The TAO of Chess Principles

The TAO of Chess
200 Principles to transform your game and your life.
By Chess Master Peter Kurzdorfer
Principles
1. If you control more than half of the squares on the board, you have an advantage.
2. A Knight on the rim is grim.
3. Place your Pawns on the opposite colour square as your Bishop.
4. The path from a1 to a8 is the same length as the path from a1 to h8.
5. Leave the Pawns alone, except for center Pawns and passed Pawns.
6. In order to get the most from your Knights, give them strong support points.
7. To be at their best, Bishops require open diagonals and attackable weaknesses.
8. Rooks require open files and ranks in order to reach their full potential.
9. Don't bring the Queen out too early.
10. Connect your rooks as soon as you can.
11. Develop a new piece with each move in the opening.
12. Don't move the same piece twice in the opening if you can help it.
13. Develop Knights before Bishops.
14. Before beginning a wing attack, make sure your center is secure.
15. A wing attack is best met by a counterattack in the center.
16. Centralize your pieces to make them powerful.
17. When choosing between two pawn captures, it's generally better to capture
toward the center.
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18. Play to control the center, whether classically or in hypermodern style.
19. Castle early
20. Do not move pawns in front of your castled King.
21. Pay particular attention to the f2 and f7 squares.
22. A Queen and a Rook will always checkmate a undefended King.
23. Do not pin your opponent's f3 or f6 Knight to the Queen with your Bishop until
after the King is castled.
24. Never a mate with a Knight on f8.
25. When ahead in material, trade pieces, not pawns.
26. When behind in material, trade pawns, not pieces.
27. In situations with three healthy pawns versus a minor piece, the piece is usually
superior in the middle game, while the Pawns are usually superior in the end
game.
28. An extra pawn is worth a little trouble.
29. In positions with an unusual disparity in material, the initiative is often the
deciding factor.
30. Passed Pawns must be pushed.
31. Look to liquidate backward and isolated Pawns.
32. Doubled Pawns are a weakness in that they are immobile, but a strength in that
they offer half-open files for Rooks.
33. Fewer Pawn island means a healthier position.
34. Location, location, location. The above three most important aspects of real estate
is applicable for chess as well.
35. If you must accept Pawn weaknesses, make sure you get compensation in one
form or another.
36. Exchange pieces to free your game when cramped.
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37. Avoid piece exchanges when you control more squares.
38. Break a bind in order to free your pieces, even if it costs a pawn.
39. The move... d7-d5 is the antidote for the poison in many gambits.
40. Don't attack unless you have the superior game.
41. You must attack when you have the superior game, or you will forfeit your
advantage.
42. Every move is an opportunity to interfere with your opponent’s plans or to
further your own plans.
43. A sustained initiative is worth some material
44. The initiative is an advantage. Take it whenever you can, and take it back when
you don’t have it, if at all possible.
45. "A Rook on the seventh rank is sufficient compensation for a Pawn" - Reuben Fine.
46. Superior development increases in value in proportion to the openness of the

game.
47. Attacking two weaknesses on opposite sides of the board simultaneously will
stretch out the defense.
48. The Bishop pair is usually superior to a Bishop and a Knight or two Knights in and
endgame with pawns on both sides of the board.
49. Opposite-coloured Bishops will usually give the weaker player a good chance to
draw a Bishop-and-Pawn endgame, but can often be a virtual extra piece for the
attacker in a middlegame.
50. Don't grab the b-pawn with your Queen—even when it's good.
51. The double attack is the principle behind almost all tactics.
52. Ignore your opponent's threats whenever you can do so with impunity.
53. Doubled Rooks have more than twice the power of one Rook.
54. Hit 'em where they a'int.
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55. Relentlessly attack pinned pieces, weak Pawns, exposed Kings and other immobile
targets.
56. The threat you do not see is the one that will defeat you.
57. Always check, it might be mate!
58. Never miss a check!
59. Be aware of the numbers and types of attackers and defenders in a convergence.
60. Sacrifice your opponent's pieces.
61. If you sacrifice material for the initiative, make sure that initiative is enduring, or
at least that it can be exchanged for some gain elsewhere.
62. Accept a sacrifice not with the the idea of holding on to the material, but with the
the idea of later gaining something by giving the material back.
63. The only way to refute a gambit is to accept it.
64. A Knight, firmly ensconced in a hole deep in the opponent's territory, is worth a
Rook.
65. Three minor pieces are usually much stronger than a Queen.
66. Maintain the tension in the position rather than dissipating it too soon.
67. The threat is greater than its execution.
68. Pawn majorities should be marched forward with the candidate leading.
69. Attack the base of a Pawn chain.
70. Rooks belong behind passed pawns.
71. Blockade isolated, backward, and passed Pawns, using a Knight if possible.
72. Use a minority of Pawns to attack a majority of Pawns with the purpose of
destroying the Pawn structure of the majority.
73. The best defense is a good attack.
74. In Alekhine's defense and other hypermodern openings, white has the initiative to
defend.
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75. Good attacking play wins games. Good defense wins championships.
76. Look through the pieces' eyes.
77. Play blindfold games.
78. Concentrate on forcing moves.
79. Never miss a chance to attempt to solve any position you come across.
80. Decide on your candidate moves and look at them each in turn.
81. Place your Pawns on the opposite colour square as your Bishop.
82. Place your Knight and Pawns or your Knight and Bishop on the same coloured
squares; that way they can control more squares.
83. A good Knight will overwhelm a bad Bishop in an end game even worse than a
good Bishop will.
84. Possession of the Bishop pair is often compensation enough for weak Pawns.
85. A Queen and Knight complement each other and are often superior to a Queen
and Bishop.
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The TAO of Chess

200 Principles to transform your game and your life.

By Chess Master Peter Kurzdorfer

2. A Knight on the rim is grim.

3. Place your Pawns on the opposite colour square as your Bishop.

7. To be at their best, Bishops require open diagonals and attackable weaknesses.

9. Don't bring the Queen out too early.

10. Connect your rooks as soon as you can.

11. Develop a new piece with each move in the opening.

13. Develop Knights before Bishops.

15. A wing attack is best met by a counterattack in the center.

16. Centralize your pieces to make them powerful.

19. Castle early

20. Do not move pawns in front of your castled King.

21. Pay particular attention to the f2 and f7 squares.

22. A Queen and a Rook will always checkmate a undefended King.

24. Never a mate with a Knight on f8.

25. When ahead in material, trade pieces, not pawns.

26. When behind in material, trade pawns, not pieces.

28. An extra pawn is worth a little trouble.

30. Passed Pawns must be pushed.

31. Look to liquidate backward and isolated Pawns.

33. Fewer Pawn island means a healthier position.

36. Exchange pieces to free your game when cramped.

40. Don't attack unless you have the superior game.

43. A sustained initiative is worth some material

46. Superior development increases in value in proportion to the openness of the

54. Hit 'em where they a'int.

57. Always check, it might be mate!

58. Never miss a check!

60. Sacrifice your opponent's pieces.

63. The only way to refute a gambit is to accept it.

67. The threat is greater than its execution.

69. Attack the base of a Pawn chain.

70. Rooks belong behind passed pawns.

73. The best defense is a good attack.

76. Look through the pieces' eyes.

77. Play blindfold games.

78. Concentrate on forcing moves.

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