Attacking the KingThe conditions an attack needs, and what to do when they are absent.ChessAttacks succeed on preconditions, not on enthusiasm.1Check the centre is stableA wing attack with an open centre usually fails. Secure it first.2Count attackers and defendersYou need more pieces near their king than they have defending it.3Open a lineA pawn sacrifice or a break. Attacks need open files anddiagonals.4Bring in the reservesRooks via a lift; the queen last, not first.5Look for the sacrificeOnly once enough force is present. Calculate it fully.CLASSIC SACRIFICESBxh7+ — the Greek giftRxh7 to open the h-fileNf5 to remove a defenderExchange sac on c3 in the SicilianIf the centre is open and unstable, a wing attack is usually refuted by acentral counter. Fix the centre first.Attacking the Kinglearnposters.com
Attacking the King — printable games wall chart from LearnPosters. Free vector PDF, US Letter and A4.

Attacking the King, step by step

Attacks succeed on preconditions, not on enthusiasm.

  1. Check the centre is stableA wing attack with an open centre usually fails. Secure it first.
  2. Count attackers and defendersYou need more pieces near their king than they have defending it.
  3. Open a lineA pawn sacrifice or a break. Attacks need open files and diagonals.
  4. Bring in the reservesRooks via a lift; the queen last, not first.
  5. Look for the sacrificeOnly once enough force is present. Calculate it fully.

Classic sacrifices

  • Bxh7+ — the Greek gift
  • Rxh7 to open the h-file
  • Nf5 to remove a defender
  • Exchange sac on c3 in the Sicilian

If the centre is open and unstable, a wing attack is usually refuted by a central counter. Fix the centre first.

Questions about the Attacking the King poster

What’s on the Attacking the King poster?
5 numbered steps, with a full worked run-through. Attacks succeed on preconditions, not on enthusiasm. Check the centre is stable — A wing attack with an open centre usually fails. Secure…; Count attackers and defenders — You need more pieces near their king than they have d…; Open a line — A pawn sacrifice or a break. Attacks need open files and diagonals.; Bring in the reserves — Rooks via a lift; the queen last, not first.; Look for the sacrifice — Only once enough force is present. Calculate it fully.. If the centre is open and unstable, a wing attack is usually refuted by a central counter. Fix the centre first.
Who is the Attacking the King poster for?
Attacking the King belongs to the Chess section rather than to a school year, because games is not something one grade owns. Anyone learning middlegame can pin it up — a beginner, a student mid-course, or someone revising years later.
When should you use the Attacking the King poster?
Do not attack until you have more attackers than they have defenders. Count first. A wall chart earns its place by being glanceable from where the work is happening, so Attacking the King belongs on the wall where that games work actually happens, within glancing distance, rather than filed away.
What other posters go with Attacking the King?
Bishop or Knight, Defending and When to Trade sit alongside Attacking the King in the Chess section. Printed together they make a wall rather than a single sheet, which is how a reference set actually gets used.Bishop or KnightDefendingWhen to Trade
Is the Attacking the King poster free to download and print?
Yes. Attacking the King downloads as a free PDF with no account, no email and no watermark, like everything else in the Chess section. Print as many copies as you like for a home, a classroom, a library or a tutoring group; reselling the file is the only thing the licence rules out.Read the licence
What size does the Attacking the King poster print at?
Attacking the King is a vector PDF laid out for US Letter, and prints on A4 with Fit to page — the same file, no separate download. Because every mark on it is drawn rather than photographed, it stays sharp enlarged to A3, A2 or A1 at a copy shop. Colour carries emphasis only, so a greyscale print of Attacking the King loses nothing.Printing guide

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