Prophylaxis (chess)

Pirc Defence: 1.e4 d6

	a	b	c	d	e	f	g	h
8									8
7									7
6									6
5									5
4									4
3									3
2									2
1									1
	a	b	c	d	e	f	g	h

White's next move 9.h3 denies the square g4 to the black B & N, and prepares the developing move 10.Be3

Prophylaxis is a term in chess, as well as being a general idea. It was introduced by the grandmaster Aaron Nimzovich in his book My system in the 1920s.^[1] The term refers to actions taken by a player to anticipate and thwart the opponent's plans, and moves of these type are often called prophylactic moves.^[2]

1. ↑ Nimzowitsch, Aron [1927] 1987. My system. B.T Batsford Ltd. ISBN 9789197600538
2. ↑ Watson, John 1998. Secrets of modern chess strategy: advances since Nimzowitsch. Gambit, London. Chapter 9, p211. ISBN 1-901983-07-2