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CHESS

The Ultimate Chess Tactics and Strategies!


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Table of Contents

Introduction
How to Read Chess Notations
Chapter 1 – How to Become a Strong Chess Player
Chapter 2 – The Ultimate Chess Strategies
Chapter 3 – The Ultimate Chess Tactics
Conclusion
Introduction


I want to thank you and congratulate you for purchasing this book…

“Chess: The Ultimate Chess Tactics and
Strategies”

This book contains tips and techniques that can help you improve your playing strength.
It will discuss the things that you have to learn in order to become an excellent chess player. Then, it
will teach you the ultimate strategies that you can implement in your own games. Finally, it will show
you the best tactics that can help you crush your opponents easily.
This book uses theoretical explanations to assist the reader learn more about the game. To help the
reader in mastering chess concepts and techniques, this game includes many grandmaster games. That
means you will learn from the best chess players in the world.

Thanks again for purchasing this book, I hope you enjoy it!
How to Read Chess Notations

This book uses the algebraic chess notation to identify moves. Here are the basics of this type of
notation:

The Chess Board

The squares on the board are identified using their respective coordinates. Keep in mind that this
image is based on the White player ’s perspective. If you are playing with the Black pieces, you have
to reverse the board. That means the square at the bottom left of the board must be “h8.”
Pawn moves are recorded using the coordinates. For example, if a pawn moves to the a4-square, the
move is written as “a4.” Chess pieces, on the other hand, are recorded using the following letters:
Bishop – B
Knight – N
Rook – R
Queen – Q
King – K
If a piece moves, the piece-identifier is written down followed by the coordinates of its new square.
For example, a knight was transferred to the d4-square. The move will be recorded as Nd4.
Captures are recorded using the piece-identifier, the letter “x,” and the square of the captured piece or
pawn. For example, a knight captured an enemy on the d4-square. It will be recorded as Nxd4. When a
pawn captures an enemy, the move will be recorded using the name of the file the pawn was standing
on before the capture. Thus, if the pawn on the b-file captured an enemy on c4, it will be written as
bxc4.
The “castling” move (i.e. the simultaneous move of the king and one of the rooks) is recorded as 0-0
(if castled to the kingside) or 0-0-0 (if castled to the queenside).
Here are additional symbols used in this notation:
!! – Excellent Move
! – Good Move
!? Interesting Move
?! – Weak Move
? – Dubious Move
?? – Blunder/Mistake
ch – Check (i.e. the king is being attacked)
# - Checkmate
Lastly, the actual game moves are written in bold. The comments and theoretical moves, on the other
hand, are in italics. This is done to help you read chess notations easily.












Chapter 1: How to Become a Strong Chess Player

Chess is a board game that has entertained millions of players all over the world. It is still popular,
despite the fact that it was invented thousands of years ago. Actually, chess has invaded modern
devices such as tablets, computers, and mobile phones. The internet played a huge part in increasing
the game’s popularity. Nowadays, you may join online chess communities to play some games with
people from different countries.
Because the game is becoming more popular, more and more people want to become strong chess
players. They want to have better planning and tactical skills in order to beat their opponents. In
general, it is easy to learn the basics of chess – even kids can become good players if taught properly.
However, it is hard to become a strong chess player. You will be required to spend considerable time
and effort in sharpening your skills and memorizing opening variations. There are lots of things you
have to learn. Some of these are:
Openings – You have to learn different types of openings. In addition, you should know the
principles and theories behind each opening that you will use. As you go up the ranking
ladder, you will be relying on openings to gain advantages over your opponents. Remember:
a small advantage in the opening phase may turn into a decisive one during the course of the
game.
Endgames – The endgame phase poses difficult problems to inexperienced players. Here,
brute force approaches won’t work. You have to understand all of the characteristics of any
given position in order to find the best moves. In general, endgames are full of subtle traps
and hidden resources. That’s why you have to be extremely careful when formulating your
endgame plans.
Calculations – Even the best chess plans fail if they are not supported by sufficient
calculations. Keep in mind that you are playing against another person: someone who wants
to counter your schemes, defeat you, and laugh like a maniac while you are groveling on the
ground and crying hopelessly. Okay, that last bit rarely happens but you get the idea. Your
opponent will try to negate your plans and push his/her own agenda. That’s why you have to
calculate the possible move sequences on the board. Through calculations, you can
determine the effectiveness of your plans.
Positional Play – This refers to the act of playing according to the positional demands of the
board. For instance, your pawn structure (a positional element) is better than your opponents.
You should use plans and tactics that allow you to maximize the benefits provided by your
pawn structure. It is important to identify and maintain the advantages of your position. In
addition, you should neutralize the positive elements in your opponent’s camp.
Board Evaluation – If you can evaluate board positions correctly, you will have better
chances of spotting the best plans available. You should remember that chess positions have
distinct features that can influence the result of the game. Identify these features (called
positional and tactical elements) and incorporate them into your plans. In general, the ability
to assess the board quickly and accurately can help you become a great chess player.
Chess Psychology – Chess is played by human beings. Thus, the results may depend on the
personality and psychology of the players. You may increase your chances of winning by
understanding how your opponent thinks. Modern grandmasters keep a database of the
games played by their opponents. Using this database, they can identify the “playing patterns”
of their opponents.
Each player has his/her favorite tricks, attacks, strategies, and openings. If you know the
preferences of your opponents, you will have greater chances of beating them.
Strategies – This refers to the long-term plans created by a chess player during a game.
Chess strategies are dynamic: they can be changed according to the events on the board. You
won’t win many games if you will blindly stick to a particular strategy. For example, you
initially planned to attack your opponent’s kingside (i.e. the f-, g-, and h-files). However,
during your attack, your opponent made a huge mistake in his queenside (i.e. the a-, b-, and
c-files). You should punish that mistake by transferring your forces to the queenside.
Tactics – This refers to the maneuvers used by a player to exploit the tactical elements of a
position. For instance, your opponent placed his queen on an open file. The poor placement
of the queen (which is a tactical element) can be exploited by placing a rook on the same file.
Since the rook has a lower value than the queen, your opponent will avoid the exchange as
much as he can.
In general, tactical plans are composed of short-term moves. They can also be used to
implement chess strategies.
This book will focus on the last two items given above. Strategy and tactics play an important part in
improving a player ’s skills. They also influence other aspects of the game. For example, openings
and endgames involve certain tactics and strategies. Calculations, on the other hand, help you in
implementing your strategies and verifying your tactics. Thus, you will be able to improve other
aspects of your play just by working on chess tactics and chess strategy.
This book can’t turn you into an excellent grandmaster overnight (no chess book can). It will,
however, provide you with tips and techniques that you can use in your games. By using the
information contained in this book, you will achieve significant improvements in your overall play.
To help you understand the concepts discussed here, chess positions from grandmaster games will be
used as examples. Learning theories isn’t enough. You have to see how those theories are applied
during a game. It would be best if you will use a chess board while reading this book. Read the chess
notation and move the pieces accordingly.
Important Note: This book assumes that the reader is already familiar with the basic rules of chess
(e.g. how the pieces move).
Chapter 2: The Ultimate Chess Strategies

This chapter will teach you the fundamental strategies that you can use in your games. Here, you will
find practical tips and techniques that can help you beat your opponents.
Push Your Pawns
If you want to be a strong chess player, you need to know how to control your pawns effectively.
Important game decisions (e.g. the type of structure to aim for) are based on pawns. In addition, the
rules of the game state that pawns cannot move backwards. Thus, you should perform deep analyses
before moving a pawn. Keep in mind that even a simple pawn move might inflict serious and
irreparable damages to your position.
Here is a game played by two strong grandmasters:
GM Artur Yusupov – GM Sergey Dolmatov (Frunze 1979 – USSR Championship)
1. c4 c6 2. d4 d5 (This position is known as the Slav Defence. Black starts to challenge White’s central
pawns. He also opened a diagonal for his c8-bishop. Dolmatov might continue with this opening or go
for the Semi-Slav Defence with a later e6.)

