Art of Attack in Chess

by Vladimir Vukovic

  In the following diagram we have an instructive example of play using focal points of different colours.

  The threat against the focal-point h7 is replaced by one against g7. Then comes the decisive moment in the main variation – a sudden simultaneous attack on h7 and g7. In one sub-variation there even appears a third focal-point at f7.

  1 Rh1 Kg8!

  By 1 ... Bxg3+ 2 Ke2 Black would only make the defence more difficult for himself. In playing 1 ... Kg8! he attempts to defend by running with his king, i.e. he surrenders h7 to White and hopes for the continuation 2 Qxh7+? Kf8 3 Qh8+ Ke7 which leads to a complete consolidation of the black king’ s position; the tables are then turned and Black threatens 2 ... Rc3 followed by play on the queenside against the weak spots in White’s camp. Therefore, White does not capture on h7, but hits on a manoeuvre to open up the d3-h7 diagonal by the lethal f6.

  2 Rh5!

  The passive 2 Rh3 would be weak, while 2 Rh4? is clearly no good because of 2 ... Bxg3+ and 3 ... Bxh4.

  The text move threatens 3 Rg5+ fxg5 4 f6 with the double threat of 5 Qg7# and 5 Bxh7+ Kh8 6 Bg6+ Kg8 7 Qh7+ Kf8 8 Qxf7#. This main variation, culminating in simultaneous threats against h7 and g7 can, it is true, be countered by 2 ... Qd6, but that allows 3 Qxh7+ Kf8 4 Qh8+ Ke7 and 5 Qxc8, when White is a rook up. After 2 ... Bxg3+ 3 Ke2 Black can do nothing in the face of 4 Rg5+ and f6. However, he discovers a subtle defence, which is typical for such positions.

  2 ... Qc7

  This protects the third focal-point at f7, which is important as the final mating square in the combination beginning with 3 Rg5+; thus after 3 ... fxg5 4 f6 Bxf6 5 Bxh7+ there is no mate. But White still has one trump card left.

  3 b6!

  Attacking Black’s queen, which is overloaded with duties at the key square c7: it is obliged to guard the rook (against the possibility of Qxh7+ and Qh8+) and also watch the square f7. Black therefore played:

  3 ... Qd7

  If 3 ... Bxg3+, White would in this case have to play 4 Kf3!.

  JN: Black should try 3 ... Qc1!, creating serious counter-threats and preventing 4 Rg5+ fxg5 5 f6 because of 5 ... Rc2+ 6 Bxc2 Qxc2+, followed by 7 ... Qg6. White should continue 4 Rh4 Rc2+ 5 Bxc2 Qxc2+ 6 Kg1 Qxf5 7 Qh5 with a large advantage, but of course there is no mate.

  4 Rh4

  A simple move and one which shows that Black’s queen has yet another function – to maintain control of the b8-h2 diagonal. There is now an irresistible threat of 5 Rg4+; 4 ... Bxg3+ 5 Kxg3 Qd6+ 6 Kf3 Qf8 is useless due to 7 Qxh7#.

  An excellent example of the shift of threats from one focal-point to another, and at the same time a lesson in the troubles facing a piece which is overburdened with different functions.

  In this position, from Szabo-van Scheltinga, Hilversum 1947, White won in interesting fashion.

  1 Ng5 g6 2 Nd5

  White’s first move, with its attack on h7, forced a weakening on the long diagonal, and his subsequent manoeuvres aim to bring the queen to that diagonal.

  2 ... Qa3 3 Bxb5 axb5 4 Rc3 Qa5 5 e6! Nxe6 6 Rxe6 Bxe6 7 Qd4+ f6 8 Nxf6

  Now White threatens to decide the issue by 9 Nh5+ and mate at the focal-point g7. Black’s only answer is to attack the white queen.

  8 ... Qb6 9 Qe5 Qd6 10 Rxc7! 1-0

  After 10 ... Qxe5 the attack returns to the original focal-point at h7 in the shape of 11 Rxh7#.

