Famous Chess Strategies: 16 Plans Every Master Knows

Learn the most famous chess strategies for free: controlling the center, the isolated pawn, the minority attack, the bishop pair, the Lucena position and the Philidor defense, with real positions and interactive practice.

Opening strategies

• Control the center: The squares d4, e4, d5 and e5 are the heart of the board. Whoever controls them moves freely and can attack in every direction.
• Fast development and castling: In the opening, every move should bring a new piece into play. Whoever develops faster and castles first takes the initiative.
• The hypermodern school: the center from afar: Instead of occupying the center with pawns, you control it from afar with a fianchettoed bishop and knights, then strike at the opponent's center later.

Middlegame strategies

• The knight outpost: A square in the enemy camp that no enemy pawn can attack. A knight planted there becomes the strongest piece on the board.
• Open files and the seventh rank: Rooks need open files. When one breaks into the seventh rank, it attacks pawns from the side and traps the king.
• The isolated queen's pawn: An isolated d-pawn gives its owner space, activity and the e5 square for a knight, but in the endgame it becomes a weakness to attack.
• The minority attack: Two pawns attack three: push b4 and b5 to break the opponent's queenside pawns and leave a weak pawn on c6.
• The bishop pair: Two bishops together cover every square on the board. In open positions they are stronger than a knight and bishop or two knights.
• Good bishop, bad bishop: A bishop whose own pawns stand on its colour becomes "bad": locked in behind them. A knight can be far stronger.
• Prophylaxis: Before carrying out your plan, ask: what does my opponent want? Then stop it. A small move like h3 can kill a whole plan.

Attacking the king

• Pawn storms with opposite castling: When the kings castle on opposite sides, it becomes a race: you push your pawns at the enemy king to open files before they do.

Endgame techniques

• The king is a fighting piece: In the endgame the king becomes a strong piece. Centralizing it decides most pawn and minor-piece endgames.
• The passed pawn and Tarrasch's rule: A passed pawn can't be stopped by any enemy pawn. And rooks belong behind it: the further it advances, the more active the rook.
• The opposition and key squares: When the kings face each other with one square between them, the side not to move has the opposition. It decides win or draw in pawn endgames.
• The Lucena position: building a bridge: The most important rook endgame in chess: a pawn on the seventh rank with your king in front. You build a "bridge" with your rook on the fourth rank to shield your king from checks.
• The Philidor defense: The most famous drawing method in rook endgames: your rook on the sixth rank stops the enemy king advancing, then checks from behind.