3. Nc3 Nf6 4. Nf3 e6 (The position is now called Semi-Slav Defense) 5. Bg5 h6 6. Bxf6 Qxf6 7. e3
Bd6 8. a3?!

Yusupov wanted to play e4 (doing this move now results to: 8. e4 dxe4 9. Nxe4 Bb4ch – White doesn’t
get anything). However, it would’ve been better to prepare e4 using normal moves such as 8. Bd3
followed by 0-0. The game continued:
8… Qe7 9. e4 dxe4 10. Nxe4 Bc7 11. Bd3 0-0 12. 0-0 (It is difficult to assess the chess position.
White has more space while Black has the two bishops. These positional elements, i.e. space and the
bishops, are negating each other. Prevailing chess theories suggest that Black must use a “restrained”
strategy with 12… Nd7 followed by …Rd8 …Nf8 and Bd7-Bd8. However, Dolmatov chose an
aggressive plan. He wanted to exploit Yusupov’s weak opening play (i.e. the a3-move). Dolmatov
played:

12… f5!? (This kind of move must be analyzed carefully – they involve
serious strategic risks. If the player is reckless, he might end up creating decisive weaknesses in his
own camp.) 13. Nc3 At this point, Black has two choices: 13… c5 and 13… Nd7 followed by …e5. This
position must be assessed in detail:









If White didn’t retreat his knight to c3, Black must push his c-pawn (e.g. Ng3!? c5! 14. Re1 Qf6 with
good winning chances for both players). However, since the knight was back on the c3-square,
Dolmatov should go for 13… Nd7! Intending 14… e5. White cannot prevent this move, because the
move sequence: 14. Qc2 e5! 15. Bxf5 exd4 16. Rfe1 (if 16. Nxd4 then 16… Qe5!) 16… Qf6 is bad for
him (i.e. the open position strengthens Black’s bishops).
However, Black continued with 13… c5?, which led to an instant catastrophe. After this weak move,
White was able to remove one of Black’s bishops and establish a huge lead in development. It
continued: 14. Re1 cxd4 15. Nd5 Qd8 16. Nxc7 Qxc7 17. Nxd4 e5 18. Nb5 Qe7 19. c5! (The winning
move – White grabs the c4- and d4-squares. These squares can greatly improve the strength of his
pieces).
Black resigned after 10 more moves.
Fight for the Central Squares
According to chess theorists, a player should always try to control the center. If you control the
central squares, your pieces will have excellent places to go to. You will also have better chances of
stopping your opponent’s plans. Here is a fragment from a game between two legendary players:
Garry Kasparov and Nigel Short.

This position arose after Black’s 10th move.


GM Garry Kasparov vs. GM Nigel Short
26 April 2015 – Legends Blitz Match: Round 5
In the position given above, Black has some serious problems. White owns a huge space advantage
because of his pawns on c4, d5, e4, and f3. Black, on the other hand, cannot start any counterplay: his
b7-bishop is useless, his c-pawns are doubled, and his knights are too passive. Notice that White’s
central pawns are controlling lots of squares. They are taking away space from their enemies.


The former World Champion found a way to increase his advantage:
11. d6! (Kasparov used the small pawn to further increase his space in the center. The game
continued:)
11… 0-0 12. Qd2 Qa5 (Black connects his rooks and places his queen on an active square.) 13. b3
Qa3 14. Na4 (White starts to attack the weak pawn on c5.) 14… Rfb8 15. Qc1 (White wants to
eliminate the black queen since it is the only active piece in the enemy camp.) 15… Qb4ch 16. Qc3
(The black queen cannot escape.) 16... Nf8 (Black wants to reposition his useless g6-knight. Once it is
placed in the center, e.g. Ne6, it will exert some pressure against White’s forces.) 17. Qxb4 cxb4
(Black’s pawns are no longer doubled. If he can push the c6-pawn to c5, his bishop will become
stronger.)
However, White answered with:
18. c5!
This simple pawn move gives White significant advantages: (1) the f1-bishop gained a longer
diagonal, (2) the d6-pawn is now supported, the (3) c6-pawn is now stuck in its current square, and (4)
the c5-pawn grabs more space. Kasparov won this game, thanks to his control over the central squares.
Here is another game from Garry Kasparov.

Position taken after Black’s 5th move: 5… d6


GM Jeroen Piket vs GM Garry Kasparov
Tilburg, Netherlands – 1989
This position is known as the Orthodox Variation of the King’s Indian Defense. White pushed his
central pawns forward in order to grab space. He also developed his knights so that they are
supporting the advanced pawns. Black, on the other hand, focused on developing his kingside. His g7-
bishop is now ready for some action. His king is already safe and his f8-rook can be transferred to
the e-file.
Kasparov’s opening system often results to kingside attacks. However, you should notice how he will
play in the center. When playing chess, you shouldn’t focus on one sector of the board. You should
consider all parts of the board when choosing your moves. The game continued:
6. Be2 (White wants to complete his kingside development.) 6… e5 (Kasparov challenges White’s
central dominance. This pawn move also grabs some kingside space.) 7. 0-0 Nc6 8. d5 Ne7 (The center
has become stable. In general, you shouldn’t make moves in the flanks, i.e. the queenside and the
kingside, while the center is unstable. This is because attacks on the center are often more powerful
than those made in the flanks.)
9. Ne1 Nd7 (This move prepares the pawn move f7-f5. Here, the d7 knight can also be transferred to
the queenside.) 10. Be3 (This maneuver aims to discourage Nc5) 10… f5 (Black continues his kingside
assault. Piket must counterattack in the center if he wants to survive.) 11. f3 f4 12. Bf2 g5 13. b4 Nf6
(The knight returned to f6. Kasparov will use this knight to strengthen his attack. As a bonus, the c8-
bishop has gained an open diagonal that leads to the kingside.)
14. c5 (Finally. White has started his central assault. This is perhaps the best plan available to him at
this point. According to chess theorists, the best defense against a kingside attack is a counterblow in
the center.) 14… Ng6 (Kasparov ignores White’s demonstration. Instead of worrying about Piket’s
slow attack, he simply improves the position of his attacking pieces.)
15. cxd6 cxd6 16. Rc1 (White successfully opened the c-file. He hopes that he can use it to distract
Black from his violent kingside attack.) 16… Rf7 17. a4 (As you can see, White keeps on moving the
pieces in the queenside. This is because he shouldn’t make any move in the kingside. In general, a
player must not make moves in the part of the board where he is weaker. With the current position,
Black controls the entire kingside. If White will move his pawns or pieces there, he will expose himself
to unnecessary risks.)
17… Bf8 18. a5 Bd7 19. Nb5 g4!?

