6 Basics Of Active Defense! - Middlegame Strategy
Active Defense - A concept many chess players misunderstand. I mean, just look at the wording, it plays so deep into the mind : Be Active, or Be Defensive, that is Be Passive? How can you be actively passive or passively active? UGH!
Well, if you are one of those players, fear not for in this blog, I will be listing down some tips for you to become an actively defensi- no, was it defensively active? Well you get the point.
Active Defense - The Best Kind Of Defense!
Active Defense is simply you making a defensive move, but it is offensively useful as well. In other words, Using Defensive Tactics to Achieve Offensive Goals or Even The Other Way Round!
I personally, find this concept to be very intriguing and is a must for players at all levels. I admire a lot of Radjabov games that fall under this category - It just has his touch!
1)Allow Your Opponents To Overextend and Be Overconfident.
A key element of Active Defense is to let the enemy overextend their pawns before aggressively hitting all weak squares. At low levels, this plan can even backfire but as long as you understand when you are supposed to retreat and when you are supposed to accelerate, this is a good way to defend actively. An example would be this wild French:
2) Black Is OK!!
A famous quote by Adorjan, Black is OK!! Most players with Black fail to play with intent, and it is common for people to say " Wooh, I managed to draw with Black against a higher rated player" - No, stop that nonsense! There are many ways for Black to play actively against White. Therefore, it is important for you to take the fight to White's court with active play.
3) Retaliation.
Retaliation is the epitome of Active Defense. However, you must know when and where to retaliate. When given an opportunity, do not shy away from counterattacking. The second world champion, Emanuel Lasker, who also held the title for the longest time, is one of the best defensive players of all time. His games show us the secret to active defense.
4) Look To Improve Your Position.
Again, a basic of positional chess, a reason why many people misinterpret positional play and defensive play. This tip works in any kind of play, be it an attacking one, or a defensive one. In active defense, it is important to defend in such a way that one can improve their position. I would be rather comfortable if my opponent did nothing to advance. Tigran Petrosian, another master of defense, would make a good example:
Petrosian was quick to deduce Black's flank attack lacked venom and cashed in on the center - Well, looking for some tips on flank attacks? Here are 7 tips that can help!
5)Evaluate and Deduce! - A look into Karpov.
When you think of active defense, you think of active prophylaxis. When you think of active prophylaxis, you think of Karpov! Karpov was a genius, who was able to outwit his attackers, with simple yet efficient prophylaxis. In the position below, White is threatening to play Qc6 and win the c7 pawn. How should you counter White?
White would have had big troubles after Qxb5?? Rb8! and Rxb2 is next. Qe4 is another example of Karpov's brilliancy, taking the attack on the c7 pawn out of the equation. Karpov managed to convert the game, albeit a few inaccuracies. Another example:
In this game, Anand is now threatening to expand on the queenside after Karpov's knight retreats. What resource did Karpov find to stop Anand's expansion?
While this one was a pretty risky sac, Karpov's continuation in the game led him to win. Anand's weak back rank was exploited soon with Bg5 and Qa8+ winning the rook on h8. Another example from the same game, where Anand is threatening to carry out a menacing attack with Rxg2 and Ne5:
