continued from Chess Strategy Guide Part 1
In this second part of a two-part series, we consider the minor pieces and pawns.
| Piece | Opening | Middle-Game | End-Game |
| Bishop | * Develop early * Try not to block your pawns * Preferred squares: d2, e3, f4 or b2 (fianchetto) for QB e2, d3, c4 or g2 (fianchetto) for KB g5 for QB and b5 for KB (only if pinning enemy Knight, but use caution) |
* Each Bishop can cover only half the squares, so they work best as a pair * They also work best from a distance and on relatively open board * Try to occupy long open diagonals * Avoid obstructing them with your own pawns * They are very effective in creating pins, particularly on Knights * They can be used effectively for sacrificial attacks to break open enemy castle |
* In Bishop and Pawn endings, if you and your opponent hold bishops of opposite color, draw is the most likely result even with a difference of one or two pawns * With disadvantageous pawn position, try to retain opposite colored bishop * With better pawn position, retain bishop of same color * Bishop of same color as the queening square for your pawn is a great advantage * Try to keep your pawns such that your Bishop movement is not obstructed * Bishops work better than Knight if you have pawn groups on both sides of the board |
| Knight | * Develop early * Preferred squares: c3 and f3 are best d2 and e2 can do provided Bishops are not locked * Edge of board are normally bad positions for Knight |
* They are most effective in crowded positions * They are good defensive pieces for your castle * They are deadly in creating fork on major enemy pieces as they remain out of sight of those pieces * They can also be used for sacrificial attack to open up enemy positions When used in conjunction, they work best operating from opposite colored squares |
* Knights are slow-moving and hence become inferior to Bishop * They are better only when pawns are grouped at one side of the board |
| Pawn | * Think carefully before pushing any pawn (they cannot backtrack!) * Try to stick to d,e, c and f pawns (to rank 3 or 4) except f3 (exposes King and takes away the best square for KN) * b2 and g2 only if you prefer fianchettoed Bishop |
* They are battering rams creating space for your pieces to move in * They are very effective when supported by pieces in both attack and defense * Try for strong formations and avoid weak ones Each pawn is a potential Queen, so a pawn majority becomes very strong feature when other pieces are exchanged * Analyze pawn positions to plan end-game strategy |
* They are the prime factors in this phase * Rook pawn is most difficult to promote, so exchange pawns with this in mind * With only Kings on board, pawns at two sides are more advantageous compared to pawns grouped in the middle * Plan pawn exchanges depending on your minor pieces (Bishop or Knight) in line with what was said for Bishop and Knight * Since two knights or a single Bishop cannot deliver mate, keep the possibility of sacrifice of such pieces by both sides to remove pawns * When moving pawns, consider the one farthest from enemy King * Keep in mind that a pawn sacrifice to push enemy King outside ‘the Square’ for a distant pawn will help its promotion |
Other Interesting Related Posts you should read:
- Chess Strategy: The basic rules of deployment – Part 1
- Chess Strategy and Chess Tactics in a nutshell: A beginner’s game plan – Part 2
- 20 golden rules to remember for a successful attack!
- Rules of Chess Strategy and Chess Tactics: how important are those?
- Elements of Chess and their importance Part 2
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[...] Chess Strategy: The basic rules of deployment – Part 2 continued from Chess Strategy Guide Part 1 In this second… [...]
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