King's Indian Defense, Mar del Plata Variation

The Mar del Plata reaches its basic position when White advances the d-pawn to d5, closes the center, and Black's knight retreats from c6 to e7. The coordinates name squares by file and rank. Locked central pawns reduce direct play through the middle, so each side normally seeks space, meaning more room for the pieces, and open lines on a wing, meaning one side of the board.

The race on opposite wings

• White normally prepares the c-pawn advance to c5, sometimes supported by the b-pawn, to attack the base of Black's pawn chain, the group of pawns that protect one another diagonally, and open files, the vertical columns of the board, on the queenside.
• Black normally prepares the f-pawn advance to f5 and, if the center stays closed, may continue with the f-pawn and g-pawn to gain space near White's king.
• Both plans need pieces behind the pawns. Advancing too early can weaken squares or let the opponent open a decisive line first.

A pawn break is an advance that contacts the opposing pawn structure in order to open lines or change it. In the Mar del Plata, the timing of the breaks matters more than which side moves a pawn first. The Bayonet Attack accelerates White's plan with an immediate b-pawn advance. Other continuations first reposition a knight to support the expansion.