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Prophylaxis in complex positions
Anticipate the opponent’s strongest idea before starting your own plan.
Learn this chess concept step by step, then practise it on the interactive ChessRivo board.
Open interactive lessonAbout this lesson
Advanced strategy often means improving your position while removing the opponent’s best source of counterplay.
Key ideas
- Ask what the opponent wants on the next move.
- Prevent dangerous breaks, checks or piece activity.
- A useful prophylactic move can be quiet.
Coach tip: Before every strategic move, imagine you had to play for the other side.
Test yourself
What is prophylaxis mainly about?
- Preventing or reducing the opponent’s plan
- Trading queens at every opportunity
- Avoiding all pawn moves
Show answer
Correct answer: Preventing or reducing the opponent’s plan
Practise this lesson interactively
Open the ChessRivo Academy board exercise for this exact lesson. Your progress is saved when you are signed in.
Open interactive lessonHow to use this lesson in a real game
Turn the idea into a repeatable decision process.
- Before moving, name the position feature this lesson is about.
- Find one candidate move that follows the lesson idea and one alternative.
- After the game, return to the critical position and compare your choice with the lesson.