Basic Elements in Playing Chess

Strategic Notes on Traditional Chess Openings There are many openings that can be studied and memorized, but more important, you should learn the theory behind them to the point that you see what weaknesses are developed by your partner making or not making those responses. As a matter of fact, I listened to a brief lecture by one master who said that the beginner has no use for studying openings, which is really a false notion. Though openings need to be studied, first, one should pursue a basic understanding of strategy and tactics before one will really need to do so. In Jeremy Silmans book: The Complete Book of Chess Strategy, it is recommended that the study of theory is what is important and that without that, the memorization of openings is useless; though the first section of his book is entirely devoted to those very openings that will need to be memorized, and with very little theoretical explanation for these openings. Learn the principles of each class of openings; the King pawn openings, the Queen Pawn openings, the Gambits, the Reti OpeningHypermodernism and irregular chess openings. While it is true that the opening focuses on the development of your pieces, it is very important that you understand the opening is more about creating a difference in your position from your opponents position that you then can exploit. He then bids you to go straight into the memorization of a few openings. In Discovering Chess Openings, by John Emms and Ideas Behind the Chess Openings by Reuben Fine, Ive developed the following set up guidelines: So in the beginning, it really is about playing games: whether you start with a King or Queen opening or you open c4 or Nf3 (the only openings the grandmasters will use)or maybe, you decide to attempt to confound your opponent with a different lead (b3, g4; et al) and even that you get to some position that is identical to the more common openings; say at about move 6 or move 10you need to follow but certain rules: 1. Choose first to study either the Kings Opening or the Queens Opening (the other irregular openings used by masters should be left for later). Note that Kings openings are for making open center games and in middle game exchanges, one should attempt to exchange Knights for Bishops. Bishops can more easily move through open centers. Conversely, in Queens openings, in middle game exchanges, one should attempt to exchange Bishops for Knights as Queens openings tend to be closed center games that Bishops cant move through and Knights can get around more readily. 2. Make one or two pawn moves in the opening; not more. Next, in general, develop the Knights before the Bishops. The opening is completed and middle game engaged when the rooks are connected (through castling); meaning that they can directly see one another on your back row. Both players should attempt to castle by move 10; better players casting by move 7 (Kingside castling is preferable). Dont bring the Queen out before minor pieces (Bishop & Knight) are developed and youve castled (Rooks & Queens are major pieces).

3. Develop, develop, developpieces are at their strongest in the center and it is the center of which your are striving to control. Indeed, develop pieces towards the center and always try to maintain one pawn in the center, as the one who does will have more freedom of movement while his opponents position will be more cramped. Never move a piece twice before move 10. Pick the most suitable square and develop it there with the intent to fix it there for the duration of the opening. Develop w/a purpose; a) grabbing the center & b) to attack or defend pieces. And ask yourself before every move: 1. How does it affect the center? & 2. How does it fit in with the development of my other pieces and pawns? Further, in general, Only send your Bishops to the g5 or e5 squares if you intend to pin the enemy Knight and if you think the pin will prove bothersome to your opponent. Note also that the Bishop should have the ability to back out after your opponent moves a6 or h6. 4. Watch for your opponents moves and threats, beyond your own goals or principles. After each of your opponents moves, look for the direct attack of the pieces moves and look for any discovered attack that might have been created by opening the square of the piece that was just moved. Look to see if you can figure out your opponents plan of attack. What square or squares is your opponent targeting.

Setting Up Pawn Formations

One of the first noticeable results of any Opening sequence is the pawn structure that defines the real estate and how it is controlled by both players. Weaknesses in the pawn structure, such as isolated, doubled or backward pawns and holes, once created, are usually permanent. Care must therefore be taken to avoid them (but there are exceptions for instance see Boleslavsky hole below). The pawn formation determines the overall strategy of the players to a large extent; even if arising from unrelated openings. Pawn formations symmetrical about a vertical line (such as the e5 Chain and the d5 Chain) can be deceptively similar, but they tend to have entirely different characteristics because of the propensity of the kings to castle on the kingside. Pawn structures often transpose into one another, such as the Isolani into the Hanging Pawns and vice versa. Such transpositions must be considered carefully and often mark shifts in game strategy. Andrew Soltis, in his book Pawn Structure Chess, classifies the major pawn formations into 16 categories, discussed below. It is to be noted that for a formation to fall into a particular category, it need not have a pawn position identical to the corresponding diagram, but only close enough that the character of the game and the major themes are unchanged. It is typically the center pawns whose position influences the nature of the game the most. Structures with mutually attacking pawns are said to have tension. They are ordinarily unstable and tend to transpose into a stable formation with a pawn push or exchange. Play often revolves around making the transposition happen under favorable circumstances. For instance, in the Queen's Gambit Declined (QGD), Black waits until White develops the king's bishop to make the d5xc4 capture, transposing to the Slav formation (see below).

Initial Main Lines for the Kings Pawn Opening

A note on these openings: Reverse engineer the lines presented in order to gain an understanding of the logic behind them. Do this by analyzing and comparing each move against all other possible moves. But follow the lines and their variations into the Middle Game that the best practice at realistic scenarios becomes intelligible. The King's Gambit The King's Gambit begins with 1. e4 e5 2. f4. With White's offer of f4, Black is given two options which is either to decline the gambit or accept it. If Black accepts (KGA) the gambit then the reply should be 2 ... exf4. And in this, White will eventually play d4 in order to achieve the classical center, as the threat of Black's Pawn on e5 is now gone. A sample continuation for this gambit (which eventually takes us into the Muzio Gambit) would be the Kings Knight Gambit (develops the Knight and prevents 3. Qh4+): Classical Variation: 3. Nf3 g5 4. Bc4 b5 5. o-o bxc4 Fisher Defense: If: 3. d6, then : 4. d4 g5 and 5. h4 g4White cannot continue w/6. Ne5 (Kieseritzky Gambit). 6. Ng5 is also unsound; due to 6. f6! So, 6. Ng1 is correct move. Muzio Gambit: If: 4. g4, White to play Muzio Gambit: 5. o-o!? gxf3 6. Qxf3White gambits a Knight, but has 3 pieces bearing down on f7. If: 4. Bg7 & 5. h6, Black avoids Muzio Gambit, but White can initiate Double Muzio Gambit after: 6. Qf6 by following with e5 Qx e5 and White can then initiate a Triple Muzio Gambit with 8. b3? instead of8. Bxf7+!?; offering the Rook on a1. If Black takes the Rook w/8. Qxa1, then: 9. Nc3 and Black Queen is stalemated. If Black doesnt take the Rook, it can be forced to do so w. 9. Bb2 (hoping Black does not know about Kd8 defense to 10. Bxf7+). Becker Defense: 3. h6 (Black intends to make pawn chain: h6-g5-f4 and avoids Kieseritzky Gambit, as Black will not be forced to play g4 when White plays h4. White can play 4. b3 (after 3. h6), but the line for this defense is: 4. d4 g5, which transposes to the Classical Variation w/5. d4 d6 and 6. Bc4 Bg7. Modern Cunningham Defense: 3. Be7 (Blacks most aggressive option) 4. Bc4 Nf6 5. e5 Ng4 Paris Attack: 4. h4followed by 5. Ne5 for the Kieseritzky Gambit.

Other Lines for KGA 3. Bc4 Nf6 (Bishops Gambit) 3. Be2 (Lesser Bishops Gambit or Tartakower Gambit) 3. Nc3 (Mason Gambit or Keres Gambit) 3. d4 (Villemson Gambit or Steinitz Gambit) Qf3 (Breyer Gambit or Hungarian Gambit) KGD: If Black declines then Black can either go for a counter-gambit, as in the Falkbeer Counter Gambit (2. ... d5); that by doing so will give Black the initiative in exchange for losing a piece. This aggressive counter-gambit takes advantage of the weakness presented on White's kingside. But the classic way of declining a King's Gambit is to play 2. ... Bc5, as in doing so, White is prevented from castling on the King's side. The Bishop becomes such a nuisance that White often expends two tempi to eliminate it by means of Nc3-a4 to exchange on c5 or b6 in order to castle w/o concern. After 3. Nf3, Black should respond with d6, which keeps a solid position in the center and places the dark-squared Bishop on the c5-g1 diagonal. Whites plans should then center around the creation of a big center with 4. c3 (and later, followed by d4) or 4. Bc4; leading to 5. d3,which will then lead to the taking of Blacks c5 Bishopvia Nb1-c3-a4xc5. If White plays 4. Bc4, Black can respond with Nf6, which can lead an attack that prevents White from castling. The line goes: 5. c3 o-o 6. d3 Nc6 7. Qe2 Re8 8. f5 d5 9. Bb3 Falkbeer Counter Gambit: 2. d5 3. exd5 e4* (Black sacrifices a pawn for easy development) 4. d3! (White obtains some advantage) * Nimzowitsch Counter Gambit: Instead of e4, Black plays c6!?aiming for early piece activity. White gets better pawn structure and prospects for a better endgame. 4. Nc3 exf4 5. Nf3 Bd6 6. d4 Ne7 7. dxc6 Nbxc6 Both positions are analogous to the Modern Variation of the Gambit Accepted. Other moves Other options in the KGD are possible, though unusual, such as the sharp countergambit 2...Nc6 3.Nf3 f5, advocated by Tony Miles; 2...d6, when after 3.Nf3, best is 3...exf4 transposing to the Fischer Defense (though 2...d6 invites White to play 3.d4 instead); and 2...Nf6 3.fxe5 Nxe4 4.Nf3 Ng5! 5.d4 Nxf3+ 6.Qxf3 Qh4+ 7.Qf2 Qxf2+ 8.Kxf2 with a small endgame advantage, as played in the 1968 game between Bobby Fischer and Robert Wade in Vinkovci.[8] The greedy 2...Qf6 (known as the Norwalde Variation), intending 3...Qxf4, is considered dubious. Also dubious is the Keene Defense: 2... Qh4+ 3.g3 Qe7 and Mafia Defense: 1.e4 e5 2.f4 c5.

