KINGS SAFETY II-

We continue the chapter dedicated to the kings safety with the study of strategies and
tactics on position with modified pawn structures on the king side, when the opponents
have castled on the same side. There are 3 possible situations related to the advancing of
one of the 3 pawns in front of the castle (f, g, or h).

A. The first two examples shows the frequent case after h2-h3 or h7-h6 and deserve
to be remembered as model games for how to use the weakness of g6 (g3) square.
EX 1) Barcza Tibor, Budapest ,1938
1.e4 e5 2.Nc3 Bc5 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.d3 h6 5.Be3 Bb6
After 5...Bxe3 6.fxe3, in exchange for the damaged pawn structure, White controls the
squares d4 and f4 and has the half-open f-file to make f7 vulnerable.
6.Nge2 d6 7.0-0 0-0 8.Bxb6 axb6 9.f4 exf4
Black, which is behind in development should avoid opening up the line (especially such
a pawn trade e5 for f4). Better was 9....Nc6.
10.Nxf4 Nc6 11.Ncd5
Challenging the defender, White starts the final assault by creating pieces superiority on
the king side.
11...Nh7
The main features of the position are:
-the pin of the pawn f7
-the weakness of g6 square created by the
earlier push h7-h6
12.Ng6
Black cannot take the knight because of
12...fxg6? 13.Ne7++ Kh8 14.Nxg6.
By this move, White chases away another
defender of the castle: the f8-ook.

12Re8 13.Rxf7 Kxf7 14.Qh5

The sacrifice led to a typical drive out of the Black king.
Notice that two batteries (Qh5+Ng6 and Bc4+Nd5) are aiming the Black's monarch. If
14....Nf6 15.Nxf6+ Kxf6 16. Rf1+ Bf5 17.Qf5 mate.
14...Be6 15.Nge7+ Kf8 16.Rf1+ Nf6 17.Rxf6+ gxf6 18.Qxh6+ Kf7 19.Qxf6# 1-0

EX 2) Van Van der Wiel,J - Van Wely,L, Hilversum, 2006

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 e6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 a6 5.Bd3 Bc5 6.Nb3 Be7 7.Qg4 g6 8.Qe2 d6 9.Be3
Nf6 10.N1d2 Nc6 11.Nc4 Nd7 12.a4 d5 13.exd5 exd5
The typical position of IQP (isolated queen pawn) arose. Black compensates the longterm weakness from d5 with a better position in the center and a better pieces mobility.
14.Ncd2 0-0 15.Nf3 Re8 16.0-0 Bd6 17.Bg5 f6 18.Be3 Nde5
One of the typical plans for the side which has the IQP consists in a pieces attack on the
king side favored by the central superiority. Based on the domination along b8-h2
diagonal, Black starts to build an attack.
To do list:
- force White to push h2-h3 or g2-g3 in order to create weak squares in front of the castle
- use c8-h3,b8-h2 and a7-g1 diagonals -obstruct White's queen and deflecting the
defender Nf3
19.h3 Bc7 20.Nfd4 Nb4
The IQP holder must avoid trades and use the lack of coordination in White's camp.
21.Bf4 Qd6 22.Bg3 Bd7 23.Qd2 Nbxd3 24.cxd3 Bb6
Stressing the h2-h3 CQS:
- the square g3 became weaker and the pawn f2 can be pined
- the g2 pawn can be overloaded to defend h3 and f3 especially due to the geometrical
reason Qd2 and Kg1 at the proximity of Ne5
25.Rfc1
The features of the position:
- "X-rays threats along a7-g1 diagonal
- the presence of Bg3 unprotected due to the
pin of f2
- the unhappy setup Qd2, Kg1 at the hand of
Ne5-f3.

Black is to move

25...Bxh3 26.gxh3
The acceptance of the sacrifice destroys the pawn shield in front of the White king, but
otherwise Black would have remained a pawn up.
26...Nf3+ 27.Kg2 Qxg3+ 28.Kxg3 Nxd2 29.Nc5
[29.Nxd2 Bxd4 30.Rc2 Re2-/+ with a terrible domination of Bd4 and Re2 along the
second rank.]
29...Rac8 30.b4 a5 31.Nb5 axb4 32.Nd7 Rxc1 33.Rxc1
Probably White run out of time, although Black's advantage is obvious. 0-1

EX 3) The third example shows another drawback of this pawn structure: the anchorage
sacrifice on f6 using the overloading of g7 pawn which must protect f6 and h6 as well.

