In "Chess Combinations: the eternal beauties of chess", we tried to examine our fascination for beautiful combinations. We also made the point that you do not always have to look at the games by the likes of Morphy, Marshall, Capablanca, Alekhine, Tal, Kasparov and others of their ilk for unearthing such beauties. Even amateurs at local clubs or tournaments are known to have produced brilliancies. In fact, in this series of articles we only want to look at such combinations...
Captain W. Evans, a player of moderate skills, introduced a gambit in 1824 where White sacrificed a pawn to get a strong center. This gambit obviously came to be known as Evans Gambit! In 1838, he played his gambit against Alexander MacDonnell, the greatest English player of his time, and managed to win the game and the gambit drew a lot of public attention. Subsequently, players of much greater standing like Morphy, Anderssen and Chigorin created gems with this gambit.
Before starting on this fourth article in this series on
chess combinations, please read the boxed note at the start of "Chess Combinations: beauties from lesser known masters – 3" to make the best use of the moves and comments in the chess game covered here. The game was played in the tournament at Bad Woerishofen in 1989.
Ask any chess player which aspect of chess he/she finds most interesting and it is most likely that chess combinations will have this pride of place! Of course, combinations are nothing but chess tactics of one or more kinds strung together by a series of moves. Why this fascination with chess tactics? We tried to explore the roles of chess strategy and chess tactics by raising questions on "What is chess strategy?"
The best way for beginners to get better at chess and learn these ideas is to setup the position on a chessboard and go through the moves instead of trying to picture it. At this stage, understanding the ideas is more important than taking the burden of memorizing the positions.
Even if you are a very good short distance runner, you probably never dream of running a hundred meter race in less than ten seconds unless you are a Usain Bolt in the making. But in a game of chess, you can always look forward to an opportunity to use various chess tactics for creating a combination which would make Alekhine proud. From a tyro to a virtuoso, the field of memorable chess combinations is open to all.
In the game of chess, any move of a piece that attacks the opponent’s King is called as a Check. Similarly, if an enemy piece attacks your king, then your King is in check. One important point worth noting is that of the 16 pieces, any of the 15 pieces only can enforce a check on the opponent’s King and the Chief piece, the King cannot directly enforce a Check on the opponent’s King. If it attempts to do so, the opponent king will simply capture the attacking king immediately and the game is lost at once by the attacking king.
Many beginners have a natural talent in chess, but it comes to light (to others and also to themselves) only when they start on the game. There is no limitation on the age at which you can take it up, though the process becomes easier if you start at a younger age. Unfortunately, many people tend to stay away thinking wrongly that they are not up to what it takes to become a good player. No one likes to be a loser and this fear of failure often works at the back of their mind, preventing them from taking the initial steps.
In most chess games featuring exemplary attacking tactics, like those we have discussed for games by Tal and Alekhine, you will notice one player hogging the limelight by virtue of his attacking display. A game where both players are trying to attack, giving back as much as he gets, is relatively rare and holds great interest for learning chess tactics and also for enjoying the game. Here is a gem in this category.
When you consider that White as a player had the highest Elo rating ever achieved while Black reached the next highest spot, you might expect the game to be a close tussle and a long, slow process till one pips the other at the final post. You will therefore wonder at White’s attacking force that made the Black King run all over the chessboard to seek final futile shelter in White King’s domain! It is therefore no wonder that the game ranks as one of the greatest display of attacking chess tactics.
You must have experienced that a steam-rolling attack generates more spectator interest than a equally effective but subtle positional maneuvers to gain advantages. This may be the reason that beginners’ games often become hammer and tongs all the way. No harm if you want to make attack your preferred style, but you should know how to prevail upon your opponent with your attack lest it ends up in a whimper! Here are some points for you to consider to launch an effective attack.
