Strategic prevention

by ChessBase
7/11/2025 – Chess prevention is one of the most important parts of strategic play in chess. This doesn't apply for chess only but also in life in general. To foresee possible negative outcomes and to protect ourselves from them, or at least to lower their effects, is simpler than having to deal with the consequences. The same applies to chess. Let international trainer Efstratios Grivas explain.
Winning starts with what you know
The new version 18 offers completely new possibilities for chess training and analysis: playing style analysis, search for strategic themes, access to 6 billion Lichess games, player preparation by matching Lichess games, download Chess.com games with built-in API, built-in cloud engine and much more.

One of the first chess players, who started to think this way and who presented and explained the concept of chess prophylaxis to the world, was the famous Aron Nimzowitsch. He used to say: 'Neither attack, nor defence, is the essence of positional play, but prophylaxis'. 

The knowledge about preventive play is wide. Many famous trainers and chess writers were and are still researching this field. Preventive play has numerous shapes and numerous technical approaches. 

 It can be roughly divided into three major fields (A. Mikhalchishin): 

  1. Elementary prevention. 
  2. Foreseeing and preventing tactical threats. 
  3. Foreseeing and preventing strategic threats. 

The first two are strongly connected and easier to understand. This time we will stop at so-called strategic preventive play.

Strategic Prevention

There is no doubt that strategic prevention is the hardest among all. Many great chess players from the past and present mastered this element. Let us mention just A. Nimzowitsch, T. Petrosian and A. Karpov, who wrote whole chapters on this theme and inspired whole generations of chess players. 

There are many motifs known and here are the most important ones: 

  1. Restricting the activity of opponent's pieces. 
  2. Strengthening good squares for our own pieces.
  3. Preventing unfavourable exchanges, or on the contrary making favourable exchanges.
  4. Play for strong squares.
  5. Prevention of weakening a pawn structure.
  6. Battle against moves, which would free the opponent.
  7. Preventing the opponent from gaining too much space.
  8. Prevention of opponent's pawn mobility in the centre or on a flank.
  9. Blockade of opponent's pawn structure.
  10. Making opponent's development difficult.
  11. Placement of inaccessible position, etc.

As a conclusion, we can be assured that preventive play is one of the most important parts of strategic play. There is no quick way of learning it. It requires a lot of practical play and studying of many examples. The knowledge about it is not and can never be final, therefore I recommend chess players of all categories and titles, including grandmasters, to study it.

Here are some games to help you on the way:

New ...
Open...
Share...
Layout...
Flip Board
Settings
MoveNResultEloPlayers
1.e41,186,70654%2421---
1.d4960,56055%2434---
1.Nf3286,91356%2440---
1.c4185,11556%2442---
1.g319,90256%2427---
1.b314,60954%2428---
1.f45,95948%2376---
1.Nc33,91950%2383---
1.b41,79148%2379---
1.a31,25254%2406---
1.e31,08149%2409---
1.d396950%2378---
1.g467046%2361---
1.h446654%2382---
1.c343951%2425---
1.h328956%2420---
1.a411860%2461---
1.f310047%2427---
1.Nh39366%2506---
1.Na34762%2476---
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6 6.Be2 e6 7.0-0 Be7 8.f4 0-0 9.Kh1 Qc7 10.a4 b6 11.Bf3 Bb7 12.e5 Ne8 13.Be3 Nc6 14.Qe2 g6 15.Rad1 dxe5 16.fxe5 Ng7 (D)
When we play for restriction of the opponent's pieces, the knight is most of the time the main target, due to being the least mobile piece. The knight usually shouldn’t stay on such a square for long. Knights are short-ranged pieces that are best placed where the action is. A fianchetto structure, like here the pawns h7-g6-f7, weakens the dark squares h6 and f6. A fianchetto-bishop on g7 covers both of these squares, but a fianchetto-knight on g7 covers none of them. So, a fianchetto-knight is usually not well-placed, and should seek to find better squares soon. 17.Nxc6! Bxc6 18.Qc4! (D)
18...Rfc8 18...Rac8 19.Qxc6 Qxc6 20.Bxc6 Rxc6 21.Rd7± , isn't much of a difference, while 18...Bc5 , fails to 19.Bxc6 Bxe3 19...Rac8 20.Bxc5 Qxc6 21.Ne4!+- 20.Rd7 Qc8 21.Ne4+- . 19.Qxc6 Qxc6 20.Bxc6 Rxc6 21.Rd7 Re8 (D)
In view of what happened, Black might have to think of 21...Nf5 22.Rxf5 gxf5 23.Rxe7± . 22.g4! A classical move against the 'fianchetto' knight (or b4 against the b7-knight). Until the end of the game Black's knight will only be a helpless observer and White will direct all his energy into this element. h5 23.h3 hxg4 24.hxg4 b5 As 24...Rc4 25.Rf4! , isn't an improvement, Black is searching for counterplay with his only active piece. Buy E.Geller was very precise in his calculations. 25.axb5 axb5 (D)
26.Ne4 26.Nxb5 Rxc2 27.Nd6 Bxd6 28.exd6 Rf8 29.Re7 Rxb2 30.d7 Rbb8 31.Bf4 Ra8 32.Be5+- , was an alternative win. 26...Rxc2 27.Nf6+! Bxf6 28.exf6 The 'poor' knight is lost and with it also the game. Rxb2 28...Nf5 29.gxf5 exf5 30.Rf2!+- . 29.fxg7 f5 (D)
30.Rf3! With idea Rh3. fxg4 30...Ra8 , loses to 31.Rh3 Ra1+ 32.Bg1+- . 31.Rf4 Rc8 32.Bc5! (D)
1–0
  • Start an analysis engine:
  • Try maximizing the board:
  • Use the four cursor keys to replay the game. Make moves to analyse yourself.
  • Press Ctrl-B to rotate the board.
  • Drag the split bars between window panes.
  • Download&Clip PGN/GIF/FEN/QR Codes. Share the game.
  • Games viewed here will automatically be stored in your cloud clipboard (if you are logged in). Use the cloud clipboard also in ChessBase.
  • Create an account to access the games cloud.
WhiteEloWBlackEloBResYearECOEventRnd
Geller,E2590Mikhalchishin,A24601–01978B84URS-Ch7
Kasparov,G2805Shirov,A27401–01994B33Horgen CS9
Taimanov,M-Sliwa,B-1–01956E59Alekhine Memorial6
Winter,W-Capablanca,J-0–11919C49Victory Congress Chief Tournament5
Grigorian,K-Sakharov,Y-0–11969E86URS-Ch Sf
Gufeld,E-Damjanovic,M-1–01971A39Skopje Solidarnost11
Kramnik,V2740Topalov,V27251–01997E94Novgorod GM1
Tseshkovsky,V2555Dvoretzky,M24951–01975C09URS-Ch tt2

