Лекция Амонатова Фарруха (май). 1 Как атаковать при разносторонних рокировках

Lecture on attacking strategies with opposite-side castling in chess, focusing on rapid attacks and key positional principles.

Key Takeaways

In opposite-side castling, the first to launch an attack usually gains the advantage.
Wasting time on non-forcing moves can lead to a lost or very dangerous position.
Sacrifices are often justified to open lines and accelerate the attack.
Pawns should be pushed forward aggressively to break open the opponent’s king safety.
Understanding timing and tempo is critical in attacking opposite-side castling positions.

What the video covers

The lecture focuses on attacking techniques when players castle on opposite sides in chess.
The key principle is to start the attack as quickly as possible to gain the initiative.
Basic chess principles like development and improving position remain important.
Sacrificing pawns or pieces is sometimes necessary to open the opponent's position faster.
Delays such as unnecessary rook moves can cost valuable tempo and lead to losing positions.
Examples from games illustrate how to effectively open lines and pressure the opponent’s king.
The lecturer critiques moves that waste time and shows better attacking alternatives.
The importance of pushing pawns aggressively to break through defenses is emphasized.
The lecture includes analysis of specific positions and variations to demonstrate concepts.
The overall message is to maintain aggressive, timely attacks to capitalize on opposite-side castling.

Chapters

Why is it important to start the attack quickly in opposite-side castling?

Because the first player to launch an attack gains the initiative, forcing the opponent to defend and preventing counterattacks on the other flank.

Is it acceptable to sacrifice material in these attacking positions?

Yes, sacrificing a pawn or even a piece is often necessary to open lines and accelerate the attack, which is crucial in opposite-side castling scenarios.

What common mistake should be avoided during attacks with opposite-side castling?

Wasting time on unnecessary moves, such as rook moves that do not contribute immediately to the attack, can lead to losing valuable tempo and a dangerous position.

Full Transcript — Download SRT & Markdown

Speaker A

Greetings to you all. Today’s lecture will be dedicated to attacks with opposite-side castling. This topic is close to me. I'll be honest with you, it really is. Why? Because in almost every game, if I have the opportunity, I castle on opposite sides, both with White and Black. I have so many such games that I could probably write several volumes. Yeah. So today I will share and show you a few things. I think you’ll like it. Well, where should we start? Let’s start with a

Speaker A

White and Black. I have so many such games that I could probably write several volumes. Yeah. So today I will share and show you a few things. I think you’ll like it. Well, where should we start? Let’s start with a

Speaker A

brief theoretical excursion. An attack with opposite-side castling is successful when you are the first to strike. In other words, the rule I’ve derived for myself is that in opposite-side castling, you must start the attack as quickly as possible.

Speaker A

It’s clear that all the basic principles remain. Development, improving your position, and mandatory moves. That all stays. But on top of that, we must start attacking faster and earlier than our opponent. This is very important, isn't it? When you

Speaker A

It’s clear that all the basic principles remain. Development, improving your position, and mandatory moves. That all stays. But on top of that, we must start attacking faster and earlier than our opponent. This is very important, isn't it? When you

Speaker A

the first to attack. This is very, very important. And we will discuss the examples I’ve selected today. Let’s start with one game. I won’t mention any names for now. Okay, let’s begin with this game. And we won’t touch on

Speaker A

attack, the opponent is forced to defend, meaning they won't have time to attack you on the other flank. And at that moment, you shouldn’t be afraid to sacrifice a pawn, or perhaps even a piece or the exchange. You need to be

Speaker A

we don’t waste time on unnecessary moves. We take on D4 immediately. Bishop takes D4, then B5. Okay, that's clear. And White plays King B1. Well, that’s our standard mandatory move.

Speaker A

the first to attack. This is very, very important. And we will discuss the examples I’ve selected today. Let’s start with one game. I won’t mention any names for now. Okay, let’s begin with this game. And we won’t touch on

Speaker A

I’ll explain. It seems to me that Rook G1 is just a loss of tempo, it’s a delay. Right, Ivan? We are wasting time. I told you to try, really try to start the attack first, because if your opponent starts first, you won't have

Speaker A

the opening, so let’s start from the position after the opening. So, Knight takes d4. Look, Black immediately trades the knight on d4 to play b5 quickly, to develop the bishop quickly, and then to bring the rook to c8. So,

Speaker A

when you play rook G1, you're showing your opponent that you want to play h5 and only then G6. That's at least three moves you're spending. Three is a lot.

Speaker A

we don’t waste time on unnecessary moves. We take on d4 immediately. Bishop takes d4, then b5. Okay, that's clear. And White plays king b1. Well, that’s our standard mandatory move.

Speaker A

of the fact that we're sacrificing a pawn, we need to open up the opponent's position faster. G6. What to do? Well, for example, if they take on h6, that's the simplest option, then we just push the pawn and open up the H-file. We

Speaker A

That part is basically clear. Bishop b7, Black develops the bishop to h4, rook c8, g5, knight d7. And here White played rook g1. As for me, this seems—well, it seems to me that it’s a losing move. Why is it a losing move?

