As the king is the ultimate target in chess, king safety is one of the four pillars of my value system, apart from material, piece activity and pawn structure. The two sides of this medal are called attack and defense.
ATTACK
Attacking the king is the most glamorous part of playing chess, especially if there is a risk involved for the attacker. Due to this inherent risk and the necessity for tactical operations, attacking is not to everyone’s taste. However, one should be familiar at least with the basics of attack and defense, as the position sometimes demands exactly this. Without fundamental attacking skills, your game would be way too static.
111. Can I attack my opponent’s king while it is still in the center?
Normally, the king is vulnerable, while still in the center. If the position isn’t closed, it might be possible to search for attacking possibilities. Even if there is no full-fledged attack possible, sometimes you can exploit the king’s position with checks on the e-file or an the a4-e8 or a5-e1 diagonal.
112. Can I prevent my opponent’s king from castling?
If you can make your opponent’s king stay in the center, it will be a permanent target. Apart from that, the king’s rook will have difficulties to join the game.
113. Should I go for opposite side castling, in order to have (better) attacking chances?
In the Open Sicilian, as well as in other openings, White often can decide which side to castle to. As Black has, with some very rare exceptions, only the kingside available for his king, castling queenside would lead to a position with opposite side castling. This provides White with better attacking chances, as he can use his pawns without any major reservations. On the flipside, White’s king can now potentially become a target on the queenside as well. Weighing the pros and cons carefully will hopefully lead to the right decision.
114. Does the king position of my opponent have any kind of weaknesses?
An attack should only be considered, if some basic conditions are met. One class of conditions would be a weakness of some sort. A weakness could be a hook, missing pawns in the pawn shield or a lack of defending pieces.
115. Do I have some kind of positional advantage, which allows me the luxury to play for an attack?
In the Open Sicilian Black generally has a sound pawn shield, consisting of the pawns e6, f7, g7 and h7. White’s space advantage on the kingside, however, allows him to play for an attack, as this leads to more active pieces. Add a lead in development, and the attacking chances increase even more.
116. Can I weaken the pawn shield of my opponent’s king position?
In general, you want to attack weakness, not strength. Hence, the idea to weaken the opponent’s pawn shield is logical, be it through pawn breaks, tactical force, sacrifice or seduction.
117. Can I storm his fortress with my pawns?
In the majority of the cases, pawns are needed in order to demolish the defender’s pawn shield and also to include the rooks.
118. Can I start an immediate attack with my pieces?
The drawback of pawn storms is the amount of time it consumes. Sometimes, this time is not available, as the opponent is ready for counterplay. If your own king is on the same wing, advancing with your pawns weakens your king safety. All this is an argument for conducting an attack only with pieces. If you don’t need pawns and your pieces can break through all by themselves, then go for it!
119. Can I mobilize pieces to create a condition for an attack?
It is a bad Idea to start an attack and then get stuck in the mud. Make sure to have enough fire power before you sound the horns. Gathering troops, if possible in a clandestine fashion, is what you might want to do if the position calls for it.
120. Can I exchange a defender?
Often an attack only works, if you manage to make defenders leave the board. Try to identify strong defenders and ways to get rid of them.
121. Can I destroy his defenses with a sacrifice?
There are different ways of sacrifice for the attacker. On the one hand, you can demolish his pawn shield (demolition sacrifice). On the other hand, you can make a defender vanish. Maybe, you sacrifice a pawn to make an exchange of an important defender work. Or, you sacrifice an exchange to eliminate an important minor piece (e.g. a rook for the Bg7).
122. What is the attacking ratio?
The attacking ratio is a very important concept introduced by Mikhail Tal. It depicts the ratio between attackers and defenders. If there are more attackers than defenders, the chance for a successful attack are generally good. Let’s say you are pondering the sacrifice of a piece. The variations are complicated, so you have to make an educated guess. Despite the minus piece the attacking ratio is 4 to 2 in your favor, as most of his pieces are far away on the queenside. This observation could make you pull the trigger.
123. Should I reinforce my defense before attacking?
Often, attacking needs some preparation like gathering more troops or reinforcing your defense to mitigate the consequences of a counter attack. Patience is an important virtue in chess.
124. Can I build a prison for the king in an endgame?
Even in queenless positions or endgame scenarios there are possibilities for an attack. Sometimes you can build a prison for your opponent’s king as preparation for the assault.
125. What are the risks of an attack?
Never attack carelessly. Never attack strength. Always be patient. Always assess the risks. There are four types of them:
- You sacrifice material and are left without compensation.
- You weaken your pawn structure and suffer in the endgame.
- You expose your king to a counter attack.
- Your attack gets repelled, after which you have lost precious time.
126. Should I go for an attack considering a positional advantage before the attack?
Let’s say, you have a clear positional advantage and are a 75% favorite. By embarking in a risky attack, you could win the additional 25%, but lose your original 75%. When coming from a high level, attacking sometimes isn’t worth the risk.
127. Should I go for an attack considering a rating difference between the players?
Image the position is level, but you are the clearly better player, making you a 75% favorite. As in the example above, you rather shouldn’t engage in a risky attack. Don’t flip the coin, but play a long game instead. If the opposite applies and you are the underdog, going for his throat appears to be a good idea.
