Check your positional play knowledge?

 Positional play is much better and safer play than attacking play. Here are the few question to find your positional knowledge.

1. What is an imbalance?
2. Name the seven main imbalances
3. What are the main components of the "silman Thinking Technique"
4. What is a plan?
5. What is the difference between a static and dynamic advantage or imbalance?
6. What is the difference between a good and and Bishop?
7. Can an active Bishop also be bad?
8. What are the three cures for a bad Bishop?
9. What do knights need to reach their full power?
10. Explain Steinitz rule on how to beat knights.
11. If your opponent has two bishops, what should you do?
12. Why are two bishops usually superior to two knights?
13. Why is extra territory a good thing?
14. What should the side with less space do to make the situation more acceptable?
15. Why is a full pawn center a good thing to have?
16. How can a player make full use of pawn center?
17. What must you do if your opponent creates a full pawn center?
18. Are doubled pawns always bad? if nto, what are their good points?
19. How does one make use of an isolated d-pawn and how does one play against it?
20. Do Rooks always stand well on open files?
21. When you triple on an open file with two Rooks and a Queen which takes up the rear, what is this Called?
22. Static plus usually calls for slow play while a dynamic plus usually  calls for fast play( often fast play leads to the creation of a static long-lasting advantage). With this in mind, figure out if you must play fast or slow when you possess:

• A lead in development
• an isolated d-pawn
• play against your opponent's backward pawn
• The initiative
• A material advantage
• A superior minor piece
• play against a weak square in the camp
• An advantage in space

23. True or false

• It's better to be behind in material than to have a position that's devoid of activity
• A Bishop should usually be considered as slightly bettr than a knight.
• Bishops enjoy open positions
• A Rook reaches the Zenith of its power on the eighth rank.
• A Rook on the seventh rank is often worth a pawn.
• Two rooks on the seventh are known as "roving eaters"
• An attack against the enemy king is the most effective plan in chess.
• Knights are most active on the eighth rank.
• A protected passed pawn is always a good thing to have.

Solutions:

1.What is an imbalance?

Ans: Any difference in the two respective positions. Try and create as many imbalance as possible if you think you can ultimately make them serve your cause. Don't allow an imbalance to be created if you think it will be to your opponent's advantage. 

2. Name the main seven imbalances

Ans: Superior minor piece, pawn structure, space, material, control of a key square, lead in development, initiative. Note that a lead in development and initiative are temporary imbalances while the others tend to be permanent features while the others tend to be permanent features of the position.

3. What are the main components of the 'Silman Thinking Technique'?

Figure out the positive and negative imbalances; figure out the side of the board you wish to play on, don't calculate , instead dream up various fantasy positions, i.e. positions that you would love to achieve. Once you find a fantasy position that appeals to you , you must decide if you can reach it. Look at the moves you wish to calculate-called candidate moves. These moves are the moves that lead to your fantasy position. Note that calculation is the last thing you do.

4. What is a plan?

Ans: Making positive use of the existing characteristics of position. Note: you don't do what you want to do, you do what the position needs . A dynamic imbalance is short-term and often tactical in nature.

5.What is the difference between a static and dynamic advantage or imbalance?

Ans: A static imbalance is a long term plus, usually highly positional in nature . A dynamic imbalance is a short term and often tactical in nature.

6. What is the difference between a good and bad Bishop?

Ans: A Good Bishop isn't blocked by its own pawns. A bad Bishop is blocked by center pawns standing on its own color

7. Can an active Bishop also be bad?

Ans: Yes, an active Bishop can also be a bad Bishop. In general, toss terms like "good" and "bad" out the window. The only thing that should concern you is the following question " is your bishop doing a useful job? If not, find a way to get it into the game.

8. What are the three cures for a bad bishop?

Ans: Trade it off for a piece of equal ( or superior) value; get your pawns off the color of the bishop; get your Bishop outside the pawn chain.

9. What do knight need to reach their full power?

Ans: They need advanced, permanent support points. A knight is as good as a bishop on the fourth rank. Superior to a Bishop on the fifth, and often as good as a Rook on the sixth.

10 Explain Steinitz's rule on how to beat knights

Take away all their advanced support points

11. If your opponent has two Bishops, what should you do?

Ans: Close the position and turn the two Bishops into a liability; trade one odd and leave him with only one Bishop.