In "part 9" of different chess tactics, we showed how
deflection is used to force a key defender away so that the opponent became vulnerable to attack and had to face significant loss of material or even checkmate. One reader requested for some more examples beyond those used as illustration in that article. You know it needs quite some effort to collect examples from different sources, but that is why we are here, aren’t we? So, we are giving below ten positions with deflection as the motif from games spread over nearly a century of chess.
In the first article on "Chess Tactics: Method Approach to Calculating Combinationson", we shared our ideas on how to proceed systematically for analyzing a situation for its inherent possibilities. The subsequent step is to work out our next sequence of moves which comprises a chess combination. The whole game of chess is expected to consist of many such nodal points where each node is planned (hopefully!) to yield some advantage, however microscopic it may be.
In "Working out Chess Combinations", you could work out an eight-move combination by identifying the strengths and weaknesses of both sides and to some extent worked your way backwards to find the moves that created the winning combination. But in the previous examples, there were quite a few pieces on board and the mobility, at least for some pieces, was restricted so that you could eliminate a good number of possibilities.
One of the special moves in the game of Chess is the "Castling". Not only is "Castling" special in that the King is allowed to move two squares in a single move, it is the only move in Chess where two pieces of the same color are moved at the same time in a single move. Is this not a special case? The other piece involved in Castling is the Rook, either on the queen-side or on the king-side.
In this brief article we will go over some situations where you can end up in pawn ending game. Pawn ending games are always the trickiest part for beginners as they always end up playing it wrong.One important tip to remember when in a pawn ending game is that the King should be in front of his pawn, with at least one intervening square.
Continued from "Part I". Curious, the king did as he was told. The sage said that, as the first installment starting from that day, he wanted just a single grain of rice to be put on the first square (the algebraic notation was unknown then, otherwise he would have said a1 square)! The king could not believe his ears and amusingly asked the sage what he would do with a single grain when his granaries held millions of tons (or whatever it came to by the number and weight system of those days)!
Here we are not discussing anything about a chess game or chess moves or chess pieces – only telling a story that uses the 64 squares! This is about a king whose seat of throne was the holy city of Benares (or Varanasi, to give the correct Indian name). He had a great amount of wealth and wielded considerable power but basically he was a good ruler.
In 1967,some chess matches were held between USSR and USA. The first two matches were drawn, probably as expected by people in consideration of the players of such even temperament and capability! But the third match was won in the manner described below by the USSR player with the White pieces.
You must have experienced that a steam-rolling attack generates more spectator interest than an equally effective but subtle positional maneuvers to gain advantages. This may be the reason that beginners’ games often become hammer and tongs all the way. No harm if you want to make attack your preferred style, but you should know how to prevail upon your opponent with your attack lest it ends up in a whimper! Here are some points for you to consider to launch an effective attack.
Once you start playing, you will find chess a lot of fun but it is serious fun, if such a thing exists. The fun that comes from any battle of wits is there in chess also. Where is the serious part? It is in your will to win. In different fields of sports, there are people who grandiosely claim that result is not important, playing the game is. Well, let them have their say but don’t believe if this comes from a chess player.
In an "earlier article", I pointed out that in the middle games, you cannot possibly visualize all the positions that can emanate from your next 4-5 moves without having a computer-like memory. Most likely, you will decide on the next move based on your reading of the overall position. But in the endgame, with few pieces standing on the board, it is possible to make a deeper analysis and this often makes the difference between a win and a draw or loss.
We have earlier shown "two endgame positions" which exemplified the use of some endgame tactics. In "Four endgame situations" also, we explained some typical endgame tactics like the concept of ‘the Square’ and the ‘Opposition’. Here are some more that will help you to decide quickly the possible result of the chess game. If you know what endgame situations will work against you or go in your favor, you can start planning your strategy much earlier keeping these positions in perspective for carving a win or snatching a draw depending on situations.
It is my view that there are more books, articles and discussions on chess openings than those on chess tactics for attacking enemy positions. One reason may be the that it is easier to talk about chess openings than about chess attacks! Chess openings have certain specific ideas behind them (control of center, coordinated development of pieces, creating more space etc.) and it is possible to foresee the ways you can realize those ideas. The process is more of chess strategy than of Chess tactics.
