Chess Tip Of The Day

One of the basic principles of chess strategy is to exchange one's less-active pieces for the opponent's more-active pieces. Steve Mayer, Bishop v Knight: The Verdict

The value of playing an opening variation against an opponent who is an acknowledged expert in that field is very debatable. It is rather like using a new ball in cricket -  more likely to take a wicket quickly, but easier to hit for six. Michael Stean, Learn From The Grandmasters

When playing versus the isolated pawn, try to exchange minor pieces - particularly knights - and retain at least one pair of rooks. Alexander Baburin, Winning Pawn Structures

Practice shows that, for the sake of creating a connected pair of pawns at d5 and e5, a sacrifice of material is often fully justified. Alexey Suetin, Plan Like A Grandmaster

Almost all combinations are made possible by an undefended or inadequately guarded piece. This means that whenever you see a piece that is "loose," perk up and look for a trick to take advantage of it. Jeremy Silman, The Reassess Your Chess Workbook

Too often amateurs get the impression that grandmasters are calculating wizards who constantly think 10 and 15 moves ahead. Actually, there are few times in a game when you have to look more than four moves ahead. Andrew Soltis, Confessions Of A Chess Grandmaster