In chess, the basic elements are space, material, time and position. If we have an advantage in one element we can often transform it into another. This alchemy of chess occurs surprisingly often, and forms the basis of many of our openings.
Today, we will focus on opening traps and gambits that focus on gaining time. Time is generally measured by the number of pieces developed. We call each move gained or lost a “tempo”.
A gambit is an opening where one side sacrifices material for an advantage in time. Before looking at mainstream gambits, let’s look at a couple of non-standard openings.
In chess, the basic elements are space, material, time and position. If we have an advantage in one element we can often transform it into another. This alchemy of chess occurs surprisingly often, and forms the basis of many of our openings.
Today, we will focus on opening traps and gambits that focus on gaining time. Time is generally measured by the number of pieces developed. We call each move gained or lost a “tempo”.
A gambit is an opening where one side sacrifices material for an advantage in time. Before looking at mainstream gambits, let’s look at a couple of non-standard openings.