An outpost square is one that is
controlled by your pawns or
pieces as the c5 and e5 squares
are in diagram #1. Enemy outpost squares should be attacked by your pawns or pieces.
Note: Black could place a pawn on the d6 square to attack White's outpost squares on c5 and e5.
This will guard the intrusion of the opponent onto those squares.
On the second diagram, the c5 and e5 squares can now
support pieces which are
protected by the pawn as in
diagram #2. Aron Nimzowitsch taught to overprotect your outpost squares with your other pieces.
So, in our diagram, we could put a knight on d3, or rooks on the c and e files, to "overprotect"
the outpost squares c5 and e5. That way, your other pieces can jump
onto the bishop's or knight's square in the event of an attack on your outposts!
In diagram #3, White has just
used a ram pawn lever which
created three Black pawn islands.
In White's mind, imagination is
being used to attack the island
with pieces as in the diagram.
However, an outpost strategy could also be used to take advantage of the holes in Black's pawn structure.
In diagram #4, White uses
imagination to build outposts
using the hole's in Black's pawn
structure. Notice that White's
Knight on e4 is shielded from a frontal
assault using Black's own pawns
for protection. The Knight is in the
center of the board and radiates a
full circle of energy.The Bishop on f6 is on
an outpost square protected by the
Knight on e4. The Rook on h8 is on an outpost
square protected by the Bishop on f6. The
White pieces have built a
protected road, one outpost at a
time, right into the heart of
Black's camp !!!
Once key outpost squares have
been created and occupied, other
ideas become easier to
implement.One such idea is putting Rook's on
the 7th or 8th ranks to radiate
their attack horizontally. In
the diagram, the rooks have used
the open h file to move to the f8 and h8
outpost squares owned by the Queen
and Bishop. Putting Rook's
on the seventh rank is so common
that it has been given a name
which is putting "pigs in a blanket".
Copyright © Manus Patrick Fealy 1994-2002
I truly want you to become a better player.