Planning & Prophylaxis in Slow Chess

Correspondence chess is the perfect environment for real planning. With time to think, you can build positions step-by-step — and you can also stop your opponent’s plans before they become dangerous.

This guide focuses on two core skills: planning and prophylaxis (preventing the opponent’s ideas).

For the main portal, see: Turn-Based & Correspondence Chess Strategy.

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♟️ What “Planning” Really Means

A plan is not a vague idea like “attack”. A plan is a sequence of improving moves aimed at a clear strategic goal.

• Improving piece activity
• Creating or targeting weaknesses
• Preparing pawn breaks
• Restricting opponent counterplay

In slow chess, plans become stronger because you can verify them carefully.

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🧠 What Is Prophylaxis?

Prophylaxis is the habit of asking:

“What does my opponent want — and how do I reduce it?”

• Preventing pawn breaks
• Stopping a key piece manoeuvre
• Removing strong outpost squares
• Closing files or diagonals at the right moment

Prophylaxis is one of the biggest advantages of correspondence chess, because you actually have time to spot plans early.

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👁️ The Planning Question Sequence

When there is no forced tactic, use this sequence:

• 1) What is the pawn structure? What breaks exist for both sides?
• 2) What are the weak squares? Who can occupy them?
• 3) Which piece is worst placed? Improve it first.
• 4) What does my opponent want? Identify their main idea.
• 5) What is my plan? Build improvements toward a clear goal.

This prevents drifting and random moves.

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🧩 The “Improve Your Worst Piece” Rule

In many slow games, the best plan is simply:

Improve your worst piece — without creating weaknesses.

• Bad bishop? Find a better diagonal or trade it.
• Passive rook? Activate it to an open file.
• Clumsy knight? Manoeuvre toward an outpost.

This is a safe, powerful approach in correspondence chess.

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♞ Pawn Breaks: The Engine of Most Plans

Most strategic plans revolve around pawn breaks:

• opening lines for rooks and bishops
• changing the pawn structure
• creating new weaknesses

In correspondence chess you can test pawn breaks thoroughly before committing.

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👁️ Training Your Prophylaxis Eye (Optional)

Prophylaxis depends on noticing small but critical changes — what a move weakened, what it allowed, and which pieces became more active.

These optional ChessWorld tools help train that perceptual skill:

• Weakness of Last Move – practise spotting squares, pawns or structures weakened by the opponent’s last move.
• Liberated Piece Hunter – learn to notice pieces that suddenly gained new lines or influence.

These tools do not replace strategic thinking — they help sharpen the vision that planning and prophylaxis rely on.

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🛡️ A Practical Prophylaxis Checklist

Before playing a quiet improving move, ask:

• What is their best pawn break?
• Where do their pieces want to go?
• What squares are they targeting?
• Which of my pieces could be attacked next?

Prophylaxis is often just one move — a small restriction that prevents a big plan.

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🧠 A ChessWorld Principle

In correspondence chess, you often win not by a brilliant attack — but by quietly removing your opponent’s counterplay and improving your position until it breaks.

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🔗 Related Turn-Based Chess Pages

• Turn-Based & Correspondence Chess Strategy
• A Turn-Based Thinking Process for Every Move
• Blunder Reduction in Correspondence Chess
• Time Management in Turn-Based Chess

👉 Return to the Main Chess Topics Index