The Center Game The Center Game offers us a chance to exercise the fundamental principles behind the opening; particularly in helping us to understand the classical center White placing pawns on d4 and e4. The Center Game starts with 1. e4 e5 2. d4. Given this opening Black has either of two choices; either maintain a Pawn on e5 or give up that position, but at the same time force White to do the same and abandon e4. If Black decides on maintaining his station on the e4 center position, 2. ... d6 is not a good choice, as doing so will limit the movement of Black's Bishop on the King's side. It also allows White to play 3. Nf3, which becomes terribly favorable for White since it can be transposed into other openings; including the Scotch Game with Black playing 2. d6 (Strong Point Method) for Philidors Defense3. d5. One possible disadvantage to playing the Center Game for White is that it brings the Queen out into the open a tad too early and gives Black great opportunities to regain and maintain an overall balance; moving into the middle game by threatening the exposed Queen while developing his other pieces. Typical play would be the following: 2 ... exd4* 3. Qxd4 Nc6 4. Qe3** Nf6*** 5. Nc3 After such array of threats to the White's Queen, Black now has a couple of options. The first one is to charge like a bull and go for an early exchange and see who outlives whom after the loss of material has been counted, or give the same dose of pressure on Whites Pawn at d4. If Black opts for a charge his moves may continue as 5. ... Be7 then ... d5; then castling on the Queen's Side. But if Black opts to give White a fair share of pressure then a continuation of 5. ... Bb4 to castle on the King's side; followed by Re8. These lines are as follows:

Main Line
5. Be7!**** 6. Bd2 d5 7. pxp Nxp 8. NxN QxN 9. Ne2 Bg4 White must not castle because his QRP would be left undefended) 10. Nf4 Qd7 11. f3 o-o-o 12. o-o-o Bf5

Counter-Attack
5. Bb4 6. Bd2 o-o 7. o-o-o Re8 8. Bc4***** d6 9. Nf3 Be6 10. BxB RxB 11. Ng5

*Black must work to take action against Whites Kings Pawn. Black surrenders e5 and works on getting White to surrender e4; Black to play d5. If Black wishes to keep the e5 pawn, he must play 2. d6 (Strong-Point method), which cramps his pieces a bit and allows White to play Nf3. Blacks goal would be to play d5 to get equalization. ** Paulsens Attack (White intends o-o-o) *** 4. g6 & 4. Bb4 have also been played successfully. **** Black intends d5; (sometimes even after White lays 6. Bc4), which opens up lines asap for Black. ***** If White plays 8. Qg3, Whites looking to complicate things with a pawn sacrifice and is hoping for 8. Rxe4 9. a3!Blacks best reply is 9. Ba5.

Petroffs Defense (a counter attack): 2. Nf6 3. d4 The classic line for this defense has White playing d4 on move 3 and goes as follows: 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. d4* Nxe4 4. Bd3 d5 5. Nxe5 Bd6 * As a variation, White can play 3. Nxe5 d6 4. Nf3 Nxe4 5. d4 d5 6. Bd3d4 is simply played later. Danish Gambit On move 3, White plays c3. If Black decides to decline the gambit, Black plays 3. d6 or 3. Qe7 or 3. d5. If Black chooses to accept the gambit, Black plays 3. dxc3 and then these three variations of the Goring Gambit follow: 4. d5 5. Bc4 Nc6 6. Nf3 4. Bc5 5. Bc4 Nc5 6. Nf3 4. Nc6 5. Bc4 6. Nf3

In 1943 ev, Alekhine-Pommer, the following line was played: 4. Bb4 5. Bc4 Bxc3+ 6. Bxc3 d6 7. Qb3 Qe7 8. Ne2. Alekine recommended White to play 4. Nxc3, which will transpose to the Scotch game with either Black omitting Nc6 and/or White omitting Nf3. This helps White to avoid the Goring Gambit by playing Bb4 and developing the Kings Knight to e2 rather than f3. The Goring Gambit mainline is: 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 exc4 4. c3 dxc3 5. Nxc3 Bb4 Philidors Defense: Holding d4 until move 3 by White with Black having played d6 and choosing the Strong-Point Method, we find a line that shows a graduated transition from the Center Game to the Scotch Game. The line goes: 3. Nd7 4. Bc4 c6 5. Nc3 Be7 6. o-o Nf6 7. a4 o-o 8. Qe2 h6 9. Bb3 Qc7 10. h3 Kh7 11. Bce3 g6 12. Rad1. The Strong Point Method means the retaining a piece. In the Center Game, Black is choosing to retain his e5 pawn by playing d6. Consequently, the Counterattack Method finds Black giving up the e5 pawn, but takes away Whites positional advantage, which may also include taking Whties e4 pawn. The Scotch Game The Scotch Game presents a study of the counter attack versus the strong point method for Black; regarding Whites classical center position. The strong point method actually proves inapplicable; as it is also for the Center Game. After 1. e4 e5, we depart from the center game; where White would play d4 at this point. Instead, White plays 2. Nf3 and the Scotch Game is initiated. Black then must decide which of the two defense strategies to pursue. If Black follows with 2. Nc6, the counter-attack method has been chosen. If instead, Black follows with 2. d6, then the strong point method has been chosen (cf: Philidors Defense, above). Either way, White follows with 3. d4 and the lines are then as follows: Counter-Attack I Main Line 3. exd3 4. Nxd3 Nf6 Counter-Attack II 3. exd3 4. Nxd3 Bc5

5. Nc3 Bb4 6. Nxc6 bxc6 7. Bfd3 d5 8. exd5 cxd5 9. o-o o-o 11.Qf3 Bbe7 12. Rae1 Rab8 13. Nd1 Rfe8 14. h3 Bce6

5. Bce3 Qf6 6. c3 Nge7 7. Ndc2 Bxe3 8. Nxc3 o-o 9. Be2 d6 11. Nbd2 d5

Petroff Defense Or Black may choose to ignore the attack to his pawn with 2. Nf3 and play the Petroff Defense2. Nf6. White then has a choice of two lines: Line 13. Nxe5 d6 4. Nf3 Nxe4 5. d4 d5 6. Bd3 (Black has three choices here: Nc6, Be7 Bd6). Line 23. d4 Nxe4 4. Bd3 d5 5. Nxe5 Bd6 If Black answers with 2. Nc6, White then plays 3. Nc3 and Black can follow with 3. Nf6 and the Four Knights Opening is established with the rest of the line going: Main Line 4. Bb5 Bb4 4. Nd4 (does better for Black) 5. o-o o-o 5. Ba4 Bc5 6. d3 d6 6. o-o o-o If White plays 6. Nxe5, it is better for Black (6. d6); 7. Bg5 Bxc3 7. Nd3 Bb6 however, if Black plays 6. o-o, it is better for White. 8. Pxc3 Qe7* 8. e5 Ne8 7. Nf3 (or Nd3) Bg4 9. R31 Nd8 Black gets 8. Qe1 Nf3+ 10. d4 Ne6 equal chances 9. gxf3 Bxf3 11. Bc1 * Prepares Knight maneuver Giuocco Piano (also called Italian Game)widely used at the club level of play. Off the Scotch Game: White deviates from playing 3. d4 (Scotch Game) and instead, plays Bc4 for the Giuocco Piano; Blacks main line defense being Bc5, or he can play Nf6; the Two Nights Defense. This opening attacks f7 for Black and f2 for White, which are the weakest squares in the opening position (before castling). Main Line Two Nights Blackburne Rousseau Hungarian Defense Defense Shilling Gambit Gambit 3. Bc51 3. Nf6 3. Nd4 3. f5 3. Be7 4. c32 Nf6 4. Ng5 d5 4. Nxe5 Qg5 Tarkatovier Variation 5. d4 exd4 5. exd5 Na5 5. Nxf7 Qxg2 4. d4 exd4 Main Line Two Nights Blackburne Rousseau Hungarian Defense Defense Shilling Gambit Gambit 6. cxd4 Bb4+ 6. Bb5+ c6 6. Rf1 Qxe4 5. c3 Nf6 7. dxc6 bxc6 7. Be2 Nf3 6. e5 Ne4
1

If Black plays this main line move, White can choose to play 4. b4Evans Gambit. White plays this to get a big lead in development and a strong grip on center (if Black is not prepared). 2 If White plays 4. Nc3 (Black replies 4. Nf6), we get the Four Knights Variation (followed by 5. Nc3). If White plays 4. Bxf7, the Jerome Gambit is initiated. If White plays 4. d3, we have the Giuocco Pianissimo (followed by 4. Nf6, but if followed by 4. f5, we get the Dubois Variation that is then followed by 5. Ng5 f4).

Two lines open up from Main Line: 7. Bd2 Bxd2+ 7. Nc3 Nxe4 8. Nbxd2 9. exd5 10. Qb3 11. o-o 12. Rfe1 d5 Nxd5 Nce7 o-o c6 8. o-o3 Bxc3 9. d5 Bf6 10. Re1 Ne7 11. Rxe4 d6 12. Bg5 Bxg5 13. Nxg5 h6 14. Qe2 hxg5 15. Re1 Be6 16. dxe6 f6

Two Nights Defense (contd)

8. Be2 h6 9. Nf3 e4 10. Ne5 Bd6 11. d4 exd3 12. Nxd3 Qc7 13. h3 o-o 14. o-o c5

Evans Gambit 4. Bxb4* 5. c3 Ba5** 6. d4 pxp 7. o-o pxp* * Double pawn sacrifice that is the key to the Evans Gambit that gives White a 8. Qb3 Qf6 serious attack. Black can defend against this by playing 5. Ba5 (as shown). 9. e5 However, if Black plays 7. Qg6, not good; 7. d6 or Nge7 are better. 7. Qg6 7. ... d6 7. Ng7 (White loses advantage***) 8. Nxc3 Nge7 8. pxp Bb6 8. pxp d5 (messes up Whites ideas) White well set up 9. Ba3 9. d5 9. fpxp Nxp White in good 10. Qd3 Ne6 shape but still White in deep trouble down 2 pawns ** Black can defend better against Evans Gambit by playing 5. Bbe7 and 6. Na5; gaining roughly equal chances. *** If White delays castling and plays 7. Qb3, Black is prevented from playing 7. Nge7 and may instead play Qf6. White can then castle 8. o-o Bb6 (Black defends Bishop) 9. e5 Qg6 10. cxd4.

If White delays castling here, then White can attack the e file by playing 8. exd5 and Black responding with 8. Nxd5; then White castles with 9. o-o Be6 and the line continues: 10. Bg5 Be7 (?)found in the example of this situation. 11. Bxd5 with White to carry out a series of exchanges to keep pressure on the e file.

