Creating and

Exploiting Targets

Samantha212

| Jun 28, 2015 at 9:23 PM

| Posted in: Samantha212's Blog

| 2103 reads

| 0 comments

Hello Chess Fans,

As you progress in your chess ability, it's a natural
progression to develop a keen sense to snif
outTargets defined as - Weak Squares, Weak
Pieces or Weak Pawns that can be attacked
multiple times. Just as animals in the wild attack
and prey the weakest of the herd so too MUST a
chess player attack a slow, sick, young and weak
target.

It takes training to Develop a Nose for spotting

TARGETS in your opponent's ranks, which can be
used as Focal Points of attack. How do you
train?? Let's start with knowing what to look for.
The boards below represent the most common
types
of
weak
pawn
structures:

Backward
Pawns
Islands

Pawn

Isolated
Pawns

Double Pawns

Hanging Pawns

Backward Pawns:
1. A pawn that is behind other pawns of the same
color.
2. Is not defended by another pawn.
3. Cannot be safely advanced without a loss.
4. Is subject to an attack on the file.

In the following diagram, the red squared pawns

are backward pawns - undefended by another
pawn and behind another pawn of the same color
and are therefore considered WEAK but the green
squared pawn on e5 fits the full definition and is
the weakest of them all. 1.Not defended by
another pawn. (Check) 2. Can not progress without
loss. (Check) 3. Can be attacked along an open file.
(Check)

Backward pawns can be a positional disadvantage

because they need to be defended. The square in
front of the pawn can also be used as an outpost
(considered a Weak Square) without any risk of a
pawn driving it away while also preventing the
rooks and queen on the same file from attacking
the outposted piece. If all that isn't bad enough,
the piece whose task it is to "Babysit" the pawn is
weakened because they're prevented from being
used elsewhere on the board. Your Sniffing Senses

should be perked up to using the e6-pawn as a

target.

Pawn Islands:
1. Created when there's a file with no pawn
between the pawns.
2. While the gaps are useful for your Rooks to
control the file, the end Pawn (The Backward Pawn)
is a weakness to exploit or manage depending
upon whose side it's on.
3. The more islands that exist in your pawn
structure, the weaker it becomes.
In the following diagram, White has three pawn
islands and Black has two. Your Mission is to
SNIFF OUT the weaker pawn islands, especially at
or near the endgame, to use them as Targets to
create more weaknesses.

Isolated Pawns:
1. A pawn with no friendly pawns on either
adjacent files.

2. Is not defended by another pawn.

3. Is subject to an attack on the file.
4. Requires another piece to "Babysit" the pawn.
In the following diagram, White has an isolated
pawn on a2 while Black has one on d5. White's d4
pawn is not considered an isolated pawn because
the e-pawn can be pushed up at a later time. The
files on either side of the isolated pawns are void of
supporting
pawns.

Although there's compensation for an isolated

pawn early in the game with improved
development, opportunities for counterplay and
control of the center squares, in the endgame
the Isolated
Pawns
can
be
a
positional
disadvantage
because they
need
to
be
defended and often become a target for tactical
attacks. The square in front of the pawn can also
be used as an outpost (a Weak Square) without
any risk of a pawn driving it away. It also requires
a designated piece to "Babysit" the pawn, which

weakens its powerbecause they're prevented from

being used elsewhere on the board. Your Sniffing
Senses should be perked up to possibly use
the d5-pawn as a target in the future.

Double Pawns:

1. Two pawns of the same color residing on the

same file because one captured an opponent's
material.
2. Prevents both pawns from working together.
The front pawn holds-up the rear pawn from
marching up the board and is more vulnerable to
attacks and capture. Once one of the Pawns is
captured, the other is soon enough captured as
well.
3. Not all Doubled Pawn positions are considered
weak. In the diagram below, White's Doubled
Pawns strengthen White's position in the Center.
They can also be used to Blockade two files from
attack when there's an adjacent pawn to assist
them.

In the following diagram the b-file pawns are

doubled but they're supported by an adjacent
pawn. The e-file double pawns are Isolated
Double Pawnsand are more vulnerable to an
attack. Your Sniffing Senses should be perked up
to target the b4 & e3-doubled pawns and the
g4 backward pawn.

Hanging Pawns:

1. Two pawns standing next to each other, usually

on the fourth rank, mutually protecting center
squares.
2. They're not directly protected by other pawns on
either side and can become targets of attack,
especially
by
rooks.
3. Unlike Isolated Pawns, they have dynamic
potential to execute a pawn breakthrough and
create a passed pawn.

4. The side with hanging pawns also tends to enjoy

a space advantage.
5. If either pawn advances, the other pawn
becomes
backward,
transforming
Strong
Connected Pawns into Weak Connected Pawns.
In the diagram below we see a common position
from the Queen's Gambit Declined. White's c4 and
d4 pawns are pushed to the forth rank. Although
initially
advantageous,
they
can
create
weakenesses as the game continues. It's best
explained by Boris Spassky who said the following:
"The shortcoming of hanging pawns is that
they present a convenient target for attack.
As the exchange of men proceeds, their
potential strength lessens and during the
endgame they turn out, as a rule, to be
weak." - Boris Spassky

Let's Review:

1. Train yourself to Snif Out Potential Targets on

the chessboard and then focus on creating tactics
against them.
2. Look for Weak Pawns and Weak Squares that are
vulnerable
to
attack.
3. Snif them out - Hunt them down - and capture.
Then snif out your next target.
4. Use the Acronym: a BaD HIPPI Backward
- Double - Hanging - IsolatedPawn - Pawn Island To remind yourself of possible targets against your
opponent's
position.

I hope this has shed some light on Creating and

Exploiting Targets. Look for part 2 when we'll
review games that demonstrate these principles.

Until

then...Cheers