Project approval after AI review on November 2, 2026. Human proofreading is still pending.
Prophylaxis: what does your opponent want?
At a glance
Prophylaxis means prevention. Before your move you ask yourself what your opponent would like to play. Then you stop their plan before it becomes dangerous. Aaron Nimzowitsch made this way of thinking a core part of his positional play. Good preventive moves often improve your own position at the same time, for example when a piece also protects an important point.
In short
Before your move it pays to look at the other side: what would your opponent like to play now? Then ask whether their plan is dangerous. If it is harmless, you can carry on with your own plan.
Prophylaxis means preventing an unwanted plan early. A threat can cost material as soon as the next move. Another plan needs several moves, for example a freeing pawn advance. Both call for a concrete look at the position.
Nimzowitsch makes this way of thinking an important part of his positional play. But he also asks you to check whether a supposedly freeing move really helps. You do not have to prevent every possibility your opponent has.
A good preventive reply can improve one of your own pieces at the same time. Sometimes it helps to protect an important pawn once more or to restrain a pawn advance. An extra defender without a purpose, on the other hand, costs time. So compare the plan you prevent with what else your move achieves.
Start with Lesson 21. There you examine an opponent’s plan and a position from Wendel – Nimzowitsch. The lessons on restraint and overprotection go deeper into two related ideas. In the game you can watch how the plans change over several moves.
Summarized by the editors in their own words. This is not a quotation.
Where to find it in Nimzowitsch
- My System: II. Teil, 1.3 Meine neuartige Auffassung des Positionsspiels als solches: Das bekannte Akkumulieren geringfügiger Vorteile ist erst in zweiter (bis dritter) Linie bezeichnend; viel wesentlicher ist eine nach außen und innen hin betriebene Prophylaxe (Vorbeugung). Meine Neuheit der Überdeckung, Formulierung und Sinn derselben. original text not yet published
Nimzowitsch explains prophylaxis and examines when freeing pawn moves are really useful.
- Chess Praxis: 3. Überdeckung und andere Formen der Prophylaxe original text not yet published
Game examples of overprotection and other forms of prophylaxis.
- Chess Praxis: Partie 55 (original text)
Wendel – Nimzowitsch: preventing an opponent’s plan early.