By playing the London System, with 1.d4 followed by 2.Nf3 and 3.Bf4, White can avoid a theoretical discussion and instead use natural ability plus a knowledge of plans. The weight of the struggle tends to shift towards the middlegame, but White can also pull off devastatingly quick wins should Black be unaware of the dangers.
Besides the high-level games played in the World Championship match, some exciting Open tournaments are currently taking place as well. This week my attention has been drawn to a game between Kjartansson and Safarli in the Ellobregat Open, near Barcelona.
Black launched a massive kingside attack in a popular variation of the Ragozin (1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 d5 4.Nc3 Bb4). The attack is conducted perfectly by the Azeri GM, but the way he built up his attacking position is at least as instructive.
Exercise: Black has sacrificed a piece for a powerful kingside attack. How should he proceed?
You can move the pieces on the live diagram!
Special attention will be paid to Intermediate Moves, Quiet Moves, Sacrifices on Empty Squares, Mating Patterns, Ignoring Opponents Threat, Calculation in Defence and Method of Comparison. Plus 50 interactive examples to test your knowledge.
Strategy Training: How to Make a Plan
In every game of chess, there comes a moment when one is confronted with the question: what should I do now?
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