Editing Bughouse chess (section)

=== Attack and defense ===
Attacking the king can mean checking the opponent but also controlling vital squares around the king. It is an essential part of bughouse gameplay. From a player's perspective, attacking the king has important advantages as opposed to defending or attempting to win material:<ref>von Zimmerman (2006), p. 109</ref>
* Because of the possibility of dropping pieces, attacks in bughouse can quickly lead to checkmate.
* The attacking player has the initiative; the attacker controls the board, while their opponent is left to react. This fact has important consequences for the other board as well.
* It is easier to attack than to defend. A defensive mistake can have bigger consequences than an offensive mistake. Thus, the defender needs to be more precise, which, in turn, can lead to a time advantage for the attacker.
* It is common to sacrifice material to build up or sustain an attack. Characteristic of attacks is the so-called "piece storm", where a player drops piece after piece with check. Contact checks and knight checks, which force the king to move as opposed to dropping pieces, are especially important. They can be used to drive the king into the open, away from its defenders, while they prevent the opponent from putting new material on the board.<ref>von Zimmerman (2006), p. 20</ref>

Partner communication is essential in a good defense. When one partner is under attack, the other partner should be aware of which pieces hurt most. Sitting strategies might be necessary, and it is therefore important for the defending player to play quickly. Often, accepting a sacrifice can be lethal, while, on the other hand, it results in the attacker having a piece less to play with and the defender's partner having a piece more. Sacrifices, therefore, give the partner of the defender an opportunity to take initiative.<ref>von Zimmerman (2006), p. 113</ref>