Weapons of Chess

Bruce Pandolfini

RELATED SECTION INDEX

Advantage
Positional Chess
Analysis
Calculating Variations
Oversights
Visualization
Anti-Positional Move
Weakness
Backward Pawn
The Bind
Weakness
Bad Bishops
Bishops of Opposite Colour
Good Knight
Minor Exchange
The Bind
Backward Pawn
Blockade
Blocked Centre
Bishops of Opposite Colour
Blockade
Blockade
Isolated Pawn
Isolated Pawn Couple
Blocked Centre
Pawn Centres
Pawn Chain
Breakthrough Combination
Passed Pawn
Calculating Variations
Visualization

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Doubled Pawns
Pawn Majority
Weakness
Doubled Rooks
Backward Pawn
Exchanging Pieces
Outside Passed Pawn
Fianchetto
Two Bishops
Weakness
Fixed Pawns
Pawn Centres
Good Knight
Blockade
Minor Exchange
Isolated Pawn
Blockade
Minor Exchange
Weakness
Isolated d-Pawn: Advancing It
Isolated d-pawn
Isolated d-pawn: Strength
Isolated d-pawn: Drawbacks
Isolated d-Pawn
Isolated d-pawn: Advancing It
Isolated d-pawn: Drawbacks
Isolated d-pawn: Strength
Isolated d-pawn: Drawbacks
Isolated d-pawn
Isolated d-Pawn: Advancing It
Isolated d-pawn: Drawbacks
Isolated d-pawn: Strength
Isolated d-pawn: Strength
Isolated d-pawn
Isolated d-Pawn: Advancing It
Isolated d-Pawn: Drawbacks
Isolated Pawn Couple
Weakness
Knight Corral
Two Bishops
Minor Exchange
Opening a File
Pawn Majority
Opening a File
Doubled Rooks
Minority Attack

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Outside Passed Pawn
Breakthrough Combination
Passed Pawn
Pawn Majority
Oversights
Visualization
Passed Pawn
Outside Passed Pawn
Pawn Majority
Protected Passed Pawn
Pawn Centres
Blocked Centre
Fixed Pawns
Pawn Chain
Pawn Chain
Blocked Center
Pawn Centres
Pawn Majority
Minority Attack
Passed pawn
Positional Chess
Advantage
Anti-Positional move
Weakness
Protected Passed Pawn
Passed Pawn
Two Bishops
Knight Corral
Minor Exchange
Visualization
Analysis
Calculating Variations
Weakness
Anti-Positional
Isolated Pawn
Positional Chess

ADVANTAGE
Definition: Any factor that increases your winning chances.
TIME
More pieces developed than your opponent = advantage in time. Time is measured in
terms of initiative, or the ability to control the flow of play.
SPACE
Controls of the centre, more advanced pawns, rooks on half-open files are some
indicators of an advantage in space. Also, better placed pieces leading to control of more
than your half of the board, translating into better piece mobility.
MATERIAL
More men or more valuable men.
SAFETY
If your king is less exposed than your opponents. Kings are generally safer on the
kingside than the queenside. Also, there are fewer pieces to get out of the way before
castling. Having the three kingside pawns on their original squares, with the protecting
knight at f3 (f6 for Black) forms the strongest possible defense of a castled position.
TYPES OF ADVANTAGES
These can be temporal, positional or material. Temporal advantages have a way of
evaporating and should therefore be transformed into other advantages early in the game.
Your opponent will be able to catch up in development if you dont.
Positional advantages (centre control, superior pawn structure, control of halfopen files, king safety) change constantly throughout the game. Positional play
constitutes the collective addition of little advantages until they amount to real superiority
and force your opponent to surrender material or submit to a strong attack on his king.
Material advantages are usually the most decisive. Advantages in material and
pawn structure tend to be more permanent than temporal advantages.

ANALYSIS
Making a mental tally sheet of each sides strengths and weaknesses. While playing,
divide the process into two sections. When it is your move, be concrete and specific.
When it is your opponents move, let your mind wander over the board, asking general
questions about the position.
QUESTIONS

What does my opponents move threaten?