Ruy Lopez Off the Scotch Game: White deviates from playing 3. d4 and plays Bb5 for the Ruy Lopez; Blacks classical defense being Bc5. But should Black want to consider a strong point defense, he can play d6 Steinitz Defense. Or if Black should prefer a counter-attack, he can play a6. (If Black plays f5 here, it is called the Schiemann Defense, of which this is the only book move.) This opening is widely used in master level play and like the Italian Game, it attacks the f2 and f7 squares. Classical Defense Zaitsev Variation 3. Bc5 4. o-o Nd4 5. b4 Strong Point Steinitz Defense 3. d6 4. d4 Bd7 5. Nc3 Nf6 6. o-o Be7 7. Re1 exd4 8. Nxd4 o-o 9. Bbf1 Counter-Attack

If 3. f5, Schiemann Defense If 3. Nf6, Berlin Defense; followed by: 4. o-o NxP 5. d4 Ned6 6. Bxc6 dPxB 7. PxP Nf5*** 8. QxQ KxQ 9. Nc3 White is looking to get direct attacking chances on King; try to break with Pe6 at some point. *** If 7. o-o, Martial Gambit; followed by: 8. c3 d5 (the actual gambit) White aims to play d4 after this move. a4 is better play for White and gives White a chance to play for the initiative & avoid gambit. 9. PxP NxP 10. NxP NxN White is undeveloped at this point and Black has some attacking chances. 11. RxN c6 (defends Knight) 12.d4 Bd6 13. Re1 Qh4 (Black has a lot of attacking chances) 14. g3 Qh3 (starting position of the Martial Gambit)

3. a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. o-o Be7** 6. Re1 b5 7. Bb3 d6-if Black castles, 8. c3 o-o loses e pawn. 9. h3 * * If Black plays Nb8, the Closed Breyer Defense is initiated andIf Black plays Na5, the Chigorin Defense is initiated; followed by: 10. Bc2 c5 adds support to center; another modern variation: Nb8 to get to d7 11. d4 Qc7 ** If b5, Archangel SK (counterthrust) Variation; followed by 6. Bb3 Bb7 andIf Bc5, Moeller Defense

These lines are used to avoid the more complex Ruy Lopez and to sidestep the line of choices that started with the Center Game. Vienna Game 1. e4 e5 2. Nc3 Nf6 (or-Nc6) 3. f4 (or Bc4) d5 4. fxd5

Bishops Opening 1. e4 e5 Caro-Kann 1. e4 c6 2. d4 d5 3. e5 Bf5 4. Nf3 e6 5. Be2 c5 6. c3 Nc6 7. o-o cxd4 8. cxd4 Ne7 9. Nc3 Nc8 10. Be3 Be7 11. Rc1 o-o With 1. c6, Black is aiming to distract Whites center. White can respond to Caro-Kann by playing: 6. Be3 PxPd4 7. Nxd4 Bg6 8. o-o Nge7 9. c4 Bbc6 (Ne7 is a better move) 10. Nc3 Ne5 (Blacks center is now under siege) 11. PxP f4 (every capture is bad for Black). Character: Slow-paced game. Pawn Formation (also used in French, Scandinavian and QGD): 2. Bc4 Nf6 3. d3 Nc6 4. Nc3 Be7

Themes for White: Outpost on e5, kingside space advantage, d4-d5 break, possibility of queenside majority in the endgame (typically after the exchange of White's d pawn for Black's c pawn). Themes for Black: Weakness of the d4 pawn, c6-c5 and e6-e5 breaks. The latter break is usually preferable, but harder for Black to achieve.

French Defense 1. e4 2. d4 3. Nc3 4. Nxe4 5. Nf3 6. Bd3 e6 d5 dxe4 Bd7 Bc6

Advance Variation (Whites reply to French Defense) 3. e5 c5 (puts pressure on Whites pawn chain) 4. c3 Nc6 5. Nf3 Qh4 (strong variation; putting pressure on d4pawn) 6. Be2 PxP 6. a3 is traditional move; followed by 6. c4, as PxP is 7. PxP Nh6 bad for Black and c4 makes it difficult for White to get 8. o-o Nf5 to b4. The rest of the line goes as follows: -Nc3 is better for White 7. Nbd2 Na5 9. Na4 Qa5+ 8.Be2 or g3 for White and followed by Bg2. For Black, 10. Bd2 Bb4 8. Bg7 or o-o-o are possibilities. Also maneuver 11. Bc3 (creating a Knight to Queenside. theoretically balanced position)

Character: Closed/semi-open but sharp game. Pawn Structure:

Themes for White: kingside mating attack, f2-f4-f5 break. Themes for Black: Exchanging the hemmed-in QB, c7-c5 and f7-f6 breaks. Due to White's kingside space advantage and development advantage, Black must generate counterplay or be mated. Novices often lose to the sparkling Greek gift sacrifice. Attacking the head of the pawn chain with f7-f6 is seen as frequently as attacking its base, because it is harder for white to defend the head of the chain than in the d5 chain. In response to exf6, Black accepts a backward e6 pawn in exchange for freeing his position (the b8-h2 diagonal and the semi-open f-file) and the possibility of a further e6-e5 break. If White exchanges with d4xc5 it is called the Wedge formation. White gets an outpost on d4 and the possibility of exploiting the dark squares while Black gets an overextended e5 pawn to work on.

The Greek gift sacrifice or classical bishop sacrifice is a typical sacrifice of a bishop by White playing Bxh7+ or Black playing Bxh2+.

The position above, which might occur after the moves 1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.e5 Nfd7 5.Nf3 Bb4 6.Bd3 O-O(?) is a simple case where the Greek gift sacrifice works. White can play 7.Bxh7+! Kxh7 8.Ng5+ to force black to give up the queen to prevent mate:

8...Kh8 9.Qh5+ Kg8 10.Qh7# 8...Kg8 9.Qh5 Qxg5 (9...Re8 10.Qxf7+ Kh8 11.Qh5+ Kg8 12.Qh7+ Kf8 13.Qh8+ Ke7 14.Qxg7#) 10.Bxg5 wins the queen 8...Kh6 9.Nxe6+ wins the queen 8...Kg6 9.h4 and there is no satisfactory way to meet the threat of 10.h5+ Kh6 (10...Kf5 11.Qf3#) 11.Nxf7+, winning the queen 8...Qxg5 9.Bxg5 wins the queen

These variations are typical of many Greek gift sacrifices, though the outcome is not always so clear-cut. Black could play 7...Kh8 instead, but due to poor king safety, also leads to a lost position: 7...Kh8 8.Ng5 g6 9.Qg4 Qe7 10.Qh3 Kg7 11.O-O Nc6 12.Nge4 f6 13.Bh6+ Kf7 14.exf6 Nxf6 15.Ng5+ Ke8 16.Bxg6+ Kd8 17.Bxf8 Qxf8

Sicilian Defense Classical line (Black aiming to capture pawn on ds4 with flank pawn): 1. e4 c5 (Black risks tempo) 2. Nf3* d6** 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 6. Bg5 e6 7. Qd2 (this might be a recording error) Bd7 8. o-o-o o-o Character: Semi-open game. Pawn Structure:

5. Nc3 Nc6***

Themes for White: Nd4-c2-e3, Fianchettoing one or both Bishops, the Marczy hop (Nc3-d5 followed by e4xd5 with terrific pressure on the e-file), kingside attack, c4-c5 and e4-e5 breaks. Themes for Black: b7-b5 break, f7-f5 break (especially with a fianchettoed King bishop), d6-d5 break (prepared with e7-e6). The Marczy bind, named after Gza Marczy, has a fearsome reputation. Chess masters once believed that allowing the bind as Black always gave White a significant advantage. Indeed, if Black does not quickly make a pawn break, his pieces will suffocate to death. Conversely, the formation takes time to set up and limits the activity of White's light-squared bishop, which can buy Black some breathing room to accomplish this break. * See c3 Sicilian on next page and Grand Prix Attack after that. **By playing 2. d6, Black is asking for Open Sicilian (2. Nc6 would be real bad for Black). And by playing 3. d4, White is accepting Open Sicilian, which Black follows up with 3. cxd4 and has 2 to 1 center pawn majority. With 4. NxP, White gains a tempo. If Black plays 2. Nf6, Black is attempting to prevent White from castling. The line follows: 3. e5 Nd5 4. d4 cxd4 5. Qxd4 e6 6. c4 Nc6 [ 6. Bc4 is the correct move.] 7. Qd1 Nde7 8. Bd2 Ng6 9. Qe2 Qc(?)

4. Nc3 is better for White, with Black responding: 4. e6 5. Nxd5 exd5 6. d4 d6 7. Bg5 Qa5+ 8. c3 cxd4 9. d3 dxc3 10. o-o cxb2

10. Bc3 b6 11. h4 d6! 12. exd6Bxd6 (Black is no better developed and is more powerful in the center.)

11. Rb1 dxe5 12. Nxe5 Bd6 13. Nxf7! Qxf7 (White decides game with this move; any 14. Qxh5+ sacrificial assault must be followed up by aggressive action that doesnt allow opponent to consolidate position.)

***If Black plays 5. a6, Najdorf Variation is initiated with the following two lines: 6. Be3 e5 7. Nb3 Bce6 8. f3 White is looking White plays for Kingside for pawn attack. storm or White -orcan play 7. Nf3, 6. e6 follow by 7. Bfe7 7. f3 b5 8. Bc4 o-o 9. o-o Character: Complex, dynamic, sharp middlegame. Pawn Structure (for straight Sicilian and Najdorf Variation):

Themes for White: Pressure on the d file, space advantage, e4-e5 break (often prepared with f2-f4), f2f4-f5 push, g2-g4-g5 blitz (see Keres attack). Themes for Black: Pressure on the c file, minority attack (and counterplay in general) on the queenside, pressure on White's pawn on e4 or e5, d6-d5 break, e6-e5 transposing into the Boleslavsky hole (see below). It is often unwise for White to exchange a piece on c6 allowing the recapture bxc6, because the phalanx of Black's center pawns becomes very strong.

The Boleslavsky Hole Character: Open, dynamic game. Pawn Structure:

Themes for White: taking control the d5 hole, exploiting the backward d6 pawn, f2-f4 break. Themes for Black: d6-d5 break, queenside minority attack, the c4 square. It is a paradoxical idea that Black can strive for equality by voluntarily creating a hole on d5. The entire game revolves around control of the d5 square. Black must play very carefully or White will place a knight on d5 and obtain a commanding positional advantage. Black almost always equalizes, and might even obtain a slight edge, if the d6-d5 break can be made. Black has two options for his queen bishop: on e6 and on b7 (after a7-a6 and b7-b5). Unusually for an open formation, bishops become inferior to knights because of the overarching importance of d5: White will often exchange Bg5xf6, and Black usually prefers to give up his queen bishop rather than a knight in exchange for a white knight if it gets to d5. When white castles queenside, Black often delays castling because his king is quite safe in the center.

Black has another option: 5. g6 (the Dragon) Character: Either a razor sharp middlegame with opposite side castling or a moderately sharp game with same side castling. The Sicilian Dragon requires a high level of opening memorization to play properly. This is especially true when it comes to the Yugoslav Attack in which White plays the moves Be3, f3, Qd2 and 0-0-0. Other variations are: The Classical Dragon where White plays Be2 and 0-0; The Tal attack is defined by Bc4 and 0-0, and the Fianchetto Defense where White plays g3, Bg2 and 0-0. These less common variations lead to less tactical positions, with a potentially technical endgame.

