Ceteris Paribus — Study System

Move List WHITE

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Opening

Middle

End Game

Load

Starting position — White to move.

Opening

Middle

End

Decision

Cure

Tempo

Pieces

Exec

CP-Aligned Positions

Click any position to load it on the board

Saved Positions

Positions saved during your study sessions — persisted to server

FILTER:

All

Positional

Tactical

Overview

FSC

Cure Hierarchy

Tempo & Structure

Piece Alignment

Execution Order

Phase Priorities

Framework at a glance

Opening

Build & Protect. Formation integrity is the only filter.

Defense

80%

Develop

20%

Attack

Middle Game

Attack & Convert. Once king is safe and formation stands.

Defense

60%

Develop

30%

Attack

10%

End Game

Finish. Conversion speed is the only filter.

Defense

20%

Develop

10%

Attack

70%

Core Principles

FSC runs FIRST — always. Before any defensive consideration, scan for checkmate in ≤3, forced material wins, and counter-attacks that win more than defense saves. Defense protocols apply only when no forcing advantage exists.

Tennis philosophy: An opponent's attack carries responsibility until it costs you material. Your job is to transfer that burden back, not absorb it. The CP formation is a latent responsibility generator.

Rock analogy: When a threat blocks the straight line, navigate around it at minimum energy cost. Every deviation must be the smallest possible cost to maintain the march.

Losing positions: Even when behind, the obligation is to find the best move — defined as maximising the cost the opponent must pay to convert. Extend the game. Create error opportunities.

Attack Target Map

King Uncastled · Center

f7 (White) · f2 (Black)

Bc4 + Ne5 + Qh5/Qf3

King Castled Kingside

h7 → g7

Ng5 + Qh5 / Qg4 + Be3

King Castled Queenside

a7 (primary)

Nb5 + dark-square bishop

Two-Layer Move Decision

At every move: (1) What is the next CP piece to place? Then (2) Does any current threat require a cure — and if so, does the cure advance or deviate from the formation? The cure that advances formation is always preferred.

Pre-Move Protocol

Run every single move

FSC-1 and FSC-2 are automatic exits. If either fires, execute immediately — stop reading the checklist. Example: opponent threatens your queen, but you have checkmate in 2. Deliver the checkmate. The queen does not matter.

Question

Action if YES

Checkmate in 3 or fewer?

Scan all forcing lines before anything else.

⚡ Execute immediately.
Nothing else matters.

Forced material win available?

Winning a piece or more via forced sequence.

⚡ Execute immediately.

Counter-attack wins more than defending saves?

Does responding offensively outperform absorbing the threat?

Execute counter-attack.
Do not defend.

Can I gain tempo elsewhere?

Does the opponent's move cost them more than it gains them?

Consider the tempo gain.
Evaluate carefully.

None of the above — what is the attack type?

Pressure / Pin / Fork / Overload / Double Attack / Battery / Bait

Apply Cure Hierarchy
(see Cure tab)

Moving a piece away — what is the best tempo square?

Counter-attack > support structure > pure safety.

Choose highest-tempo
candidate square.

Does this move damage the structure?

Opening files, creating weak pawns, blocking own pieces.

Reassess if structural
cost is too high.

Convergence Filter

When multiple threats are active simultaneously: find the cure that appears across the most active Cure Hierarchies. Tiebreaker: piece profitability → tempo profitability → CP formation alignment.

Structural Cost Questions

Question to ask

Why it matters

Does eliminating the attacker open a file for the opponent's rook?

An open rook file can outweigh the piece saved — especially with king on that file.

Does supporting the piece create doubled or backward pawns?

Pawn structure damage is permanent — it becomes an endgame liability.

Does the move away expose another piece or weaken a key square?

Solving one threat can create a second — scan the full position before committing.

Does blocking the attack block your own piece's activity?

A passive blocker stifles your own attack — only block with active or idle pieces.

Cure Hierarchy

Hierarchical — attempt highest first

Cures are hierarchical. Attempt the highest-ranked cure first. Move to the next only if unavailable or if it costs more than it saves. FSC always runs before any cure is applied.

Pressure

Fork

Overload

Double Attack

Battery

Bait / Trap

Cat A — Sacrifice

Cat B — Structural

Cat C — Clearing

Select an attack type above to see the cure hierarchy.

