sometimes, the chance to attack
the enemy king will arise even here – Black defends the e7 square, but runs into…
especially if you can surround it with the
few pieces you have left and your opponent 25.f4!
isn’t aware of potential mating nets.
GM Mark Hebden (2530) – IM Andrew

Ledger (2424)
4NCL Teams (England) 2008
White is better here, but converting this kind

of position into a win usually involves a long
endgame grind and in some cases it might
turn out that the side with the passive
bishop can just about hold the dominant
knight at bay.
23.h4!
512 513
Black realized what was coming and resigned

because after 25…exf4 White mates with
26.♘d4. A move like 25… ♖hg8 doesn’t
help because White plays 26.♘d4+ anyway
and then 26…exd4 27.f5# is a nice finish. 1-0
IM Neboişa Illijin (2282) – GM Normunds

Miezis (2524)
Nova Gorica Open 2003
White is a pawn up and the natural 35…d4! seems to be good enough to hold the
32.a4, advancing the pawn towards the balance. Now 36.♖e2 ♘d5! (bringing the
queening square, would have left White with knight to c3) 37.♖xe8+ ♔xe8 38.a4 ♘c3=.
a winning position. Instead, he erred as One possible plan is …♖d2-b2.
follows: 32. ♘a6? ♗xa6 33. ♖xa6 ♖e8+
34. ♔f2 ♖d1 36. ♔e3??
Black has lots of activity and White will find it This is inexplicable. How could White have
hard to make anything of his queenside pawns missed 36…♘c5+, picking off the rook?
now. Perhaps it was severe time trouble. I guess this
example wasn’t so much an attacking ending as
He traded his beautifully placed knight on c5 an endgame capitulation.
for the passive bishop on c8 and now Black’s
rooks come into the game. After 36.♗xe4 dxe4 37.♔e2 White has
an extra pawn in this double-rook ending,
35. ♗f5 ♘e4+?!
514 515
with decent winning chances. Black’s e-pawn

is blocked and isn’t presently a danger.
36…d4+
This wins as well.
37. ♔f3 d3 38. ♖b2
Black soon won, as White had to give up his

rook for Black’s d-pawn.
Attacking with the King
If White played 38.♗xe4, the mating idea
appears: 38…dxc2 39.♗xc2 ♖f1#, with IM Jacob Aagaard (2420) – GM Robert
Black’s rooks combining nicely to checkmate Kempiński (2545)
the white monarch.
Groningen Open 1998
analysis
I suppose this is an ending in the sense
The game concluded: that White has only a queen and a rook
left. It is a bit of a strange position, since
38…d2 39. ♖xd2 ♘xd2+ 40. ♔f4 0-1 the black king is cut off from the rest of its
forces and the white king has managed to
walk all the way up to g5 without getting
into hot water. Clearly, White must
attack. In the game he erred with 50.♔f5+,
when after 50… ♔xh6 51.♕g5+ ♔h7
52.♕h4+:
analysis
he has a draw by perpetual check, but nothing

more. I suppose that getting a forced draw
from a position a piece down seems like a good
result. Can you see a better way to proceed?
50. ♖h8!
A great attacking move. 50.♖h8 isn’t an

obvious move to find but if you are about to
516 517
give up your rook anyway, then it makes sense analysis

to consider other ways to do so. Giving it away
on h8 lets White’s king into the key square A nice touch. After ♕xg6, White will mate on
that he will need in order to checkmate. I f7 or h7 and there is nothing that Black can
suppose the old saying, “If you find a good do. Despite his extra forces, the blocked
move, look for a better one” is true here. central pawns prevent Black from defending
White relies on the fact that after 50… ♔xh8 and there is just no way for his queen and rook
to help their king.
51.♔h6 Black will be
Quite often in an ending, the best thing to do
is to play according to endgame principles,
including the basic ideas of centralizing
your king and trying to keep your pawns
defended while attacking the opponent’s
pawns and hopefully picking them off one
by one. Unlike the previous example,
where the mating net was obvious and should
be spotted well in advance, sometimes an
attacking opportunity can arise out of thin air
and it is crucial for you to calculate well and
powerless to prevent 52.♕g7#. This is a reassess your options every move in order not
powerful example of using the king as an to let it pass you by. If you miss it once, it may
attacking piece. not be available on the next move. The
following game is a good example of this.
50…♗g6
David Eggleston – CM Halvard Hagesæther
Black sees the threat and decides not to take (2278)
the rook. Not 50…♖c5 51.♖g8+ ♔h7
Aarhus (Denmark) 2012
52.♔h4, and ♕g7#
is coming.
51. ♖g8+!
But the rook offers itself anyway!
51…♔xg8 52. ♔h6
52.♔xg6 is also winning.
518 519
37…♘c7?! Obviously Black is going to prevent this, but

