Chess Strategy
To be a good chess player, the basic requirement is to understand the importance of chess strategy. The game of chess is not just about moving a single piece on the board. It is the development of position of strength on the board by the combined placement of all the pieces. Each and every move has to be evaluated to get an edge over the opponent and to check mate his King.
The chess strategy also requires short term adjustments called tactics. These moves are essential to make adjustments to the overall game plan in relation to opponent?s performance. To achieve this, one should evaluate each and every move made by the opponent, analyze its implication on the chess strategy and make necessary changes, if warranted.
Phases of chess game
Chess can be classified into three distinct stages as given below. Good chess strategy should address all these stages.
1. Opening game
2. Middle game
3. End game
Opening game
The chess strategy in the opening game is to achieving a position of strength by trying to place the pieces in the best possible positions on the board.
The best possible position aims at achieving the following essential position on the board:
1. Safeguard the king from exposure to opponent attacks
2. Achieving decent mobility to all the pieces on the board that can help to make offensive moves in the middle game
3. Sound pawn structure on the board without restricting movement of other pieces
Opening chess strategies can be formulated to suit one?s preferences. Ranging from defensive opening to very aggressive beginning, standard options are well documented and analyzed in many good chess books.
Middle game
The middle game in chess develops when the actual attack on the opponent is initiated after gaining positional advantage on the board through the opening game chess strategy. Trading off of pieces, sacrifice of pieces to get advantage on the board, pinning the opponent mobility are some of the motives of the middle game chess strategy.
Middle game involves lot of tactical adjustments to counter opponent?s moves. Every move of the opponent has to be watched to understand his chess strategy for effective counter action.
End game
The player who has more power and better positional advantage on the board will have distinctive advantage in the end game. The basic objective of the end game is to immobilize the opponent king and gain victory. This is the primary motive of any chess strategy.
Chess strategy in the end game can take different options depending on the position of strength obtained in the middle game. Two such situations are:
1. To score a win for the position of power
2. To salvage a game into a draw from a position of weakness, thus scoring a moral victory
Chess requires lot of home work and planning before the commencement of the actual game. Formulating an effective and flexible chess strategy and implementing it on the board in relation to the opponent?s response and reactions are crucial for success in a game of chess.
