Outposts: Where a Knight Becomes a Monster
What Is an Outpost?
An outpost is a square deep in your opponent’s half that their pawns can no longer attack — because the pawns that would have guarded it are gone or have already moved past. Ideally it is also a square you can defend, usually with one of your own pawns.
Because no enemy pawn can ever challenge it, a piece parked on an outpost cannot be cheaply chased away. The opponent must spend a whole piece to remove it, and trading a piece for your outposted knight often just hands you another lasting advantage.
Why Knights Love Outposts
A knight reaches its full power from a stable, advanced square in the center or near the enemy king. From an outpost on, say, the fifth or sixth rank, a single knight can attack several key squares and pieces at once, cramping the whole enemy position.
How Outposts Are Created
Outposts usually appear next to enemy pawn weaknesses. When an opponent has a backward pawn or an isolated pawn, the square in front of it can become a permanent home for your knight, since no neighboring pawn exists to drive the knight off.
Putting It to Work
Spot the holes in the enemy camp — advanced squares their pawns can never cover — then route a knight there step by step and support it with a pawn. Once your knight is anchored, build your plans around it; it becomes the cornerstone of your attack.