On a journey, if you have clear idea about where you are going, you can choose the shortest way to reach your destination. If the planned route gets blocked somewhere, you will take a detour to come back to your route or to get to the destination without wandering aimlessly. Same way, if you know that you have enough material for creating checkmate as explained in "Ten endgame tactics", you should also know what chessboard position you must create for a checkmate with the pieces at your disposal.
In "Endgame tactics Part 1" of this two part article, we discussed the chess tactics for checkmate with the ‘heavy’ pieces viz., Queen, Rook or a combination of those pieces. Now we will consider the more difficult tasks of creating checkmate with a Bishop pair or a Bishop and Knight.
6. When you have a Bishop pairIn "Part 1" of this two part article, we discussed the tactics of checkmate with the ‘heavy’ pieces viz., Queen, Rook or a combination of those pieces. Now we will consider the more difficult tasks of creating checkmate with a Bishop pair or a Bishop and Knight.
On a journey, if you have clear idea about where you are going, you can choose the shortest way to reach your destination. If the planned route gets blocked somewhere, you will take a detour to come back to your route or to get to the destination without wandering aimlessly. Same way, if you know that you have enough material for creating checkmate as explained in "Ten endgame tactics", you should also know what chessboard position you must create for a checkmate with the pieces at your disposal.
Chess is a game of attack or eliminate your opponents’ most important pieces on the board. This can scare a beginner because it will seem like every move is basically to get him/her out of the game. Despite the fact that this may be true, chess is also a game that eventually changes your outlook in life. Expert players say that chess has improved the way they handle sticky situations in life. This is happens because they have learnt ways of playing it safe when facing tough situations. Let me show you some safe way of playing chess.
One of the most fascinating board games is Chess, played between two players with the intention of capturing the opposite member’s King through checkmate. Both the players start the game with equal amount of resources in terms of pieces and their notional values. There is no spatial advantage or disadvantage to the two players before the game starts. However, as soon as the first move is made by the white pieces, as is customary practice in the game of chess, there sets in an imbalance that needs to be rectified by the other player using black pieces.
When playing any game, there has to be a reason why you decide on making a certain move. It could be to improve your position, corner your opponent and head for a win. Either way if you don’t know which move is the best you will eventually lose. I will give you 4 tips that will guide you on which move to make. In chess the center part of the board is a position of power. It allow you to easily get on you opponents side and corner his valuable pieces at the same time you can control movements of all minor pieces.
Myth 1: Chess is an idle person’s game – it is for people who hate any form of physical efforts. Truth: To go up the rating scales, you need to win many tournaments and you cannot do so unless you are physically fit and mentally alert. Mikhail Tal in his heyday was regarded as a magician of chess, so brilliant were his combinatory skills in the middle game. But his reign at the top (as world champion) was short-lived and even though he continued to win other tournaments in his relatively short life of 56 years, the results were not consistent.
The goal of any chess game is basically to move your pieces in a strategic move, giving you a chance to finally eliminate your opponents’ king. This chase can take a long time and in the process you will need to know what weapons will help you get rid of his/ her king. With this weapon or methods in mind you can successfully win the game. A complicated yet sure way is by use of the weapon known as the back rank mate.
All chess games are different in the middle phase but in the end game, you will often find fairly close similarities in many games, may not be in the exact positions of the pieces but in the themes that occur. Chess analysts have identified certain standard techniques to deal with these themes from either player’s point of view.
In English, a “baker’s dozen” means 13 and not 12, originating from an old practice of bakers giving one loaf extra when someone bought a dozen! Borrowing the idea in a converse sense, I am writing ten articles to cover the 12 chess tactics. Earlier, we devoted one article for each tactics to avoid cluttering up the lessons. But in this one, we have covered the remaining three tactics. The reason for this will be clear from what I have explained below.