Speaker A

then for a split second, the pawn on E6 remains undefended, and we immediately pile onto it, immediately bishop to H3 and threaten to eat that pawn. And if they play E5, then we have bishop to E6 check and continue to open up the

Speaker A

I’ll explain. It seems to me that rook g1 is just a loss of tempo, it’s a delay. Right, Ivan? We are wasting time. I told you to try, really try to start the attack first, because if your opponent starts first, you won't have

Speaker A

this position is already practically lost for White. Well, it's clear that at my level it is, at your level, well, if not lost, it's practically lost with B4. Black is attacking, the knight is hanging. Well, two squares to retreat.

Speaker A

the resources or the time to attack in return. That's why, instead of rook to g1, I don't mean to say that I'm such a great attacker, but nonetheless, I wouldn't have played that here. It's simply a waste of time. I mean, look,

Speaker A

If White takes on B4, then D5 follows. Black immediately starts to engage all, all, all of their pieces. And this position is already bad, so White plays knight E2. Very good. Knight to E5 follows. We attack the F3 pawn. Well,

Speaker A

when you play rook g1, you're showing your opponent that you want to play h5 and only then g6. That's at least three moves you're spending. Three is a lot.

Speaker A

Black has two bishops, everything is just fine. Therefore, you need to defend the pawn on F3. White plays rook to defend it. Next comes knight to C4.

Speaker A

In three moves, they'll checkmate you. I believe White was obligated to start the attack much faster and simply should have pushed forward to attack the opponent's king. Let me flip the board for you and, well, sketch out some rough variations. So, regardless

Speaker A

seems to me a very, very dangerous position for White. No one would dare to play like that. That is why the grandmaster played queen to C1. Very good. Next comes E5. If there is the slightest opportunity to worsen the

Speaker A

of the fact that we're sacrificing a pawn, we need to open up the opponent's position faster. G6. What to do? Well, for example, if they take on h6, that's the simplest option, then we just push the pawn and open up the h-file. We

Speaker A

it in your, I don't know, brain, somewhere in the back of your mind. Definitely do this. E5. With the next move, we attack. Bishop to F2. And then that's it, we start advancing the pawns . As I have told you many times, an

Speaker A

just keep moving forward. If they play g5 and try to close the kingside, we still push through and keep moving the pawn. Well, and accordingly, g6 here is already bad because of mate on h7. If White had captured with the f-pawn,

Speaker A

for what purpose? To open up the lines, ranks, files, everything possible. White plays bishop to G2. For what?

Speaker A

then for a split second, the pawn on e6 remains undefended, and we immediately pile onto it, immediately bishop to h3 and threaten to eat that pawn. And if they play e5, then we have bishop to e6 check and continue to open up the

Speaker A

is a tricky question for you. I will see how you understood me. Black to move. Tell me, please, how would you play? If there is the slightest opportunity to worsen the position, do it. Well, I see some understood, and

Speaker A

position with h5, h6. And in this spirit, you must play in this exact spirit. Now you'll understand why. Look at what happened in the game. White played rook g1. Let me flip the board for you once more and that's it. To me,

Speaker A

that you could play B3, or knight to A3 , but even if it works, I think what is the point, what is the point of doing that now? So you want to play B3, okay, but he will take A and what next? And

Speaker A

this position is already practically lost for White. Well, it's clear that at my level it is, at your level, well, if not lost, it's practically lost with b4. Black is attacking, the knight is hanging. Well, two squares to retreat.

Speaker A

necessary, I don't quite understand. Moving on, on, on, on. You want to sacrifice the knight on a3? What is the point of sacrificing the knight on a3?

Speaker A

That's to e2 or to a4. Well, a4, of course, I wouldn't dare play there. Why? Because the bishop attacks it immediately and the knight is hanging.

Speaker A

immediately. What is the sense in that, friends? Of course not. Naturally, you are obligated to play bishop to a6.

Speaker A

If White takes on b4, then d5 follows. Black immediately starts to engage all, all, all of their pieces. And this position is already bad, so White plays knight e2. Very good. Knight to e5 follows. We attack the f3 pawn. Well,

Speaker A

And now you threaten to capture on b2, give a check, do something else, and capture that knight. It's clear that this is a simple threat, and he can easily defend it, easily defend that knight. But you see, he will have to

Speaker A

it's clear it's not profitable for White to take our knight with the bishop, because without the dark-squared bishop, any attack on the king will be absolutely meaningless.

Speaker A

The knight goes, I don't know, back to its starting square, or naturally, rook to e1, then the rook leaves the file.

Speaker A

Black has two bishops, everything is just fine. Therefore, you need to defend the pawn on f3. White plays rook to defend it. Next comes knight to c4.

