attack · recognise → explain → apply

Turn a central breakthrough into a king attack

Your rooks are ready while a central pawn blocks their entry.

Explanation styleChoose any style. Age is not playing strength; no birth date is needed.

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Kamsky, Gata – Karpov, Anatoly

FIDE-Wch · 1996.??.?? · 1-0

17... Qa5 · White to move

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What to notice at 17... Qa5

Kamsky played 18.d5. The later Bxh7+ and rook movement along the fifth rank show that a central opening can expose targets far from the original pawn.

A legally replayed historical example, not a claim that every move is best. A game’s result does not prove every defensive position was lost or drawn.

Game source ↗

Your thinking first

Name the signal, choose a plan, and test the opponent’s most challenging response.

What do you notice?What is your plan, and why?How could the opponent resist?

Recall and explain

1. Your rooks are ready while a central pawn blocks their entry. How would you apply “turn a central breakthrough into a king attack”, and which defensive reply must you check?

Explain it in your own words before revealing.

Make it memorable

Open the centre; count the new doors.

Teach this to a friend in one minute. Then return to a different example and look for the same signal without being told its name.

Reflect and revisit

This is your self-assessment, not an engine grade or a promise of mastery.

Connect the ideas

Sources and further reading

Original LumaChess teaching and game analysis. Topic references are credited below; no affiliation or endorsement is implied.

Game-score provenance and further study ↗