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Chess strategy: what do you need to know about strategy and tactics?

Yury Markushin
Yury Markushin
10.02.2009
Category: Middle Game
Tags: chess strategy, positional chess, strategy,
Chess strategy: what do you need to know about strategy and tactics?

Everyone wants to learn about chess strategy. Players believe that if they learn more about this magic thing called “strategy” they’ll win every single game. But what chess strategy really is? Is it attack or defense, style of playing or evaluation of positions, set of rules, or tactics? No, my friend, I’m not trying to confuse you, just to show that chess strategy covers all of the above to some extent.

Wikipedia defines chess strategy as an evaluation of chess positions and setting up goals and long-term tactics for future play.

Strategy must also involve tactics, because if there is no tactics behind the chess strategy it becomes pointless. It’s like planning to walk a dog this morning if you don’t have one.

Chess player usually starts out the game with opening, as white or via transposition as black, taking into account future strategy of play. For example, if the player aims for minority attack he plays Queen’s Gambit Declined, for opposite side castles and pawn attacks – Sicilian Dragon, for play in the center – Petroff or Spanish.

To develop strategy players must evaluate the position on the chessboard. When evaluating, the player must take into account the following:

  1. Material on the board
  2. Pawn structure
  3. King safety (own and the opponent’s)
  4. Position of pieces (analyze where own and opponent’s pieces are located in respect to the king, other weaknesses)
  5. Control of center and key squares (You may want to check out my previous discussion over the Central Squares)
  6. Control of open files, long diagonals
  7. Own and opponent’s weaknesses (isolated pawns, “bad” bishops/knights, developmental problems)

Here are a few examples of a good chess strategy:

  • If a player sees that he is a piece up, a good chess strategy would be to exchange pieces, to simplify the position and to move into the endgame, which should be a no-brainer to win.
  • If a player sees that he has 2 bishops, knight and a queen pointing into opposing king castle a good chess strategy would be to sacrifice a bishop and develop a checkmate of win material if possible. We see how chess tactics and chess strategy go together. Tactics is to sac a piece, strategy (or main goal) is to develop a mate or win material. So, chess tactics is an instrument to accomplish a chess strategy.
  • If a player sees that opponent castles on the opposite side with respect to his own king, a good chess strategy would be to develop a pawn attack to destroy the opposing castle.
  • If the player sees that there is an open position type on the board a good chess strategy would be to exchange knights for opponent’s bishops since bishops are considered to be superior when the game is open. If position is closed however a good chess strategy would be to exchange bishops for opponent’s knights.
  • If there is an open file on the board a good chess strategy would be to occupy file by doubling/tripling heavy material: rooks and queen.
  • If there is an isolated pawn (weakness) on the board a good chess strategy would be to block this pawn and to attack by all available pieces in order to win it.
  • If one player is up in development it would be a good chess strategy not to exchange material, since simplifying the position would be the best option for the side behind in development.
  • A good chess strategy would be to develop knights before bishops (applicable to the opening only).
  • A good chess strategy would be not to develop a queen early in the game because it can become a target and accelerate the opponent’s development. Don’t give your opponent something for nothing! There are exceptions to this rule, however. If one wins material by say forking opponent’s bishop and king, it’s sure a good chess strategy to take advantage of it, to develop a queen and to win material.
  • A good chess strategy would be to avoid moving a piece twice in the opening stage if there is no good reason to do so. Again, if one is winning material or losing that piece it’s definitely better to move it twice.
  • Finally, a good chess strategy would be to have a strategy. It is a lot better to play chess with a bad plan than without any plan at all. Remember that!

Further readings involving chess strategy and tactics:

Basic Chess Tips

Seven Deadly Chess Mistakes

How to get better at chess?

Looking for beginner’s stuff?

Chess Strategy for Beginners: Complete Guide

Want to take your Strategy to the Next Level?

IM Edward Porper has put together his 10-hour Strategy Manual – the complete guide to chess strategy for players 1400-2100. Learn to read the position, dream the future, and march to victory with 10 hours of beautifully explained eternal principles.strategy-manual-cover-2

Get your copy now 60% off

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Krypto Kajun
01.20.2021 23:21

Game On!!!

0
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Billy Bob
05.25.2020 04:49

Q didnt send me here, but I am very happy to see so many Q people here. I came for the chess. But WWG1WGA

2
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Danielprofit
05.21.2020 18:56

Q team for the freedom to play chess and speak about it as garunteed in the 1st Amendment.