Speaker A

our risks. That is, you might have heard this in business, or, I don't know, everywhere else. We try to win without the slightest risk. And if we have the opportunity to improve our pieces or worsen our opponent's pieces,

Speaker A

And we attack again. Well, again, accordingly, capturing on b4 is practically akin to suicide, because queen to c7 will follow, defending the knight, plus there will be threats of knight jumps, plus d5 will threaten with an attack on the queen. Well, it

Speaker A

need to comment here anymore. I will just show you the game. And the last piece enters the fight—queen to d5.

Speaker A

seems to me a very, very dangerous position for White. No one would dare to play like that. That is why the grandmaster played queen to c1. Very good. Next comes e5. If there is the slightest opportunity to worsen the

Speaker A

rook to d3. Well, here it is already a simple combination. We give a check, take the rook, take the pawn. And after the queen retreats, we also take the bishop. That's it. I think White made one small inaccuracy. That was done by

Speaker A

position of the opponent's pieces, do it without hesitation. I repeat, if there is the slightest opportunity to worsen the opponent's pieces, do it without hesitation. Remember this once and for all. Let this, I don't know, write it down, save it, anything, keep

Speaker A

I don't deny it, it's hard. But what can you do? If you want to play these positions, you must mentally prepare yourself for it, thinking: "I'm not afraid, I'll just go forward." I have a student, an International Master, a

Speaker A

it in your, I don't know, brain, somewhere in the back of your mind. Definitely do this. E5. With the next move, we attack. Bishop to f2. And then that's it, we start advancing the pawns. As I have told you many times, an

Speaker A

wouldn't have played that way in my own game. Yes, I can find it, but it scares me." There you go. So, his playing style is a bit different. He prefers to play more positionally, you know, by the squares, so to speak. We have

Speaker A

attack will not be, well, rarely, rarely. Will it be successful if you only try to win with pieces alone. As a rule, as they say in English, you need to advance pawns and attack the opponent's position with them. Meaning,

Speaker A

That's how it is. Let's continue. The next example I wanted to show you from my own games, but that can wait. That can basically wait. I would also like to show you a couple of Kasparov's games. You know, when I first looked at

Speaker A

for what purpose? To open up the lines, ranks, files, everything possible. White plays bishop to g2. For what?

Speaker A

of anything at all. He just went like a tank, charging straight ahead. And when you get beaten like that once, twice, three times, that's it, you can't do anything about it. You just break down psychologically and don't know how to

Speaker A

Well, they are trying to show some kind of activity. Maybe with the move f4, but they couldn't play f4 immediately, as the pawn on e4 was hanging. Well, here is another point. I told you about worsening the opponent's position. Here

Speaker A

in the match against Kasparov. Well, that's my opinion. I'm not forcing it on anyone. That's my opinion. So, he has this very good quality. Everyone else was afraid. Everyone was afraid.

Speaker A

is a tricky question for you. I will see how you understood me. Black to move. Tell me, please, how would you play? If there is the slightest opportunity to worsen the position, do it. Well, I see some understood, and

Speaker A

Ah, Anand versus Kasparov. Ah, the Sicilian Defense is very sharp, but never mind. Right, right. White seems to be starting first by pushing the pawns, B4. And Anand retreated his knight to B1. Well, okay, this is still theory. It has been played like this

Speaker A

some did not. Friends, friends, wait. Now is not the time. Let me explain it to you now. Look, we have logic and even logical structures we have looked at a bit, but we will have more on this topic. Start from logic. It is clear

Speaker A

will be either bishop takes E6, or something similar for White. That's why Kasparov plays G5 himself. He gives up this pawn, but in turn, he doesn't allow an attack on the king. To me, this felt like something truly cosmic,

Speaker A

that you could play b3, or knight to a3, but even if it works, I think what is the point, what is the point of doing that now? So you want to play b3, okay, but he will take a and what next? And

Speaker A

truly unreal. Well, never mind, that’s just the beginning. Then follows HxG and White takes the pawn.

Speaker A

what is the point? You gave up a pawn and, at the same time, didn't open anything up. You will have to move your knight back. And at the very least, you gave his knight some square on the c-file to stand on. Why all of that was

Speaker A

awkwardly, so they play Bishop G2, an exchange, and White takes with the bishop. Rook C8 follows, and White plays Rook E1. Well, they are lining up their pieces in front of the king. The Queen. Kasparov begins to attack his

Speaker A

necessary, I don't quite understand. Moving on, on, on, on. You want to sacrifice the knight on a3? What is the point of sacrificing the knight on a3?

Speaker A

Well, here I would be very scared, I’ll tell you honestly. Even though I play this type of position, it feels like it's already over. It seems to me that Black can just resign. What is there to do? They’ll take on E6 soon.

Speaker A

Following logic is not actually that difficult. It's not hard. Why? Well, your only active piece—well, maybe not the only one, but the most active piece—is the knight on c4. And at the same time, you want to give it away

Speaker A

takes the pawn. Well, why wouldn't I take it? And the next move shook me to the core. Honestly, I was in shock. I just didn't understand how one could play like that, truly. I still don't understand it, even though I've studied

Speaker A

immediately. What is the sense in that, friends? Of course not. Naturally, you are obligated to play bishop to a6.