Black continues his kingside assault. In this position, Black has a significant advantage. He has active
pieces, more space in the kingside, excellent attacking chances, and a noticeable lead in development.
Except the knight on b5, all of White’s pieces are stuck in the first and second rows of the board. This
means his pieces are passively waiting for Black’s attack to push through. Chess theorists claim that a
player must never wait passively, especially if you are playing against Kasparov.
The rest of the game is a massacre. Kasparov pushed his kingside pawns and harassed the enemy king.
Afterward, he placed his queen on the a7-g1 diagonal and forced White to give up some material.
White didn’t want to waste his time any further: he resigned on the 28th move.
Establish Strong Pawn Chains
You can form a pawn chain by moving your pawns in a way that they form a diagonal line. Here is a
hypothetical position:
In the example given above, both players have a pawn chain. White’s chain is formed by the b2-, c3-,
d4-, and e5-pawns. Black’s chain, on the other hand, are formed by the f7-, e6-, d5-, and c4-pawns.
In general, pawn chains play an important role in formulating chess plans. These chains grab space
and stop enemy pieces from reaching certain squares. That means you can secure a positional
advantage by building and maintaining a pawn chain. Conversely, you should always attack your
opponent’s pawn chain whenever you can.
The best way to destroy a pawn chain is by destroying its “base” (i.e. the pawns at the lower part of the
chain). The pawns at the top of the chain rely on their comrades located below them. If you can
remove the supporting pawns, the advanced ones will be extremely weak. Players who own these
weak pawns are often forced to defend passively. Here is an instructive game that shows the
importance of pawn chains:

Position arose after White’s 11th move.


GM Garry Kasparov versus GM Nigel Short
Legends Blitz Match (Round 7) – April 26, 2015
You will encounter this kind of pawn chain many times. This pawn configuration serves as a
foundation for different chess openings. In this game, White’s e-pawn has reached the e5-square. It
means he has excellent control over the kingside and the center. However, Black is already attacking
White’s pawn chain. The c5-pawn is attacking the one on d4. Obviously, White shouldn’t capture via
dxc5 since that will severely weaken his e5-pawn.
In this type of position, you can identify the best plans quite easily. You just have to look at the
direction where the pawn chain is leaning to. White’s pawns are leaning towards the kingside. That
means he should play in that side of the board. Black, on the other hand, should focus on the
queenside since his pawn chain is pointing there. Note, however, that both players have to fight for the
center while they are executing their flank attacks.
The game continued:
11… Ba6 12. Bxa6 Rxa6 (Black succeeded in removing the light-squared bishops. Now, he can start
pushing his queenside pawns.) 13. Qd3 (White attacks the undefended rook.) 13… c4 14. Qc2 b5
(Nigel Short calmly pushes his queenside pawns forward. As you can see, he is grabbing lots of
queenside space.) 15. Ne3 b4 (White cannot capture the b4-pawn. Doing so will give Black a
significant advantage. First, Black will respond with axb4, opening the a-file for his queen and rooks.
Additionally, the pawn on d4 will be weakened since its supporting pawn – the c3-pawn – has
disappeared.)
16. Ng4 (Kasparov displays consistency even in the face of a queenside attack. He transfers his knight
to the g4-square and opens a diagonal for his c1-bishop.) 16… a4 17. a3 bxc3 18. bxc3 Rb6 (Black
wants to control the b-file. He is willing to sacrifice the a-pawn just to place both of his rooks on that
file.) 19. Qxa4 Qa8 20. Qc2 h5 (Short forced the knight to retreat. Before continuing his queenside
attack, he wants to give Kasparov some problems in the kingside. This is an excellent scheme –
implement your plans and complicate the tasks of your opponent. This way, you will have great
winning chances.)

After Black’s 20th move: h5


21. Ne3 Rfb8 (Black succeeded in doubling his rooks on the b-file.) 22. g4!? (Kasparov wants to open
a file in the kingside. He plans to transfer his king to the h1-square and place his heavy pieces, i.e. the
queen and rooks, in the g-file.) 22… hxg4 (22… g6 23. gxh6 gxh6 is worse.) 23. Nxg4 R8b7 24. Kh1
Na5 (The knight is eyeing the b3-square.) 25. Rg1 Qe8

Position after Black’s 25th move: Qe8


Both players followed the plans suggested by their respective pawn chains. White prepared a kingside
attack since his pawn chain (i.e. c3-d4-e5) points toward that side of the board. Meanwhile, Black
opened a file in the queenside and transferred some of his pieces there. This is because his pawn chain
(i.e. f7-e6-d5-c4) points toward that area. Kasparov has an extra pawn in the queenside but he cannot
exploit it right now. Short will simply harass that pawn if Kasparov tries to push it forward.
The game became a tactical battle after this position. It will not be discussed since the succeeding
positions are no longer relevant to the current topic.
Attack Your Opponent’s Pawn Weaknesses
If a player pushes his pawns and these pawns can support each other, he has strong and useful pawns.
Without the help of its comrades, a pawn can become extremely weak because the opponent may
attack it with his chess pieces. That means a solid “pawn network” is a long-term positional element
that must be considered at all times.
In many situations, the pawn network becomes damaged (i.e. the pawns become backward, doubled,
or isolated). Keep in mind that the connection between pawns often changes throughout the game. You
should assess the status of your pawns regularly.
You can easily determine the player who has the better pawn network. You just have to compare the
number of “pawn islands” in each camp.
Here is an instructive game between two chess legends: Yuri Averbakh and Mark Taimanov.

White to move
GM Yuri Averbakh versus GM Mark Taimanov
Moscow 1948 – USSR Championship
White has two pawn islands: the lone a-pawn and the group of pawns on f2, g2, and h2. Black,
however, has four: all of his pawns are isolated. Obviously, Averbakh has the better pawn network. He
may attack the enemy pawns in turn.
In general, pawn weaknesses can be exploited easily during the endgame. This is because the
opponent has fewer chances of executing a counterattack. White gained a decisive material advantage
in just a few moves:
1. Rb3 Nc8 2. Rb5 Rc3 (Black didn’t want to defend passively. He wants to attack the weak and
undefended pawn on a3.) 3. Re5ch (An excellent move. Averbakh disrupts the defense of his opponent.)
3… Ne6 (This is forced. 3… Ne7 invites the crushing 4. Nd5 while 3… Kd8 loses to 4. Nd5 followed by
5. Bg5 mate. Running away with 3… Kf7 doesn’t help either – he gets demolished by 4. Rf5ch.)
4. Nxe6 dxe6 5. Rxe6 (Averbakh gains extra material.) 5… Kf7 6. Rh6 (White finds another target.)
6. Kg8 7. Rf6 Rxa3 8. Bh6 (White is winning. He threatens to mate the black king via 9.Rf8 and
capture the weak pawn on f5.)
Here is a game played by former World Champion Boris Spassky against Yuri Averbakh. This game
further demonstrates the importance of attacking the weak pawns of your opponent.

