How to Attack in the Middlegame, World Champion Style

Hi ChessKids! Today our lucky question-asker is HeroicPatch who wondered how to make the right plan in the middlegame. Good question! Most people can meander through the opening, but once your pieces are developed, then what? Let's see how world champions do it. 

You will need to be flexible and balanced in your plan-making. Decide if the position requires you to:

1. Attack (in which case, where is your target? Kingside, Queenside or Center?);

2. Defend; 

3. Wait (for your opponent to make a mistake), and just get your pieces to better squares.

Vishy Anand was losing the 2013 World Championship Match at this point (and Magnus Carlsen was victorious in the end - our new world champion!). Overall this game is very complicated; however, I believe that several of Anand's plans were super clear! (He lost this game after making a terrible blunder, but his attack was strong and dangerous. Magnus admitted to being scared!)

 

Anand decided to attack so we will look at that option today. One way to find a target area is to look at the "river of pawns." Do you see the pawn chain White has?  Where is it aiming? How can you make your river even longer?

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So both sides have pushed, with White aiming directly at Black's king, and Black looking like he's trying to promote a passed pawn! Next Anand brings in his queen, and Carlsen has to retreat his knight to help defend the kingside next move. 
 
Create a weakness in Black's castle! Then you get to play fantasy chess.  White gets three moves in a row: the queen will slide her way into the castle and mate (in your fantasy)!
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OK in the real game Black stopped the threat by playing Ne8 which guards g7. So, White had to make a new target.
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Where should White attack? Look for another weak square around the king. Then, more fantasy chess! You get three moves again to make a mate.
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Awesome! So White's plan was fairly simple once he determined he should attack and where his target was. Sadly, he made a giant blunder after this that cost him the game. The point, though, is the plan - make a decision and stick to it until you can't anymore!
 
Magnus Carlsen is the new World Chess Champion!!

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