Speaker A

You know, I’ll also give you one small piece of advice. Try to study books. It is clear that without books we cannot progress. Here is how I study books and how I advise all my students to practice. I take a book, open it,

Speaker A

Just without even thinking, right? Nura, Evgeny, well done. Bishop to a6. Look, after he moved the bishop from f1 to g2, that knight was left undefended.

Speaker A

that is enough for me. I cover the moves and try to guess Kasparov's moves . I sit and think. And I take this very seriously and force everyone else to as well. In the sense that this is real,

Speaker A

And now you threaten to capture on b2, give a check, do something else, and capture that knight. It's clear that this is a simple threat, and he can easily defend it, easily defend that knight. Bu

Speaker A

lecture, but nonetheless. So. I spent quite a decent amount of time. I calculated, I calculated, well, using a piece of paper, a postcard, anything.

Speaker A

You can cover it up, yes, and not look at Black's move, try to guess the move yourself, find it, and then compare.

Speaker A

Your move with Kasparov's move. I found it, of course, but it took me a long time. Bishop to G7—that move shook me to the core. Honestly, it seems like everything is already over, like we are about to be checkmated. He just plays

Speaker A

Bishop to G7. Meaning it is very important for him to improve all his pieces first. He improves all his pieces first, and only then does he start to attack. Well, someone writes, like Mikhdin writes, perhaps Dvoretsky recommended it in his books. But in

Speaker A

principle, you understand, it sounds easy, right, you need to improve your pieces, but when your king is on E8 and a rook is opposite your king, it's not so easy to do, is it? He wasn't afraid of anything at all. Well, let him

Speaker A

attack. He doesn't care. The main thing for him is to develop his pieces, and then he will be unstoppable. And you know, he won that game. I can show it to you. So, King takes F7. Well, here he couldn't hold it and took on d5. But

Speaker A

that's already not good. Black took back. And that's it. The white attack is over. And now everything begins for Black. The knight on D4 is hanging. The knight can't leave because of knight B3 . And Black won the game. Let's not

Speaker A

look any further now. It's already clear, in principle, that Black has a good position. Like that. Well, if anyone wants to, they can find it later and look at it. I don't want to waste time. We have a limited amount of time,

Speaker A

after all. Well, that's how it is. I mean, if somewhere, if you make one passive move, one passive move in a game against a grandmaster, you will get a very, very bad position. Believe me. One passive move. Let's say you're

Speaker A

playing against me. A single passive move, and you'll get a bad position. If you make two passive moves, you won't have any chances left. That's all there is to it. And against Kasparov, if you make half a passive move, that will

Speaker A

already be enough. So that's how it is. Anand vs. Kasparov game. Right, well, let's continue. I'd like to show you one more Kasparov game today, also from the same series. And I think you'll like it too. And this relates to what I

Speaker A

just told you. A single passive move, and that's it, Kasparov will leave no stone unturned. Continuing. E4 C5– this is a game between Michael Adams and Garikimovich Kasparov. And again, the familiar contours of the Sicilian Defense with E6, Bishop E3, Bishop E6,

Speaker A

Queen C7. And again, queenside castling . Okay. B4 immediately. Right away, B4. Do you understand? I cannot recommend that you play like Kasparov. I mean, honestly, he's a unique talent. He truly is a unique talent. Why? Because, well, he, roughly speaking, disregards

Speaker A

all the rules. We should, of course, learn from his games, but I can't recommend playing the way he played. He played strongly, he played incredibly strongly, but, but it's really very difficult to play like that. The way I

Speaker A

teach you is to first make all your mandatory moves, such as Bishop E7, for example, castling, preparing your rooks , maybe rook C8, maybe rook B8, and only then start moving forward, right?

Speaker A

I am being honest with you, I teach you and my students this way, because well, the way Kasparov played, nobody else plays. Truly, no one plays like that.

Speaker A

Perhaps no one will ever be able to play like that at all. b4 take. Knight takes b4. White begins to advance pawns on the kingside. Followed by g4, bishop e7, g5, knight d7, h4. Well, that's it, Kasparov is now, is now bringing pieces

Speaker A

over to the queenside. Well, that's, in principle, not difficult. Knight c5. King b1. A useful move. That, ah, is beyond doubt. Rook b8. That's it. Well, there, Rook b8. Again, preparing for an h5 attack. And here is my question to

Speaker A

you. Well, up to this point, it was fine, one could guess all of Kasparov's moves, but the next move, I think, is, well, practically impossible. Well, maybe, of course, maybe I am mistaken.

