This is a comment the game reviewer made, but imho it doesn't make sense.
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Jun 1, 2025
0
#64
RoelandPruijssers wrote:
AngusByers wrote:
I often hear or read instructions/advice like "adopting a light/dark square strategy", or pointing out "the player now has a weakness on the light/dark squares." These seems to simply mean the best squares for my pieces are likely to be light/dark squares, so barring immediate tactics, when looking to improve my position moves that get my pieces on the corresponding squares are likely to be better than ones that do not (much like putting my pawns on the squares that correspond to my missing Bishop will generally improve my position over having them on squares of the colour of my remaining Bishop).
Does the notion of light/dark squared weaknesses or strategy only come into play when the opponent has lost the corresponding Bishop? And does this concept evaporate once the player has likewise lost that Bishop? (I suppose Queen's on the board could matter - so maybe the more general question is whether this concept hinges on there being diagonal pieces on the board?)
For some reason the dark/light square weakness and/or strategy idea is one I don't fully feel comfortable with, and I'm not sure if I'm just over-complicating the notion or missing something more subtle about how to utilise it. Sorry if my question isn't entirely clear, but that reflects my own confusion with regards to the ideas.
Hello AngusByers, thanks for the extensive question. I honestly don't really focus on the colour of squares unless it's to highlight something. A clear example is when your opponent has fianchetto'd but lost the accompanying bishop. Now those square can be used for attacking purposes. When the bishop is there, I don't really have to highlight it. So, I wouldn't think about it too much. It's more to explain than an actual strategy, which could be: make use of the squares around the king to create a kingside attack. And they happen to be light/dark.
Ok, thanks. I guess I was thinking there was something more than that and hence was chasing a will-o-the-wisp.
I GOT NONE :river :river :dead
in online chess at least cause I do not have a fide rating for now .. I found that most of the players plays on the time i do not have an issue if i was white cause i can put pressure and control the game the way I want if they played passively , but what makes me go crazy if i was black and i should also do pressure on them . I began with caro-kann &slav defense , after i reached 1900 rapid-1800 blitz i had to change all these openings cause the white is not putting any pressure and neither i can't do more with such openings in black .. I practiced philidor defense for 4 months right now it has been amazing outplaying passive players in the middle game and putting pressure on them , then i had that conclusion that in black i have to take risk in order to get my chances for win ,
My issue for now that i can't find the same way against d4 players ! they are solid as stones
and to be honest it's not because the opening , it's because that i do not have any idea about the middle game plan or strategies , against .
i feel like i wrote a lot, my question : can you help me find an opening to put pressure on white especially d4 players and any advice about the middle game strategies will benefit , any course you recommend or even a book cause i hate passive d4 players that i will even read boooks to put pressure on them : ) appreciate your time sir.
All thanks.
Jun 1, 2025
0
#67
SwimmerBill wrote:
OK, thank you-- here is a question from recent play:
When playing a complex endgame-with 3 results possible and impossible for a human to analyze completely OTB-- we try to find the ''best move'. But best depends on whether you evaluate it as += or =+. How to you handle this OTB? e.g. do you a best move for each possible evaluation then pick? or evaluate/guess then analyze & choose (then maybe update evaluation and repeat)?
Another one: How to develop / improve a sense of danger?
Thanks-- Bill
Hey Bill, usually you analyse the position first so that you can get a sense of the evaluation. Then you pick moves that could be interesting and see which one you like best.
How to improve a sense of danger, that will come when you just play a lot of games.
Jun 1, 2025
0
#68
QQ-Q wrote:
in online chess at least cause I do not have a fide rating for now .. I found that most of the players plays on the time i do not have an issue if i was white cause i can put pressure and control the game the way I want if they played passively , but what makes me go crazy if i was black and i should also do pressure on them . I began with caro-kann &slav defense , after i reached 1900 rapid-1800 blitz i had to change all these openings cause the white is not putting any pressure and neither i can't do more with such openings in black .. I practiced philidor defense for 4 months right now it has been amazing outplaying passive players in the middle game and putting pressure on them , then i had that conclusion that in black i have to take risk in order to get my chances for win ,
My issue for now that i can't find the same way against players ! they are solid as stones
and to be honest it's not because the opening , it's because that i do not have any idea about the middle game plan or strategies , against .
i feel like i wrote a lot, my question : can you help me find an opening to put pressure on white especially d4 players and any advice about the middle game strategies will benefit , any course you recommend or even a book cause i hate passive d4 players that i will even read boooks to put pressure on them : ) appreciate your time sir.
