Corral and Capture the Enemy King

Lapoc Chess Board, Issue #067 -- GOTM #37

Games vary in length. Some are long hard struggles of 80 or 100 moves, others are miniatures, over in 10 or 12 moves. The average chess game probably sees both players making 35 to 45 moves.

If you want to win a little earlier, after 20 or 25 moves, you're talking about a middlegame victory. This usually means a Kingside attack. The King's stronghold will usually be fairly secure. How do you pick the lock?

Joseph Henry Blackburne, a master tactician gives a wonderful display of how to conduct the Kingside attack. Here he is up against H.W.B. Gifford in the Hague in 1874. He shows how to destroy the King's fortress, then how to drag him out of his hiding place and drive him relentlessly forward, away from the security of his own forces and toward the enemy and his doom.

Corral and Capture the Enemy King

Blackburne, Joseph Henry - Gifford, H.W.B. [C45]

GotM #37 - The Hague, 1874
[Connaughton, Ken]

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4

Scotch Game

3...exd4 4.Bc4 Bc5 5.Ng5

Game position after 5.Ng5

f7 becomes the target

5...Nh6 6.Qh5 Qe7

(6...Qf6 7.0-0 d6 8.h3 Ne5 9.Bb5+ c6-/+)

7.f4

The f-pawn charges forward

7...0-0 8.0-0 d6 9.f5 d3+

Game position after 9...d3+

Black tries to divert White's attention with a counter-attack

10.Kh1 dxc2 11.Nc3

Black's attack is done and now he brings more defenders to the Kingside

11...Ne5 12.Nd5

White sends in another attacker

12...Qd8 13.f6 Ng6

Blocking the enemy Queen's view of f7

14.fxg7

The cover in front of the King is breached and he is drawn forward

14...Kxg7 15.Qxh6+!!

Game position after 15.Qxh6+!!

The Queen is sacrificed to draw the King out further

15...Kxh6 16.Ne6+

The King is now forced further still, away from the cover of his own forces and toward the chilling embrace of the enemy

16...Kh5

(16...Nf4 17.Bxf4+ Kg6 18.Nxd8 Rxd8+-)

17.Be2+

And so it continues

17...Kh4 18.Rf4+

The more eye catching finish

(18.g3+ Kh3 19.Ndf4+ Nxf4 20.Nxf4#)

18...Nxf4 19.g3+ Kh3 20.Nexf4#

Game position after 20.Nexf4#

And a beautiful attack is completed

1-0

Blackburne - Gifford, Hague, 1874)

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See you next month.

Ken

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