Tempo Assessment

When moving a piece away, evaluate the tempo outcome of every candidate square. Break Even is the minimum acceptable outcome.

Outcome

What it means

Verdict

Lose Tempo

Move to safety with no additional benefit.

Last resort

Break Even

Safety + supports another piece or square.

Minimum

Gain Tempo

Safety + creates a counter-threat.

Optimal

Profit

Moving away triggers a forcing sequence.

Execute

Structural rule: Do not lose more structure than you save in material. A materially equal outcome with structural damage is a loss.

Move Closer — Tiers

Middle / End only

Move Closer is a Middle/End Game concept only. Not active during the Opening — that phase is governed entirely by PAP.

Tier 1

Imminent pressure / overload setup. The advance directly threatens the target or overloads a defender.

Tier 2

Latent pressure / overload. The advance builds toward a future threat without immediate material gain.

Tier 3

Neutral forward advance. Improves piece activity without immediate tactical consequence.

Move Away — Tiers

Move Away is not passive retreat. It must land on a square that creates a counter-attack (Tier 1), supports structure or piece (Tier 2), or provides pure safety (Tier 3 — last resort only).

Piece Alignment at a Glance

Waiting → Defending → Attacking

Knights before Bishops — foundational CP move order. Deviation (e.g. Bf4 before e3/Bd3) creates downstream tactical problems requiring remediation moves.

Piece	Waiting	Defending	Attacking
Pawns	e4, d4	Hold center	Hold — they are the center
Knight (f-file)	f3	e2	e5, g5
Knight (c-file)	c3	d2	b5, d5
Bishop (k-side)	d3	e2	c4, f4
Bishop (q-side)	e3	g2 (fianchetto)	f4, g5, h6
Queen	e2	e2 (hold)	h5, g5, f3, b3, a4
Rooks	a1, h1	Post-castle (connect)	Open files (d, e, f)
King	e1	Castle (g1 or c1)	Activate in endgame

CP Formation Build Order

Target sequence: d4 → Nf3 → Nc3 → e3/e4 → Bd3 → Be3 → Qe2
Do not skip ahead. Do not develop bishops before both knights are placed.

Key Drill Priorities

From game audits

Be3 after Bd3 — most consistently missed CP piece. After Bd3 is placed, Be3 is the next formation move. Do not delay or skip.

Qe2 not Qd2 — Qd2 is a confirmed loss habit. The CP queen square is e2. Qd2 misaligns the queen from the attack formation.

Pin cure: Be2 not h3 — when pinned on the knight, Be2 is the correct cure. Premature h3 loses tempo and weakens the kingside.

No early Bf4 — London System drift. Bf4 before knights are placed deviates from CP move order and creates downstream problems.

Full Execution Sequence

Live game protocol

The complete sequence of how CP operates in a live game. Each layer informs the next. The macro informs the micro.

Phase 1

Establish

Apply Piece Alignment Protocol. Reach the waiting formation: d4, e4, Nf3, Nc3, Bd3, Be3, Qe2, King e1. Knights before bishops. Do not deviate.

Phase 2

Observe

Watch for opponent's castling decision. This determines your positional tactic and attack target square.

Phase 3

Commit

Apply the appropriate positional tactic: Asymmetric Gambit (opponent castles opposite side), Center Lure (stays central), or Symmetric.

Phase 4

Target

Identify the target square based on king position. Build all pieces toward f7 (center), h7/g7 (k-side), or a7 (q-side). Every move should advance this convergence.

Phase 5

Execute

On every move, run FSC first. Minimum 3-move offensive scan before any reactive move.

Phase 6

Invest

When the direct line is blocked, apply Material Investment Strategy: Category C (Clearing) first → Category B (Structural) → Category A (Sacrifice) last resort.

Phase 7

Contingency

Rock analogy: If a Protocol fires, apply minimum deviation. Circumnavigate at smallest cost. Resume the march.

Decision Priority Summary

Priority

Rule

1st

FSC-1/2: Checkmate or forced material win → execute immediately, ignore everything else.

2nd

FSC-3: Counter-attack that wins more than defending saves → execute counter, not defence.

3rd

FSC-4: Tempo gain available elsewhere → consider ignoring the threat entirely.

4th

FSC-5: Identify attack type → apply Cure Hierarchy.

5th

FSC-6/7: If moving away — choose highest-tempo square. Check structural cost before committing.