Opposition is resistance or dissent against a prevailing idea, policy, or action. It is an essential element of many social and political movements, helping to drive change by highlighting inequality in governance and society. For example, the ‘no taxation without representation’ sentiment laid the groundwork for American independence by framing government authority as contingent upon the consent of the governed. The opposition movement that emerged from the Great Society programs shaped modifications to the original proposals and helped spark debates about welfare policies, education reforms, and civil rights initiatives.
The Opposition is the largest party or coalition of parties in the House of Representatives not in government and its leader takes the title Leader of the Opposition. It has a critical role in closely examining the work of the Cabinet and keeping the government accountable to parliament.
Understanding and using the opposition can greatly improve your endgame play. Visit our Endgames page to practice some examples of the opposition and learn how to use it to your advantage.
In chess, the opposition (also called direct opposition) is a situation in which both kings are two squares apart on the same rank or file. Since kings cannot move adjacent to each other, this creates a mutual blockade that prevents the opponent from moving into attacked squares and forces them to give up important squares. The player who does not have to move is said to have the opposition.
There are also diagonal and distant oppositions. In a diagonal opposition, the kings are not directly adjacent but instead separated by an odd number of squares, while in distant opposition they are separated by a even number of squares.