Chess strategy
What Is an Outpost in Chess?
An outpost is a square, usually on the opponent's half of the board, that no enemy pawn can attack and that your own pawn protects. A knight or bishop placed on an outpost cannot be driven away by pawns, so it stays strong for a long time.
Example
1. Nd5 Bd8 2. c3
The knight settles on d5, protected by the e4 pawn. Black has no c-pawn and the e-pawn has already passed e6, so no black pawn can ever chase it. Black also has no knight or light-squared bishop to trade it off.
How an outpost is created
An outpost appears when the enemy pawns on the neighboring files have advanced past the square or disappeared. In the example, Black's pawns on d6 and e5 left the d5 square without any pawn guard, a structure that arises in many Sicilian lines.
The best outposts are also protected by one of your own pawns, so the piece on the outpost can only be removed by trading a piece for it.
Which pieces use outposts best
Knights benefit most. A knight is a short-range piece that needs a stable, central square, and from an outpost on the fifth or sixth rank it attacks squares deep in the enemy camp.
Bishops and rooks can use outposts too, but long-range pieces work well from a distance, so an outpost adds less to them. A rook on an outpost on an open file can still be strong.
How to fight an enemy outpost
Before you push a pawn, check which squares it stops guarding. The easiest way to avoid an outpost is not to create one. If one already exists, keep a piece that can trade off the occupant, such as a knight or the bishop of the right color.
You can also undermine the pawn that supports the outpost. In the example, Black can later play ...f5 to attack the e4 pawn that protects the knight.
Common questions
What is the difference between an outpost and a hole?
A hole is a square your opponent can no longer guard with a pawn. It becomes your outpost when you can occupy it, ideally with your own pawn supporting it.
Why are knights the best outpost pieces?
Knights have short range, so they need advanced squares to be effective, and pawns are the main way to chase them. On a square no pawn can attack, a knight can be as strong as a rook.
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