Editing Chess strategy (section)

=== Space ===
Other things being equal, the side that controls more {{chessgloss|space}} on the board has an advantage.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.chessstrategyonline.com/content/tutorials/introduction-to-chess-strategy-positional-advantage|title=Positional advantage - Chess Strategy Online|website=www.chessstrategyonline.com|access-date=3 April 2018}}</ref> More space means more options, which can be exploited both tactically and strategically. A player who has all pieces developed and no tactical tricks or promising long-term plan should try to find a move that enlarges their influence, particularly in the center. In some openings, however, one player accepts less space for a time, to set up a counterattack in the middlegame. This is one of the concepts behind [[hypermodernism (chess)|hypermodern]] play.

The easiest way to gain space is to push the pawn skeleton forward. One must be careful not to over stretch, however. If the opponent succeeds in getting a protected piece behind enemy lines, this piece can become such a serious problem that a piece with a higher value might have to be exchanged for it.

{{Chess diagram
|tright
|
|rd|  |  |qd|  |rd|kd|  
|pd|bd|pd|nd|bd|pd|pd|pd
|  |pd|  |pd|  |nd|  |  
|  |  |  |pl|pd|  |  |  
|  |  |pl|  |pl|  |  |  
|pl|  |nl|  |  |  |pl|  
|  |pl|  |  |nl|pl|bl|pl
|rl|  |bl|ql|  |rl|kl|  
|White has an advantage in space.<ref name=Evans103 />
}}
[[Larry Evans (chess grandmaster)|Larry Evans]] gives a method of evaluating space. The method (for each side) is to count the number of squares attacked or occupied on the opponent's side of the board. In this diagram from the [[Nimzo-Indian Defense]], Black attacks four squares on White's side of the board (d4, e4, f4, and g4). White attacks seven squares on Black's side of the board (b5, c6, e6, f5, g5, and h6 – counting b5 twice) and occupies one square (d5). White has a space advantage of eight to four and Black is cramped.<ref name="Evans103">Evans (1958), pp. 103–04</ref>