Dolmatov,S - Anikaev,Y
Frunze, 1979
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 e6 6.Be2 Be7 7.0-0 0-0 8.f4 Nc6 9.Be3
Bd7 10.Nb3 a6 11.a4 Na5
Which are the CQS of Blacks last move?
Black hopes to trade Nb3 and to reach
central pawn superiority, but leaves the
control over the square e5. White jumps in
and deflects the defender of the castle Nf6.

12.e5! Ne8 13.Nxa5 Qxa5 14.Qd2 Kh8 15.Bd4 dxe5 16.fxe5 Bc6 17.Qe3 Nc7 18.Bd3
Nd5 19.Qh3
White starts the final assault. The methods are the same: by successive threats White tries
to destroy Black's pawn structure from the king side.

19...h6 20.Rf6!
Besides that Rf6 is untouchable, White is
threatening 21.Rxh6 gxh6 22.Qxh6 Kg8
23.Qh7 mate.
20...Kg8 21.Rxh6 gxh6 22.Qxh6 f5 23.exf6
Rxf6 24.Bh7+ Kf7
[24...Kh8 25.Bg6+ Kg8 26.Qh7+ Kf8
27.Qh8#]
25.Qh5+
The bishop from d4 has a dominant position,
the black king is exposed especially to an attack on light squares, so White must close the
mate net.
[White continued with : 25.Bxf6 Bxf6 26.Rf1 Qc5+ 27.Kh1 Qf8 28.Bg6+ Ke7 29.Qh7+
Qg7 30.Qxg7+ Bxg7 31.Rf7+ Kd6 32.Rxg7 and eventually won the game.]
25...Kf8 26.Bg6 Rxg6 27.Qxg6 Bc5 28.Rf1+ Ke7 29.Rf7+ Kd8
[29...Kd6 30.Ne4#]
30.Qg5+ Kc8 31.Qg8+ Qd8 32.Qxd8+ Kxd8 33.Bxc5
White is wining due to the "h" free pawn and superior qualitative pieces.

B. Destroying the pawn shield or use the weak square complex after g2-g3 or g7-g6
EX 1) Flohr,S - Pitschak,R, Blin, 1930
1.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 e6 3.Nbd2 c5 4.e3 b6 5.Bd3 Bb7 6.0-0 Be7 7.c4 0-0 8.b3 d5 9.Qc2
A poor choice for White; Black will win a tempo threatening Nc6-b4 and takes the
initiative.
9...Nc6 10.a3 cxd4 11.cxd5? Qxd5 12.exd4 Nxd4 13.Qb1 Rfd8 14.Ne1
How can Black exploit the local pieces superiority on the king side?
Creating threats with every move and provoke White to push the pawns. You'll notice
that after each pawn moves new "holes" appears in White's camp.

14...Qh5 15.Bb2 Bd6 16.g3

The features of the typical sacrifice are:
- Black attacks with 4 pieces (Qh5, Bb7, Bd6, Nf6) and White's king has only the pawn
shield.
- the white king has no escape after g2-g3 which weakened the long diagonal a8-h1
- White's pieces lack of coordination and can not defend the squares from the "h" file
[16.h3 Qe5 17.g3 Qd5-+]
16...Ng4 17.h4 Qxh4
[17...Qxh4 18.gxh4 Bh2#] 0-1

EX 2) Hitselberger, J. - Houser, T., correspondence game

White is to move

The position arises from the Roy Lopez. White has a pawn majority on the king side but
Black has the lead in development and threatens to penetrate Whites camp on the d
file with c5-c4, Nf6-d7-c5 (e5)-d3 breaking Whites pieces coordination.
White must act quickly in order to use the favorable circumstances.
15.e5 Nd5 16.Ne4 c4 17.Bc2 Qc7 18.Neg5
Starting to soften up the Black kingside pawn structure.
18... g6 19.Qe4!
White's queen movement is instructive (its pretty difficult to reach g4 or h4 without
moving the Nf3). White is using the temporary weakness of light squares from the king
side and start to create local pieces superiority.
19... Nd8 [diagram]
Black defends e6 and f7, but White is aiming
for h7.
20.Qh4
Weakening one more time the pawn shield.
20... h5 21.Qg3 Bxg5
Trying to defend against the sacrifices on g6
or f7. After this trade, Black is left without the
usual defensive duo of the knight on f6 and
the bishop on e7 and the dark squares around
the black king will be accessible for White.
22.Qxg5 Ne6 23.Qh6 Rfe8 24.Bg5
The g6 pawn cannot be taken yet because the Black queen protects the 7th rank
24... Qc5
The main features:
- the black queen is overloaded due to the
threat Bg5-f6 followed by mate. It cannot
simultaneously protect against the Bxg6
sacrifice and the threatened mate on g7.
- Bb7 can not participate in defense
- if White waits another move black can
defend g6 with Ne6-f8