Speaker A

Black to move. Please tell me, friends, how would you play? I'll give you 3-5 minutes. No rush, take your time. I see , everyone is having trouble, having trouble. Remember, I said when we looked at the previous position, the

Speaker A

previous game, Kasparov won't start attacking until he brings up all his pieces. Yes, it might be scary, it might be dangerous there, but he won't do anything. No, honestly. That is why it would never have even crossed my

Speaker A

mind. I’ll tell you honestly. You know what I would have played? I probably would have played something, or thought about maybe e5, d5 somehow, maybe bishop a8, queen a5. Something along those lines. Kasparov plays 0-0.

Speaker A

You understand, White has already just advanced the pawns, they are about to start opening things up with h5, g5. He is completely, well, there's a trendy word among the youth now, he's "not bothered." It doesn't worry him at all.

Speaker A

He pays no attention at all to what White is going to do; it doesn't matter . The only piece that wasn't working for him yet was the rook on h8. And that's it, he just castled. Then followed, ah, White played. So, one

Speaker A

second. Castling. White, naturally, plays g6. Understood. That's it, bishop f6. Our bishop on e7 isn't working. The bishop goes to f6. Then White, in turn, also brings up their pieces. Rook d to g1. Bishop a8. Unlocking the rook.

Speaker A

Followed by bishop g5. Well, they are offering to exchange dark-squared bishops. No exchanges. Absolutely no exchanges. We are going for checkmate.

Speaker A

Check. I've had positions like this when I played Black, and White would also push their pawns and take on H7.

Speaker A

Yes, and usually here, in principle, I would simply move my king and hide it.

Speaker A

So, I end up hiding my king behind the opponent's pawn. And imagine my surprise when Kasparov simply took that pawn! He is not afraid of anything at all, do you understand? Well, he just went ahead and took that pawn. I would

Speaker A

have been so scared. I would have been thinking: "Oh, there's some A6, or bishop A6, or something else." He doesn't care. He just took it. That's it. And opponents cannot withstand this kind of pressure. They calculate, they search, they try to find something and

Speaker A

can't do anything. And that's it. And at this moment, Adams couldn't take it anymore and played knight B3. And that's all, the game was over. The only passive move in the game is this knight B3. I told you that against a

Speaker A

Grandmaster, two passive moves are a path to defeat. With Kasparov, one move is enough. That's it, the game is over.

Speaker A

Kasparov simply tore him apart. This followed. Knight takes C2. Knight takes C5. And a simple check. Knight A3 check . The king moved, and Black took the knight with the queen. Taking with the pawn on A3 doesn't work because the

Speaker A

knight on C3 is hanging. Perhaps Adams thought he would play knight A4 and if the queen moved somewhere, White would take the knight. That was the idea. And then he gets knight takes C2. And that's it. You can't take the queen.

Speaker A

Checkmate on B2. And king B1 followed, but that doesn't help anymore. Kasparov simply plays queen A3, threatening to take on B2. And after queen A3, White resigned. And that's all. That's the game. Not bad, I think. Just colossal.

Speaker A

No, simply colossal. I don't even know what to play. What if queen C2? Very good. Well, who? Let's see. Why, why did Adams resign? Who can find it? How will we win? Well, yes, I think you can just bring the rook to C8. That's it,

Speaker A

the last piece has entered the fight and that's it. And everything will end. The queen is hanging. Where can it go?

Speaker A

I don't even know where to move. To D1, to B2, to give checkmate, or D2, but one can simply take the knight and it will still be hanging on B2. Like that.

Speaker A

Like that, dear friends. That is how he played and sometimes still plays. Not easy, not easy, but what can you do? We need to strive for this. Well, now I will provide an example from my games.

Speaker A

From my games, not as cool, of course, but it's what I can do. I probably won't show the whole game. I'll try to show it element by element. Let's use this game as an example. I played this game against a Vietnamese grandmaster

Speaker A

at the Aeroflot tournament. Aeroflot. I played as white and he played as black. I played E4, and he played C5. And this variation happened in our game. The Dragon variation of the Sicilian Defense. I play Bishop E3, Bishop G7.

Speaker A

Well, all this is quite well-known theory. I play H4 here. Rook C8, Bishop B3, Knight E5, castling, H5, Bishop G5, and that's all theory, all standard stuff. King B1 and I didn't think he might play there, so I hadn't prepared

Speaker A

for this line or reviewed my notes. But I remembered that Rook E8 is considered the main and strongest move. In this position, Rook E8 is considered the strongest move. Yes. But here he played B5. And he did it so confidently and

Speaker A

quickly that I realized something was coming. Yeah. What should I do? Black is planning to push pawns on the queenside. A5, A4. I, accordingly, have to do something quickly on the kingside . So, G4; I roughly remembered that

Speaker A

people played like this, but it was just approximate. I mean, I couldn't say with absolute certainty that this was the right move. Still, I had a rough idea. He plays A5, I take the pawn. He simply plays A4 in turn,

Speaker A

attacking my bishop. What to do? I push forward, attacking his bishop. He moves to Bishop H8. And here I think, yes, he wants to take my bishop. But if I move, for example, Bishop D5, well, hypothetically, he might move his king

Speaker A

to H7 and that's it. Then I won't be able to get to his king at all.

