just don't make a move first..some players wait for you to make a move first then play from the move you made. just make a common move like playing arpund with a queen or a king.
What to do when both sides have everything defended?
Let's speak plainly. Shuffling your king or queen around hoping something happens is absurd. If there are no weaknesses, look for ways to make them. A tactical exchange could open up possibilities.
Advance some pawns. The bigger area you control, the smaller area your opponent controls. They then need to do something just to keep using a turn. You will find a hole in their armour as their ability to move pieces becomes limited
Could you elaborate? When you say everything is defended, do you mean that there are no undefended pieces? Do you perhaps have some sample games in mind?
I know I went through a phase myself where I'd often feel stumped, because until then I had more or less only won games by short term tactics, punishing blunders and such, and my opponents where getting better and blundering way less often.
Assuming that's the case with you, I suggest looking into chess strategy. I think looking into pawn structure would be especially useful. Chess.com (IIRC) has a nice series on it on YouTube.
Another thing you could try could be applying pressure to the enemy king, maybe? Perhaps set up a battery. Even if you opponent defends, they might end up creating a weakness in the process.
The_Vedge wrote:
Could you elaborate? When you say everything is defended, do you mean that there are no undefended pieces? Do you perhaps have some sample games in mind?
I know I went through a phase myself where I'd often feel stumped, because until then I had more or less only won games by short term tactics, punishing blunders and such, and my opponents where getting better and blundering way less often.
Assuming that's the case with you, I suggest looking into chess strategy. I think looking into pawn structure would be especially useful. Chess.com (IIRC) has a nice series on it on YouTube.
Another thing you could try could be applying pressure to the enemy king, maybe? Perhaps set up a battery. Even if you opponent defends, they might end up creating a weakness in the process.
Yes, thats what I mean. Specifically there are no undefended pieces and no weak squares
for either side. These are the positions where I don't know what to do.
Javilo wrote:
Yes, thats what I mean. Specifically there are no undefended pieces and no weak squares
for either side. These are the positions where I don't know what to do.
I assume you don't just mean things are defended but the position is also really equal and doesn't offer a clear plan like attacking the enemy king.
What you do is work to improve your piece activity though various methods like repositioning pieces, trading off your weaker pieces, changing the pawn structure, or playing pawn breaks, stuff like that. Pawn breaks is an important one, I probably shouldn't have listed it last 
If the position is very dry and equal then sometimes long term plans are not possible. You just do short term improvements. If your pieces and structure are slightly better then you'll have chances to win in the endgame. So just plod along, and be on the lookout for ways the opponent can get active too.
But if you're still pretty new to chess, the feeling of not knowing what to do is really common, and most of the time there are good ideas in those positions but you don't know about them yet... but we can't talk about those unless you post an example.
"What to do when both sides have everything defended"... it sounds to me like you have the wrong idea about advantages in chess.
You don't gain the advantage by attacking. Just the opposite... you attack BECAUSE you already have the advantage. You gain the advantage by maneuver, and cash that advantage in by attacking.
You might profit from reading a bit of GM Larry Evans ideas on static analysis and creating a middle game plan. Here's a thread where I discuss it, with some example games:
https://www.chess.com/forum/view/general/gm-larry-evans-method-of-static-analysis
attack
pick up your knight find the most annoying pawn and sacrifice your knight in other words play like tal
Sacrifice the piece that gives you the greatest advantage.
Do you feel you got the kind of answers you were looking for?
Here are some reading possibilities that I often mention:
Simple Attacking Plans by Fred Wilson (2012)
https://web.archive.org/web/20140708090402/http://www.chesscafe.com/text/review874.pdf
http://dev.jeremysilman.com/shop/pc/Simple-Attacking-Plans-77p3731.htm
Logical Chess: Move by Move by Irving Chernev (1957)
https://web.archive.org/web/20140708104437/http://www.chesscafe.com/text/logichess.pdf
The Most Instructive Games of Chess Ever Played by Irving Chernev (1965)
https://chessbookreviews.wordpress.com/tag/most-instructive-games-of-chess-ever-played/
Winning Chess by Irving Chernev and Fred Reinfeld (1948)
https://web.archive.org/web/20140708093415/http://www.chesscafe.com/text/review919.pdf
Back to Basics: Tactics by Dan Heisman (2007)
https://web.archive.org/web/20140708233537/http://www.chesscafe.com/text/review585.pdf
https://www.chess.com/article/view/book-review-back-to-basics-tactics
https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5856bd64ff7c50433c3803db/t/5895fc0ca5790af7895297e4/1486224396755/btbtactics2excerpt.pdf
Javilo wrote:
I am at a loss of what to do when both sides have everything defended.
Would appreciate any ideas about what to do in such a position.
Possible plans:
- Improve your worst-placed piece
- Attempt a pawn break to open a line, file, or diagonal to improve the mobility of your pieces
- Threaten a tactic
- Defend against a threat
- Disrupt the opponent's pawn structure
- Reduce (or attempt to reduce) the mobility of one of your opponent's pieces
- Overprotect your strongest square or piece
- etc ...
Warning: It's common to think "advance some pawns!", but that's actually a double-edged way of thinking. Pawn moves cannot be undone, so they should be moved with care, as they could very well create a permanent weakness in your position.
There are always moves and plans to make in any position. You just need to find them.
I am at a loss of what to do when both sides have everything defended.
Would appreciate any ideas about what to do in such a position.