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Tactics 101: Windmill of Destruction

By: Nathaniel_Fernandes | Posted: October 3, 2020 | Updated: 7/16/2021
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This entry is part 7 of 11 in the series Tactics

KEY TAKEAWAYS

  • Also called the โ€œsee sawโ€ โ€“ a repetitive discovered attack on the King that can win lots of material for free.
  • Most common example:
    • Have a Rook on g2/g7 and a Bishop on the long diagonal
    • Move your Rook (and take a piece) to unleash a discovered attack on the King. Then move the rook back and repeat.

A windmill is a very special type of discovered attack that you can use to win lots of material.

Definition-wise: a windmill is a repetitive discovered attack on the King using the same piece, to force the King to shuffle back and forth helplessly.

There are many spectacular examples of the windmill, but the โ€œSee Sawโ€ is by far the most common (term coined by GM Murray Chandler in Chess Tactics for Kids). You have a Rook on g7 (or g2 if youโ€™re Black) and a Bishop on the long diagonal. Then, you move your Rook and take a piece to unleash a powerful discovered attack on the King. When the King timidly steps back to g8, you lather, rinse, and repeat.

The windmill exemplifies the mantra, โ€œRooks belong on the 7th rank.โ€

One spectacular combination that uses the windmill is the Petrosian Draw. In this case, you use the windmill to force a draw by perpetual check. It is called the Petrosian Draw because usually the player sacrifices a lot of material to reach that position โ€“ if they canโ€™t win, they can force a draw.

Coming soon: A new series โ€œForcing the Drawโ€ which covers stalemating tricks like the Petrosian Draw.

Here are some more famous examples for your viewing pleasure! A shout-out goes to YouTube Channel โ€œChess with Surenโ€ for featuring these wonderful windmill ideas.

Conclusion

As you can see, the windmill is an easy-to-understand but menacing tactic. These positions are rare but often quite spectacular. Post your best #windmill #epictactic on Instagram!

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