Revisiting Jeremy Silman’s Imbalanced-Based Chess Thinking PART 1
A glance through my posts will surely reveal that I’m a huge fan of Jeremy Silman, his books, and especially his imbalanced-based chess thinking process.
Come to think of it – chess is not a game of memorization, although it’s still needed. It’s not a game of hand-speed. Chess is a THINKING GAME.
If you know how to think right and judge the position in front of you, you can almost always come up with the right move. If you don’t, then cross your fingers and pray that your opponent doesn’t know how to think right, too.
Silman’s imbalanced-based thinking teaches the serious and improving player how to think in chess by taking good note of the major differences in the black and white camp…looking at the trumps and disadvantages in both positions.
This makes it easier for one to form a concrete plan.
What Are Chess Imbalances?
Imbalances, according to Silman, are the major differences in both camps. They’re not advantages or disadvantages…they’re just that differences. In his books, Jeremy identified 7 imbalances namely…
1. Pawn Structures
2. Superior Minor Piece
3. Squares and Square Complexes
4. Rooks and Files
5. Space
6. Development
7. Initiative
The Structure
Here’s how Silman’s imbalanced based thinking works…
1. Find and take note of the imbalances on both sides.
2. Form a plan how to emphasize your imbalances…turning them into advantages while neutralizing the opponent’s efforts to do the same.
3. Form a list of candidate moves.
4. And only after you have completed the steps above should you start to calculate.
For example, Black has a backward pawn on d-file…specifically on d6 – that’s one of the imbalances on his camp. On the other hand, you have a semi-open d-file. What would you do?
Simple! Pile up your major pieces on the d-file…put that d6-pawn under immense pressure since you know that it cannot be supported by a fellow pawn. You may even opt to exchange minor pieces since that will reduce the defenders of that pawn. Alternatively, you may choose to station a minor piece, preferably a knight.
You can now pick candidate moves – Rd1 and perhaps follow it up with Qd2, you can also go for Nc3, or eliminate that f6-Knight with Bg5 followed with Bxf6…and so on.
In a nutshell, that’s how Silman’s chess. I’m struggling to recall the in-depth details relating to each and every imbalance. But I will post what I can remember.
