Pal Benko played this in 1958 ! Understanding Endgame the right way
Imbalance: Knowledge + Awareness + Willpower
1) How to Read the position?
2) List down all the Imbalances of the position.
3) The plans from white and black will start becoming clear.
4) Every exchange of piece or every pawn advance creates new imbalances, so keep in mind before doing the same.
Types of Imbalance- (prove the superiority)
1) Minor pieces- Bishop vs Knight
2) Pawn structure
3) Space- Annexation of territory
4) Material
5) Files, Ranks,Diagonals- Control by Rook(s)/ Bishop
6) Squares- Holes
7) Development- lead in development gives you more force on specific areas of the board.
8) Initiative- Dictating the tempo of the game.
9) King Safety.
10) Statics vs Dynamics.
Bishop v/s Knight :
Rules:
1) Bishop likes open diagonals and the knight likes to sit on holes / Outposts and be centralized.
2) Bishops are long ranged pieces and knights are short ranged pieces, hence, bishops are better in endgames while both sides have passed pawns.
3) Knight is better in an endgame where pawns are on one side of the board.
4) The term “Bad Bishop” means bishop is placed on the same color of your center pawns. To solve the problem of “Bad Bishop”, do one of the three things.
4.1) Trade with an equal value piece.
4.2) Remove the center pawn of the same color.
4.3) Bring the bishop outside the pawn chain.
5) Bishop pairs are very strong as compared to one bishop in the endgame.
6) The way to beat Knights is to deprive them of any advanced support points (outposts).
TIME :
0:00 : Introduction and candidate moves
6:46 : Explanation of the position
11:14 : Calculation by students
17:22 : General approach towards endgames
19:30 : Calculation by students
22:50 : Benko-Averbakh 1958 game
#chessfundamentals #imbalance #chessendgame