Outpost (chess)

{{short description|Chess term}}

{{Chess diagram

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|Anand vs. Ivanchuk, Amber, 2001

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|pd| | | |rd|pd|kd|pd

|pl|rd|pd| |pd| |pd|

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| |pl| | | |pl| |pl

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|The white knight on c4 occupies a powerful outpost, defending the pawn on a5 and attacking the d6 square.

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{{algebraic notation|pos=example}}

An outpost is a square on the fourth, fifth, sixth, or seventh {{chessgloss|rank}} which is protected by a pawn and which cannot be attacked by an opponent's pawn.{{Cite web|last1=Sgîrcea|first1=Raluca|last2=Castellanos|first2=Renier|date=April 25, 2016|title=The Importance of Creating Outposts|url=https://thechessworld.com/articles/middle-game/the-importance-of-creating-outposts/|access-date=2021-08-18|website=thechessworld.com}}{{Cite web|last=Chandan|first=Sanjana|date=2020-12-20|title=Outpost Squares - How to Create and How to Play Around|url=https://chessklub.com/outpost-squares-a-complete-guide/|access-date=2021-08-18|website=CHESS KLUB|language=en-US}} Such a square is a hole for the opponent {{harvcol|Hooper|Whyld|1992}}. In the figure to the right,Anand vs. Ivanchuk, Amber, 2001 at [http://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1214005 chessgames.com] c4 is an outpost, occupied by White's knight. It cannot be attacked by Black's pawns – there is no pawn on the d-{{chessgloss|file}} and Black's pawn on the b-file is too far advanced.

Outposts are a favourable position from which one can launch an attack, particularly using a knight. An outpost is even more effective where it is difficult to trade off with an equal valued piece, e.g., if the opponent only has a bishop of the opposite color to the outpost square's color.

Knights are most efficient when they are close to the enemy's stronghold. This is because of their short reach, something not true of bishops, rooks and queens. They are also more effective in the centre of the board than on the edges.{{Cite web|title=Knight outposts|url=https://www.exeterchessclub.org.uk/content/knight-outposts|access-date=August 18, 2021|website=Exeter Chess Club}} Therefore, the ideal to be aimed at is an outpost in one of the central (c-, d-, e- or f-) files in an advanced position (e.g. the sixth rank) with a knight. Knowledge of outposts and their effectiveness is crucial in exploiting situations involving an isolated queen's pawn.

On the other hand, Nimzowitsch argued when the outpost is in one of the flank (a-, b-, g- and h-) files the ideal piece to make use of the outpost is a rook. This is because the rook can put pressure on all the squares along the rank.{{Cite book|last=Nimzowitsch|first=Aron|title=My System|publisher=B.T Batsford Ltd (1987 reprint)|year=1925|isbn=0-7134-5655-8|location=London}}