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Posted by wschmidt play-chess-online.com 3/17/2008 12:06:51 play online chess	Subject: Vukovic - The Art of the Attack in Chess Message: In my last OTB tournament game at my local chess club, I was paired against a much stronger player. I was White, playing the Closed Sicilian and had a bit of kingside pressure. I botched the attack and went down in flames. After looking over the game I decided that the next book I'm going to study will be Vukovic's "The Art of the Attack in Chess". It's been sitting on my shelves for ages, unread. Now's the time. Anyone care to comment on their experiences with this book? Anyone care to read it with me?
Posted by bhidragon play-chess-online.com 3/17/2008 15:04:23 play online chess	Great Book Message: I started it about six months ago. It's going to take a while to get through, but I've already learned quite a bit. Solid theory backed up by some good examples of his ideas.
Posted by cascadejames play-chess-online.com 3/17/2008 19:54:47 play online chess	Count me in. Message: wschmidt, Count me in if you are still looking for some study partners. I bought the book today, and will begin with the preface and introduction tonight.
Posted by marinvukusic play-chess-online.com 3/18/2008 02:52:16 play online chess	Great and important book Message: I don't understand the "Anyone care to read it with me?" part though (this is a book for individual study).
Posted by juanvaldezmyhero play-chess-online.com 3/18/2008 08:53:07 play online chess	Message: The one study partner you need is your chess set. I found I learned the most from this book by playing through each example very slowly. The chapter on the bishop sacrifice at h7 stands out as particularly well done, and I would give it special attention.
Posted by ganstaman play-chess-online.com 3/18/2008 10:34:57 play online chess	?Useful? example Message: Bishop sacrifices at h7 -- I've got one of those! game But it's an ongoing game, so I think I may have to stay out of this thread until the dust settles just in case someone starts to talk about it. I don't claim that it's completely correct (my comment in the game at this time of this writing says that I still couldn't work out 15...Bf6), but I think the whole idea of attacking the kingside from 12. h4 could be instructive. If you want to have some fun, try working out 12. h4 h6 13. Ng5, or 12...f6 13. Ng5. At least at the time, that's what I was planning on moving.
Posted by juanvaldezmyhero play-chess-online.com 3/18/2008 10:55:34 play online chess	another example of Bxh7 Message: Here is one I credit to studying Vukovic: game
Posted by wschmidt play-chess-online.com 3/18/2008 13:25:43 play online chess	marin, Message: What I meant when I said, "Anyone care to read it with me?" was "I'm going to start it in a few days and if anyone else is going to do the same, we might share our comments in this thread as we do so."
Posted by cascadejames play-chess-online.com 3/18/2008 13:36:33 play online chess	Introduction- "focal point" - "chunk" Message: I have just begun my study of this book. Among other things, the introduction discusses the idea of a "focal point", that is a square near your opponent's King, which when occupied by the appropriate piece creates a checkmate. The idea is to plan a series of moves that will allow you to position the appropriate piece on the focal point. Initially I thought this to be just another label for something obvious. Then I realized that the focal point concept provided a convenient "chunk" of chess information. For those unfamiliar with the idea of "chunks"-- There is a theory that your brain deals more efficiently with information when it is organized in moderate sized "chunks" instead of many small bits or one large piece. For easy example, it is easier to remember and use a 10 digit number if it is divided into 3 chunks. So instead of : 10 small bits 2 1 2 5 5 5 1 2 1 2 or one large piece 2125551212 we use 212-555-1212 as a telephone number. Notice that the effect is even greater if the chunks contain familiar patterns. In this case, some of you will recognize this as a telephone number in which 212 is the area code for New York and 555 is a prefix that is reserved for telephone company numbers. In chess, each individual move is like a single small bit. The focal point is a convenient way of organizing your thoughts about a series of moves leading to checkmate. The game as a whole involves multiple possible focal points, and the focal points change from time to time as the pieces move. If you try to keep track by looking at individual moves only, it is very difficult. If you try to digest every possible attack, and hold them in all your mind together that is also very difficult. It is easier if you break the game down into a series chunks. Each chunk being a plan to use a particular square as a focal point, and it is easier still if you can integrate familiar patterns into the plans to take advantage of the focal points. I look forward to studying more about focal points. Your mileage may vary. Some people find the idea of chunks useful, others think it useless.
Posted by cascadejames play-chess-online.com 3/18/2008 22:44:24 play online chess	Attack on uncastled King pp.14-18 Message: Attack on the e-file Vukovic at p. 14 - "The first and most fundamental condition for an attack on the e-file is that the opponent's King should be on that file, and that for some reason it is impossible or difficult for it to move away." Is he simply emphasizing the point that an attack on the e-file is particularly effective because the King is there, or is he really saying that the presence of the King on the file is fundamental? I have to confess that I will often attack down an open e-file whether or not the opposing King is on it. Any time the e-file is open, it feels right to place a rook or two on it, where the rooks can play a part in the struggle to control the middle. I think of it as getting the rooks into the game, instead of allowing them to sit in the corner not doing much. Would Vukovic say I am wasting my time when I move the rooks to the middle? Or maybe Vukovic would say that if your opponent's King is not on the e-file, then moving your rook to the open e-file may be a good move, but it is not an attack; instead it is merely an appropriate move to develop the piece.
Posted by ionadowman play-chess-online.com 3/19/2008 04:04:33 play online chess	cascadejames... Message: ... perhaps context is important here. Massing the heavy pieces on the e-file is usually good (provided the enemy cannot oppose them either by directly challenging your heavy pieces with his own, or by closing off the file with a protected pawn or piece) even if the enemy king is not on the file. But I think Vukovic might be thinking of a more general assault on the enemy king that has been stranded in the centre, using minor pieces or even pawns to smash through the protecting screens the defence puts in place.
Posted by bhidragon play-chess-online.com 3/19/2008 15:42:04 play online chess	e-file attack Message: That's the first page of the section on "Attack against the uncastled king". Thus, the king is still on the e-file.
Posted by cascadejames play-chess-online.com 3/19/2008 22:10:57 play online chess	Attack on uncastled King pp.18-21 Message: These pages complete the subsection titled, "Attack along the e-file." This includes a portion of a complex game from 1943 and a 19th century Seinitz gem that I have seen before. Both deserve more study than I had time to give them tonight. I input the moves into chessmaster and played through the basic games once. I will return to them for study tomorrow. Ion, Yes context is important, and certainly I have not changed my view that putting a rook on an open file usually improves your position. But I think part of Vukovic's message here may be that if the opponent's King is not on the e-file, then an attack down that file may not be decisive. When I think about it, I can remember games in which I congratulated myself for gaining control of a file in the middle, but then after the other side castled, I discovered that my control of the e-file ultimately led to no great advantage. Of course that might have happened because I was inept at using the open file after I gained control over it