White to move
GM Boris Spassky versus GM Yuri Averbakh
Kharkov 1963
White will obtain a significant advantage once he captures the pawn on d4. Although the material is
equal, he will have the upper hand since he has fewer pawn islands than his opponent. Note that the d6-
pawn is extremely weak. It is isolated in an open file. That means White can attack it with his chess
pieces. By doing so, he will either win material or force Black to defend passively. The game
continued:
1. Bxf6 Qxf6 2. Nd4 (The material is now equal. However, White has the better position because of his
connected pawns.) 2… Ne5 3. Bb3 (White improves his control over the d5 square and opens the c-file
for his rooks.) 3… Bd7 (Black needs to exert some pressure on the f5-square. If he places his bishop
on the b7-square, White will have the option to play Nf5 later on.)
4. Rc1 Rac8 5. Qd2 (Spassky connects his rooks and develops his queen. On d2, the queen may jump to
the kingside and harass the black monarch or go to the queenside to threaten the pawns there.) 5…
Ng6 (Black could have exchanged on c1 at this point. By eliminating the rooks, White will have a hard
time attacking the weak pawn on d6.) 6. Rcd1! (Spassky avoids the exchange and increases the
pressure against the d6-pawn.)
Position after White’s 6th move
6… Ne5 7. f4 (White cannot allow his opponent to keep the knight on e5. On that square, the knight
exerts pressure on the center and the kingside.) 7… Nc4 8. Bxc4 bxc4 9. Ne2! (This is an excellent
move. White opens the d-file for his queen and rook. In addition, he plans to transfer the knight to c3.
After Nc3, White will have better control over d5 and e4. That means the d6-pawn cannot move
forward without dying.)
9… Ba4 10. Rc1 Rfd8 11. Nc3 (White forces the bishop to retreat.) 11… Bc6 12. Rcd1 h6 13. Qe3
(Spassky threatens 14. Qb6, attacking the pawns and pieces in the queenside) 13… Rb8 14. Re2 Rbc8
15. Rd4 (White attacks the weak pawn on c4.) 15… Bb7 16. Red2 Qe7

Position after Black’s 16th move


White has a huge positional advantage. He has more space in the center and the kingside. He has
better piece coordination and a powerful attack against the pawn on d6. Black, on the other hand, has
three weak pawns to care for (i.e. a6, c4, and d6). Because of these weaknesses, he is forced to defend
passively.
Spassky won some material after several moves. He converted his material and positional advantage
into an easy win. The succeeding moves will not be discussed since they are no longer related to the
current topic.


Attack the Seventh Rank
The seventh rank (i.e. the 7th row if you are playing as White; the 2nd row if you are playing as Black)
plays an important part when it comes to attacking and defending. In general, this rank is occupied by
your opponent’s pawns. If you can occupy and dominate this rank, you will have excellent chances of
winning some extra material. Also, since this rank is deep within the enemy territory, you will gain
great attacking chances against the opponent’s king.
This section of the book will show you two games played by strong grandmasters. Study this material
carefully since it will teach you the standard playing techniques used in controlling the 7th rank.

White to move
GM Artur Yusupov versus GM John Nilssen
Copenhagen – 2003
In this position, the players have the same material and number of pawn islands. However, White has
the advantage since his king is in a much safer place than his opponent’s. The pawns on g2 and h3
provide the white monarch a safe place to hide. The pawns on f6 and g6, on the other hand, cannot
help their king in its plight. The white rook on a7 restricts the black king – the monarch cannot move
forward without getting murdered.
The game continued:
1. Rc1 (White has two powerful threats: [1] checkmate with 2. Rc8 and [2] Rc7, doubling on the 7th
rank.) 1… Rde5 (Black wants to block 2. Rc8ch with 2… Re8.) 2. Rcc7 (White’s rooks have occupied
the 7th rank. Now, he can weave a mating net around the enemy king. The position of the white rooks
also creates attacking chances against the black pawns.)
2… g5 3. Rg7ch Kf8 (If Kh8, Yusupov will answer with Rf6, threatening to mate using Rf8 or capture
the f-pawn via 4. Rxf6) 4. Raf7ch Ke8 5. Rxf6 (White has attained material advantage. In addition, he
still has some attacking chances left. He can get a checkmate if his opponent isn’t careful.) 5… Re1ch
6. Kh2 b5 7. Rb6 (The white rooks are so busy. They keep on attacking Black’s weaknesses. With this
move, he attacks the b6-pawn and threatens to mate via Rb8.)
7… Kf8 8. Rgb7 (Increasing the pressure against the weak pawn.) 8… g4 (Black tries to complicate
matters. He will get some drawing chances if he can ruin the white king’s shelter. However, Yusupov
answered with a crushing move.)
9. Rf6ch! (This move exploits the poor status of the black king. If Black goes Kg8, White will reply
with Rg6ch and capture the g4-pawn next move. If Black chooses Ke8, on the other hand, White will
still answer with Rg6 – a move that threatens mate on Rg8. When Black goes back to f8, Yusupov will
capture the pawn on g4.) Black resigned.
After White’s 9th move
The next game is played by Artur Yusupov and Alexei Shirov:

GM Artur Yusupov versus GM Alexei Shirov


Linares – 1993
In this position, the material is equal. White has the better pawn network. That means he doesn’t have
to worry about pawn weaknesses. However, Black’s pawns on the queenside are far advanced. These
pawns pose great problems for White. You should also notice that Black’s pieces are excellently
placed: they are supporting the pawns on a5 and b4. The players have equal winning chances. Yusupov
continued the game with:
1. Rd4! (He threatens Rxb4 followed by Rxa6.) 1… Re2 (Black decides to execute a counterattack by
occupying the 7th rank. On e2, the black rook attacks both the c2-bishop and the h2-pawn.) 2. Rxb4
Rc6! (Shirov allows his opponent to kill the queenside pawns. However, he attacks the white king and
the c2-bishop. With this move, he aims to cement his control over the 7th rank.) 3. Rxa5! Nd1ch (Black
opens the file for his c6-rook.) 4. Rc1 Rcxc2ch 5. Kxd1
Position after White’s 5th move: Kxd1
This position often leads to a draw. Black’s rooks can create unlimited checks and mating threats.
That means White cannot exploit his material advantage. The game continued:
5… Red2ch 6. Ke1 Rxh2 (Shirov captures a pawn and threatens to mate with Rh1.) 7. Kd1 (Preparing
to answer 7… Rh1 with 8. Kxc2.) 7… Rcg2 (Black renews the mating threat.) 8. Re4 (Yusupov will
answer 8… Rg1ch or 8… Rh1ch with 9. Re1. At this point, Shirov may capture the g-pawn and create
some complications. However, the position is a well-known draw. He cannot collect enough
advantages to secure a win. The players agreed to draw the game.)

