A pawn structure for a kingside attack

The e5 wedge and piece transfers down the e-file

The queen and rooks play an important role in an attack on the king. The queen is usually easy to bring into such an attack, since it is the most mobile piece. Rooks are harder. A rook is a strong long-range piece, but it sits behind the pawns, and bringing it into the attack takes real preparation. Often the rook is transferred through the central files.

Suppose the pawn structure shown in the diagram has arisen (we are setting aside the queenside pawns for now):

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This kind of pawn position usually favors an attack on Black's kingside, for the following reasons:

1. White has the e3 and e4 squares for transferring rooks to the kingside.
2. White can put pieces on h5 and g4, where they are hard to drive away: the f6 square is off-limits to the black knight, and moving the pawns that shield the king creates new weaknesses.
3. The pawn on e6 can block the c8 bishop's diagonal, get in the way of the major pieces maneuvering along the sixth rank, and so on. Without it, though, Black would always have to reckon with the threat of e5-e6.

All these points are illustrated well by the following examples:

• Forgács — Cohn
• Kotov — Unzicker