  This position arose in the game V. Vuković-Endzelins from the match between Yugoslavia and Latvia at the 1936 Munich Olympiad. White first obtained freedom of action for himself by blocking the long light diagonal.

  1 d5! exd5

  If 1 ... Nxd5, then 2 Qg5 g6 3 Bxg6, etc.

  2 Ne2 Qe6 3 Bxg7! Kxg7 4 Qg5+ Kh8 5 Qh4+

  White checks from h4 rather than h6 to give Black the chance to make a mistake. Endzelins did in fact fall for it and played 5 ... Kg7?; this was followed by 6 Nd4, and Black lost his queen, since 7 Nf5+ leads to a terrible catastrophe on the focal-point g7. The rest of the actual game is of no interest (it finished 6 ... Rg8 7 Qg5+ Kf8 8 Nxe6+ Ke7 9 Ng7 Rxg7 10 Qxg7 Rg8 11 Re1+ 1-0) but what does interest is an analysis of Black’s more tenacious reply 5 ... Kg8.

  Rellstab, in his book of the tournament, states that White would then have to satisfy himself with perpetual check, but this is not correct. Admittedly, after 6 Nd4 Rxc1! 7 Rxc1 Qe5 8 Nf5 Black has the reply 8 ... Ne4!, an interesting example of a move with a double defensive purpose with reference to the focal-points h7 and g7, around which White’s attack revolves. Further attempts, e.g. by 9 Qg4+ Kh8 10 f3, are dangerous for White because of 10 ... Bc8!, while other short-cuts also have obstacles in their way. It was, however, White’s intention to take the rook with his queen, and this would in fact have won the game, as the following analysis shows:

  6 Qg5+ Kh8 7 Qh6+ Kg8 8 Nd4 Rxc1 9 Qxc1! Qe5 10 Nf5

  There is now an attack on the two focal-points h7 and g7, combined in some variations with another on f7.

  If Black plays 10 ... Ne4, there follows 11 Bxe4 dxe4 12 Qg5+ Kh8 13 Rd7! when Black has no proper defence against the threat of 14 Qh6+ Kg8 and 15 Ne7+ winning his queen, e.g. if 13 ... Re8 14 Qh5+ Kg8 15 Qxf7+ mating.

  10 ... Nh7 11 Qh6 Re8

  The only real way to meet the threat of 12 Ne7+ and 13 Qh7#.

  12 Nd6! Bxd6

  Neither 12 ... Ng5 13 Nxe8 nor 12 ... Re7 13 Bxh7+ Kh8 14 Nf5 hold out any hope for Black.

  13 Bxh7+ Kh8 14 Bg6+ with the final mate on f7.

  Into the second group fall focal-points of the same colour which do not qualify as ‘a network of squares’. The most typical case is that of h7 and f7, and in the next example we shall examine the most typical attack by the queen and bishop against these two squares.

  From the diagram White begins with:

  1 Qh5

  He is threatening to sacrifice his bishop on h6 because all the essential preconditions for such a sacrifice have been fulfilled, as will be seen from the following analysis. We shall examine those replies by Black which lead to the characteristic formation of white queen on h6 and bishop on the b1-h7 diagonal. We shall leave aside the replies 1 ... Qe6 and 1 ... f6, the first of which is bad because of 2 Bf5 and the second because of 2 Qg6.

  First of all, the naive capture 1 ... Qxb4?. This is defeated by the sacrifice 2 Bxh6 gxh6 3 Qxh6, threatening mate on h7. This could be parried by 3 ... Re8, but Black then has to pay for the unprotected focal-point at f7 after 4 Bh7+ Kh8 5 Bg6+ Kg8 6 Qh7+ Kf8 7 Qxf7#.

  We have seen that the square f7 must be protected by the queen, since the rook on f8 has to move after the sacrifice, which suggests 1 ... Nb6 or 1 ... Na7. These too are answered by 2 Bxh6 gxh6 3 Qxh6, and if 3 ... Rfe8, then 4 Qh7+ Kf8 and 5 Qh8#. Nor is there any future in 3 ... f6 4 exf6 Rxf6 5 Rxe7 Rxh6 6 Rxb7.

