Tactical motifs
Queenside attack
Hunting a king that castled on the queenside.
What is the queenside attack?
A queenside attack goes after a king that castled long (on c1 or c8). Because that king often sits on a more open wing, the attack tends to be sharp — pawn storms with a- and b-pawns, sacrifices on a-file and c-file, and the bishop pair cutting across.
Why the queenside attack matters
Opposite-side castling produces the most thrilling races in chess, and the queenside attack is half of that story. Learning it teaches you to attack with pawns, not just pieces, and to weigh "who gets there first".
How to use it to win
Throw the a- and b-pawns forward to crack open lines, then pile rooks and the queen onto the opening file. Boden's mate and a-file sacrifices are the typical finishes against a c8 king.
Try an example puzzle
A real queenside attack puzzle from the app. White to move — find the idea, then reveal the line.
8 
5 
3 
c 
e 
h 1 Show solution
1. Qa8+ Kd7 2. Re7#
Drill the queenside attack on thousands of real puzzles, matched to your rating.