how?
Black needs to defend the b5-pawn but this
was not the best way to do it. 40…♘a6??
37…♖e8 (forcing the white king to move) Black blunders the game away on the last
38.♔f2 ♖f8+ 39.♔g3 (39.♔e3 ♖e8 repeats move before the time control. Creating
problems for your opponents often pays off
the position) 39…♘c7. Now that the white
when they are in time trouble, even if the
king has been chased to the kingside, the black
problems are quite obvious and they would
knight moves backwards to defend the pawn,
have found a better move had they just
and it will take White a very long time to
had a few moments more to think. The
somehow try to get his king to c5 to win it.
knight will have nowhere to go to from the
side of the board.
38. ♔d4
The white king takes up an aggressive 40…♖f7! looks passive, but it is a good
position. way to defend and I can’t create any
further threats. For
38…♖f8!
A key element of Black’s defense will involve

the elimination of White’s h2-pawn, after
which White will be unable to make a new
queen and any winning attempt will be
considerably more difficult (it would require
reaching the ending of rook and two knights
vs. rook, which would be hard to achieve from
this position).
39. ♘e4 example, 41.♘d6 ♖d7 42.♔e5:

Covering the f2 square.
analysis
39…♖f3 40. ♖c1 looks very active for White, with his knights
on the sixth rank, but the reality is that the
The only good move, activating the rook
white pieces have no more good squares to
and creating the crude threat of ♘e7+ go to, since the white king can’t invade
followed by ♖xc7, winning Black’s knight. on the e6 square: 42…h6 43.♖c5
520 521
(43.♖d1?, with the idea of defending d6 to 42…♖b3 43. ♔e5

allow the king to move somewhere else, would
With Black’s knight and rook sidelined on the
be bad. After 43…♘e8! 44.♔e6? ♖xd6+
opposite wing, the white pieces take their
45.♖xd6 ♘xd6 46.♔xd6 a3 47.♘b4, it chance and head for the black king.
would be possible to view this position
superficially and think, “White has an extra 43…h6 44. ♔e6! ♔g8
piece – he is going to take Black’s pawns and
then queen his own.” In reality, the black
queenside pawns tie down the white knight, so
Black wins because he has a 2-1 pawn majority
on the kingside: 47…h5!, threatening to
queen, will decoy White’s king and allow
Black’s to penetrate to the queenside.)
43…♔h7 44.♘xb5 ♘xb5 45.♖xb5 ♖d2
46.♖a5 ♖xh2
47.♖xa4, and then the game will be drawn.

Even if Black didn’t have the two pawns, rook
+ knight vs.
rook is just a draw.
41. ♘e7+!
41.♘a7?, trying to win a pawn, lets Black off

the hook after 41…b4 42.♖c6 ♘b8, when
♖c8+ can be met by …♖f8 and the black
knight is coming back into the game via d7.
Now, White is still winning after a move like
45.h4, but it is important to find a mating
41…♔f8
idea if your opponent gives you the chance.
The only square.
45. ♘ef6+!
42. ♘d5
King, rook, and knight prove to be sufficient
Now, while c7 and b4 are covered by White’s to mate the opposing king.
pieces, …♘b8 is picked off by ♖c8+.
45…gxf6 46. ♘xf6+ 1-0
522 523
The white rook will arrive on g8 to deliver GM Colin McNab (2450) – GM Alexander
mate. Berelovich (2557)
This combination is reminiscent of Karpov’s Jessie Gilbert, Coulsdon 2008

