is the material gain from taking a knight or bishop worth doubling up important pawns and screwing up my structure? i quite often find that il execute some masterful plan, bt then find myself reluctant to complete it as it doesnt seem my opponent will be as disadvantaged by the loss of the knight as he will gain from finding it easier to attack me.
I have been ripped apart on occaision through sacrificing my structure, but i spose i may well js b playing badly afterwards.
any help?
marcus
difficult to say which is more valuable, the piece or the structure. if an opponent it losing a relatively weak piece such as a "bad" bishop or a trapped knight, then the exchange may work in their favor if it opens up a good attack on the king or more valuable pieces. personally, i would not exchange the piece for the advantage of stacked or even trebled pawns unless it was clear to me that i could follow up the loss with a devastating attack.
jason
depends on the position. In front of the castled king, with no other defenders around and a bunch of pieces pointed there? Often a good idea to decline the piece. On the opposite end of the board? I wouldn't worry in most situations...
(NOT, mind you, that I "know about chess stuff." -- I surely don't.)
Originally posted by OuermyhteAs has already been said, it all depends on the position and the quality of the pieces that are left. Take this game as an example:
is the material gain from taking a knight or bishop worth doubling up important pawns and screwing up my structure? i quite often find that il execute some masterful plan, bt then find myself reluctant to complete it as it doesnt seem my opponent will be as disadvantaged by the loss of the knight as he will gain from finding it easier to attack me.
I hav ...[text shortened]... ng my structure, but i spose i may well js b playing badly afterwards.
any help?
marcus
Game 487157
Look at the game from about move 13. My pawn structure looks like crap, but there's little doubt over whose minor pieces are better, his knights or my bishops.
Originally posted by Natural ScienceThe trouble with using bishops to mess up pawns is that until the queen and rooks get going, bishops are the main beneficiaries of broken pawns. As such I wouldn't hand my opponent a bishop advantage like that unless I was sure my major pieces were ready to cause real trouble, which certainly couldn't be said for White's rooks in your game.
As has already been said, it all depends on the position and the quality of the pieces that are left. Take this game as an example:
Game 487157
Look at the game from about move 13. My pawn structure looks like crap, but there's little doubt over whose minor pieces are better, his knights or my bishops.