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Minority Attack

NM Roger Williamson - 30/08/2023

Glossary

A form of pawn break/lever where a pawn minority attacks a pawn majority. When a minority attack is successfully implemented, the majority is reduced to a single weak pawn, or a pair of weak doubled pawns on the same file. The minority attack is not some kind of ultimate weapon, but rather an essent...

Weakness

NM Roger Williamson - 30/08/2023

Glossary

A pawn or a square in a player’s position that can be either effectively attacked or pressured. A weakness can be like a bleeding ulcer draining a player’s resources, leaving them unable to concentrate on anything but its defence. Generally, however, two weaknesses, usually multiple files apart, nee...

Transposition

NM Roger Williamson - 30/08/2023

Glossary

Transposition occurs when the same position arises from two or more different sequences of moves. It most typically occurs during the early middlegame when the same position can arise from different initial openings. Position 1 (Zhukova – Danielian, 2005) was reached via 1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 Nf6...

Transformation of Advantages

NM Roger Williamson - 30/08/2023

Glossary

After seizing the initiative, to keep it until victory a player must repeatedly exchange one type of advantage for another whenever the opportunities arise. In position, 1 black’s 18... f5 enables white to play 19. cd, forcing 19... cd 20. Nb5 Bb8 21. Rc1 Bd7 22. Nc7 forcing off black’s dark square...

Tension

NM Roger Williamson - 29/08/2023

Glossary

When opposing pawns have the option to capture each other, but both sides decline, there is tension in the position. When one side captures, the tension is released. Matters are clarified, and the position becomes easier to assess and plans easier to formulate. In position 1, a standard Queen’s Gam...

Space advantage

NM Roger Williamson - 29/08/2023

Glossary

When one player’s most advanced pawn crosses the center of the board to the fifth rank and remains there, they have more space. But for one side to have a space advantage, this expansion should ideally leave no weaknesses for the opponent with less space to exploit. In position 1 (Capablanca – Trey...

Prophylaxis

NM Roger Williamson - 29/08/2023

Glossary

Prevention. A prophylactic move or idea is one that anticipates and defuses the opponent’s plans/threats. In position 1, white retreats their knight from e2 to g1 for it to re-emerge on f3, thus controlling g5. Controlling g5 is necessary because black, at a space disadvantage, intends to relieve th...

Principle of two weaknesses

NM Roger Williamson - 29/08/2023

Glossary

A phenomenon usually associated with the endgame, the principle of two weaknesses also has significance in the middlegame. One weakness can be effectively protected. Two weaknesses is often fatal. When one side has inflicted a weakness on their opponent, and restricted them to defending it, victor...

Pawn Majority

NM Roger Williamson - 29/08/2023

Glossary

When one side has more pawns on a particular side of the board than their opponent they are said to have a pawn majority. When both sides have majorities, such as in position 1 (Marshall – Capablanca, 1909), the game can resemble a race to achieve a passed pawn: the faster majority wins. In posit...

Pawn break/lever

NM Roger Williamson - 29/08/2023

Glossary

'A pawn lever is a move that allows the opponent to capture the pawn with one of his own pawns.’ – Axel Smith. In his book Pump Up Your Rating, GM Axel Smith points out that it is very difficult to formulate an effective plan without having pawn breaks/levers available. The power to change the paw...

Opposite colour bishops and queens

NM Roger Williamson - 29/08/2023

Glossary

According to Michael Adams in Think like a Super-GM, the attacking potential of the combination of opposite colour bishops and queens is insufficiently appreciated below a certain level. The non-master associates opposite colour bishops with drawing chances in the endgame. But ally the unopposed bis...

Operation

NM Roger Williamson - 29/08/2023

Glossary

An operation is a tactical sequence that permits a transformation of advantages. In position 1 white is targeting a weakness on a6, but black is threatening dangerous counterplay with ...e3. White begins an operation with 30. Bf4. After 30... e3 31. fe Nxe3 white plays 32. Qxf7! (position 2), ex...

Misplaced Piece

NM Roger Williamson - 29/08/2023

Glossary

The Tarrasch dictum (or formula, or principle) holds that one misplaced piece renders its owner’s entire position bad. The knight on d1 in position 1 is misplaced not because it is not participating in the game, but because it has no obvious route to participating in the game. The onus, then, is on...

Light Square Strategy

NM Roger Williamson - 29/08/2023

Glossary

The same as dark square strategy, only applying to the light squares. In position 1, white is missing his light square bishop, so it makes sense for black to conquer as many light squares on the queenside as possible with 15... a4. At some point in the future black also hopes to play ...f4, releasin...

