rules, tactics, strategies and history

Castling and the Middle Game - Example II

Here we see another mid-game castling example, the only difference from example 1 is that it is not the advance of the Black Knight's Pawn but that of the Rook's Pawn which gives White an opportunity of opening a file for its Rooks. He will accomplish this by advancing its Knight's Pawn to g5 and exchanging him against Black's Rook's Pawn. If he does not want to play P-g4 on the first move, because Black could take the Pawn with its Knight, he can prepare the advance by R-g1. But he need not really fear the loss of the Pawn, because in taking him Black would himself open the g-file for White's Rook and White is sure to obtain an overwhelming attack. It would, of course, be futile for Black to try and stop the advance of White's g-Pawn by P-g5, as White would then simply open the Rook's file by P-h4 and Pxg5, quite apart from the fact that he could sacrifice its Bishop e3 for two Pawns, thereby depriving Black's King of all protection.

								8
								7
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a	b	c	d	e	f	g	h

The play might proceed like this: (1) P-g4, P-g5; (2) Bxg5, Pxg5; (3) Qxg5+, K-h8; (4) Q-h6+, K-g8; (5) P-g5, Kt-e4; (6) Ktxe4, Pxe4; (7) P-g6, Pxg6; (8) Qxg6+, K-h8; (9) R-g1, etc.