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Avatar of SliverKnight75

Hi as a I have been improving at chess one of the things I think is holding me back is the fact that when I get to a position in the late middle game or endgame that is fairly equal it is hard to formulate a efficent plan.

I will give examples from 3 recent games all of which I lost was hoping a higher rated player could give me some insight into how they would approach the situations in these games. 

I am playing white in the first diagram black in the second and white again in the third ...

Avatar of prr98

well im not that strong but i will try to provide insight the first diagram as i see it is really pretty much identical

black is clearly better in the second diagram because: his king is more centralized the h6 pawn is weak and will fall, pawns are on both sides of the board so this means that the bishop is superior 4 out of 5 whites pawns are on white squares and can become an easy target for the bishop
Avatar of raberbar

Both the first and third positions look very drawish. The rook on the seventh rank should be part of any advantage in the third diagram. Plan with both your weaknesses and the opponents in mind. In the second game, you have some clear advantages: the position of your king and the opponents weak pawns. Take a look at how the opponent may counter your best ideas - in #2 centralizing his own king, attacking your queenside pawns - ie: watch out for the knight reaching c5 or perhaps e6 if your first plan is taking the h6 pawn.

Grandmaster Secrets: Endings by Andy Soltis is a very interesting and helpful book that discusses planning and switching from middlegame to endgame. 

Avatar of Davey_Johnson

First Postion

 

Looks indeed very drawish. The only interesting feature is the advanced pawn on d5 (and that could be either an asset or a weakness depending on how you play).

 

First of all, Teary would contest the e-file immediately with something like Rfe1. After that, it is merely sticking to the basic principles of Rook endgames and trying not to make tactical mistakes.

 

Second Game

 

This one goes into the principles of Knight vs. Bishop endgames. One of black's goals when facing down a lone Knight on an open board, is not to attack the Knight itself, but rather is to attack the Knight's jump points and possible outposts (for example, Be3 and b5 take a lot of options away from white). If you smother the Knight and take away its squares, then it will become useless and your own Bishop will dominate.

 

Also, while you are restricting the Knight's movements, it might have also been a good idea to go and snatch up that weak h6 pawn with your King.

Avatar of SliverKnight75

Well thanks for the reply's I am trying to focus on how to make plans does anyone have any examples of a position in their games where they came up with a good plan doesn't have to be in the endgame..

Am thinking more of strategic plans rather then tactical ones.

I always try to get 2 rooks on the seventh in endgames if possible ,another tactic in the endgame which I will look at is the tactic of "2 weaknesss "when you tie your opponent down to having to defend a weakness rather then optimize his attacking chances.

Good points by teary about the bishop attacking the squares that the knight may jump to and not the knight itself.

funnily the reverse seems to be happening in this game.

I wonder if anyone could win these postions against a computer program,I think maybe with the second game,because the first and third games seem to be 0.00 positions.

Avatar of prr98

well if you are trying to improve your planning i would recommend going over alot of master games in the openings you play and reading pawn structure chess by andrew soltis or silmans how to reassess your chess or amateaurs mind

Avatar of raberbar
SliverKnight75 wrote:

Well thanks for the reply's I am trying to focus on how to make plans does anyone have any examples of a position in their games where they came up with a good plan doesn't have to be in the endgame..

Am thinking more of strategic plans rather then tactical ones.

I always try to get 2 rooks on the seventh in endgames if possible ,another tactic in the endgame which I will look at is the tactic of "2 weaknesss "when you tie your opponent down to having to defend a weakness rather then optimize his attacking chances.

Good points by teary about the bishop attacking the squares that the knight may jump to and not the knight itself.

funnily the reverse seems to be happening in this game.

I wonder if anyone could win these postions against a computer program,I think maybe with the second game,because the first and third games seem to be 0.00 positions.


 Absolutely - you more often than not need to provoke multiple weaknesses in an ending to win so that one will transfer to another that proves decisive. - looking at GM ending technique is amazing. (e.g: Capablanca)