This week, our 4th on the middle game, features attacking the castled position when the defense has a pawn on f6 (or f3 if White). You don't see it as often, so it's worth taking a look at. In this game, Marin-Fernandez-Garcia, Spain, 1981, we have an attack really quite special. Use all your attacking and sacrificial skills in thinking on how you would proceed here. It's simple and yet complicated, because you have to string a whole bunch of simple ideas together.

  1.Bd3 h6 If 1...g6 2.Bxg6 hxg6 3.Qxg6+ Kh8 4.exf6 Rf7 5.Qxf7 Qg8 6.Qh5+ Qh7 7.Qe8+ Qg8 8.f7 2.Bxf6 Bxc3+ Two other reasonable tries fail: 2...Qe8 3.Bg6; 2...gxf6 3.Qg6+ Kh8 4.Qh7# 3.Nxc3 Qa5 Trying to play an active defense. 4.Qg6 Qxc3+ 5.Kd1 Or 5.Ke2 Nd4+ 6.Kd1 Qxa1+ 7.Kd2 5...Rxf6 6.exf6 It's worth pointing out that White had to plan this rook sac back on move one! 6...Qxa1+ 7.Kd2 Qxf6 8.Qe8+ Qf8 9.Bh7+ and Black Resigned. What a shot at the end of this whole attacking plan. As we often suggest, go back to the original position and see if you can reproduce the game in your head, even using the moves that are displayed here.   

Send questions and comments to PTamburro@aol.com.