When the centre is locked by interlocked pawn chains, nobody can break through the middle, so each side attacks on the wing its chain points to. In the King’s Indian Mar del Plata, White pushes c4 to c5 on the queen side while Black storms the king side with ...f5, ...f4 and ...g5 and ...g4. The game becomes a race, and tempo is everything.
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When the centre is locked by two pawn chains, nobody gets through the middle. Each side then attacks on the wing its chain points to. The King’s Indian Mar del Plata is the model: White pushes c4 to c5 on the queen side, Black storms the king side with ...f5, ...f4 and ...g5 to g4.
What you will learn
01How to read which way a pawn chain points, and so which wing is yours.
02Black’s king side plan: ...f5, ...f4 to gain space, then ...g5 and ...g4 against f3.
03White’s queen side plan: c5, the exchange on d6 and a knight on c7.
04Why a closed centre turns the middlegame into a race of tempi.
Two wings, one race
The first section sets the structure: white pawns on d5 and e4, black pawns on d6 and e5, the breaks c4 to c5 and f7 to f5 shown by arrows. The second is Black’s storm, with pawns on f4 and g5 and the g-pawn about to hit f3. The third is White’s answer, the c-file open after the exchange on d6 and a knight heading from c3 to b5 and c7.
The club mistake is to defend on the opponent’s wing out of habit. A move like h3 or g3 feels safe but often helps Black open the g-file, and every such move is a tempo White’s queen side attack never gets. Defend only against a concrete threat, then go back to your own break.
How to practise it
Two quiz positions, one for each side of the race: as White you start the queen side break, as Black you open the king side. One move each, by voice or by tap. This lesson is part of Pro.
What does it mean that a pawn chain points to a wing?
A chain such as d5 and e4 leans towards the side its front pawn is heading for, here the queen side. Pawn breaks and space are easiest to gain on that wing, so that is where you attack.
What is the Mar del Plata Variation?
A main line of the King’s Indian Defence with 7...Nc6 8.d5 Ne7 9.Ne1. The centre closes at once and both sides race on opposite wings.