Steinitz taught us:
- If you're attacking:
- Don't attack too soon
- Attack with a team
- Attack only if you have good reason=you have an advantage
- If you're defending:
- Defend what you have to
- Don't make weaknesses
Let's see what happens if you break the rules...
- Attacking done badly
- Too soon
- Too lonely
- No excuse
- Defending done badly
- Missing threats, opening lines, going quiet
Attacking done badly
Too soon
[Event "WWoE Jamboree"] [Site "Chepstow"] [Date "2016"] [Round "2"] [White "Glasson, Luke"] [Black "NN"] [Result "1-0"] 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. d3 d6 {This position is equal. Neither side has a reason to attack.} 5. Ng5? {Moving this piece a second time} 5...Nh6 {Now Black has more pieces developed than White} 6. Qh5 {Developing but exposing the Queen} 6...Qf6 {Making a serious threat with a developing move -- that's the ticket!} 7. O-O {Now Black could get the advantage by playing either} 7...Nd4 (7...Bg4) 1-0
Too lonely
[Event "WWoE2020"] [Site "Chepstow"] [Date "2020.01.11"] [Round "2"] [White "Narayanan, Niranjana"] [Black "NN"] [Result "0-1"] [ECO "C54"] [EventDate "2020.??.??"] [PlyCount "66"] 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. c3 Nf6 5. d4 exd4 6. cxd4 Bb4+ 7. Nc3 Nxe4 8. O-O Bxc3 9. d5 Na5 10. Qe2 O-O 11. Qxe4 Re8 12. Qd3 Nxc4 13. Qxc3 Nb6 14. Qd3 d6 15. h3 {Too slow} 15...Nd7 16. Ng5 g6 17. Qg3 Nf8 18. h4 h5 19. b3 Nh7 20. Nxh7 {Keep pieces on} 20...Kxh7 21. Qf4 Bf5 22. Qh6+ Kg8 23. Qf4 Re4 24. Qh6 Qf6 25. Rb1 Re2 {Too many Queen moves have let Black take over} 0-1
No excuse
[Event "Karlsbad"] [Site "Karlsbad CSR"] [Date "1923.05.04"] [EventDate "1923.04.28"] [Round "5"] [Result "1-0"] [White "Alexander Alekhine"] [Black "Geza Maroczy"] [ECO "D55"] [WhiteElo "?"] [BlackElo "?"] [PlyCount "43"] 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 d5 4. Nc3 Be7 5. Bg5 O-O 6. e3 Ne4 7. Bxe7 Qxe7 8. Qb3 Nxc3 9. Qxc3 c6 10. Bd3 Nd7 {About equal? Maybe White is better. But Black shouldn't be the one to attack!} 11. O-O f5 12. Rac1 g5 {Outrageous! But how can White show Black has made a mistake? Well, Black is looking at the side of the board, so White opens up lines in the centre for their better-developed pieces. That means aiming for e3-e4, and that means playing f3, and that means moving the Knight to cover e4} 13. Nd2! Rf7 14. f3 e5 {That helps White with their plan!} 15. cxd5 cxd5 16. e4 fxe4 17. fxe4 Rxf1+ 18. Rxf1 exd4 {Now, 99 players out of 100 would play Qxd4 here.} 19. Qc7! {And Black is completely tied up} 19...Kg7 20. Rf5 dxe4 21. Nxe4 Qb4 22. Rxg5+ 1-0
Defending done badly
Missing threats, opening lines, going quiet
[Event "defence: all too many club pla"] [Site "defence: all too many club pl"] [Date "1982.??.??"] [Round "?"] [White "regis"] [Black "arriens"] [Result "1-0"] [ECO "D10"] [PlyCount "49"] 1. c4 c6 2. Nc3 d5 3. cxd5 cxd5 4. d4 Nf6 5. Bf4 Nc6 6. e3 Qb6 7. a3 e6 ( 7... Qxb2 8. Na4 )8. Nf3 Nh5 9. Be5 Nxe5 10. Nxe5 Nf6 11. Rc1 Bd7 ( 11... Qxb2 12. Nb5 Bxa3 13. Nc7+ Kf8 14. Rc2 { is better for Black} 14... Qb4+ )12. Nxd7 Nxd7 13. Bd3 a6 ( 13... Qxb2 14. Nb5 Bxa3 15. Nc7+ Kd8 16. Rc2 Qb4+ 17. Ke2 Rc8 { is still better for Black} )14. Qe2 Nf6 15. O-O Bd6 16. b4 O-O 17. g4 { That's not a completely bad move but really White has no reason to attack. This works only because Black helps!} 17... g6 {Also not entirely bad -- Black may not be able to avoid it in the long run -- but it's the start of a mistaken train of though} 18. f4 Rae8 {Doesn't help} 19. Kh1 h5 {Doing White's job of opening lines} 20. gxh5 Nxh5 21. Rg1 {With a threat...} 21... Kh7 {?? Black steps out of one pin but right into another} ( 21... Nxf4 22. exf4 Qxd4 23. Bxg6 fxg6 24. Rxg6+ Kf7 25. Qh5 Rh8 26. Rh6+ Ke7 27. f5 Rxh6 28. Qxh6 { unclear! both Kings stand badly} )( 21... Kh8 22. f5 { when White still has an attack ( ...exf5, Nxd5 )} ( 22. Bxg6 fxg6 23. Rxg6 Ng7 24. Rcg1 Rf7 25. Qg4 Qc7 26. Rxg7 Rxg7 27. Qh5+ Kg8 28. Qxe8+ Kh7 29. Rxg7+ Kxg7 ))22. Qxh5+ { 1-0} 22... Kg8 23. Bxg6 fxg6 24. Qxg6+ Kh8 25. Qg7# {It was like Black and White teamed up to attack the Black King!} 1-0