What are the premises for a successful attack? Marin discusses the traditional concept that a player with the advantage is obliged to attack, and also the value of notions of logic and justice in deciding whether to attack. If we believe an attack is justified, but cannot back it up with concrete variations, how do we decide whether to trust our intuition?

Sometimes an attack is launched straight out of the opening, when one player emerges with a development advantage or far better coordination. These same factors can also come into play in simplified positions, and we see successful attacks in endgames too. Marin surveys typical attacking scenarios, such an attack on two wings, with a queenside attack as a prelude for a swift strike on the other wing, and all-out attacks against apparently well-defended positions. He also explains why grandmasters generally prefer to maintain as many options as possible, and investigates the role of prophylactic thinking in attacking play.

List of Content

004 Symbols

005 Bibliography

006 Introduction

008 1 The Logical Course of the Game: The Spark of the Attack

043 2 The Elementary Stages of the General Plan

062 3 Advantage in Development

112 4 Play on Two Wings

132 5 The Secrets Behind Morphy 's Successes

152 6 The Paradox of the Century

179 7 A Chess-Player's Best Friend?!

192 Index of Players

192 Index of Openings