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One of the middle game strategies when the opponent castles kingside, is to try to attack down the h-file, potentially removing the h-pawn which can sometimes be through a piece sacrifice, and then using the weakened defence to create checkmate opportunities.

Being aware of this strategy – both to deploy and to defend against – is important for winning and losing in the middle game.

In this game, my opponent played a slow “waiting” opening, starting with (1. e3), the Van ‘t Kruijs Opening. They later followed up with further “waiting” flank pawn moves – h3 and a3.

Against these waiting openings, my usual approach is to take the centre with pawns, and just develop normally. This gave me a good advantage into the early middle game of around [-1]. Moreover, my develop advantage meant that I could manoeuvre my pieces towards the kingside to launch an attack, and with an opportunity to do this without much penalty with moving some pieces more than once.

On move 10, I set up a queen-bishop battery down the dark square diagonal targeting h2. White had no choice but to block with g3, weakening the h-pawn which had been pre-emptively moved to h3 in the “waiting” opening.

Review Stockfish evaluation is interesting as the engine is ruthless in its calculation. I opted to play a little safely by castling before launching a further attack. Stockfish, however, could see an immediate exploitable line, forcing White to trade away their last piece in a defensive position, and then ram my own h-pawn forward to take advantage of the weakened defensive pawns.

Ultimately, it didn’t matter. On move 16, my queen managed to infiltrate and capture the h-pawn (16… Qxh3). White, potentially unsure how to defend, attempted to launch a counterattack on the queenside, but this was simply too slow. A rook lift (17… Rf6) and (18… Rh6) built an almost unstoppable battery down the h-file and on move 19, it was mate (19… Qh2#)! GG!

Game on chess.com: https://www.chess.com/game/live/78475358047

[Event "Live Chess"]
[Site "Chess.com"]
[Date "2023.05.23"]
[Round "-"]
[White "roshankhadge"]
[Black "vitualis"]
[Result "0-1"]
[Timezone "UTC"]
[ECO "A00"]
[ECOUrl "https://www.chess.com/openings/Vant-Kruijs-Opening-1...e5"]
[UTCDate "2023.05.23"]
[UTCTime "04:15:34"]
[WhiteElo "1257"]
[BlackElo "1391"]
[TimeControl "1800"]
[Termination "vitualis won by checkmate"]
[StartTime "04:15:34"]
[EndDate "2023.05.23"]
[EndTime "04:27:23"]
[Link "https://www.chess.com/game/live/78554423041"]
[WhiteUrl "https://www.chess.com/bundles/web/images/noavatar_l.84a92436.gif"]
[WhiteCountry "100"]
[WhiteTitle ""]
[BlackUrl "https://images.chesscomfiles.com/uploads/v1/user/3711094.82046355.50x50o.c8c8e6b7296c.jpg"]
[BlackCountry "17"]
[BlackTitle ""]