12. Why are two bishops usually  superior to two knights?

Ans: A Bishop's weakness is its inability to control squares of both colors. A knight doesn't have the mobility of a Bishop, but it can ultimate nd on every quire on the bor. Two Bishop complement each other by covering both white and black square. Two nights can get in each others way. such knights often don't work well together.

13. Why is extra territory a good thing?

Ans: The Side with less space often has trouble finding active squares for his pieces. Top players convert spatial gains because they hope to squeeze their opponent to death within the confines of his cramped position.

14. What should the side with less space do to make the situation more acceptable?

Ans: Trade off as many pieces as possible. This will give your remaining pieces more room to move about in.

15. Why is a full pawn center a good thing to have?

Ans: It gives its owner more space, and it restricts the movement of the enemy pieces.

16. How can a player make full use of pawn center?

Ans: If you can make it indestructible, the opponent won't be able to create any counterplay and will likely perish due to his lack of space.

17. What must you do if your opponent creates a full pawn center?

Ans: You must prove that its a weakness. Attack it for all your worth.

18. Are doubled pawns always bad? If not, what are their good points?

Ans: Doubled pawns are often good because they give their owners use of a half open file and also can offer extra control over important squares.

19. How does one make use of an isolated d-pawn and how does one play against it?

Ans: The isolated d-pawn( from perspective) gives its owner use of the e5 square, which can be used as a fine home for a knight, and a central space advantage. White will use these things to create threats against the enemy king. 

Black will fight to control the square in front of the d-pawn on d5. Then he will strive to trade all the minor pieces, effectively ending white attack. Once this is done, Black can place a Rook on d5 and another heavy piece on d7 and d8, doubling against the d4 pawn. A timely c6, c5 or e6, e5 makes use of a probable pin along the d file to force the win of the besieged pawn.

In general, white will want to retain Queens early in the game, highlighting his attacking chances. However, if too many minor pieces get exchanged. White will want to trade off the queens. This allows his king to safely come to the center and defend d4. He might also want to trade of the rooks. ( If his attacking chances vanish) because without the Rooks. Black won't be able to put an optimal amount of pressure on d4.

20. Do Rooks do always well on open files?

Ans: No. The open file is unimportant if you can't use it to penetrate into the enemy position. Place your rooks on an open file if penetration points exists on it. or if you stop your opponent from taking control of it and ultimately penetrating into your position.

21. When you triple on an open file with two Books and a queen which takes up the rear, what is this called?

Ans: Alekhine's Gun.

22. A Static plus usually calls for slow play while a dynamic plus usually calls for fast play( often fast play leads to the creation of a static, long-lasting advantage. With this in mind. tell me of you must play fast or slow when you possess.

a. A lead in development

b. An Isolated d-pawn

c. Play against your opponent's backward pawn.

d. The Initiative

e. A Material advantage

f. A superior minor piece

g. Play against a weak square in the enemy camp.

h. An advantage in space

1. Fast. If you don't use it quickly, it will fade away.
2. Fast. This is to gives you dynamic compensation for its potential weakness. If you don't make fast use of that dynamism, the pawn's intrinsic weak points will begin to torment you.
3. Slow, This is a static advantage. Take your time and build up your force against it.
4. Fast Having the initiative meanings having control of the game. You must make use of this before it fades away.
5. Slow. Material is forever. If everything else is equal, you should win the game. This take your time and neutralize your opponent's compensation for his material deficit.
6. Slow. This is a positional feature that can be used throughout the game.
7. Slow. Take your time and make sure that your opponent can't wrest the square from you . Eventually use it as a home for one of your pieces.
8. Slow. Space lets you play for a slow, painful squeeze. The longer you take, the more your opponent suffers.

23. True or False 

1. True ,Material often takes a back seat to the possession of active pieces or an active plan.
2. False, A Bishop and a Knight should be considered as equal. Every particular position holds its own answer.
3. True, Bishops are better than knights in open positions.
4. False, The seventh Rank is the Rook's promised land.
5. True.
6. False, They are know as pigs or hogs on the seventh because they tend to eat everything in their path.
7. False, A knight is most active on the sixth rank. It doesn't control as many squares on the seventht and eighth ranks.
8. False, A protected passed pawn can actually be a disadvantage if the opponent manages to blockade it with a knight before it gets further than the fifth rank.