Of what value is "outflanking"?

I am reading "Reasess  your Chess" by  Jeremy  Silman. The first chapter is on  basic endgames , and disscusses  the concepts "opposition" and "outflanking"   I understand the importance of opposition, but fail to  grasp  the importance of "outflanking" ..'I am having  a problem ofunderstanding  how to implement   it--it, and even if I do- of what pratical use is it.

Outflanking is the process of obtaining the opposition. It is usefull especially in K&P endings were you may have to calculate long series of moves to obtain the opposition and break through. You also have to understand outflanking well to learn more advanced concepts like triangulation

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Triangulation_%28chess%29

I hate using wikipedia but it's usefull here for a couple of quick basic examples

This page shows multiple examples of triangulation which without a solid base of outflanking and the opposition would be hard to understand or replicate on the board.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x_rj9twwstA

G-Polizoti,  thanks for responding.I am familiar  with triangulation    but still have difficulty with outflanking, especially from a far distance between kings, and pieces far from both kings..Like - if to use direct opposition, or outflanking to achieve opposition.. Guess I need to see a few examples from games using outflanking., but don't know where to look...

It could have been a draw on move 84 with Rg6+.

https://gameknot.com/annotation.pl/great-endgames-series-pawn-endings?gm=52108

Here is an annoted game of Paul Keres the number 2 player in the world for a decade.

It is K&Ps  VRS K&Ps   and the endame shows outflanking opposition and triangulation

....yes 84....Rg6+ equalizes. Thanks Michael !

80...Rf1 is the best way to hold the draw. your move is losing since after 82. Kh7 you are busted. there is no defense on move 81 since move 80 was a blunder by itself.

please at least next time double check the problem before posting it, the position wasn't even difficult and should be in basic rook endgame techniques yet somehow the poster still screwed up. if the correct moves deviate from the what was played in the game, put it in annotations so people don't get confused.

It's a funny name "outflanking", I don't like it at all. To me a flank is a side of the board or in football the side of a pitch.

I wonder if the term has an origin in fencing or something like that and someone decided it should be used to denote winning the opposition in chess. I think I'd rather just stick with "winning the opposition".  

thats because winning the opposition is only 1 way to outflank. there is also shouldering away, or simply getting to 1 side of the board faster.

I am starting to get the hang of  it, but still have a way to go. Thanks everyone for your help....

it's sidestepping reciprocal zugzwang

Outflanking is the act of gaining control of key squares that assure a pawn's advance. Opposition is the means toward this end. The first response had it backwards. You might read this article that I put up some months ago: http://chessskill.blogspot.com/2014/09/back-to-school.html

Yep, it allows you to advance to get to key squares, either to capture opponent pawns or to allow the progress of your pawn.

As Ziryab says, opposition is just a tool. The key squares are the goal. Sometimes you can only win an endgame by ignoring opposition and taking the quickest route to the key squares.