Material Advantage

Material Advantage

As you already know, a material advantage is a numerical superiority in forces. Let us assume you have such an advantage and your task is to convert it – which way should you choose? What strategy is the best? Here are some useful recommendations.

Simplification of the Position

A common rule says: if you have a material advantage, try to simplify the position by the exchange of pieces and transfer the game into the ending. Transposing into the endgame usually eases the task for the stronger side as here it is much more difficult for the opponent to organize counterplay than in the middlegame.

However, note the following exceptions to this rule:

1. If your advantage is overwhelming (for example, you are a rook or a piece up) and you have good chances to organize an attack on the opponent's king, it is better not to hasten with the exchange of pieces, as such an attack can be the shortest way to victory.

Here, for instance,      
although White is an exchange up, he is more interested in keeping the queens on the board in order to begin an attack on the queenside (1. Qb2 and 2. Rb1) rather than in simplifying the position by exchanges (1. Qxe6 Bxe6 2. Rxd8+ Kxd8).

2. When simplifying a position, pay attention to which pieces remain on the board. So if you are a pawn up, but piece exchanges result in a position with opposite-squared bishops, it is quite possible that you will not be able to convert your material advantage.

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