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Making Decisions in Chess
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http://www.chessmasterschool.com/chess-lessons/chess-lesson-1.pdf
International Chess School: www.chessmasterschool.com
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Making Decisions in Chess
How can I find the best move in a position? This is a question that every chess player would like
to have answered. Playing the best move in all positions would make someone invincible. Of
course such a thing is impossible and not even a computer is going to achieve perfection in chess
anytime soon. So, is it a waste of time to look for the best move in every position? My answer is
firmly NO. Certainly you will not find the best move every time, but looking for the best move
involves a particular process that will help you better understand the position. Understanding the
peculiarities of a position will always help you play “acceptable” moves even if they won’t
always be the best. The more often you are able to find and use the best moves, the higher your
chess level will be.
This lesson will teach you an original, but effective method to improve your chess thinking. On
first reading the process may seem complicated, but I promise that all that you need to
understand this method is patience. You don’t have to be a chess expert to understand the
following algorithm for making decisions in chess, you just need to think logically. Let’s start!
1. What’s the objective of a chess move?
According to our method, every chess move has a quite simple goal. By every move we try to
accumulate a certain advantage for ourselves or to reduce a certain advantage already
accumulated by our opponent. The greater the advantage gained, the better the move.
Is there anything illogical so far? I don’t think so.
But what about the so-called “waiting move”? My answer is: forget about it! You will make no
progress by waiting for the opponent to make a mistake. Such a playing style could sometimes
help you, but most of the time it will negatively affect you.
A player’s attitude during the game is essential in chess.
Someone who always tries to create problems for his opponent can be a successful player even if
his chess knowledge is limited. On the other hand, someone who waits for an opponent’s
mistakes and makes “waiting moves” has no chance to substantially improve his chess skills or
game.
So, keep in mind: BY EVERY MOVE YOU MUST LOOK FOR SOMETHING! And that
“something” is normally a certain advantage in your position.
2. What are the advantages in chess?
OK, we agree that it is worth trying to reach an advantage by every move, but what are the
advantages in chess? The first chess player to classify the advantages in chess was Wilhelm
Steinitz who claimed that there are nine advantages: lead in development, mobility of the pieces, International Chess School: www.chessmasterschool.com
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seizure of the center, the position of the enemy king, weak squares in the opponent’s position,
superior pawn formation, a pawn majority on the queenside, open files, and the advantage of the
two bishops. Nowadays opinions have shifted slightly and the pawn majority on the queenside
and the two bishops are no longer considered general positional advantages.
The classification of the advantages in chess that I am proposing to you is somewhat different,
but I think it fits better with modern thinking. Look around you and you will see that the value of
any product depends on two things: quantity and quality. Why would chess be any different?
There are two main categories of advantages in chess: quantitative advantage and qualitative
advantage. Consciously or not, we always try to reach at least one of them. All we expect from
you is to do it consciously and logically.
3. The quantitative advantages in chess
The quantitative advantages are the material advantage and the local superiority of forces.
The importance of the material advantage is well-known and it’s not my intention to describe to
you the importance of being a knight or a pawn up.
The superiority of the forces has a huge importance too. A chess game usually consists of several
local battles. It is always convenient to fight in those local battles by having a superiority of the
forces in that area. But if you wish to have a local superiority of the forces, you must create it
because nobody will do it for you.
Creating a local superiority of the forces is directly correlated with finding the best plan of
play. How? Very simple. When you look for a plan of play you must always ask yourself
“Where would it be better to challenge my opponent for a local battle?” The logical answer is
something like that: “The battle must be on the queenside (or in the center or on the kingside)
because I have (or I can create) there a superiority of forces”.
One more example: Let’s imagine that, while analyzing a position you discover that your
opponent’s pieces are gathered on one side and can hardly be transferred to the opposite side.
You immediately start thinking about challenging your opponent to a battle on his weak side.
What’s the next step in your logical thinking process? Of course you will start thinking about
how to bring more pieces there in order to create a local superiority of forces.
So, do you understand how the quantitative advantage of the superiority of forces and making the
plan of play are directly correlated? I’m confident you do. International Chess School: www.chessmasterschool.com
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4. The qualitative advantages in chess
For a spectator who doesn’t know the rules of chess, any qualitative advantage is imperceptible.
A qualitative advantage is the result of the dynamics of the pieces during the chess game. To
correctly understand what qualitative advantage is, you must consider the chess pieces as beings.
First I am going to mention the five qualitative advantages and then, we will deal with each and
every one of them.
a. King’s safety
b. The qualitative value of the pieces
c. The qualitative value of the pawn structure
d. Space advantage
e. Seizure of initiative
4.a. King’s safety
There is nothing more important in chess than the king’s safety. A moment is enough to forget
about it and for the effect to be fatal.
When you decide the plan of play you must always be careful to have your king well protected.
Moreover, you must try to endanger the position of the opponent king.
