The No-Attack Strategy

There has been a lot of YouTube videos on the no-attack strategy lately. At first, being a attacking player by nature, I wrote it off as rubbish, but I have changed my mind. The basic concepts are: play simple and solid moves, avoid confrontation, and wait for your opponent to blunder. If they fail to blunder, it's a draw.

The idea behind the strategy is to reduce the randomness of the game, and thereby make the outcome a result of chess skills rather than chance. To be honest - how many "won" games have you lost due to a reckless attack? If you're like me, it's way to many.

My own experiences with no-attack has resulted in calmer games with less mistakes, at least in the early stages of the game, but I cannot say that my results have improved. It's harder than one might think to stick to the strategy, and it's easy to get overly defensive as the game below shows. 

Me - N.N. - Me (Swedish League, 2026)
Caro-Kann, Exchange Variation

1. e4 c6 2. d4 d5 3. exd5 cxd5 4. Bd3 Nf6 5. c3 e6  

After 5...e6 

That was a slip. My first impulse was Bg4, but that would contradict the no-attack. The text move, however, fits the strategy, but is nonetheless bad. In Caro-Kann the light-squared Bishop belongs outside the pawn chain, so this would be a good moment to side-step the no-attack. The book move is Nc6 intending Bg4, but the move currently in fashion is the immediate Bg4. Now White is slightly better.

6. Bf4 Nc6 7. Nf3 Be7 8. Nbd2 O-O 9. O-O 

 

After 6.O-O

White has two strong Bishops vs. two weak ones, so fixing that is Black's top priority. My plan is to play a6, b5, Lb7, prepare for e5, hoping to free the long diagonal for the Bishop. Stockfish recommends Nh5 followed by g6 and Ng7.

9... a6 10. Re1 b5 11. Qc2 g6 

 

After 11... g6 

An ugly-looking move inviting the Bishop to h6, but it cuts off the battery targeting h7, and also allows the Knight on h7 to support the e5 break.

12. h3 Nh5 13. Bh6 Re8 14. Nf1 Bf6 15. Re2 e5 

 

After 15... e5

This pawn break leads to a series of exchanges allowing Black to equalise.

16. dxe5 Nxe5 17. Nxe5 Rxe5 18. Rxe5 Bxe5 19. Re1 Bf4

After 19... Bf4

With the removal of the annoying Bishop on h6, Black has levelled the game.
 

20. Bxf4 Nxf4 21. Qd2 Not a good place for the Queen. Ng3 or Ne3 would have been better. Qg5 

 

After 21... Qg5

This exits the no-attack, but it's the only move that holds any promise. The threat  of Qxf2 mate can only be parried in two ways - 22.g3 Nxh3+ 23.Kg2 Qxd2 leads to an ending where Black is a pawn up, or 22.Re8+ Kg7 23.Ne3 where Black has several continuations to choose from, some of them very sharp.

22. Ne3 A decisive mistake, overlooking that Nxg2 Nxg2 loses the Queen. However, one mistake often leads to another, and now follows a fascinating series of mistakes from both players.

 22... Bxh3 Missing the win (Nxg2). 

 23. Bf1 Once more underestimating the threats on g2. 23. g3 was the only move.

23... Re8 In all fairness, White isn't the only one to ignore g2. 23... Bxg2 would secure the win.

24. g3 At long last! White has recovered from the streak of mistakes, and is now safe. Black should now retreat the Bishop to c8 to calm things down. Instead...

24... Bf5 Losing a piece -  the Black Queen becomes pinned when the Bishop is captured.

After 24... Bf5

That was the final mistake, and White now proceeded with immaculate precision.

25. Nxf5 Rxe1 26. Qxe1 gxf5 27. Qe8+ Kg7 28. Qe5+ Kg6 29. Qxf4 Qe7 30. Qe3 Qf6 31. Bg2 h5 32. Bxd5 h4 33. gxh4 Qxh4 34. Qg3+ Qg4 35. Bf3 Qg5 36. Qxg5+ Kxg5 37. Bb7 a5 38. Ba6 b4 39. cxb4 axb4 40. a3 bxa3 41. bxa3 Kf4 42. a4 Ke5 43. Kg2 1-0

Takeaway

This might not look like a success for the no-attack strategy, but I'm not giving it up just yet. It took me 20 moves into game without any major problems, and for me, that's an achievement!