  Black realizes that his queen is not well placed on e7 because it blocks this escape square and thus enables White to mate with his queen on h8. Black can try to move his queen away, but in such a way that it still protects the focal-point f7: 1 ... Qc7 2 Bxh6 gxh6 3 Qxh6 Re8 (or 3 ... f6 4 exf6, with the decisive threat of 5 Re7) 4 Rac1 Qd7 5 Bh7+ Kh8 6 Bf5+ and White wins the queen.

  From this it can be seen that Black’s queen could not even have gone to 1 ... Qd7 on the first move.

  We can now cut our speculation short; there only remain 1 ... Re8 and 1 ... Rd8. That 1 ... Rd8 is no good can be seen after 2 Bxh6 gxh6 3 Qxh6, since then 3 ... Qe6 cannot be played because of 4 Qg5+.

  Thus we arrive at the main variation:

  1 ... Re8

  After this move the sacrifice of the bishop on h6 is somewhat more complicated, but it is still White’s best continuation. On the other hand, 2 Bf4 is also good; less useful here (as on the first move) is 2 Qg4 because of 2 ... Kh8 3 Qxd4 Rd8 4 Qc3 Nb6 and Black can hold his own.

  2 Bxh6 gxh6 3 Qxh6 Qe6

  This is the right reply. After 4 Bh7+ Kh8 White now gets nowhere by 5 Bg6+, while the other discovered checks fail because White’s queen is attacked by Black’s; furthermore, if 5 Qh5, Black has the reply 5 ... Kg7 6 Bf5 Qh6 with
an adequate defence.

  White’s later play is interesting, even if it is no longer as typical of this kind of attack as the possibilities cited hitherto.

  4 Qh7+ Kf8 5 Bf5

  White’s queen is now best placed where it is, on h7; further checks would only make it easier for Black to defend himself.

  5 ... Qc6

  After 5 ... Qd5 6 Qh6+ Black cannot play 6 ... Kg8 due to 7 Bh7+ Kh8 and 8 Be4+, while 6 ... Ke7 7 Be4 wins the black bishop, for 7 ... Qd7 is defeated by 8 e6.

  5 ... Qb6 is of no use either, since 6 Rac1! leaves Black without a reasonable reply, e.g. if 6 ... Ne7, then 7 e6 fxe6 8 Bxe6 is quickly decisive.

  6 Be4 Qb6 7 Bxb7 Qxb7 8 e6 and White wins.

  The threat is 9 Qh8+ Ke7 10 exf7+, and the reply 8 ... Nd6 fails against 9 e7+ and 10 Qh8#.

  This analysis shows what great power there is in the formation of queen at h6 and bishop at d3 when combined with a rook at e1 and a pawn at e5. The various operations connected with the focal-points h7 and f7 are well worth remembering, since opportunities to use them arise frequently in actual games. Since the defender must move his rook from f8 when mate is threatened at h7, it is clearly a decisive factor whether or not the focal-point f7 is protected by other pieces. An alternative defence involves ... f6 or ... f5, but the success of such a reply depends on the other features of the position, which must be carefully assessed.

  The main feature of the third group is the network of weak squares of the same colour; here the attacker’s bishop is, as a rule, the piece which controls the focal-points permanently, while the others are used for manoeuvring purposes. It should be noted that control over a network of squares is also an important factor in positional play, but in attacks on the castled king it is particularly effective. The reason for this is a positional one, since control over a network is often of a fairly permanent nature. The most essential precondition is to ‘clear’ the network not only of the influence of the opponent’s bishop (either by eliminating it or driving it away) but also of possible resistance from the opponent’s pawns at important points in the network.