Pawn Formation (other is English Opening [with colors reversed]):

Themes for White: Outpost on d5, kingside attack (either f2-f4-f5 with kingside castling or h2-h4-h5) with queenside castling, weakness of Black's queenside minority (of pawns) in the endgame. Themes for Black: Pressure on the long diagonal, queenside counterplay, exploiting White's often overextended kingside pawns in the endgame.

c3 Sicilian By playing 2. c3, (a slow move that allows Black to play aggressively) White initiates c3 Sicilian and foils Blacks attempt at gaining a central majority; the rest of the line, as follows: 2. d5 If Black plays2. Nf6, the line goes as follows: 3. PxP QxP 3. e5 Nd5 4. d4 Nf6 4. d4 cxd4 White gets space 5. cxd4 d6 or-5. Nf3 Nc6 advantage, but this will prove to 6. Bc4 Nb6 or- 6. PxP d6 be a weakness as game moves on. 7. Bb3 d5 7. Bb5 Nb6 Black could have played PxP, but 8. PxP QxP (Dangerous move for White) delayed it for Nf6; giving this line: (en passant) 8. Bb5 PxP 5. Nf3 Bg4 9. o-o Be6! 9. NxP Bd7 6. Be2 e6 10. Na3 PxPc3 10. NxB QxN 7. o-o Nc6 11. Qe21 BxB 11. Nc3 e6 8. Be3 PxP 12. Nb5 Qb8 12. o-o 9. PxP Be7 13. PxB 10. Nc3 Qd6 This is the position White was hoping for White gains tempo and Black by playing c3 Sicilian. retreats. Also, Black has not yet castled.

Grand Prix Attack By playing 2. Nc3, White abandons d4 and is working kingside strategy. Black follows with 2. Nc6; the rest of the line is as follows: 3. f4 g6 (White is asking for Grand Prix Attack) 4. Nf3 Bg7 (Starting point for Blacks Grand Prix Attack) 5. Bc4 e6 (Whites Bishop is vulnerable, but puts pressure on f7) Gambit Refused: 6. f5 gxf5 (f5 is a gambit that sets up a positional pawn sacrifice)6. Nge7! 7. d3 Nge7 7. PxP PxP 8. o-o (with the idea of bringing Queen to g3) 8. d3 d5 (Black sticking it to Bishop) 9. Bb3 B5 A trap is set up with the 6. f5 gambit. The final position is unclear and If White thinks Black will not fall for trap, playable for both. White can play this line: 6. o-o d6beter for Black is: 6. Ne7 Variation for Black (gambit refused): 7. d3 Ne7 7. d3 o-o 6. exf5 8. Qe1 8. Qe1 d5 7. d3 Nge7 9. Be3 Nd4 8. o-o o-o Unclear position; 9. Qe1 d6 ok for both sides. 10. Qh4 Instead of 5. Bc4 (Grand Prix Attack), White can play 5. Bb5 in order to exchange Bishop and damage Blacks pawn structure. Black responds with 5. 36 and the line goes as follows: 6. BxN PxB a better response for Black is: 7. e5 d5 8. PxP QxP 9. d3 Nf6 10. o-o o-o 5. Nd4 6. o-o NxB 7. NxN d5 8. d4 NxP (see below for better move for White) (8. PxP a6 will gain equality for White; 9. Nc3 Nf6) 9. PxP NxN 10. QxQ+ KxQ 11. PxN BxP Better move for White: 8. e5 a6 9. Nc3 Bg4 10. d4 PxP 11. QxP BxN 12. RxB e6 13. Qd4 (sets trap for Black; Qe7 will get Black into check; forcing Black to trade Queen and gives White advantage.

Closed Sicilian ? Character: Closed, complicated position. Pawn Structure (also used in Closed English [colors reversed]):

Themes for White: kingside pawn storm, c2-c3 and d3-d4 break. Themes for Black: queenside pawn storm, a1-h8 diagonal

Initial Principles Behind Queens Pawn Openings

We can classify Queen Pawn openings as the chess openings that begin with 1. d4 d5, though not all Queen Pawn openings have Black replying with 1. ... d5. If Black responds 1. f5, he is applying the Dutch Defense to his strategy and if 1. Nf6, the Kings Indian Defense is being applied. Generally overall, Black must free up his game by making good exchanges and in order to secure an advantage, White must retain as many pieces as possible. One of the goals of White in many Queens Pawn openings is to get a Pawn (specifically the Kings Pawn) to e5. Like that of Kings Pawn openings, one worthy goal for Queens Pawn openings is to obtain the classical center. However, White should not initially try for the classical center; rather, play 2. c4 after 1. d4this being called the Queens Gambit. And as in the Kings Pawn openings, Black can mainly defend along the lines of a strong point method or a counter attack. The Queens Gambit is the first study of the Queens Pawn Opening; if Black plays 2. dxc4, then he is accepting the gambit (QGAQueens Gambit Accepted) with the idea of liquidating the center. The rest of its main line runs: 3. Nf3 4. e3 5. BxP 6. o-o 7. a4 8. Qe2 9. Rd1 10. PxP 11. Nc3 Nf6 e6 c5 a6 Nc6 PxP Be7 o-o

Character: Open game. Pawn Structure (also used in French Defense):

Themes for White: d4-d5 break, sacrifice of the isolani, outpost on e5, kingside attack. Themes for Black: Blockading the isolani, trading pieces for a favorable endgame.

The isolani leads to lively play revolving around the d5 square. If Black can clamp down on the pawn, her positional strengths and threat of exchanges give her the advantage. If not, the threat of the d4-d5 break is ever present, and the isolani can sometimes be sacrificed to unleash the potential of White's pieces, enabling White to whip up a whirlwind attack. Kasparov is famous for the speculative d4-d5 sacrifice.

If Black plays 2. e6, then he is declining the gambit (QGDQueens Gambit Declined); this being a strong point method that is referred to as part of the Orthodox and Allied Defenses in Reuben Fines Ideas Behind the Chess Openings. Starting out with the Orthodox and Allied Defenses, the initial line runs: 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. Bg5 Nbd7 5. Nf3 Bfe7 6. e3 o-o Character: Semi-open game. Pawn Structure (also used in Karo-Cann [colors reverse]):

Themes for White: Minority attack, e3-e4 break. Themes for Black: e4 outpost, kingside attack.

Character: Semi-open, dynamic game. Pawn Structure (also used in Caro-Kann, Alekhine Defense and QGD Tarrasch Defense):

Themes for White: Exploiting the dark squares, queenside majority in the endgame, with an advanced pawn. Themes for Black: e4 outpost, kingside attack, White's overextended pawn, e6-e5 and b7-b5 breaks. Whites game is freer at this point and he has five types of superiority that he can strive to turn his temporary plus into. The first of these is the Queenside Bind in which White must strive to get his pawn to b5 and Black must be ready with his pawn to get to e5 to stop White. Its line continues: 7. c5 Ne4 8. Bxe7 Qxe7 9. Bfd3 Nxc3 10. bxc3 e5 Character: Open game. Pawn Structure (also used in Queens Indian):

Themes for White: Line opening advance in the center, kingside attack. Themes for Black: Forcing a pawn advance and blockading the pair, conversion to isolani.

Like the isolani, the hanging pawns are a structural weakness and must not be entered into unless the piece position offers some compensation. The play revolves around Black trying to force one of the pawns to advance. If Black can establish a permanent blockade the game is positionally won. On the other hand, White aims to keep the pawns hanging, trying to generate a kingside attack leveraging off of their superior center control. Other themes for White include tactical possibilities and line opening breaks in the center.

For the second type, White must employ a Queenside minority attackthough Fine does not explain this. He simply shows that it is a Queenside attack that Black should counter with a Kingside counterattack. For the third type, White uses what is called Superior Development; the main line being: 7. Rc1 8. Bxc4 9. o-o 10. Qe2 11. Ba6 dxc4 c5 b6 Bb7

Rather than play 7. dxc4, Black can play 7. c5 or c6these two lines shown here: c5 line 8. dxc5 9. c6 10. Ne5 dxc4 Ndb3 c6 line 8. Bd3 9. Bxc4 10. Bxe7 11. o-o 12. Rxc3 13. dxe5 14. Nxe5 15. f4 16.Bb3 17. Qh5 18. Qh4 dxc4 Nfd5 Qxe7 Ndxc3 e5 Nxe5 Qxe5 Qe4 Bf5 g6 Rad8

Fine again says nothing directly about the fourth (Kingside attack w/pieces) and fifth (Kingside attack w/Pawns) types or approaches to gaining superiority. And if Black plays 2. e5, hes playing a counter-attack method, known as Albins Counter Gambit. 3. dxe5 4. Nf3 5. Nbd2 6. g3 7. Bg2 8. o-o 9. b3 d4 Ne6 Bce3 Bfc5 Nge7 a5 o-o

10. Bb2 11. Ne4 12. c5

Neg6 Bca7

And by playing 2. c6, Black is using the Slav Defense; its line being: 3. Nf3 4. Nc3 5. a4 6. Ne5 7. Bxc4 Nf6 dxc4 Bf5 e6 Bb4

Character: Slow-paced game. Pawn Formation: (also used in Catalon, Grunfeld and Colle System [with colors reversed]):

Themes for White: Pressure on the c file, weakness of Black's c pawn (either after Black's b7-b5 or after d4-d5xc6 in response to e6-e5), the d4-d5 break. Themes for Black: e6-e5 and c6-c5 breaks. And by playing 1. f5, Black is playing the Dutch Defense, as follows: 2. g3 3. Bg2 4. c4 5. Nf3 6. o-o Nf6 e6 c6 o-o d6 Leningrad Variation: 3. g6 4. Nf3 Bg7 5. o-o o-o 6. c4 d6

Character: Closed game, uncomplicated strategy. Pawn Structure (also used in Colle System and English):

Themes: Exchanging the bad bishop, e4/e5 outposts, breaks on the c and g files. Players must carefully consider how to recapture on the e4/e5 square, since it alters the symmetric pawn formation and creates strategic subtleties. This structure also appears in one of Botvinnik's treatments of the English. Adding the typical White fianchetto of the king's bishop to this structure provides significant pressure along the long diagonal, and usually prepares the f2-f4-f5 break.

