THE KINGSIDE CASTLED POSITION: ¡MIKHAIL TAL ATTACKS!

From the book "Modern Art of Attack" (Ken Smith and John Hall, Chess Digest, 1988), I chose the following theme of study: attack on the kingside castled position. In this excellent book, the authors say: In practice, the king is more likely to be punished on the king's flank than anywhere else. The technique to attack the king's position in fianchetto is well defined: pawns on f7 (f2), g6 (g3) and h7 (h2), and pieces Nf6 (Nf3), Rf8 (Rf1) and a king in g8. This formation is considered to have potential weak points in f6 and h6 (or f3 and h3), as well as to play h4 (h5). The main objective should be to cause weaknesses in the structure. The queen lined up front with the king's bishop on the diagonal b1-h7 is used, of course, with the black attack this would be b8-h2 diagonal. Since Nf6 is a solid defender of h7 it must be eliminated, for example by playing Bg5 or some other piece like a Ng4. The g4-g5, "bayonet attack” is also used. Another possibility is to move a pawn from e4 to e5 to force the knight to leave the h7 defense. With a pawn on h6, a sacrifice in g6 can get two pawns in exchange for one piece and more lines open for attack. The other common battery is the queen in front of the queen's bishop on a1-h8 diagonal, to force a pawn f7-f6 movement.

The method of massive advance of the pawns is habitual. The three pawns of the attacker (f, g and h) are used to sweep any defensive piece, while preparing to open lines of attack, through forced exchanges of pawns. In this way, an innocent pawn movement (h3 or h6), is punished in the spectacular style of the great Mikhail Tal by a series of motifs of combination. Let's see one of his games. The comments of the authors of the book are in quotation marks: Bukhuti Gurgenidze – Mikhail Tal. USSR Championship, 1957. Benoni Defense.

Mikhail Tal

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 c5 "A very sharp opening" 3.d5 e6 4.Nc3 exd5 5.cxd5 "Interesting is 5.Nxd5 !? to maintain access to the backward d-pawn via d5" 5...d6 6.Nf3 "Also possible is the super sharp 6. e4 g6 7. f4 Bg7 8. Bb5+ Nfd7" 6...g6 7.e4 Bg7 8.Be2 0–0 9.0–0 Re8 10.d2 Na6 11.Re1 "Hoping to advance de e-pawn later. However 11. Re1 weakens the defense of the f2 square as well as the g1–h7 diagonal leading to the king" 11...Nc7 12.a4 b6 13.Qc2 Ng4 "The prelude to a combinational attack of great ingenuity" 14.h3 "This weakening of White's Kingside front in conjuction with the weakening of f2 and the g1–h7 diagonal give Tal the opportunity for an attack whose initial phase is the destructive sacrifice is to remove the protective pawn cover of the King, thus allowing reserve attacking pieces to rush onto the open lines and squares no longer guarded by pawns. In view of these considerations, White should have played 14. Bxg4 eliminating the dangerous Knigth"

What would you play?

14...Nxf2!? 15.Kxf2 Qh4+ "Now it is apparent that the e1–h4 is also weak" 16.Kf1 "On 16. g3 Bd4+ 17. Kf3 Qh5+ 18. g4 (18. Kg2 Qxh3+ 19. Kf3 Bg4+ 20. Kf4 g5+ 21 Kxg5 Ae3+ 22. Kf6 Qh6++) 18... Qxh3+ 19. Kf4 Be3++" 16...Bd4 17.Nd1 "The only defense. But now a further demolition occurs"

Now you play!

17...Qxh3! "The same theme, a pawn goes with consequent increased attacking potential. In this case the destructive sacrifice can not be accepted since 18. gxh3 Bxh3 is mate" 18.Bf3 Qh2 "With his pawn protection largely destroyed, White is helpless to prevent the invasion of Black's reserves" 19.Ne3 "On 19. Nf2 Black wins with 19... Ba6+ 20. Be2 (20. Nc4 Nxd5 21. exd5 Rxe1+ 22. Kxe1 Qg1+ wins easily) 20... Qh4 21. Nh3 Bc8! 22. Nf3 Qxh3! 23. Nxd4 Qh1+ 24. Kf2 Qh4+" 19...f5! "Black opens up more lines, typical motif in this type of attack" 20.Ndc4 fxe4 21.Bxe4 Ba6 22.Bf3 Re5 "Steadily bringing more pressure to bear" 23.Ra3 Rae8 24.Bd2 "On 24. Rd3 Black has 24... Nxd5 25. Rxd4 cxd4 26. Bxd5+ Rxd5 27. Nxd5 Qh1+ 28. Kf2 Qxe1+ 29. Kf3 Rf8+ 30. Bf4 Qf1+ 31. Kg3 Bxc4"

How would the attack continue?

24...Nxd5! "Taking advantage of the pin on the e-file" 25.Bxd5+ Rxd5 26.Ke2 "On 26. Nxd5 Qh1 is mate" 26...Bxe3 27.Rxe3 "If 27. Bxh3 then 27... Qxg2 mate" 27...Bxc4+ "Now on 28. Dxc4 Qxg2+ followed by 29... Qxd2 mate. White resigns".