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Strategical Ideas

Posted: Tue Mar 01, 2011 8:25 am
by Swaminathan
This is continuance of the "Strategical Ideas for a Test suite" as posted in the site. I found some more ideas:

Exchanging to increase control over a colour complex
Exchaning the specific minor piece to gain control over important squares/files/diagonals which could later prove to be crucial in securing an advantage.

The Unopposed Bishop
The bishop of one color complex that can't be challenged by the opponent's pieces because he doesn't have Bishop of the same color complex. Such a bishop is slightly superior to the other Bishop in the camp.

Exchanging to open lines
Exchanging in order to open lines and generate play.

Retaining the piece for defensive purposes

Retaining the piece for attacking purposes

Inducement - to gain move advantage

Taming the Bishop pair
Forcing the trade of one of the bishop to reduce the power of "double Bishop advantage", or blocking the scope of one of the Bishops so that it will not have control over the diagonal.

Re: Strategical Ideas

Posted: Tue Mar 01, 2011 8:40 am
by BB+
I like these, if for no other reason because they sorta model how I think. Recently I played a game at lichess.org (not as popular as the others mentioned in the other thread, but it's convenient for me), and I was thinking about which minor piece to try to trade off based on the central pawn structure, etc.

I might add trading off to eliminate a defender, but often such moves are even sacrificial, so you might not find too many great examples in a "strategic" sense.

Re: Strategical Ideas

Posted: Wed Mar 02, 2011 4:30 am
by Swaminathan
BB+ wrote:I like these, if for no other reason because they sorta model how I think. Recently I played a game at lichess.org (not as popular as the others mentioned in the other thread, but it's convenient for me), and I was thinking about which minor piece to try to trade off based on the central pawn structure, etc.

I might add trading off to eliminate a defender, but often such moves are even sacrificial, so you might not find too many great examples in a "strategic" sense.
Yep. Trading off a defender involves sacrificial moves. But it does involve trading off relatively equal value minor pieces.

It's often quoted that when the center is closed, we should trade the Bishop for the knight since Bishop's diagonal and play will have less scope than Knight's repositioning.

If the central pawn structure is open, we prefer Bishop over knight. In case it's semi closed/semi-open it's open to our judgement.