Position after White’s 8th move: Re4


Create and Utilize Semi-Open Files
Files act as roads for your “heavy pieces” (i.e. queen and rooks). If you want to maximize the strength
of your heavy pieces, you should open at least one file in your position. You can achieve that by
initiating pawn exchanges.
Aside from serving as roads, files may provide you with targets. This is often the case when your
opponent has a weak pawn or an undefended piece in a file. Whenever you see this situation on the
board, hurry and place your queen and/or rooks in that same file. By doing so, you will either win
some material or gain a lead in development.
Semi-open files refer to those files where only a single pawn – an enemy pawn – can be found. Here
is a hypothetical chess position:

In this simplified position, each player has a semi-open file (i.e. the d-file for White; the e-file for
Black). Pawns that are located in a semi-open file are usually subjected to violent attacks. This is
because they are exposed to the enemy pieces. In addition, the player who owns such a pawn is
sometimes forced to defend passively.
Here are some fragments of two grandmaster games. Each of these games involves the use of semi-
open files. Study these game fragments carefully because they will teach you important tricks and
techniques in playing chess.

Position arose after Black’s 12th move: 0-0


GM Artur Yusupov versus GM Anthony Miles
Horgen, Switzerland – 1994
In the position given above, both camps have semi-open files. White may attack the enemy pawn on
e7. Black, on the other hand, may assault the d4-pawn using his pieces. White has a lead in
development: all of his pieces have been developed. However, Black has fewer pawn islands. The
players have equal winning chances. They continued:
13. d5!? (Yusupov wants to fix the e7-pawn in its current spot. Now, he can attack that pawn using his
heavy pieces.) 13… Na6 14. Kh1 (Before starting his attack, Yusupov wants to secure the position of
his king. This is an important principle: don’t be careless when executing your attacks. You should
always improve your position before initiating any aggressive maneuver.)
14… Nc7 15. Re1 (After improving the king’s position, White starts to attack the e7-pawn.) 15… Nb5?
(Miles want to exchange some pieces and prevent White from doubling on the e-file. However, this is a
weak move. It would’ve been better if he transferred his f6-knight to the d6-square via 15… Ne8
followed by 16… Nd6) 16. Nxb5 Bxb5 17. Nc3 (White attacks the undefended bishop on b5 and opens
the e-file for the rook on e1. The move also strengthens White’s control over the d5-square.)
17… Ba6 (Miles placed his bishop on a6 in order to prevent White from placing a piece on e2.
However, the a6-square is not the optimal place for the bishop.) 18. Qd2 (White has gained a clear
advantage. His pieces are active and he has more space in the center and queenside. Both of his rooks
are placed on great files. The queen on d2 is excellently placed: it defends its comrades, i.e. the bishop
on g5, the knight on c3, the two rooks, and the pawns on b2 and d5.)
Black, on the other hand, has no active plans available. The bishop on g7 has excellent potential since
the a1-h8 diagonal has been cleared. However, it cannot win the game alone. The rest of Black’s army
must help that bishop in attacking the enemy camp.
For the rest of the game, White maintained his positional advantage. He was able to win the e7-pawn
and limit Black’s counterplay. The succeeding moves will not be discussed since they are no longer
relevant to the current topic.
Position after White’s last move: 18. Qd2
The next game was played by a former World Champion Vassily Smyslov and a Filipino grandmaster
Rosendo Balinas Jr.

GM Vassily Smyslov versus GM Rosendo Balinas Jr.


Chess Olympiad: Tel Aviv, Israel – 1964
White has more space in the center. He also has a lead in development. He may attack the pawn on d7
and eliminate the powerful bishop on g7. Meanwhile, Black has an active queen and two bishops. If he
can open the position and maintain the bishops, he will obtain excellent attacking chances. The game
continued:
1. Bd4 (White wants to remove the strong enemy piece as soon as possible. This is an important
concept. You should always observe the status of the enemy pieces. If an enemy piece becomes strong,
remove it from the board immediately.) 1… d6 (Balinas wants to develop his light-squared bishop. By
moving the pawn forward, he also grabs some central and queenside space.)
2. Nd5 (Smyslov attacks the weak pawn on e7.) 2… Qd8 3. Bxg7 Kxg7 (White succeeded in removing
the g7-bishop. As a bonus, he was able to pull the black monarch onto an uncomfortable square.) 4. f4
Be6 5. f5 (The position of the black king invites a kingside attack from White. By pushing his f-pawn
forward, he grabs kingside space and opens some lines of attack.) 5… Bxd5 (Black has removed the
pesky knight on d5. Now, White must make a decision regarding the recapture. He has three options:
cxd5, exd5, and Qxd5.)
6. exd5 (This is the best move. Capturing with the c-pawn will open the c-file for the rook. However, it
is unclear how White can benefit from it. Capturing with the queen, meanwhile, turns the e4-pawn into
a backward pawn.) 6… Qb6ch 7. Rf2 f6 8. Rc3!? (White activates this rook using the third rank. Here,
he may swing the rook to the queenside or the kingside.)
Position after White’s 8th move: Rc3
8… Rac8 9. Qe4 Rc7 10. Qg4 (White swings the queen to the kingside. He plans to execute an attack
there using his queen and rook.) 10… Qc5 (Black tries to put some pressure on the queenside) 11. b3
(The c4-pawn is defended completely. Now, Smyslov may transfer the c3-rook to the kingside.)

Notice that the e7-pawn is still a glaring weakness in Black’s camp. White will gain great winning
chances by attacking that pawn. However, the current position allows him to attack the king directly.
Since a king is more valuable than a pawn, White’s decision to initiate some kingside action is logical.
This strategy is also supported by the fact that the e7-pawn cannot go anywhere. If the kingside attack
fails, White can simply regroup his forces and concentrate on the weak pawn on e7.
The rest of the game will not be discussed since it is not related to the current topic.
Chapter 3: The Ultimate Chess Tactics

This chapter will discuss advanced chess tactics. Each of these tactics is explained in detail. To help
you understand the tactics, practical examples will be given throughout the chapter. These examples
are divided into two groups: (1) hypothetical examples and (2) fragments of grandmaster games.
The Windmill
According to chess experts, this is one of the most beautiful tactics in the game. This tactic involves a
series of forcing attacks and discovered checks. The following historic game features the windmill
tactic:

