Planning Concepts Tutorial



1.
[{B:rnbqkbnr/pppppppp/32/PPPPPPPP/RNBQKBNR}{C}{W:003_001}The most difficult, yet basic problem that confronts all chess players is coming up with the right plan for a given position. At the beginner level, the concept of a plan simply doesn't exist.]

2.
[{B:rnbqkbnr/pppppppp/32/PPPPPPPP/RNBQKBNR}{D:4500}{N:b1g1}{D:1300}{N:c1f1}{D:1200}{N:d1}{D:2000}{C}{W:003_003}The beginner casts his eye about the chess board, looking lovingly at his well-manicured Knights, his pointed Bishop and all powerful Queen.]

3.
[{B:rnbqkbnr/pppppppp/32/PPPPPPPP/RNBQKBNR}{D:1300}{S:e2c4}{D:2500}{S:c4e2}{D:1300}{S:a2a4}{W:003_004}With a sudden gleam he thrusts a pawn forward! Ooops! He tries another. Phew! That one was legal.]

4.
[{B:rnbqkbnr/pppppppp/16/P7/8/1PPPPPPP/RNBQKBNR}{S:e7e5}{D:3100}{S:a1a3}{W:003_005}When it's his turn to move again, he proudly moves his Rook. Such daring! Such wit!]

5.
[{B:rnbqkbnr/pppp1ppp/8/4p3/P7/R7/1PPPPPPP/1NBQKBNR}{D:1500}{S:f8a3}{W:003_006}His opponent deftly captures a piece of the beginner's army.]

6.
[{B:rnbqk1nr/pppp1ppp/8/4p3/P7/b7/1PPPPPPP/1NBQKBNR}{S:b2a3}{D:700}{S:d8h4}{D:700}{S:g2g3}{D:700}{S:h4e4}{D:700}{S:f1g2}{D:700}{S:e4g2}{D:700}{S:g1f3}{D:700}{S:g2h1}{D:1800}{B:64}{D:50}{P:WRh1}{D:50}{P:BRa8}{P:WNb1}{D:50}{P:BBf8}{D:50}{P:BNb8}{D:50}{P:WKe1}{D:50}{P:BQd8}{D:50}{P:BKe8}{D:50}{P:WBf1}{D:50}{P:WPf2}{D:50}{P:BPh7}{D:50}{P:WQd1}{D:50}{P:WBc1}{D:50}{P:BRh8}{D:25}{P:WPh2}{D:50}{P:BPa7}{D:50}{P:WPg2}{P:BBc8}{D:60}{P:WPa2}{D:50}{P:BPb7}{P:WPb2}{D:35}{P:BPc7}{P:WNg1}{P:BPd7}{D:50}{P:WPc2}{D:40}{P:WRa1}{P:BNg8}{D:50}{P:BPe7}{D:50}{P:WPd2}{D:50}{P:BPf7}{D:50}{P:BPg7}{P:WPe2}{W:003_007}This denuding goes on until the beginner is mercilessly savaged, at which point the players set up the pieces and the whole process is repeated.]

7.
[{B:rnbqkbnr/pppppppp/32/PPPPPPPP/RNBQKBNR}{W:003_008}If the above sounds like you, don't grieve. This tutorial was made for you!]

8.
[{B:rnbqkbnr/pppppppp/32/PPPPPPPP/RNBQKBNR}{W:003_009}The first way you can improve your game is by learning to look at the whole board. Now look at the starting position...]

9.
[{B:rnbqkbnr/pppppppp/32/PPPPPPPP/RNBQKBNR}{D:14000}{N:a2b2c2d2e2f2g2h2a7b7c7d7e7f7g7h7}{D:1200}{N:a1h1a8h8}{D:800}{N:b1g1b8g8}{D:800}{N:c1f1c8f8}{D:1200}{C}{W:003_010}Imagine yourself on an ancient battlefield with equally matched armies ready to fight. With differently skilled weaponry, it is important to see the whole battle as it takes place. With common foot soldiers, cannon, cavalry and archers, each movement has to be coordinated.]