The Colle System The Queen Pawn game is worth looking into when one desires to consider the possibility of not playing a gambit as one of the chess openings of choice. This simply means that after playing 1. d4 d5, White's next move should not be 2. c4 making a marked difference from a Queen's Gambit opening. However, when White defers playing c4 on the second move, Black is given an opportunity to quickly obtain equal chances. But Black should become over-confident as White can bring the Pawn forward at almost any point. The Colle System avoids the Queens Gambit as follows: 1. d4 d5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. e4 c6 4. c3. Black should counter by developing rapidly and play e5 as soon as possible. Another question that Black should address is how to position the Knight on the Queen's side. The two viable options for that Knight are c6 and d7. The c6 square is the natural and normal choice, though your opponent may be well used to it; this in contrast with the d7 square, which is an inferior position, but may have the advantage of less well researched by your opponent. The Indian Defenses The whole complex of the Indian Defenses starts with 1. d4 Nf6. Note, Black replies with 1. Nf6; not d5, which has proven to be one of the most difficult of the openings to understand. Even chess masters have committed positional errors when encountering this line of openings. There are three strategic questions that lead us to the principles of these openings; first question is if it would be possible for White to establish a Pawn center? The candidate Pawns to establish such a center

would be positioned on e4, d4, and c4. The second question is that if White does succeed in establishing that center then is it possible to maintain these positions? This takes into account the fundamental principle behind Pawn centers, which cramps your opponent's position on the board. Third question, since Black starts the game by not building a center, is there a way for Black to get away with it? By playing 1. Nf6, Black is using the Kings Indian Defense. Its line is as follows: 1. 2. c4 3. Nc3 4. e4 5. f4 6. Nf3 7. d5 8. fxe5 9. d5 10. Qc2 11. Nxe4 12. Bb3 13. Bxe4 Nf6 g6 Bg7 d6 o-o c5 or----6 . Nf3 e6or7. Be2 PxP Nc5 Nfxe4or10. Nxd5 Bf5or---11. Be3 Bxe4or-12. BxP f5

Na6 e5

c5 PxP

Character: Closed game with opposite side activity. Pawn Structure (also used in Benoni and Ruy Lopez):

Themes for White: Massive queenside space advantage, c2-c4-c5 break (optionally prepared with b2b4), prophylaxis with g2-g4 (after f2-f3), f2-f4 break. Themes for Black: kingside attack, f7-f5 break, g7-g5-g4 break (after f2-f3), c7-c6 break, prophylaxis with c6-c5 or c7-c5 transposing to a Full Benoni formation. The chain arises from a variety of openings but most commonly in the heavily analyzed King's Indian Classical variation. The theme is a race for a breakthrough on opposite flanks Black must try to whip up a kingside attack before White's heavy pieces penetrate with devastating effect on the c file. The position was thought to strongly favour White until a seminal game (Taimanov-Najdorf 1953) where Black introduced the maneuver Rf8-f7, Bg7-f8, Rf7-g7. When the chain arises in the Ruy Lopez, play is much slower with tempo being of little value and featuring piece maneuvering by both sides, Black focusing on the c7-c6 break and White often trying to play on the kingside with the f2-f4 break.

Character: Semi-open game. Pawn Structure (also used in Ruy Lopez and Ruy Lopez [colors reversed]):

Themes for White: d6 weakness, c4-c5 push, a3-f8 diagonal, queenside pawn storm. Themes for Black: d4 weakness, a1-h8 diagonal, f4 square, kingside attack, trading pieces for a superior endgame. The Rauzer formation is named after Rauzer who introduced it in the Ruy Lopez. It can also rarely occur in the Ruy Lopez with colors reversed. It is considered to give Black excellent chances because d6 is much less of a hole than White's d4. If the black king's bishop is fianchettoed it is common to see it undeveloped to f8 to control the vital c5 and d6 squares, or remove White's dark-squared bishop, the guardian of the hole. The Rauzer formation is often misjudged by beginners. In the position on the left, White appears to have a development lead while Black's position appears to be riddled with holes. In reality, it is Black who stands clearly better, because White has no real way to improve his position while Black can improve by exploiting the d4 square.

Boleslavsky Wall:
Character: Semi-open game, slow buildup. Pawn Structure (other structures-English, Pirc, Ruy Lopez):

Themes for White: exploitation of d6 weakness, e4-e5 and c4-c5 breaks, minority attack with b2-b4-b5. Themes for Black: attacking the e4 and c4 pawns, d6-d5 and f7-f5 breaks, queenside play with a7-a5-a4. The wall is yet another structure that leaves Black with a d-pawn weakness, but prevents White from taking control of the center and gives Black active piece play and an opportunity to play on either side of the board.

Variations arise with Black's second reply (1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 ), as his first reply induces White back to playing c4 on his second move. The Queen's Indian variation goes as follows: 2. 3. Nf3 4. g3 5. Nc3 6. Nxe4 7. Ne1 8. Nxg2 e6 b6 Bb7 Ne4 Bxe4 Bxg2 d5

The Bogoljuboff Variation continues at 3 ... Bb4+. The Blumenfeld Counter Gambit follows through with 3 ... c5 4. d5 b5. The Old Indian defenses would have 2 ... d6. Included in this branch are Tchigorin (3. Nc3 e5), King's Indian with a variation of the Ruy Lopez (3. Nf3 g6 4. e4).

Hypermodern Lines Several of the defenses to the Queens Pawn Opening are Hypermodern; the Hypermodern approach advocates rapid development and controlling the center from a distance with pieces rather than the occupation of the center with pawns. Generally, the opponent is invited to occupy the center with pawns; the idea being that the center would then become prone to attack. Whites goal is not to occupy the center with a Pawn until it is favorable to do so. Nimzo-Indian Defense 1. d4 2. c4 3. Nc3 4. Qc2 5. a3 6. QxB Nf6 e6 Bb4 o-o BxN b6 (followed bhy Bb7) or d5 (to capture on c4 7 get B to a6) or d6 (to finish development)

Grunfeld Defense 1. d4 2. c4 3. Nc3 4. PxP 5. e4 6. Pxc3 7. Nf3 8. Bce3 9. e5 10. PxP 11. o-o The Catalan Open 1. d4 2. c4 3. g3 4. Bg2 5. Nf3 Nf6 e6 d5 dxc4 (Open Catalan, which is eventually followed by b5) Be7 Nf6 g6 d5 NxP Nxc3 Bg7 c5 Bg4 PxP o-o Qd7

In a closed Catalan, Black doesnt take the Pawn on his fourth move.

Pirc The Pirc is a hypermodern response to the Kings opening that goes as follows: 1. e4 2. d4 3. Nc3 4. f4 English Opening 1. c4 2. Nc3 3. Nf3 4. g3 5. cxd5 6. Bg2 7. o-o 8. d4 e5 Nf6 Nc6 d5 Nxd5 Be6 f6 d6 Nf6 g6

Character: Closed, Semi-open game. The Hedgehog is a formation similar to the Marczy bind, and shares the strategic ideas with that formation. Pawn Structure (also used in Sicilian):

The Reti Opening The Reti Opening starts with neither a King nor a Queens Pawn opening, but: 1. Nf3 d5. Black may reply to the Reti Opening in the following four ways (the next logical move for White is 2. c4): first, is 2. ... dxc4, which avoids a lot of possible complications, which may also be followed by ... c5 and then inevitably by ... e5. Second is 2. ... d4, which is a reversed Benoni Counter Gambit. Another is 2 ... c6 that maintains occupation of the center. Or yet, Black may opt for the orthodox reply of e6, though that does shut out the Queen's Bishop.

Transitioning to Middle Game

There is no definite point at which the Middle Game starts, but obviously, the middle game follows from the opening. Here are some typical positions typical of a game at the end of the opening and the start of the middle game.

Gambit!

White to move In this position from the King's Gambit, White has sacrificed a Pawn for rapid development and an open f-file. Who has the better of the deal? White's plan will be to take advantage of the lead in development. Black's plan will be to consolidate the material advantage, or perhaps give it back to neutralize White's pressure.

Opposite side castling

Black to move The choice of when and where to castle sets the stage for plans based on an attack against the King. When the players have castled on opposite sides -- White on the Queenside, Black on the Kingside, as in this diagram -- the plan of the opponents is the same. Avoid weakening the pawn structure around your own King and launch the other Pawns against the opponent's King. Here, White will advance the g- & hPawns; Black will advance the a- & b-Pawns. The player who does not follow this plan will probably lose.

Blocked center

White to move In this diagram, both players have immobile d- & e-Pawns. The c- & f-Pawns have become the most important Pawns on the board. White will play cxd6 or c6 as required. Black will play fxe4 or f4. The subsequent play will depend on which lines have been opened by these variations.

Pawn chain

White to move A blocked center is often associated with a pawn chain, as in this diagram. The plan then revolves around attacks on the head and base of the chain. Black threatens fxe5. If White pre-empts this with exf6, Black will reply gxf6 planning to attack the chain again with e6-e5.

Hanging pawns

White to move Are the Black Pawns on c5 and d5 strong or weak? They control key squares at b4, c4, d4, and e4, but they are attacked easily. White will try to make one of them advance, creating a weak square in front of the other. Black will try to reinforce the slight space advantage by placing the other pieces appropriately.

Minority attack

Black to move White has used the last few moves to threaten the advance b4-b5. Black has used the moves to take a strong position on the e-file. After b4-b5, if Black captures 1... axb5 2.axb5 cxb5, the Black Pawn on b7 will be weak. If Black doesn't capture, 1.bxc6 bxc6 will leave a weak Pawn on c6. Black's plan must consider this threat. The preceding diagrams are examples of various plans which are familiar to many players. Just as every position is different, so every position has its own corresponding plan. Your task during a game is to formulate that plan in the time available to you and to play your unforced moves according to that plan. It is by no means an easy task.

The Middle Game

When learning chess you are taught how the pieces move, but rarely given good advice on how to think through the game. The battle of two armies struggling and planning to gain supremacy marks the onset of the Middle Game; a time when plans are formulated and direct attack begins. Capturing, sacrificing, trading, pinning and skewering are some of the moves that are present in middle games; their main goal being to create an advantageous position in the game. There are five important factors for ones approach to the middle game; these being: 1. Material 2. Activity 3. King safety 4. Pawn structure 5. The Plan

1. Material
While there is some debate about piece values, most agree that on average the queen is worth 9 pawns, rooks 5 pawns, bishops and knights 3 pawns, and the king 4 pawns in attacking strength (though obviously the king is infinitely valuable as far as exchanges are concerned). Note that these are averages. In an open game, bishops are usually worth more than Knights and vice versa for closed games. Also, material advantages can be localized (e.g., less material overall, but lots piled up kingside poised for an attack). Positional features are the first line of approach to the Middle Game; so that while the subject of getting a material advantage is the province of tactics, the relative amount of material possessed by each player does have associated plans. Perhaps the most important is: If you are significantly ahead in material (especially if there are still pawns on the board), simplify the position by exchanging pieces, especially queens. Conversely, if you are behind in material, avoid exchanges and try to complicate the position so that your opponent is more likely to make mistakes.

