The Complete Guide to Attacking Chess

Name: The Complete Guide to Attacking Chess
Rating: 4.6 (88 reviews)

Master the Art of Attacking Chess: Learn Aggressive Strategies, Middlegame Tactics, Openings and Pattern Recognition

Created byTryfon Gavriel

Last updated 8/2023

English

English [Auto],

What you'll learn

Ability to appreciate what makes attacking chess effective and how to get great attacking positions for combinations to become possible
Ability to appreciate the elements in positions relating to attacking potential
Ability to see how certain openings can lead to attacking positions
Appreciate the greatest attacking players in Chess history
Ability to become a more concrete player by basing play around concrete mating combinations that end the chess war
Ability to reverse engineer how beautiful mating combinations are made possible and see the mistakes made, and elements made use of
Ability to appreciate some of the most iconic and instructive attacking chess games in history
Ability to appreciate the attacking perks of various pawn structures
Ability to appreciate that sometimes winning endgame simplification is the reward for attack
Ability to appreciate Alexander Alekhine as a "sensei" for Kasparov and learn from Alekhine's attacking foundation examples
Ability to appreciate Alexander Tolush as a "sensei" for Spassky and learn from Tolush's foundational examples
Ability to appreciate the power of piece teamwork when the opponent's King is weakened for example controlling escape squares, supporting pieces, and checking
Ability to appreciate saying "No!" to opponent's threats and need to auto-recapture and instead becoming more downside centric e.g. mating instead
Ability to appreciate the accumulation of advantages model set out by the first World chess champion Steinitz and how this relates to groundwork for attacks
Ability to appreciate the power of opening preparation when preparing for specific opponents
Ability to appreciate grounded attacking chess as a kind of "delayed gratification" in terms of accumulating advantages first and then a justified attack

