FIDE Surveys – Judith Polgar

1

Judith Polgar:

The g7 square - French blocked
structure

A brief glance at the typical French Defence
blocked structures with Black's short castle
is enough to reveal Black's Achillee's heel:
the g7–square.

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All the other pawns are safely defended (the
h-pawn could advance to h6 to enjoy his
colleague support, for instance) or of low
interest (the queenside pawns mainly), but
the g7–pawn stands apart. Placed in the
immediate neighbourhood of the king
(which is also its only defender) this pawn
has certain responsibility, as advancing it to
g6 would weaken the h6– and f6–squares,
which could have heavy strategic
consequences.
***Taking all thiese into account, we can
understand that one of White's main
attacking ideas is sacrificing on g7, thus
exposing the king and weakening the
aforementioned squares for the invasion of
the remaining pieces.
***As a kid, I mainly had in my repertoire
open positions, where my pieces could

display their dynamism, but I treated the
French differently. I gladly played systems
with a blocked centre, precisely because I
believed in the sacrificial attacking ideas.
Needless to say, the g7–square used to be
one of my main targets.
***My favourite scenario included Qg4 and
Bd3, putting g7 and h7 under observation.
The queen's bishop would be well placed on
c1, as would be ready to intervene to h6. I
rarely payed attention to my queenside, as
long as I had my own play going.
***Here is such an example from my early
years as a chess player:

J. Polgar : Sinkovics
Hungary 1990
1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.e5 Ne7 5.a3
Bc3 6.bc3 c5 7.Qg4 0–0 8.Bd3 Nd7
A rare and rather dubious move. Black
directs his knight to the route b6–c4, but
delays the queenside development by
obstructing the own bishop. The main line
goes 8...Nbc6.
9.Nf3 f5
Black decides reducing my kingside
pressure, but this will be only a temporary
solution, as I will soon open the g-file with
g2–g4.
10.Qh3 Nb6 11.Rg1 Qc7 12.Bd2
A prophylactic move, after which my
bishops control all the important squares
along the c-file, thus delaying Black's
counterplay. But at the same time, the bishop
clears the a1–rook's path to the kingside.
12...Nc4 13.g4! Nd2 14.Kd2
The king has replaced the bishop for its
defensive tasks. Besides, the last move
connects the rooks.
14...Kh8 15.gf5 Nf5
The knight seems to offer Black some
stability, but it won't be able to stop the
massive attack of all my pieces.
16.Rg5 cd4

FIDE Surveys – Judith Polgar

2

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17.Rag1!?
A typical moment, in which I prefer the
rapid piece mobilization to queenside
defensive measures.
17...dc3 18.Kd1 Qe7 19.Rh5!
My piece flow towards the enemy king
continues. It can be felt already that Black
has not enough defenders on this wing.
19...Nh6

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Even though not very complicated, my
combination is a logical crowning of the
attack, by weakening all the kingside dark
squares. Obstructing the h-file, but clearing
the bishop's path and weakening the defence
on g7. If 19...h6 20.Nh4! (Threatening Ng6)
20...Nh4 21.Rh4. Black cannot parry the
decisive threat Rh6.

20.Rg7! Kg7 21.Rh6 Rh8 22.Rf6!
The rook makes full use of the f6–square.
The immediate threat is mate in one with a
queen move somewhere to the g-file.
22...Kg8 23.Rf4
Threatening Rg4.
23...h5
Defending g4, but weakening g6.
24.Rf6!
The elegant balancing of the rook forced
Black's immediate resignation. After the
defence of the g6–square has been removed,
there is no way to parry the threat 25.Qg3
Qg7 26.Rg6. 1:0.

In the next example the sacrifice will take
place on the opposite board edge, but the
purpose will be the same, allowing the
continuation of my attack on dark squares.

J. Polgar : Gdanski
Budapest 1993
1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.e5 Ne7 5.a3
Bc3 6.bc3 c5 7.Qg4 Qc7 8.Bd3 c4 9.Be2 0–
0 10.Nf3 Nbc6 11.Bg5 Qa5 12.Kd2 f5
13.Qh3 Bd7

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We can notice that Black has played more
accurately than in the previous game. He has
pushed my bishop back from d3 and
developed his own bishop, thus making g2–
g4 ineffective due to ...fg4 and ...Qe8–g6.

FIDE Surveys – Judith Polgar

3

But at the same time Black will need several
moves to attack c3 (the only way he can
build up counterplay, allowing me to carry
out a slow plan, too).
14.a4 Nc8 15.Qg3 Kh8 16.h4 Nb6 17.h5!
The obvious idea is attacking Black's most
vulnerable square with h5–h6.
17...Na4
If 17...Be8, apart from 18.h6, which would
be strong even though Black could later play
...Nd7 and control f6, I could start
fascinating play with: 18.Nh4 (Creating
several threats, Ng6, Bf6 or h5–h6.) 18...Nd4
(The only way of trying to take advantage of
my last move.) 19.Ng6! Kg8 (Black cannot
afford opening the h-file.) 20.Ne7 Kf7 (If
20...Kh8 the most convincing and
spectacular is 21.Bf6 gf6 22.ef6 and Black
cannot parry the mates on g8 and g7 at the
same time.) 21.Bh4!! (With the elegant
threat 22.Qg6!! hg6 23.hg6 mate!) 21...Ba4
(Clearing the e8–square for the king.) 22.h6
(Clearing the h5–square for the e2–bishop.)
22...g6 23.Bh5! gh5 24.Qg7 Ke8 25.Ng8
Qc5 26.Nf6 Rf6 27.ef6+–.
*** 17...h6 allows the simple combination
18.Bh6 gh6 19.Qg6 followed by Qh6 and
Ng5.

