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Kasparov System: An eternal quest for the Chess Truth

Kasparov System

Now let us discuss the thinking system of one of the greatest players (sometimes called the greatest) of Chess Sir Gary Kasparov. There are two strengths of Kasparov's Thinking System. First is that he absorbed most of the chess thought developed before him as beautifully expressed in his "My Great Predecessors" series of books. Second strength is his concept of three elements in the game of chess - 1. Material, 2. Time and 3. Quality of Position. Kasparov many times traded material to gain time (faster reach towards opponent's king/ valuable squares) or to improve the quality of position (making all the pieces/ pawns effective even if they are of lower value than the opponent's higher value ineffective pieces). There is an important difference between Karpov System and Kasparov System. While Karpov System stresses more on endgame and says that middlegame shall be converted into favourable or equal endgame as soon as possible, Kasparov System gives equal emphasis to all the phases of chess game - Opening, Middlegame and Endgame and transition phases. Kasparov says that yes Endgame is very important but the goal of opening is to get a favourable middlegame and main fight is in the middlegame whose goal is to get a favourable endgame. So, Kasparov System prohibits Overdependence on endgame but stresses on equal importance to all phases of a chess game.

1. Space Advantage: Gary Kasparov is the greatest exponent of Space advantage in chess. He studied, innovated and applied many openings to achieve the space advantage and was able to exploit it to the fullest.

2. White's Night on f5: Gary Kasparov as white liked to put his knight on f5 and put everlasting pressure on the black's king.

3. Switching the sides: Kasparov stressed on controlling the centre and switching the focus of attack from one side to the other swiftly (usually from Queenside to Kingside).

4. Complex Positions: Another feature of Kasparov's style of play was his expertise on solving very complex chess positions (especially middlegame positions) quite accurately. Most of his opponents were surprised by the winning solutions found by Kasparov of the complex positions which they thought equal or even inferior.

5. Bringing the opponent out of his comfort zone: Kasparov stressed that opening preparation or ability to solve complex positions shall make a chess player able to bring his opponent out of his comfort zone either in the opening or in the middlegame (through a calculated risky play).



(More to come...)

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