Skip to content
TheChessWorld.com
TheChessWorld Facebook TheChessWorld Twitter TheChessWorld Pinterest TheChessWorld YouTube
  • Start Here
  • Play
  • Learn
    • Training Techniques
    • Openings
    • Middlegame
    • Endgames
    • General Information
  • Tournaments
  • Academy
  • 21-Day Course
  • Store
    • TheChessWorld
    • TCW Academy
    • iChess
    • Chess-Teacher
    • Modern Chess
    • Roman Chess Lab
    • Foxy Chess
    • Grandmaster Magazine
    • ChessLecture
    • ICC
    • Rules Chess Strategies
    • Improve My Chess
    • Others
  • Contact
TheChessWorld.com
Close

Extraction of The King

WGM Raluca Sgîrcea, IM Renier Castellanos
WGM Raluca Sgîrcea, IM Renier Castellanos
12.23.2015
Category: Middle Game
Tags: chess, extraction, king,
Extraction of The King

Winning a great attacking game can definitely give any chess player great satisfaction. However, it’s not always easy to go after the opponent’s king and find an efficient mating idea. Many attacks emerge right after the opening and are based on the opponent’s undeveloped pieces and un-castled king.

 

In this case, it should be easier to open up the king and keep it stuck in the center. When our rival gets to castle, on the other hand, we have to get creative and find other ways in order to break the defense of his monarch. For this, we usually use sacrifices.

Giving up a piece to open the rival king is a common idea and most chess players are familiar with the typical sacrifices that can occur in a game. We have already covered the most important ones in previous articles, so make sure you take a look at those as well.

Some of those, such as the sacrifice on h7 (also known as the Greek Gift sacrifice), the double bishop sacrifice, the sacrifice on f7 (square that’s known as Achilles’ heel) or even on e6 can be used to destroy the castle. Sadly, our opponents might have studied this subject as well and know how to avoid these typical tactical blows. In this case, new ideas and plans are required.

The material sacrifices used in order to lure the enemy king out of his hiding usually end up with it being chased all the way to the center of even further away, where it gets mated. There are no strict rules concerning these sacrifices. Sometimes, even the lines are so long it’s difficult to calculate all the way to the end and you have to rely on your intuition.

Ready to start systematic training that actually works?

start chess training

Click here to start your training using the day-by-day program.

For such a sacrifice to work, you can rely on the general guidelines we have previously presented in our articles, such as better piece cooperation, development advantage, space advantage, weakened king and so on. We’re going to show you next some brilliant tactical games where the king is forced to go on a “stroll” behind the enemy lines, where it gets mated.

The first game we chose is a classic played between Eduard Lasker and George Thomas and many of you might know it already. Even so, it is worth seeing again and trying to assimilate the attacking and mating ideas behind white’s beautiful queen sacrifice. Here, the factor that facilitated the tactics was white’s better piece development and cooperation. Even if he hadn’t yet castled, his knights were placed on central squares (e5 and e4) and the bishop on d3 was ready to join the action. Black wasn’t able to find all white’s threats and became the victim of a nice tactic.

The second game was a Semi-Slav between Grandmasters Cifuentes Parada and Zvjaginsev in which black’s play was easier thanks to his better piece cooperation and space advantage on the queenside. Black correctly used the time white needed to regroup his misplaced pieces to improve his and prepare the final tactical blow.

Last but not least, we’ll leave you with a masterpiece played by Kasparov with the white pieces against Topalov in Wijk aan Zee. In a Pirc Defense, the two players soon reached an interesting middlegame with queenside castles where black’s pawn structure put his king’s safety in danger. It’s very instructive to watch how Kasparov makes use of the weak squares in his opponent’s camp and, just when it looked like the black king found some safety, he finds a fantastic tactical resource.

If you want to improve your chess level, you need to have a clear study plan. If you aim for a dramatic improvement at chess you need to work on all of the elements of the game in a systematic way:

  • tactics
  • positional play
  • attacking skills
  • endgame technique
  • classical games analysis
  • psychological preparation
  • and much more

That seems to be like a lot of things, and that is. But no worries, we have made it easy for you. Our comprehensive training course covers it all and much more. Sign up for 21 Day Training right now!

Find this post useful? Share it?
Become a Chess Player You've Meant to Be!
TCW Academy is the fast, fun & convenient way to become a MUCH better chess player.
Join Academy Today!

Related Posts

  • We’re Hiring!We’re Hiring!
  • Happy 2023!Happy 2023!
  • 10 Reasons to Train with Chess Coach10 Reasons to Train with Chess Coach
Related Products
0 0 votes
Article Rating
Login
0 Comments
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
Join the FREE Road to 2200 Masterclass (and learn how to Attack Like a Chess Master)
We value your privacy
Supercharge Your Chess in 21 Days!
Join Academy Today!
TheChessWorld.com
http://pogonina.com/
Company
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • F.A.Q.
  • Partnership
  • Blog
  • Grandmasters
  • Jobs
Chess Resources
  • TCW Academy
  • The Store
  • 21 Day Course
Top Resources
  • Opening Lab
  • Mastermind
  • Chess Mastery Series
  • Academy
100% Secure Purchase
Customer Support +1 (410) 656-9104
Email Us [email protected]
Contact Us
Facebook Twitter Mail Pinterest Youtube
Copyright 2007-2023 • TheChessWorld.com • All Rights Reserved
Cookie Policy | Acceptable Use Policy | Privacy Policy | Terms and Conditions
We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept”, you consent to the use of all the cookies.
Cookie SettingsAccept
Manage consent

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously.
CookieDurationDescription
cookielawinfo-checkbox-analytics11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-functional11 monthsThe cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-others11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other.
cookielawinfo-checkbox-performance11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance".
viewed_cookie_policy11 monthsThe cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It does not store any personal data.
Functional
Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features.
Performance
Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.
Analytics
Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.
Advertisement
Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads.
Others
Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet.
SAVE & ACCEPT
wpDiscuz
wpDiscuz