Elements of Positional Evaluation { n = 8 }
Material | King Safety | Pawn Structure | Piece Effectiveness | Temporal Balance
Dynamic Potential | Tactical Opportunities | Initiative
Material { n = 6 }
Material Balance | Material Force | Stage of Game
Minor Piece Imbalances | Number of Pawns | Force to Pawn Ratio
King Safety { n = 7 }
Mobility | Exposure | Piece Proximity
Open Lines | Pressure Points | Targets | Weak Squares
Pawn Structure { n = 13 }
Center | Majorities | Balance | Space
Weak | Blocked | Backward | Isolated | Passed | Attacking
Mobility | Interactions | Breaks
Piece Effectiveness { n = 9 }
Underdeveloped | Target
Mobility | Influence
Static Potential | Dynamic Potential | Utility
Entropy | Coordination
Temporal Balance { n = 2 }
Development | Net Accumulation
Dynamic Potential { n = 7 }
Transformations | Interactions | Breaks | Exchanges | Sacrifices | Flexibility | Tactics
Tactical Opportunities
Relevant Pieces and Pawns
Checks | Check Threats
Captures | Capture Threats
Target Squares | Pressure Points
X-Ray Vision | Loose Pieces
Options | In-Between | Transposition
EXAMPLE
The following is problem 161 from Tactics Times 2, a book I highly recommend:
We will systematically go through the above steps in the evaluation process.
Material
Material Force: Two pairs of minor pieces have been exchanged but the queens and both rooks are still on the board. There is still a fair amount of material force on the board.
Material Balance: Material is balanced. Both sides have a queen, two rooks, and two minor pieces.
Minor Piece Imbalances: Both sides have one bishop and both bishops are of the same color. There are no minor piece imbalances.
Number of Pawns: The number of pawns is equal with both sides having five pawns.
Force to Pawn Ratio: Nothing too extreme; a fair amount of material and still five pawns per side.
Phase: This is a late middle game position.
King Safety
Mobility: White’s king has greater mobility being able to currently move to three squares. Black’s king is at the edge of the board and currently is unable to move.
Exposure: White’s king is exposed along the a7-g1 diagonal but this is easily addressed if the need arises since there are pawns still on g2 and h2. Black’s king is exposed along the a1-h8 diagonal. This is not easily addressed.
Piece Proximity: Most of white’s pieces are able to aid in the defense of the king’s position if needed based on their location. This is also true to a degree for black.
Open Lines: White has good open lines of attack on the g-file and h-file. Black cannot advance his f-pawn without further opening the b1-h7 diagonal.
Pressure Points: Black’s f-pawn is being pressured by white’s knight and queen. In contrast, there are no pressure points around white’s king.
Targets: Black’s h-pawn is a potential target. White does not have any immediate targets.
Weak Squares: h3-h6 are all week but h5 and h6 are most notable.