Are any pieces or pawns attacked or threatened? If so, are they adequately
protected? If not, then what can I do to protect them?
If a piece is threatened, probe the position to determine whether to guard, move,
or trade it. Or perhaps counter with a more significant threat of my own.
[DANGER]
If you meet your opponents threat with one of your own, and he ups the ante by
defending with another threat, you now have two threats to answer! [SCREWED]
Not threatened? Then perhaps do some threatening of your own, but without
risking your game or the potential for future attack.
If your opponent answered your last threat with one of his own, decide which
threat is more powerful before choosing your next move.

While waiting for your opponents move, ask these general questions about the position.
Does the enemy have any weaknesses?
Given the opportunity, how could they be exploited?
What are the enemy strengths?
Are there any potential threats the enemy can generate?
What are my weaknesses?
Can I get rid of them?
Can I compensate for them?
Determine a course of action!!

ANTI-POSITIONAL MOVE
Definition: One that is unsound strategically, differing from a blunder, which is an
oversight that loses a piece or pawn.
An anti-positional move violates the logic or direction of the game. Usually, it is a pawn
move that weakens a key square or group of squares.
Example: Castling, then moving the pawns that protect the king.
ATTACKS ARENT EVERYTHING
Most anti-positional moves are made for the sake of attack. But attacking for the sake of
attacking, without regard to consequences creates weaknesses.

/ + W Tl+\
/+o+ +o+o\
/o+ + +o+\
/+ + O + \
/ + +pJp+\
/+ H + + \
/pP +qP P\
/+ + +rK \
D

Did
Dia
Anti-Positional Diagram

DD

White tried to dislodge Blacks knight by playing g2-g4. He thus creates irreparable
weaknesses at f3, f4, h3, and h4. Black answers by moving the knight to f4, where it
attacks Whites queen and endangers Whites kingside.
PAWNS CAN NEVER GO HOME

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Pawns can never retreat and can never again guard a square that it has moved past,
allowing enemy pieces to occupy such weak squares. Hence, study your pawn moves
well, ensuring that you understand the consequences before you move it.

BACKWARD PAWN
Def: One that cannot be advanced with the support of a friendly pawn or protected by
one. Although not physically prevented from moving, it cannot advance because it would
be captured by an enemy pawn on an adjacent file. Its inability to move or be defended
by another pawn makes it a WEAKNESS in its owners position!
We can assume that there is either no adjacent pawn on the same side as the
backward pawn, or any such pawn is already advanced beyond the point of being helpful.
SUBJECT TO ATTACK
A backward pawn is vulnerable to attack from an enemy queen and rooks along the halfopen file in front of it.
MAKING YOUR OPPONENT SUFFER
(Vertical Double Attack vs. Semi-Vertical)

-------/ + + +l+\
/+ +t+ Oo\
/ +tO + +\
/+ +rO + \
/ + +p+ +\
/+ + +p+p\
/ + + +p+\
/+ +r+ K \
________
In the above diagram, Blacks backward pawn results in Whites capture of the e-pawn. If
1.Rxe5 dxe5, then 2.Rxd7 and Black has no recourse. If Blacks second rook were at d8,
then 1.Rxe5 dxe5 2.Rxd7 Rxd7 and White loses 4 points. Even in this scenario, the
author feels that White still has a positional superiority (If he does not initiate the trade)

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since he has the initiative, meaning that his rooks have greater freedom of action while
Blacks are tied to defense!
PILING UP ON THE WEAKNESS
In the vertical double rook attack and matching defense, if White adds a pawn as a third
attacker, will Black be able to compete? Answer: If Black can add a third piece as a
defender, then White has just tied up another of Blacks pieces for the use of his pawn.
Whether Black adds a third defender or not, if he initiates an exchange (pawn takes pawn,
he loses as the target then becomes Blacks closest rook which is then attacked twice and
defended once! (Black loses 4 points)
EVERYONE JOINS IN
The above diagram is an indication of what can happen in an all out fight for any
particular square. Blacks d6-pawn is attacked 5 times and defended 5 times. But wait,
Whites queen also attacks the g5-pawn, which is defended by f6. White can change the
dynamics of this stalemate by advancing his e4-pawn to e5 (attacker #6). If Black
attempts to address this imbalance by fxe5, then Qxg5 and he loses a pawn. If Black does
nothing threatening, then the d6-pawn will fall to a superior force!
Personal Lesson: A pawn and a bishop can form a diagonal attack group!
OCCUPYING THE BLOCKADING SQUARE
The square directly in front of a backward pawn is weak and can be occupied by an
enemy piece (knight or bishop), which allows the possibility of a discovered attack by
rooks and queen along the half-open file, while attacking the enemy elsewhere. This
constitutes another positional advantage, as the enemy must use pieces to defend against
the potential discovered attack.
MAKE IT A SAFE OCCUPATION
When attempting to occupy the blockading square, be sure that if the blockading piece is
captured you can recapture with another piece not a pawn. This ensures that the file is
kept open for rooks and queen.
In the above diagram, first play 1.Rfd1, gaining time because it attacks the
backward pawn. Then 2.Nd5 Bxd5 3.Rd5.

