Content

• To step
• Part 1 of 3: Winning as a beginner
• Part 2 of 3: Win as advanced
• Part 3 of 3: Winning as an expert
• Tips
• Warnings
• Necessities

Learning chess well takes a number of years, but if you know how the game works, you don't have to be a chess master to win a game of chess more often. By learning to recognize certain moves and reading your opponent, you can protect your king, attack your opponent's and end up victorious almost every time.

To step

Part 1 of 3: Winning as a beginner

1. Understand the value of each piece and protect it according to its value. Your king is of course the most important piece on the chessboard, as you lose if it is caught. The rest of your pieces aren't cannon fodder, though. Based on the math and geometry of the chessboard, some pieces are always more valuable than others. Remember this ranking when you take pieces. For example, you don't want to risk a valuable rook to take your opponent's horse.
   • Pawn = 1 point
   • Horse = 3 points
   • Bishop = 3 points
   • Tower = 5 points
   • Lady = 9
   • Chess pieces are sometimes also referred to as material. You want to have a lot of high quality equipment to win every game of chess.
2. Understand the goals of a good opening move. Chess openings are the first few moves in the game, and they determine your overall strategy and position for the remainder of the match. When you open, your goal is to develop or remove as many strong pieces as possible from the back line. There are a number of important considerations for a good opening:
   • Place your pawns toward the center of the board to give your strong pieces room to develop. The most common and very efficient way is to move the King pawn 2 spaces forward and then your Queen pawn 2 spaces forward, provided it is not compromised after your opponent's move. This opening develops your bishops, allowing for quick castling, and with the right moves you chess more defensive than offensive.
   • Your opening moves also depend on the color you play, black or white. Since white starts first, you must start the attack and try to keep control of the game. Black has to hold back and wait, and let White reveal himself with a fault in the attack.
   • Never move the same piece twice in a row unless it is in danger and can be caught. The more pieces you can move, the more your opponent has to respond to you.
   • With these principles in mind, check out the list of opening moves used by grandmasters in modern tournaments.
3. Think 4-5 moves ahead, and use each move to create more complicated attacks. To win at chess, you constantly have to think a few moves ahead and set up longer, more complicated attacks to outsmart your opponent. Your first move should determine the rest of the game, building up to your first attack or control over certain areas of the board. The best way for a beginner to learn to plan ahead is to practice some general opening combinations:
   • The Spanish opening is a classic opening to develop and attack the tokens. Move the king pawn forward two spaces, then move your knight to f3 (white players). Then move the bishop on your king's side all the way forward until it is on one square of your opponent's pawn (b5).
   • The English opening is a slow, flexible opening. Move the pawn on c2 1 space forward, then follow with the pawn on g2 to develop the bishop on your king's side (if black moves to the center), or the knight on your queen's side (if black moves to the side).
   • Try the adventurous king's gambit. Used by grandmasters since Bobby Fisher, this thrilling opening can startle beginners early. Move both King pawns (e2 & f2) forward two spaces on the opening move. Black will often attack early, thinking they have an opening on your side, but your wall of pawns will quickly get them into trouble.
   • Try it queen's gambit to take control of the center of the board. White moves the queen pawn to d4, luring the pawn from black to d5. White usually retaliates by moving the bishop's pawn to c4. This maneuver brings the game to the center and gives room for your queen and bishop to move.
     • A good defense against the Queen's Gambit is the French Defense. As a black player, move your king pawn to e6. White then usually moves his queen pawn to d4, allowing you to hit back with your queen pawn to d5. You have now given an opening for your bishop to attack. If White takes your Queen's pawn on e6, he leaves his king unprotected, so he probably moves his knight to c3. You can now move your bishop to b4, securing the knight.
4. Try the opening of four moves called "shepherd's mate" to win the game almost instantly. This trick only works once per player, as a savvy player recognizes the move and avoids it. That said, shepherd's mat is a great way to mislead a novice opponent and quickly pull the game away from them.
   • White players: king pawn 1 space forward (e7-e6); bishop to c5; queen to f6; queen to f2.
   • Black players: king pawn 1 space forward (e2-e3); bishop to c4; queen to f3; queen to f7.
   • Counter Shepherd's MatUse your horses as blocks when you recognize shepherd's mat - chances are they won't sacrifice a lady to get your horse. The other option is to use an almost identical move, but instead of moving your queen forward, keep her on e7 in front of your king.
5. Keep the center under control to lead the party. Your main concern when playing chess is to keep the center under control, especially the 4 spaces in the middle. This is because you can attack any side from the center of the board, controlling the speed and direction of the game. For example, the knight has eight potential moves in the center of the board, but only 1-2 at the edge of the board. There are two general ways to do this.
   • Supported center is when you slowly move to the center of the board with different pieces. Horses and runners support from the edges of the board, ready to intervene and take pieces if attacked. In general, this slow development is most common.
   • Using the sides is a very modern style of play that keeps the center under control from the edges. Your rooks, queen and horses move across both sides of the board, making it impossible for your opponent to move to the center without getting caught.
6. Develop your pieces one by one. Once you've made your opening moves, it's time to take an attacking stance. You want to give each piece the best possible space to move, and get your pieces off the back line.
   • Unless you are forced to, the best method is to take turns moving your pieces. Don't use the same piece twice in a row unless you have to defend it against an unexpected attack, or you are making a crucial attack.
   • You don't have to move every piece, though. Bringing out all of your pawns will not help you win, as it will destroy your king's crucial line of defense.
7. Learn to castle. Castling is when your king jumps over a rook, effectively using your rook to form a wall against attack. In front of the king you still have a row of pawns behind which you can hide him. This is an incredibly effective tactic, especially for beginners who need to learn the game. To do it:
   • Clear the path between your king and your rook by moving your bishop and your knight (and possibly your queen). Try to keep as many pawns in place as possible. You can do this on both sides.
   • On the same turn, move your rook and your king together and switch positions. So if you castle on the king's side, you end up with your king on g1 and your rook on f1.
   • Make sure the king and the rook have not moved before you castle. If they have, the move is no longer allowed.
   • Part of winning a game of chess is your ability to read your opponent without letting them read you. Do not start your move until you are sure it is the right one.
   • You should always think a few moves ahead. This means that you need to know where each piece is moving in any kind of situation and predict how your opponent will react to your moves. This skill is not always easy to learn and takes practice.

