Is it true that you should not exchange pieces when your down in material?

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Itsonlychess2012

If you are down a minor piece then you need to trade pawns equally to activate your pieces that you have left so they are stronger and also so that any extra material that your opponent has in the end game will not be enough to Force mate. If you are down a pawn or two then unless you have a great position with your pieces and or better development so that you can attack your opponent successfully then you need to trade pieces to create an endgame with a little bit of material on the board and some pawns.  the idea is that you do not want your opponent to have enough material active to attack you and at the same time you want to make it hard for your opponent to be able to make any progress. Also if you are down a minor piece and your opponent has a past Pawn that cannot be stopped from queening then of course the strategy of trading Pawns has to be put off until that settled .

ponz111

I will repeat, if you really wish to improve your game and you are down a piece in anotherwise equal position--resign!

Better to play another game and try to learn not to be down a piece in the first place and/or improve your tactics so as to not be down the piece in the first place. 

If you are playing "for fun" and are not so inclined to improving your chess play and you are down a piece then avoid most trades--pawn or piece. 

DonThe2nd

Attack the king if you are down on material, it is your only chance.

I remember a game I played online many years ago where  I fell for an opening trap and was soon down by 11 pawns. And yet I won because the guy didn't protect his king at all. I wish I could have seen his face!

SilentKnighte5
DonThe2nd wrote:

Attack the king if you are down on material, it is your only chance.

I remember a game I played online many years ago where  I fell for an opening trap and was soon down by 11 pawns. And yet I won because the guy didn't protect his king at all. I wish I could have seen his face!

There are only 8 pawns per side.

DonThe2nd

Pawn value. Rook + knight + bishop = 11 pawns.

Itsonlychess2012

There is nothing to be learned from just resigning a game when you are down a minor piece. if its obvious that your game is hopelessly lost that's one thing, but if you blunder a minor piece and the position is still hopeful keep playing. I had a game where i blundered a bishop in the opening and went on to win 3 pawns and drew the game. Winners don't just give up when its ruff they play on. losers just quit, so don't be a loser. Remember if your opponent ends up in a position at the end where he/she has a king and minor piece against your king its a draw even though he/she is up a minor piece.       

Cherub_Enjel
Itsonlychess2012 wrote:

There is nothing to be learned from just resigning a game when you are down a minor piece. if its obvious that your game is hopelessly lost that's one thing, but if you blunder a minor piece and the position is still hopeful keep playing. I had a game where i blundered a bishop in the opening and went on to win 3 pawns and drew the game. Winners don't just give up when its ruff they play on. losers just quit, so don't be a loser. Remember if your opponent ends up in a position at the end where he/she has a king and minor piece against your king its a draw even though he/she is up a minor piece.       

Exactly. I don't know why some people resign when they lose a piece. They're not master level players, for a start. 

Itsonlychess2012

I think its easy to for some players to just resign just like a lot of players can't stand-(so they don't ever work on that part of the game)-defending their position. we seem to love to attack but feel so uncomfortable defending. I have found that some of my best games have been in defending my position as my opponent decides to play hyper aggressive chess  that causes me to have to defend properly and precise. Funny thing is that in those positions I always have something to do and never find myself at a point where I can't figure out a move. Plus at some point the attack peters out and I get real good play.

fewlio

If you are down in material and looking vulnerable, you need to exchange to stop a checkmate.  then regroup and see if you can pull anything out in the endgame, you never know