Analyze with KIMPLODES! D = Development

KIMPLODES! is an acronym to guide you through the process of analyzing a chess game.

D = Development. Grossly oversimplified, you have more pieces out sooner. The next layer is to have them on good squares where they support some coherent plan of action. Development can be a decisive factor, but often it is merely the difference between a slight advantage and equality. It is also a factor that can quickly leak away and even turn in the opponent's favor. For Development to be a decisive factor requires energetic play that converts the Development lead into other factors, for instance a slowly building Initiative that leads to Material gains.

We'll talk about about some platitudes, nostrums, and rules of thumb as a starting point. Then we will visit the opening and middle game phases. I've left out the endgame for this particular topic. I have seen endgames where one side still had pieces on their original squares. That usually did not work out well for the undeveloped side.

Picture by ThomasWolter on pixabay.com Text by KevinSmithIdiot: You have a lead. But can you transform it into a victory lap? That handoff is critical!

There are examples where a 2600+ GM has moved their Knight more than 4 times in the first 12 or 13 moves, ending up back on the origin square--not recommended for most of us. So, let's keep it simple: who has the most pieces out; are they placed harmoniously (a key tenet in GM Peter Romanovsky's seminal tome Soviet Middlegame Technique); or does one side have a lead in development across the board, or perhaps on one sector (Q-side, center or K-side) of the board? If there is a lead in development (overall, or in a sector), can the player take advantage of the lead in development before it seeps away with the sands of time? NOTE: The original version of IMPLODeS, used "De" for Development. I have my own ideas on that "e".

Basic building blocks
At its most grossly oversimplified these notions are somewhat useful for a brand new player:

• Move one of your central pawns two squares on the first move.
• Develop Knights before Bishops (Knights are slower so need more time to reach a position where they become effective
• Castle early (and often--except when you don't need to)
• Don't push too many pawns in the opening (how many is too many)
• Move each piece at least once before moving any other piece
• Develop your Rooks to open files or half-open (note how this does NOT specifically account for Rook lifts to the 3d or 4th rank)
• Don't move your Queen too early in the game--it usually takes a while to figure out where she actually belongs

These simple building blocks should reside somewhere in the back of your head but are NOT gospel and should be violated routinely if you want to develop to higher levels of play. If you stuck to these rules for Development, you might achieve a rating of 1600 ELO, but would almost certainly forever struggle against beasties like the Pirc, Sicilian, French, Slav, KID, Grunfeld, Benko Gambit, almost any other gambit, etc.

 The Opening

Let's start by looking at the initial stages of a gambit that has received a lot of attention in the past five years or so, the Englund Gambit. The general purpose of any gambit is to offer the opponent a pawn in return for which one hopes to obtain some open Lines that support rapid Development and seizing the Initiative. Of course, sometimes the pawn can be accepted and then returned immediately. The goal being to either jump ahead in Development or to lead the opponent's pieces to be Developed awkwardly or with difficulty. Here's an example. I did find a game in this line, but it was a 2300+ rated player against someone rated under 1100, so I did not include that game in this illustration.

The Middle Game

Timman, Jan H (2675) - Winants, Luc (2465), World Cup, 1988
First, we look at an awesome example of how a slight lead in Development can go a long way. A key takeaway is that if you have an edge in Development, then you must expend great mental energy to determine if you can immediately convert that lead into other advantages or find a way to either extend that lead and then convert it. In this game, GM Timman achieves exactly that goal between moves 11 and 18, first extending his lead in Development, and gradually converting it into advantages in Lines, Space, King Safety and Pawn Structure...which would have inevitably led to Material gains, except that Black resigned after move 24 rather than be tortured further. I also look briefly in the notes at some sequels to this stem game.

Topalov, Veselin (2761) - So, Wesley (2770), Leuven GCT rapid, 2016.06.18
In this next game GM Wesley So enters the middle game with a microscopic edge in Development, but GM Topalov gradually allows that Development edge to turn into an overwhelming difference. A disparity that leaves his King adrift and without succor from his dismally placed forces.

Smith, Kevin (Unrated) - ChessSquire (1503), MITRE Chess Ch, 2010.08.12
Now for an in-depth examination of an opening where Black sacrifices a couple pawns in order to grasp an Initiative. Along the way White's Pawn Structure is severely damaged and White's King is a bit insecure. But with correct play White builds on an early lead in Development and should be fine. White may even win barring an unhappy decision or three along the way. This was a correspondence game at 10 days/move. At the time I was unrated in daily time controls, not having played any online daily games. 

dretch (2582) - Tesla17 (2269), Live Chess, 2016.05.03
Is it ever useful to un-Develop? You can answer that question for yourself by solving the following puzzle.

The Endgame
It is possible to be in an endgame, and still have pieces that are not developed. Sometimes that's OK, sometimes it's a death knell...generally the latter.

What Have We Learned

Development can be a decisive factor, but often it is merely the difference between a slight advantage and equality. It is also a factor that can quickly leak away and even turn in the opponent's favor. For Development to be a decisive factor requires energetic play that converts the Development lead into other factors, for instance a slowly building Initiative that leads to Material gains.

Next Blog: Analyze with KIMPLODES! E = Energy