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ADVANCING THE PAWN
The above example illustrates how Black can eliminate the weakness of his backward
pawn and achieve material superiority. If the e7-bishop were not blocked by the d6-pawn,
it could pin Whites e3-rook and win it. Black therefore advances the pawn to d5, and no
matter how White takes it (with knight or pawn) Bc5 pins the rook and wins it on the next
move! If White sees this in advance, he can move the rook to e2, but Blacks continuing
pawn advance will create problems. If Black takes one of Whites pawns, he will not win
material but Whites pawn structure will be permanently weakened!
PUSHING AHEAD
In this position, Black to move can push the d-dawn, although protectors do not support
it. White could not then capture it with the e4-pawn, for Black would then follow with a
thrust of his own e-pawn, from e5 to e4. Double threat! Whites knight at f3 is attacked
by Blacks g7-bishop along the a1-h8 diagonal. White must lose material.
BRINGING IN THE TROOPS
Alleviating a backward pawn condition by:
Capturing with an adjacent pawn. The example includes a resulting isolated pawn at
a7. Possible compensation being a stronger hold on the centre.
Threatening the enemy pawn with capture by advancing the adjacent pawn on the far
side of the backward pawn formation. This pawn should be supported in its threat so
as not to create a potential sacrifice scenario.

BAD BISHOP
Def: One that is blocked or impeded by its own pawns.
Advice

Avoid having your own pawns on the same colour as your bishop
Try to fix your opponents pawns on the wrong color squares
If you have a bad a bad bishop, try to trade for a good bishop or knight.
If you have a good bishop dont exchange it without a really good reason.
If your opponent has a bad bishop, try to invade the squares his bishop cannot protect.

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THE BIND
Def: When one sides pawns and pieces are so well positioned that they prevent the
enemy from moving freely, a bind is created!
MAROCZY BIND
In the above diagram, Whites pawns at c4 and e4 make it extremely difficult for Black to
free his position by advancing the d-pawn to d5.
Advice

Try to set up binds using pieces and pawns to restrict the enemys movement
If you can cramp him long enough, he may be forced to make a weakening move
Keep the bind tight until you can convert it to a tangible advantage
To soon a release may lead to the enemy seizing the initiative with a counter-attack

BISHOPS OF OPPOSITE COLOUR

Def: When opponents each have one bishop controlling squares of different colour.
ENDGAMES ARE USUALLY DRAWN
Even if one side is ahead, the defending bishop can usually block the enemy passed
pawn(s). Since the attacking bishop cannot control the same squares, the blockade tends
to be unbreakable.
THE ATTACKER HAS THE ADVANTAGE
IN THE MIDDLEGAME
The above diagram, Whites queen goes to e5 threatening mate at g7. Black can only
move f7-f6, leaving the bishop unprotected which falls to the queen.
Advice

If behind a pawn or two, try trading minor pieces to reach an endgame with
bishops of opposite colour.
In the middlegame, use your bishop for attack. Your opponent may not be able to
neutralize its power.

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BLOCKADE
Definition
The blocking of a passed, isolated or backward pawn by an enemy piece, or the
restraining of a pawns advance by guarding an occupying the square directly in front,
called the blockading square. Once a pawn is fixed by a blockade a generalized attack can
be launched against it.
Advice

First restrain the enemy pawns ability to advance by controlling the blockading
square with pawns.
Then attack
Knights are best, but bishops make good blockaders too
Rooks are not good blockaders
If you have an isolated pawn and your opponent is attempting to blockade it, try
to advance the pawn and exchange it for a healthy enemy pawn.
If you have a passed pawn that is being blockaded, try to drive away the
blockader so your pawn can move ahead.

