Attack Like Euwe on the h-File
Today, I'll answer MagentaCart's question:
"How do you launch an attack?"
There are many, many ways to do it, but I've selected a single theme, the h-file!!
Max Euwe (pronounce it like "Er-vuh" sort of gently) was the 5th world chess champion, a mathematician and PhD, and an author.
Euwe was from the Netherlands, and in Amsterdam there is a square (like, a plaza) named after him. He wrote more than 70 books! Here is a cool statue of him.
The h-file is a great place to focus your attack, whether you have White or Black, because that's usually where the king has castled!
Here is an example. Click through the moves of this miniature. Euwe was playing a young Bobby Fischer and after his brilliant move final move, threatened a mate on the h-file!
Do you see the big threat? If Black takes the knight, Qh8 is mate!
Now you try. Let's start with an easy mate-in-two.
Great! In the following game, Euwe encouraged his opponent's king to hike all the way across the board! He used forcing moves and an unusual opening of the h-file for his rook to attack and eventually checkmate the king. Watch this march of doom, then solve the mate puzzle!
And, now checkmate!
Sometimes Euwe got in trouble on the h-file, too. Here's his game with Richard Reti, who mated him after a great discovered attack.
Oops! That queen really got out of place capturing Black's rooks...It's not always about material; initiative is super important!
Take some initiative and clean your room!
And here's an awesome queen sac! Euwe lost this game to Edgar Colle.
Whether you are starting your attack or ending it with mate, look to the h-file to activate your pieces!
RELATED STUDY MATERIAL
- Watch GM Benzoo's video on how the world champion attacks.
- Refresh your basic checkmates with a computer workout.
- Ask Coach Jessica about more ways to win in the Gruenfeld!
- Test your chess vision with our tactical puzzles.