Deflection is a chess tactic used as part of a combination. It forces an important defensive piece of the opponent to move from its current position, thereby creating weaknesses which are exploited to create a mating attack or to gain material advantage. It is quite common to see a sacrifice being used to force the opponent’s hand.
Overload is having to bear more load than what can be sustained, resulting in a breakdown. In chess, a piece gets overloaded when it has to perform multiple duties (like having to defend two pieces) or needs to be at two different positions at the same time (which is not possible) to face the different threats posed by the attacker. It is obvious that the overloaded piece has to give up one or more of its functions, creating serious weaknesses in the defender’s position that can be exploited by the attacker.
Though possibility of such attacking tactics may arise in middle game also, these opportuities are more frequently possible during the end of middle game when many of the pieces and pawns have been taken off the board. In such situations, the heavy pieces (Queen and Rooks) have more freedom of movement and can combine to deliver winning attack along the seventh and eighth ranks (opponent’s base rank and second rank).
If you have understood the concepts of Pin as a chess tactic, discussed in the
previous lesson in this series, the ideas of
Skewer will be clear to you even though the working and threats posed are slightly different. The structure of a Skewer is similar to that of a Pin, but here the
interposing piece has higher value than the target and there is no bind on its movement.
We have already discussed different "forms of check" that constitute a part of a chess player’s attacking arsenal. We now proceed to discuss the use of Pin as an attacking tactics. Except for checks, this is the most frequently occurring tactics in chess games. So much so that it is incorporated in many chess openings to limit opponent’s move options in the struggle for wresting the "control of center". This chess tactic was discussed briefly in "What is a pin in chess". We take it up here more elaborately.
In the "first part" of this series, you saw the tactical use of checks. We now take up a type of special check known as
discovered check which is a much more potent weapon than simple checks. In simple checks, you just attack the opponent’s King with a piece or pawn. In discovered check, you not only attack the King but possibly (though not always) another piece or pawn of your opponent. Even when the latter part is absent, you can gain some advantage of space or position if planned carefully.
All of us appreciate beautiful chess combinations that occur at all levels – from games between amateurs to those between top grandmasters. A combination is nothing but two or more tactical moves in a sequence that create an advantage for the player who has thought it up. If you examine any such combination, you will find certain elements of tactics have been strung together. At every stage of the game, you should be aware of these tactical possibilities and how these can enable you to get an upper hand on your opponent.
One of the oldest chess openings is the Ruy Lopez opening. Also referred to as a Spanish Game, the Ruy Lopez opening is a very complicated opening and is usually more favorable to the person using white pieces in the initial stages, as the developments and plots can cramp the movement of some black pieces either temporarily or permanently. If one can learn and gain mastery over this Spanish opening, then he or she can develop as a very good chess player.
The game of Chess, said to have been invented as early as 600 A.D. in India, is said to have been characterized by attacks against the enemy King. Nevertheless, since the popularization of the game since the past 3 centuries, a number of principles have been evolved by the erstwhile masters of the game, which have been tried and tested over a prolonged period. One of such principles related to the opening moves of a chess game, initiated and advocated by Francois-Andre Philidor in the year 1749.
You learned about chess strategy and chess tactics during the opening phase in "Beginner - chess game plan Part 1". Now we continue with such ideas for middle and end games.
Middle Game : where you win or lose (or settle for a draw). You have completed your preparations in the opening phase and now you are ready to take the battle to the opponent. In this phase, though the undercurrent of strategy still flows, you depend on your combinatory skills or chess tactics to get the upper hand.
Like in any other game, chess also offers some ‘tricks of the trade’. The beginners in chess often keep looking for tips in a capsule to help them win against more experienced players. But they are likely to find that even after learning such ‘tips and tricks’, they are unable to progress beyond a certain level. The reason for such frustration is mainly because of their inability to apply their information effectively during a chess game.
Continuation from "10 steps to raise your game – part 2".
