Pieces & Activity

What is a frame in chess?

  • Pieces
  • Activity
  • Coordination

Frame is a piece-play concept: a square region of the board enclosing another region not part of the given frame, akin to a picture frame. Also referred to as a ring. The outer frame consists of the 28 squares along the edge of the board, the middle frame consists of the 20 squares just inside the outer frame, and the inner frame consists of the 12 squares just inside the middle frame. Ask whether the piece is active, coordinated, and serving a real plan.

What to look for on the board

  • Your least active piece.
  • Open lines and strong squares.
  • Whether pieces coordinate on the same target.

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