Attacking on the h-file

    The formation with Rook on h1 and Pawn on h4 is an important one to be familiar with. If an opponent’s Pawn captures a piece and the h-file is opened up for the Rook a battery can be formed by placing another Rook or the Queen on the file. Sometimes, too, an attacking piece can be placed on the square covered by the Pawn, creating threats which induce or force the opponent to take it. 

    There are a couple of other ways of exploiting the formation of the Rook and Pawn. One is to simply advance the Pawn and the other involves switching the Rook on to another file using a Rook lift. The following game is a classic example of the first method. 

    The winner was Vladimir Vukoviv (1898-1975), a Yugoslav IM (title awarded in 1951) ans an International Arbiter (1952). He was also a chess writer and journalist who is best known as the author of The Art of Attack in Chess published in "965)and The Chess Sacrifice published in1968. As is often the case today, engines have rendered some of his analysis erroneous both books are worth reading. 

    His opponent was Arpad Vajda (1896-1962), a Hungarian IM (1950) who was Hungarian Champion in 1928. He served as police chief in Budapest and passed away in that city. 

 

 

    The game was played in the Debrecen, Hungary tournament in 1925. It was was probably Hans Kmoch’s (1874-1974) greatest success. Originally an Austrian-Dutch IM, IA and chess journalist and author, he eventually ended up in New York City and for many years his annotations appeared in Chess Review magazine

 

[Event "Debrecen"] [Site ""] [Date "1925.08.12"] [Round "?"] [White "Vladimir Vukovic"] [Black "Arpad Vajda"] [Result "1-0"] [ECO "D64"] [Annotator "Stockfish 17"] [PlyCount "67"] [EventDate "1925.??.??"] {D64: Queen's Gambit Declined: Classical Variation} 1. d4 d5 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. Bg5 Nbd7 5. e3 Be7 6. Nf3 O-O 7. Rc1 c6 8. a3 a6 9. Qc2 dxc4 {Black should delay this until after white has developed his B with Bd3. Usual is 9...Re8} 10. Bxc4 b5 11. Ba2 {White plays the B here because of the potential of setting up a B+Q battery after Bb1} c5 12. Rd1 (12. O-O Bb7 13. dxc5 Nxc5 14. Rfd1 Qb6 15. Bb1 {Black should now block the diagonal with 15...Nce5. Instead he plays what looks like a more natural move..} g6 {Very bad!} 16. b4 Nce4 17. Nxe4 Bxe4 18. Qb2 {This is what black overlooked.} Bxb1 19. Bxf6 Bxf6 20. Qxf6 Bf5 21. Ne5 {Threatening a fork on e7.} Ra7 22. Nd7 Qd8 23. Qxd8 Rxd8 24. Nf6+ {There is a nice finish...} Kg7 25. Nh5+ gxh5 26. Rxd8 {1-0 Bitkinin,L (2128)-Yaksin,O (2322) Kazan 2008}) 12... c4 {A small, but important, point is that this is not a very good move because it removes the pressure on white's center. As will be seen in a few moves, this gives him no counterplay and white has a free hand on the K-side. Hitting hte N with 12...b4 was better.} 13. Bb1 {Black should not touch anything on the K-side and play 13...Bb7 with approximate equality. Instead he fatally weakens his K-side.} h6 {How should white handle this attack on his B?} (13... g6 {While this does not lose outright it gives white excellent attacking prospects after} 14. h4 Bb7 15. h5 Nxh5 {This loses outright.. 15...Ng4 offers better prospects of defending himself.} 16. Bxe7 Qxe7 17. Rxh5 gxh5 18. Qxh7#) 14. h4 {This is not a real sacrifice because if black takes the B after 15.hxg5 white regains the piece because if the threat of Qh7#. After white regains the piece with gxf6 he would have excellent attacking chances on the h-file.} Re8 (14... hxg5 15. hxg5 g6 16. Ne5 {Stronger than the immediate recapture.} (16. gxf6 Bxf6 17. Qe4 Rb8 18. Qf4 {Threatening Qh6} Bg7 19. Ng5 Qf6 20. Qh4 Rd8 {Black has managed to organize a defense, dut white's advantage is still a decisive one.}) 16... Nxe5 17. dxe5 Nd7 18. Qe4 Bxg5 19. Qxa8 Kg7 20. f4 Be7 21. Qf3 Rh8 22. Kf2 {White is winning/}) 15. Ne5 Bb7 {Black is wise to consistently refuse offered N. He hopes that eventually tjr B will retreat. However, in any case he has a poor position.} 16. Rh3 {This is a maneuver designed to bring the Rs into the game as quickly; it's characteristic formation with a R on hl and P on h4.} Nf8 {Black lacks a good defense. Now it's white to play and win.} (16... hxg5 17. hxg5 {Nate is threatened (Qg7#) so the N is lost and after} Nf8 18. gxf6 Bxf6 19. Rh8+ Kxh8 20. Nxf7+) 17. Bxh6 {[%mdl 512] This piece offer cannot be accepted either.} Nh5 (17... gxh6 18. Rg3+ Ng6 19. Nxf7 {Another offer that nust be refused. Even so black is dead lsot no matter what he plays.} Kxf7 20. Qxg6+ Kf8 21. Qg7#) 18. Qe2 g6 19. g4 Ng7 20. h5 {Ripping apart black's K-side.} Bf6 {Black gives up a second pawn, but he can do nothing to save his position.} 21. hxg6 Bxe5 22. gxf7+ Kxf7 23. dxe5 Qa5 {All that remains is for white to mop up.} 24. e4 (24. Bxg7 {is even more ruthless.} Kxg7 25. g5 Rad8 26. Rxd8 Rxd8 27. Qh5 {mate is looming after h6.}) 24... Re7 25. Bg5 Rd7 26. Qf3+ Kg8 27. Bf6 {Black must now prevent Rxd7.} b4 28. axb4 Qxb4 29. Rxd7 Nxd7 30. Qe3 Qf8 31. Qg5 Nc5 32. Qg6 Ra7 33. Rh7 Bc6 34. Qh6 {Black resigned.} (34. Qh6 Nd3+ 35. Bxd3 cxd3 36. Rh8+ Kf7 37. Rxf8+ Kxf8 38. Qh8+ Kf7 39. Qxg7+ Ke8 40. Qg8+ Kd7 41. Qd8#) 1-0