Course content

48 sections • 170 lectures • 35h 35m total length

Why focus on Attacking the Opponent's King?14:46
Learn to attack the opponent's king with precise, practical plans. Build attacking ingredients and accumulate advantages to reach spectacular checkmate combinations in real games.
Alexander Alekhine Quotation Selection11:12
Study Alexander Alekhine’s attacking philosophy, where combinations fuel the game, objectivity and scientific play guide plans, and Kasparov’s youth-inspired lessons emphasize precise positional sacrifices and timing.
Alekhine as combinational attacking player role model7:31
Explore Alexander Alekhine as a role model for attacking chess, highlighting his imaginative, precise combinations and deep preparation that fuel decisive sacrifices and attacking ingredients.
Text version:Alekhine as combinational attacking player role model0:45
Garry Kasparov Quotation Selection10:05
Explore Garry Kasparov's attacking chess philosophy, blending Alekhine, Tal, and Fischer styles to seize opportunities and apply the attacker's advantage in any position.
Interesting Chess Quotations on Attacks, Sacrifices and Combinations20:15
Explore iconic chess quotations on attacks, sacrifices, and combinations across champions, from Philidor to Kasparov, highlighting initiative, preparation, and dynamic attacking principles.
Text version - Interesting Chess Quotes on Attack, Sacrifices and Combinations1:55
Great attacking players and their roots10:28
Explore how great attacking players build a resilient root system through a supply chain of classic games—from Morphy to Alekhine and Kasparov—analyzing their examples for objective, active attacking methods.
Course index and conventions11:46
An introduction to the course index and conventions, highlighting attacking ingredients, patterns, and evaluation strategies to sharpen intuitive play and position assessment. Learn about seeds, tags, and patterns.
Importance of detailed and thematic game analysis10:06
Explore how detailed, thematic game analysis reveals tiny advantages, reinforces precision in attack, and deepens understanding of historic annotations and principled chess.
Four Quadrant model - Attack Style vs Accuracy7:05
The four quadrant model balances attack style with accuracy. It emphasizes solid openings, central control, and a king-attack approach learned from Alekhine and Kasparov.
Four Quadrant model - Attacking Style vs Beauty7:57
Balance attacking style with beauty by emphasizing sound tactics and accurate finishes, illustrated through famous games like Kasparov versus Topalov and the Immortal Game.
Four Quadrant model - Accuracy vs Beauty10:24
Explore how beauty and accuracy shape chess style across the romantic and scientific eras, balancing gambits, defensive technique, initiative, and time controls to maximize results.
Some sources and positive influences for attacking chess6:04
Master attacking chess by leveraging tactics, combinations, and precise sacrifices. Evaluate openings, pawn structures, and tempo gains to attack decisively.
Course Layering considerations7:11
Explore how the course is layered from Alekhine foundations to notable games and Kasparov classics, and how ongoing refinement reveals attacking patterns.
Accumulation of Advantages theory applied to King Attacking Chess14:24
This lecture explains the accumulation of advantages theory, emphasizing game-ending downsides and a disciplined focus on opponent weaknesses to force king attacks and decisive mating.
Delayed Gratification concept e.g. not playing Qh5 in opening as extreme!7:03
Explore the accumulation of advantages model as a form of delayed gratification in attacking chess, building advantages in the opening to justify a later, more effective attack.
Elements of position and how they trade-off against each other9:42
Analyze how king safety, material, pawn structure, and activity trade off in chess positions, with concrete examples and the trade-off theory illustrated through sacrifices and compensations.
Kingscrusher's passion and drivers for attacking chess13:18
Explore the passion for attacking chess, from tactics and king attacks to combinations and practical foundations with Alekhine, Morphy, and Kasparov, emphasizing entertaining, instructive play in online tournaments.
Bouncy roads of attack concept5:26
Exploit the bouncy roads of attack by maneuvering pieces around the opponent's king, considering its position and the diagonals of death.
Amplification and Attacking Chess9:19
Learn amplification in attacking chess, using line pieces and rook batteries to intensify pressure around the king. Apply delayed gratification, pins, and Alekhine's gun to convert liabilities into wins.
Teamwork and Attacking Chess8:30
Develop all pieces and control the center, then unleash a coordinated attack around the king; teamwork and outnumbering defenders drive checkmate chances, illustrated by Kasparov vs. Karpov.
The power of saying "No!" to opponent's threats and Attacking Chess9:25
Be a no man to your opponent’s threats by focusing on their downsides and the weaknesses around the king; this mindset fuels attacking positions and decisive combinations.
Pawn Structure and Attacking Chess16:41
Explore how pawn structure governs attacking chess, focusing on dynamic pawn structures that liberate the pieces, use tempo and counterattack, and exploit irreversible pawn advances.
Central control and Attacking chess16:24
Explore central control and attacking chess by prioritizing central influence over literal occupation, using the extended center and knight centralization to fuel king attacks and piece activity.
Stability and Balance and their impact for Attacking Chess13:13
Reinforce stability and balance before launching attacks in chess, test the opponent’s last-move weaknesses, and use quiet, preparatory moves and central over-protection to enable a decisive attack.
Power of complementary resources and Attacking Chess7:45
Explore the power of complementary resources in attacking chess, showing how pieces with different roles—bishops, knights, rooks, and pawns—work as a team to create mating patterns and amplify capabilities.
Success in the combinational phase of attack8:24
The lecture explains success in the combinational phase of attack by prioritizing forcing move variations, gaining tempo, and exploiting king exposure to deliver checkmates and strong attacking patterns.
What attacking players dream about and benefits of detailed analysis12:19
Explore attacking plans through fictional variations and meticulous analysis, revealing how top players like Bronstein and Alekhine used imagination and engines to uncover beautiful king-hunting checkmates and king-safety trade-offs.
Preparing attacking opening variations for particular opponents18:50
One day chess emphasizes preparation to create attacking opening variations against specific opponents, using repertoires, classical examples, and computer resources to identify attacking ingredients and plans.
Bias crushing - in search of objectivity21:17
Crush bias to pursue objectivity in chess, weighing rules, exceptions, and engine evidence from AlphaZero and Stockfish, while exploring neural networks, material versus authority, and post-mortem learning.
Game selection criteria10:43
Identify iconic, highly collected games to study attacking patterns and underlying ingredients behind spectacular combinations. Explore iconic masters and engine-inspired ideas to see attacking themes in action.

