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Informative link on material imbalances and doubled pawns...
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deeper_insight 08-Aug-15, 19:13 |
 Informative link on material imbalances and doubled pawns...home.comcast.net I've copied and pasted the above links from one one my past forum discussions.Its not necessarily designed for complete beginners to absorb,but it may become very useful as time goes on.I will get into more detail as time goes on,but this post is to get things started.Its important to realize that there is a fluctuation in the "point value"of your pieces depending upon the position of that piece on the board.So a Knight for example,may not have the "book value"of 3 points if it ends up on the edge files of a or h.Restricted movement can many times reduce its "value".So whats important about that?Well,if your opponents knight(for example)is froze or placed on a square that deems its value less,then you could possibly "exploit"your opponents weakness by...1.Making your own Knight(s)more aggressively mobile giving you the "initiative" or 2.Placing increased pressure on the open squares that your opponents Knight may not be able to defend or attack.This can be done by placing your own pieces on those open squares or attacking from a distance(bearing down pressure on those squares). On a separate note...basically,Kaufmans assessment of the edge pawns is very accurate and makes alot of sense.Any piece who's movement and/or capture ability as been restricted(atleast temporarily) basically follows a logical conclusion that the value of that piece is reduced.That value of course,can move + or - as the game progresses and doubled pawn value changes as well, depending upon what other pieces are present.But the edge files for pawns normally reduces a pawns value.There are many examples where the importance of edge pawns come into play and can lead to an advantage and victory,but that is not what Kaufman is saying in his article.He is saying that the pawns value is automatically less on the edge file....but its what you do with the edge pawns LATER on in the game that can lead to an advantage or failure if your not skilled enough utilizing the proper tactics to overcome any fractional disadvantage. The Knight is another perfect example when placed on the a or h edge file.The value of the Knight is reduced many,many times for obvious reasons....it now has its movement and opponent piece capture ability reduced to 50% since it cannot move to the right or left depending upon what file its on(a or h).Does this mean that your game is at a disadvantage?Not necessarily,but many times it can lead to a disadvantage if the Knight is not moved off that file pronto,especially in the game opening.Most of the time it is logically better to have a Knight that has its movement NOT restricted,than restricted on an edge file...thus the "value"of the Knight on an edge file is normally reduced,just like edge pawns.The purpose of Kaufmans accurate article is to explain the literal values of pieces in certain situations.It does not contend that your game will be at a disadvantage with doubled edge pawns or a knight on the edge file...but by the same token it may very well lead to a game loss for those players who do not know how to contend with those pieces as the game progresses with the proper tactics and rating abilities. |
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deeper_insight 17-Sep-15, 07:22 |
Cliff note's and brief summary on doubled pawns and material imbalances... As a chess player gets stronger and stronger he will find the two links above in this thread highly valuable. Depending upon your pieces position or your piece(s) as positioned against the enemy's forces,the values of your pawns,doubled pawns and major pieces change quite frequently during the game.So,the "book"value for a pawn is not always 1 point,nor is a doubled pawn setup on your side of the board or your opponents side a total value of 2 points as a group.Nor is your Knight or Bishop always worth 3 points or your Rook always worth 5 points.Sometimes even your Queen is worth no more than perhaps 8.5 points or less. Position says it all! So why is this important?Well,as you climb up the rating ladder you should be able to recognize AHEAD OF TIME that some exchanges or moves should be avoided or not avoided because you know in advance that the specific position will lead to a small disadvantage(fractional or a theoretical point or so)and should NOT be allowed to "appear" after the Knight rests on an edge file or that doubled pawns setup you created for yourself formed after all or most of the major pieces are off the board and its close to the endgame.On the other hand,if the position of the doubled pawns are early in the game and open up the "b file" and your Rook is places on b1,this can be advantageous and many times neutralizes the disadvantage of doubled pawns on the "a"or possibly the "c" file. On the higher rating levels,say,above 2100,then these "fractional"advantages(or disadvantages) of doubled pawns or other major pieces become much more important since chess is beginning to be played more "perfectly"and even the slightest disadvantage can become a loss 20 moves later,even if just one of your pawns have a .05 value instead of a 1 point value!Yes,that is how important these point value fluctuations based upon position of your pieces become when playing much more close to perfect chess. Now,many of you guys to tell you the truth will never reach 2100 or higher(I wish you could!)so,many of these theories will not be understood,cared about or thought much about during your game,but regardless of that,the underlying fact is that they are important and are a part of "WHY"you will continue to remain at the lower rating levels.hey,I say it the way it is,I do not pull, any punches and cream puff anything over! But,if you can absorb and understand and actually use just a tiny amount of what is contained in the two links above with those diagrams and lengthy words by IM Kaufman,then most certainly you should be able to win more games or draw more against even stronger opponents than yourself!You will have gotten better,for sure. Some conclusions: 1.Doubled pawns have less value when most or all of the major pieces are off the board,so early exchanges like in the Ruy Lopez that double your pawns or opponents pawns are not significantly enough of a disadvantage to be concerned with,at least immediately. 