Strategic Guidelines

Question 1

Trading Guideline 1

Answer 1

Capture or recapture to maintain material equally

Question 2

Trading Guideline 2

Answer 2

1. When materially ahead, trade down judiously to a won endgame
2. Avoid trades when you are down materially

Question 3

Trading Guideline 3

Answer 3

When suffering from a spatial disadvantage, judiously trade pieces to allow movement of other pieces or to relieve the pressure

Question 4

Trading Guideline 4

Answer 4

Trade to aleviate a tactical build-up by your opponent

Question 5

Trading Guideline 5

Answer 5

Capture to force an opponent’s piece/position into a Power Move, especially a King

Question 6

Trading Guideline 6

Answer 6

Capture to remove the defender

Question 7

Trading Guideline 7

Answer 7

When called for, trade to achieve the Bishop Pair

Question 8

Trading Guideline 8

Answer 8

Trade your opponent’s more mobile and better placed pieces for your more poorly situated counterparts

Question 9

Trading Guideline 9

Answer 9

All things being equal, don’t trade if it gives your opponent

• piece activity
• tempo

Question 10

Trading Guideline 10

Answer 10

Sacrificial Captures that can lead to a serie of Power Moves

Question 11

The 1st Posture

Answer 11

Attack

Tactic or Power Move

Question 12

The 2nd Posture

Answer 12

Counter-Attack

A Tactic or Power Move superior to your opponent’s that gains initiative, control, ect

Question 13

The 3rd Posture

Answer 13

Simultaneous Attack/Defense

An equal Tactic or Power Move that could have the potential to gain initiative, control (or any other unseen force, depending on the strength of your opponent)

Question 14

The 4th Posture

Answer 14

Attack the Attacker

A simple counter-attack: No brilliant Tactic or Power Move to regain initiative or control in the game but enough to keep your opponent busy
(Could be combined with Posture 5 to gain some initiative, control, ect)

Question 15

The 5th Posture

Answer 15

Active Defense

Creates some piece activity without loosing tempo
(Could be combined with Posture 4 to gain some initiative, control, ect)

Question 16

The 6th Posture

Answer 16

Passive Defense

Looses a tempo and often piece activity –> last resort

Question 17

Beware of the x-ray attack

Answer 17

The power of a piece extends to all squares in its path whether or not it is blocked by its own or enemy pieces
(Visualize and beware of future attack possibilities)

Question 18

Strategic tip 1

Answer 18

Avoid defending pieces with the king or queen

Question 19

Strategic tip 2

Answer 19

The advantage of the bishop pair

in open positions

Question 20

Strategic tip 3

Answer 20

Follow Opening Principles if your opponent violates them

Question 21

Examples how to handle an opponent’s opening violation

Answer 21

Attack

• an uncastled King
• an early moved Queen
• a twice moved piece
• an empty center (no pawns)
• counterattack a Premature Attack (if necessary defend first and castle)
• Power Move weaknesses

Question 22

Strategic Tip 4

Answer 22

Always conduct a defensive and offensive Power Move evaluation before moving and consider the consequences of any capture, including sacrifices

Question 23

Strategic Tip 5

Answer 23

King safety: at all times consider the safety of both kings

Question 24

King safety Questions

Answer 24

• Is there a way to take advantage of pawn moves in front of the king?
• Are there enough (if any) defenders for the king?

Question 25

Strategic Tip 6

Answer 25

If no opportunity to win material emerges, then seek to achieve a strategic goal

Question 26

Strategic Tip 7

Answer 26

Identity, repair or defend weaknesses, which include pawn weaknesses, Power Move vulnaribilities and strategic weaknesses

Question 27

Strategic Tip 8

Answer 27

If you have an advantagein one of the unseen forces, look for an attack or convert this advantage to another, which may then make an attack possible