Trade

Taking pieces of equal value off the board. The term "trade" also has a deeper meaning: an operation carried out to achieve particular goals.

A trade is made in order to:

• gain a tempo:

• avoid losing time on a retreat:

• eliminate the enemy forces that defend important squares;

• give up your own "bad" piece for the opponent's "good" one.

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A trade can be used to weaken the opponent's pawn structure and create weaknesses in their camp. Trades are also made to take control of an open file or to steer the game into a favorable endgame. The latter is often a way of converting a material advantage. A trade is sometimes a defensive resource as well — the defending side trades pieces to take the sting out of the opponent's attack.