Speaker A

Therefore, my next move is definitely H7. I sacrifice this pawn to at least open the H-file later. He seemingly knew all this. He played very quickly.

Speaker A

He takes my pawn with his knight. And I'm wasting time here. I think, well, he took with the knight, I'll play Bishop D5. I'm not giving up the bishop yet. He plays B4, pushing the pawns further. I play Knight E2, but I have

Speaker A

no other choice. And here he takes my knight, my bishop, quite boldly with his knight. Well, there aren't many choices. I take with the pawn, naturally, to open the H-file. And he plays E6. Somewhere around here he started thinking a bit. And I started

Speaker A

to realize that I was being lured or dragged somewhere, and he just wants to eat my, my, my bishop. Oh, and I started reasoning, thinking, and came to the conclusion that, hey, I can play knight F4. With the simple idea that if

Speaker A

he suddenly takes my bishop, then I've gone to checkmate him. Check, king, let's say, G7 or G8. I drive him to G8, and the rook goes to H1. With the simple idea of checkmating the opponent on H8, and there is no defense anymore.

Speaker A

And this inspired me a little bit. He understood all this and immediately played bishop G7. Okay, bishop G7. And I'm thinking again, I could play queen H2, but he would play rook E8. Those people who play the Dragon variation

Speaker A

generally know that if the king is on G8 and the bishop is on G7, it's very difficult to checkmate. Honestly, it's really, really difficult to checkmate.

Speaker A

Well, we'll arrive, yes, exchange on H7 , he'll take the king to F8 and that's it. And what to do next? There. Well, and here I sacrificed a piece. Okay.

Speaker A

Okay. He took it. I took it, check. And he played knight F7. Well, and now I played queen H2. Attacking the mate, and after rook E8, I also take the pawn on D6. So, it turns out, I took three

Speaker A

pawns for a piece, but at the same time , the opponent's king is very weak. He played queen E7. And I just moved my bishop to D5. Because of the pin, he cannot take my, my rook. And by doing

Speaker A

so, by the way, I also attacked G6. Just subtly attacked the pawn. Well, and he played king F8. We traded like this, and I played queen D2. So, three pawns for a piece, but at the same time I'm attacking his weaknesses. And the

Speaker A

king, the king, the king is weak. The king is weak on E8. And so I won this game. We played for a long time, but I managed to win it somehow. It's clear here that a rook and three pawns

Speaker A

against two pieces will always be stronger; it's clear that I have a much better position, but I had to play it carefully because my king is a bit weak . Well, and gradually I won it. Well, like that. So, rook D5 at what moment?

Speaker A

Here’s Ivan, excuse me, dear friends. Ivan asks: could the rook have been taken on D5? But where is the rook on D5? I don’t understand. Right here.

Speaker A

If the rook is on D5, I would have taken the rook, Ivan. Like that, and that’s it. Correct. Yes, yes, yes.

Speaker A

Well, that’s the game. This was also opposite-side castling. I was lucky that I was the first to start attacking . Remember, G4, GH, I pushed forward.

Speaker A

Well, and try to start the attack faster, faster, faster. If you hesitate , that’s it. You’ve already understood that from Kasparov’s games . Whoever starts first, as a rule, has better chances for a good result. And one more point. If you’ve started to

Speaker A

attack, if you’ve started to attack, go all the way. That’s it, there is no turning back. If you see that you need to sacrifice, sacrifice, don't retreat. If you started attacking and stop, it risks a defeat. It’s always

Speaker A

like that. You’ve started to attack, and if you get stuck somewhere or decide: "Oh, it’s not working, maybe I should retreat." That’s it, that’s the first step to a loss.

Speaker A

Started attacking, attack to the end. That’s why I always tell you, first of all, bring up all your pieces so they are involved, like Kasparov does.

Speaker A

He uses all his pieces. Once he has brought everything up, he can’t be stopped. He will break through with a tank, an APC, or whatever. If his pieces aren’t developed yet, he won’t start the attack. That’s all there is to it. Well, I mean a

Speaker A

large-scale attack. I wanted to give you another example from my game with, uh, with Evgeny Alekseev, a well-known, uh, quite strong chess player. He was the Russian champion at one time, and I think you should, well, should like it.

Speaker A

As I said, I have a lot of material on this topic, and it’s a pleasure because I can show you my own games. So , I am playing against Evgeny Alekseev, who is, in fact, from Saint Petersburg.