Grivas Chess International Academy

Free Educational Editions

Download for free – Please Like & Share!
Use the above-right QR-Scan or click the link below

A Greek Warrior - Theodorou (40 pages): A portrait of the No1 Greek player!
FIDE World Championship 2024 (103 pages): The last FIDE WC, fully presented!
Fischer vs Greece 1968 (40 pages): The famous Clock-Simul of the great Bobby!
Greece vs Polgar Scheveningen 1990 (84 pages): A relatively unknown event, presented 35 years after!
Greece vs Greats (56 pages): Classical Matches of Greeks vs. Greats
The Grandmaster Program (248 pages): A classical book on creating GMs!
The Art of War (130 Pages): The famous 2400-year-old book of Sun Tzu, connected to Chess!

Newsletter 01 - January 2025 (48 pages): The monthly edition of the Grivas CIA.
Newsletter 02 - February 2025 (74 pages): The monthly edition of the Grivas CIA. 
Newsletter 03 - March 2025 (74 pages): The monthly edition of the Grivas CIA.
Newsletter 04 - March-2 2025 (70 pages): The extra monthly edition of the Grivas CIA.
Newsletter 05 - April 2025 (80 pages): The extra monthly edition of the Grivas CIA.
Newsletter 06 - May 2025 (84 pages): The extra monthly edition of the Grivas CIA.
Newsletter 07 - June 2025 (68 pages): The monthly edition of the Grivas CIA.
Newsletter 08 - July 2025 (76 pages): The monthly edition of the Grivas CIA. 

All games are included in the separate PGN file you can find in the folders!

The folder will be renewed every month, with new material/editions, specially prepared by the
Grivas Chess International Academy
An Official World Federation (FIDE) Academy since 2012

<< A chess trip down memory lane in the shadow of Mount Whitney
Robert Ris' Fast and Furious: Wei Yi's fascinating idea in a sharp Italian >>
Reports about chess: tournaments, championships, portraits, interviews, World Championships, product launches and more.
Discussion and Feedback Submit your feedback to the editors

See also

Celebrating chess: The 52. International Dortmund Chess Days 2025

6/27/2025 – From 2 to 10 August, the focus in Dortmund will not be on football, but on chess. As part of the 52nd Dortmund Chess Days in the Alte Schmiede, the Sparkassen Chess Trophy will be held, featuring European champion Matthias Blübaum, among others, and an international women's tournament. | Photo: Dinara Wagner (left) and Elisabeth Pähtz (right)
More...
 1

See also

UzChess Cup: Will Praggnanandhaa stop Abdusattorov?

6/27/2025 – Praggnanandhaa Rameshbabu reignited his chances at the UzChess Cup by defeating Arjun Erigaisi in round eight, bouncing back from recent setbacks to move within one point of the lead. With sole leader Nodirbek Abdusattorov drawing his game, the stage is now set for a decisive final-round clash between Abdusattorov and Praggnanandhaa — if the Indian grandmaster wins with black, he will catch the Uzbek star at the top of the standings. Javokhir Sindarov and Arjun are the two other players with chances of winning the event. Friday's final round starts four hours earlier than usual, at 8.00 CEST. | Photo: sports.uz
More...
 5

Video

60m English Anti-Bayonet

King’s Indian fans who choose the Mar del Plata attack (7...Nc6) against White’s classical system (1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 Bg7 4.e4 d6 5.Nf3 0-0 6.Be2 e5 7.0-0) usually aim for a complex position with mutual attacks on open wings, requiring long-term strategic planning and tactical sharpness in critical moments. Computers often do not know how to handle the arising complex strategic positions, which suits players who like to think on their own instead of memorizing long variations. However, the fashionable Bayonet Attack (9.b4) interferes with Black’s ideas. After Black’s main move 9...Nh5 the positions opens, the lines get forced and computer analysis is important again. But this DVD offers an antidote against White’s Bayonet Attack, namely 9...a5! This move leads to sound positions with very few concrete lines, in which the focus is on strategy not on tactics. Objectively chances are equal but if Black knows what to do things might quickly become dangerous for White.
We use cookies and comparable technologies to provide certain functions, to improve the user experience and to offer interest-oriented content. Depending on their intended use, analysis cookies and marketing cookies may be used in addition to technically required cookies. Here you can make detailed settings or revoke your consent (if necessary partially) with effect for the future. Further information can be found in our data protection declaration.