1. e3 {[%clk 0:29:54.5]} 1... e5 {[%clk 0:29:43.1]} 2. h3 {[%clk 0:29:49.8] My
opponent is playing a \"waiting\" opening, starting with e3, the Van 't Kruijs
opening. Although this isn't terrible, it also isn't good [-0.2].} 2... d5
{[%clk 0:29:38.5]} 3. Nf3 {[%clk 0:29:46.5]} 3... e4 {[%clk 0:29:24.6]
Generally, if you can attack a knight in the centre with pawns in this fashion,
it is typically good to do so [-0.4]} 4. Nh2 $6 {[%clk 0:29:42.7][%c_arrow
f3d4;keyPressed;none;from;f3;opacity;0.8;to;d4;persistent;false][%c_highlight
d4;keyPressed;none;opacity;0.8;square;d4;persistent;false][%c_effect
h2;square;h2;type;Inaccuracy;persistent;true] Moving the knight to the edge of
the board is suboptimal [-1]} 4... Nf6 {[%clk 0:29:08.6]} 5. Be2 {[%clk
0:29:39.5]} 5... Nc6 {[%clk 0:29:02.8]} 6. a3 {[%clk 0:29:36.7] White's slow
development has caused to be be cramped [-1.2]} 6... Bc5 $6 {[%clk
0:28:35.5][%c_effect c5;square;c5;type;Inaccuracy;persistent;true][%c_arrow
h7h5;keyPressed;none;from;h7;opacity;0.8;to;h5;persistent;false,f8d6;keyPressed;none;from;f8;opacity;0.8;to;d6;persistent;false,c8e6;keyPressed;none;from;c8;opacity;0.8;to;e6;persistent;false][%c_highlight
h5;keyPressed;none;opacity;0.8;square;h5;persistent;false,d6;keyPressed;none;opacity;0.8;square;d6;persistent;false,e6;keyPressed;none;opacity;0.8;square;e6;persistent;false]
As White is planning on castling kingside, this is an inaccuracy [-0.6].
Potentially developing the bishop to d6 instead would have been better.} 7.
O-O $6 {[%clk 0:29:32.9][%c_effect
g1;square;g1;type;Inaccuracy;persistent;true][%c_arrow
d2d4;keyPressed;none;from;d2;opacity;0.8;to;d4;persistent;false][%c_highlight
d4;keyPressed;none;opacity;0.8;square;d4;persistent;false] An inaccuracy [-1.2].
White had an opportunity to attack my bishop with a pawn.} 7... Qe7 $6 {[%clk
0:28:04.9][%c_effect e7;square;e7;type;Inaccuracy;persistent;true][%c_arrow
c5d6;keyPressed;none;from;c5;opacity;0.8;to;d6;persistent;false][%c_highlight
d6;keyPressed;none;opacity;0.8;square;d6;persistent;false] Not the most accurate
according to Stockfish [-0.4]} 8. d3 $2 {[%clk 0:29:27.4][%c_effect
d3;square;d3;type;Mistake;persistent;true][%c_arrow
d2d4;keyPressed;none;from;d2;opacity;0.8;to;d4;persistent;false][%c_highlight
d4;keyPressed;none;opacity;0.8;square;d4;persistent;false] A mistake [-1.4]}
8... Bd6 {[%clk 0:27:20.3] My strategy is now to attack the kingside, so move my
pieces to the kingside of the chain of pawns is usually good. Very often, a
strategy of attacking and potentially mating down the h-file is strong.} 9. Ng4 $2
{[%clk 0:29:23.4][%c_arrow
d3d4;keyPressed;none;from;d3;opacity;0.8;to;d4;persistent;false][%c_highlight
d4;keyPressed;none;opacity;0.8;square;d4;persistent;false][%c_effect
g4;square;g4;type;Mistake;persistent;true] A mistake [-2.9] where White loses a
defensive piece} 9... Nxg4 {[%clk 0:26:56.1]} 10. Bxg4 {[%clk 0:29:19.8]} 10...
Qe5 {[%clk 0:26:45.4][%c_highlight
d6;keyPressed;none;opacity;0.8;square;d6;persistent;false,e5;keyPressed;none;opacity;0.8;square;e5;persistent;false,h2;keyPressed;none;opacity;0.8;square;h2;persistent;false][%c_arrow
d6h2;keyPressed;shift;from;d6;opacity;0.8;to;h2;persistent;false] Threatening
checkmate on h2} 11. g3 {[%clk 0:29:00.2] A forced move, which now weakens the
h-pawn. My strategy} 11... O-O $2 {[%clk 0:26:28.1][%c_effect
g8;square;g8;type;Mistake;persistent;true][%c_arrow
c8g4;keyPressed;none;from;c8;opacity;0.8;to;g4;persistent;false][%c_highlight
g4;keyPressed;none;opacity;0.8;square;g4;persistent;false] Stockfish thinks that
castling isn't necessary and evaluates that an immediate attack is better...}
({Stockfish sees this immediate aggressive line to crack open the king's
defences to be best...} 11... Bxg4 12. Qxg4 h5 13. Qe2 h4 {[%c_arrow
d6h2;keyPressed;none;from;d6;opacity;0.8;to;h2;persistent;false,h8h1;keyPressed;none;from;h8;opacity;0.8;to;h1;persistent;false][%c_highlight
h2;keyPressed;none;opacity;0.8;square;h2;persistent;false,h1;keyPressed;none;opacity;0.8;square;h1;persistent;false]
And White is in some trouble...}) 12. Nc3 {[%clk 0:28:49.4]} 12... f5 {[%clk
0:26:18.7]} 13. d4 {[%clk 0:28:07.1]} 13... Qe6 {[%clk 0:25:50.2]} 14. Be2
{[%clk 0:27:50]} 14... Ne7 {[%clk 0:24:53.6]} 15. b4 $2 {[%clk 0:27:13.8][%c_arrow
c3b5;keyPressed;none;from;c3;opacity;0.8;to;b5;persistent;false][%c_highlight
b5;keyPressed;none;opacity;0.8;square;b5;persistent;false][%c_effect
b4;square;b4;type;Mistake;persistent;true] This move on the other side of the
board isn't consequential and thus results in an effective loss of tempo [-2.3]}
15... f4 $2 {[%clk 0:24:26.6][%c_effect
f4;square;f4;type;Mistake;persistent;true][%c_arrow
c8d7;keyPressed;none;from;c8;opacity;0.8;to;d7;persistent;false][%c_highlight
d7;keyPressed;none;opacity;0.8;square;d7;persistent;false] Opening up the
diagonal to attack h3. A mistake [-0.8] as White could counterattack with Bg4
which also defends h3} 16. exf4 $2 {[%clk 0:27:09.5][%c_effect
f4;square;f4;type;Mistake;persistent;true][%c_arrow
e2g4;keyPressed;none;from;e2;opacity;0.8;to;g4;persistent;false][%c_highlight
g4;keyPressed;none;opacity;0.8;square;g4;persistent;false] However, neither of
us saw this, justifying the tactic [-3.4]} 16... Qxh3 {[%clk 0:23:58.7]} 17. Nb5
{[%clk 0:25:34.9] A mistake [-11] as these adventures on the other side of the
board are not real threats and don't deal with the potential mating attack down
the h-file.} 17... Rf6 $1 {[%clk 0:23:46.4][%c_effect
f6;square;f6;type;GreatFind;persistent;true]} 18. Nxd6 {[%clk 0:25:30.4]} 18...
Rh6 {[%clk 0:23:35.8]} 19. Bf3 $4 {[%clk 0:24:49.8][%c_effect
f3;square;f3;type;Blunder;persistent;true][%c_arrow
e2h5;keyPressed;none;from;e2;opacity;0.8;to;h5;persistent;false][%c_highlight
h5;keyPressed;none;opacity;0.8;square;h5;persistent;false]} 19... Qh2# {[%clk
0:23:30.8][%c_effect g8;square;g8;type;Winner,g1;square;g1;type;CheckmateWhite]
GG $1} 0-1