More about pivot points

 

After studying all kinds of courses about the middlegame, slowly a certain scenario starts to emerge.

• You must make your own pieces ready behind your pawns
• This means that your pieces look at the backside of your pawns
• Then you push one or more pawns
• The pawns leave pivot points behind in their wake
• Your minor pieces jump on the pivot point
• From there they threaten sitting ducks
• Your opponent starts to defend these ducks
• In doing so, these pieces start to lose coördination
• By pressing on different ducks, your opponents' pieces start to move all over the shop
• Tactical possibilities start to emerge

There are a lot of parameters that you need to judge:

• When are your pieces "ready"
• Is your opponent more ready than you are?
• How much will your opponent benefit?
• Which pieces op your opponent will be restricted?
• Where are the ducks?
• How is the color balance?
• Do you need to trade to adjust the color balance?
• If it all fizzles out into an endgame, how are your chances?

Black to move

r1bq1rk1/3n1pbp/2p1p1p1/3pP3/5P2/1PN5/P1PQ1BPP/R3KB1R b KQ - 0 1

Imagine how the pawnbreak 1. ... f6, eventually followed by the push e6-e5 enlarges the scope of 5 of your pieces dramatically! While black isn't ready yet.