Rules of Thumb -- Checklist for thought

Hey All,

Would you help me create a checklist of some general rules of thumb to abide by? 

Here are my thoughts:

-My knowledge of openings is somewhat limited, and I can sometimes be caught with my pants down. However, in my openings (and throughout games) I've learned to avoid isolating and doubling up pawns (and instead try to ruin pawn formation for an opponent)

- Unless you can create a pass pawn

- while at the same time at least equaling material.

- Also, I prevent stripping pawns from either side of the board in order to allow for castle, and try my hardest to maintain them on the first line until much later

- Clear the back row (rank?) for both rooks.

- Control the center to increase maneuverability.

Limited checklist (to reflect my limited knowledge) to start off with.

Garromark -- My knowledge of openings is somewhat limited, and I can sometimes be caught with my pants down. However, in my openings (and throughout games) I've learned to avoid isolating and doubling up pawns (and instead try to ruin pawn formation for an opponent)...

As one improves at chess one "passes thru" many ideas.  Strategies that work at one level of the game sometimes need to be modified, or even dropped altogether. 

You are absolutely right there are advantages to avoiding isolated or doubled up pawns and by inflicting bad pawn structure on your opponent you can win games.  But, there can also be costs and penalites to avoiding isolated or doubled pawns. One might lose initiative, or be forced to allow a well-posted minor piece to be exchanged, in order to preserve pawn structure -- and that might be too dear a price. One can also "gambit" pawn structure rather like the gambiting of a pawn -- sacrifice sturdy pawn structure (and the superior endgame such structure generally provides) for initiative, development, and chances in the middlegame.

There is a great deal of theory around one particular powerful isolated pawn in particular, the isolated Queen's pawn. This isolated d-file pawn comes up in many lines of the Queen's Gambit opening.

Here's a web page http://members.aol.com/manusfealy2/ch47.htm with an  excellent beginning discussion of the isolated d-pawn and a superbly chosen and annotated game that shows with great clarity how the Soviet Grand Master Paul Keres uses his isolated d-pawn to secure the win.

novagold wrote:

If you're heading into an endgame try and preserve pawns on the edges (easier to queen).

Is this true?  In my experience it has been the other way around but I guess it depends on the situation.

As you prepare for a mid-game, try to analyze your position and decide on a strategy for an endgame. I usually try (when both players caslte to the same side), to trade my knight for an opponent's bishop, so I'm very careful with the development of my bishops. A "bad bishop" vs. a knight in an endgame can be disastrous for the owner of the bishop.

Also, DO NOT move your rooks, unless you can do so in a meaningful way. Otherwise, ooops, you just got behind on time.

Most times I attempt to play a very vanilla game (attack, counter-attack), unless i'm going against exotic things like Fianchetto. Those are easiest to defend against with solid CENTER CONTROL.

I always tell people that, against the Sicillian, you should plas as if it was the regular Ruy Lopes.

Chess is life.

A

Mos

Don't use a checklist, the list can be dead wrong in many position's. You need to understand every position you are facing, and to do that you need to analyze it deeply. Following a checklist like your's is a bad idea.