OPENING TIPS: tip047
try to gain time if you can by aggressive moves.
“Deux fous gagnent toujours, mais trois fous, non!” — Alexander ALEKHIN on the advantage of the Two Bishops at amateur level The French for Bishop is fou (fool) (so the player who had the two Fools (Bishops) was the third Fool) If you take away nothing else from this page, please remember: [b]there are very…
The game below has been well-annotated all over the web, and I won’t presume to add anything. Just enjoy! The computer may point out faster wins, but who cares… A dashing demonstration of the power of multiple minor pieces over a Queen, and the vulnerability of an uncastled King. Endgame Ding’s defensive obstinacy is well…
1. not allowing counterplay
* PAWNS: You will have to move some to get your pieces out, and you can try to dominate the centre with pawns on e4 and d4 ( perhaps with c4 and/or f4). But the pawns in front of your castled King form a solid wall on f2/g2/h2, and those on a2/b2/c2 are probably OK where they are too. So, oddly, pawns are often well-placed where they are at the start of the game. “Every pawn move loosens the position”, says Tarrasch: if you move the pawn on g2 to g3, you immediately get holes at f3 and h3. Moving a pawn from f2 to f3 not only takes away the best square for your Knight, which is a good defender of the pawn on h2, but also opens up a check to your King from c5. When the endgame appears, one side or the other will have to win material to win – by queening a Pawn, or at least threatening to. Then Pawns can be moved more freely, to block opposing Pawns, to create and support extra or passed Pawns of their own side, and to keep out the opponent’s pieces – including their King.
* Half-open files (in positions without an open file) can be used to create pressure against the exposed Pawn.
3. Be wary of sacrificing pawns for development: only in Rook+Pawn endings is an active piece worth material.