Pattern recognition is one of the most important mechanisms of chess improvement. This is well known. But what does pattern recognition actually mean? And how can you improve at it?
If you realize a position has similarities with something you have seen before, you are recognizing a pattern. This helps you to get to the essence of a position quickly and find the most promising continuation. To get better at recognizing chess patterns, knowing which positions are worth remembering will save lots of time and energy.
In this book IM Arthur van de Oudeweetering supplies building blocks for your chess knowledge. In short chapters he presents lots of well-defined subjects, easy to remember because of their specific elements. After working with this book you will experience something wonderful: your mind and memory will be triggered much easier and more frequently. An increasing number of positions, pawn structures and piece placements will automatically activate your chess knowledge. As a result, you will simply find the right move more often and more quickly!
Your major pieces, the rook and queen in chess can wreak major havoc on your opponents. These powerful, long-range pieces often deliver the decisive follow-up blow after a sacrifice.
Despite their strength, they are not all about brute force, and as you get familiar with the rook and queen, you will learn to use them more subtly.
The following is an introduction to the major pieces and how you can get a little more from your rooks and queen in chess.
You might find it helpful to follow GM Simon Williams’ advice to think of the pawn structure in chess as the skeleton of your position and the pieces as the organs. Pawns are much less fluid than pieces and often find themselves in fixed positions since they cannot move backward.
Understanding the pawn structure in chess will help you find the best squares for your pieces. You will also know which exchanges are favorable to you.
July 14, 2022
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