Attack on same-side castled King..

This post will talk about how attacking the enemy King in a same-side castle situation..

A very large number of games is played with a situation with both castle on the same side, most frequently the King side.  Here the play can be conducted both in the center and on the wings.  An important role in this connexion is played by the pawn formation that arise in the center after the opening.  The flank attack may be either directed against the King or else it may take place on the Queen-wing.  We shall now consider cases of attack on the king when both kings are positioned on the same side of the board..

How should one set about the attack on the King?  Perhaps by hurling foward the pawns in the same fashion as in opposite-side castling?  As we have already seen, this too is a possible method of attack, but special positional conditions are required for it..

For the most part the attack on the King in positions where players have castled on the same side is made with the aid of the pieces and the pawns play a contributory role.

Naturally, the attacker seeks to increase his pressure against the enemy King's position to the maximum extent so as to be able to carry out a successful direct mating attack, and if that is not practicable he tries to attain a material advantage so great as to be sufficient for the win.  This is not so simple.  Between the attacking pieces and the King there stand the defending pieces and pawns.  What shall one do with them and how can one get them out of the way?

It is a comparatively simple matter as far as the pieces are concerned.  Under the increasing pressure the opponent is forced either to remove them, or else to submit to their exchange.  Removing the pieces that defend the approaches to the King naturally allows a decisive attack.  The matter is considerably more complicated when it relates to pawns that protect the King.  They are steadfast till death, and cannot just retire.  One must therefore either remove them from one's path or else force them to advance: either break through the pawn shield of the King; or else weaken it so that in both cases the attacking pieces can set in motion a decisive assault.

This is the entire process of the attack.  Depending on how one deals with the pawn shield of the King, one can distinguish between the following methods of attack.

1-the pawn storm: A risky method (especialy in same-castled position) of attack which one rarely encounters.  It is only possible when the center is solidy closed.

2-demolition of the enemy King-side pawn position by a piece sacrifice:  Sometimes too, attacking pawns can perform a service in this blasting process.  In the blasting operation the attacking pieces come into immediate contact with the opponent's pieces, and seek to beat them down in hand-to-hand combat.

3-Weakening the pawn shield: The attacking pieces force the opponent's pawns to advance and thereby open up a way for the attacking combat troops.  Black's pawns stand, for instance, on f7-g7 and h7.  White exerts pressure on the target g7 and h7 and forces the move g6.  Then the diagonal open becomes weak, and along this line White pieces can arrive at g7 and h8.  In addition, h6 and f6 become weak squares for Black... The attacker has attained his goal!

4-Opening lines and diagonals: The attacker opens up a line or a diagonal and settles himself down to lasting possession of it.  Eventually the attacking pieces utilize this as a connecting link fron which to break into the opponent's position.

5-By-passing manouvres (switching the attack from the center to a flank):  The pieces approach the opponent's King after having taken a long, roundabout way through the centre ( or via queenside, according to circumstances ).

Now we shall go through all the attacking methods given above to explain the different strategic and tactical characteristics in each case.

1. The pawn storm:

A pawn storm where both players have castled on the same side is only possible when the centre is securely locked.  When one plans a pawn offensive on the King's wing one must bear in mind the most important strategic rule in chess: a counter-thrust in the center is the best reply to a wing attack.  In addition one must see to it that the defending pieces cannot take the attacking pieces in the flank or direct a decisive attack from the flank after one has made some weakening pawn moves in front of one's own King.

We shall now go through the most important types of pawn storms..

The next diagram represent a game between Riumin-Kan played in 1936 at Moscow.  Here the center is comparatively stable and hence Riumin decides to set in motion a pawn offensive on the King wing.  It is true that in the mean-time Black will gain possession of the open e-file but White has cleverly worked out that Black cannot undertake any dangerous enterprise along this file.

Let's look at another example..

After a thorough consideration of the caracter of the position, Alekhine throws his pawns on the Kingside into the struggle.

Let's look on another example..

This one show how Black can be punished for sinning against elementary strategic principles.