Carlos Torre versus Emmanuel Lasker


Moscow, Russia – 1925
Lasker, the second Chess World Champion, was playing as Black against Carlos Torre. In this
position, the former World Champion was defending against White’s deadly kingside attack. The
white queen, bishop and rook are placed on active squares. However, the g5-bishop is being attacked.
It “cannot move” since Black will simply capture the undefended queen on h5.
Torre utilized the windmill tactic to turn the tables and crush his formidable opponent. He made a
surprising maneuver:
1. Bf6!! (White sacrifices the queen to set up the tactic.) 1… Qxh5 2. Rxg7ch (At this point, White’s
rook and bishop are displaying fantastic coordination.) 2… Kh8 3. Rxf7ch (Torre captures another
pawn. Meanwhile, Lasker was forced to return the king to its previous square.) 3… Kg8 4. Rg7ch Kh8
5. Rxb7ch (White has almost cleared the 7th rank.)
5… Kg8 6. Rg7ch Kh8 7. Rg5ch (Torre kills the undefended queen on h5. He could’ve taken the a7-
pawn first, but he decided not to since it will activate the a8-rook. This is an important principle: you
shouldn’t capture enemy pawns and pieces blindly. You should always evaluate the consequences of
your moves. Don’t go for extra material if it will give your opponent some positional compensation
such as active pieces.)
Position after White’s 7th move: Rg5ch
7… Kh7 8. Rxh5 Kg6 (This attack allows Black to capture the bishop. However, White still secures a
three-pawn advantage.) 9. Rh3 Kxf6 10. Rxh6ch (Lasker resigned.)
This tactic is so powerful even the legendary Emmanuel Lasker couldn’t do anything against it. As
you can see, this tactic relies on the coordination between two pieces. You have to know how to
combine the strengths of your pieces if you want to use this tactic in your games. Aside from the
bishop and rook combination, you may perform the windmill tactic using a queen and a rook, a queen
and a bishop, or two queens (i.e. if you were able to promote one of your pawns).
The following game was played by two former World Champions. It involves a powerful version of
the windmill tactic:

GM Vassily Smyslov versus GM Max Euwe


Candidates Tournament: Zurich, Switzerland – 1953
In this position, White has a clear advantage. The d7-rook terrorizes the king and the bishops. The
bishop on g2 is aiming at the black king. Meanwhile, the bishop on c3 is giving the kingside pieces
some nasty pressure. The queen on e3 is better than its counterpart in f6 in terms of activity and
usefulness. Finally, White’s king is way much safer than Black’s.
Because of White’s advantage, the position is full of tactics that favor him. Smyslov saw that he can
perform a deadly trick to beat his opponent:
1. Bxe5! (White sacrificed a bishop. This is just the beginning of a beautiful combination.) 1… Rxe5
2. Qxe5!! (Now, White is giving up his queen. He did this to lure away the f6-queen from its current
square.) 2… Qxe5 3. Bxc6ch (Smyslov immediately captured the undefended pawn.) 3… Kb8 (This is
forced.) 4. Rb7ch (The fundamental move of this tactic. Here, this cool move leads to a checkmate.)
4… Ka8 5. Rb5 (Checkmate. The c6-bishop attacks the a8-king. The poor king cannot dodge that
attack since the b5-rook controls the entire b-file.)
Back Rank Tactics
The term “back rank” refers to the 1st and 8th ranks on the board. These ranks are often occupied by
the king. Because of this, the bank rank serves an important role in mating attacks. You will be able to
win the game easily if you can attack and dominate the back rank of your opponent. Conversely, make
sure that your back rank is completely secure.
Important Note: You should give your king an escape room by moving a pawn in front of it. This
way, your king can simply dodge the back rank attacks of your opponent. Once an enemy rook or
queen goes to your back rank, you may transfer your king to the second rank.
The following examples will illustrate the power of bank rank tactics:

GM Vladimir Tukmakov versus GM Alexander Kochiev


Ashgabat, Turkmenistan – 1978
In this example, Black controls the 2nd rank of his opponent. This piece exerts tremendous pressure on
White’s position. In fact, the d2-rook threatens the isolated pawn on a2. Black will have an excellent
position if he can eliminate the queens from the board and transfer his a6-knight to the kingside.
However, Black made a huge mistake:
1… Rxa2? (Black thought that he can steal this pawn from White. It shows that he underestimated
White’s control over the c-file.) 2. Bd5!! (Grandmaster Tukmakov attacks the black queen using his
bishop. As you can see, this move became powerful because Black’s back rank is extremely weak. Black
will lose the game immediately if he will capture this bishop.)
For example: 2… Qxd5 3. Qxd5 Rxd5 (After this move, Black’s bank rank will be exposed to deadly
tactics.) 4. Rc8ch (This is the start of a mating attack.) 4… Rd8 (This is forced.) 5. Rxd8 checkmate.

Position after White’s 5th move: Rxd8


However, the game didn’t reach this kind of conclusion. Black resigned after White’s 2. Bd5. This is
because the rook on a2 will surely die next move (i.e. after 3. Qxa2).
Here is a game fragment that involves a back rank attack and a promotion:
White to move
GM Bogdan Sliwa versus GM Gosta Stoltz
Bucharest, Romania – 1953
In this position, Black’s pieces are in aggressive squares. The queen on g5 and the bishop on c6 create
mating possibilities. In addition, the rook on d5 controls the 5th rank and the d-file. It seems that Black
has excellent winning chances. However, nothing could be further from the truth.
The assessment of this position changes entirely once you see the potential of the pawn on b6. In
chess, a pawn can be promoted to any piece once it reaches the 8th square of its file. Grandmaster
Sliwa exploited the weakness of Black’s bank rank. He used that tactical element to boost the strength
of his b6-pawn. He continued with an awesome queen sacrifice:
1. Qxc6! bxc6 2. b7 (White will promote this pawn next move.) 2… Qd8 (Black prepares to capture the
pawn once it gets promoted.) 3. b8=Q (White chose to promote his pawn into a queen. This is the most
common choice since queens are the strongest chess pieces. However, there are times when you should
promote your pawn to a different piece (e.g. a knight). That means you shouldn’t promote your pawns
blindly. Base your decision on the characteristics of your position.)
3… Rd1ch (Black uses an interesting tactic. With this sacrifice, he intends to distract the rook on b1.
Once the b1-rook moves away, Black will capture the b8-queen.) 4. Rxd1 Qxb8 (Black succeeded in
capturing the enemy queen. It looks like he is going to win this game…) 5. Nb7!!

Position after White’s 5th move: Nb7


White exploits the weakness of Black’s back rank. Black cannot capture the knight since the rook on d1
will jump to the d8-square, killing the black king. In addition, White’s last move intends to defend the
rook once it reaches d8. White was able to eliminate the black queen after two moves. Black resigned.
Here is another example of a bank rank tactic:
Black to move
In this hypothetical position, Black is conducting a violent attack against White’s king. The f6-queen
and the b2-rook are attacking the f2-pawn. Currently, that pawn is defended by White’s king and rook.
It looks like White has a solid game.
However, Black used a queen sacrifice to weaken the enemy’s back rank:
1… Qxf2!! 2. Rxf2 Rb1ch 3. Rf1 (White has blocked the back rank attack.) 3… Bc5! (This move
forces the white monarch to go to the h1-square. After this, the f1-rook will be undefended.) 4. Kh1
(This is forced.) 4… Rxf1 (Checkmate.)

