In chess, compensation is the typically short-term positional advantages a player gains in exchange for typically disadvantage. Short-term advantages involve initiative and.

Forms

Compensation can include:

Examples

Polugaevsky versus Evans

A rook on the seventh rank (the opponent's second rank) is usually very powerful, as it threatens the opponent's unadvanced pawns and hems in the enemy king. A rook on the seventh rank is sufficient compensation for a pawn. In this position from a game between Lev Polugaevsky and Larry Evans, the rook on the seventh rank enables White to draw, despite being a pawn down.

Spassky versus Fischer

A famous 1960 game between future world champions Boris Spassky and Bobby Fischer began with a King's Gambit opening. White sacrifices a pawn on his second move: reaching the position shown (first diagram). Fischer examines an alternate fifth move for Black: reaching the position shown (second diagram), where Fischer explains "White has more than enough compensation for the pawn."

The bishop pair

Possession of the often yields long-term compensation for sacrificed material.

Berthelot versus Flear

An unbalanced position has arisen straight out of the opening, in which, with an open center, Black has a pawn and the for the exchange.

Balashov versus Quinteros

A relatively interesting middlegame has been reached. White is up the exchange, while Black is compensated by two active bishops forming a crisscross pattern.

Bishops of opposite colors

sometimes give the defender drawing chances in the long run, even if the opponent has a material advantage of one or two pawns or even the exchange.