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18.Ra4!
A pawn and an exchange is not too high a
prize to pay for my king's safety.

18...Qa4 19.h6
I have reached the first major achievement
by attacking g7 and thus weakening all the
kingside dark squares. Even though the
structure is different than in the previous
game, I am once again attacking with all my
pieces.
19...g6
19...Rf7 allows 20.hg7 Kg8 21.Rh7! mating
soon.
20.Bf6 Rf6
Forced but insufficient. Against 20...Kg8 I
had planned a beautiful combination.
21.Qg6! As pointed out by Bronstein, the
absolute control on dark squares can lead to
tactical blows on the light ones. 21...hg6
22.h7 Kf7 23.h8Q Rh8 24.Ng5, followed by
Rh8 mate. A remarcable mating pattern.
21.ef6

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Returning the exchange avoided an
immediate loss but did not make Black's
position easier. His dark squares are
desperately weak and his king remains in
danger.
21...Kg8 22.Qc7 Nb4
Black could not hold the position after
22...Rd8 23.Ne5 either.
23.cb4 Qb4 24.Ke3 g5!?
Hoping for 25.Qd7?? f4 mate!!!
25.Ng5 1:0.

FIDE Surveys – Judith Polgar

4

In the next example, the related vulnerability
of the g7–, h6– and f6–squares in the
moment of the decisive combination is less
obvious at first sight. It is mainly White's
perfect coordination that allows a beautiful
and effective rook sacrifice on g7.

Parligras : Bluebaum
Kings Medias 2015
1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.e5 Ne7 5.a3
Bc3 6.bc3 c5 7.h4!?
Over the past years this move has become a
reasonable alternative to the main lines
7.Qg4 and 7.Nf3. White's main idea is
weakening Black's kingside without
committing his queen, thus maintaining
better stability in the centre.
7...Qa5 8.Bd2 Qa4 9.Nf3 b6 10.dc5 bc5
11.h5 h6
Black cannot allow h5–h6 after which his
kingside would be chronically weak.
12.Rh4 Qc6 13.Rg4
This time it is the rook which occupies this
square in order to put pressure on g7.
13...Nf5 14.Bd3

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14...0–0??
A clear underestimation of the danger. The
king willingly walks into the area targeted
by most of White's pieces. Black defends the
g7–pawn in anticipation of Bf5, but not for
too long as we will see. Instead, he should

have continued his strategic plan with
14...Ba6!? with approximate equality since
15.Bf5? ef5 16.Rg7 Qa4 puts the white king
in a very uncomfortable situation.
15.Qc1!
The obvious threat Bh6 created by this move
can be easily parried, but its main idea is
reaching the optimal coordination for
launching the attack. The battery set up by
the queen and bishop along the c1–h6
diagonal is very strong.
15...Kh8
The intermediate move 15...c4 would
prevent the game combination, but White
can make use of the d4–square instantly:
16.Nd4! Qc7 (Black hopes to obtain
counterplay by attacking e5.
If 16...Nd4 a similar combination as in the
game is possible: 17.Rg7! Kg7 18.Bh6 Kh8
19.Qg5 A very effective mechanism. The
bishop clears the diagonal with check,
alowing the queen to approach and create
decisive threats. 19...Rg8 20.Qf6 and mate
on the next move.
16...Qb6 would make sense only if White
hurried to exchange on f5, as this would
clear the sixth rank, allowing the queen to
defend on h6. 17.Bh6! cd3 18.Nf5+–
Against this accurate move order Black's g7–
square is doomed.) 17.Bf5 Qe5 (17...ef5
allows the familiar 18.Rg7 Kg7 19.Bh6 Kh7
20.Bf8+– with a material advantage, better
structure and development and a continuing
attack.) 18.Be4! de4 19.Bh6+– with decisive
threats.

FIDE Surveys – Judith Polgar

5

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16.Rg7!!
This sacrifice is justified by the fact that
White will be attacking with all his pieces
with the exception of the a1–rook, while
Black's king is poorly defended. As in a
similar line above, it makes little sense to
help Black clearing the sixth rank: 16.Bf5
ef5 17.Rg3 Ba6. Suddenly it is only White's
king who is in danger while with h6 safely
defended the black king enjoys full safety ...
16...Ng7
16...Kg7 leads to forced mate: 17.Bh6 Nh6
18.Qg5 A familiar mechanism. 18...Kh8
19.Qh6 Kg8 20.Qh7#.
17.Bh6!
A quiet key move with decisive efects.
Eliminating the h6–pawn is essential in order
to make the g5–square available for
regrouping. But the immediate threat is Bg7
followed by ...Qg5, mating soon.
17...Rg8
17...f5 18.ef6 Rf6 gains some space but
clears the e5–square creating a geometrical
motif: 19.Bg7 Kg7 20.Qg5 Kf7 21.Ne5+–
wins the queen.
18.Bg5!
Another quiet move preparing Bf6 and Qh6
mate.
18...Nh5
18...Nf5 leads to mate after a colective effort
of White's attacking pieces. 19.Bf6 Kh7
20.Ng5 Kh6 21.Nf7 Kh5 (If 21...Kh7 White
does not even have to take on f5 to deliver

mate: 22.Qh6#) 22.Bf5 ef5 23.Qh6 Kg4
24.Qh4#.
19.Bf6 Rg7
Or, if 19...Nf6 20.Qh6 followed by mate.
20.Qh6 Kg8 21.Qh5+–
In view of the threat Qh6, possibly combined
with Ng5, Black resigned. 1:0.