142+ Cs - Keeping K in center when saying "no" to threat - Spielmann vs Flamberg6:53
Examine a rapid, instructive attack in the 1914 Mannheim game as Spillman punishes greed and weak king safety by saying no to threats and exploiting downsides for a decisive finish.
113+ C's - Pawn sacrifice leads to King being stuck in center - Euwe vs Alekhine9:49
Explore Alekhine's grunfeld defense in a 1945 world championship game, focusing on a pawn sacrifice that unsettles white, opens lines, and paves the way for a decisive king attack.
20+ C's - Powerful exchange sacrifice keeps king in center - Alekhine vs Junge10:39
Alekhine sacrifices the exchange to keep the king in center, opening lines and creating central pressure with a pawn gambit. The analysis shows compensation and potential to a winning endgame.
15 Cs- Power play to exploit King in center - Tolush vs Alatortsev6:46
Explore power plays to exploit the king in the center through a sharp attacking game, featuring queen activity, rapid development, and queenside castling that leads to a crushing attack.

850+ Cs - "The Immortal game" - Material vs. King Safety and/or Position22:29
Explore the immortal game from the romantic era, analyzing material versus king safety through courageous sacrifices and aggressive attacks that illuminate classic chess strategy.
675+ Cs- "The Evergreen game" -Exploiting King in center - Anderssen vs Dufresne19:12
Explore the evergreen game and learn how to exploit a king in the center through the Evans Gambit, with dramatic double-check tactics and a famous attacking finish.
540+ C's - e1-h4 diagonal exploited using sacrifices- Larsen vs Spassky14:01
Watch Spassky unleash a spectacular attack against Lawson, exploiting the diagonal of death with sacrifices, culminating in rook h1 and queen h4 to seize the game.
1060+ Cs- "Game of the Century" - moving piece twice punished - Byrne vs Fischer16:38
Explore the game of the century, Byrne–Fischer 1956, and witness a brilliant queen sacrifice that unleashes a windmill to win material.
650+ Cs- Slow move punished with square vacate tactic - Steinitz vs Bardeleben20:40
Explore the iconic Steinitz versus von Bonderman game from the 1895 Hastings tournament, round ten, a masterclass in attacking play and king-centered tactics.
930 Cs- The classic Opera game reminds us of key ingredients - Morphy vs Allies7:54
Study the classic opera game by Morphy, where a king in the center and a dormant rook on h8 drive line-square attack and a decisive opera mate pattern.
230 Cs - Bishop without counterpart leads to early disaster - Alekhine vs Vasic5:25
Alekhine vs Vlasic shows a lone bishop without its counterpart creating dangerous attacks as the king stays in the center, leading to a potential checkmate.
204+ Cs- Dangerous Qa5 check creates huge K safety issues - Potemkin vs Alekhine12:50
Explore an Alekhine defense attack where a dangerous Qa5 check destabilizes the white king in the center, illustrating king safety, knight and rook coordination, and decisive tactics.
187+ Cs - Queen in Siberia and weak light squares - Rodzynski vs Alekhine11:57
An in-depth look at Roginsky vs Alekhine (1913) exposing weak light squares and the b7 pawn, as white pursues a queen on e4 and a decisive mating sequence.
75+ Cs- Winning material via a skewer using square weaknesses - Euwe vs Alekhine11:06
Explore a dramatic skewer exploiting square weaknesses to win material, as Euwe and Alekhine duel in the 1937 world championship game.
120+ C's - b4 move while King in center leads to difficulties - Alekhine vs Book13:44
Watch Alekhine versus book in 1938 Margate as a bold pawn gambit around d4 and d5 exposes the king in the center, unleashing a sharp rook–queen attack with compensation.
55+ C's- Opening up e-file with piece sacrifice - Alekhine vs Euwe (Blitz 1921)9:16
Watch a blitz game where Alekhine opens the e-file with a piece sacrifice and hard-hitting attack. Demonstrate Vienna game ideas and queen-bishop pressure to dominate the position.
50+ C's - The question of how to pressure d5 - e4 or Nc3 - Alekhine vs Kaufmann9:09
Analyze a 1918 offhand Alekhine–Kaufmann game, showing how knight c3 pressures d5 and sparks strong ideas around e4 versus d5, with the bishop pair offering compensation.
170+ C's - Both King's in the center rich complex battle - Tal vs Botvinnik18:09
Tal vs Botvinnik in the 1960 World Championship features a sharp French variation with e5 f5, a rich center battle, bishop activity, rook lifts, and kings facing in the center.

