Aagaard, Attacking Manual 2

The old masters dealt only with the static features of positional rules.

But, these are insufficient to explain the basics of chess. The problem is that chess, like other sciences, has undergone a dynamic revolution, but chess literature does not yet reflect this. In this major work Aagaard explains the rules of attack (the exploitation of a dynamic advantage), balanced between understandable examples, and deep analysis.

Five years in the making, this book deals with weak kings, sacrifices, various minor attacking themes, intuitive sacrifices, opposite castling, modern king hunts, and enduring initiative.

Contents

Key to Symbols used 4

Preface to the second edition 7

Bring it on - an introduction 9

Chapter 1 ? Understanding Mating Attacks 9
Typical Mates & Focal Points 11
Three Piece Attacks 25
Insurance Policies 30
Transformations 31
Exercises 40
Solutions 43

Chapter 2 ? Typical Piece Play 53
The Assault Ratio 57vDeflection 67 Overloading 76
Tempo-gainers 81
Piece Sacrifices for time 84
Transition squares 89
Lines of Communication 101
Vacating Squares 118
Outposts 127
Launching 135
The pin 148
Improving the Circumstances 165
Prophylaxis 170
The f5/f4-squares 178

Chapter 3 ? Typical Pawn Play 181
Pawn breaks 183
Pawns as valuable as pieces 193
Pawn storms 208
Pawn sacrifices 237
Provoking weaknesses 243

Chapter 4 ? King Safety 251
Destroying the defensive structure 253
Line clearance 264
Cutting off the defences 275
Weak kings 281
Drawing the king into the open 293
Kings on the run 300
Cutting off the escape route 311
The king stuck in the centre 315
Breakthrough in the centre 321
Two thematic sacrifices 346

Chapter 5 ? Intuitive Sacrifices and Enduring Initiative 353
Creative play 355
A sudden chance 358
Aggressive opening play 377
Intuitive sacrifices 391
Enduring initiative 399
Chapter 6 ? Exercises 413
Solutions 423

Index of games and game fragments 457