1
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theydontlikeherhair
05.20.2020 21:26

dont forget the hammer, Huma!

1
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Q
05.20.2020 14:52

Come for the strategy – Q

1
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Cecelia
05.20.2020 08:34

Trying to learn about chess

0
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Neo Tuner
05.20.2020 07:31

Q sent me …Game Theory at its best.

1
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Jaya
05.20.2020 06:43

Hi yury I love your website thanks for the tips better to have a bad strategy then non

0
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PaulQWog
05.20.2020 05:31

Sent by
Q.
Played quite alot in my youth!Thanks!

1
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Nunya buisness
05.20.2020 02:46

Q sent me thank you.

0
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DadDad
05.20.2020 02:34

Q SENT ME..

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Q
05.20.2020 01:41

wwg1wga

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frank
05.20.2020 01:24

is this the way that jorge soros communicate?

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Qpen
05.20.2020 01:17

Q sent me. I’m checking out chess strategy. You have very useful tips, thanks!

0
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Qpen
05.20.2020 01:14

Q sent me. I’m just checking out your chess strategy. It is nicely laid out!

0
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Jen
05.20.2020 00:39

Q✌

0
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Karie
05.19.2020 23:44

Q loves your thoughts on chess strategy!! Thanks for the winning tips!

0
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Esa
05.19.2020 22:54

I got this link from Q. Am I supposed to buy a
Book?

0
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2ifbysea
05.19.2020 22:52

Marshall v Capablanca c.1908 Q sent us

0
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Annelies
05.19.2020 22:48

“At this time” Q sent me.

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Anon
05.19.2020 22:45

Thank you for this – WWG1WGA

0
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QT
05.19.2020 22:43

It’s happening.

Just a few chess moves to save mankind from the depths of destruction. No big deal.

0
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ChelsearueQ
05.19.2020 22:31

Sorry for the FREE traffic.. but you’ve been Q’d

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Randy_DS_VET
05.19.2020 22:29

Q sent me

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SirDennis
05.19.2020 22:06

Sorry for the additional traffic.
You’ve been Q’ed

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Frank
05.19.2020 21:48

Q Sent ME! HELLO WORLD! WWG1WGA!

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Amber
05.19.2020 21:44

Q sent me!

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Amber
05.19.2020 21:43

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burnsy0821
05.19.2020 20:57

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Gforce 1776
05.19.2020 20:49

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Marv Christopher Moskwa
05.19.2020 20:28

Q sent me.

CHECKMATE!

#WWG1WGA

0
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John
05.19.2020 20:26

Hi ………………… Q sent me to learn strategy in chess ………….

0
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Harry
Reply to  John
05.20.2020 02:28

Q sent me to tell you there’s an open file on the board.

0
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RabbiMark
05.19.2020 20:13

Congratulations on being Q’d.

0
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Anon
05.19.2020 20:11

Congrats,
You’ve been Q’d!!!

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Anon
05.19.2020 19:58

Q sent me

0
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WWG1WGA
05.19.2020 19:57

Q sent me.

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Joe Q Kennedy
05.19.2020 19:37

You’ve been Q’d! More Russian collusion ….. hahahaha …. Schiff will pay, Pelosi will pay, Biden and Obama will pay BIG Time!

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Yury
03.22.2014 14:32

Hello Selena. Could you please tell me what article you have commented on and subscribed to, what email and user name you have used. For your privacy please send the information to [email protected]. We will be able to remove you from the list 🙄

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Selena
03.22.2014 05:01

When I originally commented I clicked the “Notify me when new comments are added”
checkbox and now each time a comment is added I geet three
e-mails with the same comment. Is ther any way yyou can remove people from
that service? Cheers!

0
Reply
how to get rid of
03.08.2014 10:08

Thanks for sharing your thoughts about positional chess. Regards

0
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Yury
09.03.2011 18:40

Thank you my friend. As you know my main objective and the main objective of this site is to teach players of all levels to feel more confident over the chess board. 🙂

0
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Chessor
08.27.2011 17:24

The minimum I can say is that you are a Legend of teaching Chess. You have an unbelievable way to simplify Chess and make us love it more and more

Keep it up please

0
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Ben
01.07.2010 00:38

Topa is good.

0
Reply
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