140+ C's Amazing team work potential created by weaker King - Molinari vs Cabral15:30
Analyze a masterclass in aggressive play from Molinari versus Cabral, the Uruguayan Immortal, exploring exchange sacrifices, king weakness, and coordinated piece teamwork to launch a decisive attack.
80+ C's - Weakened King position increases piece values - Parr vs Wheatcroft12:19
Explore a dramatic 1938 game, Parr vs Wheatcroft, where a weakened king position increases piece values through bold sacrifices and sharp tactical sequences toward decisive mating threats.
75+ C's - Giving up bishop for light square attack - Kasparov vs Gavrikov11:56
Kasparov pursues a sharp queen's gambit declined, sacrificing the bishop on g6 to open the king's attack, then exploits rook and queen pressure to force a winning sequence.

410 C's - Rooks make use of both sides of board - Lasker vs Capablanca14:54
Study how Lasker converts a quiet exchange variation into a dynamic attack, wielding rooks on both sides, the bishop pair, and exploiting weaknesses to pressure Capablanca's king.
120+ Cs- Advantage on Q-side, thenprobing K-side for weakness -Alekhine vs Flohr15:04
Analyze alekhine vs flohr in the 1931 bled tournament, examining queen's gambit accepted with symmetrical pawns, b3 ideas, and playing on both sides of the board to probe king weaknesses.

430+C's -"The Polish Immortal"-Pieces around King dangers- Glucksberg vs Najdorf10:41
Explore the Polish Immortal in a dramatic king attack that coordinates resources around the king, including bishop g1 and queen h2 leading to a decisive checkmate.
450+C's - Logically, physically, resources around King - Levitsky vs Marshall9:46
Explore attacking chess concepts through the immortal gold coins game, showing how best resources around the opponent’s king—physically or logically—drive bold combinations and victory.
"The Harem" Five Queens flight of fancy Alekhine combination utilising pins18:33
Explore Alekhine's flights of fancy and sharp combination play as he employs pins, bishop c1 ideas, and a dramatic five-queen attack in the harem position.
220+ Cs - Knight on Rim left as bait for strong attack - Kasparov vs Karpov 198616:34
Kasparov versus Karpov unfolds a Roy Lopez clash where a knight on the rim acts as bait for a sharp attack, with d3 and f2 pressure driving the kingside assault.
340+ C's - Numerical superiority of attack forces - Kasparov vs Karpov 199017:27
Kasparov vs Karpov 1990 showcases the numerical superiority of attack forces, with rook lifts and sacrifices that overwhelm Black's defenses.

