The Elements of Chess Strategy

Based on your experience, do you Agree or Disagree? & why?:

"The elements of chess strategy are

1) the Center

2) play in Open Files

3) Play in the 7th and 8th ranks

4) The Passed Pawn

5) The Pin

6) Discovered check

7) Exchanging

8) The Pawn-Chain. "

Originally posted by YourWorstKnightmare
Based on your experience, do you Agree or Disagree? & why?:

"The elements of chess strategy are

1) the Center

2) play in Open Files

3) Play in the 7th and 8th ranks

4) The Passed Pawn

5) The Pin

6) Discovered check

7) Exchanging

8) The Pawn-Chain. "

Agree. Because I read it in My System.

Maybe open files should be expanded to open lines or one should be added for play on the diagonals. I would also think castling is an element of strategy because it is important to know when to castle, on which side or to not caslte at all.

Don't overlook the importance of Tiempo/Time as related to strategy and the employment of tactics to achieve the desired outcome. A day late and a dollar short only serves to enrich the victor!

Strategy....huh!

One Strategy, one thought. Attack the bloody King.

I agree, the one strategy should be to win.... it is tactics that change all the time

Both greenpawn & 64squares bring up an important point. It's too easy to get caught up in fancy lines and forget to keep your eye on the prize...Never lose sight of the King and always have a plan of attack!

Originally posted by YourWorstKnightmare
Based on your experience, do you Agree or Disagree? & why?:

"The elements of chess strategy are

1) the Center

2) play in Open Files

3) Play in the 7th and 8th ranks

4) The Passed Pawn

5) The Pin

6) Discovered check

7) Exchanging

8) The Pawn-Chain. "

The strategic plan must include many ideas and must not overlook the tactics of any given position. The value of the pieces, the positions of the pawns and the kings, and the cooperation among the pieces and pawns to control the center and vital squares on the board are all to be considered in making a strategic plan. So all the individual ideas must be studied first so they can be recognized when your opponent uses them. Then eventually you will be able to use them in making and carrying out you own strategic plan.

All the elements of chess that you mentioned are not strategy, but they are ideas that are used in strategy. You did not list tactics, but tactics must be studied, because practically all strategic plans involve setting up tactical positions and pitfalls. So I would add also the knowledge of how to judge the advantages and disadvantages of a position, which would include:

1. Open lines for the bishop, rook, and queen
2. An outpost for knights that provides them with maximum mobility
3. Strong and weak points or squares
4. Space and time advantage
5. Isolated pawn, backward pawn, and doubled pawns
6. King safety
7. Piece value
8. Piece cooperation
9. Tactics (Including checkmating patterns and techniques)

And finally sometimes a strtegic plan is used to just get to a favorable endgame. Therefore, basic endgame knowledge is necessary for strategic planning.

I almost forgot one other part of stategic planning. PSYCHOLOGY! 😏

You mixed up apples and pears - that is tactical motives and positional themes.

Chess strategy can be reduced to the problem of Pawn structure.

The book of Drazen Marovic is the best in the field.

And the books of Vladimir Vukovic are the best in chess tactics (sacrifice and attack).

Originally posted by vandervelde
You mixed up apples and pears - that is tactical motives and positional themes.

Chess strategy can be reduced to the problem of Pawn structure.

The book of Drazen Marovic is the best in the field.

And the books of Vladimir Vukovic are the best in chess tactics (sacrifice and attack).

Chess strategy can NOT be reduced to the problem of Pawn structure. Tactical motives and positional themes are often part of chess strategy. Apples and pears often taste good together to the experienced taster.

😏

Though his ideas are derivative, yes, Dražen Marovic is unsurpassed, particularly with his quadriga:
"Understanding Pawn Play in Chess,"
"Dynamic Pawn Play in Chess,"
"Secrets of Chess Transformations," and
"Positional Play in Chess."
He is one of the few to usefully explore the concept of strength and weakness.

Another Vukovic work I enjoy is his treatise "The Chess Sacrifice."

And SwissGambit is correct. The "Elements" are drawn from 'My System," by the nonpareil genius and founding father of chess strategy, Aron Nimzovich.

Originally posted by vandervelde
You mixed up apples and pears - that is tactical motives and positional themes.

Chess strategy can be reduced to the problem of Pawn structure.

The book of Drazen Marovic is the best in the field.

And the books of Vladimir Vukovic are the best in chess tactics (sacrifice and attack).

I see that Andrew Soltis' Pawn Structure Chess has been revised. I learned much from this excellent book on pawn structure and opening strategy.