Ok, so you're probably wondering what 'prophylaxis' means. Well, there are so many different variations of prophylaxis that it is hard to define in a simple sentence. Let me give a few examples to help you visualize it:
- Prophylaxis can mean stopping a possible plan by the opponent. For instance, evacuating the king from a danger zone is an example of prophylaxis - the king might be subject to an attack, and removing the king completely nullifies the effectiveness of the attack.
- Another example is when you take away an important square from your opponent, thus rendering a certain plan or idea useless. The first person that touched upon the concept of prophylaxis was the Danish Grandmaster Aron Nimzowitsch. He certainly deserves full credit for "inventing" prophylactic thinking since he formulated the idea itself and emphasized its importance.
Important: prophylaxis is completely different than defense. In defense, you're almost always trying to parry threats that are already present, while prophylaxis is all about rooting out the source of problems. For instance, if one side has a bishop that can potentially cause problems, trading the bishop for another piece to eliminate it is an example of prophylaxis.
Enough talk: let's look at an example now
Checkpoint: What should you ask yourself on every move?
Try to predict your opponent's ideas and threats so you can sabotage their plans! Prophylactic thinking is a superpower since it is similar to mind reading. Practice and more practice will definitely develop your intuition and sense of danger, which will ultimately hone your prophylactic thinking.
Remember, prophylaxis is a very complex chess strategy. Don't expect to master it immediately! Just remind yourself to be aware of it, and in the future you will make fewer blunders in your games
I hope this lesson proves to be useful in your future games! Don't forget to always maintain a sense of danger and ask yourself the holy grail question: What is my opponent's plan/threat?
Ok, so you're probably wondering what 'prophylaxis' means. Well, there are so many different variations of prophylaxis that it is hard to define in a simple sentence. Let me give a few examples to help you visualize it:
- Prophylaxis can mean stopping a possible plan by the opponent. For instance, evacuating the king from a danger zone is an example of prophylaxis - the king might be subject to an attack, and removing the king completely nullifies the effectiveness of the attack.
- Another example is when you take away an important square from your opponent, thus rendering a certain plan or idea useless. The first person that touched upon the concept of prophylaxis was the Danish Grandmaster Aron Nimzowitsch. He certainly deserves full credit for "inventing" prophylactic thinking since he formulated the idea itself and emphasized its importance.
Important: prophylaxis is completely different than defense. In defense, you're almost always trying to parry threats that are already present, while prophylaxis is all about rooting out the source of problems. For instance, if one side has a bishop that can potentially cause problems, trading the bishop for another piece to eliminate it is an example of prophylaxis.
Enough talk: let's look at an example now
Checkpoint: What should you ask yourself on every move?
Try to predict your opponent's ideas and threats so you can sabotage their plans! Prophylactic thinking is a superpower since it is similar to mind reading. Practice and more practice will definitely develop your intuition and sense of danger, which will ultimately hone your prophylactic thinking.
Remember, prophylaxis is a very complex chess strategy. Don't expect to master it immediately! Just remind yourself to be aware of it, and in the future you will make fewer blunders in your games
I hope this lesson proves to be useful in your future games! Don't forget to always maintain a sense of danger and ask yourself the holy grail question: What is my opponent's plan/threat?