Chess Strategy for Kids by Thomas Engqvist (K-5329)

The glue that binds it all together is strategy. By forming a good plan, chess-players seize strong points on the board and target the opponent’s weaknesses. Experienced player and teacher Thomas Engqvist shows that it all depends on logic that can be grasped by players of any age. He explains how to identify the right strategy in a wide range of typical situations. With his guidance, you will soon be finding good plans on your own – and then it will be time to demonstrate your tactical mastery!

He first teaches the importance of the central squares and the basics of pawn-play, before examining the role of each of the pieces and how they are affected by the pawn-structure. Finally we see how to use them together to launch attacks of many different types. You then get a chance to test your new strategic skills in 54 exercises, all with full solutions.

Chess Strategy for Kids provides a complete course that will help readers understand the potential of their pieces and play more purposefully in their games. Chess will stop feeling like a series of random events as you take command of your forces and direct them like a general in charge of an army.

Thomas Engqvist is an International Master from Sweden with more than three decades’ experience of international chess. He is a successful chess trainer and has also made notable contributions to chess theory. Engqvist is editor of the website schacksnack.se and teaches at a school in the Stockholm area.

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CONTENT

005 Introduction

006 Algebraic Notation

008 How to Study Strategy

The Centre, Development and Space

012 1) Control the Centre

014 2) Develop Your Pieces

016 3) The Classical Centre

018 4) The Little Centre

020 5) Other Types of Pawn-Centre

022 6) Tension in the Centre

024 7) Piece Control of the Centre

026 8) Neutralization of the Centre

028 9) Piece Centralization

030 10) Space Advantage

Pawns

032 11) United Pawns

034 12) The Pawn-Chain

036 13) The Passed Pawn

038 14) The Backward Pawn

040 15) Doubled Pawns

042 16) The Isolated Pawns

044 17) The Isolated Pawn Couple and Hanging Pawns

046 18) Pawn-Islands

Minor Pieces

048 19) Dominant Knights

050 20) Creating an Outpost for a Knight

052 21) Dominating the Knight

054 22) The Superfluous Knight

056 23) Bishop against Knight

058 24) Open Diagonals

060 25) Good and Bad Bishops

062 26) Opposite-Coloured Bishops

064 27) Restricting the Bishop with the Pawns

066 28) The Advantage of the Bishop-Pair

Major Pieces

068 29) Open Files and Half-Open Files

070 30) Play on the Ranks

072 31) The Rook-Lift

074 32) Handling the Major Pieces

076 33) An Exposed King

078 34) The King's Fortress

080 35) The Active King

General Strategy

082 36) Exchanging Material

084 37) Weak and Strong Squares

086 38) Piece-Activity

088 39) Harmony and Coordination

090 40) Positional Pawn Sacrifices

092 41) Positional Exchange Sacrifices

094 42) Pawn-Breaks

096 43) Overprotection

098 44) Play on the Wings

100 45) Pawn-Majorities

102 46) Further Advanced Pawns

104 47) The Minority Attack

106 48) Flank Attack with a Secure Centre

108 49) The Principle of the Two Weaknesses

110 50) Connecting Opening, Middlegame and Endgame

112 Name the Strategic Concept

116 Strategic Skills Exercises

118 Solutions to Test Positions

122 Glossary of Strategic Terms

126 Great Chess Strategists

127 Suggestions for Further Study