Soviet Chess Strategy [INNBUNDET]

Innholdsfortegnelsen:

• Chapter 1: General Questions of Strategy and Tactics 7

• Chapter 2: The Chess Game as a Unified Process of Struggle 31 The Results of Mobilization: Their Influence on the Character of the Middlegame 31 Features of the Middlegame Struggle at the Start of the Game 38 The Task of Harmoniously Co-ordinating the Forces – its Role in the Opening 38 Transition from Opening to Middlegame: The Principal Task Involved 43 Transition to the Endgame 48 Some Other Key Moments in the Chess Struggle 50

• Chapter 3: Foundations of Positional Play 55 Relative Values of the Pieces 55 Open File for a Rook – Penetration to the Seventh Rank 56 The Minor Pieces: Their Values Compared 57 Diverse Material – Compensation for the Queen 58 Compensation for a Rook 62 Compensation for a Minor Piece 65 Rare Types of Compensation for Queen or Rook – Two Minor Pieces against Rook and One or Two Pawns 66

• Chapter 4: The Centre – Typical Pawn Structures 69 Old and New Conceptions of the Centre 69 Typical Pawn Structures in the Centre 70 The Open Centre 70 Numerical Equality of Pawns in the Centre 71 The Closed Centre 72 Fixed Central Pawn Position with Open d-file or e-file 76 Mobile Centre with Two Pawns on the Fourth Rank 83 One Mobile Pawn in the Centre 85 The “Hanging Pawn” Centre 85 The Piece-and-Pawn Centre 86 Pawn Weakness in the Centre (accepted in return for good piece-play) 89

• Chapter 5: The Dynamics of the Chess Struggle 99 Some General Concepts: a Brief History Lesson 99 Some Important Features of the Dynamic Approach 100 The Relation of Logic to Imagination in Chess 107 Co-ordination of the Forces 116 The Initiative 132

• Chapter 6: Modern Positional Play 136 The Modern Understanding of Centralization 136 Structures with Tension in the Centre 136 Fluid Situation in the Centre 141 The Centre and Space – Crossing the “Demarcation” Line 143 The Centre and the Flanks 144 Pawn Counter-stroke in the Centre 146 Pawn Chains – Pawn Restraint 147 Connected Wing Pawns versus a Central Pair: The Key Role of Blockading 150 Pawn Sacrifices 152 Weak Square Complexes 155

• Chapter 7: The Attack – Affinity between Strategic and Tactical Methods 159 General Concepts 159 Dynamic Moments – Launching the Assault 160 The Sudden Attacking Coup 160 Transferring the Attack to the King 163

• Chapter 8: Methods of Defence – Switching from Defence to Attack 167 Persistence 168 Tenacity 169 Defence and the Elements of Strategy 170 Activity – the Main Theme of the Defence 171 Interrelation between Methods of Attack and Defence 172 Switching from Attack to Defence 173 From Defence to Counterattack 173 Strategic Aims of Tactical Operations 175 The Art of Manoeuvring in Balanced Positions 176 Conclusion 180

• Appendix: From the Book “The Middlegame in Chess” 181 The Initiative 181 Transformation of Positional Factors 187 The Concrete Approach to Evaluating a Position 194 Middlegame Mastery: Ways of Working to Improve It 210 Dynamics should be Dynamic 227 Game Index 240