It's a very common word in Russian with various meanings including reception, acceptance and gimmick. It is also very common in Russian chess literature that refers to typical maneuvers used in positions with certain Pawn structures or other defining characteristics.
Because the word does not have an exact equivalent in English and so it has appeared untranslated in English-language chess literature, although this usage is not widespread.
Technique or a typical maneuver are close translations. The concept of priyome includes both patterns and their associated maneuvers and are therefore important to remember.
In 100 Chess Master Trade Secrets, Andrew Soltis addresses the issue of Priyomes, or positional patterns. Soltis divides the book into four chapters, each with 25 important positions focused around a single topic. Chapters are: 25 Key Priyomes, 25 Must-Know Endgame Techniques, 25 Crucial Sacrifices and 25 Exact Endings.
The first things you have to do with a priyome is to recognize the structure and its characteristics. The second thing you have to do is to recognize the associated maneuver associated with it.
Soltis points out that most all players know basic tactical stuff like pins, skewers and forks, but these devices don’t have anything to do with where the Pawns are, only where the pieces are. However, there are strategic devices which depend on Pawn structure. These are Priyomes. Priyomes can be general, like occupying an file with a R and they can often be described in words, not moves.
Priyomes are sort of the Standard Operating Procedure for a particular position and they existe for both sides. There are even counter-priomes which are methods of preventing the priyome!
One of the best known Soviet trainers, Alexey Suetin, said mastering priyomes was a key to success. He advised students to have their own personal collection of priyomes and study them so they could apply them when those patterns arise during their games.
The Russian trainer Anatoly Terekhin estimated that masters know about 100 priyomes, but Soltis claims the average player doesn’t need to know nearly that many.
Soltis states that thinking in terms of priyomes is an excellent method for taking pattern recognition to the next level and enhancing your chess intuition.
Priyomes can be collected in a notebook, flash cards or on a computer. Chess.com has 24 games in pgn format from Soltis’ book that you can download. Games in pgn format contained in books from Begin Chess that might be useful are: Logical Chess Move by Move, 1001 Winning Chess Sacrifices and Combinations, Excelling at Technical Chess. Practical Rook Ending, Shereshevsky’s Endgame Strategy and Understanding Pawn Play in Chess. Of course, it's advisable to have the book to accompany the games just so you will know what is being discussed.
The following game is an example of a priyome that is quite instructive. It was played in the great International Jubilee Grandmaster Tournament held at Bled, Yugoslavia in 1961.
Tal finished first a whole point ahead of Fischer despite losing his individual game to Fischer who was undefeated.
Concerning this game, Tal related how late in the tournament, Najdorf asked him what his four best games in the tournament had been. Tal answered they were his games against Olaffson, Ivkov and Parma and when Najdorf pointed out that was only three, Tal told him the fourth would be “my last-round game against you!"
Then, the night before the last round, Fischerwas seen talking to Najdorf, perhaps showing him an opening innovation. After his meeting with Najdorf, Fischer told Tal that he (Tal) would lose to Najdorf, but since he hadn’t played badly, Fischer would be content to share first with him and would be playing for a draw. Tal said he had no thought of losing to Najdorf and the next day when Tal sat down to play Najdorf, Fischer walked over to the table expecting to see 6.Bg5. Tal glanced at Fischer, grinned and played the quiet 6.Be2 which presumably upset the previous night’s Fischer/Najdorf preparation.
https://www.chessgames.com/perl/chesscollection?cid=1036011 Cheers, Jim
ReplyDeleteExcellent -- this info is not easy to locate.
ReplyDeleteMy search was focused on what I thought of as "minor tactical themes" which I began to identify.
Clearly 'techniques' such as clearing a file, or breaking through with pawns.
Obviously these particular two are found in many places from Sacrifice to Positional to Attacking books but I'm looking for a book (or similar) with a full list and simple examples such as are frequently found in books EXPLAINING pins, forks, discovered attacks/checks.
And I'm distinguishing the focus from books with lots of long games, but rather more of the patterns and techniques shown in mostly isolated examples. Soltis, Oudeweetering...
I would really like to find the equivalent of "Predator at the Chessboard" (for tactical motifs.)
I believe that I saw a book with a contents that seemed to have this but can't find it.