10.
[{B:r1bqr1k1/p1p2pb1/1pnp3p/4N1p1/3P4/N2B2PP/PPP2P1K/R1BQR3 WHITE}{D:1000}{S:e5c6}{D:2900}{S:e8e1}{D:1500}{S:c1g5}{D:6000}{S:g7d4}{W:003_012}A supply line may become vulnerable and a would-be hero is vanquished. Trading an archer for a few foot soldiers may seem sensible, but what if the opposing army's archer picks off a number of your foot soldiers from a distance without loss? Perhaps the decision wasn't as good as you thought.]

11.
[{B:rnbqkbnr/pppppppp/32/PPPPPPPP/RNBQKBNR}{W:003_015}From the starting position, it is clear that battles can begin at once all over the board. Just as our ancient battle analogy suggests, it is very useful to know the terrain of the battle - all the dips and curves of the land.]

12.
[{B:rnbqkbnr/pppppppp/32/PPPPPPPP/RNBQKBNR}{N1:a1a2a3a4b1b2b3b4c1c2c3c4d1d2d3d4e1e2e3e4f1f2f3f4g1g2g3g4h1h2h3h4}{D:6400}{N:a5a6a7a8b5b6b7b8c5c6c7c8d5d6}{H:d7d8e5e6e7e8f5f6f7f8g5g6g7g8h5h6h7h8}{W:003_027}Drawing an imaginary line between the fourth and fifth ranks neatly divides the chessboard in half, with thirty-two squares for each side. These thirty-two squares each belong to the White and Black army. White has his space, Black has his space.]

13.
[{C}{B:rnbqkbnr/pppppppp/16/3P4/8/PPP1PPPP/RNBQKBNR}{D:1000}{A:Wc1h6}{N:g5h6}{D:1000}{S:g8f6}{D:500}{S:e2e4}{A:Wf1a6}{H:b5a6f5d5}{A:We4f5}{A:We4d5}{D:1000}{S:b7b6}{D:500}{S:g1f3}{A:Wf3e5}{A:Wf3g5}{H:e5g5}{D:1000}{S:c7c5}{D:500}{S:d4c5}{A:Wd1d6}{H:d5d6b6}{A:Wc5d6}{A:Wc5b6}{W:003_029}When one player controls or attacks one of his opponent's squares this is called gaining space. It stands to reason that, as we control more and more squares of the board, our opponent will have less room to move and become more restricted. The effort to control space is a time-honored strategy.]

14.
[{B:rnbqkbnr/pppppppp/32/PPPPPPPP/RNBQKBNR}{N:d1d2d3d4d5d6d7d8e1e2e3e4e5e6e7e8}{D:4400}{B:r4rk1/p1qb1ppp/1p3n2/1B4N1/1b1n1BQ1/P1N5/1PP2PPP/R3R2K}{D:4000}{A:We1e8}{A:Wa1d1}{A:Wd1d8}{W:003_040}The central files are most often controlled by the Rooks. After the opening is over, we are all sagely advised to "control the center with our Rooks."]

15.
[{C}{B:rnbqkbnr/pppppppp/32/PPPPPPPP/RNBQKBNR}{D:3200}{N:e4}{D:1000}{H:e5}{D:1200}{H:d4}{D:1000}{H:d5}{W:003_041}The four central squares in the middle of the board, e4,e5,d4,d5 are the key central squares. A great amount of the action takes place around them. They make marvelous outposts, particularly for the Knights. The player who effectively controls these squares is usually in charge of the game.]

16.
[{B:rnbqkbnr/pppppppp/32/PPPPPPPP/RNBQKBNR}{D:500}{N:a1b1c1d1e1f1g1h1}{D:1000}{N:a1a2a3a4a5a6a7a8}{D:900}{N:a1a2a3a4a5a6a7a8b1b2b3b4b5b6b7b8c1c2c3c4c5c6c7c8f1f2f3}{H:f4f5f6f7f8g1g2g3g4g5g6g7g8h1h2h3h4h5h6h7h8}{D:800}{N:d1d2d3d4d5d6d7d8}{H:e1e2e3e4e5e6e7e8}{D:2000}{C}{D:4900}{N1:a1b2c3d4e5f6g7h8}{D:2000}{H:a8b7c6d5e4f3g2h1}{D:4500}{S:g2g3}{D:100}{S:f1g2}{A:Wg2a8}{W:003_043}Besides ranks, files, flanks and center squares, another way to look at the board is along its diagonals. The long diagonals a1-h8 and a8-h1 run right through the center of the board. Bishops love to control these diagonals, while being deployed to the Kingside or Queenside.]