  When the attacker has ‘cleared’ the network and fixed the position, the attacking operation proper follows; the squares which are candidate focal-points can easily be determined, while the other squares in the network may serve as secondary focal-points or else as strong squares for the attacker to post his pieces on.

  In the above diagram the network of dark squares is already ‘cleared’ and covered by White’s bishop, which is firmly installed at f6. The network consists of the squares f6, g7 and h8, and also the connected squares f8 and h6. The squares g7 and h8 are candidates as focal-points, f6 is a strong square for the attacker’s pieces while f8 and h6 can serve as secondary focal-points or strong squares. All this concentration of white power encircles the unfortunate black king, which has no real prospect of extricating itself from the net and escaping to the queenside, since e7 is also controlled by White. Black does not even have a dark-squared bishop to provide resistance on the network, and because of the blocked position in the centre he cannot undertake a counterattack; he is confined to defending himself. The only minor piece he has left is a knight, but this piece can in fact exercise considerable defensive influence in positions of this kind.

  If White’s domination is based on a dark-square network, Black still has one thing on which he can logically rely – the solid structure of his position on the light squares. In some such cases the success of an attack depends on the ability to break down resistance on the light squares by means of a sacrifice. This feature appears in the analysis of the above position, which, by virtue of its simplicity and its typical character, will well repay study.

  It is Black’s move, and his first concern is to provide a defence against White’s manoeuvre Qd2-h6, which threatens to bring about disaster on the focal-point g7. Various attempts at defence by Black and attacking stratagems by White, all of them typical and consequently instructive, will now be examined in a series of continuations.

  A) 1 ... h6

  Black is contemplating a defensive system with his king on h7 and his knight on g8, which could be reached after, say, 2 Qd2 Kh7 3 Re3 Ne7 4 Rh3 Ng8. White can then assert his superiority by 5 Bg5 h5 6 g4, but 1 ... h6 can be better punished as follows:

  2 Re3! Kh7 3 Rh3 Ne7 4 Rxh6+! Kxh6 5 Qg4 Kh7 6 Qh3+ Kg8 7 Qh8#

  Here we see the part played by the focal-points at h6 and h8.

  B) 1 ... h5 2 Qd2 Kh7

  Forced, as White threatened mate by 3 Qh6; if 2 ... Kf8, then 3 Qh6+ also mates.

  3 Qg5

  The simplest answer, as it prevents ... Ne7 for a decisive tempo. Also good is 3 g4, for 3 ... hxg4 is met by 4 Qg5 and mate. If 3 Re3, Black can defend himself more stubbornly with 3 ... Ne7 4 Rh3 Nf5 5 g4 Nh6 followed by 6 ... Rg8.

  3 ... Rc7 4 Re3 Ne7 5 Rh3 Nf5

  Otherwise White mates by 6 Rxh5+!.

  6 g4 Rg8

  Or 6 ... Nh6 7 Rxh5, etc.

  7 gxf5 gxf5 8 Rxh5#

  In this example it is the resistance on the light squares that is overcome.

  C) 1 ... Qe8

  Black’s queen is hoping to defend from f8.

  2 Re3 Qf8 3 Rh3 h6 4 Qd2 Kh7 5 Bg5 h5 6 Qe2 Ne7 7 Rxh5+! gxh5 8 Qxh5+ Kg8 9 Bf6 Ng6 10 Re1, and Black has no answer to the threat of Re3-h3 followed by Qh8+ and mate.

  This is an important mating pattern in such positions.

  D) 1 ... Ne7 2 Qd2 Qe8

  Or 2 ... Nf5 3 g4 Ng7 4 Qh6 Ne8 5 Re3, threatening both 6 Rh3 and 6 Qxh7+.

  3 Re3 Qf8 4 Rh3 Rc7

  This position can also arise in variation C.

  5 Qg5 b5 6 Qh4

  White may also play 6 g4, 7 Rh6, and 8 Qh4.

  6 ... h5 7 Qg5 Kh7 8 Rxh5+! gxh5 9 Qxh5+ Qh6 10 Qxf7+ and mate.