350+ Cs- A classic rook sacrifice to pile pressure on King - Bird vs Morphy11:55
Explore a classic rook sacrifice in Bird vs Morphy that piles pressure on the king with rook takes f2, and note opposite side castling and an aggressive pawn center.
330 Cs- Double rook sac on same square for speedier attack - Pillsbury vs Lasker26:08
Pillsbury faces Lasker in the 1896 Saint Petersburg tournament, showcasing a double rook sacrifice on the same square to unleash a rapid attack after opposite-side castling.
100+ C's -Queen sac made use of for dynamic attacking play- Mieses vs Alekhine12:49
Study a queen sacrifice and dynamic attacking play in the Mieses–Alekhine 1913 game, featuring tactical queen maneuvers, bishop threats, and a fierce mating net with perpetual possibilities.
69 C's - Black prevented from castling K-side - Alekhine vs Winter12:22
Demonstrates a sharp exchange variation in Alekhine vs Windsor (1952 London), where white accepts doubled pawns and launches a decisive e-file attack.
128Cs- Fishing pole creates beautiful mate possibilities -Alekhine vs Hoelscher11:59
Explore a 1933 Alekhine–Hoelscher simultaneous display game that uses a fishing pole attack to unleash mating threats and rooks, featuring the iconic 95 combination.
340Cs -Bishop sacrifice creates huge complexity and key blunder - Tal vs Smyslov20:39
Explore Mikhail Tal's bishop sacrifice against Vasily Smyslov, revealing how to harness complexity and attacking chances with keeping queens on, opposite-side castling, and sharp tactical themes.

300+ C's - Positional Q-sac to exploit departed bishop - Botvinnik vs Smyslov14:33
Botvinnik–Smyslov 1954 shows a queen sacrifice triggering a decisive attack as rooks, knights, and bishops pressure a weakened king. It highlights teamwork and the exchange sacrifice in attacking chess.
370+ C's - Positional Q-sac creates teamwork - Nezhmetdinov vs Chernikov21:09
Analyzes a positional queen sacrifice in Rasheed Nezhmetdinov vs Chernikov, 1962, showing how teamwork among rooks and bishops coordinates against a weakened king.

305 C+ Cs' - Counter-Gambit perks against Gambit - Schulten vs Morphy8:45
Examine counter gambit perks against the king's gambit in Morphy vs Shilton, showing how black gains lead development, creates forcing lines, and initiates a decisive king chase.
In 200 C's - Smooth as silk Blumenfeld Gambit - Tarrasch vs Alekhine15:39
Delve into the Blumenfeld gambit within a Queen's Indian transposition, tracing critical lines like f4 and e4, and follow how sharp attacking ideas arise from early central tension.
160+ C's - Alekhine-Chatard Gambit has great compensation - Alekhine vs Fahrni13:15
Explore the Alekhine-Chatard gambit against the French defense, revealing strong compensation for white through aggressive attacking ideas, queen maneuvers, and rook pressure for a crushing attack.
605+ C's-Gambit creates a powerful central "octopus knight" - Karpov vs Kasparov15:31
Explore Kasparov's inspiring 1995 world championship game where the 605+ C's gambit yields dynamic compensation and an octopus knight, showcasing a daring attacking idea and tactical fireworks.
530+ C's - Remarkable liberation of f-file and a2-g8 - Spassky vs Bronstein17:12
Watch the famous Spassky-Bronstein King's Gambit battle from the 1960 USSR championship. Examine how f7 weaknesses and opening diagonals spark decisive attacking ideas like queen h7 and knight e4.
200+ C's - Central authority created in King's Gambit - Spassky vs Fischer10:42
Observe how the king's gambit creates central authority and a fierce attack, demonstrated in Spassky–Fischer's game with dynamic center control and tactical pressure.
19+ C's - Smith-Morra Gambit shows King stuck in center - Esserman vs Van Wely12:34
Explains the Smith-Morra gambit against the Sicilian to spark a fierce king-centered attack, showcasing aggressive ideas, gambit sacrifice, and tactical lines that seize the initiative.
160+ Cs - Surprise value of gambit leads to bad improvisation - Alekhine vs Euwe11:00
Alexander Alekhine demonstrates a surprising bishop takes c4 gambit against Max Oaa, showcasing how a greedy reply leads to tactical sequences that win material and collapse Black's position.

