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strong and weak squares

strong and weak squares

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hi can someone explain to me why c4 is a strong square for white in
this position and why b4 is a strong square for black in same position,
kind regards - Robbie

Karpov v Spassky , Leningrad 1974

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Originally posted by robbie carrobie
hi can someone explain to me why c4 is a strong square for white in
this position and why b4 is a strong square for black in same position,
kind regards - Robbie

Karpov v Spassky , Leningrad 1974
[fen]r2q1rk1/4bp1p/2p2np1/p3p3/Pn2P3/2N1BB2/1PP2RPP/R2Q2K1 w - - 0 17[/fen]
c4 is an outpost!

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I fail to see what's so strong about b4 for Black. On the other hand, 1. Rd2 Qc7 2. Be2 looks good for White because of that tasty square c4 indeed. I might be completely off here, though, this may be quite a bad plan and White may have played something completely different instead 😛 Merry Christmas!!!~~~~!!

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Oh, the Knight on c3 isn't easily moved, so the Knight on b4 can stay there for some more time

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those sqaure are called, Virtual out-post.

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Black has no white bishop and no pawns that can challenge c4 hence a white piece on c4 can't easily be dislodged. A knight on c4 would exert influence on the centre, a bishop on c4 would aim at black's king. Instructive from a positional perspective.

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Originally posted by robbie carrobie
hi can someone explain to me why c4 is a strong square for white in
this position and why b4 is a strong square for black in same position,
kind regards - Robbie

Karpov v Spassky , Leningrad 1974
[fen]r2q1rk1/4bp1p/2p2np1/p3p3/Pn2P3/2N1BB2/1PP2RPP/R2Q2K1 w - - 0 17[/fen]
There are no Pawns on the b or d files, which means a Knight cannot be dislodged from the c file. Further, Black lacks a light Bishop, which makes c4 especially safe...especially especially because a White light Bishop on there aims at the King.

b4 isn't terribly impressive. The Pawn on the c file is blocked by his own Knight and the a Pawn is advanced to the 4th Rank so again, tough to dislodge the N.

The c3 N can't move forward because of the Black P on c6 which the b4 N is guarding.

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Speaking of strong/weak squares.

One of the stongest squares, the most proctected at the start of the game
is e2 (the other being d2).



The e2 pawn is protectd by 4 pieces.

We play 1.e4 and...



...it's on it's own. (just a thought).

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Originally posted by greenpawn34
Speaking of strong/weak squares.

One of the stongest squares, the most proctected at the start of the game
is e2 (the other being d2).

[fen]rnbqkbnr/pppppppp/8/8/8/8/PPPPPPPP/RNBQKBNR w KQkq - 0 1[/fen]

The e2 pawn is protectd by 4 pieces.

We play 1.e4 and...

[fen]rnbqkbnr/pppppppp/8/8/4P3/8/PPPP1PPP/RNBQKBNR b KQkq e3 0 1[/fen]

...it's on it's own. (just a thought).
The pawn is hindering 4 pieces.

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Originally posted by robbie carrobie
hi can someone explain to me why c4 is a strong square for white in
this position and why b4 is a strong square for black in same position,
kind regards - Robbie

Karpov v Spassky , Leningrad 1974
[fen]r2q1rk1/4bp1p/2p2np1/p3p3/Pn2P3/2N1BB2/1PP2RPP/R2Q2K1 w - - 0 17[/fen]
A white piece on c4 cannot be attacked by a pawn. The same applies to black and b4, But a pawn attack on the knight b4 is a possibility.

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Originally posted by Ice Cold
A white piece on c4 cannot be attacked by a pawn. The same applies to black and b4, But a pawn attack on the knight b4 is a possibility.
thanks Ice man, irontigran, heinzkat, AudreyxSophie, Marsan, AThousandYoung, greenpawn for the insight. This is truly a wonderfully instructive game, Karpov gets his queen to that c4 square, after exchanging his white squared bishop for a knight that was coming to cover the c4 square, he uses the half open f file for his rooks after manoeuvring his other knight over to the king-side, kicking the dark squared bishop away which was preventing his rooks coming to the f file, and the culmination of the pressure from the rooks down the f file and the queen on c4, blacks game cracks!

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yeah, well that's beyond what most of us will ever ahieve. Nice to look at I suppose, but not really relevant for most players.

Perhaps in 10 years or so some of it might make a lick of sense to me.

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b4 has the additional advantage of being on an open file. The Rook can cover it.

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For knowing so much about this kind of stuff, your rating isn't much different than mine Athousandyoung.

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Originally posted by Eladar
For knowing so much about this kind of stuff, your rating isn't much different than mine Athousandyoung.
Knowledge is not skill.

And he has been 1600