  Yet another instructive mating pattern!

  E) 1 ... Kf8

  The black king tries to slip out of the net via e8.

  2 Qd2 Ke8 3 Qh6 Ne7

  Or 3 ... Nd8 4 Qxh7 Qa4 5 Qg8+ Kd7 6 Qf8 with a decisive attack on the new focal-point at e7.

  4 Qxh7 Qa4 5 Re3

  At this point White gains nothing from checking, but must instead bring his rook to f3.

  5 ... Qc2 6 Rf3 Qxb2 7 Rf1 Qa3

  This parries the threat of 8 Bxe7, but now 8 Bg5 Nf5 9 g4 decides the game.

  In this variation the black king wriggled out to the edge of the network of weak dark squares, but even there he met his fate, its cause being the last square in the network, e7.

  We shall not leave the above diagram yet, because a feature of very great practical importance should be pointed out. This is the benefit derived by White from the action of his rook on the h-file. Without an opportunity of making the manoeuvre Re3-h3, White cannot take Black’s position by storm, because he lacks a threat against h7; if this does not exist, Black does not have to weaken his position, since he can easily ward off the threats against g7 alone. So even in this case, where there is a definite ‘same-colour network’, there is still a part to be played by alternative focal-points on squares of different colours (h7 or f7), and this applies in most practical cases. The weaknesses on the squares of the network are usually only the more sensitive ones, which does not mean that squares of the other colour will necessarily be safe – the king may succumb on them too!

  We have noted the important part played by the rook on the h-file in the variations above, and we shall now go on to examine how positions of this kind can be exploited if there is no chance of employing a rook. Suppose that we move White’s h-pawn from h2 to h4 in the above diagram; this gives a new situation of a type which often arises in practice, for the h-pawn is frequently advanced during the game. The pawn’s being on h4 considerably blunts White’s attack, and 1 h4? in the diagrammed position would be a poor move. Nevertheless, even with the pawn on h4 White has the better game, although he can only exploit his advantage slowly and Black retains chances of attacking on the queenside. Indeed, if Black’s position on that side were a little further advanced
, one could conclude that he would be able to preserve the balance. However, as things stand White is still the stronger, and we shall examine one continuation arising out of the new situation.

  The modified diagram (with the pawn on h4) is given below:

  1 ... b5 2 Qd2 Qe8 3 Re3

  In this case too White’s rook belongs on h3, even though his attack along the h-file is only a ‘thing of the future’.

  3 ... Qf8 4 Rh3 a5

  4 ... h5 would be to White’s advantage, since it would simplify his task of opening up the g- and h-files, for example 5 g4 hxg4 6 Rh2 a5 7 h5 followed by 8 hxg6 with a decisive attack (but not 8 h6? because of 8 ... Kh7, and Black is at once in a safe position!).

  5 h5 b4 6 g3

  White’s plan, a typical one in positions of this kind, is to play Kg2 and then Rah1. The immediate 6 hxg6 would be weaker, for Black would reply 6 ... fxg6 opening up the second rank for defensive purposes. White must first of all post his heavy pieces in their assault positions and only then venture on hxg6.

  6 ... a4 7 a3!

  Otherwise Black obtains good prospects with ... a3.

  7 ... bxc3 8 bxc3

  8 ... Na5

  A raid by a black rook along the b-file will not succeed, since both rooks are needed to defend the second rank, as can be seen from the following variation: 8 ... Rab8 9 Kg2 Rb3 10 Rah1 Rc7 11 Qg5 Rxa3 (or 11 ... Qxa3 12 Qh6 Qf8 13 Qxh7+ Kxh7 14 hxg6+ Kxg6 15 Rh5 and mate) 12 hxg6 fxg6 13 Rxh7 Rxh7 14 Qxg6+ Rg7 15 Bxg7 Qxg7 16 Qe8+ and White wins. Black could, it is true, play 11 ... Rb2, in which case the above combination would not work; however, it would not stop the manoeuvre Rh4-f4.