Ovid’s thought “Principiis obsta sero medicina paratur” – “stop it at the start, later it is too late for medicine” or, in short, “prevention is better than cure” is also applicable in chess and, what is more, it is of great importance. The idea is aimed at preventing specific threats made by the opponent and eliminating the opponent’s potential possibilities.
https://lichess.org/study/cEm9IxNu/Rtzcrbiy#59
Chapter 4
Exchanging Pieces
An exchange is one of the basic elements in a game of chess. Although it is not as spectacular as a combination, it sometimes has a similar effect and can be a prelude to tactical operations. The purpose of the exchange may include: gaining control over a specific square(s), simplifying the position when the opponent has a space advantage, elimination of a dangerous piece of the opponent or getting rid of our misplaced piece,
