SPACE
Many authors consider space as an independent value category. That is okay with me, as there are different ways for constructing a taxonomy. In my worldview however, there are only 4 basic categories of value: material, pawn structure, king safety and piece activity. So, what is space?
Space is a function of the pawn structure and derives its value from the activity of the pieces.
Gaining space is important for different reasons. The more space you have, the higher is the range of your pieces. Only the flipside, the scope of your opponent’s pieces generally diminishes. For this reason, gaining space can be considered a huge accomplishment in the majority of the cases. However, there are exceptions, when gaining space assumes a neutral or even negative value.
Let’s take the famous French adage “Noblesse oblige!” and change it into “Espace oblige!”. As the history of military campaigns suggests, occupying space comes with obligations. It takes energy to administer and defend the conquered territory. If not done properly, the adversary might break trough and arrives behind your lines.
The relativity of space suggests, that space is a means to an end, not an end in itself, which backs my above presented value system.
39. Can I occupy the center with pawns?
This is one of the big questions in the opening. Not all space is equal. The more central, the more valuable it is.
40. When is a perfect center harmless?
A common mistake people make is to apply opening principles to the middlegame or middlegame principles to the endgame and vice versa. The perfect center with white pawns on e4 and d4 or black pawns on e5 an d5 is powerful in the opening, but things can drastically change in the middlegame. As space advantage derives its value from piece activity, which includes the restriction of enemy pieces, the less pieces are on the board, the smaller the value of a perfect center. Another aspect is the presence of an open wing. In that case, your opponent can simply play around your perfect center.
41. Should I grab es much space as possible in the opening?
With White, we sometimes have the chance to place four pawns on the 4th rank (c4, d4, e4 and f4). The value of this expansion depends on the specifics of the position and has to do with sustainability. Sometimes your lack of development makes it impossible to sustain your space advantage. While the Four Pawns Attack is a good choice against the Alekhine Defense, it’s not advisable against the King’s Indian.
42. Can I gain space by advancing my pawns?
As space generally is a nice asset, this question should always be present in the background. However, you should be cautious when advancing your pawns, as this can create weak pawns and weak squares in your camp. Especially when crossing the Rubikon (advancing the pawns to the 5th rank as White), you have to be careful of overstretching your position.
43. Can I prevent my opponent from advancing his pawns?
In general, try to prevent your opponent from grabbing space by blocking his pawns or by using tactical means. The exception is when advancing his pawns would be detrimental for your opponent. The stratagem “Never interrupt your opponent when he is making a mistake!” was already known by the likes of Napoleon and Sun Tzu.
44. Do I make enough use of my rook pawns?
Already in the 1970s Larsen suggested “If you don’t know what to do, push your rook pawns!”. Generally, people didn’t follow this advice, as they feared to weaken their king position in case of the h-pawn or to expose the pawn itself in case they pushed it too far. Others simply don’t pay enough attention to the outer sectors of the galaxy (lack of global thinking). When AlphaZero beat Stockfish, there were some interesting observations to be made. One was AlphaZero’s ample use of his rook pawns, which made Carlsen say that he would now pay more attention to the potential of the rook pawns himself.
45. Do I make good use of my g-pawn?
The g-pawn revolution started in the 1990s, when the move g2-g4 was employed in a whole bunch of opening variations. There has even a book been written about this move. Black has only a few options to play …g7-g5, which I cover in the section on pawn breaks.
46. Can I gain space through exchanges?
Space can be gained by exchanges of pieces as well, when a pawn moves up a rank by recapturing. One example would be the exchange of knights on e5 in the London System or Torre Attack. By recapturing with dxe5 or fxe5, White receives a cramping pawn on e5. For this reason, it is sometimes a better idea to expel White’s knight by removing the Nf6, followed by …f7-f6 instead of taking it. Another example is the exchange of knights on the square d5 in the Maroczy-structure. White preferably recaptures with the e-pawn, after which he has play on the e-file and often good attacking chances as well.
47. How can I exchange pieces when having less space?
Try to lower the burden of a cramped position by exchanging pieces. As this is a desirable goal, you can often invest a couple of tempi in this endeavor.
48. How can I prevent exchanging pieces when having a space advantage?
As space advantage is more effective with many pieces on the board, don’t shy away to retreat with your pieces in order to prevent exchanges.
49. Can I destroy my opponent’s phalanx?
The phalanx in chess (a term made popular by Alexander from Macedonia) consists of three pawns side by side. These pawns complement each other and are highly dynamic as a group. The most important pawn is the one in the middle, of course. Your goal should be to make it leave the board. For instance, in the Sicilian with White having pawns on e4, f4 and g4, Black would like to play …e6-e5 to exchange his e-pawn against White’s valuable f-pawn. Sometimes, even the more daring …g7-g5 is possible in this regard.
