Planning

CHESMAYNE

Planning

It is much more important to look around than to look ahead. In other words, more games are lost by overlooking the obvious than by failure to see far ahead. Nevertheless, chess players must always think ahead at least one move. That is, they must never move without first making sure that the adversary cannot surprise them with a combination. However, a player usually thinks further than one move. After development is completed, and your MPs are all in play, you should begin to look for a feasible objective. For example, in some positions you may decide that an attack on your opponent’s KI is justified. In others, you may decide that such a plan is likely to fail and is therefore bad. But you may find you can win some material, perhaps a MP. More often, you will find it necessary to be less ambitious. Then a good recipe is to look for a MP/mp that is doing least in your position, or one that is doing very little. Then make a plan to activate the MP/mp. Or look for the enemy MP that is most effective, or one that is very effective. Then make a plan to reduce its force, either by exchanging the MP/mp or inducing the MP to retreat. Try both recipes over in your mind. Whatever plan you adopt, always be ready to alter it. A plan is only something to guide you while the position retains all the characteristics that led you to form the plan in the first place. Above all, a plan must always take second place to immediate threats - either threats by your opponent or opportunities for strong threats of your own. Threats are the stuff of which combinations are made, and combinations always have precedence over plans. Plans are what you fall back on when there is no sound combination and obviously, this happens 90% of the time. You should try to make sure that every one of your plays is part of a plan. The first part of any plan is to decide on your aim. Checkmate is rarely a realistic short term goal but you may find that you are able to promote/enrobe a mp, make an exchange or improve your defensive position. Having decided your objective, your next stage is to find the best way to bring it to fruition. One of the best ways to decide on a plan is to search for a weakness in your adversary’s position. A weak mp structure is a good target to attack. If your own mps are weak, you may look at how to improve their defence. Look at your own board position and rectify any obvious weaknesses. Look for simple targets such as an exposed KI, undefended MPs/mps, doubled PAs (:do-PAs), isolated PAs (:is-PAs) and find a way to undermine them. Be alert to your adversary’s moves and try to second guess h/her plan. Look for ways to foil his/her plan while pursuing your own agenda. Switch plans if you find this necessary. Be flexible and refrain from embarking on a long and difficult plan if you are not confident that it will actually work. French: a plan - un plan.

Air Bubble: symbol of empty, unrealistic plans and wishes.

“At 30 a wo/man suspects him/herself a fool; knows it at 40, and reforms his/her plan”.

A territorial plan is based on having more cells under your control. The emphasis is not on a rapid assault but on keeping a tight grip and preventing your opponent from freeing h/herself. Maintaining a superior mp structure is an essential feature in such plans and provided you can do this a quite slow and gradual build-up of the attack is often best.

An endgame plan is one from which either because of material advantage or better mp position, you expect to win in the endgame.

Have a bias toward action - let’s see something happen now. You can break that big plan into small steps and take the first step right away.