Many chess players don’t consider the element of imbalance. They don’t understand that many games are lost or won because of imbalances in the position.
To use chess imbalances to your advantage you have to adjust your chess strategies accordingly.
Often numerous pieces (knights, bishops, rooks, the queen) are assembled at certain parts of the board. This makes it likely to start an attack in a specific area of the board.(kingside, queenside, center).
The question is not, if you want to attack or not. If you are an attacking player or not? Who cares? We are not talking about you! The only important thing is the position and nothing else! If your position says: Attack! You must attack and that’s it! If you want to become a good player, please understand this!!
Feel it coming when pieces start clustering and revise and adjust your plan according to actual circumstances. Adjust to the “cluster-effect”! Submit your will to the requirements of the position! The position is the boss, not you!
The best book to study chess imbalances and how to use them to your advantage is:
How to reassess your Chess! – Jeremy Silman This book is one of the best chess books I ever bought and will improve your understanding of chess positions tremendously.
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| This looks risky, but Black has destroyed the important center pawn e4, capturing it with his knight. | Look at the Cluster-Effect at the kingside! Four Pieces are ready to attack the white king! But only two are defending the king. The white queen is displaced at the queenside and the white knight on c3 is too far away. So don’t trade off your knight on e4 for the knight on c3, BUT use it to attack the kingside. Let the enemy knight starve at the queenside. |
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| Still four attackers versus two defenders. White is lost. Replay this game below! |
Black attacks because he has to…
Flip Board: Press F-Key (or click e7 or d2 on top) Select a game: Click on grey bar
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