Advanced Salient (inc. Advanced Reverse Salient) – Point Count Chess: [+]

About This Article…

This article includes my notes, additional images and interactive chess positions from my study of Horowitz & Mott-Smith’s book, Point Count Chess.

Source:
Point Count Chess,
Chapter 3. Advanced Chains and Salients (p41-43)

Point Count Chess, Examples:

• Salient v. Reverse Salient

Note: I’ve also included three examples not listed in the pages of Point Count Chess, just to try and get a better understanding of how to deal with them — whether you own them, or are battling to destroy your opponent’s Salient structure(s).

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A Salient occurs when you have 3 friendly Pawns in Phalanx formation and then the middle Pawns steps forward, to form a kind of arrowhead formation, with the two, now rearward Pawns, providing dual support.

A Reverse Salient is simply when the middle of the three Pawns is trailing the two vanguard Pawns.

In Diagram 1, below, White’s Pawns have been arranged into a Salient formation, while Black’s Pawns have been arranged into a Reverse Salient formation:

Diagram 1: White’s Pawns in Salient formation;
Black’s Pawns in Reverse Salient formation.

The plus point advantage goes to the Salient or Reverse Salient that is the most advanced – that is, the forwardmost pawns are on the 5th rank v. 4th for the other.

In Diagram 2, below, White’s Salient has advanced to the 5th Rank, while Black’s Reverse Salient is only as far as its 4th Rank, so White would score the Advanced Salient plus point:

Diagram 2: White’s Salient claims
the Advanced Salient plus point.

Whereas, in Diagram 3, below, in contrast, Black’s Reverse Salient has advanced to its 5th Rank, while White’s Salient is only as far as its 4th Rank, so Black would score the Advanced Salient plus point:

Diagram 3: Black’s Reverse Salient claims
the Advanced Salient plus point.

Remember, it’s how far forward it is, not its appearance. The point goes because of its impeding effect on the opponent.

See the “Other Examples”, below, to see how Salients, Reverse Salients, Advanced Salients and Advanced Reverse Salients develop.

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Interactive Examples

Point Count Chess (Horowitz & Mott-Smith, 1960)

• Salient v. Reverse Salient
  • NO. 24 … p41, Stumpers v. Bouwmeester, 1955

Other Examples

• Salient v. Reverse Salient
  • Salients & Reverse Salients, Byrne v. Kotov, 1956
  • Salients & Reverse Salients, Evans v. Rossolimo, 1955
  • Salients & Reverse Salients, Thelen v. Treybal, 1927

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Moving On: PCC Examples, The Advanced Salient (Page 2).