Let us now summarize all that has been said about the pawn storm in positions with castling on the same-side.  This can only rightfully take place when and when only the center is completly closed.  One must weigh up and reckon out exactly whether the opponent can break open the center and thereby organize some counter-play of signifiance.  Should such be the case one must at once banish all thoughts of such an attack from one's mind, and instead try to carry out the offensive against the opponent's king only with the help of the pieces, or, if need be, by flinging in one or more pawns into the assault.

When we can ascertain for sure that the opponent has not the opportunity of breaking open the center or of making a notice-able counter-thrust in the center, then we can undertake a pawn storm without hesitation.  In such circumstances it can indeed be of great effect.

2. Demolition of the enemy Kingside pawn position by a piece sacrifice:

Here you weaken or lay bare the opponent king by the aid of the piece sacrifice.  The process entails the surrender of an attacking piece for an enemy pawn, or else the capture of the pawn itself, with the result that the king position is opened up, thereby giving direct access to the attacking pieces.

The next example show that Black king is more or less protected by its own pawns.  The ensuing Knight sacrifice makes it possible for White to smash all the enemy bulwarks to smithereens and to finish off the offensive with a mating attack!

look on another example..

Here, White's position seems to be absolutely safe.  The Kngiht must quit h5 and then no threat hangs over White's head, or so it seems.  But on the contrary it turns out that White stands badly.  The brilliant piece sacrifice that now follows lays bare at one blow the whole of White's King-wing and provides Alekhine's pieces with opportunities of developing a fierce attack.

3. Weakening the pawn shield:

This method of attack is simple and easy to understand.  By continually increasing the pressure of the pieces on the opponent's King's position we compel him to advance one of the pawns that protect the King.  This occasions the weakening of the Kingside defense by virtue of a breach through which the attacking pieces can penetrate.  Sometimes it is a matter of breaking down the pawn shield after one has exchanged or captured some of the pawns.   Then the weaknesses in the defensive bulwarks become espacially noticeable and the attack is the most effective.

We append an example.  This position arise in the game Kotov-Lissitzin in 1939.  Black has been interested only in operations on the Queen-wing and has neglected White's attack against the King.  In the ensuing phase of the game White's energetic play gives him the opportunity of setting into motion a powerful attack against the weak points on Black's Kingside..

4. Opening lines and diagonals:

This method of attack does not need much recommendation.  How often in fact has not the Black King been checkmated along the diagonal a1-h8 or along b1-h7 one.  We will give only one example of this theme.

Let see an example taken from the game between Averbakh-Panno played at Buenos Aires in 1954.

In this game, the centre being closed, the play takes place on the flanks.  Averbakh, who has left his own King's position untouched, hastens to initiate an attack on the King-wing..

5. By-passing manoeuvres ( switching the attack from the center to a flank ) :

This often arise when the attack in the game has commenced either on the center or on the Queenside.  As the struggle develops so the operations are transferred to the King-wing.  In this way the attacking pieces approach the King in an indirect manner..

Here is a remarkable example of the theme.  The diagram shows a position from the game Ravinsky-Smyslov (Moscow Championship, 1944).  White controls more space and his pieces display greater activity.  But Smyslov embarks on a deeply though out counter-attack on the Queen-wing and the influence of this expands over the whole board.

Thank you very much !!!

a very good tutorial. I recently played a game where my opponent swarmed me with pawns and won. Usually it is folly to attack with pawns at the expense of piece development. These sample games show that a pawn attack backed by pieces is quite effective.

man i came here because i lost two games in a row with a solid opening just because i didnt know how to effectively attack a castled king. hopefully i'll learn something and know better for next time.

when we take text from Alexander Kotov's The art of the middle game , one must write it , otherwise its called plagiarism.

I cant see any of the positions. They all show the starting position, am i missing something or is it chess.com

The example boards are no longer working. Nothing happens; the "examples" don't move.

Try this link from the Wayback Machine:

https://web.archive.org/web/20151221072628/https://www.chess.com/forum/view/livechess/attack-on-same-side-castled-king

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the player doesn't work for me on three different devices

Try accessing the "Wayback Machine" link I posted with a web browser.