210 Cs- Forcing move sequences create beautiful effects - Morphy vs Anderssen9:29
Explore the king's gambit as Morphy against Hanson demonstrates forcing move sequences that unleash center pressure and sharp attacks, highlighting gambit perks and attacking resourcefulness.
155 Cs - Trading Queen's pawn for K attack prospects - Alekhine vs Maroczy16:24
Analyze Alekhine's 1951 Maroczy game: queen's gambit decline, king-safety sacrifices, isolated queen's pawn, and the lure of tactical entries like queen to e7.
210+ Cs - Double pawn sac gets attacking ingredients - Karpov vs Kasparov - 198518:45
Karpov clashes with Kasparov in a high-stakes, aggressive opening, crafting a double-pawn attack to pressure the king. The game turns into a dramatic tactical contest with counterpunches.
280+ C's - Pieces being activated and pawn sacrifice - Karpov vs Kasparov - 199315:43
Kasparov activates black's pieces and deploys a pawn sacrifice to surge pressure, exploiting central tension and active rooks as the game spirals into a sharp attack.

Requirements

Know how the chess pieces move and ideally has interest in attacking chess

Description

Unlock your attacking prowess with 'The Complete Guide to Attacking Chess.' This course is designed not just to emphasize on checkmating patterns and combinations, but also to explore and illuminate the keys to successful attacking chess: the opening moves and middlegame strategies that give life to thrilling endgames and combinations. We dive deep into understanding the essence of attacks from legendary players who excelled at tactical and combinational play, including the likes of Alexander Alekhine, Rudolf Spielmann, and many more.

Throughout this course, you will have the opportunity to learn and practice real games, reinforcing your skills and building a robust understanding of the critical components of an attack. We will look at the 'ingredients' that make an attacking position possible, and the patterns that are frequently followed in successful assaults. We will go beyond the surface to grasp the magic of Alekhine’s combinations and appreciate the games of the masters of the attack.

This course serves as the perfect complement to other courses, such as "Art of Checkmate" and "Complete Guide to Chess Tactics," to enhance your understanding and performance in attacking chess. Here, our primary focus is on the art of creating attacking positions in the opening and middlegame phases.

We will study the games of chess immortals, identifying the keys to their attacking brilliance. We will also incorporate modern insights from Neural Network patterns, which have shown their ability to outmaneuver even the most accurate traditional engines. Featuring great attacking players like Paul Morphy, Adolf Anderssen, Wilhelm Steinitz, Emanuel Lasker, Alexander Alekhine, Boris Spassky, Bobby Fischer, Mikhail Tal, Garry Kasparov, and many more, this course brings together the best of attacking chess across generations.

This course is ever-evolving, reflecting my passion for attacking chess and continuous learning. I strive to provide updated content that improves clarity and enriches understanding. By the end of this course, you will gain significant insight into key attacking ingredients and patterns. These critical pieces of the puzzle will enable you to execute potent attacks right from the opening, leading to exhilarating middlegames and often, beautifully concluded combinations.

Who this course is for:

Beginner to Intermediate level players

The Complete Guide to Attacking Chess

What you'll learn

Explore related topics

Course content

Introduction32 lectures • 5hr 40min

Attacks based on keeping the King in the center4 lectures • 34min

Attacking when King in center14 lectures • 3hr 13min

Attacking the weakened Castled King position3 lectures • 40min

Attacking based on play on both sides of board2 lectures • 30min

Attacks based on "use best resources on squares around the Opponent's King"5 lectures • 1hr 13min

Attacking when opposite side castling6 lectures • 1hr 36min

Attacking using positional Queen sacrifice (more common than you might think!)2 lectures • 36min

Attacking making use of Opening Gambit perks - material offered for King safety8 lectures • 1hr 45min

Sacrificing pawns in the middlegame for attacking ingredients4 lectures • 1hr

Requirements

Description

Who this course is for: