CHESS PUZZLER, DEFENDING A THEORITICAL KINGSIDE ASSAULT
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This happens in MANY of my games, so much so, it's frustrating. I'm looking for practical advice on what to do against such a theoritical attack. No doubt my opponents use it because it's successful for them, but it's simply too easy to do, and I think it's up to us on RHP to make things a little more challenging for such players and think hard what to do about this kind of attack.
You are the black peices, you have castled kingside in the opening. Your white opponent has a queen on the h file, in front of his own pawns. The queen isn't exactly easy to get at, if white wants to tuck it there early, there's not much you can do to drive it out, and attacking it seems kinda fruitless as there are many squares where it can simply move and continue similar threats. Your opponent has just played Ng5, which is quite easy to do, simply move the knight to g5 from f3.
It's very obvious what such noobs threaten when they play Ng5 and their queen is posted on the h file, but how do you meet it? Pushing the kingside pawns to drive the knight out, seems to cause more grief then cure. Leave the knight there, and you will always have the threat of Qxh7 mate in the backside of your head, and that is not a good feeling.
A lot of the time players do, what I consider a mistake that I have done myself, of just diciding to ignore this knight move, because your knight on f6 is defending h7. HOWEVER, and this is a big HOWEVER, riding of this defender is not a difficult task for white. All he needs to do is simply threaten the knight, with say, a bishop, which also isn't very hard to do, in fact it can usually be done the next move. Then his plan, is again, very obvious. He wants to trade his bishop for your knight, then mate on h7. If you move the knight, it's mate on h7, if you try to block the threat with Nh5 (a maneuver I often try which has proven to suck), provided you have a pawn on g6 and perhabs fianchettoed king's bishop, he will simply play play g4, win a peice, and the attack continues.
It seems no matter what convensional plan I try and use to stop this threat, I have to weaken my position and make concessions, and I don't like that. Please don't awnser something stupid like, "stop his peices from geting there", again, there's little you can do if a white player decides to post his queen on the h file early, again, a move like Ng5 is simply one move away after that natural developing move of Nf3, and it doesn't take a genius to figure out how easy it is for white to attack a kingside knight with a bishop, usually that can even be done as a developing move aswell.
Anyways, this strategy seems to be a chess monopoly in my eyes. I'm I missing something? How do you deal with this typical tactic I meet in probably 50% of my games? Feel free to post advice, frustrations, comments or annotated games, I want this attack to be put to rest...
Originally posted by mateuloseGee, I don't know that's absolutely impossible to defend. I mean you can't pin the Knight or play an early h6 or even castle Queenside. Please stop telling people this steamroller, indefensible attack; I'm trying to keep my rating up ya know!
CHESS PUZZLER, DEFENDING A THEORITICAL KINGSIDE ASSAULT
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This happens in MANY of my games, so much so, it's frustrating. I'm looking for practical advice on what to do against such a theoritical attack. No doubt my opponents use it because it's successful for them, but it's simply too easy to d ...[text shortened]... post advice, frustrations, comments or annotated games, I want this attack to be put to rest...
Originally posted by mateulosePost a game where this happened to you. I'll put in my 2cents and I'm sure others can offer their own, and probably better, advice.
CHESS PUZZLER, DEFENDING A THEORITICAL KINGSIDE ASSAULT
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This happens in MANY of my games, so much so, it's frustrating. I'm looking for practical advice on what to do against such a theoritical attack. No doubt my opponents use it because it's successful for them, but it's simply too easy to d ...[text shortened]... post advice, frustrations, comments or annotated games, I want this attack to be put to rest...
Originally posted by no1marauderThe queen is on the h file, it's kinda obviously guarding against the possibility of pinning that knight, plus, what exactly are you pinning? The queen is on the h file, not on it's original square anymore, so you are consequently pinning nothing. h6 creates a weakness, he can sac with his bishop on h6, and with his queen on the h file, he will get rid of two kingside pawns for a bishop, a good sacrefice and strong attack. Castleling queenside, well, I've never heard of this with the Sicilian as black, care to offer some proof of this sound variation?
Gee, I don't know that's absolutely impossible to defend. I mean you can't pin the Knight or play an early h6 or even castle Queenside. Please stop telling people this steamroller, indefensible attack; I'm trying to keep my rating up ya know!
No1Marauder, I know you think I know dick all about chess, which is why I made this thread. Posting sarcasm will not help anything, this is for ppl around my rating who want to improve their defense, as I am sure they have met such attacks routinely. . .
First it would be great if you would add one of your games in the message. But possible solutions for you are... castle queenside orexchange major pieces. And one thing i wanna ask: Does your games (you as black) start 1.e4 e5 Df3 or somethink like that... because after e4 e5 Rf3 Rc6 etc... i dont see any good way for white to bring his queen to h3 or g3 without some serious tempo losses. And where is white king when white major pieces attack at kingside? ...Queenside? If so, start furious counterattack at queenside by pushing a,b,c-pawns and bringing rooks a and b files and then sacrifising and mating (trust me 🙂)
Ok, I have several examples, but unfortunenately, all 5 of them are games in progress, games in which I could probably simply resign, having a rotten exposed king and being down a pawn, but I dicided to play out in the hope of a mistake, so no, I cannot show these. . .
The only example I can find is one of my older games, when I was a newbie. There are also several other examples were I held the fort and won, but it was very difficult. The game is:
Game 658055
PS: Don't pay attention to the endgame or all those rediculous king moves I had to do to save myself, the theme here is his kingside attack with queen and knights.
Originally posted by mateuloseAnd how does the Queen get to the h file, Mateulose by teleportation? What moves has Black made before? Give a line, a variation anything!! Sometimes not castling at all is an option with the Sicilian or castling late; I've had winning games with the Sicilian where I've done either. I've had more problems with pawn pushes than the Queen on the h-file and the solution in the Sicilian is: ATTACK on the Queenside. The Sicilian is a fighting defense; you're not supposed to play passively - if you want passive try the Caro-Kann.
