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(28) Space Counting in the Openings
Hungarian Defense and Giouco Pianissimo [C50] Sample Game [Manus Fealy]
1.e4
e5
2.Nf3
Nc6
3.Bc4
Nf6
4.Nc3
Bc5
5.d3
d6
Hungarian Defense and Giouco Pianissimo |
Have you ever found yourself at the board just staring at the pieces? Many people do just that. Chess is not just a game of material. It is a game of space.
To understand space, we must not look at the pieces but understand their invisible shapes. These invisible shapes are easily seen by placing a piece on one of the four center squares (d4,d5,e4,e5). You then place a pawn on every square that the piece can attack.
In diagram #1, the Pawn's invisible
shape is two dots. If you do this
for the rest of the pieces you will
find that the Knight is a circle, the Bishop is
an X, the Rook is a cross, the Queen is a
star, and the King is a square. At the
sides of the board the shapes are
cut in half. However, the Rook
covers as many squares at the side
of the board as it does in the
center. This could be why it is
placed on the side of the board at
the start of the game.
In diagram #2, the line between the fourth and fifth ranks is called the Frontier Line. If the White shapes stay below that line and the Black shapes stay above the line then there is no win for anyone unless someone resigns.
For offense, we must strive to see
the shapes we have created on our
opponents side of the frontier line.
For defense, we must see what of
our opponents shapes, not pieces,
are on our half of the board.
Our space count for diagram #3
is one. This is the only shape we
have across the frontier line. It is a move that is far away from the center of the board.
If you notice, in diagram #4, the
center move e4 lets the rest of
our pieces extend their shapes
across the frontier line with a
space count of five. We should always be trying to
extend the shapes of our pieces and this is most easily
done by making moves that attack the center.
Here the bishop is attacking three squares. Those squares are (a6, c6, and d7). Space counting can be used to decide what square a piece should be developed on during the opening. The bishop is not protecting the square that it is sitting on. Can we get a greater space count for the bishop than on the b5 square?
The answer is Yes. If you notice now, the bishop is closer to the center, the position has changed a little and the bishop now attacks 5 squares on our opponents half of the frontier line. Those squares are (b5, a6, d5, e6, and f7). So, what would you rather have? More squares or less squares in your space count? Well, the general rule of thumb is the following. When you have a greater space count, you have more mobility for your pieces. This mobility can be used to get your pieces into the fight, quickly, to capture a needed file, rank, diagonal or square. The following game is a short demonstration of space counting in practice. See if you can count the space that white has move by move. If you make your moves based on space and time tempos you will naturally be making tournament quality opening book moves. Also, watch black's moves because symmetrical positions can be drawish but can also lead to disaster if a player is not careful.
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(28) Space Counting in the Openings
Hungarian Defense and Giouco Pianissimo [C50] Sample Game [Manus Fealy]
1.e4
e5
2.Nf3
Nc6
3.Bc4
Nf6
4.Nc3
Bc5
5.d3
d6
Hungarian Defense and Giouco Pianissimo |
Especially if you are on an attack...keep your pieces. Making trades usually decreases your attacking potential and increases your opponent's defense.
When you are down in the space count, make trades to ease your defensive chores. Try to trade off a piece that is not used in your defense and trade it for one of the attacking pieces. A good defensive counter attack, through the center of the board, is what is called for when you are defending. The counter attack is usually best carried out in the center because that is where your pieces have the most invisible shape (the squares that the pieces attack, your space count, if the defender gets more space, the defender goes on the attack. It's that simple). So it is wise for the attacker to own the center or close it up and keep your opponent from moving his pieces there. That is the main reason why you fight for the center...stopping the counter attack so you can have a peaceful attack of your own with no worries....I'm all for that.
A Space Count is the total count of all
of the squares that we are attacking,
across the middle frontier line.
Copyright © Manus Patrick Fealy 1994-2005
I truly want you to become a better chess player.
