Win at Chess

Winning at chess is hard. You have to make the most of every move and watch your opponent's moves carefully. If you master effective chess moves and learn how to build your strategy you'll be able to win at chess.

Steps

Mastering Chess Moves

  1. Learn the value of each piece. These relative values are important because they will help you to know when to trade pieces and when you are ahead in the game. Don't trade high value pieces for pieces of low value. If you have more higher value pieces left than your opponent it may be good to trade pieces worth the same value - you'll want to end the game sooner if you are ahead. If your opponent is winning, trading even value pieces may not be a good idea because you will want to keep the pieces you have left.
    • Pawn - 1 point
    • Knight - 3 points
    • Bishop - 3.5 points
    • Rook - 5 points
    • Queen - 9 points
  2. Learn effective opening moves. There are some classic opening moves that you can study to learn about the best ways to play the beginning of a chess game. Try to learn and use effective openings:
  3. Learn the quick ways to win. There are a few ways to win the entire match within the first 2, 3, or 4 moves. Study these classic ways to win very quickly:
  4. Learn to castle. Learn all the rules of chess and make sure to use the abilities of each piece to their fullest. The best example is "castling," which is one of the most effective ways to protect your king.
    • To castle you move your king two squares to the left or right of its starting position and in the same move jump your rook from the corner square to the square on the king's opposite side.
    • You can only castle if the king and rook have not yet moved in the game.
    • There have to be no pieces between the king and rook.
    • You can not castle if the king is in check or will go into check because of the move.

Using Strategy

  1. Consider each move carefully. Try to make the best move you can each time you move a piece. Consider these questions:[1]
    • Does this move put my piece in a better position than it is in now?
    • Would moving a different piece instead put me in a better position overall?
    • If there are any pieces in danger of being taken by your opponent, does your move defend against the threat?
    • Would the move put your piece in danger from one of your opponent's pieces?
    • Once you decide on a good move, stop and look for a better move.
  2. Think about your opponent's moves. After every move your opponent makes, take time to think about their move. Why did she choose that move?[1]
    • Try to figure out your opponent's overall plan and how the move fits into it.
    • Look for any of your pieces that are threatened. Can your opponent take one of your pieces on the next move? If so consider making a move to prevent it.
  3. Make an overall plan. Deciding each move as you go along will only get you so far.[1]
    • Use your pieces in harmony. Think about ways to attack over the course of a few moves using more than one piece.
    • Encircle your opponent's king with a few pieces. Attacking with only one piece at a time will make it easy for your opponent to defend.
    • Try using several pieces to control an entire section of the board. Position pieces so that your opponent cannot move in that section without being attacked.
  4. Move your pieces forward quickly. The player who gets things moving and formulates a plan of attack can control the game and get the other play on the defensive.[1]
    • Don't just move pawns at the beginning. Bring out your stronger pieces too.
  5. Focus on the center squares. The player who has control of the four squares at the center of the board will often be able to do better.[1]
    • Pieces in the center of the board can move in more directions and to more locations than pieces off to the side.
    • Pieces in the center of the board can get to other parts of the board more quickly than pieces at the edges, which would have to cross the center to get to the other side of the board.
  6. Play good defense. While working to attack your opponent don't forget to keep your own king safe.[1]
    • Keep your king in a safe place, such as behind a few pawns which you try not to move away.
    • Castling puts your king in a very safe position behind pawns if you have not moved them out yet.

Playing the Endgame

  1. Eliminate pieces. If you are at an advantage work your way to a checkmate by eliminating your opponents pieces. It may be tempting to push your advantage by trying to get a checkmate right away, but the fewer pieces that are on the board the easier it will be to end the game.[2]
    • Trading even value pieces will hurt your opponent more than it will hurt you if you are ahead.
    • Eliminating pieces simplifies the board and makes it easier to trap your opponent.
  2. Learn the classic endgames. Many chess games end with similar pieces left on the board. Learn the classic ways to put your opponent in checkmate using particular combinations of pieces.
    • King And Queen vs Lonely King
    • King And Rook vs King
    • Mating With Bishop And Knight
    • Research more complicated endings too. You can find lists of endings for different combinations of pieces at this website.
  3. Promote your pawns. Saving pawns for the end is very important because if you can cross a pawn all the way to the last row of your opponent's side of the board you can promote it to any piece (except a king).[3]
    • Promote your pawn to a queen because the queen is the strongest piece.
    • Try not to let your opponent's pawns get promoted.
  4. Continue to pay attention. Even if you feel you are close to winning don't stop paying close attention to each move you make and each move your opponent makes. Stay on the lookout for attacks.[2]

Practicing Your Skills

  1. Play in tournaments. Sign up for local chess tournaments to get a chance to try out your strategies and to watch other players.
    • Find out where to look for tournaments in your area at the Chess Federation site.
  2. Join a chess club. Many schools and local communities have chess clubs where you can learn more about chess and practice with other club members.
  3. Play chess online or on mobile apps. A variety of computer chess programs can help you practice and can also instruct you on strategy.

Sources and Citations

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 http://archive.uschess.org/beginners/ten/index.php
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 http://www.chess.com/article/view/the-principles-of-the-endgame----for-beginner
  3. ↑ http://www.chessvariants.org/d.chess/pawnfaq.html

You may like

Retrieved from "https://kipkis.com/index.php?title=Win_at_Chess&oldid=315809"