against Korchnoi in their first title match:
Viktor Korchnoi – Anatoly Karpov Here, White played 77. ♘g1 and the
game was soon drawn after 77…♕d2+
World Championship (17), Baguio City 1978
78. ♔h1 ♘d3 79. ♕b6
White had squandered the winning
position he set up earlier in the game; ♘e1 80. ♕e3+ ♕xe3 81.a8=♕ ♔g7 82.
here, if he plays 39.g3 or 39.g4 to give his ♕b7+ ♔f8 83. ♕b4+, as White’s advantage
king some breathing space, then the game will had disappeared.
likely end in a draw.
Can you see what White could have done
Instead, he played 39. ♖a1?? to prevent the instead? The key to this position is that
back-rank checkmate. What did he miss? whoever gets his attack against the
opposing king in first is going to win.
39…♘f3+! and White resigned. 40.♔h1 is White has no time to attack the black
met by …♘f2#; and 40.gxf3 is met by 40… king and queen his pawn, as Black is
♖g6+ 41.♔h1 threatening …♕xe2+ and has powerful threats

of …♘d3 and …♕f2+.
♘f2#. This is a devastating reminder that you
must keep your wits about you at all times. 77. ♘d4!! is the key first move. If Black takes
it with 77…♕xd4, then after 78. a8=♕
♕d2+ 79. ♔h3
Black has run out of threats and White is

winning. Black has two choices: a) he can
check and then bring the knight into d3; or
b) he can bring the knight into d3 right away.
a) After 77…♕d2+ 78. ♔h3, if Black plays

78…♕e1 (threatening mate on h1), then
The following complex example illustrates White prevents this with 79.f4 ♘g4 and
hidden resources that can be available in the brings the queen back to defend with 80.♕g2,
position to make the attack work in an when after 80… ♘f2+ he wins by giving up
endgame.
524 525
the queen with 81.♕xf2 ♕xf2 82.a8♕, analysis

because 82… ♕f1+ can be met by
a1) 79…♘xb4 80.a8♕ (it is amusing
83.♕g2, whereas 82…♕xd4 allows that White has, in effect, sacrificed his
83.♕h8#. This theme of White’s forcing a7-pawn) 80…♔g7
mate on h8 just in time, ahead of Black’s
mating on h1, recurs throughout all of the (80…♔h7 fails to 81.♕b7+ ♔g8
variations. 78…♘d3 is Black’s main plan. It 82.♘e6, either mating on g7 or winning
looks as if he has too many threats and will
the b4-knight) 81.♘e6+ ♔f7
not lose the game. However, White needs
to remember that having the faster attack
82.♕f8+. A key move; White sacrifices his
is the most important factor in this position,
knight which can quickly be seen to be
so all methods for distracting Black’s pieces
correct once this forcing line is examined,
from the white king should be considered.
With this in mind, it is possible to find 79. because after 82…♔xe6 83.♕e8+:
♕b4!!. What a move! – the queen can be analysis

captured by either black piece:
White threatens Black’s queen as well as
his king: 83…♔f5 84.♕e4#; or 83…
♔d6 84.♕d8+ ♔c5
85.♕xd2.
a2) 79…♕xb4 80.a8♕ ♔g7 (80… ♔h7

81.♕a7+ ♔g8 82.♘e6 – it is remarkable how
White has the same attacking threats as Black,
but just gets there first) 81.♘e6+ ♔f7
82.♘d8+, and now Black has an
unfortunate choice of squares. If the king
goes to the back rank, then 83. ♘c6+
wins the queen, the exception being 82…
♔g8 83.♕d5+ ♔h8 84.♕xd3 when
White wins Black’s knight instead. 82…
♔e7
runs into 83.♘c6+, picking off the queen, and

