Getting All Your Pieces Involved
This is another plan that every good player uses. It is sometimes difficult to understand how you can get all the pieces into the game when you can move only one with each move. But patience, good judgment, and a sharp eye for tactics will make this plan readily available.
The following game, which you've already seen (in Chapter 6), is a model of developing every piece purposefully. Watch how White brings new pieces into play using threats at nearly every turn. Those few moves when a new piece is not brought into play involve capturing and threatening to capture. (White: Paul Morphy; Black: Duke and Count; Paris, 1857.)
1…. e4 e5 2. Nf3.
A new piece comes to the center, threatening the e5-pawn.
2…. d6 3. d4.
Lines are opened for the queen and the c1-bishop, while there is a threat to the e5-pawn.
3…. Bg4 4. dxe5.
This move opens up the d-file for the queen and grabs a pawn.
4…. Bxf3 5. Qxf3.
This recovers the piece, saves the queen, and gets the queen into the action.
5…. dxe5 6. Bc4.
A new piece comes into play with a checkmate threat on f7. Kingside castling is also prepared.
6…. Nf6 7. Qb3.
This transfer of an already developed piece comes with two threats: one to the underdefended f7-pawn and the other to the undefended b7-pawn.
7…. Qe7 8. Nc3.
A new piece comes into play, defending the e4-pawn.
8…. c6 9. Bg5.
A new piece comes into play, preparing queenside castling.
9…. b5 10. Nxb5.
The bishop is saved at the cost of the knight. White will get two pawns for the knight along with an enduring attack on the uncastled Black king.
10…. cxb5 11. Bxb5+.
The bishop comes into even more powerful play, checking and getting the second pawn.
11…. Nbd7 12. 0-0-0.
The king gets tucked safely away while the rook commands the d-file.
12…. Rd8 13. Rxd7.
This move serves to expose the enemy king while making room on d1 for the other rook.
13…. Rxd7 14. Rd1.
White gets the last piece into play, threatening a destructive exchange on d7.
14…. Qe6 15. Bxd7+.
This move captures the rook and checks the king, while making extra room on the b-file for the queen.
15…. Nxd7 16. Qb8+.
This check gives up the queen but forces Black to open the d-file for the White rook.
16…. Nxb8 17. Rd8 checkmate.
With this checkmate, White has used every piece to its maximum potential.
Develop New Pieces
Developing a new piece with each turn as far as possible is essential to good chess play. Here is an example of what happens when one player heeds this advice and the other player doesn't:
1. e4 c5 2. d4 cxd4 3. c3 dxc3.
White is playing a gambit, in which he gives up a pawn in order to bring more pieces into the center quickly.
4. Nxc3 Nc6 5. Bc4 Nf6 6. Nf3 d6.
White's queen and bishop command nice open lines, while he also has more pieces in play.
7. e5! Nxe5.
Black avoids the horrors of 7…. dxe5 8. Qxd8+ Nxd8 9. Nb5 Rb8 10. Nxe5, but what he gets is worse.
8. Nxe5 dxe5 9. Bxf7+ Kxf7 10. Qxd8.
