Opposition

Here's a nice exercise.

White to move and gain distant opposition (near opposition if you want to practise outflanking as well as opposition).


If the kings are on the same file/rank/diagonal, then the player to move has the opposition if there are an even number of squares between the king. So, make sure that after you move, there are an odd number of squares between your king and your opponents.

If the kings aren't on the same line, then you gain opposition by forming a rectangle with your opponents king. If the corners of this rectangle are all the same colour, then you have the opposition. You can use this to move closer to the enemy king while maintaining opposition.

D

1.Ka2

I'll admit - I'm terrible with the zuzwhang (sp?) and opposition and feel badly about not having a clear understanding of them. Can anyone recommend a good online resource for learning more about these?

I thought it would be Kb1 in this diagram puzzle.

White to move.

White's king has to get to h8,g8, or f8 in 17 moves.

This exercise shows you how to outflank and use opposition. Note, sometimes you have to give up opposition to achieve what you want.

Originally posted by 93confirmed
I'll admit - I'm terrible with the zuzwhang (sp?) and opposition and feel badly about not having a clear understanding of them. Can anyone recommend a good online resource for learning more about these?

I thought it would be Kb1 in this diagram puzzle.

With distant opposition you have to draw a rectangle or square.

So a2, e2, a8, e8.

See the rectangle? Make sure all the end points are the same color, white in this case.

Now Ka2 get on the rectangle end point and grabs distant opposition.

It's true, it's true! 🙂 I'm sure this principle is in most basic chess books, but I first learned about this in Cecil Purdy's "Guide To Good Chess" (page 120). That Purdy was one cool dude 😀

Actually, if both kings are on the same file, you don't even have to count squares. Just treat the arrangement as a specialized case of the rectangle rule, only with the rectangle having zero width. (Just imagine a rectangle of zero width, with the two opposite sides occupying the same file.) So you really only have to remember the second paragragh that Ragnorak posted.

Originally posted by Mad Rook
It's true, it's true! 🙂 I'm sure this principle is in most basic chess books, but I first learned about this in Cecil Purdy's "Guide To Good Chess" (page 120). That Purdy was one cool dude 😀

Actually, if both kings are on the same file, you don't even have to count squares. Just treat the arrangement as a specialized case of the rectangle rule, only w ...[text shortened]... ame file.) So you really only have to remember the second paragragh that Ragnorak posted.

Nice simplification. Cheers.

D

Originally posted by 93confirmed
I thought it would be Kb1 in this diagram puzzle.

Look at the colours of the corner squares of the rectangle: b8 and e1 are black, while the kings (in the other corners of the rectangle are on white squares.

D

Originally posted by RahimK
[fen]k7/8/8/8/8/8/8/K7 w - - 0 1[/fen]


White to move.

White's king has to get to h8,g8, or f8 in 17 moves.

This exercise shows you how to outflank and use opposition. Note, sometimes you have to give up opposition to achieve what you want.

Originally posted by RahimK
1.Ka2

Originally posted by RahimK
[fen]k7/8/8/8/8/8/8/K7 w - - 0 1[/fen]


White to move.

White's king has to get to h8,g8, or f8 in 17 moves.

This exercise shows you how to outflank and use opposition. Note, sometimes you have to give up opposition to achieve what you want.

If ye saw this position in a book, and wanted to play through it, how do ye do it? Engines don't play to defend f8 or h8.

D

I also haven't learned this technique yet of having to give up the opposition to get to one of those three squares. So I'm patiently awaiting Rahim's expert guidance. 🙂

Originally posted by Ragnorak
If ye saw this position in a book, and wanted to play through it, how do ye do it? Engines don't play to defend f8 or h8.

D

You must play with yourself, or with another chess player.

Originally posted by Mad Rook
I also haven't learned this technique yet of having to give up the opposition to get to one of those three squares. So I'm patiently awaiting Rahim's expert guidance. 🙂

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "New game"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "k7/8/8/8/8/8/8/K7 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "33"]

{Taking the opposition.} 1. Ka2 ({Taking the Direct Approach Fails.} 1. Kb2 Kb8
2. Kc3 Kc7 3. Kd4 Kd6 4. Ke4 Ke6) 1... Kb8 2. Kb2 (2. Kb3 $2 Kb7) 2... Kc8 3.
Kc2 Kd8 4. Kd2 Ke8 5. Ke2 Kf8 6. Kf2 Kg8 7. Kg2 {Optimum position. White has
opposition and stands inbetween the target squares, f8->h8.} Kh8 8. Kf3 Kg7 9.
Kg3 Kf7 10. Kh4 {Offering Black opposition.} Kg6 11. Kg4 Kh6 12. Kf5 Kg7 13.
Kg5 Kf7 14. Kh6 Kg8 15. Kg6 Kf8 16. Kh7 Kf7 17. Kh8 {
That is how you grab opposition and outflank.} 1/2-1/2

OK, I understand now, it makes sense. It's basically a 2-step procedure where you first move horizontally over to the optimum position while maintaining opposition. Then step 2 is staircasing straight up the board, giving up the opposition when necessary. Actually, I'm familiar with this staircasing procedure, since I was doing that when I practiced escorting a pawn straight up the board.

The new thing I learned here was realizing that there are two separate steps involved. Thanks, Rahim!

Originally posted by Mad Rook
OK, I understand now, it makes sense. It's basically a 2-step procedure where you first move horizontally over to the optimum position while maintaining opposition. Then step 2 is staircasing straight up the board, giving up the opposition when necessary. Actually, I'm familiar with this staircasing procedure, since I was doing that when I practiced escorti ...[text shortened]... thing I learned here was realizing that there are two separate steps involved. Thanks, Rahim!

Thank Silman, Jeremy. I'm just refreshing my memory but wow!