attack · recognise → explain → apply

Cut off the king while attacking a pawn

A rook can form a barrier that limits the enemy king’s approach.

Explanation styleChoose any style. Age is not playing strength; no birth date is needed.

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Kramnik,V – Topalov,V

GMA · 2003.01.23 · 1-0

40... e6 · White to move

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What to notice at 40... e6

Kramnik’s 41.Ra5 placed the rook actively while Black’s king manoeuvred on the queenside. The rook soon took e5 and later switched toward the kingside pawns.

A legally replayed historical example, not a claim that every move is best. A game’s result does not prove every defensive position was lost or drawn.

Game source ↗

Your thinking first

Name the signal, choose a plan, and test the opponent’s most challenging response.

What do you notice?What is your plan, and why?How could the opponent resist?

Recall and explain

1. A rook can form a barrier that limits the enemy king’s approach. How would you apply “cut off the king while attacking a pawn”, and which defensive reply must you check?

Explain it in your own words before revealing.

Make it memorable

One rook can make a wall and a threat.

Teach this to a friend in one minute. Then return to a different example and look for the same signal without being told its name.

Reflect and revisit

This is your self-assessment, not an engine grade or a promise of mastery.

Connect the ideas

Practise pawn transformations →

Sources and further reading

Original LumaChess teaching and game analysis. Topic references are credited below; no affiliation or endorsement is implied.

Game-score provenance and further study ↗