Position after Black’s 4th move: Rxf1


Tactics that Involve Files
In the previous chapter, you have learned about the importance of files. Files act as roads for your
queen and rooks. In addition, they allow you to attack your opponent’s camp. This section of the book
will teach you some tactics that utilize open and/or semi-open files.
Important Note: An open file allows you to attack your opponent’s 7th rank and/or back rank. That
means you may gain a decisive advantage just by opening and controlling a file.
An open or semi-open file that leads toward the enemy king can boost your winning chances. When
using this kind of file, you should involve your pawns and pieces in the attack. Keep in mind that your
attack will only succeed if the members of your army are working harmoniously. No piece, not even
a queen, can mate the enemy king alone. You have to attack with enough pieces in order to break the
enemy king’s defenses. Additionally, you should conduct your attack actively and energetically. You
must not waste any move in executing your attacks.
The following examples will teach you how to open files in the kingside (i.e. the f-, g-, and h-files).
Additionally, they will show you how to conduct kingside attacks that involve open or semi-open
files.
How to Use the F-file
White to move
GM Anatoly Karpov versus GM Valery Salov
Linares Annual Tournament: Andalusia, Spain – 1993
Karpov, a former World Champion, wants to open a file in the kingside. He’s even willing to sacrifice
a pawn to do so. He played:
1. g6! fxg6 (Taking with 1… hxg6 is bad since the black king will be exposed to more dangers.) 2. f5
gxf5 3. Rxf5 (White successfully opened the f-file. Now, he needs to involve the rest of his pieces in his
kingside assault.) 3… Nd7 (Black transfers this knight to the kingside. He plans to use this piece in
defending his king.)
4. Rdf1 (Karpov exerts more pressure along the f-file.) 4… Ne5 5. R5f4 (White achieves two things
with this move: [1] he harasses the black queen and [2] he improves the position of one of his rooks.)
5… Qb6 6. Ng5 (White systematically increases the number of pieces involved in his kingside assault.
This is an important strategy when attacking the enemy king. You should involve as many pieces as you
can if you want to overcome your opponent’s defense.)
6… Ng6 7. Nf7ch! (This move forces the king to go to the g8-square. Additionally, the knight attacks
the h8-square: this allows White to execute a devastating blow.) 7… Kg8 (This is forced.) 8. Qxg6!!

Position after White’s 8th move: Qxg6


Beautiful. Karpov sacrifices his queen to open the h-file. After 8… hxg6, he will play 9. Rh4 followed
by 10. Rh8#. Note that 10. Rh8 became possible because of the knight on f7.
The next example shows a complicated kingside battle:
Black to move
GM S. Malyshev versus GM Gregory Kaidanov
Bled, Slovenia – 1997
Black has a significant advantage. The pawn on g4 grabs extra space in the kingside and allows the
queen to enter White’s camp easily. The queen on h5 creates great mating possibilities. The two black
rooks, on the other hand, are placed in excellent squares. They can easily help their queen in attacking
the enemy king.
White needs to utilize his a1-rook if he wants to defend against Black’s kingside assault. As a general
rule, you shouldn’t allow your pieces to stay in passive squares. Make sure that all of your pieces are
helping you in executing your plans and tactics.
Black continued the game with a startling sacrifice:
1… Rxf2!! (Black sacrificed a rook just to open the f-file.) 2. Kxf2 Qh2ch (Grandmaster Kaidanov
places his queen on the 7th rank. Here, the h2-queen prevents the king from escaping.) 3. Kf1 (This is
forced.) 3… Re7! (Black utilizes the f-file accurately. With his last move, he threatens to mate the king
with 4… Rf7.)
4. Qf5 (White stops Black’s threat. He is willing to sacrifice his queen just to stop the mating attack.)
4… Rf7 5. Qf4 (If Black takes the f4-queen, White will recapture using his e-pawn. GM Malyshev
hopes to control the resulting open e-file using his rooks.)
5… h5! (Black pushes his pawn forward. Here, he threatens to promote at least one of his kingside
pawns. White saw that he cannot stop the promotion of Black’s pawns. He resigned.)

Position after Black’s 5th move: h5



How to Use the G-file
White to move
GM Alexander Beliavsky versus GM Evgeny Bareev
USSR Chess Championship: Minsk, Belarus – 1987
In this position, the g-file is already open. Both kings are in the h-file. The rooks, on the other hand,
are fighting for the open file. White used a beautiful trick to involve his bishop and queen in his
kingside attack. He played:
1. Bh5! Qf8 2. Rxg8ch Nxg8 3. Qg3 (White threatens 4. Ng6ch. Now, he has absolute control over the
g-file. It is interesting to see how Beliavsky used his pieces in attacking the opponent’s king.) 3… Bb5
4. Qh4 (Grandmaster Beliavsky prepares a deadly check on g6.) 4… Nf6 5. Bf7! (White prepares 6.
Ng6ch. Since the white queen is on h4, Black cannot capture the knight with hxg6. White’s attack will
result to a huge material advantage.)

Position after White’s 5th move: Bf7



In the next example, White used his bishops to initiate his kingside attack.

White to move
GM Artur Yusupov versus GM Jorge Rubinetti
Interzonal Tournament: Toluca, Mexico – 1982
White controls the semi-open g-file. Since that file leads to the enemy king, it gives him excellent
winning chances. In addition, he can easily transfer his pieces to the kingside. That means he can
conduct his assault immediately. The game continued:
1. Bh5! (This move attacks the knight on e8 and allows the queen to jump to the kingside.) 1… Rd8 2.
Bh6! (This is a daring move. Yusupov exploits the pin against the g-pawn: Rubinetti cannot capture
the bishop since the black king stands behind the g7-pawn.) 2… Rd7 3. Bxe8 (White eliminates one of
Black’s kingside defenders. This is an important principle: try to remove your opponent’s defenders.
This strategy will help you to attack the enemy king successfully.)
3… Rxe8 4. Qh5 (The queen enters the battlefield. This spells danger for the black monarch. By
attacking the undefended rook on e8, Grandmaster Yusupov made sure that Black cannot stop his next
move.) 4… Qb8 (Black needed to protect the rook. Returning the rook to f8 won’t make much
difference.) 5. Bxg7!! (White opens the f-file for his rook and queen. Once the bishop is captured, the
rook on b1 will join the fight. Black resigned since he cannot stop White’s attack.)

Position after White’s 5th move: Bxg7



How to Use the H-file
The h-file usually gets opened whenever a player puts his/her bishop on the g7-square. For this
reason, it is a great idea to castle towards the queenside as soon as your opponent moves his g-pawn.
This strategy will allow you to execute an attack using a kingside “pawn storm” (i.e. an attacking
scheme where pawns are pushed forward in order to open files).
The following example shows how Grandmaster Taimanov defeated Anatoly Karpov using the h-file.

