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Part One: Material VS Position

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Submitted by rubyflyer on Wed, 01/07/2009 at 4:30pm.

When most of us learned chess, we were first taught to grab material and have a material advantage. This is not that bad, but playing positonally is usually better. Take a look at the starting position of the example below. You'll quickly notice that black has a material advantage,  but is in a terrible position. Go ahead and solve the puzzle, and then check the move list.

 

P.S. If you see a mistake, please comment on it so I can change it.

» posted in For Beginners
| 916 reads | 7 comments |
0 votes:
 

Comments:

by rubyflyer - 9 months ago
Somewhere in the United States
Member Since: Oct 2008
Member Points: 105

Nc2 is played to prepare to move the knight into black's position.

by tracerhand - 9 months ago
London United Kingdom
Member Since: Feb 2009
Member Points: 1

I'm a TOTAL beginner, but what about Knight to c4?

It puts two pawns in danger. If black retaliates by taking the knight with the pawn on c7 then he's opened himself up completely.

by AfafBouardi - 9 months ago
Rabat Morocco
Member Since: Jan 2009
Member Points: 1089

Um...my games archive is filled with games I've lost while having a significant material advantage...so I'm starting to comprehend what it means to give position a little more respect.

by invincibleknight - 9 months ago
Georgia United States
Member Since: Oct 2008
Member Points: 3

Was the H6 move made because it's the only move that could be made? If so  would it would be a stalemate? Is there such a thing without checkmate?

by Kalirren - 10 months ago
Pasadena, California United States
Member Since: Oct 2008
Member Points: 102

He has to move somewhere, and the alternatives Rh8 and Rg7 are worse.

by nekrolas - 10 months ago
New York United States
Member Since: Jan 2009
Member Points: 2

why would black move his rook to h6?

by hope2b - 10 months ago
Upland, CA United States
Member Since: Nov 2008
Member Points: 63

Thanks.  It is a good example in theory but practically a position that may never happen??

 
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