2.Edge pawn captures that produce doubled pawn on the b or g file on your side are usually quite favorable 3.As to doubled pawn structures formed:"With all the major pieces still present, it is a clearly favorable one, and with a rook still on the newly opened file it is generally highly desirable." 4. "So the lessons are clear; beware of doubled pawns when major pieces have been exchanged, and beware of exchanging major pieces when you are the one with the doubled pawns." 5.In respect to the doubled pawns..."In general, when the kings are castled on the same side, a half-open file on the other side is only a modest plus, and if the half-open file is near your own king it may well be a disadvantage. But if the kings are castled on opposite sides and the half-open file bears down on the enemy king, it’s a big plus and can easily offset even doubled isolated pawns." 6.Doubled pawns have only about 1/16 of a pawn value decrease with both Rooks on the board.So nothing much to worry about. 7.With both of your Bishops present,this usually neutralizes most of the doubled pawns disadvantages.In the endgame it is more of a disadvantage if your opponent has both of his Bishops present in the open game and you have either both Knights present or a Knight and Bishop combination. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Material imbalances summary: 4. On a crowded board, the minor pieces and queen are worth a bit more relative to rooks and pawns than the above scale indicates, and on a fairly empty board the reverse is true... -Two pawns are usually a bit better than the exchange, and one pawn plus the bishop pair is almost but not quite enough for the exchange -Two minor pieces are a bit inferior to rook and two pawns (much inferior on a fairly empty board), but if the side with the two minor pieces has the bishop pair, they are a bit superior. -Two rooks are on the average better than a queen (but not on a crowded board) but worse than a queen plus a pawn (not on an otherwise nearly empty board) -Two rooks are equal to three minor pieces without the bishop pair but inferior to same with the bishop pair -Queen is a bit stronger than rook plus minor piece plus pawn, but a bit weaker if the minor piece gives the bishop pair advantage -Queen is inferior to three minor pieces even without the bishop pair, and if the three minors include the bishop pair they are equal to queen and pawn (on a crowded board they are superior)" All of these things can be quite confusing to those in the early rating levels,but if you can retain just one or two facts above and utilze them in your games,you will have improved,if even a wee bit. Also, try to not place your Knights on the edge files for very long if ever.This reduces its movement,thus,its point value and can cost you the game,especially if they become a bit frozen through pawn advancements of your opponent.Its a bit less in theoretical value loss many times with with your Bishops on the edge file(s) due to the fact that they can attack more squares across the board. Unblocking your Bishops most always increases its point value.If its blocked,consider it useless in many circumstances until it becomes unblocked.If your opponents Bishops are blocked or hemmed in,then INCREASED movement and pressure utilized by YOUR Bishops,not your Knights become usually critically important and increases their point value beyond 3 points each. So much to digest,right?Well,you want to improve?Then shovel it in till your belly explodes!And I just skimmed the bare surface!Sure,more diagrams will help,but this will come in time...you must weigh in both of Kaufmans links and my words first! This is why you must have a very good chess program to improve.You must set up random positions or old finished games or games from some other source.You will be able to see for yourself the value changes with some positions and/or doubled pawns before and after the exchange and see what the program advises or does not advise for the next best move....then check and COMPARE the pawn value differences in position from one possibility to the next.This is called "learning"!And then you must remember the positions and utilize those same things in your real games later on. Hey,becoming better at chess REQUIRES work buddy!Its not going to come natural simply because you have decided to play 50 games at one time on GK and maybe managed an occasional draw with some lofty 2200+rated player!Maybe that lofty player simply had a bad week and your giving yourself more credit than your due! I have burned the midnight oil for years with textbooks covering a big table,4 or 5 chessboards set up with my Tasc R-30 and replaying countless moves in a line and seeing why this move was a bit better or inferior to the others and noted what the computer labelled as a .85 or 1.01 pawn value in that position as opposed to the position I WANTED to move to.Work my friends,work! So,it does not matter if you play 100,000 games on GK and no less than 200 at one time or 1 at one time!This will not automatically make you improve!you may think so,but you are fooling yourself. Take this thread and Kaufmans links as a chess Bible!!!Dissect his words and mine.Its important if you truly have the heart and desire and willpower to improve.Just "wishing"it is not good enough. TA |
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deeper_insight 16-Jan-16, 19:42 |
