Board games of all kinds are defined by the things you can't do.
The rules are boundaries on play, ensuring everyone is doing the same things and that the games are fair. Obviously, that's a good thing.
The rules also become boundaries on thought. They limit what's worth considering. Even our automatic, excitable intuition doesn't waste effort looking at illegal moves.
That feels like a good thing. It makes sense to align our thinking entirely with the rules of the game. There's no point spending our limited attention on things we're not allowed to do.
Well, that's not entirely true. Thinking about illegal moves can be very helpful.
Chess is a game of patterns. Many of these patterns are what I call "dormant ideas". They exist in the position, but the rules of the game stop us from doing anything about them right now.
Maybe your rook is on the same file as your opponent's queen, but there's four other pieces between you. The idea of a discovered attack exists in the position, it's just dormant. You can't act on it yet.
Maybe your opponent has put their king and queen near each other on the same color square. They are vulnerable to a knight fork!
But your knight is nowhere near the key square, and your opponent has it well protected anyway. Either way, the fork idea still exists in the position. It's just dormant.
A dormant idea in a position may never become something you can act on. But it might at some point.
If you don't notice the idea when it's dormant, you're likely to miss the opportunity when it could be activated.
But if you do notice the dormant idea in the position, some part of your intuition will keep checking in on that idea as the game goes on.
You'll notice when the key square weakens, or when your knight could get within a move of that fork opportunity. Those things will jump out at you.
It's difficult to spot dormant ideas if we're locked into looking at what's possible now. Dormant ideas are, by definition, illegal right now.
But the dormant idea you find might not be illegal shortly. Or there might be something you could do to change the position and make it legal.
It's a question of perspective. Filtering our thinking to legal moves locks us into bottom-up thinking. "These things are possible, so what should I do?"
Considering illegal moves flips that. We go top-down. "These patterns exist in the position, so can I do anything about them?"
Each approach draws our attention to different details in the position. Then we can use a combination of them to move forward.
The best way I've found to change our perspective and spot dormant ideas is to consider these three illegal moves:
- If I could move twice, what would I do?
- If I could take any one of my opponent's pieces off the board right now, what would I do?
- If I could pick up one of my pieces and put it anywhere on the board, what would I do?
If you did any of these things on your turn, the arbiter would need to have a word with you.
But considering these things will draw your attention to dormant patterns and possibilities in the position that standard legal-move thinking would miss.
In my coaching, I've been running an experiment with several students to strengthen their awareness during calculations.
I've been guiding my 1200-1400 rated students through exercises I'd normally only do with my 1800+ rated students.
I show them the starting position of the calculation exercise and get them to talk me through what they notice. They mention the balance of material. They point out some of the core dynamics in the position, what's attacking or defending what.
They start to consider what they might play. They look at pieces they could improve with this move, or key squares they could maybe load more pressure on. They calculate some short sequences from those initial ideas.
They all determine the best play exists on the queenside, and are looking at various options to attack there. The kingside seems far too locked down.
None of them find the "correct" plan in the position. The best way forward is actually to attack on the kingside. It seems totally locked down, but there's one dormant idea that could blow it wide open.
It's a very difficult idea to find, and I don't expect them to spot it first go. It's difficult even for my 2000+ rated students to spot.
Then I have them consider the illegal moves:
- If you could move twice, what would you do?
- If you could take any one of your opponent's pieces off the board, what would you do?
- If you could pick up one of your pieces and put it anywhere on the board, what would you do?
And, you know what, somewhere in those three questions, every one of those students finds the right idea.
They may not find the exact right move to take advantage of it but they all spot the critical dormant idea.
They turn their attention to the kingside. They start looking at how they could break through.
Their entire perspective on the position shifts when they consider the illegal moves and spot the patterns they imply.
Then they set about looking for legal ways to exploit them.
This is a powerful tool to add to your Chess toolkit.
When you're struggling to find a plan to move forward in the middlegame, ask the questions.
When your spidey-sense is tingling that there's something in the position but you just can't find it, ask the questions.
When that tactics puzzle starts to frustrate you, ask the questions.
Allow them to shift your brain away from legal-first thinking and into pattern-first thinking.
Look at what patterns exist in the position, then ask what's possible.
Consider some illegal moves for a moment, they may just show you the way forward.
Here's to the journey,
Aiden
P.S.
I won't share the specific calculation exercise I mentioned in the article. Mostly because you already have a pretty big hint for where that answer can be found.
But here's a fantastic composed Mate-in-2 position I sometimes use to highlight dormant ideas as well.
I found this puzzle in the excellent Rewire Your Chess Brain by Cyrus Lakdawala.
It's very difficult to spot the key moves. There's a LOT going on in this position.
Composed studies are excellent at putting maximum pressure on our working memory and causing overloads. Take your time.
Give it a go for a bit without the illegal move questions. Then, when you're stuck, use the questions to shift your perspective to pattern-first thinking.
Enjoy.
White to play. Mate in 2.
