Multi-purpose moves

We have all seen them - those power moves awarded with double exclamation marks in game annotations. Those moves lurk around in our own games too, but we rarely find them until in the post game analysis. How can we find them during the game? Fortunately, there are tools for that. One such tool is the multi-purpose move. 

 Every move is made with purpose - we want to attack something, defend something, or relocate to better square. Sometimes, however, a move serves more than just one such purpose, and that's the kind we're looking for. A multi-purpose move is almost like making two moves at once, so it's no wonder that they often give you the initiative. Here's an example:

 Can you spot the multi-purpose move?

White has a better pawn structure thanks to the backward pawn on d6, but right now that pawn is a road block that effectively prevents White's doubled Rooks to infiltrate. Also there's a sad Bishop on e2 with nothing to do and nowhere to go. So, White has two problems that need to solved. Can we do that in one move? Yes we can - 1.c5!

All of a sudden, White has a winning position. 1...dxc5 2.Rd7 wins quickly, and 1...Rad8 2.cxd6 isn't much better.

How to find the multi-purpose moves

In most cases, we tend to look for moves that align with our long term goals, but this approach can make us miss the power moves. So, put on your multi-purpose glasses! A good starting point is to take an inventory of the problems with your position (every position has it's problems). Next, think about how to solve these problems, and finally, see if there is a move that solves more than one problem.