2. Activity
There are three main dimensions of a piece activity: mobility, freedom, and coordination. A piece's mobility is the number of squares to which it can move. Importantly, all mobility is not created equal. The most valuable real estate is near your opponent's pieces where you will be able to generate the most threats (typically such squares are on his side of the board). Exchange a relatively immobile piece for one of his highly mobile pieces. Mobility is inextricably tied to pawn structure: the pawns determine which bishops are good and bad, which files are good for the rooks, where the outposts are for knights, etc.. Often a simple pawn move will free a piece from its prison or give a knight a sweet outpost in the center of the board. Note that different pieces can have identical mobility but different ranges. The range of a piece is the distance it can travel on the board. The bishop, queen, and rook are long-range pieces, while the Knight is a short-range piece. In some circumstances, such as when all the pawns are locked together on one

side of the board, short-range pieces are often preferred. When the position is wide-open and there are pawns on both sides of the boards, it will be helpful to be able to have a piece that can move long distances across the board, and in such cases Bishops are often preferred. The second activity sub-factor is freedom. A piece's freedom is the number of squares to which it can move while still carrying out essential defensive roles. Even if a piece technically has high mobility, its freedom can be drastically curtailed. A pin against the king leaves the pinned piece with no freedom to move from the line of the pin. Such passive pieces are limited in their ability to carry out other useful tasks. If you need to defend material, consider using a minor piece or pawn (or King in the endgame) so that your major pieces will have the freedom to carry out other plans. Other potential plans include: break the pin against your knight. Decrease his Knight's freedom by forcing it to defend a pawn. The third sub-factor, coordination, is the most subtle dimension of piece activity. Pieces are coordinated when they work toward a common goal. For example, one piece may put pressure on an escape square of the opponent's king while another piece is poised to put the king in check. If your pieces have high freedom and mobility, but are not working in concert for an attack, then consider how you can increase their coordination. In general, if your pieces are mobile and free, then consider starting an attack against the enemy King, or contemplate how to coordinate your pieces so that they will be able to attack the King; but overall, determine whether the structure of your position is static or dynamic. A static position is a position that only holds for the specific move one is in and a dynamic position is one that is transforming itself from one static position to another in order to attack the king. For the static position, one might after the opening, first assess ones bishops. First, an active bishop is a tactical tool and a temporarhy feature in a position, as its moves dictate the course of a game creating time that can be used to mount an attack. Its effectiveness is inaugurated when it can get outside the pawn chain.

Tactics
Tactics appear when one move does two things.

A player can plays a series of three to four move combinations or Tactical maneuvers in the middle game instead of an all in one master plan. This game play can lead to material or positional advantage of some sort. This type of player engaging in tactical maneuvers is thought of as a Tactician. The tactician can use many attack styles like capture enemy pieces by means of skewer, pin his opponents pieces or use a fork to attack two pieces at once. Discovered attacks are another useful way to take down your opponents forces. The methods that are used to capture opponents pieces are referred to as tactics. Thus tactics are immediate plans, usually completed in a few moves, while strategies refer to longer-term plans in the game of chess. There are two broad ways to approach the middle games, play short term tactical chess with use of tactical maneuvers to gain advantage over your opponent. Or one may prefer a more long term strategy based style to attain positional dominance. This is called strategic chess. Pins & Skewersone piece is attacked directly and the other behind it, indirectly so that if the former moves, the latter would be captured. If the intent is for the directly attacked piece, it is a pin and if for the indirectly attacked piece, it is an x-ray. Windmillconsists of discovered checks followed by normal checks followed by more discovered checks; enabling the attacker to virtually devout the entire enemy while facing no resistance. Zwischenzugan unexpected reply tossed in the middle of an expected sequence of moves.

X-Raytakes advantage of pieces that seem to be adequately defended, but really arent. Usually takes place with queens and rooks and involves counting the number of moves and countermoves to see who gains the actual advantage. Forkoccurs when one piece attacks two or more pieces at the same time. Sacrificeallows your opponent to capture a piece; leaving it en prise in order to gain a strategic objective. Discovered Attacksafter moving a piece, the way is made open that another piece is attacking one of the opponents pieces.

Double attacks
Forks, pins, discovered attacks, and xrays; all of these basic tactical devices, where one move does two things at the same time and are examples of the double attack. Tactics include the double attack and the combination.

Patterns
In an average middle game position there are about 40-50 legal moves. A beginner will look at a position and work out the legal moves one by one, perhaps overlooking the most important. An intermediate player will look at the position and see all legal moves without too much trouble, but will have some problem determining which moves are worth further consideration and which aren't. A master will look at the position, will see all of the legal moves without even thinking about them, will quickly decide which side is better, and will start examining the most promising continuations. On the path to chess mastery, a player sees and studies many different types of positions. Every time a master encounters a new position, the previous experience helps to find the right path in the new position. This is pattern recognition.

Combinations
One of the most fertile areas for beautiful patterns is the combination. All Combinations are based on some form of Double Attack; sometimes referred to as a net of variations. Combinations can only exist if: 1. The enemy King is vulnerable (loss of pawn cover/centrally placed). 2. The enemy King is stalemated. 3. Enemy pieces (not pawns) are undefended. 4. Enemy pieces (not pawns) are inadequately defended. Combination, a sequence of forcing moves with a specific goal, and grounded in tactics. A sacrifice is likely to be present and Botvinnik, among others, says is always present. The purpose may be anything from a defensive resource to a mating attack, from a small positional advantage to a gain of material. Essential to most combinations, and a reason for their popularity, is surprise: the series of moves differs in form from the kind of continuation normally to be expected. (The Oxford Companion to Chess) A combination is a forced variation with sacrifice. It seems to me that this is both an exact and a simple definition. A combination must not be confused with a forced maneuver. There are two kinds of maneuvers: positional, when the opponent's moves are not forced, and forced. Then what is the difference between a combination and a maneuver? A forced maneuver is a forced variation without sacrifice.

In a well-planned game [combinations] appear quite automatically; it is often possible to reduce them to certain simple types and therefore you can train your imagination, you can learn to combine by making these constantly recurring maneuvers the object of your study.

Positional Strategy
Slow burning positional strategy is another playing style which comes into play in middle games. After the openings, this is where the player on accessing the game situation, ponders possible plans or all of his options. He then selects and executes his best plan and sticks to it rigidly. This style of game play and player is regarded as a Strategist. The strategist works to mould his pieces into a single force of attack rather than several individual attacks by individual pieces. A solo attack always fails. The cohesive attack of pieces, supporting each other and working together, their power increases exponentially. The weakest point in the opponents armor y or position is sought after by the strategist and completely concentrates his forces there. All moves and plans from this point onwards is based on slowly strengthening his own position while gradually weakening that of his opponent. Kingside Focal Points Most castling is on the kingside and there are five basic focal points to aim at: h7 g7 f7 g6 and the dark-squared complex at h6, g7 and f6.

Exchanges
Through these maneuvers it is possible to gain positional advantages by sacrificing pieces however we have to remember material is important but position is infinitely more so. Your opponent may gain material by offering your piece but his position may weaken. There are numerous instances which may lead to exchange of pieces, knowing the right circumstances and mastering these exchanges are a big part of the middle game. Learning how to profit from these exchanges is one of the strategies for middle games. To work out whether it is indeed worth sacrificing a piece one has to play the scenario over in your head, anticipating the opponents moves and your own to work out what advantage is to be gained by sacrifice. If you have managed to gain a lead in material exchange of equal value of pieces is preferred as that will hasten the endgame. In case of Queen you should only look to exchange if it can force the king to move like in the diagram, stopping your opponent from the opportunity to castle. Also if an opportunity to promote a pawn or if the exchange can result in pulling down your opponents pawn structure out of shape queen exchange can be used. Capturing more of your opponent's material than they can capture of yours will help you to ultimately win the game and to do so with ease. Always be on the lookout for your opponent's unguarded pieces.

Open lines
Open lines are ranks, files, and diagonals which are not obstructed by Pawns. One of the objectives of Positional Play is to create open lines and then to occupy them with the appropriate pieces: Rooks on open ranks & files, Bishops on open diagonals, and the Queen on any open line. Tactical Play then uses those well-placed pieces to strike quickly and decisively at the opponent's weaknesses. Open lines are often the basis for attacks on the castled king.

3. King Safety
Why, when, and where to castle.

King safety is an important element of positional play. In the opening of a game, the players typically push their center Pawns to occupy the center and to open lines for the development of the pieces. One consequence of the opening is that the King, who starts the game on a central file, becomes exposed to attacks from the opposing pieces. Keeping the King for too long on its initial square often leads to catastrophic problems. Castling serves two purposes: places the King in relative safety, and furthers the development of the castling Rook. Players are faced with two key questions in every chess game: when to castle? where to castle : Kingside, Queenside, or not at all? The answer to both questions is, 'It depends'. It depends on the other details of the position.

When to castle
Castling occurs once in a game and fixes the long-term residence of the King. This makes it an important strategic decision. For offense, aiming the pieces at the opponent's King is a common strategy, so knowing the address of the King helps to develop the forces. For defense, keeping a piece or two near the King is also a common strategy, so knowing the address of the King helps here, too.

Where to castle
When both Kings castle to the same side -- both on the Kingside or both on the Queenside -- it is risky for either player to launch a Pawn attack against the opposing King. This is because at the same time the moving Pawns threaten the opposing King, they move away from the protection of their own King. When the Kings castle to opposite sides -- one on the Kingside and one on the Queenside -- both players routinely launch a Pawn attack against the opposing King. Now the Pawns that threaten the opposing King aren't the same Pawns which protect their own King. For these reasons, both players often wait for the other to castle first. Once one of the players has committed the King to one side, the other player can castle to that side or to the opposite side, depending on plans for the next phase of the game. Even before you have the possibility to castle, you should be considering where your King will be best placed : Kingside, Queenside, or in the center. The main elements behind this decision are

the pawn structure that will protect your King, and any open lines that can be used against your King.

As mentioned in the discussion about castling on opposite sides, the position of your opponent's King is another factor.

Offense or defense?

Castling can be done for offensive reasons, for defensive reasons, or for both. Sometimes a player castles because the castling Rook is needed to occupy an open file immediately -- this is offensive. At other times a player castles because the risk of keeping the King in the center is increasing with every move -- this is defensive. A player who is attacking may decide to delay castling only because it puts no new pressure on the opponent.
To castle or not?