4.b. The qualitative value of the pieces
During their first steps of the learning chess, every chess player comes to know that every piece
has a “quantitative” value: a knight = a bishop ~3 points, a rook ~ 4 ½ -5 points, a queen ~ 9
points.
Let’s take a look at diagram 1.
Diagram 1
1.?
You don’t have to be a chess expert to see there is a difference between the pieces of the two
sides. For instance look at the two knights. While the white knight has a dominant position in the International Chess School:
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center from where it can quickly arrive anywhere on the chessboard, the black knight has a
passive position and can make only one move to a8. Therefore it’s clear that we cannnot even
compare the two knights.
The same qualitative difference is visible when we compare the bishops and the rooks. White’s
bishop and rook has a higher freedom of movement than those of their black opponent. They
occupy open lines and put pressure over weak points in the opponent’s position.
In the position in diagram no 1 these qualitative advantages can be immediately converted into
quantitative advantages by playing 1.Kf2 followed by 2.Rg1. A superiority of forces is thus
created on the kingside and Black’s passive pieces can’t intervene in time to defend the g6-pawn.
As a rule, the qualitative value of a piece depends on 4 characteristics:
1. The mobility of the piece
2. The positioning of the piece
3. The role played by the piece
4. The stability of the piece
Let’s see what each of the terms mentioned above means.
The mobility of a piece represents its capacity to move over a big number of squares and to
move quickly (namely in few moves) anywhere on the chessboard.
Diagram 2
In the diagram 2 we can see how the mobility of a piece can be restrained by both one’s own and
an opponent’s pieces. For instance the mobility of Nh6 is restrained by the white pawns which
control the squares g4 and f5 and the black pieces which occupy the squares f7 and g8.
Comparing the two bishops we observe that the white bishop has mobility superior to that of his
black opponent. The latter has only two move possibilities and it needs many moves to get to the
central area of the board.
Also, White’s rook has a better mobility than Black’s rook.
White has more possibilities to transform his huge qualitative advantage into a quantitative
advantage, for instance 1.Rd7 Rb8 2.Na5. International Chess School: www.chessmasterschool.com
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Positioning of a piece is also a very important characteristic.
Usually a knight placed in the center of the board controls more squares than a knight placed on
the edge of the board, while the linear pieces (the queen, the rooks and the bishops) have a better
positioning when occupying an open line.
However a linear piece is also very strong in the center, as you can see in diagram 3.
Diagram 3
1...?
Better positioning of a piece increases its qualitative value.
In diagram 3 the qualitative advantage is transformed into a quantitative advantage by 1...Qe2.
After the exchange of the queens, Black wins by force the pawn at b3 due to the awful position
of Nb2.
It’s important to note that the linear pieces usually have their mobility restrained by their own
pawns placed in their lines of action. This could be observed in all three analyzed examples.
The role played by a piece has a great importance. On a scale sorted from the worst to the best,
there are four main situations:
1. A piece out of play. This is the worst situation and it occurs when a piece is far away
from a local battlefield and it is unable to quickly arrive there.
2. A piece that plays a defensive role, namely a piece whose main task is to protect a
certain objective.
3. A piece that plays an offensive role, namely a piece that attacks an objective in the
opponent’s field.
4. A piece that simultaneously plays an offensive role and one or more defensive
roles. This is the best case, better than the third one. While defending an objective, a
piece can have a supplementary role as it indirectly helps another piece by freeing it from
its defensive task. International Chess School: www.chessmasterschool.com
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Diagram 4
1.?
In diagram 4 we can notice a clear difference in White’s favor from the role of the pieces
perspective. The battlefield is on the kingside and thus Ra2 and particularly Ba8 are out of play.
White’s pieces play offensive roles and 1.Qh2 immediately decides the game.
We must note the double role played by Bd4 which helps the attack on the kingside and
simultaneously protects the pawn on b2, thereby preventing a black counterattack on the
queenside.
Stability of a piece becomes an important factor when that piece occupies an important square.
If the piece has no stability on the square where it is positioned, the opponent can easily remove
it, thus decreasing its qualitative value. On the contrary, when a piece is well placed and has
stability (that is, when the opponent cannot remove it from there in good conditions), its
qualitative value increases.
Diagram 5
1.?
In diagram 5 the two knights have equivalent positioning in the center of the board. Still, White’s
knight has a superior qualitative value because it has greater stability, while Black’s knight can
be removed from its central position by 1.f4.
I hope you understand how important the qualitative value of the pieces is. Consequently, during
a chess game, we must try to do two things: International Chess School: www.chessmasterschool.com
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1. Improve the qualitative value of our pieces (by increasing their mobility and placing them
on good squares where they are stable and play offensive roles).
2. Reduce the qualitative value of the opponent’s pieces (by restricting their mobility, not
allowing them to occupy strong and stable positions, and forcing them to play defensive roles or,
if possible, getting them out of play).
