Initiative in a chess position belongs to the player who can make threats that cannot be ignored, thus putting the opponent in the position of having to spend turns responding to threats rather than creating new threats.[1] A player with the initiative will often seek to maneuver their pieces into more and more advantageous positions as they launch successive attacks. The player who lacks the initiative may seek to regain it through counterattack.
Due to moving first, White starts the game with the initiative,[2] but it can be lost in the opening by accepting a gambit. Players can also lose initiative by making unnecessary moves that allow the opponent to gain tempo, such as superfluous "preventive" (prophylactic) moves intended to guard against certain actions by the opponent, that nonetheless require no specific response by them. The concept of tempo is closely tied to initiative, as players can acquire the initiative or buttress it by gaining a tempo.
The initiative is important in all phases of the game, but more important in the endgame than in the middlegame and more important in the middlegame than in the opening.[3] Having the initiative puts the opponent on the defensive.
GrandmasterLarry Evans considers four elements of chess: pawn structure, force (material), space (controlling the center and piecemobility), and time. Time is measured in tempos. Having a time advantage is having the initiative.[4] The initiative should be kept as long as possible and only given up for another advantage.[5]
^. Archived from the original on 2006-05-06. Retrieved 2010-02-20.
^(Hooper & Whyld 1996, p. 181: "When play commences, White, having the first move, has the initiative; its value may become insignificant as play continues and Black is then said to have equalized.")
Euwe, Max; Kramer, Hans (1994), The Middlegame: Book Two: Dynamic & Subjective Features, Hays, pp. 13–48, ISBN1-880673-96-7
January 01, 1970
initiative, chess, this, article, needs, additional, citations, verification, please, help, improve, this, article, adding, citations, reliable, sources, unsourced, material, challenged, removed, find, sources, initiative, chess, news, newspapers, books, schol. This article needs additional citations for verification Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources Unsourced material may be challenged and removed Find sources Initiative chess news newspapers books scholar JSTOR May 2021 Learn how and when to remove this message Initiative in a chess position belongs to the player who can make threats that cannot be ignored thus putting the opponent in the position of having to spend turns responding to threats rather than creating new threats 1 A player with the initiative will often seek to maneuver their pieces into more and more advantageous positions as they launch successive attacks The player who lacks the initiative may seek to regain it through counterattack Contents 1 Discussion 2 See also 3 References 4 Further readingDiscussion editDue to moving first White starts the game with the initiative 2 but it can be lost in the opening by accepting a gambit Players can also lose initiative by making unnecessary moves that allow the opponent to gain tempo such as superfluous preventive prophylactic moves intended to guard against certain actions by the opponent that nonetheless require no specific response by them The concept of tempo is closely tied to initiative as players can acquire the initiative or buttress it by gaining a tempo The initiative is important in all phases of the game but more important in the endgame than in the middlegame and more important in the middlegame than in the opening 3 Having the initiative puts the opponent on the defensive Grandmaster Larry Evans considers four elements of chess pawn structure force material space controlling the center and piece mobility and time Time is measured in tempos Having a time advantage is having the initiative 4 The initiative should be kept as long as possible and only given up for another advantage 5 See also editFirst move advantage in chess Tempo chess SenteReferences edit Glossary Initiative Archived from the original on 2006 05 06 Retrieved 2010 02 20 Hooper amp Whyld 1996 p 181 When play commences White having the first move has the initiative its value may become insignificant as play continues and Black is then said to have equalized Euwe amp Meiden 1966 xvii xxii Evans 1958 123 Capablanca amp de Firmian 2006 65 66 Bibliography Capablanca Jose de Firmian Nick 2006 Chess Fundamentals Completely Revised and Updated for the 21st Century Random House ISBN 0 8129 3681 7 Euwe Max Meiden Walter 1966 The Road to Chess Mastery McKay pp xxii xxiv ISBN 0 679 14525 7 Evans Larry 1958 New Ideas in Chess Pitman 1984 Dover edition ISBN 0 486 28305 4 Hooper David Whyld Kenneth 1996 First pub 1992 The Oxford Companion to Chess 2nd ed Oxford University Press ISBN 0 19 280049 3Further reading editEuwe Max Kramer Hans 1994 The Middlegame Book Two Dynamic amp Subjective Features Hays pp 13 48 ISBN 1 880673 96 7 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Initiative chess amp oldid 1197399424, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
