King Safety

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14.1 Thinking Like a Defender

So far we have looked at the board through the attacker's eyes. From now on we change sides. A good defender is not a passive player: he sees the danger early, takes simple precautions and uses every chance to hit back. Most kings are lost not because the attack was unstoppable, but because the defender noticed the threat one move too late.

14.2 The Healthy Shelter

The safest shelter for a castled king is three unmoved pawns on f7, g7 and h7 (or f2, g2, h2) with a knight on f6 (f3). Every pawn move in front of the king creates a weakness: h6 gives a hook for a pawn storm, g6 weakens the dark squares f6 and h6, and f6 opens the diagonal to g8. These moves are not always wrong — but make them for a reason, never out of habit.

14.3 Luft

The German word luft ("air") means an escape square for the king. A move like h6 or g3 at a quiet moment can save you from a back-rank mate later. Make luft when the position is calm and the back rank could become a problem; avoid it when it gives the opponent a target.

14.4 Worked Examples

In every example the opponent threatens mate. Find the threat first, then the only move that stops it.