Chess Strategy quotes

Most beginners do not trouble very much about any particular plan in their study of chess, but as soon as they have learnt the moves, rush into the turmoil of practical play. It is self-evident that their prospects under such conditions cannot be very bright.

The play of a beginner is planless, because he has too many plans, and the capacity for subordinating all his combinations to one leading idea is non- existent.

Yet it cannot be denied upon investigation that a certain kind of method is to be found in the play of all beginners, and seems to come to them quite naturally.

It will be found a little later that a single pawn may suffice, with some few exceptions, to achieve a victory, and we shall adopt the following leading principle for all combinations, viz. loss of material must be avoided, even if only a pawn.

It is a good habit to look upon every pawn as a prospective Queen.

This has a sobering influence on premature and impetuous plans of attack.

loss of material must be avoided, even if only a pawn. It is a good habit to look upon every pawn as a prospective Queen. This has a sobering influence on premature and impetuous plans of attack.

On the other hand, victory is often brought about by a timely sacrifice of material.

But in such cases the sacrificing of material has its compensation in some particular advantage of position.

… pieces can be worth more than many undeveloped ones, and the whole game is an example of the fatal consequences which can follow the loss of a move, since it often leads to the compulsory loss of further moves in the course of the game.

“This is the curse of every evil deed That propagating still it brings forth evil.”

The logical sequence of the moves in this game, as pointed out in the commentaries to it, is borne out by the curious coincidence that I once had the opportunity of playing a game in exactly the same sequence of moves, against a player to …

But when considering the form of a pawn position and that of the pieces, we cannot shut our eyes to the fact that pawn formation must necessarily be the dominant consideration in our mind.

Pawn formation is of a more permanent character than that of the pieces, in consequence of the latter’s greater mobility.

When we have made a rash move with a piece, to which our attacking disposition may have tempted us, we may still have a chance of retrieving the position by timely retreat.

When we have made a rash move with a piece, to which our attacking disposition may have tempted us, we may still have a chance of retrieving the position by timely retreat.

Once a pawn has moved it cannot turn back, and only after the greatest deliberation should we embark on changes in our pawn formation in order not to disturb the balance of this “static element” of the game.

But we shall see that the pawn skeleton which was formed in the opening often weathers the storm and stress of the middle game, and frequently preserves its character right up to the end-game.

Such ideas only prove that the beginner has not grasped the nature of chess, the essence of which is stern logic and uncompromising conclusions, and this demands the shortest and clearest way leading to a mate.

To the strong player, able to play logically, logic will always be inseparable from beauty in chess.

To play logically means to subordinate all combinations to a leading plan of campaign, but there is difficulty in finding the latter. An unsound scheme, even if worked out to its logical conclusion, can of course be of no value.

To play logically means to subordinate all combinations to a leading plan of campaign, but there is difficulty in finding the latter.

An unsound scheme, even if worked out to its logical conclusion, can of course be of no value. All the same it is better than no plan at all.

And in time one gains by experience, and develops a sort of instinct for rejecting from the large number of possible operations all those which, properly countered, cannot bring any advantage.

Q-Kt4ch 16. Q-K3 Q-Q4 17. R-K1 B-Kt5 18. K-B2 P-QR4

Such is the price to pay for premature advances.

19. PxP RxP 20. B-R3 P-QB4

Q-Q2 to have been a lost move. But giving up the centre is a far greater evil. Black now commands his Q5 and KB5, and this enables him to start an attack to which there is no defence.

The game shows conclusively how important it is to maintain the centre.

13. … KtxP 14. Castles KR P-B4 15. P-QKt4 P-QKt3 16. Q-K2

For after BxKt there follows 42. Q-K8ch, K-B2; 43. QxBch, with perpetual check.

Both players have shown a deep positional insight, and the game shows in an interesting manner how a preponderance of material can be counterbalanced by the greater mobility of the pieces.

1. P-K4 P-QB3 2. P-Q4 P-Q4 3. Kt-QB3 PxP 4. KtxP Kt-KB3 5. Q-Q3

White would clear the K side in the meantime, push on his KRP, and ultimately give up his R for Black’s remaining P, as soon as the latter runs into Queen, after which the three passed pawns win easily against the Rook.

Generally speaking it is wise, in R endings like the present one, to advance pawns on the side where there is an extra pawn, in order to get a passed pawn as soon as possible.

Then the hostile Rook has to look after that pawn lest it should queen, and the greater mobility of one’s own Rook often saves the game even when opposed by a preponderance of pawns.