Sometimes castling can be dispensed with altogether. This option usually arises when the Queens are traded early. With the Queens on the board, there is one tried-and-true piece of advice on when to castle. Castle before your opponent forces you to give up the castling option. Similarly, if you can prevent your opponent from castling, you'll usually have the upper hand.
Two moves or one?

At first glance it may seem that castling Queenside is more efficient than Kingside. After O-O, you need to play another Rook move like Re1 (Re8 for Black) or Rd1 (Rd8) to bring the King Rook into play on a center file. After O-O-O, the Queen Rook is already developed on a center file. It may seem that Queenside castling gains a move, but things are not so simple. Because the a-Pawn is unprotected after O-O-O, the King must often move to b1 (b8) to protect it. This second King move can also be necessary to get the King off the c1-h6 (c8-h3) diagonal.

4. Pawn Structure
A good pawn structure makes a solid defensive shell and more difficulty for your opponent to break through. Pawns defending the stronger pieces on board leads to better attacking options for them instead just defending the strong pieces. It is advisable to keep the outer pawns and not to advance them without good reason. If they are advanced before the end game please ensure that they form a pawn chain so as to receive support from its adjacent pawns, as an isolated pawn is the last thing you want. With the onset of the Middle Game, one needs to ask, who has the healthiest pawn structure? Are there isolated, backwards, doubled, or passed pawns, and are they good or bad? Who has more space (i.e., whose pawns are more advanced)? Where are the weak squares and potential outposts, and can they be exploited? Examples of goals: Attack his backward d pawn. Exchange knights, forcing doubled pawns. Move a rook to the half-open file where the opponent has isolated doubled pawns. If you have an isolated pawn, avoid exchanges as it will become weaker as material disappears from the board (isolated pawns tend to be weakest in the endgame). Every pawn move is a commitment to create a long-term pawn-skeleton infrastructure, an infrastructure that establishes the highways and dead ends in the position for a long time to come. Also, as pawns advance, they threaten promotion and drastically limit the freedom of the opponents' pieces. But pawn promotion is merely a material consideration and restricting freedom an activity consideration. Also, since pawns can only move forward, never back, one must be especially

careful of moving pawns in front of the castled King, as it creates permanent weaknesses around the King. But this is just an aspect of King safety. And it is critical not to move the pawns in front of your castled king if at all possible, as in so doing, without exception compromises security. The Pawns in front of the King play the main role in its protection. The most solid formation is when all Pawns in front of the King are on their initial squares.

There's a drawback to castling: the King sitting in a corner behind its own Pawns can be easier to attack than when it is in the center. The same Pawns that provide protection to the King also restrict its mobility. The Pawn structure in the preceding diagram has a serious disadvantage: back-rank mates. Many games end in mate because a King has no escape from an opposing Queen or Rook checking on the back rank. The safest protection against back-rank mates is to move one of the Pawns in front of the castled King. Which Pawn should you move? As you may have already discovered, when a Pawn advances it creates a weakness. This weakness can provide a target for an attack. Let's look at some examples. Bear in mind that although the next few diagrams show the White King castled on the Kingside, the remarks are equally relevant for a King castled on the Queenside. And, of course, they also apply to a castled Black King.

g3

h3

In the first diagram, White has played g3 to create an escape square on g2 against back-rank mates. At the same time, the move has created one hole on f3 and another hole on h3. Black's pieces can move to either square without fear of being attacked by a White Pawn. In the second diagram, White has played h3 to create an escape square on h2. Unlike the previous diagram, the move has not created a hole. The Pawn on f2 prevents any Black piece from moving to g3.

f3

f4

In the first diagram, White has played f3 to create an escape on f2. This may look similar to the position after h3, but there is a big difference. The move f3 has created a hole on e3. It has also blocked the square f3 so that White can no longer move a Knight to that square. A Knight on f3 is a natural protector of the castled King. Even worse, the move f3 is considered passive, as it puts no pressure on Black. If White wants to move the f-Pawn to create an escape square, f4 is better. Although it also leaves a hole on e3 (and on e4), it strikes Black's center and threatens to move to f5, menacing the Black position. When supported by a Rook, as shown in the diagram, f4 is a dangerous attacking move at the same time that it creates an escape square for the White King. Pawn structure : the position of the Pawns, ignoring the position of all other pieces. As the plan arises from the position on the board. The Pawn structure is one of the most important elements of the position. Unlike the other pieces, which can make as many moves as required in a single game, each Pawn is limited to a maximum of five or six moves. The Pawns advance slowly and deliberately. The consequence is that the Pawn structure itself evolves slowly and a single aspect of that structure can remain fixed for many moves, sometimes for the remainder of the game.

Passed Pawn

An extra Pawn is an advantage; when it's an outside passed Pawn, it's a big advantage.' A passed Pawn is a Pawn which has no opposing Pawn in front of it or on a file to the side. The b-Pawn in our diagram is an example of a passed Pawn. The two d-Pawns are not passed, because they stand in the way of each other. The advantage of a passed Pawn is that it constantly threatens to advance to its eighth rank where it will promote to a more powerful piece, usually a Queen. It requires constant attention by the enemy pieces.

Connected Pawns

The most favorable position of two Pawns is side by side. In the diagram, the b- and c-Pawns for both sides are connected (sometimes called united). Each Pawn, wherever it is placed on the chessboard, has certain squares which are more important to that Pawn than other squares. These are the two squares diagonally in front where it can capture an enemy piece or guard a friendly piece (one square diagonally for a Pawn on the a- or h-file), and the square directly in front where it is blocked by any piece occupying the square. These are called the Pawn's strong squares and weak square. The strongest formation of connected Pawns is illustrated by the White Pawns in the diagram, where each Pawn controls the weak square of the Pawn to its side. The Black Pawns, which are also connected, are not as strong because neither controls the other's weak square. Their position is not entirely weak, because the b-Pawn guards the c-Pawn. Pawns on adjacent files separated by more than one rank, are not connected : this would be the case in our diagram if the White b-Pawn were still on b2. They become connected if the lagging Pawn advances.
Isolated Pawns

In sharp contrast to the strength of connected Pawns is the weakness of isolated Pawns. These are Pawns which have no friendly Pawn on either adjacent file. Both White's a-Pawn and c-Pawn in the diagram are isolated. They are weak because any enemy piece can occupy the square in front without fear of being attacked by another Pawn. In the diagram, any Black piece on c5 would attack squares in White's camp. The c-Pawn would also protect it from attack by a Rook on the c-file.

Backward Pawn

Another example of a weak Pawn is shown in this diagram. The b-Pawn is backward because it lags the Pawn to its side and can no longer be protected by any other Pawn. Pawns are only called backward when they are on a half-open file : a file with no opposing enemy Pawn. If a Black Pawn were on b7, the White b-Pawn would not be backward. The backward Pawn is weak because it is easily blocked by an enemy piece and has difficulty advancing, especially where its weak square is controlled by an enemy Pawn, as in the diagram. Backward Pawns are obvious targets for the enemy pieces.

Doubled Pawns

Pawns of the same color on the same file, like the White cPawns in the diagram, are called doubled Pawns. Their particular weakness is that they are unable to create a passed Pawn by force. The single Black Pawn easily blocks its two adversaries. Doubled Pawns have some strength in that they guard a compact area of the chess board, making it difficult for an enemy piece to enter that area. The squares b5, b6, d5, and d6 are all protected by the doubled c-Pawns in the diagram. If another White Pawn were on c2 or c3, we would have an example of tripled Pawns. This is a particularly weak formation because all three Pawns can be blocked by a single enemy piece, while the Pawns can't protect each other and are vulnerable to attack.

Hanging Pawns

Another common example of a Pawn formation having both strength and weakness is shown in this diagram. As we saw earlier, the connected b- and c-Pawns are strong, but here they sit on half-open files. This makes them vulnerable to attack from the enemy pieces, especially the Rooks. If either Pawn advances, the other Pawn becomes backward, transforming the strong connected Pawns into weak connected Pawns.

Pawn chain

Connected Pawns on a diagonal are known as a chain. Although two Pawns on a diagonal can be considered a chain, the term is usually applied to three or more Pawns. If we remove two or three of the Black Pawns (or even the single Pawn on c5) from the diagram, the remaining White Pawns would still make a chain. The Pawns on d5 and b4 are the head of their respective chains; the Pawns on b3 and d6 are the base. The diagram shows both White and Black Pawns in a chain where each chain blocks the other, effectively dividing the board into one region behind the White Pawns and another behind the Black Pawns. The blocked chain makes it difficult for the other pieces to move quickly from one of these regions to another.
Pawn majority

A passed Pawn can be a real advantage. Where a player has more Pawns than the opponent on one side of the board, that player can advance the Pawns to create a passed Pawn. This formation is called a majority. The diagram shows a Queenside majority. The same formation mirrored on the other side of the board would be a Kingside majority. Sometimes a player has more Pawns on one side, but is unable to create a passed Pawn by force. This would be the case in the diagram if we moved the c-Pawn from c4 to b3. This is called a crippled majority and is always associated with doubled Pawns.

Connected Pawns, one passed

The basic Pawn formations can be combined in different ways to create more complex formations. Here White has connected Pawns where the a-Pawn is a passed Pawn. The Black d-Pawn might also be passed; it depends whether White has a Pawn on the e-file or not. If we remove the Black c-Pawn, the White Pawns would become connected passed Pawns. This is a very strong formation and a tangible advantage in an endgame.

Passed, doubled Pawns

If you've followed the discussion to this point, you recognize that White's c-Pawns are doubled and passed. While nowhere near as strong as connected passed Pawns, White's formation can be an advantage in the endgame. The Pawns provide natural protection for White's pieces to occupy the central squares d5 and d6. The lead c-Pawn can eventually be exchanged, leaving another passed Pawn in its wake.

If Pawns had a motto, it would be 'United we stand; divided we fall.' Connected Pawns are strong while isolated Pawns are weak. Consider the following diagram.

Pawn islands

White has an isolated Pawn at a2, hanging Pawns at c4 & d4, and three connected Pawns at f2, g2, & h2. Black has one set of connected Pawns at a7 & b7 and another stretching from e6 to h7. If we count the sets of connected Pawns for each side, we have three for White and two for Black. In other words, White has three Pawn islands, while Black has two. All other things being equal, the player with fewer Pawn islands has an advantage, because the individual Pawns are easier to defend against enemy attacks. The Pawns in each island defend each other and cover the others' weak squares. Each player starts with eight connected Pawns stretching from the a-file to the h-file. As the Pawns advance and are exchanged, the islands appear.
Advanced Pawns

Advanced Pawns are those Pawns that have moved past their own fourth rank into the opponent's side of the board. As they advance into enemy territory they cramp the opponent and restrict the activity of the enemy pieces, but are subject to encirclement and capture. Their advance also gives their own pieces more freedom of movement, but leaves unprotected areas in their own camp which can be invaded by enemy pieces. As is so often true in chess, each position has to be judged objectively and on its own merits. Where one player sees an opportunity, another sees a disadvantage. A particular Pawn structure can be either weak or strong depending on which other pieces remain on the board.

