Restriction and Domination

Take away your opponent’s squares

In this lesson you will learn

How to restrict an enemy piece
Knights on the rim and how to keep them there
Domination: a piece with no safe square
Prophylaxis against piece activity

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8.1 Squares Are Everything

Every piece needs good squares. If you take them away, the piece becomes a spectator. Restriction means preventing an enemy piece from becoming active; domination is the extreme case, when a piece has no safe square at all.

Diagram 8.1White to move

The knight on a5

Black’s knight has gone to a5. From there it wants to return to c4 or b7, but its only active square is c4.

b3 takes c4 away from the knight, and c4 fixes the queenside. The knight on a5 has almost no useful squares left. Restriction like this often decides closed positions slowly but surely.

Remember

Take away the best squares of your opponent’s pieces.
A knight on the rim needs a route back: close it.
A restricted piece is a piece missing from the game.
Ask every move: which enemy piece wants to improve, and can I stop it?

Exercises · Lesson 8

Every exercise has been checked with a chess engine. Find the best move or choose the right plan.

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Exercise 8.1Find the move

Black to move