8. Practice, practice, practice. Like in any other sports, practice makes perfect in chess also. At least, it will embed in your mind whatever you have learnt in previous steps. But try to play with opponents who are of equal or greater strength compared to you. If you join a chess club which are now available in most towns, you will certainly find opportunities to sit opposite strong players.
Continued from "10 steps to raise your game - part 1".
5. Learn the tactical processes Strategy is the overall plan of how you want to play out the game. Tactics are like battles within a war to implement your plan in varying situations. In chess, you will find that certain themes recur repeatedly if you know how to identify those and your tactical knowledge will help to make the most in such situations.
All chess games start with a first move by White and then Black has to decide on his response. It is not surprising that the most common questions from beginners are related to the openings they should adopt when playing as White and the appropriate responses when playing as Black. In "10 steps to raise your game", we discussed about the general issues that should be considered in taking such decision.
Though traced back to the 15th century, this opening came into prominence in the middle of the 19th century. Since then, it has remained ever popular and is frequently seen in tournaments. It takes its name from a Spanish clergyman of the 16th century Ruy Lopez who made a systematic analysis of this opening. The basic ideas are easy to understand and the strategic and tactical possibilities appeal to players’ imaginations, giving rise to a large number of variations.
The numbers are only to draw attention, they do not tell the real story. If you are genuinely curious about it, don’t keep counting but keep reading on... Several months earlier, we made an attempt to show how "chess is beneficial to your mind". But that was aimed at beginners and amateurs so that they may seriously pursue their interest in chess not only for just fun and enjoyment but also for its other beneficial effects.
Starting from our article on winning chess strategies in various posts we have stressed the importance of controlling the center in your chess games. In our latest series of articles, we mentioned this strategy as one of the aims for any chess opening as can be seen in Chess Opening: Control of Center, showing the theoretical analysis of some popular openings. This idea was further developed through examples of master games which showed how such opening theories are put into practice in these games.
In continuation of "Chess Opening: Control of Center - Part 2" to show how different openings aim to control the center squares, we now examine the opening strategy behind Queen’s Gambit Declined. This opening has been considered as one of the most reliable defenses of Black against White’s d4. The position reached by the moves described here can be achieved through many other sequence of moves. All these QGD openings are covered under ECO codes D30-D69 and all aim to create a foothold in the center by advancing pawns or using pieces while developing them.
In "Chess Opening: Control of Center - Part 1", we looked at two popular KP openings to understand how those resolved the tussle between White and Black for control of the center. Here we take a similar look at a common QP opening to realize the chess tactics involved in this case. "Nimzo-Indian Defense" - The classical theories on the strategy of chess openings, as formulated by the first undisputed World Champion Wilhelm Steinitz (1836-1900).
In "Chess Opening: Queen’s Gambit Theory to Practice" and "Chess Opening: Nimzo-Indian Defense Theory to Practice", you have seen that starting with the basic theory of the respective openings discussed in "Chess Opening: Control of Center - Part 3" and "Chess Opening: Control of Center - Part 2", how some actual games proceeded to bring win to White as well as Black. The idea was to enable you to look carefully at the moves by the players to understand where White or Black...
The theory behind all chess openings is to control the center comprising the squares d4, e4, d5 and e5, and the development of pieces that goes with it. Control of the center by one player helps him to position his pieces more effectively while thwarting the development of opponent’s pieces. You can easily imagine that such a control with its associated benefits can facilitate your win to a great extent.
Like we did in "Chess Opening: Queen’s Gambit Theory to Practice" to expound with examples on how QGD opening theory in "Chess Opening: Control of Center - Part 3" can turn out in practice, here we show practical examples on Nimzo-Indian Defense theory discussed in "Chess Opening: Control of Center - Part 2". To show both sides of the defense, we picked up two games, one going in favor of White and the other in favor of Black.
While learning the theories behind the chess openings especially with an eye to center control and development of pieces, you must understand that if both players could continue along the best theoretical lines, the game would end in a draw! But theory cannot take you to the end because if it could, there would not be any point in playing that kind of chess!
