Simplification
When you're ahead, just trade... right?
Simplify the Position
Every chess player learns that when you are ahead in material you must trade pieces. What is usually not explored are techniques for making trades. For example, what happens if your opponent avoids trades to retain their ability to complicate the position?
“Simplify the position” (or ‘Simplification’) means eliminating complexity. It is a strategy people implement when they are ahead in material. Like all chess principles, there are different levels to this concept:
Low Level: Trade pieces when you are ahead.
Moderate Level: Trade pieces to limit / eliminate counterplay.
Higher Level: Specifically eliminate the pieces capable of making complications.
Other levels exist for this concept too. For example, uneven trades can simplify the position, too. Sacrificing a pawn can simplify the position even though you’re giving material back.
But how exactly do you “simplify the position”? Sometimes it can take upwards of 40 or 50 moves to accomplish the “Simplification” goal.
There are 3 common principles that are usually present during the simplification process:
Forcing Trades
Removing pieces from the board to make the position more simple.Impossible Choices
Anytime the opponent is given a choice, either option they choose has a positive benefit for you and a negative benefit for them.Eliminating Counterplay
Preventing the opponent from making things complicated, which would increase the chances of you making a mistake.
The coolest concept behind the simplification strategy is that, when ahead in material, all even trades are fuel for victory and all tactical themes that lead to even trades become a means to win.
Let’s explore…
Forcing Trades
Pins force trades
By far the simplest way to force a trade is a pin. Pinning a piece freezes it in place guaranteeing the trade. Here is an example:
White has pinned Nc6 with the Bb5. After 1.Bxc6+ bxc6 2.Kxd1 white has simplified the position.
Forks trade pieces very well
Forks naturally force trades because they attack multiple pieces guaranteeing a capture of at least one of them:
White has just played 1.Nd5 creating a fork of Rb6 and Be7. No matter what black’s response is, the knight will capture something. Thus, after 1…Rb7 stopping Rc7+, white simply plays 2.Nxe7 simplifying.
Trapped pieces can be forced off the board
Anytime a piece becomes trapped, if it is threatened then it will be forced to trade off or be captured for free. Here’s an example:
White just sacrificed the f2-pawn to lure black’s dark square bishop to the f2-square where it can become trapped. After Be3, the Bf2 has no where to go. Therefore, a trade is imminent. Like the pin, a trapped piece tactic that leads to an even trade is not usually all that valuable. But in context of the simplification strategy, it is excellent.
Here is a second example without a pawn sacrifice:
The Bishop has placed itself on e5, which overlooks every square Ne8 would be able to move to. Thus, black has an Impossible Choice:
Keep the knight on e8 where it is passive so it can avoid trading off or
Move the knight and allow the trade.
Either choice black makes, white benefits.
The intolerable piece
When ahead in material, one way to influence a trade is to make a piece intolerably good. The opponent will be forced to weigh the option of allowing you to keep your awesome piece or trade it off - another form of Impossible Choice.
As you can see, white has a strong knight. It isn’t the best knight you’ve ever seen or anything, but it is good and well placed. It is extremely likely that most opponents will play …Nxe5 at some point, if not immediately. A strongly placed piece is a thorn in the opponent’s side - and the most comment remedy to such a burden is trading it off, which fuels the simplification strategy.
Rooks trade on files
As many higher level players know, trading rooks on an open file is not really always super great. At lower levels, such rook trades are very common. However, when up material, rook trades are often very welcome.
In the position above, white just captured on e8. If black recaptured using their rook, white is free to make another simplifying capture by playing Rxe8 again. If black plays Nxe8 then black can avoid the rook trade, but then white has control of the file (and black has retreated their knight). This is another form of the Impossible Choice theme being implemented during the simplification strategy.
Discovered attacks can force trades
Nearly all tactical themes that lead to fair trades are great when you are ahead in material. One very fun example are discovered attacks.
As you can see, white played 1.Ne4+ in the diagram above. Black can capture this knight for free but then white plays 2.Bxb4+. If black simply moves their king away, then the bishop on b4 is undefended. As you can see, the Impossible Choice concept is used in many ways when simplifying a position.
Unequal trades can simplify the position
When you are ahead in material, all kinds of options become available to you that normally would be considered crazy town. Here’s an example:
Normally, such a capture would be just silly. But in this case, black has no way to queen their pawn and black also cannot stop white’s pawns either, an Impossible Choice.
Here is another more dramatic example of the same concept:
The black pawn is about to become a queen. By capturing it, black no longer has any way to create counterplay. White can then leisurely move the h2-pawn up the board to queen it. There is no Impossible Choice here - this is simply a complete elimination of counterplay leaving black helpless.
Promotion is a very fast way to simplify the position
In some ways, this counts as having an Intolerable Piece as mentioned in an earlier example:
Essentially, black plays 1…c1(Q) and white has an Impossible Choice: play 2.Rxc1 Bxc1 leaving black with a pawn and bishop or move the rook away and allow black to have a queen. Either way, black is happy.
Skewers trade pieces, too
Even trades come in thousands of forms. Here’s another:
When black plays 1…Bg4+ skewering white’s king and bishop. White is forced to play 2.Ke1 continuing to defend Bd1. After 2…Bxd1 3.Kxd1 black has simplified the position and can now move their king to capture white’s f4 pawn as well.
Here is another skewer example with more pieces on the board:
As you can see, black plays Rh1+ and will be able to capture a rook on the next move, simplifying the position.
Overloaded pieces contribute toward simplification
Nearly any tactical theme can operate within the simplification strategy. Overloaded pieces are no exception:
When black plays 1…Bxh3 white is left with an Impossible Choice:
Capture the h3 bishop and allow 2…Rxf3 or
Do not capture the bishop and remain down a pawn.
Tactics like this example often initiate the imbalance in material because they win a pawn. Master level players and above can take a 1-pawn advantage and implement the simplification strategy to win the game. In my opinion, it is a key skill people must develop if they wish to become a tough opponent.
Back rank checkmates often threaten rook trades
Various checkmate patterns can also be used to spur trades:
White has just doubled their rooks, which threatens to trade rooks via a fork on e8. Black is left with an Impossible Choice:
Save the rook and allow checkmate or
Save the king and allow the fork.
Saving the king involves playing any of the following moves: h6, h5, g6, g5, or Kg8. After any of those moves, Rd8+ follows.
Conclusion
Simplifying the position is a critical skill to learn. There are many ways to simplify the position when you are on the lookout for trading opportunities, and far more examples exist apart from this article.
If you would like to see where these examples came from, here is a link to my Lichess study on the concept:
I also have a YouTube channel that will explain these concepts as videos release (I release 1 video per day and recently did a release on simplification:
Fantastic read, with Lichess study, thank you! Have learned more from it than from some YT videos. Keep going, please. 🤩