Concept

King attack

You might say: attack on the king, attacking the castled king

A coordinated attempt to expose or overwhelm the enemy king with pieces, open lines, pawn advances, or a sacrifice.

What it does

Converts a king-safety imbalance into forcing threats; it needs enough attacking pieces, open lines, and time to continue.

Ask

Can I open a line or remove a defender faster than the king can find shelter or counterplay?

Typical

Direct piece attack; pawn storm; Greek Gift sacrifice; same-side or opposite-side pressure.

Trouble

The attack lacks follow-up, a defender arrives, or an ill-prepared pawn storm creates weaknesses around the attacker's own king.

What to look for

1. Attacking pieces around the enemy king
2. Open lines toward the king
3. Pawn advances on a flank
4. Bishop sacrifice exposing the king

Catalogue: Named attacks

• Greek Gift: Sacrifice a bishop on h7 or h2 to expose the enemy king and begin a supported attack.
• Pawn storm: Advance connected pawns repeatedly, usually on a flank, to open lines and attack the opponent.

Connections

• Raises: King safety
• Raises: Initiative

Sources

1. Chess.com, Greek Gift, What Is The Greek Gift?Why would a player trade a bishop for a single pawn? As explained, this sacrifice exposes the enemy king and allows for a ferocious attack to start.
2. Chess.com, Pawn Storm, Why Is The Pawn Storm Important?A well-executed pawn storm can open lines for an attack on the king.

Use it on your project

teardown-apply: hold "King attack" (king-attack) from the teardown at https://teardownatlas.com/chess/ against my project

Paste it into a coding agent that has the teardown skills.

An AI agent wrote this map with the teardown skill. It can contain errors: check the sources before you rely on a part. About and legal