BLOCKED CENTRE
Definition
When the pawns of both sides are fixed in the center without the possibility of pawn
exchange, the center is said to be closed. This is accomplished by a formation known as a
pawn chain. The solution is to attack the base of the enemys pawn chain by advancing
your c or f-pawn.
THE STONEWALL
Characterized by an incompletely blocked center which for White involves having pawns
at c4, e3 and f4. This controls the e5 square forcing Black to play e6, blocking his
queenside bishop. If Black has a pawn at d5 and his knight at f6, Whites f3-knight may
advance to e5.

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The Stonewall as White

Reuben Fine gives this magnificent line as an example of what you are trying to do in the
Stonewall system: 1. d4 d5 2. e3 Nf6 3. Bd3 c5 4. c3 Nc6 5. f4 This the basic Stonewall
set-up. 5... e6 blocks the Bc8
6. Nf3 Bd6 7. O-O O-O 8. Ne5 Qc7 9. Nd2 Re8 10. g4 with a crushing attack!
Well, it's not always like that, Black has several improvements: 1. d4 d5 2. e3 Nf6 3. Bd3
[3. f4 is sometimes played to avoid the 3...Nc6 line]
3... c5
[3... Nc6 4. f4
[4. c3 e5]
4... Nb4 5. Nf3 Nxd3+ 6. cxd3 g6 7. Nc3 Bg7 8. O-O O-O=]
4. c3 Nc6 5. f4
5... e6 blocks the Bc8
so [5... Bg4 6. Nf3 e6 7. Nbd2 Bd6 8. h3 Bh5 9. b3 cxd4 10. cxd4 Rc8
and Black is comfortable]
6. Nf3 Bd6 7. O-O O-O 8. Ne5 Qc7
Ne5 needs some better response; Black could also try to occupy e4
Advice
To develop against a stonewall formation, try to make underming pawn advances on the
c- and f-files.

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BREAKTHROUGH COMBINATION
Definition
A series of moves in which a passed pawn decides a chess game. Handles correctly, the
pawn becomes anew queen, or forces the opponent to surrender material to stop it,
eventually leading to checkmate!

FASHIONING A PASSED PAWN

OUT OF NOTHING
A passed pawn can be created by a breakthrough sacrifice or combination. The above
diagram is an illustration of a bishop sacrifice, resulting in a passed pawn. White captures
the f5-pawn, forcing Black to recapture with the e6-pawn, causing Whites e5-pawn to
become a passed pawn.

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CALCULATING VARIATIONS:
HOW TO DO IT
IN YOUR HEAD

1.
2.
3.
4.

Make a superficial analysis of move possibilities

Create a mental list of these candidate moves in order of preference
Analyze the first move as deeply as you can
If you run into trouble, turn to the next move on the list

DOUBLED PAWNS
Definition
Two pawns of the same colour that occupy the same file. They may be isolated or
connected. Connected doubled pawns have at least one friendly pawn occupying an
adjacent file.
Doubled pawns tend to be unfavourable because they can be weak, difficult to defend, or
subject to attack especially if immobile. If they cant be attack, they arent necessarily
weak.
BREACHED WALL
White has doubled pawns at f2, f3, resulting from a knight exchange 1.Ng5xf3 2.g2xf3
Qg5+ 3.Kh1 Qg4 4.Qe2 Bxf3
5.Qxf3 Qxf3 and White loses his queen!

BEWARE OF TACTICAL THREATS

In the above diagram, White has a superior position as his doubled c-pawns prevent
Blacks e6-knight from advancing to d4 and, together with the e4-pawn form a double
guard of the d5-square to which Whites b4-knight has access. In addition, if the White
knight moves to d5, it will present a triple discovered attack to Blacks b6-pawn. Black

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makes a common mistake in not evaluating the knight move and plays 1c5 2.Nd5 Bxd5
3.cxd5 and Black must choose between losing his knight or his pawn!

DOUBLED PAWNS LEADING TO PAWN MAJORITY

The example shows a minor exchange leading to a queenside pawn majority after
recapture by the adjoining enemy pawn, causing double pawns.
Good Advice

Doubled pawns often tend to be weak, difficult to defend, or subject to attack

especially if immobile. But in some situations their existence can be
advantageous.

Before saddling your opponent with doubled pawns, evaluate whether they may
be advantageous afterwards.

If the resulting situation is unclear, play in such a manner as to cause the

doubletons to remain a long-term weakness.

Try to avoid accepting doubled pawns if you determine that they will be a weakness

DOUBLED ROOKS