Part 2 of 3: Win as advanced

1. Pay close attention to your opponent's moves. Which pieces do they develop, and which side of the board do they prefer? If you were them, what kind of long-term strategy would you use? Once you have determined the basics of your own game, you must constantly adapt to your opponent's game. If he's holding back and holding the pieces to his side for an attack, ask yourself what his end goal is. Are there any ways you can disrupt or stop his plan? Does he have an advantage, and do you have to fall back and defend some pieces to avoid a big loss of material, or can you put pressure on him?
2. Know when to swap pieces. Swapping pieces is natural when you end up with a material advantage, such as giving up your horse to get their queen, but it's much more difficult when you have to swap equal pieces. In general, you don't want to exchange pieces when:
   • You have an advantage in position and development, and you have control over the center. The fewer pieces there are in total on the board, the less advantage you have and the easier your opponent can defend against you.
   • The opponent is stuck in a corner. When you have them stuck in a corner of the board, it is more difficult for them to move or move many pieces, but fewer pieces will help them escape.
   • You have fewer pieces than your opponent. If you have more pieces than them and the material gain is equal, start taking pieces. You will free up new attack jobs.
   • You get double pawns. A double pawn is when you have a pawn in front of another pawn. This makes them both less useful and hides your side of the board. However, if you let your opponent get double pawns as a side effect of an equal trade, this can be a useful move.
3. Develop 5-6 moves in advance each time. That is easier said than done, but you have to think long-term in order to win regular chess games. Every stretch you move should be done with three general goals in mind. Keeping these points in mind, you can easily start improvising multiple-move plans to win the game:
   • Develop multiple pieces (rooks, horses, queen, bishop) early and often. Get them from the back line to access your options.
   • Keep the center under control. The center of the board is where the action takes place.
   • Protect your king. You can have the best attack in the world, but if you leave your king unprotected, you are guaranteed to lose in the last minute.
4. Stay ahead until you can get the most out of it, instead of rushing. Chess is about momentum, and if you have it, you have to keep it. If your opponent responds purely to you, and often takes pieces out of the way and is unable to defend an attack, take your time and take them down. Remember, you can win a match-up, but still lose the game. Don't attack if you open up to counterattack. Instead, grab their defensive pieces, take full control of the center of the board, and wait until the last moment to attack.
5. Learn to pin pieces. Trapping, trapping, or holding pieces makes your opponent less effective in using them without losing them. This passive type of warfare is a great way to control the game and help you overpower your opponent. See where a piece can go. Usually, pieces with limited options are your best bet. Then, instead of attacking, arrange your chess piece so that you can grab it wherever it moves, making those pieces unusable for a long time.
   • Taking a piece hostage is when you give your opponent the opportunity to take your piece. The only point is that you know you can take their piece in return. They can get him or not - the important thing is that you are in control.
6. Evaluate each move objectively. You have to look at the entire chessboard and evaluate every possible move you have. Don't make a move because you have to - instead, take the time to look for the best possible move at each turn. What makes a move right depends purely on the context, but there are a few questions you can ask yourself before each move to see if it's the right one:
   • Am I safer where I was before?
   • Am I exposing my piece, the king or another important piece?
   • Can the enemy quickly endanger my piece, forcing me to go back and "lose" my turn?
   • Does this put pressure on the enemy to respond to me?
7. Take your opponent's pieces as a unit. You want to keep control of the center, but you also want to attack as a unit. Your pieces are like parts of an orchestra, each piece serves a unique purpose, but they work best together. By eliminating your opponent's pieces, you have a better chance of putting his king in check without him having a piece to hide behind, and doing it with 2-3 pieces as support will keep your material gain. to keep.
8. Protect your lady at all times with a bishop or rook. It's the strongest piece for a reason, and there are rarely good times to trade it for your opponent's piece, even their queen. Your lady is your most versatile attacker and should be used that way. Always protect and support your queen, as most players will sacrifice just about any piece (except their own queen) to get her.
   • A lady can only be fully utilized with support. Most players instinctively watch the opponent's queen, so use yours to force pieces to the line of your rooks, bishops and knights.
9. Do not lock your tokens with your pawns. Runners attack over a long distance and using them both to control the board is essential, especially in the early stages of a game. There are many opening strategies you can learn, but the overall goal is to quickly make room for the development of your more valuable pieces.
   • Moving your pawns to d4 / d5 or e4 / e5 gives your bishops room to move and helps you overpower the center of the center. Bring the tokens forward as early as possible and use their long reach to your advantage as you develop the rook and queen.

