As we know, the value of each piece depends on its mobility, the potential threats it poses, and its ability to control the board.
Category: Tactical Tips
Domination: An effective way to restrain your opponent
Domination occurs when a player controls all the squares that an enemy piece can move to. For instance, if a player’s knight is surrounded by the opponent’s pawns, and there are no squares that the knight can move to without being captured, the knight is said to be dominated.
When can you start a risky attack?
However, it’s important to remember that starting a risky attack can also backfire and lead to a disadvantageous position or even a loss. Therefore, it’s crucial to weigh the risks and rewards carefully.
How many pieces would you trade for a queen?
By understanding the strengths and weaknesses of each piece, you can make better decisions on the board, anticipate your opponent’s moves, and create winning strategies.
Luft: Give your king some air! Don’t get surprised on the back rank
Luft is a term used in chess to refer to the space or square created by moving a pawn, which provides an escape route for the king (often after castling), particularly when this space is deliberately created to prevent a back-rank checkmate.
Isolated pawns and how to exploit them
One of the main ways to exploit an isolated pawn is to attack it. By attacking an isolated pawn, you force your opponent to either defend it with a more valuable piece, such as a knight or bishop, or to leave it undefended.
Desperados in chess: How to save the game
In chess, a desperado is a piece that is doomed to be captured, but can capture one or more enemy pieces before it is taken. The term “desperado” comes from Spanish, where it means “desperate” or “hopeless”.
Protected passed pawn: A path of a steamroller
A passed pawn that is protected by its own pawns is called a protected passed pawn. A pair of connected passed pawns is sometimes called a steamroller.
Decoy: The ultimate weapon of the attacking player
One of the most common decoys in chess is the queen sacrifice. In this tactic, a player offers their queen to their opponent in exchange for a material advantage or a checkmate.
Greek gift sacrifice: Timeo Danaos et dona ferentes
In this case, the attacking player offers a bishop sacrifice to break through the opponent’s defense and lure out their king to eventually checkmate it or at least gain a significant material advantage.