You're up a piece. Almost all piece trades will make the win easier. If you can get it to a king and pawn endgame where you have a piece and they dont without giving them some huge advanced past pawns or something then the win is trivial.
This position for example would be easily winning for white:
Alright, I suppose I should edit this example. Let's work with this position where I'm a point behind.
Thanks for the insight tonydal, but what would I do in that situation?
Well in your new position you're a pawn down but with some weaknesses so you need to make your development advantage count or you risk losing. I would be looking at Qf3 threatening f7 and b7. At some point in the future I'll need to develop my rook on f1. I might want to put the rook on d1, or maybe it will be better to double rooks on the c file depending on how play develops. Of course black is still taking aim at your b2 pawn with tempo on your rook too. That position is much more complicated than a position where you are clearly winning or have some clear edge.
Well you're up a piece for a pawn with a superior position but I think at 1400s rating level the resignation may be a bit premature because it isn't uncommon for the winning side to blunder material.
However with correct play this is just a win for white. Without doing an extensive analysis I would suggest first increasing pressure with a gain of tempo via Qf3 (threatening f7 and b7 ). You can see that black is under developed and a bit cramped so if you can make every move a threat when possible, you can't go wrong. If you go from threat to threat the game with virtually play itself out.
Identifying weak points and strong squares: f7 is certainly a weak point and should be targeted. b6 is another, if you can get more pressure on it with your minor pieces, perhaps via Na4 or Nd5 at some point this will surely pay off. The d5 square is a beautiful outpost for white (an outpost is a forward square that can no long be defended by the oppositions pawns) If a Knight can arrive here it will be a monster.
Also take note of open files: you have control of the c file and if you can double rooks here eventually it will be further problems for black.
Whites only dilemma in this game is that he has too many good moves to choose from! In chess you should remember that with an advantage if you're always improving your position and hopefully with threats at the same time, then eventually it will just be a matter of finding the tactics to play a winning combination (unless your opponent can find some defensive resources to force a draw).
[edit] my post is regarding the first position posted. If I could learn to type faster I wouldn't be so far behind the 8 ball! :-)
I didn't notice that its black to move.
I assumed he wanted that position to be white to move but just borrowed his previous position and edited it.
I'll change it to white to move since its just an example I'm using for help.
Like steven said, most piece exchanges will favor the player who is in the kind of situation you were in the game.
It's easy to understand why your opponent resigned. Even when in great material disadvantage, a lot of players will play on if they can make moves that look productive or threatening, or simply force the player with an advantage to solve a tactical situation. In the final position, black's position is a mess. He still has a bishop at home and to get it out, the knight must move. He cannot even play b5 because of the pin. So he plays 21...Nf6 maybe (after which just 22. Bg2 or 22. Bg5 are fine)? Or 21...Rb8 to prepare b5 eventually and put the bishop on b7.
At the same time you have a very simple plan: Complete development, and trade off his active pieces.
So, it's sometimes helpful to think about your opponent's problems rather than "how can I win right now."
Good luck!
As has already been stated but I neglected to mention in my post; simply trying to force exchanges and liquidate into a won endgame is also a powerful strategic goal when you're up material. But by just mobilising pieces and trying to improve your position (when possible with threats thus gaining tempo and forcing your opponent to defend ) this should just occur quite naturally.
But it all comes back to having an understanding of positional motives. If you play good positional moves rewards will abound. The arising combinations from a superior position may take the form of tactics to gain material, tactics to deliver mate or exchanges to liquidate into a won endgame. You can make that decision later rather than confuse yourself now with the best way to proceed.
It's like in a more equal game, if you're not sure what to do then you should first look for your least useful piece then try to improve it. Following principles of positional play helps make decisions a lot easier.
True. I read a few books specifically about positional evaluation in chess back when I still studied the game and I found they really helped . Maybe I should have advised him to read some of these books himself.
Still, I think it can be reasonably helpful to advise a player asking this question to concentrate just on improving his piece placement, and target weak points in the opponents camp if he's not sure of the ideal strategic operations to undertake. Often the correct plan will present itself eventually. Obviously this is not ideal but it's a simple place to start.
I guess I can give you some of the thought process I would go through when I don't have any attacking plan.
I look to see if I have any positional weaknesses I can improve upon. I also look to see if my opponent has any defensive weaknesses I can bring more pieces to pressure.
In the above position my initial thoughts go to this: My knights aren't doing much and could be made to be more active. I would have liked Ne4 instead of your h pawn move because it controls the f6 square and brings another piece closer to the black king.
The more pieces ready to get into an attack on the enemy king the more chances an attack will present itself.
Also in this type of position where your opponent still has so much material left I myself never thing only about trading down pieces right away. Rather trade pieces only on your terms. Make sure the trading down of pieces is helping your attack or improving your position, but don't get in the habit of trading down just to trade down. I've beat many many players when I've been down a piece because of this tendency to become complacent in trading pieces.
it
i was in a winning position in one of my correspondance games where i had my queen and 3 minor peices breathing hot down my opponent's king's neck. he/she managed to come out of the situation not only unscathed, but with the tables turned.
that opponent is now banned due to cheating.
the conniving, unworthy ****** will always be remembered on Erik's list of banned members as "Mr. Suave"
I am terrible at creating an attack from a winning position. Once I get to the point I think now what? Usually the position will just deteriorate from there onwards as I try to figure out what move to do. Take for instance this game, my opponent resigned but i thought it was premature since I had no idea what to do next.