The queen is on the h file, it's kinda obviously guarding against the possibility of pinning that knight, plus, what exactly are you pinning? The queen is on the h file, not on it's original square anymore, so you are consequently pinning nothing. h6 creates a weakness, he can sac with his bishop on h6, and with his queen on the h file, he will get rid o ...[text shortened]... rating who want to improve their defense, as I am sure they have met such attacks routinely. . .
I'm having trouble visualizing all this, as I'm still new to chess notation.. any example games? I think I understand what he's complaining about.. as I make too many mistakes on the attacks to the kingside castling defense.. .. so I'm interesting in seeing some successfully defense tactics too.. .. 'course.. I make stupid mistakes anywhere .. especially on pawns.. for some reason I have trouble seeing what the opponents pawns can do to me.. I just ignore the pawns way too much. I need a good pawn book.. something just about pawns.
Originally posted by no1marauderUgh, Qf3 then Qh3, that's not hard to do, again, it's very noobish opening to develop the queen before that knight, but I've seen it done a lot. I tried attacking the queen when it does this maneuver, but it always finds little holes to hide itself, then Nf3, followed by Ng5 is sure to follow. I have one very good model game of that, but it's in progress.
And how does the Queen get to the h file, Mateulose by teleportation? What moves has Black made before? Give a line, a variation anything!! Sometimes not castling at all is an option with the Sicilian or castling late; I've had winning games with the Sicilian where I've done either. I've had more problems with pawn pushes than the Queen on the ...[text shortened]... ighting defense; you're not supposed to play passively - if you want passive try the Caro-Kann.
Originally posted by mateuloseEver consider d6; that kinda prevents the Queen from getting to h3 doesn't it?
Ugh, Qf3 then Qh3, that's not hard to do, again, it's very noobish opening to develop the queen before that knight, but I've seen it done a lot. I tried attacking the queen when it does this maneuver, but it always finds little holes to hide itself, then Nf3, followed by Ng5 is sure to follow. I have one very good model game of that, but it's in progress.
I took a quick look at your game and the Queen doesn't even get out to f4 until move 13. Your problem in that game is obvious; you didn't develop most of your pieces effectively and some you didn't develop at all. As between someone who's aggressively developing and someone who's not developing it's not hard to predict who's going to win. Start actually doing something on the Queenside when you play the Sicilian rather than waiting around for White to eventually attack and you might accomplish something.
Originally posted by no1marauderUgh, what are you talking about? All my peices are pretty much developed by move 11 and the game is pretty even peice activity wise. All my peices are on natural Sicilian squares aswell. Explain plz, rather then just taunt.
Ever consider d6; that kinda prevents the Queen from getting to h3 doesn't it?
I took a quick look at your game and the Queen doesn't even get out to f4 until move 13. Your problem in that game is obvious; you didn't develop most of your pieces effectively and some you didn't develop at all. As between someone who's aggressively develo ...[text shortened]... an rather than waiting around for White to eventually attack and you might accomplish something.
Originally posted by mateuloseReally? What move is your Queen rook developed on? Take a look and come back with the answer. Your other pieces are not properly developed either and your Queenside is not aggressively mobilized. How long does your Bishop just sit at d7? You think that because you know a few opening moves you know the opening, but you don't. The theory behind the Sicilian is aggressive Queenside counterattack and you don't do it until it's too late and even then you only use your Queen. Is that enough of an explanation for you? YOU PLAYED TOOOOOOO PASSIVE! Not only his Queen got on your King, but so did two rooks. It took time for him to get those pieces over, time you should have used in counterattacking on the Queenside but you didn't. So he gained the advantage. Simple.
Ugh, what are you talking about? All my peices are pretty much developed by move 11 and the game is pretty even peice activity wise. All my peices are on natural Sicilian squares aswell. Explain plz, rather then just taunt.
As looking your game (very weird game), i want to say my opinion. First, space between your king and h/g-pawns spells often danger. Second, Whites 16. move is (of course) blunder. Then you play best move ,hxg5 and he plays Nxg5. But now...why you played Qd8? It is not bad move, but as it is clear that you are piece up and so white is forced to try some desperate attacks ,why you just didnt play 17...Bxg5. Then after whites Qxg5 you could play Qd8. Seems like you have forgot what to do when you have material advantage...play towards endgame where your extra pieces highlight your advantage. Anyway after game move 17...Qd8 he played 18.f4! and NOW you took white knight. Why now? Now white is able to recapture with pawn, and ALSO opening f-file (!) for his attacks. So be more careful and use your opportunies to seize initiative...in this game there were plenty opportunies.
Originally posted by JusuhThat was the primary mistake in the game in which I slaped my forehead. I played Qd8, thinking I could get ANOTHER peice (knight pinned to the queen and double attacked), but didn't see f4. I really hate that, players often ruin my tactics by pawn blocking, I don't consider the pawn blocking, it's a downside. f4 isn't exactly a good move, it was the ONLY move, so he played it, and for whatever reason, I didn't see it, and it turned out the ONLY move he could use to defend, was actually superb. Your right, I should of traded it right away, but then again, I knew that the minute I saw f4.
As looking your game (very weird game), i want to say my opinion. First, space between your king and h/g-pawns spells often danger. Second, Whites 16. move is (of course) blunder. Then you play best move ,hxg5 and he plays Nxg5. But now...why you played Qd8? It is not bad move, but as it is clear that you are piece up and so white is forced to try some desper ...[text shortened]... ful and use your opportunies to seize initiative...in this game there were plenty opportunies.