17.
[{B:3k4/p7/40/3KB3}
{V:Move the White Bishop to the long diagonal.{W:003_047};
e1c3;Correct.{W:cor};
Sorry, that's not correct.{W:stnc}}]

18.
[{B:3k4/p7/40/3K2N1}
{V:Play the move that controls the greatest number of central squares for White.{W:003_049};
g1f3;That's right.{W:tr};
Sorry, that's not the right answer.{W:snra}}]

19.
[{B:rnbqkbnr/pppppppp/32/PPPPPPPP/RNBQKBNR}
{I:Click on the four center squares.{W:PC_001};
e4e5d4d5;Correct.{W:cor};Sorry, that's not correct.{W:stnc}}]

20.
[{B:1r4k1/2p3p1/1p3p1p/1P2p3/8/1bPN2P1/3P1K2/4R3}
{V:White to move.{W:wtm} Move the Rook to its optimum square.{W:PC_002};
e1a1;That's right.{W:tr};
Sorry, that's not the right answer.{W:snra}}]

21.
[{B:64}
{I:Click on all of the squares of the dark-square diagonal.{W:PC_003};
a1b2c3d4e5f6g7h8;Correct.{W:cor};Sorry, that's not correct.{W:stnc}}]

22.
[{B:rnbqkbnr/pppppppp/32/PPPPPPPP/RNBQKBNR}
{Q:On which types of lines do Bishops do best? Ranks, Files, or Diagonals?{W:PC_004};
Ranks;Sorry, that's not the right answer.{W:snra};
Files;Sorry, that's not correct.{W:stnc};
Diagonals;That's right.{W:tr};3}]

23.
[{B:1kr4n/2p2q1p/5p2/8/1B3P1N/2Pp4/6QP/4R1K1}
{I:Click on all of the squares in Black's territory which White's pieces currently control.
{W:PC_005};
a5a8b7c5c6d5d6e5e6e7e8f5f8g5g6g7g8;Correct.{W:cor};
Sorry, that's not correct.{W:stnc}}]

24.
[{B:64}{F:B}{B:8/5b2/8/2n5/8/4P3/5Q2/8 BLACK}
{V:Move the Black Bishop to the long diagonal.{W:PC_009};
f7d5;That's right.{W:tr};
Sorry, that's not the right answer.{W:snra}}]

25.
[{B:2n5/6p1/16/2P5/16/5B2 BLACK}
{V:Play the move that controls the greatest number of central squares for Black.{W:PC_008};
c8d6;Correct.{W:cor};
Sorry, that's not correct.{W:stnc}}]

26.
[{B:3r2k1/5pp1/16/3p4/2PP4/QP6/1K3N1B BLACK}
{V:Black to move.{W:btm} Move the Rook to its optimum square.{W:PC_002};
d8e8;That's right.{W:tr};
Sorry, that's not the right answer.{W:snra}}]

27.
[{B:64}
{I:Click on all of the squares of the light-square diagonal.{W:PC_006};
a8b7c6d5e4f3g2h1;Correct.{W:cor};
Sorry, that's not correct.{W:stnc}}]

28.
[{B:1kr3nr/pp3p2/3b1q1p/n5p1/3p2PN/2PP4/PP1Q3P/1KR2BNR BLACK}
{I:Click on all of the squares in White's territory which Black's pieces currently control.
{W:PC_007};
b3a3b4c3c4e3f1f2f3f4g3h2h4;That's right.{W:tr};
Sorry, that's not the right answer.{W:snra}}]