The Most Important Endgame Principles

1.Pair of Bishops is stronger than pair of Knights. 2.Bishop is usually stronger than Knight. Bishops are better than knights in all except blocked pawn positions. 3.Rook and Bishop are usually stronger than Rook and Knight. 4.Queen and Knight are usually stronger than Queen and Bishop. 5.Rooks belong behind passed pawns, of your own or [...]

The Most Important Positional Principles

1. Pair of bishops is a serious advantage (especially in endgame). If you have pair of bishops – try to open the position. And in opposite if your opponent has it  try to close the position. 2. If you have advantage in space – avoid exchanges, which can lead to exemption of the play. When [...]

Pieces

1.Bishop is usually stronger than knight in open positions. Knight is better then bishop in closed positions, when bishop is restricted. In semi open position, when knight has supporting square (reinforced by pawn) in the center, and can’t be attacked with the opponent’s pawn – knight excels bishop and almost equal to a rook. 2.Passed [...]

The Most Important Playing Principles

At the beginning of the game the forces stand in balance.   1.Correct play on both sides maintains this equilibrium and leads to a drawn game. 2.Therefore a player can win only as a consequence of a mistake made by the opponent. (There is no such thing as a winning move.) 3.As long as the [...]

Destroying The Balance

A Lesson in Breaking the Material and Positional Equilibrium Modern chess not only differs greatly from chess of 19th century, but it also varies from chess played over the past 25 years. If you examine games from the World Championships played over a quarter of a century ago, you will notice a very calm approach [...]

Opening Principles

1.Opening fighting directed to the capture of the center. Pieces control and attack the maximum number of squares from the center. One of the advantages in center possession is in ability to transport the game to the flanks more easily. 2.Development is to be understood as the strategic advance of the troops toward the frontier [...]