White to move

25.Bxg6!
Of course, now that the Black queen has vacated the seventh rank, White crushes the
black pawns from the king side. Actually is the only way to rich advantage because the
local superiority can not be used without open lines.
25... fxg6 26.Qxg6+ Kf8
[26 ... Ng7 27 Bf6 Qc7 28 Ng5 +-]
27.Qh6+
The key here is to prevent Black defenders, especially the queen, from coming to the aid
of their king.
27... Kg8 28.Bf6 Qc7
[28 ... Nxf6 29 exf6 Bxf3 30 Rxe6 Qc7 31 f7+! +-]
29.Qh8+ Kf7 30.Qxh5+
Gathering up the third pawn to gain full material compensation for the sacrificed piece
and clearing the way for the h pawn. White eventually won the game.

C. Positions where the f pawn is pushed creating weaknesses on a7-g1 (a2-g8)

diagonal
The KID (Kings Indian Defense) is the opening where these pawn structures arise often.
Sometimes White pushes f2-f3 in order to support the key pawn e4 and Black can use the
a7-g1 diagonal and the square g3 which became vulnerable after f2-f3.
Piket,Jeroen - Kasparov,Garry
Tilburg, 1989

Black to move

20...g3!
The only move which can continue Black's dark-squared initiative. Take note: now the
Bf2 and the pawn h2 caught up in the game. Seizing the initiative, or pursuing strategic
goals are more important than material. Black sacrifices Ra8 (or just the exchange) in
order to be able to occupy the squares g3 and h2.
21.Nxa8?!
[21.hxg3 - according to many annotators this was the best reply for White. We will also
look into this variation: 21...fxg3 22.Bxg3 with the price of a pawn Black creates room for
his pieces on dark squares.
To do list:
- take control over the dark squares by Bh6-f4, Nf6-h5-g3, Qd8-h4
- use the "g" file if necessary by Rf7-g7
22...Bh6! 23.Nxa8 Nh5 24.Bf2 Bxc1
the Bh6 is no more of use, since Black is now trying for a white-squared initiative.
25.Qxc1 Ngf4 26.Bc4 Rg7 27.Kh2 Qg5 28.Qd2 Qh6-/+
Black's superiority on "g" and "h" files is overwhelming.]
21...Nh5!?
It is useful to point out here, that Black has noticeably strengthened his position on the
kingside, whilst White has taken off the passive rook on a8 by the maneuver Nc3-b5-c7a8.
[21...gxf2+ 22.Rxf2 Qxa8~~]
22.Kh1
With the idea of Bf2-g1.
[22.Bxa7 Qh4 23.h3 Bxh3 - another typical sacrifice to destroy White's pawn shield in
KID. 24.gxh3 Qxh3 Black has managed to conquer the squares g3, h2. 25.Rf2 gxf2+
26.Kxf2 Nh4! 27.Nd3 Qg3+ 28.Kf1 Ng2-/+]
22...gxf2 23.Rxf2
The positional features are:
- the white king is lonely in the corner
- the dark squares from the king side and
from a7-g1 diagonal are weak due to the
absence of Bf2
- White cannot afford to open the "h" file or
to permit a black pawn on g3

Black is to move

23...Ng3+!
[better than 23...Qh4 24.Kg1]
24.Kg1
[24.hxg3 fxg3-+]
After the Bf2 was traded, the dark squares along a7-g1 diagonal became very weak. With
the plan a7-a6 followed by Qa8-a7, Black uses this right away.
24...Qxa8!
[24...Nxe2+ 25.Rxe2 Qxa8=/+]
25.Bc4
[25.hxg3? fxg3 26.Rf1 Nf4 27.Nd3 Qd8-+; 25.a6 Nxe2+ 26.Rxe2 bxa6-/+]
25...a6! 26.Qd3?!
A little better was 26.Nd3 Qa7!;
26.hxg3 fxg3 27.Ra2 Qd8 Followed by Nf4 and Qh4 with a strong attack.
26...Qa7! 27.b5 axb5 28.Bxb5 Nh1 0-1
Of course this complicated fight was based on a deep positional understanding and
precise reckoning of the variations.