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euro_pop_legend 12-May-23, 08:38	Spatial advantage is not always an advantage In my most recent snapshot analysis test,I asked members to determine which side had the advantage and why.It was determined through a spatial advantage count which side had more spatial advantage.But simply counting spatial advantage is not always going to give you an accurate assessment of the immediate position all the time or after you make even just 1 move after that math analysis of yours.The first link below is from the snapshot test and members responses.The second link is a past post that is a refresher on knowing how to count squares.The third link describes "overextensions"with your pawns.Makes for a good read.The 4th link is a harder to read explanation of reasons that spacial advantage is not such a simple matter.I will be extrapolating mainly on that 4th link in my own brief reasoning's below. gameknot.com gameknot.com www.chess-game-strategies.com www.youtube.com
euro_pop_legend 12-May-23, 08:40	Defining in more detail the Sq count system: I have this post in another thread(Think like a master),but I thought i'd paste/copy and combine my additional comments on square counting and some of the math involved,which will fit the above post like a tight glove.Again,please do not get a brain short circuit when reading the post below or some of the links above,especially if you are not an expert.But,it should make an interesting read in advanced theory that you can keep on the back burner for future reference. I use the methods described all the time when playing some opponents,especially those north of 2300.Its VERY necessary to do so.Sometimes i may even throw in a draw towel request depending upon "how much"spacial advantage my opponent has on me by mid or endgame. Mind boggling?Well,that is what this club is about...theory!Show me any other club on GK that gets involved in such posts and discussions.I have not seen it yet!Hmmmmmm. ====================================================================== First lets examine some advanced positional facts regarding positional "controlled space".There is a simple fact regarding most of the game positions on the board,especially by midgame.The fact is that the player who controls more space on the board,has an advantage.So basically,this means that your pieces are on a specific square or "attacking" a specific square.There are exceptions(like hypermodern games)but this will be covered in the future.The key is to use a simple math trick and count the attacked squares on both sides of the board.If your side has less pieces that are attacking your opponents side,then the strategy is to INCREASE the pressure on those squares that are not giving threat to the enemy,especially towards the center,or to push your pawns forward without necessarily overextending them!If you have more positional space than your opponent,then following through on positional development varies by a game being open/closed and how to develop and/or exchange based upon where your opponents weakness's exist. So lets get back to the "math". In this diagram which I copied from an older Larry Evans book of mine,illustrates the simple math concept behind immediately determining who has the "spacial advantage"....white or black.And as I mentioned,knowing who has this advantage can then determine a better "chess recipe" to properly develop your pieces.I could have set up any random position and used it as an example(counting spaces) in this math test,but this one is already done and saves me time! So the math formula to assess who has better spacial advantage is to simply count the number of squares attacked or occupied on each side of the board and see who has "more"for the spacial advantage.In the above diagram,black attacks four squares on whites side of the board....(d4,e4,f4,g4).White attacks seven squares on blacks side of the board...(b5,c6,e6,f5,g5,h6). The square b5 is counted twice due to the pawn on c4 and the Knight on c3. So the math follows that white has a huge spacial advantage of 8 to 4.Black is indeed more cramped.So what would be one immediate thought that comes to mind?Black is more cramped and the game is closed in the above diagram,right?So in addition to proper development,a positional goal would then be to try and maneuver your pieces(on the white side) and perhaps exchange or threaten with your Bishops... blacks Knights in a closed cramped game.For in the diagram above the Knights reign in supreme and taking them away from your opponent only increases the value of whites Knights.On the other hand,black may have the same idea,so in a case like the diagram above,I would not suggest exchanging whites Knights,even if it means retreating them temporarily with a temporary "loss of tempo".(Something I will discuss at a later time!) More to come later.This is just one of many positional strategy ideas I have coming up in time. "good players pay as much attention to all the empty squares on the chessboard as they do to all the occupied ones. In this way they are able to decide in advance which are the important squares to dominate." This is pretty much an idea that you must keep in mind as your game progresses.When you combine light and dark square control in this math formula by counting who has the advantage,this will give you a plan of approach.One approach may be to amplify your dark square control or increase your white square control which is lacking... depending upon the determining "math factor"of your advantage or disadvantage.See the link on dark/light square control in the club posts for more help on this subject.This all involves long term positional goals,not "tactical"ploys...although "tactics"can be intertwined as a subset of the positional strategic goals you have in mind. P.S. Keep in mind that counting spacial advantage/disadvantage squares is not the same as counting light/dark squares but the two can be assimilated as one enhanced analysis strategy.

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