Speaker A

And we had this variation happen in the game. I’m playing White, he’s playing Black. So, so, well, let’s not focus on whether this is theory or not, we’ll start from this moment. I went, I moved the rook forward, and he

Speaker A

moved forward. And remember, I showed you the game, the first game where Topalov played rook G1, and that was a loss of tempo. Well, it seems to me that I also, also made the move rook G1 , losing a tempo. Meaning, I should

Speaker A

have pushed the pawns faster. And now, when we've reached this position, he played B4, and I realize he's starting early. I mean, right now my knight is hanging. So, what should I do with the knight? If I go, for example, to A4,

Speaker A

he'll just play knight C5, attacking my knight again. And if I take it, he recaptures with the pawn and attacks my knight again. Well, and if I retreat, then C4 follows, and that's it. And the game is over. What else is there? Well,

Speaker A

retreat with knight B1. Retreating with knight B1 is probably, well, practically the same. It feels like suicide, honestly, just, well, the knight going back to B1. I mean, how?

Speaker A

It's just not in the spirit of the position. Absolutely not in the spirit of the position. Ivan is suggesting he would have played G6. Well, I'm not sure about G6, to be honest. Well, for one thing, he could have just taken it

Speaker A

—what's so special about G6? The H4 pawn is still hanging. Well, H4, guys, that's just too much. I mean, how can we play H4 when they're about to take our piece? No, no, no. I went ahead. I played knight D5. I simply played

Speaker A

knight D5. He took it. I recaptured. So , I'm down a piece. I agree. But, but, but, in turn, I opened up my light-squared bishop. Plus the F5 square is very strong for my knight.

Speaker A

And, accordingly, after knight F5, my D4 bishop will join in as well. My pieces started working immediately, I have to say. Before playing knight D5, I saw a defense for him. And it was, well, a dangerous move, actually.

Speaker A

Knight D5 is a very dangerous move. I found the defense during the game, but for some reason, Zhenya, I don't know, played a bit superficially here. He played quickly, which, in my opinion, was wrong. He played G6. This is the

Speaker A

correct move. I played knight F5 anyway . I'm sacrificing a second piece, but it's probably already dangerous for Black to take this, because after bishop F5 I have threats. Either bishop takes H7 check, or queen H5. Well, suppose, I don't know, something like

Speaker A

that. And that's it. And I'll go for a checkmate. Oh, excuse me, I don't know.

Speaker A

Took it, check. And on the next move I'll go G6. And that's it. And immediately, immediately, I start, uh, delivering checkmate. Therefore, therefore, therefore after knight F5, uh, Black played bishop D8. Black played bishop D8. So there you go. I

Speaker A

have a question here. One second, just a moment, look. And again, on knight F5 gxf, yes, you suggest capturing, and then rook E8, well, I can choose either bishop H7 or queen H5 first, what move would you advise? Mm, let me start with

Speaker A

queen H5. Let me start with queen H5. I am simply threatening to capture on H7 and deliver checkmate. And on knight F8 , I will capture now so the king doesn't try to run away somewhere. And on knight takes H7. Now, perhaps G6

Speaker A

will be checkmate. I calculated this variation roughly. It's, in principle, not that difficult. There. Ah, and here Evgeny played bishop D8. This, I think, was the decisive mistake. The decisive mistake for Black. Well, and from there I was unstoppable. I played bishop D4

Speaker A

with a simple threat. To deliver checkmate on H6. Zhenya played F6. Very good. I captured the pawn. He played knight takes F6. Well, what to do? And here I played. I am very proud of this move. Truly, I am very pleased that I

Speaker A

made it, and I am pleased to show it to you. I played queen H5. If knight takes H5, then it's simply checkmate on H6.

Speaker A

And in turn, I threaten to capture on G6 with the rook and open the king's position. Evgeny played rook F7, that is he created a cage for his king. King F8. So for me, ah, now either I have to

Speaker A

sacrifice on G6, but that didn't quite work, or do something else. Well, and here the next move, I think, is even better. Let me ask you about it. White to move, how would you play, friends?

Speaker A

Remember my words, remember the games of Kasparov. And then everything will be fine. Wonderful. Well done. Well done. Arsen Yu. No, Yuri no. Think.

Speaker A

Remember, I told you, bring all pieces into the fight, all of them. Mikhridin, yes, Diana, correct. The only piece that isn't working is the rook on D1. I , of course, played rook E1. After all, you can't capture the queen anyway. I

Speaker A

check on E8 first, rook F8, and now I deliver mate. And that's it. Then followed queen D7. Well, and this is already the end. And now I capture just as I planned. This is what happened in our game. He played rook G7. And I

Speaker A

simply captured the rook. When the rook was standing on D1, this variation didn't work. But with the rook on E1, it all works perfectly. If queen G7, then rook E8 and he captures. I capture and return. And that's all. Zhenya

Speaker A

played something else instead of Queen to G7. He played Queen to F7. Well, here, in principle, it's not difficult.

Speaker A

I just retreated the queen, he took it. Well, I won the queen. And a couple of moves later he resigned. That’s all.

