Author: DJCA

1. The king is a fighting piece and should be centralised and used actively.

* If you have a space advantage (or any other long-term advantage, like the Bishop pair), don’t rush to attack. Milk your advantages – don’t feel obliged to cash in immediately. You should not try to force the issue, but rather maintain or increase your advantage while preventing counterplay. Don’t lash out justy becaiuse you feel there ought to be a winning combination by now. Avoid exchanges and build up your position so that when things do come to a head the situation is at its most favourable to you.

* Rooks need open files.

* Don’t allow counterplay, e.g. a Pawn race, a counterattack against the other wing, if you don’t have to. Defensive play is difficult, and playing the downside of a position without active chances of your own is doubly so. [Many of the best players are masters at snuffing out the opponent’s plans.]

11. Bishops are better than knights in all except blocked pawn positions

(Fine) 5. Make one or two pawn moves in the opening, not more.

(Nimzowitsch) 6. The pawn centre must be mobile.

* Take nothing for granted. Don’t fret needlessly – analyse and find out if there is a win for your opponent. I often say, “Oh, Black’s only going to threaten mate”, by which I mean, the best they can achieve is a one move threat that can be easily contained. When they make that threat, you do need to react, but don’t worry needlessly; carry on with your own plans. There are some “clockwork” attacks (like the h-file assault against the fianchettoed King, or the King’s Indian Attack) that will eventually produce checkmate if left alone, but usually the best recipe is to counterattack, even if you do have to stop from time to time to counter a mating threat.

The most important feature of any chess position — opening, middlegame and *especially* endgame — is the activity of the pieces. — Michael STEAN

* If the pieces don’t suggest what plan you must adopt, the Pawns will.