Part 3 of 3: Winning as an expert

1. Think about the whole game from the opening move. A game of chess usually has three phases, and all three are closely related. The best chess players always think 10-12 moves ahead, developing 3-4 strategies at a time, depending on their opponent's moves. They know that moves and swapped pieces at the beginning of the game strongly influence the ending, and based on that they make their plans.
   • Opening move: this is where you set the tone of the game. Your first 4-5 moves quickly develop a large number of pieces fighting for the center of the board. You can attack, bring the fight to them, or you can take the defense, hold back and wait for them to make the first move.
   • The midgame: this exists purely to set up your end game. You trade pieces, take over the center of the board and set up 1-2 attack courses that can send you into action at any time. A trade may seem beneficial, but you need to know how losing a piece affects your chance of winning.
   • The end game: There are only a few pieces left, and they are all incredibly valuable.The endgame looks like the most dramatic part of the game, but in fact most of the work has already been done - the player who "won" the midgame and has the most material gain should end it with checkmate.
2. Choose runners over horses in the end game. Runners and horses are roughly equally strong early on. In the endgame, however, runners can move quickly across the entire empty board, while horses are still slow. Remember this when trading pieces - the bishop may not be very useful in the short term, but they are an asset in the end.
3. Combine the forces of your pawns. Pawns may seem useless, but they are crucial pieces at the end of the game. They can support stronger pieces, put pressure on the game, and they are a great shield for your king. However, you lose this advantage if you double them early (putting two pawns in the same vertical line). Keep your pawns close together and let them support each other horizontally. When there are only a few pieces left on the board, a move forward returns your queen, allowing you to win the game.
4. Know when to push for a draw. If you have lost material and you know that you have no chance to checkmate your opponent with the pieces you have left, it is time to push for a draw. In match chess you need to know when you have lost the chance to win (you still have everything but your king, a pawn and maybe 1-2 other pieces, you are running continuously etc.) and instead go for draw. There are several ways to accept your loss and go for a draw, even when it seems hopeless:
   • Eternal chess is when you force your opponent into a position where they cannot escape check. Note, you don't have to actually have them checkmate, you just have to have them in a position where they are in constant check without them being able to prevent it. Often this happens with a last ditch attack on the king, leaving the opponent trapped between attack and defense.
   • Stalemate: when the king is not in check, but cannot move without entering check. Since a player cannot voluntarily enter check, it is a draw.
   • Repetition or Unused Moves: if 50 moves have been made without a piece being taken or a player in check, you can request a draw. If both players can only make exactly the same move 3 times in a row (because they are forced to move back and forth), it is also a draw.
   • Lack of material There are a few scenarios where winning is impossible:
     • Only two kings on the board
     • King and bishop against a king
     • King and horse against a king
     • King and two horses against a king
5. Practice a few chess problems in your free time. You can improve your chess skills quite a bit without ever having an opponent. Chess problems are example boards that ask you to be checkmate with only 1 or 2 moves. You can practice hundreds of them in books, on any computer (Windows 7 has 10 levels) or online, and over time you will start to learn great positions for your pieces and unexpected sneaky attack methods. While you probably never see the exact situation on the board, chess problems develop your ability to see all potential angles of attack and how best to line up your pieces.
   • Look online for chess problems or search the library for a book on chess strategies, all of which have exercises for chess problems.

Tips

• Never risk your queen, it is the most valuable piece on the board.
• Press forward in groups. If you have to launch an attack, have a plan to regroup.
• You can play certain games online that give you hints on how to move. Pay close attention to these hints, as they are valuable when playing match chess.
• When you're done, go play tournaments or find a chess club. It improves your skills and gives you an official chess rating.
• Know the value of each piece and use it to help you:
  • Pawns are worth 1 point, knights 3, bishops 3, rooks 5 and the queen a colossal 9. It can be useful to trade your bishop to take your opponent's rook.

Warnings

• Check before taking "free" pieces. Your opponent may be able to sacrifice that piece so that he can take a more valuable piece from you or it may be a distraction to progress.
• Don't use cheap tricks like checkmate in four moves. If your opponent knows those tricks too, you run a high risk of losing.
• Don't worry if you don't win! It takes a lot of practice to become an expert!

Necessities

• People to play against or a computer program
• Chessboard and pieces
• Mentor to refine your skills (optional)
• Online, downloadable or pre-programmed chess program (optional)
• National or international chess membership (optional)
• Chess club to practice (optional)