Speaker A

It seems the material is more or less okay for Black, but all the pieces are bad. Look, the rook is on A8, the knight is on A5. That's how the game went. I hope you liked it. Well, let's

Speaker A

go. Alright, that's it, let's run a test. And again, this is my game, this position occurred. White to move. How would you play? Well, let's not, I won't torture you for long. I am ashamed of this game, honestly. Well, I

Speaker A

think I have such a good position that any move wins. Don't you think? Well, look, all my pieces are developed, everything is good. I have already advanced my pawns, his pawns are weakened, the F7 and G6 pawns. These

Speaker A

are all, well, weaknesses that are very good for me, because here I made one weak move, which I am truly ashamed of.

Speaker A

There. Well, that's just how it turned out. Back then I wasn't coaching yet and I was young, I didn't understand everything yet. Now I tell you, yes, yes, yes, Kirill, I lost it. And now, of course, for me this position is,

Speaker A

well, just, even though I'm not as young as I was then, but I would probably win this position now with my hand tied, or even with my eyes closed.

Speaker A

But back then, although I was already a grandmaster, and a strong one at that, I lost it. Look, well, here, in principle, it's quite easy. I am teaching you. And we, remember, we had a lecture dedicated to the best piece

Speaker A

development. With better piece development, what do we simply do? We open up the position. That's all. Well, Black's entire queenside is stuck in place. Well, what, I think the easiest path is Bishop takes H5. That's the simplest thing. Perhaps, perhaps F

Speaker A

takes E, F takes E, Knight to D5 also wins. I don't argue, there, indeed, you need to calculate lines, but Bishop takes H5 is just, you just move your hand and win. If he takes G takes H, then Queen to E2, on the next move we

Speaker A

take on H5 and play G6. And that's it. The only line that would probably need to be calculated is Knight to C4. Well, it's not complex either. And I actually saw that. I thought, I was planning to just take F takes G. If he takes the

Speaker A

queen, then a new queen of mine simply arrives. If he takes on G6, well, I can make any move, and I think it will be a win. I can even play Queen E2. Like this. I think if he takes the knight

Speaker A

with his knight on E7, I can probably even take on G6. I was calculating some line. And this isn't a puzzle, Kirill, it's my game. Well, maybe the game ended up in a puzzle book, yes, maybe, I don't know. And Queen F2 can be

Speaker A

played. Well, you can move however you like. Knight D5 even wins. Well, I don't have to win every time, so you should learn from these mistakes. I played, well, I think I just made a really stupid move. I played A3. I

Speaker A

decided that, well, to not give him any chances with B4, I would play A3 first, and then Bishop H5 and everything else.

Speaker A

And I just gave my opponent an extra tempo. F-G is possible, yes, Ivan, you can take F-G. I agree with you. You can take F-G. You can then take Bishop H5.

Speaker A

And Knight D5 might be possible. Well, Knight D5, as I already said, you need to calculate some variations here.

Speaker A

Queen A8, Knight C6 will somehow go. Do you understand? I didn't want to give any chances at all. That's all. Ah, so, so, so Bishop H5, I think, is the simplest. I played A3, and after Knight C6, I realized that now for Bishop H5.

Speaker A

But he pays no attention to this bishop . He just plays B4. I created problems for myself. I strengthened his pieces.

Speaker A

And the bishop on H5. Well yes, I won a pawn, but that's it and that's all. And then I played Queen E2. Well, I tried to complicate things somehow, but it didn't work. He just moved away. And instead of my attack, now black is just

Speaker A

attacking me. I didn't manage to do anything at all and that's it. Well, and then after one or two moves I resigned. That's the kind of game it was, you see? Well if you give your opponent a chance, how could I just let

Speaker A

the opponent develop his piece with Knight C6 like that. There. Here I am teaching you myself. Open up the position faster if you have development . And at the same time, you see, I made such a mistake myself. But it's better,

Speaker A

of course, if you learn from my mistakes instead of your own. So I hope that's how it will be. Well then, let's finish for today. I think you will need to watch this lecture one more time.

Speaker A

For those who didn't quite get it, I'll repeat once more, the most important idea, the very core idea, in positions with opposite-side castling, is to try to start attacking your opponent as early as possible. Meaning, if you hesitate, the attack will become very,

Speaker A

very dangerous, right? Very dangerous. So try to start attacking earlier, earlier, earlier, faster than your opponent. This is very important. That is all. Oh, and one more point. You started with FG, FG, and then someone took on H5. Yes, let me finish for just

Speaker A

a second. I didn't want to capture on FG. Why? Because I'm keeping more options for myself, you see? With the pawn on F5, I have more possibilities.

Speaker A

Maybe I'll play F6 somewhere. Maybe I'll capture on E6 at some point. Maybe I'll play, maybe I'll play G6. That is why I didn't want to exchange that pawn . Well, that's everything. Well then, that's all for today, dear friends. See

Speaker A

you at the next lesson. The lesson will be on Thursday. Until next time. Bye everyone. Goodbye.

Topics:chessopposite-side castlingchess attack strategieschess lecturepawn sacrificetempo in chesschess tacticschess openingschess middle gamechess ABCHESS SCHOOL

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