If you have a special chess player in your life, then you may not know which move to make when it comes to purchasing gifts for someone who seems to know all the right moves. If you need a gift-buying strategy for that master strategist, then here is a list of five fantastic gift ideas for chess players.
Chess Books. This gift can be an invaluable resource, and greatly appreciated by your chess player.
If you’ve mastered the game of chess, the next natural step is to enter a tournament. Tournaments can be a wonderful way to not only show off your skills, but it’s also a great way to earn scholarships and prize money. Of course, there are a few things you should know before you enter your first chess tournament.
Early Entrants Can Save Money and Time In many tournaments, chess players can save on the entrance fee by registering early.
Improving memory. Chess players will always strive to improve their games so that they can win more games. This incentive of satisfaction in working out a win provides an urge to learn the opening theories, the variations, tactics in middle game, end game theories and so on. Through your effort to memorize such things, you will find an improvement in your memory.
You already know that you enjoy playing chess and chances are you have at least one or two friends who enjoy the analytical game as well. Whether you’re looking to help an elementary school or other learning institution or simply gather a group of adults, there are only a few basic things you need to know to get a chess club up and running.
Identify Your Organizers While everyone involved will lend a helping hand, your chess club should have one or two main organizers to ensure everything stays on track as planned.
Chess and music are seemingly unrelated subjects but have more in common than you might think. Both require skill, strategy, and practice to improve. However, there is a deeper connection between these two disciplines that can have a profound impact on your chess game. This article will explore the relationship between music theory and chess and how understanding music can help you improve your game.
Learning basic chess tactics to win chess involves many different things ranging from mental preparation, diligent study, and practice. However, to become an advanced chess player, a player must have a complete understanding of basic tactics. In fact, many beginning players lose games due to critical tactical errors that can be as simple as losing a piece by leaving it undefended.
Winning Chess Openings is about the Chess game which is two player game played by professional and amateurs throughout the world. It is 64 squares game arranged on a hard board with pawns on it. Winning Chess openings are defined as the best possible moves that will increase the chance of winning in the start. Many players throughout the world played this game with their intellect and sorted out new techniques to overcome the opponent strategy.
Unusual Rules of Chess should be learned. Changing the rules of chess is actually a fairly common practice. Often it is used to postulate problems, especially in a computer science setting, though when played in a real game, it is used to test the mettle of the players. Changing the rules can change the basis on which strategies are made, and require players to think quickly on their feet. There are hundreds of different types of chess, and no doubt much more can be invented for the pleasure of the players, however, the following rule changes make games that are both practical and clever, and require a chess player with the ability to strategize quickly and effectively.
There are common questions on what are the best Chess Opening tips that I should study comes from new or players getting into the game possibly and realising there’re too many different openings to learn all of them so they kind of want to narrow it down and figure out what they should work on first. It also will come from chess players that may have been playing for a while but they really only know a couple openings and I want to figure out maybe some other ones that are popular or that maybe may fit their specific place that a little bit better so I thought it’d be cool to go over the top 5 chess openings tips..
Chess strategy and Tactics is important to learn because if one is to become a true chess master one has to take chess lessons to learn proper chess strategy. You have to learn to crawl before you can walk. Once you have a grasp of the basic moves and functions of the game pieces, you have to change how you think about game playing. Playing chess takes a lot of concentration if you really want to master chess strategy. The more chess lessons one gets the more your skill will improve. Obtaining chess lessons from a seasoned professional is the main way to go if you would like to make a presence in the chess world.
Quality preparation for your opponent today plays a vital role in being successful at the board.
Opening preparation has become a habit for any active player. That's why many chess players spend an impressive number of hours before the game trying to find an idea that will allow them to take their opponent away from his familiar "territory".
Here we are discussing some basic strategies that can give you advantage, however microscopic it may be. Of course there is always exception to the rules, but exceptions occur much less frequently than the normal situations, don’t they? These strategies are described from White’s point of view, so what is good for White is bad for Black and vice versa.