The exchange is the material advantage of a rook against a minor piece (a bishop or a knight).
The exchange is the material advantage of a rook against a minor piece (a bishop or a knight).
Questions tagged [exchange]
19 questions
17
votes
1 answer
Can this exchange-down endgame be explained succinctly?
I am interested in the following exchange-down endgame (assume White to move):
[fen "6k1/5ppp/8/8/1r6/5KP1/5P1P/5B2 w - - 0 1"]
In particular, I am wondering whether this is objectively drawn (my hunch) or whether Black has a winning advantage. But…
ETD
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Theoretically, why is 4. Bd3 NOT one of the best candidates in Caro-Kann?
I seem to find 4. Bd3 to be one of the best choices in Caro-Kann.
[FEN ""]
1. e4 c6 2. d4 d5 3. e5 Bf5 4. Bd3
My reasoning:
White's light bishop can only develop to Be2 or Bd3. Be2 seems passive.
In Caro-Kann, Black gives up the center initially…
Ritesh Singh
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10
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3 answers
Why is Bf5 good in this position?
I would like to know why playing Bf5, allowing White to exchange the white-squared bishops, doubling Black's pawns is good for Black.
In such situation, castling on either side seems quite unsafe for Black given its weaknesses of b6, h6 and probably…
Maths64
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Why does Stockfish recommend this bishop exchange early on?
When reviewing my games on Lichess, I very often find the Lichess engine recommending to me to sacrifice the bishop early on after checking the enemy king. I have created a sample game where you can see it happening. I don't see myself in any better…
Xatenev
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Is the bishop pair and a pawn equivalent to knight and a rook?
In theory, rook (5) + knight (3) = 8 points.
And bishop (3.25) + bishop (3.25) + pawn (1) = 7.5 points.
For example, do you think black is better in the following scenario or do you believe white can hold with good play?
[fen…
Nordlandia
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Is there really a checkmate after 1... Bxf5?
This puzzle on chesstempo caught my eye. We play as Black:
[FEN "1r1r3k/7p/5Pb1/p2BpRpq/1pP5/1P1Q4/P5RP/7K w - - 0 1"]
1.Rgxg5
Note: the solution is not quite important here, so no large spoilers from me :).
The main blunder here is playing 1...…
Zhiltsoff Igor
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Why was castling bad for white in this game, and engine strongly prefered trading queens?
I'm a novice player, trying to improve. In the following game I played as white recently on chess.com, I analysed afterwards and my worst move of the game was apparently when I castled. The engine strongly favoured trading queens on move 9.
[FEN…
Baldrick
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5
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Extreme effort to keep a pawn backward
I'm currently studying chess strategy, and I can across an example of backward pawn exploitation that I do not understand. The book I'm reading suggests 1... Rd5 to keep the d4 pawn backward. Doesn't that put the rook into a precarious position to…
ross.squires
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B+N worth R + how many pawns?
Purely by piece counting, B+N is worth R + 1P. But I've seen lots of time when the exchange favours the side who holds B+N. In one variation of Scotch, white exchanges R+2P for B+N and is still slight in favour.
What are the ideas surrounding this…
jf328
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Interesting Ending Knight + pawn vs Rook - main plans (white and black)
From the feedback received I updated the main line (from pos 39). I post an update of this endgame. Now it is more clear that f7 is a weak point, and it is tricky for black to try to stop the two menaces: f7 and play on the c file ... It is not…
Mandor
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How should one play as Black vs. the Ruy Lopez Exchange Variation?
As the title above states, how should one play as Black vs. the Ruy Lopez Exchange Variation? In other words, after `
[FEN ""]
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Bxc6 dxc6
(The Exchange Variation), White's Pawn structure is superior, and an endgame…
A. N. Other
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When should you trade to prevent castling?
The main question I have is about a game I played. What do I need to know about how to take a piece so that my opponent's king can no longer castle?
In the following game, I played Bxd2+ to do so. The Stockfish lines seem nonhuman.
[FEN…
X X
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This variation in Open Sicilian: why give back the exchange?
This is my first foray into the Sicilian from the perspective of black.
So I'm messing around with the open Sicilian on my engine, in particular 4 ...Qb6 5 Be3 Qxb2.
In this variation, apparently even if the queen takes the rook in the corner, by…
Chris Sanders
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When to (and when not to) play Bxc6 (i.e. BxN) as White in Ruy Lopez?
Inspired by this question: when should one play Bxc6, capturing the Knight, in Ruy Lopez?
Related, but hopefully not a duplicate: this question, but it focusses on why Bxc6 isn't a popular move, while I ask what factors and ideas to consider while…
Myungjin Hyun
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Why sacrifice the rook?
[Title "White to move"]
[FEN "1r3rk1/1p4bp/p2p1q2/2pPn1p1/B1PnRp2/PPN2P1P/2QB2P1/3R2K1 w - - 5 27"]
This is a diagram from the game between Del Rey, Diego and Efimenko, Zahar on the Zalakaros Chess Festival after 26...Nd4. White answered with…
Santiago Estupiñán
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