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The attacker's checklist
Earn the attack before you launch it.
Throwing pieces at the king only works when the position has earned it. Before you sacrifice, run the checklist: do you have OPEN or half-open lines pointing at the king? More ATTACKERS in the area than the defender has defenders? A lead in development or space so reinforcements arrive first? And is the king's pawn SHELTER weakened or about to be?
The targets are always the same squares. f7 and h7 are guarded only by the king early on — the natural landing spots for a bishop or knight. g7 is the soft spot once a king fianchettoes. And remember: before the sacrifice lands, it often pays to REMOVE a defender first (trade off the f6-knight, deflect the g7-bishop).
- Attack when you have open lines, more attackers than defenders, and a weakened shelter.
- The weak squares: f7 and h7 (guarded only by the king) and g7 (the fianchetto hole).
- Remove or deflect the king's defenders before the blow lands.
- Opposite-side castling = a pawn-storm race; speed beats material.