The minority attack

Carlsen and the Queen's Gambit masters

Two pawns attack three: push b4 and b5 to break the opponent's queenside pawns and leave a weak pawn on c6.

The minority attack: Carlsen and the Queen's Gambit masters

Key ideas

  1. Push b4, then b5, with your pieces' support.
  2. After the exchange, the opponent is left with a weak pawn.
  3. Attack the weakness with your rooks on the c-file.

When to use it

In the Carlsbad structure of the Queen's Gambit Declined, after cxd5 exd5.

Strategy Academy

Middlegame strategies