Talk:Outpost (chess)

Merge

Suggest this article is merged to List of chess terms. SunCreator (talk) 19:02, 24 April 2008 (UTC)

Why? I cant see why we should do it. Lab-oratory (talk) 06:29, 26 April 2008 (UTC)

I tend to think that the info provided at List of chess terms is too limited to provide an account of what is (IMHO) an important concept in chess strategy. --Dje123 (talk) 06:23, 19 July 2008 (UTC)

I think it is too large now to merge, so I'm removing the tag. 71.203.138.231 (talk) 01:50, 13 August 2010 (UTC)

In an open file?

Outposts don't have to be on open files. A good outpost would typically be in front of an isolated pawn, which is not exactly an open file. Or, in some of the variations of the Dutch Defence for Black, on e4, which is not on an open file at all... —Preceding unsigned comment added by 86.141.253.84 (talk) 19:14, 11 June 2009 (UTC)

Yes, generally an outpost is a square that can't be attacked by opposing pawns. That needs to be fixed in the article. Bubba73 (talk), 21:05, 11 June 2009 (UTC)

I removed the phrase about the open file and included an example of an outpost which is actually on a completely closed file.--148.168.40.4 (talk) 15:54, 21 July 2009 (UTC)

Definition

The article said that an outpost was on the fifth, sixth, or seventh rank. That was changed to "fourth, fifth, or sixth". The source is The Oxford Companion to Chess which says "a square on the fifth, sixth, or seventh rank that is guarded by a pawn but cannot be attacked by an enemy pawn, especially such a square on an open file". Granted, a pawn can never attack a square on the opponent's seventh rank, but a piece on that rank can be supported by one of its own pawns. Golombek's Encyclopedia of Chess says "a piece on an open or half-open file on the opponent's side of the board, and protected by a pawn." An Illustrated Dictionary of Chess by Brace says the same as Golombek. Bubba73 ^{You talkin' to me?} 02:21, 25 November 2013 (UTC)

And Chess: Tactics and Strategy by Burgess pretty much agrees with those books too. Bubba73 ^{You talkin' to me?} 04:42, 25 November 2013 (UTC)

But we do need a better diagram - one past the fourth rank. The current diagram fails in that regard, plus there is no source saying that it is an outpost. Bubba73 ^{You talkin' to me?} 04:04, 25 November 2013 (UTC)

I've looked in about 20 books and I can't find an example position. Bubba73 ^{You talkin' to me?} 04:42, 25 November 2013 (UTC)

I agree with your findings here. I don't think the definition is undermined by the fact that a black pawn can't attack the seventh rank (or a white pawn the second). This merely means that the second condition in "that is guarded by a pawn but cannot be attacked by an enemy pawn" will always be met. Proxyma (talk) 04:36, 25 November 2013 (UTC)

Nimzo's definition

"... one of our own pieces, (usually a knight), which is placed, being protected (by a pawn of course) on an open file within enemy territory." Bubba73 ^{You talkin' to me?} 02:17, 4 December 2013 (UTC)