Originally posted by RahimK
Have any of you seriously though of a plan and then used it during your games? I most just play a move I like but i'm thinking I should start planning. Here's a good example one I found:
[fen]2b1r2k/4r1bp/1pq1P1pN/p1pp4/7Q/P7/1PB2PPP/R3R1K1 w - - 0 25[/fen]
White to move, plan away.
If you want to learn planning, read the amazing book How To Reassess Your Chess.
I put a simple version of it on http://michael-boyd.net/planning/
Heres how i would look at the position:
Differences
# White has a strong passed pawn on e6
# He will have problems defending it
# Black has the bishop pair
# White has a bishop and knight
# Blacks dark bishop is strong because it breathes down the weak diagonal
# White has pieces near the black king
# Black is contralised and has a strong position
What side should white play on
Queenside? No pieces there or aimed there. Has a pawn minority. So not the queenside.
Center? No pieces there just now but he has the strong passed pawn.
Kingside? He has a bishop, knight, and queen all there so definetly worth a look. Also the pawn blocks off an escape route for the king.
Ok so we will play on the kingside.
Analyse
First you notice that the queen and king are on the same file. Is there a check? Yes. By moving the knight and h7-pawn the black king is in check. How can we move the h7 pawn? By taking on g6!
1. Bxg6
hxg6 looses straight away to Nf5+
If black moves his e8 rook then Nf7 leads to mate
So:
...Rxe6
Bxe8 Rxe8
Nf7+ Kg8
Rxe8+ Qxe8
Nd6 and you are up the exchange