Attack with enough pieces

Earn the right to attack

The London can create kingside attacks, but the opening does not guarantee one. Before committing, look for concrete reasons: your pieces can reach the king, useful lines are open or can be opened, and Black cannot immediately punish you in the centre.

An attack made with a queen and one bishop often runs out of force against a well-defended king. Count not only attackers already nearby, but how quickly your remaining pieces can join. Do the same for the defenders.

If you cannot name a weakness or a way to bring in more pieces, improving your position is usually more useful than starting a pawn storm. You are allowed to play a good London game without ever sacrificing anything.

Understand the two bishops

A bishop on d3 can look towards h7 along e4, f5 and g6. All those squares must be clear for it to attack h7. A black pawn on g6 blocks that route, and your own piece on e4 can also interrupt it.

The bishop on f4 does a different job. It influences central squares and may pressure the queenside along e5, d6 and c7. It does not point at h7. Recognising which piece attacks which target prevents imagined combinations.

A knight on e5 can add pressure on f7 and g6, but it may also be a central piece that restricts Black rather than a mating piece. Let each piece’s actual moves tell you how it helps.

Bring the queen in without leaving things loose

A queen move towards the kingside can become strong when it joins existing threats. Before transferring it, check what it was defending: b2, d4 or a piece may become vulnerable.

Also check the route. For example, a queen cannot simply travel from d1 to h5 through occupied squares e2, f3 and g4. In a typical London position your own knight may stand on f3. A familiar attacking picture is not a legal move sequence until the paths are clear.

Try to improve your attacking piece while maintaining central control. If bringing the queen over takes several moves and Black can open the centre immediately, the timing may be wrong.

Pawn storms change your own king too

The move h4 may prepare h5, gain space or disturb a pawn on g6. It also moves a pawn that might otherwise shelter your king. Advancing g4 is even more committal because it changes squares near the king and may expose files after exchanges.

When both players have castled kingside, be especially clear about what the pawn advance achieves. A slower buildup with pieces may create threats without giving your opponent immediate targets. When the centre is open or can open quickly, wing play may simply be too slow.

If your h-pawn has recaptured on g3 and cleared your side of the h-file, a rook on h1 might have attacking possibilities. But if you have already castled, that rook is normally on f1. Check its real location and whether it can safely return. An open file is useful only if your pieces can use it.

The bishop sacrifice on h7

You may encounter the idea Bxh7+, often called a Greek Gift sacrifice. The bishop takes a pawn beside the king and invites the king to capture it. Subsequent knight and queen moves try to expose the king further.

Do not play it because your bishop is on d3 and your knight is on f3. You must calculate whether the bishop’s path is clear, whether the king can capture or decline, whether a knight check is effective, whether your queen can join, and which escape squares and defensive resources Black has.

The strongest defensive reply may be a king retreat, a central counterstrike or an exchange of your main attacker. If you cannot find enough compensation after a sound defence, preserve the bishop and improve the position.

The pattern is worth recognising so that you know when to calculate. It is not a permission slip to sacrifice.

Calculate the defender’s reply, not only your threat

Before a tempting attacking move, identify what you are threatening and how Black can answer. Could Black exchange the attacking queen, capture the supporting knight, close the diagonal or give a stronger check? A threat that has one easy defensive reply may still improve your position, but it is not yet a winning attack.

For a sacrifice, examine accepting and declining it. Continue until you can assess material, king safety and the remaining threats. If you stop at a check with an exciting position, you may have stopped before the important defensive choice.

Counting attackers is a starting check, not a mathematical rule for success. A single forced mating sequence can outweigh several defenders, while five poorly coordinated pieces may threaten little. Calculate the forcing line and use positional factors to judge what remains.

Know when to stop attacking

Suppose Black exchanges your attacking bishop and trades queens without conceding material. The original kingside plan may be over. Pushing more pawns near your king because you have already started can create targets without threats.

Reassess the resulting position: do you have a useful central knight, a weak pawn to attack or an active rook file? A sound attack sometimes produces a favourable ending rather than checkmate. It can also end in equality if the defender plays well.

A practical test is to ask, “If this were the first time I saw the position, would I still choose an attack?” If the answer is no, select the best current plan and use what your earlier activity has achieved.

Practice and memory card

Imagine you have a bishop on d3 and a knight on f3, but Black has several kingside defenders and can open the centre with …e5. Should you automatically begin h4 and h5? No. Examine the central break, your king’s safety and how your other pieces could join before committing.

Practice questions

1. Which London bishop can point towards h7?
2. Does an open h-file guarantee an attack?
3. What should a familiar sacrifice pattern make you do?

Remember: bring enough pieces, keep the centre under control, check every route and calculate before giving up material.