Strategy (chess)

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The subject of chess strategy is the development of a game plan during the course of a game of chess . It is geared towards a long-term goal of the game.

Position and development

Short-, medium- or long-term planning in a game of chess must be based on the specifics of the current position on the board. This means that the positioning of each individual pawn and each individual piece can have a decisive influence on the assessment of the situation. The job evaluation is therefore the first step in developing a strategic plan. The gradual improvement in the position of the pieces of her located in the starting position ineffective at the edge locations in effective, often called the central positions in the chess theory development . Development and position are the central aspects of strategy and tactics in chess, the first is determined by the opening phase (until a position is reached), the second by the actual game (in which the positions are always adapted to new situations). The endgame includes specific problem solutions to bring the game to a close.

Static and dynamic elements are incorporated into the position evaluation. Static position elements remain comparatively stable over longer periods of time, i.e. train sequences. Dynamic position elements are therefore provisional and change organically in the course of a game of chess. Since both elements are always intertwined, every job evaluation must be constantly and critically checked. This process of position evaluation is largely unconscious, but should be perceived by the player as consciously as possible. The following factors play a role in job evaluation:

  1. The material ratio that can be easily counted.
  2. The concrete threats of a tactical and strategic nature on both sides.
  3. The security of the respective kings.
  4. Control of important lines and diagonals.
  5. The pawn structure , particularly pawn weaknesses ( Isolani , Residual Bauer ) and other strong and weak points.
  6. The degree of interaction between your own and the opposing pieces.
  7. The relationship between force , space and time , which must be re-recorded for each position evaluation.

Following the assessment of the position, the further procedure is determined. This tries to bring about an improvement in the sum or in individual of the above-mentioned elements on one's own side and / or to prevent the opposite. There are three types of postures, each of which requires a specific approach:

  1. Better positions.
  2. Equal, i.e. balanced positions.
  3. Worse positions.

Dorfman's method

A more recent approach to position evaluation goes back to the international grandmaster Josif Dorfman . His concept is based on a purely static assessment of so-called critical positions and represents an algorithm for finding the position-related plan or train.

The pivotal point of this conception are the so-called “critical positions”, which one must first identify in the course of a game of chess. These “critical positions” usually arise at the end of “technical phases”. "Technical phases" are sequences of moves that are either forced due to tactical chess circumstances or are taken for granted due to elementary strategic considerations.

Dorfman differentiates between three characteristics that define a critical position:

  1. Positions in which a decision is to be made regarding a possible change in the pawn structure.
  2. Positions in which a decision has to be made regarding a possible exchange of a piece.
  3. Positions that arise at the end of a series of forced moves.

"Critical positions" should then be checked taking into account four "static" criteria. In the order of their value these are:

  1. The security of both royal positions in comparison.
  2. The material correlation of both parties in comparison.
  3. The position assessment after removing the queens from the board.
  4. The pawn structure on both sides in comparison.

It is important to note that these four criteria are linked with different values. Every assessment of a critical position is thus made up of four hierarchically structured sub-assessments. This could look something like this:

With regard to criterion (1), white is slightly better, with regard to criterion (2) the same, with regard to criterion (3) somewhat worse, with regard to criterion (4) worse.

The plan is then derived from this evaluation model; H. the further course of action on both sides. However, since these are purely static, i. H. In the case of long-term assessment criteria, dynamic factors such as immediate tactical threats remain unaffected by this search algorithm, but must of course be examined first.

The statically better standing player (in the above example the white would be, since he is a little better in the first order criterion) now has to play "statically", i. H. develop sensibly and according to plan, calmly regroup his pieces, do not allow himself to be tempted into hasty actions, ... In particular, this means that the statically better standing player must not be tempted to rash exchanges or rash pawn moves, because these maneuvers reduce the static balance u. U. can affect negatively. In this sense, the said maneuvers can be understood as "dynamic" and therefore belong in the arsenal of the statically worse standing player.

Conversely, the statically worse standing player (in the above example it would be black) has to look for a dynamic style of play ( sacrifice , complications, combinations , entanglements, ...) that aims to change the static criteria. As already indicated above, the motif of such a dynamic style of play is u. a. the exchange and the change of the pawn position.

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