Controlling The Centre In most of the openings to be played, the center pawns are pushed toward d4 to d5 and e4 to e5; the plan being to obtain the classical center (connected pawns on d4 and e4 for white) and even then passing the e4 to e5. Generally, knights and bishops support these pawns, as both players attempt to win control of the center; that being the key struggle in determining the outcome of the game. In taking control of the center, ones pieces command more squares than the opponent and gains increased mobility. The player who takes the center seizes with it the initiative and the freedom to attack. Also, pay attention to the dark and light squares of the chess board. If your opponent is weak on the light squares because he doesn't have a light-squared bishop and you do, consider placing your pawns on light squares where your opponent's bishop can't attack them. This will help to control the light squares on the board. The player who has not gained control or loses the center tends to find pieces forced onto poor squares. These results in limited mobility and often finding themselves restricted, blocking each other thus unable to mount any pressure on the opposition.

5. Forming a plan
A feasible and superior plan needs to be drawn up and executed when required to maintain any possibility of victory. It is essential to learn and visualize patterns in the board rather than individual pieces. The five step thought process is: 1) Threat scan: look for threats. The primary goal with every move is to keep ones own material safe while seizing opportunities to attack the enemy King or kill members of his entourage. There is a second, often overlooked, reason to look for threats first: the longer you look at a position, the less likely you are to see tactics. Under the category of 'threats' I include mating attacks, checks, captures, tactics, combinations, as well as moves that set up such threats (e.g., moving your knight so it can fork the opponent's King and Queen on the next move). The key is to avoid being surprised by threats you did not anticipate. When you lose material, you want it to be because you meant to give it away, and are getting something else in return. It is often most efficient to begin your threat scan by considering forcing moves (checks and captures) available to you and your opponent. Any threat you can make whose consequences look good or unclear should be put on the candidate move list. To see what threats your opponent has available, imagine it is his turn to move. If he has dangerous forcing moves, assess whether you can take the initiative by finding an even stronger threat in reply, or consider defensive resources at your disposal. Also, be sure to consider attacks against the King. If there are more pieces bearing down on the King than there are defenders, if there are open (or open-able) lines of attack directed toward the King, consider how you might parlay this into an all-out attack (and also determine whether your own King might be vulnerable to such an attack). After considering forcing moves, look for tactical possibilities for each side. If none pop out immediately, examine the position for the hallmarks of tactical opportunities: a knight in the opponent's territory (potential forks), two pieces lined up (skewers, double attacks), pinned material (pile on the pinned

piece), a piece with few escape squares (look for a trap), etc.. Heisman (2001b) calls these tactical signatures the 'seeds of tactical destruction.' When looking for material threats, you can scan for the seeds and then determine whether the corresponding tactic is available. Looking explicitly for a knight fork will cause knight forks to pop out at you, just like someone telling you to look for a person with glasses and a red shirt will make that person pop out at you in a crowd. Once you find a viable offensive threat (e.g., you can fork his two knights), don't stop your threat scan. Put that move on your candidate move list, and look for an even stronger threat (e.g., you might be able to fork his King and Queen or have a mate-intwo). When you generate a threat that must be dealt with, this is known as seizing the initiative. When you have the initiative, your opponent is less able to focus on his own attacking plans. Hence, even the threats that don't ultimately win material can be a powerful tool. All else being equal, seize the initiative. Looking for a way to attack enemy pieces should come at the first, but note this tactical vision carries with it a surprising law of diminishing returns: the more you study the position, the less you will see tactically. One-move and two-move tricks often jump to your attention in the first several minutes you spend on a position. But if you don't see them during that time, it is unlikely you'll see them if you spend another 10 minutes on the position. For some reason we can't explain, the mind tends to block out relatively simple tactics that stare us in the face. In other words, look for threats before tactical fatigue sets in. It is important that strategic moves be tactically justifiable: if having a bishop on a certain square would increase its activity, you wont put it there if it will be lost to a tactic. Tactical considerations are the constraints within which strategic thinking must take place. Also there exists functional gambits and sacrifices in which you purposefully exchange material for other compensating factors, usually piece activity that can be used to mount an attack against the enemy King. 2) Planning: evaluate the position to generate plans and candidate moves. Positional play is based on the plan. Your individual moves should fit into your overall plan. The plan is formulated by visualizing a future position and working toward it. A common example: you see a possibility to checkmate, so you aim your pieces at your opponent's King. Yes, that's a plan. The plan arises from the position on the board. The pawn structure is one of the most important elements of the position. A 'plan' may be defined as a goal that is used to aid move selection. Goals (or from now on, plans) can be long-term (e.g., create a closed pawn structure and attack queenside with my knights), short-term (e.g., increase the activity of my Bishop), or anywhere in between. A plan that is revealed in every move played. Most plans are short-term and arise from evaluating the concrete position that emerges during the game. For example, if your opponent has an isolated pawn, this suggests a plan: exploit the isolated pawn by either attacking it or blocking it. Such specific plans suggest move sequences to achieve them (e.g., the plan of blocking the pawn will prompt you to start looking for material to place in front of it). The initial moves suggested by such plans are candidate moves.

The plan starts with the first move

White to move

The plan for this position is one of the first learned by most players:

Push some Pawns to open lines for the Bishops and the Queen. Develop the minor pieces with an eye on the center. Place the Queen where it is active, but safe. Castle. Develop the Rooks with an eye on open or potentially open files.

Yes, that's a plan. It's a very good one, and it applies to both players. A player who follows a different plan is asking for trouble. Notice that there exists a hierarchy of plans. At the top is the most general plan: to mate your opponent. At the bottom of the hierarchy we find more specific plans, highly dependent on the features of the position, plans that often involve specific pieces and squares. These specific plans transparently dovetail with candidate moves (see previous paragraph for an example). Note that the same move can accomplish more than one plan. For instance, moving a bishop to an open diagonal might both increase its activity and clear a file for a rook. The general goal, below mate, is to increase strengths, decrease weaknesses, and do the opposite to the opponent. But specifically, use four criteria for evaluating the relative strengths and weaknesses in a position: material, piece activity, King safety, and pawn structure. Evaluate the position on the board by determining both players' strengths and weaknesses and use the evaluation to generate plans to improve your position, descending in your mind through the hierarchy of plans until you come up with concrete plans that will suggest candidate moves. During this Step, don't worry about performing detailed analysis of what will happen if you play the candidate moves. This is the time to be optimistic, imaginative, and speculative, allowing you to entertain moves that may turn out to be unplayable. Where do your pieces want to go? You can often get inspiration by asking yourself this question: What

move do I wish I could play? Another useful tour of the imagination is the performance of 'hypothetical exchanges' in which you imagine an instant trade of a pair of pieces, remove them from the board [in your mind], and then reevaluate the game. The exchange may be immediately playable or a distant hope; it makes no difference, because you are searching for ideas first. Be sure to consider long-term plans that started on previous moves. It is a nice feeling to have a long-term plan come to fruition, and gives a certain aesthetic appeal to your moves. Some players describe this as playing 'consistently' and place a good deal of stock in its importance. However, it is also important to be flexible and willing to change plans in response to the concrete demands of the position; should the current plan collapse. It is crucial to try to figure out what plans your opponent is trying to implement, as your best strategy may be to generate counter plans or defensive maneuvers. It is especially important to figure out your opponent's plan if he plays a move that looks illogical or downright silly. Often such moves are setting up tricky tactics or attacks. 3) Analyze: consider the consequences of each candidate move and select the candidate with the best consequences. This involves thinking ahead in the game tree, the most time-consuming and intellectually demanding aspect of the game. Now is the time to be concrete, accurate, and objective in your thinking. Visualize a move's concrete consequences and evaluate the resulting end-node in the game tree. It is helpful to treat each candidate move as a hypothesis about the present position, the hypothesis being "This is the best candidate move" by trying to find moves that kill that candidate move, that falsify the hypothesis. In general, the least bad move is the best move, so even if you find problems with all the moves, pick the move that seems least problematic. There is no need to analyze every candidate move so far into the future. The amount of calculation required depends on the type of move being analyzed. In many quiet positions you can go ahead and play the candidate virtually without any calculation because there are no significant replies to worry about [Soltis calls these 'low calc moves']. When the pawn structure is fairly static and enemy counterplay is limited, the calculating quotient declines sharply. The basic guideline is: You can afford to overlook most quiet moves because they're quiet. You must examine all forcing moves because they're forcing. In very sharp positions, low-calc options are rare. The price of failing to look two or three moves into the future can be high. In other words, threatening moves demand careful analysis while in quiet positions, it is typically safe to think in terms of general strategic principles (e.g., rooks belong on open files). For those lines that demand analysis, you should look only so far ahead as you can continue to make forcing moves. In sharp positions in which your opponent is doing the threatening, you should continue looking until his moves have run out of force. But bear in mind we are talking about a minimum number of moves to look ahead. If you have the clock time to spend, you should analyze the position until you run out of forcing moves--and then look one move further. There are a few mistakes to be wary of when analyzing candidate moves: First, it is important to assume your opponent will play good chess, so dont assume your opponent will play poorly or make bad choices at certain points. Playing with the hope that he or she will not see what you are planning is a recipe for amassing losses. Look for worstcase scenarios, consider your opponent's

best reply to a candidate move, to reveal weaknesses in your moves (e.g., you might lose a piece). This is often described as striving to be objective in your analysis. Another mistake is to make a move quickly just because you thought it would be a good move when you previously analyzed the position. When you previously considered the move, it was only hypothetical, the position was not actually in front of you. As a cardinal rule, if you previously planned a good move in the analysis before your last move, before making it, look for a better move on the board in front of you. Also, taking a lot of clock time to find a good move can be a mistake; just try to find a good move and save that clock time for when the position calls for deep analysis. Then, once you have analyzed your candidate moves, decide which is best and then finally 4) Blundercheck: Quickly check for one-move disasters. Blunderchecking involves quickly checking for flagrant oversights in your move selection. It is an absolutely crucial, but simple, step. Consistently blunderchecking will save you many palm-against-thehead experiences. This Step should not take long: quickly look for one-move disasters, and then move on. First, make sure you haven't missed any obvious captures that you can make. Second, imagine you have made the candidate move you selected, and try to see what your opponents response will be. 5) Move Now, finally, make the move.