FoxyChess › Tactics › Attacking f2/f7
Attacking f2/f7
At the start of the game f2 and f7 are the weakest squares on the board, defended only by the king. Many quick wins and traps aim straight at them.
How to spot it
At the start of the game only the king defends f2 and f7. Aim a bishop at the square (Bc4 or …Bc5), bring the queen or a knight to join it, and look for a sacrifice there that drags the king into the open.
A worked example
Légal's mate. 5.Nxe5! offers the queen; if 5…Bxd1 then 6.Bxf7+ Ke7 7.Nd5#. (5…dxe5 6.Qxg4 simply wins a pawn.)
Why it works
f7 is the weakest point on the board in the opening because every other square has a piece or pawn to defend it. Scholar's Mate, the Fried Liver and Légal's mate all turn on the same square.
How to defend against it
Develop the kingside knight early (…Nf6 covers the queen's path to h5) and castle. Once the rook stands on f8, f7 has a second defender and most of these tricks stop working.
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