Position Tactics -- Position 5

This position can come from a number of different openings. It is quite natural for the King Side Bishop to rest on c4 or c5 bearing down on the nearly unprotected F-pawn. It can capture with check, which in many positions will either draw the King out in the open, or result in a royal demise.

I have chosen three positions to show what is going on. A Sicilian, A Kings Opening miniature by my best friend, and a Queens Gambit. They all show the same positional tactic of the F-pawn gobbled up by the opponents bishop, leading to check, and sometimes a race.

Both in the Sicilian and the Queens gambit you will find a common mating theme to go with the positional tactic. In the Queens Gambit you will often find the Queen at b3 lending support to the attack.

In the Sicilian you may find that your queen all of the sudden owns the d-file because the black queen has squirreled its way to b6.

There are other openings as well where this positional tactic comes into play. Either as a trap, a main theme, or something you must avoid.



1. e4 c5
2. Nc3 d6
3. Nf3 Nc6
4. d4 Qb6
5. dxc5 dxc5
6. Bc4 Nf6
7. Ng5 Bg4
8. Bxf7#









1. a4 Nf6
2. Nf3 d5
3. Rg1 e6
4. h4 Bc5
5. Nh2 Ne4
6. f3 Bf2#



















1. d4 d5
2. c4 dxc4
3. e3 Nf6
4. Bxc4 Bf5
5. Nf3 Be4
6. Qb3 Bxf3
7. Bxf7+ Kd7
8. Qe6#




More Later.