the only other try, 82…♔g7, allows 83.♕a7+
526 527
♔g8 84.♕f7+ king and here 80.♘f5+! gxf5 81.♕xf6+ ♔h7
82.♕xf5+ wins all of Black’s pawns and the
♔h8 85.♘e6.
game: 82…♔g7 83.♕g5+ ♔f7 84.♕xh5+
b) So, what about 77…♘d3. Now 78.♕b4 ♔e7 85.a8♕, and the white king can
run away to g4!
does nothing about 78…♕f2+. The same
themes as before are still present in the This would have been a very impressive
position, and White needs to find the finish to the game, but it can be hard to
stunning 78. ♕b2!!. Again, White distracts calculate accurately when reaching move 77
Black’s pieces just in time: and the players are often exhausted.
It is often impossible to calculate

everything over the board, but if White
had realized that 77.♘g1
would be too slow for purposes of trying

to win, he might then have looked
further and found 77.♘d4
along with the subsequent sacrificial play

.
analysis
b1) If 78… ♘xb2, then 79.a8♕ ♔g7

(79…♕d2+ 80.♔h3 transposes into
earlier variations) and White has no
80.♘e6+ this time because of 80…
♕xe6, but 80.♕b7+ ♔h6 81.♕xb2,
removing the b2-knight, wins easily.
b2) Instead of taking the queen, 78…♘e1+

79.♔h3 ♕g1, with the threat of 80…♕h1+
81.♕h2 ♕f1+
82. ♕g2 ♕xg2#, appears to solve Black’s

problems, but White should always be
looking for forcing moves against the black
528 529

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Layout: Stanislav Makarov

Editor: Jorge Amador

Publisher: Mongoose Press

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Distributed to the trade by National Book

after playing through the first variation,

opponent’s king. If you like, you can January 2014

Most of the time, attacking very early in the

The editor might observe that, by the time I

Anyway, enough from me for now.

From your own games, you will know that

♔g1, Pf2, Pg2, and Ph2 and Black will have

Here, moving a rook or queen to the back

This should make you think of ways to

Basic Attacking Ideas 1. ♕xa7!

Back Rank 1 Now Black loses a rook and the game.

It is easy to look at a well-played attacking

1…♖xa7 black king runs away and White has no

White was hoping for 21…♕xf3??

This would have gone very badly wrong for

Also, 21…♕e1+? would achieve nothing since

Ryan Rhys Griffiths (2137) – David

British Championship 2009

In this position, White will not succeed

After 21…♕xd2+, White resigned because of 1. ♘h6+!

And White mates. Black can’t block with the

GM Mark Hebden (2516) – FM Richard

Back Rank 3 Batavia Grolsch, Amsterdam 2012

1. ♗g4! ♖e1+ 2. ♔h2! 4…♔g8

9…♔f7 10. ♕f4+

Picking up the rook on c1. White would

10…♔e7 11. ♕xc1

In the same way, ♗xh7+ isn’t a gift either

1…♔h8 2.♘g5 is crushing: Black is under

If here 2…f5 or 2…g6, White continues with

If 2…f6, White wins by 3.♘xe6 ♔xh7

The Greek Gift

The Greek Gift sacrifice is characterized by a

It is named after the description in Virgil’s

There are two other typical scenarios when the

3…♔h5 4.♕h7+ ♔g4 5.♕h3#. 3…g5

5…f5 6.exf6+ ♔f7 7.♕h7#:

– and ♕h8# follows.

6. ♕h7+ ♔g4 7.f3# 1.♕b3+

Lasker, Moscow 1925.

Of course, White goes for Black’s queen.

3.♖xa7+?, trying to grab a pawn before

How should White proceed here? The obvious

analysis Black not to calculate what would happen

Now what is Black’s best move? Remember

It is natural to want to queen the c-pawn

Double check. Instead 45…♘xe3+? is a

White is in trouble, but he may yet survive,

46. ♔h2 ♘g4+

Black can repeat the windmill position and

47. ♔h3 ♘xe3+ 48. ♔h2 ♘g4+ 49. ♔h3

The black knight moves away from g4

Unfortunately, there is no way for Black to

45…♘xf2+ 50. ♔h2 ♗xa6 51. ♗xd5 ♗xd3

Two pawns up with the white king still in