Black to move
GM Anatoly Karpov versus GM Mark Taimanov
Leningrad, Russia – 1977
In this simple position, Karpov has better king position and material advantage. The white king is safe
behind the pawns on g2 and h2. Its counterpart on g7, on the other hand, invites violent attacks from
the white pieces. In addition, White has a strong passed pawn in the queenside.
However, Black found a way to harass the white king. He utilized the semi-open h-file to conduct a
winning attack. He played:
1… Qd4! (Taimanov chose the d4-square since it allows his queen to go to the kingside. Also, it
attacks the d5-pawn and the a1-square. He knew that White won’t get anything by pushing the b-pawn
forward.) 2. b6? (Since the queen moved, Karpov advanced his pawn immediately. However, this is a
mistake. He should’ve placed the rook on his back rank to block White’s next move.)
2… Ra1 (Black attacks the opponent’s back rank.) 3. Rb1 (Karpov defended his queen. It looks like he
has a solid position now…) 3… Ng3ch!!

Position after Black’s 3rd move: Ng3ch


Here, Black wants to lure away the queen on e1. Once the queen moves, Black will capture the rook on
b1. It is important to note that White cannot capture the knight via 4. hxg3 since that move will open
the h-file for Black. After 4. hxg3, Black will play 4… Ra8 followed by a mating attack with 5… Rh8#.
Karpov resigned because Black will gain a huge material advantage.
The next example involves a beautiful queen and rook sacrifice:

White to move
Valentina Borisenko versus Zara Nakhimovskaya
USSR – 1969
In this game, White has successfully launched a pawn storm in the kingside. Because of her advanced
pawns, she has a large space advantage in the entire board. Lastly, her heavy pieces are placed in the
kingside. That means she will win the game easily if she can open at least one file there.
Borisenko knew that she had to open the h-file. That knowledge allowed her to concoct a dazzling
tactic:
1. Qxh7!! (This queen sacrifice destroys the cover in front of the king.) 1… Kxh7 2. g6ch (White
wants to vacate the g5-square.) 2… Kh8 (Black’s moves are forced. She didn’t have any choice here.)
3. Rg5!! (White threatens to murder the black monarch via 4. Rh5. If Black captures the rook using 3…
fxg5, White will respond with 4. hxg5. This recapture leads to a checkmate since the black king will be
exposed to the attack of the h1-rook.)

Position after White’s 3rd move: Rg5



How to Use Multiple Files
Sometimes, you have to open and use several files during a kingside attack. This is because your
opponent can easily defend if you are only using a single file. The following examples will show you
how to utilize multiples files in attacking the enemy king.

White to move
GM Viswanathan Anand versus GM Alexander Khalifman
Rapid Chess Tournament: Moscow, Russia – 1995
This is a game between two former World Champions. White has a huge advantage despite Black’s
extra material. As you can see, the pawn on h7 is just one square away from becoming another queen.
Also, the rooks on g1 and h1 are controlling their respective files. White will win the game if he can
successfully attack the black monarch.
In this position, Black is suffering because of two reasons: (1) the king is stuck in a dangerous area
and (2) the rest of Black’s army cannot defend their king. The rook on f8 is certainly weak. It’s not
doing anything active for his camp. The queen, on the other hand, is standing in front the f7-pawn.
That means the pawn cannot advance unless the queen moves. Black has a bad game, despite his
material advantage.
Anand played the interesting:
1. Qg3! (This move threatens 2. Qg8ch Rxg8 3. Rxg8# [or 3. hxg8#] White knew that he should use all
of his pieces to finish the game. Yes, the two rooks are doing great… but that is not enough to secure a
win. Remember: chess is a team game. Use all of your pieces if you want to defeat your opponents.)
1… Qg6 (Black tries to prevent the death of his king. However, this response isn’t enough. White’s
attack cannot be stopped.) 2. Qh4! (Black resigned after seeing this move. This is because after the
black queen moves, White will continue with 3. Rg8ch Rxg8 4. hxg8=Qch Kxg8 5. Qh8#. )

After White’s planned 5th move: Qh8


Here’s an instructive game from the legendary champion Garry Kasparov:

White to move
GM Garry Kasparov versus GM Evgeny Pigusov
Riga, Latvia 1977
Even at a young age, Kasparov displayed amazing chess talents. This particular position shows how
he attacked his opponent using multiple files.
1. Rf6! (Kasparov knew that his opponent cannot take the rook with 1… gxf6 because of 2. Qh6#. On
f6, the rook threatens to capture the h6-pawn and mate the king with 2. Qh6.) 1… Ng5 (Black tries to
cover the g-file. Can this move stop Kasparov?)
2. Rxg5!! (White sacrifices his rook to open a file in the kingside. Once Black recaptures, the white
queen will achieve an excellent position.) 2… hxg5 3. Qxg5 Kg8 (Capturing the rook with 3… gxf6
leads to a catastrophe: 4. Qh6ch Kg8 5. Qh7ch Kf8 6. Qh8#.)
4. Qh4 (The white queen goes back to the open h-file.) 4… Qa3 (Pigusov tries to stir some queenside
action. He threatens to capture the undefended bishop on d3.) 5. Rf3! (White protects the bishop and
threatens to kill the a3-queen with 6. Bh7ch and 7. Rxa3.)
5… g6 (Black tries to strengthen the wall in front of his king.) 6. Bxg6! (Kasparov destroys Black’s
defenses. Now, the fortress in the kingside is reduced to an isolated pawn. The queen on a3 is also
being attacked by the rook on d3.)
6… Qxf3 (Black decided to capture the d3-rook. This is perhaps his best option, considering that his
king is being hunted down by White’s forces.) 7. Qh7ch (The queen gets close to the enemy king. This
spells the end for Black.) 7… Kf8 8. gxf3 (This capture secures a material advantage for White. Now,
the black army will be annihilated. The f8-king is going to be murdered while both of the black rooks
are watching idly. Black resigned.)

Position after White’s 8th move: gxf3


The last example features a game between two opening specialists:

White to move
GM Vladimir Hort versus GM Gennady Sosonko
Tilburg, Netherlands – 1979

This position is full of mating possibilities. The white king is being harassed in the queenside.
However, that king is safe because there are no open files in that area of the board. If you will look at
the kingside, you will notice that three files have been opened (i.e. the f-, g-, and h-files). This means
White has excellent chances of mating the enemy king.
The game continued:
1. Be8! (This move creates two powerful threats: [1] the bishop attacks the a4-rook and [2] the queen
and rook are attacking the h7-pawn.) 1… Nxe8 (Black decided to capture the bishop. This move aims
to give the black king some breathing room. However, it allows White to capture the queen in two
moves.)
2. Rg2 (White immediately attacked the open g-file. This move will guarantee a huge material
advantage for the white camp.) 2… Nf6 (Now, the h7-pawn is protected.) 3. Rhg1! (Grandmaster Hort
knew that the black queen cannot escape. Instead of capturing the queen during this move, he chose to
strengthen the pressure on the g-file.)
Black decided to resign after seeing White’s 3rd move.
Position after White’s 3rd move: Rhg1


Conclusion

I hope this book was able to help you improve your chess skills.
The theories and techniques discussed in this book are being used by the strongest grandmasters in
the world. That means you will have great winning chances just by mastering the lessons included in
this book.
The next step is to continue playing chess. Nothing beats continuous practice.


Finally, if you enjoyed this book, please take the time to share your
thoughts and post a positive review on Amazon. It’d be greatly
appreciated!

Thank you and good luck!

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