The Salient, Reverse Salient & Advanced Salient:
Part of the Advanced Beginner's Chess Guide (Section 1)

The Salient
Reverse Salient
& Advanced Salient

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• Point Count Chess: Advanced Salient [+];

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: 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: 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: 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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Return to the Index of Advantages

← Back to the Chess Glossary (Salient)

← Back to the Chess Glossary (Reverse Salient)

← Back to the Chess Glossary (Advanced Salient)