4.c. The qualitative value of the pawn structure
Like the other pieces, pawns have their qualitative value too. You must not treat a pawn as an
individual entity; the pawns act together as a unit. When referring to the qualitative value of the
pawns, we talk about the qualitative value of the pawn structure. Indeed, the qualitative value of
the pawn structure is influenced by the presence of doubled pawns or isolated pawns or islands
of pawns, but your goal is to have a strong pawn formation and not strong individual pawns.
There are dozens of books on the market that treat the qualitative value of pawns, either
analyzing general aspects or focusing on particular pawn structures. Certainly we cannot deal
with such a large subject in two phrases. All I expect from you after this lesson is that you
consider the pawns what they are, namely a unit.
If you see the pawn structure as a unit, you will notice that its qualitative value is influenced by
the same four characteristics mentioned above: mobility, positioning, role and stability. In this
case by good positioning we mean that it has both a healthy pawn structure as well as a pawn
structure that ensures good control of the center.
4.d. Space advantage
By space advantage we mean that one of the two players better controls a certain area of the
chessboard. Normally the space advantage is obtained by advancing the pawns in that area.
Why is the space advantage important? Simply because the space advantage indirectly influences
the qualitative value of the pieces.
Diagram 6
1.?
In diagram 6 White has a space advantage on the kingside and can still increase it by f4-f5. The
qualitative value of White’s pieces is better because they have great mobility on the kingside, International Chess School: www.chessmasterschool.com
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while Black’s pieces are forced to occupy passive positions due to the lack of space. White can
create a superiority of forces on the kingside (i.e. the local area where he has a space advantage)
by Nc3-e2-g3-h5 (or Nc3-e2-f4 after f4-f5 is played), Rf1-f2, Ra1-f1.
So, the main trait of the space advantage is its influence over the qualitative value of the
pieces.
The space has a small influence over the qualitative value of the pieces when the material on the
board is reduced (after more exchanges of pieces).
Diagram 7
1.?
Compare diagram 7 with diagram 6. White has the same space advantage on the kingside, but it
is useless now. Without pieces there is no beneficial influence of the space advantage on the
qualitative value of the pieces.
We will study this spatial advantage more deeply in a special chapter.
4.e. Seizure of initiative
The seizure of initiative, that is the possibility to create immediate threats, is very important as
well. An opponent under pressure must first parry the threats facing him and only then deal with
improving his position. Therefore his alternatives are reduced.
The importance of seizing the initiative is illustrated in the following example. International Chess School: www.chessmasterschool.com
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Diagram 8
1.? Em.Lasker-Marshall, St.Petersburg 1914
In diagram 8 Black needs only a tempo to solve his opening problems by castling queenside. But
it is White’s turn to move and the former world champion immediately seizes the initiative by
playing 1.Qb5!
The pawns b7 and d5 are simultaneously attacked; therefore Marshall set a cunning trap 1...0-0-0
We must note that 1…Qb4 loses in view of 2.Nxd5!
2.Qa5!
Of course not 2.Nxd5?? Bxd5 3.Qxd5 Qg5! 4.Qxg5 hxg5 and Black wins. Now the new
threat Qxa7 forces Black to weaken his position because after 2…Kb8, 3.Nb5 would be
decisive.
2…a6 3.Bxa6! bxa6 4.Qxa6+ Kb8 5.Rd3 with a decisive attack and an eventual win for White.
You can see how Black’s alternatives were limited because White, move by move, created new
strong threats and obliged Black to parry them.
5. Making the plan of play & choosing the best move
If you understand the subjects analyzed above, making a correct plan of play and choosing the
best move in a position will be easier. All you need is to follow an orderly pattern of thinking.
Looking for the best plan of play means searching for the best way to improve your position. It
involves looking for the possibilities to achieve one of the advantages mentioned above or trying
to annihilate these advantages if they belong to your opponent.
Here are some questions you must ask and answer to find the potentially best plans and moves.
Is my king safe? How could I ensure its defense? ·
Is my opponent’s king safe? How could I benefit from its weakened position? ·
Is my opponent threatening to achieve a material advantage? ·
Can I achieve a material advantage by force? International Chess School:· www.chessmasterschool.com
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Where could I create a superiority of forces in order to challenge a local battle? How ·
about my opponent?
How could I increase the qualitative value of my pieces and pawn structure? ·
How could I reduce the qualitative value of my opponent’s pieces and pawn structure? ·
Where could I achieve/increase a space· advantage? How about my opponent?
How could I use the space advantage I have in order to increase the qualitative value of ·
my pieces and create a local superiority of forces?
What pieces must I exchange in order to reduce the importance of the space advantage ·
my opponent has?
Could I create immediate threats or seize a long-term initiative? How about my ·
opponent?
By answering such questions you will be able to find the most interesting ideas (plans of play)
that can improve your position as well as some candidate moves in the spirit of the plans you
found. Then, all you need is to do is compare the candidate moves by calculating concrete lines
and assessing the resulting positions. Eureka, the best move is found!