Link bandages www.danheisman.com www.chess.com These links are actually very important to players learning theory or needing to learn.I would suggest any players south of 2000 in rating to go over them carefully.It does not matter if you do not understand "everything"in those links.Just understanding "bits and pieces" can be beneficial to your game and may "sink in"later on as you improve your game play.You can always ask questions for any part you do not understand. I will add more to this thread in time. |
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deeper_insight 16-Jan-16, 20:04 |
Hans Berliner pawn structural pawn value system Value of non-passed pawn in the opening Rank a & h file b & g file c & f file d & e file 2 0.90 0.95 1.05 1.10 3 0.90 0.95 1.05 1.15 4 0.90 0.95 1.10 1.20 5 0.97 1.03 1.17 1.27 6 1.06 1.12 1.25 1.40 Value of non-passed pawn in the endgame Rank a & h file b & g file c & f file d & e file 2 1.20 1.05 0.95 0.90 3 1.20 1.05 0.95 0.90 4 1.25 1.10 1.00 0.95 5 1.33 1.17 1.07 1.00 6 1.45 1.29 1.16 1.05 Value of pawn advances (multiplier of base amount) Rank Isolated Connected Passed Passed & connected 4 1.05 1.15 1.30 1.55 5 1.30 1.35 1.55 2.3 6 2.1 x x 3.5 Some additional notes to consider: pawn = 1 knight = 3.2 bishop = 3.33 rook = 5.1 queen = 8.8 There are adjustments for the rank and file of a pawn and adjustments for the pieces depending on how open or closed the position is. Bishops, rooks, and queens gain up to 10 percent more value in open positions and lose up to 20 percent in closed positions. Knights gain up to 50 percent in closed positions and lose up to 30 percent in the corners and edges of the board. The value of a good bishop may be at least 10 percent higher than that of a bad bishop (Berliner 1999:14–18). Different types of doubled pawns (from Berliner). There are different types of doubled pawns; see the diagram. White's doubled pawns on the b-file are the best situation in the diagram, since advancing the pawns and exchanging can get them un-doubled and mobile. The doubled b-pawn is worth 0.75 points. If the black pawn on a6 were on c6, it would not be possible to dissolve the doubled pawn, and it would be worth only 0.5 points. The doubled pawn on f2 is worth about 0.5 points. The second white pawn on the h-file is worth only 0.33 points, and additional pawns on the file would be worth only 0.2 points (Berliner 1999:18–20). Changing valuations in the endgame: As already noted when the standard values were firstly formulated (Lolli 1763:255), the relative strength of the pieces changes as a game progresses to the endgame. The value of pawns, rooks and, to a lesser extent, bishops may increase. The knight tends to lose some power, and the strength of the queen may be slightly lessened, as well. Some examples follow. A queen versus two rooks: In the middlegame they are equal In the endgame, the two rooks are somewhat more powerful. With no other pieces on the board, two rooks are equal to a queen and a pawn A rook versus two minor pieces In the opening and middlegame, a rook and two pawns are weaker than two bishops; equal to or slightly weaker than a bishop and knight; and equal to two knights In the endgame, a rook and one pawn are equal to two knights; and equal or slightly weaker than a bishop and knight. A rook and two pawns are equal to two bishops (Alburt & Krogius 2005:402–3). Bishops are often more powerful than rooks in the opening. Rooks are usually more powerful than bishops in the middlegame, and rooks dominate the minor pieces in the endgame (Seirawan 2003:ix). As the tables in Berliner's system show, the values of pawns change dramatically in the endgame. In the opening and middlegame, pawns on the central files are more valuable. In the late middlegame and endgame the situation reverses, and pawns on the wings become more valuable due to their likelihood of becoming an outside passed pawn and threatening to promote. When there is about fourteen points of material on both sides, the value of pawns on any file is about equal. After that, wing pawns become more valuable (Berliner 1999:16–20). C.J.S. Purdy gave minor pieces a value of 3½ points in the opening and middlegame but 3 points in the endgame. ------------------------------------------------------------- White should not exchange a bishop and knight for a rook and pawn with 1. Nxf7? There are shortcomings of any piece valuation system. For instance, positions in which a bishop and knight can be exchanged for a rook and pawn are fairly common. In this position, White should not do that, e.g. 1. Nxf7? Rxf7 2. Bxf7+ Kxf7 This seems like an even exchange (six points for six points), but it is not because two minor pieces are better than a rook and pawn in the middlegame (Silman 1998:340–42). Pachman also notes that two bishops are almost always better than a rook and pawn (Pachman 1971:11). In most openings, two minor pieces are better than a rook and pawn and are usually at least as good as a rook and two pawns until the position is greatly simplified (i.e. late middlegame or endgame). Minor pieces get into play earlier than rooks and they coordinate better, especially when there are many pieces and pawns on the board. Rooks are usually developed later and are often blocked by pawns until later in the game (Watson 2006:102). Note:Three minor pieces are better than a queen This situation in this position is not very common, but White has exchanged a queen and a pawn (ten points) for three minor pieces (nine points). Three minor pieces are usually better than a queen because of their greater mobility, and the extra pawn is not important enough to change the situation (Silman 1998:340–41). Three minor pieces are almost as strong as two rooks (Pachman 1971:11). Two minor pieces plus two pawns are almost always as good as a queen. Two rooks are better than a queen and pawn (Berliner 1999:13–14). Many of the systems have a two-point difference between the rook and a minor piece, but most theorists put that difference at about 1½ points, see The exchange (chess)#Value of the exchange. In open positions, a rook plus a pair of bishops is stronger than two rooks plus a knight (Kaufeld & Kern 2011:79). |
