About three years ago I was analyzing the Pro Chess DVD by GM Yasser Seirawan and decided to create an outline for myself and others to follow along with. It helps to see each idea visually on paper while watching the video and interpreting the information from your TV or PC screen. Follow along and enjoy!
Tactics List
1. Pins (relative, absolute, and cross pin)
2. Double Attacks
3. Battery (double battery)
4. Remove the Defender
5. Interference
6. Fork
7. Zwichenzug
8. Discovery
9. Double Check
10. Skewer
11. Under Promotion
12. Windmill Attack
13. Clearance
14. Overworked Piece
15. X-Ray Attack and Defense
16. Zugzwang
Rules of Attack
1. Don’t exchange attackers for defenders unnecessarily
2. You must have an advantage in order to attack
3. Attack to provoke a pawn weakness
4. Apply the force count – including King
Rules of Defense (Steinitz)
1. Use an economic defense (number of pieces)
2. Avoid pawn weaknesses
Time, Space (whites area and blacks area space count), Force (force count in piece value), and Pawn Structure determine the attacker from the defender and vice versa.
Rules of Time
Ahead in Time
1. Don’t close the position
2. Force pawn exchanges for open lines
3. Look for sacrifices
Behind in Time
1. Exchange pieces
2. Look for sacrifices
3. Counter Attack
Rules of Space
Ahead in Space
1. Don’t exchange pieces
2. Force pawn exchanges
Behind in Space
1. Place each piece effectively
2. Avoid pawn weaknesses
3. Exchange or defend weak pawns
4. Sacrifice for counter play
Exchange pieces
Pawn Structures
1. Weak – islands, isolated, doubled, backward (restrain, blockade, destroy)
2. Balanced – quiet (pieces are not very active), locked (use pawn storms), solid (systems like the stonewall and pawn triangle)
3. Dynamic – passed pawn (protected? split?), majority (create passers), minority attack (create weaknesses for the opponent), hanging pawns