Author: DJCA

(Nimzowitsch) 7. There is no time for pawn hunting in the opening, except for centre pawns.

10. What to do if there is a lead in development: * If you are ahead in development, start something going and open up lines for your better pieces * If you are behind in development, don’t start anything and keep things closed until you have caught up

* KING: tuck it away during the opening, by castling as a rule to get the rook out as well. But in the endgame, the King becomes a strong attacking piece, and can make raids on the opponent’s Pawns, and guide your own Pawns through to be Queens. Because of course, with only a few pieces on the board, there is less danger of a middle-game attack, and then the King needn’t hide. Then the King becomes like any other piece, and should be moved into the centre of the board to attack or defend as necessary.

14. A rook on the seventh rank is worth a pawn.

(Hort) 14. With White, exploit the advantage of having the first move and try to gain the initiative. With Black, try to organize counterplay. This last point is worth particular attention, for, although it contains much wisdom, it is not always applied in current tournament practice. Unfortunately, we belong to a time when White usually tries to gain only a minimal advantage, because to try for more entails the taking of risks. Black, having no sure method of developing counterplay without risk, usually tries to minimise White’s attacking possibilities. The game thus proceeds towards an endgame in which neither side has real winning chances.”

Don’t play a good-looking move in vague hopefulness: consider what your opponent’s reply might be.

* Knights need to be near the centre and forward; they thrive on outposts (whether absolute = can’t be dislodged by a Pawn, or relative, like on f5, when a pawn move (…g6) would weaken the opponent’s position).

15. Rooks belong behind passed pawns, of your own or the opponent.

(Fine) 1. In the initial position White, because of the extra move, has a slight advantage. Consequently…

(Nimzowitsch) 3. To be ahead in development is the ideal to be aimed for.