The outpost

Step 1 of 6

Look first

A teaching position from “My System”. White no longer has an f-pawn, Black no longer has a d-pawn.

You are playing White. Which square in Black’s half does your pawn control, while your rook also reaches it along its file?

Arrow keys move the focus across the squares. Enter or Space marks a square or removes the mark.

87654321

abcdefgh

Which piece should the pawn become?

Queen Rook Bishop Knight

Cancel

Choose a square from a list

Square a8, black rookb8, emptyc8, emptyd8, emptye8, emptyf8, black rookg8, black kingh8, emptya7, black pawnb7, black pawnc7, black pawnd7, emptye7, black bishopf7, emptyg7, black pawnh7, black pawna6, emptyb6, emptyc6, emptyd6, emptye6, emptyf6, black pawng6, emptyh6, emptya5, emptyb5, emptyc5, emptyd5, emptye5, black pawnf5, emptyg5, emptyh5, emptya4, emptyb4, emptyc4, emptyd4, emptye4, white pawnf4, emptyg4, emptyh4, emptya3, emptyb3, emptyc3, white knightd3, white pawne3, emptyf3, emptyg3, emptyh3, emptya2, white pawnb2, white pawnc2, white pawnd2, emptye2, emptyf2, emptyg2, white pawnh2, white pawna1, white rookb1, emptyc1, emptyd1, emptye1, emptyf1, white rookg1, white kingh1, empty Mark or unmark

Position as a list

White

• King g1
• Rook a1
• Rook f1
• Knight c3
• Pawn a2
• Pawn b2
• Pawn c2
• Pawn d3
• Pawn e4
• Pawn g2
• Pawn h2

Black

• King g8
• Rook a8
• Rook f8
• Bishop e7
• Pawn a7
• Pawn b7
• Pawn c7
• Pawn e5
• Pawn f6
• Pawn g7
• Pawn h7

Step 2 of 6

Decide

A second teaching position from the same chapter. Here Nimzowitsch examines several plans one after another.

You are playing White. In front of your rook on d1, the pawn on d6 stands on the d-file. How do you use the file anyway?

Arrow keys move the focus across the squares. Enter or Space selects a piece and moves it to a highlighted square. Escape cancels the selection.

87654321

abcdefgh

Which piece should the pawn become?

Queen Rook Bishop Knight

Cancel

Position as a list

White

• King c1
• Rook d1
• Rook e1
• Knight c3
• Pawn a2
• Pawn b2
• Pawn c2
• Pawn e4
• Pawn f2
• Pawn g2
• Pawn h2

Black

• King g8
• Rook a8
• Rook f8
• Knight g6
• Pawn a7
• Pawn b7
• Pawn c7
• Pawn d6
• Pawn f7
• Pawn g7
• Pawn h7

How do you use the d-file?

Rd1–d2 and Re1–d1: both rooks attack d6 Rd1–d4: the rook later switches along the fourth rank to the queenside Nc3–d5: the knight places itself in front of d6

Step 3 of 6

Try it

A game from 1911. Teichmann has White, Nimzowitsch has Black. The white knight has just reached f5.

You are playing Black. White attacks the pawn on d6 with knight, bishop and queen. With which knight move do you hold d6?

Arrow keys move the focus across the squares. Enter or Space selects a piece and moves it to a highlighted square. Escape cancels the selection.

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hgfedcba

Which piece should the pawn become?

Queen Rook Bishop Knight

Cancel

Choose a move from a list

Move Re7 – rook from e8 to e7Re6 – rook from e8 to e6Re5 – rook from e8 to e5Rxe4 – rook from e8 captures on e4Be7 – bishop from f8 to e7Kh8 – king from g8 to h8b6 – pawn from b7 to b6b5 – pawn from b7 to b5Qb8 – queen from c7 to b8Qb6+ – queen from c7 to b6Qa5 – queen from c7 to a5Nb8 – knight from d7 to b8Nf6 – knight from d7 to f6Ne5 – knight from d7 to e5Nc5 – knight from d7 to c5Nb6 – knight from d7 to b6f6 – pawn from f7 to f6g6 – pawn from g7 to g6g5 – pawn from g7 to g5h6 – pawn from h7 to h6h5 – pawn from h7 to h5a5 – pawn from a6 to a5c5 – pawn from c6 to c5d5 – pawn from d6 to d5 Play move

Position as a list

White

• King g1
• Queen d2
• Rook d1
• Rook e1
• Bishop f4
• Knight c3
• Knight f5
• Pawn a4
• Pawn b2
• Pawn c2
• Pawn e4
• Pawn f3
• Pawn g2
• Pawn h3

Black

• King g8
• Queen c7
• Rook d8
• Rook e8
• Bishop c8
• Bishop f8
• Knight d7
• Pawn a6
• Pawn b7
• Pawn c6
• Pawn d6
• Pawn f7
• Pawn g7
• Pawn h7

Step 4 of 6

Why does it work?

Nimzowitsch calls an advanced piece on an open file that one of your own pawns protects an outpost. It is a base for further attacks.

If the opponent wants to drive the outpost away, they often have to move a pawn. That usually creates a new weakness.

For Nimzowitsch a file is already open when only your own pawn is missing from it. An enemy pawn may still stand on it.

Step 5 of 6

New position, same idea

An endgame from “My System”. This time the file is at the edge of the board.

You are playing White. On the open h-file two rooks face each other. On which square of the h-file does your rook on h1 become an outpost?

Arrow keys move the focus across the squares. Enter or Space selects a piece and moves it to a highlighted square. Escape cancels the selection.

87654321

abcdefgh

Which piece should the pawn become?

Queen Rook Bishop Knight

Cancel

Choose a move from a list

Move e5 – pawn from e4 to e5Nd5+ – knight from f4 to d5Ne6 – knight from f4 to e6Nh5 – knight from f4 to h5Nh3 – knight from f4 to h3Ng2 – knight from f4 to g2Ne2 – knight from f4 to e2Nd3 – knight from f4 to d3a3 – pawn from a2 to a3a4 – pawn from a2 to a4b3 – pawn from b2 to b3b4 – pawn from b2 to b4c3 – pawn from c2 to c3c4 – pawn from c2 to c4Kd2 – king from c1 to d2Kb1 – king from c1 to b1Rd2 – rook from d1 to d2Rd3 – rook from d1 to d3Rd4 – rook from d1 to d4Rd5 – rook from d1 to d5Rd6 – rook from d1 to d6Rxd7+ – rook from d1 captures on d7Rde1 – rook from d1 to e1Rdf1 – rook from d1 to f1Rdg1 – rook from d1 to g1Rh2 – rook from h1 to h2Rh3 – rook from h1 to h3Rh4 – rook from h1 to h4Rh5 – rook from h1 to h5Rh6 – rook from h1 to h6Rh7 – rook from h1 to h7Rxh8 – rook from h1 captures on h8Rhg1 – rook from h1 to g1Rhf1 – rook from h1 to f1Rhe1 – rook from h1 to e1 Play move

Position as a list

White

• King c1
• Rook d1
• Rook h1
• Knight f4
• Pawn a2
• Pawn b2
• Pawn c2
• Pawn e4
• Pawn f5
• Pawn g6

Black

• King e7
• Rook g8
• Rook h8
• Bishop d7
• Pawn a7
• Pawn b7
• Pawn c6
• Pawn c7
• Pawn f6
• Pawn g7

Step 6 of 6

Nimzowitsch and today

Aaron Nimzowitsch: looking at the board differently