Candidate Moves

This post is about candidates moves and finding plans. This topic is very important because it is needed in every chess game. Here are some tips about finding candidates moves and plans in concrete positions:

Step 1.Understand the position (weaknesses in both players positions, strategical aspects...)

Step 2.Find plans and candidate moves (  3 candidate moves are perfect)

Step 3. Calculate the lines for every candidate move ( tactics and positional understanding is needed-you have to understand whether the position is tactical or strategical)

Here is a example for a strategical position:

The position has a kingsindian structure and is strategical. Here are the 3 steps:

Step 1. Understand the position:

Positional aspects for white: Only pawn break/plan with h5, bad bishop on d3- perspective to get to  h3 and e6 after the move g5, space advantage in the center

Positional aspects for black: No pawn break/ plan ( b5 is never possible), Bad bishop on g7- no good perspective, space disadvantage,

Step 2. Candidate moves/ plans for white :

Only plan is the pawn break h4-h5!

1. h4

2. g5

3.Bf1

Step 3. Calculate the lines for the 3 candidate moves :

1. h4 is answered by blacks move h6 and after h5/g5 black can always close the position with g5/h5! 

3. Bf1 with the idea to bring the bishop to e6 is also answered by h6 and the position is a draw!

2. G5 is the right move ! After it white can improve the bishops position, play h4-h5 and double the rooks!

Here is the position with the lines again:

It also is very important to find the right candidate moves in the position! Here is a example for this:

Hope I could help you with this! Cheers and thx for feedback, Till_98

Thanks for the analysis. :)

Thanks :)

How does one decide which moves are the candidate moves on the board AND when you have found enough to just focus on such candidate moves.   In the last example you had 3 candidate moves but then you came up with a fourth.  How did you decide to venture into a different candidate move?

In the last game I also started with step 1 to understand the position. When you take a closer look its very easy to see that white is clearly better.   There are 3 main factors that are important in the position: 1. Blacks queen is very missplaced on the d file, because of the d1 rook 2. d6 is hanging 3. The bishop c6 is hanging índirectly and is completly unprotected. The only problem in my own position is that the knight on d5 is hanging. We can now come to the conclusion that the position is definetely tactical and white needs to find a way to solve his own problems and to make use of his opponents problems in a tactical way.

Now when we have understand the position we have to think about logical candidate moves WITHOUT calculating long variations. I first picked 3 obvious candidate moves: Nb6( removing the knight, it was attacked), Nf4( also removing the knight, this time to another and maybe more safe square), cxd6( opens up the c file, wins a pawn and attacks the bishop on c6 so it wont lose a piece)

Now we have the candidates moves and need to calculate if they are working and which one is the best. I started with Nb6: When he simply takes I have an isolated pawn on b6. Of course its close to the 8th rank but it might turn out to be a weaknesses and get even lost. I wasnt even sure whether I am better after this transaction and it was also way to risky for me, I mean my position is just too good to throw it awy with such risky moves now. So Nb6 is not a good move here.

Now cxd6: This was also a bit too risky for me. After cxd6 exd5, Rxc6 dxe4, fxe4 I am a pawn up BUT after moves like Re8 or f5 black might get serious counterplay. When you have a solid position and an advantage you should try to go the simplest ways. Thats why cxd6 wasnt good enough for me

Now Nf4:  After Nf4 black is in serious trouble. D6 is threatened twice now , so he basically only has 2 reasonable tries: d5 or dxc5. after d5 I can simply take twice and will end up being a clear pawn up and with  strong rooks on d and c file. White should be winning this. After dxc5 I play Bxc5 and after Re8 I can get the exchange with Ba7/Bd6 because c6 and b8 are hanging and after blacks rc8 I have Bxa6. The only problem with this for me was that black can give the rook on b8 against my strong and neccessary bishop on e3 and even when I am materially better and should also be winning I saw that blacks g7 bishop is a monster now and he will surely get some counterplay on thsoe weak dark squares.  So basically I wasnt complely sure about any of these 3 moves, so I needed to go back to step 2 and find other candidate moves. In my mind I knew that when I wouldnt find a better move than I would go for the Nf4-line because its compared to the other 2 candidate moves the best one.

tnx :)