Chess Strategy in the Opening Trivia Quiz

Answer: control the a1 - h8 diagonal

In the Sokolski opening white's main aim is to control the a1-h8 diagonal. He will do this by placing the queens bishop on b2 and a knight on f3. The queen often goes to b3 to support c4 and d5.

Answer: Queen's Bishop

Black will often try to exchange the queenside bishop as the black pawns in the centre will have been locked onto squares on which the queen's bishop would normally operate (which is to say the light squares, of course). This is especially common in the 'Advance variation) 1.e4 d5 2 d4 d5 3 e5)

Answer: block the centre and attack on the Kingside

Black will often attack on the kingside with ... f5 (after moving the king's knight to h5 or e8). After ... f4, Black will occasionally move a rook to g8 and play g5 then g4. White will counterattack on the queenside, often breaking through first. But, of course, Black is playing for much higher stakes on the kingdside.

Answer: control the a1-h8 diagonal

White will try to control the a1-h8 diagonal, often playing f4 to support this plan. Ideally, white is looking for a strong kingside attack culminating in lethal pressure on the g7 square on a castled black king.

Answer: entice the white pawns forward and then undermine them

As a so-called hypermodern opening black's idea is to control the centre with pieces. White can move pawns forward to attack the knights that are controlling the centre, but this can cut them off from other pawns leaving them vulnerable. Black has to be careful that the misplaced knights are not positioned in such awkward places as to not to be able to provide defensive cover if white attacks on the kingside.

Answer: to deflect pawns from the centre allowing rapid piece development to attack the weakspots left exposed

Gambits (normally) involve sacrificing one or more pawns in order to create space for attacking pieces, and to enable rapid development. Most opening gambits are made by white. Black tries to consolidate and let the attack run out of steam. Alternatively, Black can counterattack or, return some of the material to take the sting out of the white attack.

Answer: to exchange of his darksquare bishop for black's fianchettoed bishop

Fianchetto bishops provide could cover for a castled king and so it is worthwhile from the attackers point of view to remove it. Be3 and Qd2 is a common sequence designed to play Bh6 and thereby (hopefully)exchanging off the defending bishop.

Answer: support the d5 pawn without blocking in the queens bishop

The Caro-Kann is designed to allow black to play d5 (getting some influence in the centre) with c6 without blocking in the queens bishop (which is the case after 1. e6 in the French defence). The problem here is that Black often has to exchange off the d5 pawn removing black's influence on the centre (which is not the case in the French defence).

Answer: dark square weaknesses

Black's problem in the Dutch is that the black squares are weak. Although Black can use the advanced f-pawn for attacking purposes, he will often find White placing a knight on e5 and a bishop on b2 or c3 (or on a3 to exchange with the black dark square bishop).

Answer: Nc3, Bg2, Rb1, Bg5, Qc2

In the English opening white is trying to control the white squares (hence the bishop on g2) and launch a pawn advance on the queenside (hence Rb1). Black will try to attack on the kingside, seek exchanges or counterattack in the centre.