All thanks.
Hey QQ-Q, thanks for the extensive question. If you like dynamic positions then the King's Indian is fun to learn, or the Nimzo-Queens Indian. But there will always be variations in openings that seem a bit dull and where White will try to play for a safe position. It's good to learn how to put on pressure when you play against passive opponents. How to create or provoke weaknesses for example.
RoelandPruijssers wrote:
If you like dynamic positions then the King's Indian is fun to learn, or the Nimzo-Queens Indian. It's good to learn how to put on pressure when you play against passive opponents. How to create or provoke weaknesses for example.
All thanks.
Jun 2, 2025
0
#72
@RoelandPruijssers,
Thank you so much for caring so deeply about our Chess community. Your time, effort, and thoughtful advice are truly appreciated. It’s such a wonderful encouragement to see this kind of love and care, not just for chess, but for people as well.
Thank you! ♥
Have any books tips for a 1900, 13 year old?
hello
MaestroDelAjedrez2025 wrote:
AjedrezRapidoTM, are you 13 years old?
Yes
Jun 2, 2025
0
#77
Richard wrote:
@RoelandPruijssers,
Thank you so much for caring so deeply about our Chess community. Your time, effort, and thoughtful advice are truly appreciated. It’s such a wonderful encouragement to see this kind of love and care, not just for chess, but for people as well.
Thank you! ♥
Thanks for the kind words, Richard. Glad to help!
Jun 2, 2025
0
#78
Patzer_78 wrote:
Hii sir ,
I am trying to get better at speed chess like online 3+0 blitz what should be my technique to boost my ratings or is just playing enough I hope u will enlighten me
Btw thanks for hosting this XD I have never seen any GM giving free advice XD so u r very special XD
Hello Patzer_78, thanks for the kind words. Glad to help!
About blitz, I would try to find openings that are easy to remember and with a lot of traps. The Alekhine comes to mind against 1.e4 and with White the Scotch Gambit for example. Of course practice puzzle-solving as well, because it becomes more important as you have less time on the clock.
Jun 2, 2025
0
#79
AjedrezRapidoTM wrote:
Have any books tips for a 1900, 13 year old?
Assuming you are 1900 on chess.com then a good book would be Silman's endgame manual, a beginner friendly book on endgames.
RoelandPruijssers wrote:
AjedrezRapidoTM wrote:
Have any books tips for a 1900, 13 year old?
Assuming you are 1900 on chess.com then a good book would be Silman's endgame manual, a beginner friendly book on endgames.
Im almost 1900 (1830 classical, 1920 blitz) fide. I have not played that much on chess.com
I tried the Colle-Zukertort at one point. Was sold by "hey look you end up storming your opponent's king". Of course that's only if they misplay it, if it was an opening that always wins chess would be solved as a win for white and all GMs would just open with it.,
So the opening is based on d4 and e3 and then bringing your bishop to d3 and fianchettoing the other bishop but leaving the pawn on c2, then bringing your knight to e5 and often the pawn to f4 to support it.
My problem was the opponent did the same then moved f6 kicking away my knight, and I had nothing to kick theirs that was on e4.
And my other problem was my black squared bishop constantly being "bad" stuck behind pawns.
In fact, what to do with that bishop has been a constant problem with me in all queens pawn openings, including Catalan which is what I switched to, with the idea of being solid rather than "kill your opponent".
Most of my opponents do not take the pawn on c4 and most of them will push either c6 or c5 and then I'm not always sure what the main strategy is. Many of them push c5 quite early on.