Core Chess Strategy & Principles: The Chess Collection

By Christopher Ford

Core Chess Strategy & Principles a comprehensive guide that aims to equip chess enthusiasts with the knowledge and skills necessary to develop a strong strategic foundation. Whether you are a beginner seeking to understand the basics or an experienced player looking to enhance your strategic prowess, this book will provide you with a systematic approach to chess strategy.

Chapters included:

Chapter 1: The Fundamentals of Chess Strategy

Chapter 2: Evaluating Positions

Chapter 3: Tactical Awareness

Chapter 4: Planning and Prophylaxis

Chapter 5: The Middlegame Battle

Chapter 6: The Endgame Mastery

Chapter 7: Psychological Aspects of Chess Strategy

• Language: English
• Publisher: Christopher Ford
• Release date: Jul 22, 2023
• ISBN: 9798223185369

Book preview

Chapter 1: The Fundamentals of Chess Strategy

Understanding the Chessboard and Its Pieces

Chess is a two-player strategy board game played on a square checkered chessboard. The board consists of 64 squares arranged in an 8x8 grid. Each square is identified by a unique combination of a letter and a number. The vertical columns are labelled from a to h, and the horizontal rows are numbered from 1 to 8.

The chessboard is divided into two colours, typically light and dark. The traditional colour scheme consists of alternating white and black squares, although other colour combinations are also used.

There are six different types of chess pieces on each side: the king, queen, rook, bishop, knight, and pawn. Each piece has its unique movement rules and characteristics.

King: The king is the most important piece. Its objective is to avoid capture and protect itself at all costs. The king can move one square in any direction: horizontally, vertically, or diagonally.

Queen: The queen is the most powerful piece on the board. It can move any number of squares in any direction: horizontally, vertically, or diagonally.

Rook: The rook moves horizontally or vertically across the board. It can move any number of squares in a straight line as long as there are no pieces blocking its path.

Bishop: The bishop moves diagonally across the board. It can move any number of squares in a diagonal line as long as there are no pieces blocking its path. Each player starts with two bishops, one on a light-coloured square and the other on a dark-coloured square.

Knight: The knight has a unique movement pattern. It moves in an L shape: two squares in a straight line and then one square at a right angle. The knight is the only piece that can jump over other pieces on the board.

Pawn: Pawns are the smallest and most numerous pieces. They are positioned in a row in front of the other pieces. Pawns move forward one square, but they capture diagonally. On their first move, pawns have the option to move forward two squares. Pawns also have a special move called en passant and can promote to any other piece if they reach the opponent's back rank.

Each player starts with 16 pieces, including one king, one queen, two rooks, two bishops, two knights, and eight pawns. The objective of the game is to checkmate the opponent's king, which means putting it in a position where it is under attack and cannot escape capture.

Understanding the movement and abilities of each chess piece is crucial for developing strategies and tactics during the game.

The Value of the Pieces and Their Mobility

In chess, each piece has a certain value assigned to it based on its importance and potential impact on the game. These values are used as a general guideline to assess the relative strength of the pieces and make strategic decisions. However, it's important to note that the value of a piece can vary depending on the position and specific circumstances of the game.

Here is a commonly accepted point system for evaluating the relative values of the chess pieces:

King: The king's value is considered infinite since the objective of the game is to protect the king and avoid checkmate at all costs.

Queen: The queen is the most powerful piece and is assigned a value of 9 points. It has the most mobility, being able to move in any direction on the board.

Rook: The rook is valued at 5 points. It has great mobility, being able to move horizontally and vertically across the board.

Bishop: The bishop is assigned a value of 3 points. It has slightly less mobility than a rook since it can only move diagonally. However, bishops can be powerful when positioned on open diagonals and can control multiple squares simultaneously.

Knight: The knight is valued at 3 points. It has unique movement capabilities, being able to jump over other pieces. Knights have the ability to attack squares that other pieces cannot, and their manoeuvrability can be particularly useful in closed positions.

Pawn: Pawns are the least valuable pieces, usually assigned a value of 1 point each. However, their value can increase as the game progresses and they advance towards promotion. Pawns play a crucial role in controlling the centre of the board and can create pawn structures that influence the overall position.

It's important to note that these values are not set in stone, and their significance can change depending on the specific position and strategic considerations. Additionally, the coordination and interaction between pieces also contribute to their overall strength.

In practice, evaluating the value of pieces and their mobility is just one aspect of chess strategy. Factors like piece activity, king safety, pawn structure, and overall positional considerations also play a significant role in determining the