Isolated Queens Pawn (IQP)

NM Roger Williamson - 27/08/2023

Glossary

The isolated queen’s pawn (IQP) offers its owner many benefits to offset the pawn's potential weakness in an endgame. For white, the IQP gives white more space, and thus attacking possibilities. In position 1 (Rodshtein – Kontanjian, 2008), the isolated pawn has permitted the classic knight sacrifi...

Intermezzo

NM Roger Williamson - 27/08/2023

Glossary

An intermezzo (or Zwischenzug), an ‘in-between’ move, breaks the sequence of a seemingly forced series of captures and recaptures. In position 1, it may have appeared that white was forced to recapture the knight on g3 and restore the material balance. But such is the harmony of white’s pieces, wh...

Knight Outpost

NM Roger Williamson - 27/08/2023

Glossary

A knight outpost is a square from which a knight cannot be evicted by either a pawn or another minor piece. Generally, knight outposts are not gifted by an opponent, but must be created. In position 1, white has advanced his a-pawn to a5, thus securing c4 as an outpost for his knight. The knight ca...

Good knight versus bad bishop

NM Roger Williamson - 27/08/2023

Glossary

A good knight vs bad bishop scenario involves an outposted knight versus a bad bishop. Sometimes the knight completely overpowers the bishop. Generally, however, good knight vs bad bishop is liable to be a ‘two result’ position, where either the knight wins, or the bishop enables the defender to hol...

Compensation

NM Roger Williamson - 27/08/2023

Glossary

Refers to the positive aspects (when they exist) of being material down. Compensation can take various forms: damage to the opponent’s pawn structure, control of a colour complex, an initiative, or an attack on the king. In position 1 (Quang Liem – Carlsen, 2022), black has sacrificed a pawn in ret...

Dark square strategy

NM Roger Williamson - 27/08/2023

Glossary

When one side is strong, and aims to play largely on the dark square colour complex, they are said to be using a dark square strategy. In position 1 (Burrows – Williamson, 2008 [analysis]), black has purposefully given up his light square bishop in order to both make his dark square bishop stronger...

Doubled Pawns

NM Roger Williamson - 27/08/2023

Glossary

One of the more contentious and harder to appreciate aspects of chess strategy. For many non-masters, doubled pawns are always bad, as they result in isolated and or weak pawns, as in position 1 (Alekhine – Marshall, 1927). There, black’s doubled c-pawns mean a7 is both isolated and weak. Were his...

Development

NM Roger Williamson - 27/08/2023

Glossary

One side is said to have a lead in development when they have more pieces involved in the game. A lead in development, if not neutralised, may translate into either a quick win or a long-term positional advantage for its possessor. In position 1 (Liiva – Skrebnevskis, 1993), while black is a piece...

Initiative

NM Roger Williamson - 27/08/2023

Glossary

One side is said to have the initiative, or an initiative, when they are dictating the terms of the game to their opponent. The initiative may take the form of an attack, prolonged pressure, or even be prophylactic in nature. It can be the outcome of a positional advantage, big or small, or an aspec...

Exchange Sacrifice

NM Roger Williamson - 27/08/2023

Glossary

The trading of a rook for a knight or bishop and compensation. Compensation resulting from an exchange sacrifice can take various forms, such as an initiative, or enduring damage to the opponent’s pawn structure, or increased control of a colour complex, or a combination of any of these things. In...

Colour Complex

NM Roger Williamson - 27/08/2023

Glossary

There are two colour complexes on the board: light squares and dark squares. In position 1 (Reti – Spielmann, 1928), black is fatally weak on the light squares. In position 2, white is not only strong on the dark squares, but also has an advantage in space and a lead in development. After the roo...

Blockade

NM Roger Williamson - 27/08/2023

Glossary

A multi-purpose term. As in position 1 (Caruana – Shankland, 2021), it can refer to the practice of impeding a passed pawn by putting a piece, ideally a knight, in front of it. The knight is the ideal blockading piece, as, even blockading, it can still attack by virtue of its unique movement. Al...

Bad Bishop

NM Roger Williamson - 27/08/2023

Glossary

A bad bishop is the bishop on the same colour complex as its central pawns. ‘Bad’ is not an assessment of quality, merely a descriptive term. In position 1, we see a bad ‘bad’ bishop. It is completely locked out of the game, leaving white effectively a piece up and giving him a free hand to attack...