A Pawn sacrifice (or two) is often required to clear the way for the Rooks. It will take from two to five Pawn moves for your Pawn's to come into contact with the opposing Pawns. The same thing can also be happening on the opposite wing thanks to your opponent's counterattack!
Thus, it becomes a question of whose attack will be the quickest. The side who manages to make contact first will acquire the initiative and this will cause the opponent to interrupt his attack and make defensive moves. Therefore, speed is the most significant factor in a Pawn storm. Consequently, when you are contemplating castling on opposite sides you must consider the following:
1) Success in a Pawn storm will go to the player who is first to seize the initiative (i.e. makes first contact as mentioned above) or forces his opponent to go on the defensive.
2) Before committing yourself try to determine whether or not your opponent will anticipate the coming Pawn storm and be able to put up a good defense.
3) While conducting you own Pawn storm, keep an eye peeled for the chance to create difficulties for the opponent in the conduct of his own Pawn storm. Sometimes it can be advantageous to make a defensive move or two for yourself.
4) If you do decide on castling opposite sides, then you are committed and good positional judgment and sound tactical play will be required.
The following game was played in Leningrad from August 17-September 1, 1934 with foreigners Max Euwe and Hans Kmoch invited. Both started well, and were tied for first place with Botvinnik and Romanovsky after six rounds but then Euwe, fresh from an excellent showing at Zurich, was unable to win another game. Kmoch, after one more win, lost his last four in a row. Botvinnik took the lead in round 10 with a win then held onto it by drawing Riumin in the last round.
In the following game Euwe never even came close to getting his own Q-side Pawn storm going. Instead, he was on the defensive from the start and as a result he never had a chance.
[Event "Leningrad"]
[Site "Leningrad URS"]
[Date "1934.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Nikolai Riumin"]
[Black "Max Euwe"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "A28"]
[Annotator "Stockfish 14.1"]
[PlyCount "63"]
[EventDate "1934.08.17"]
{English Opening: Four Knights Variation} 1. c4 e5 2. Nc3 Nc6 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. d4
e4 {This advance ends up with black getting a passive position. Normal and
best was 4...exd4} 5. Nd2 Nxd4 6. Ndxe4 Ne6 {Black could have equalized with 6.
..Nxe4} (6... Nc6 7. g3 Nxe4 8. Nxe4 Bb4+ 9. Bd2 d5 10. Bxb4 dxe4 11. Qxd8+
Nxd8 12. Bg2 Bf5 13. O-O-O {White has the more active position. Cabrilo,G
(2490)-Marinkovic,I (2455) Belgrade 1991}) 7. g3 (7. Nxf6+ Qxf6 8. g3 Bc5 9. e3
O-O 10. Bg2 Re8 11. O-O {Genocchio,D (2373)-Paleologu,V (2183) Cesenatico ITA
2018. White has the more active position.}) 7... Nxe4 8. Nxe4 f5 {This is too
risky!} (8... Bb4+ 9. Bd2 Bxd2+ 10. Qxd2 O-O 11. Bg2 d6 12. O-O Bd7 13. Nc3 Bc6
{equal. Botvinnik,M-Flohr,S Leningrad 1933}) 9. Nc3 Bb4 10. Bd2 O-O 11. Bg2 f4
{Risky play by Euwe, he may have felt that the solid 11...c6 preventing Nd5
was too passive.} 12. Nd5 Bd6 {This is bad because it results in his Q-side
pieces becoming gridlocked.} (12... Bxd2+ 13. Qxd2 d6 14. Nxf4 Nxf4 15. gxf4 c6
{Here white is better, but black is still in the game.}) 13. Bc3 Rb8 {This is
very passive, but black is already at a loss for a decent move.} 14. Qd3 Qg5 {
White's pieces are well placed while black's Q-side pieces are poorly placed.
Because of this white can already be considered to have a decisive advantage
which he will now demonstrate by means of a K-side attack.} 15. h4 Qh6 16. g4 {
[%cal Bg3g4,Bg4g5,Bg5g6][%mdl 32] Preparing a P-storm. Hoping for g5.} Nc5 17.
Qd2 b6 18. O-O-O Bb7 19. g5 {The unfortunate position of black's K allows
white to proceed with his P-storm and at the same time gain some time.} Qe6 ({
Not} 19... Qg6 20. h5 Qxg5 21. Rhg1 Qxh5 (21... Be5 22. Bf3 Bxc3 23. Qxc3 Qh6
24. Ne7+ Kh8 25. Ng6+ hxg6 26. Rxg6 Qh7 27. Rdg1 Rg8 28. h6 {White is clearly
winning.} Ne6 29. Bd5 Bxd5 30. cxd5 Nf8 31. hxg7+) 22. Bf3 {and the threat of
Rxg7+ cannot be met.}) 20. Qd4 Qf7 21. h5 Ne6 22. Qd3 Nc5 23. Qd2 f3 {With
this move Euwe is attempting to complicate the issue.} 24. g6 {This sharp move
is best. White could have played the routine 24.Bxf3, but to have done so
would have allowed black to get some counterplay.} (24. Bxf3 Bf4 25. Nxf4 Qxf4
26. Bxb7 Qxd2+ 27. Rxd2 Rxb7 {Black is still lost, but he has avoided
immediate disaster.}) 24... Qf4 {A nice try, but black does not get nearly
enough compensation for his Q} (24... hxg6 {24...Qf4 4.88 Black would lose
without a fight after this.} 25. hxg6 Qxg6 26. Bxf3 Ne6 27. Rdg1 {White is
winning because black must part with material because the Q cannot safely
retreat.} Qe8 {This allows a pretty mate in 4.} 28. Rh8+ Kxh8 29. Qh6+ Kg8 30.
Rxg7+ Nxg7 31. Qxg7#) (24... Qf5 {is equally hopeless.} 25. gxh7+ Qxh7 26. Bxf3
Ne6 27. h6 g6 28. Be4 {with a winning attack.}) 25. Nxf4 Bxf4 26. e3 $1 fxg2
27. Rh4 {[%cal Bh1h4,Bh4g4,Bg4g2][%mdl 32]} Bg5 (27... Bh6 {This offered
stouter resistance.} 28. f4 d6 29. Rg1 Rbe8 30. Rg4 Kh8 {White is winning, but
there is no forced win.}) 28. gxh7+ Kxh7 29. Qc2+ Kg8 30. Rg4 {White has extra
material plus an attack; black's resistance is over.} Ne6 31. f4 Bf3 32. Rxg2 {
Euwe resigned.} (32. fxg5 {is far weaker.} Bxg4 33. Qxg2 Bxd1 34. Kxd1 Rf5 {
and black can put up a tough defense.}) (32. Rxg2 Bxg2 33. Qxg2 Bf6 34. f5 Ng5
35. Bxf6 gxf6 36. Rxd7 {is utterly hopeless for black.}) 1-0
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