Plan and Line - Chess Forums

Michael-G

Apr 12, 2012

0

#1

I will try to explain what is "plan" and what is "line" with an example.Let's take the next position:

White has the move and has to decide what he wants to do.Black's last move reveals a direct threat(...Qxc4).

Let's s see what plan is.If there was a chess genie capable of altering the position and putting your pieces anywhere you wanted , what would you ask?That is the plan.

But that wish has a catch(don't they all?).You have to ask something that can happen.In fact your ability to see what the genie can or can't do is what makes you a good player.White for example could ask for a terrible k-side attack with all his pieces attacking the enemy king but there is no genie that can make that happen.

So white needs a realistic plan and to find one is not as difficult as you might think.It needs experience and a trained eye but otherwise it is quite simple.

Finding a plan is like solving a murder all you need to do is follow the clues.

If the board is the crime scene , let's do a CSI(Crime Scene Investigation).

1)There is no open file in the board.Important clue , no side has obvious invasion points.

2)Black has 2 semi-open files.He can't use e-file as e3-pawn is a wall.On d-file ,d2-pawn can be pressured , if white advances it e3 stays backward , if that advances too the pawn structure changes a lot , 3 moves are lost for white without any clear gain.

3)White has 2 semi-open files, f-file can't obviously be used as f6-pawn is very well defended and neither g4-g5 or e4 e5 attack seem possible, b-file on the other hand has a backward pawn(b7).The problem is that after ...b6 black will have that backward pawn also well defended.

Forensic results clearly show that black can pressure at d2 and white can pressure at b7(theoretically).Two clues but only one is true, the other one is fake.If you are a good detective you can easily see that black can hardly put any pressure on d2.

As Sherlock Holmes used to say:

"If you exclude everything , what remains , no matter how unbelievable it seems , it must be the truth".

All white has in that position is a b7-backward pawn that black can easily play to b6 and bye-bye clues, the murderer got away.

b6 must be prevented before white is able to construct any pressure against b7.

The ideal set-up is this:

2 things are still missing.What will white do with his Bb2 who is on the way and how he will stop b6.

Both are easy to answer.The white pawn on c5 and the bishop at d4 both prevent black from playing b6.

So we have our new improved ideal set-up and it's that:

Great , time to call the genie........

Oh wait , there is no genie , I lied.You have to do it by yourself.That is the line.

Since obviously c5 and Bd4 should be played ASAP to prevent b7 from escaping , the line is:

And that is the line.

Elementary dear Watson.

dillydream

Apr 12, 2012

0

#2

Thanks, Michael. So the line is the means by which the plan is carried out. I understand the definitions now. What I don't know, and you can't help me with, is how to make my brain figure out a good plan. Thanks again. That was very helpful.

Michael-G

Apr 12, 2012

0

#3

A good plan is a matter of practice.It's not that difficult but needs experience.Trying to always have a plan in your games greatly helps.You have to lose a lot of "killers" before you are ready to "book" them .

dillydream

Apr 12, 2012

0

#4

I'll keep trying. Thanks for your help.

Promontory

Apr 20, 2012

0

#5

Very precisely put. I tooneed the practice of constructing a plan. Both this and the vote chess training game are beneficial.