Tactics of Chess

January 20th, 2010

Chess is the game of Tactics for the fact it deals with empires and one has to ensure that they should be handled by the best of the means. In fact it’s one of the most ruthless game where in one has to be prepared to kill people. Tactical ability is the most significant difference between the beginner and the advanced player. When they say Tactics it’s all about how you create permutation and combinations, whether you are prepared for the opponents plan. It’s basically to design your moves for the winning.

Patience – Being the mind game, Chess would need lot of patience from the players. In fact to think over and over one need to be patient and prepared for it at the same time.
The most successful chess players are the example of high patience.

Combination – Keeping the opponents move one has to be ready with the plan. Here the key is to wear your thinking caps. Be ready with all the possible combinations with the smallest of the piece in Chess. Think out of the box but within the rules of the games.

Double Threat – Any move that portrays two possible threats or problems at the same time to your opponent is known as Double threat. One would only be able to develop that once the combinations are done with all patience and right method. This definitely distracts the opponent and gives you a chance to think over and again for your next chance

Ready for Last Minute Change – With all possible calculations and combinations also be ready with the last minute change in your strategy. This is one of the key tactics of the game. Preparedness plays a role in playing chess.

Accuracy – One has to be accurate to the maximum possible extent as it’s a mind game. However as it’s based on the calculation has more probability to be accurate. One can practice the chess problems on diagrams. In fact it will be helpful to analyze a player who has done well and better. Study the games of the masters as they have a legendary accuracy. Learn the Tactics till the time you don’t become a Master in the game.

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Travel Computer Chess Reduces the Boredom of Long Trip

December 26th, 2009

Taking a long trip either by plane or by car is a good time to spend the time playing chess. Some chess enthusiasts always bring along their chess sets even when they are travelling. There are different types of chess sets that are portable to bring when in travel such as electronic chess sets or those chess sets that have magnetic pieces that can be played even in moving vehicle. However, nowadays you can bring more handy and sophisticated travel computer chess on your travel.

This is another breakthrough of technology in the game of chess. Either two human players can play this or you can play chess against the computer. It is highly innovative and can be found in two kinds like the touch screen and the three-dimensional. In three-dimensional, the players are using a specialized chess pieces with pegs on the bottom. The computer knew the kind of piece that is placed in a certain square through the electronic sensors in the indentions of the chessboard. Players can also achieve electronic lessons on how to efficiently play chess. On the other hand, the touch screen travel computer only requires the player to touch the computer screen and it will sensor the pieces being moved. These two kinds of travel chess can fit anywhere that makes it convenient to bring along for players on the go.

Moreover, you can install software about chess game in your travel computer. This will allow you to enjoy playing the game against the computer while you are on board. The software allows you to play the game performed by famous grandmasters in chess.

However, if you cannot afford to have this travel computer chess, you can choose the magnetic and Velcro chess sets that are also ideal for travel. The Velcro chess sets has a specialized attachments that ensures proper fastening of the pieces so that it will not fall off if the board is moved. It is very handy in such a way that the soft chessboard can be rolled when not in use. On the other hand, you can also have the magnetic chess sets that you can find in small sizes that are perfect for travelling. As the name implies, the chess pieces will not fall off because the pieces have magnets in the bottom and rely on magnetic forces. Likewise, it is also compact as you can put the pieces in the built-in compartment when not in use.

This travel computer chess is a great companion for travelling because it reduces the boredom of long trip. Likewise, you can gain friend by playing computer chess while on travel from all over the world. By using this innovative invention, you can play chess with your friends even if you are away from them. You can also keep record in your computer all the games you had played so that you can review it for your reference. No matter how complicated and challenging the game of chess is, enthusiasts always find ways to have them even in travelling. Indeed, chess is a game that makes everyone addicted to it.

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Useful tips for beginners in chess to use the Bishops effectively

December 7th, 2009

Chess Strategies – The power of Bishops

In the game of chess, the Bishop plays an important role next to the Queen. Flanking the important pieces of the King and the Queen at the back rank in the beginning, the bishops, placed in opposite colors and capable of moving forward or backward in diagonals, have a special place both in attacking the opponent’s pieces as well as defending his own King from the opponent’s threats.

The beginners in their early stages of the game tend to undermine the capability of this important piece and give more importance to the Queen and the rooks. In this article, I would place before you some of the salient features and positional advantages of bishops that every player, in his early stages should bear in mind not only to use the bishops to the best advantage, but also appreciate the importance of the two bishops in the game.

In 9 out of the 10 openings, it is the King’s pawn that is moved upfront by the white pieces. In other words, the pawn at e2 is moved to e4. This move immediately opens up the Bishop at the kingside to open up for attack, even before the queen is released for attack.

Now that the King’s Bishop is opened up for movement, one should ensure that the King’s Bishop is not placed in the third square in front of the Queen before the Queen’s pawn is moved from its original position. You must be aware that the Queen is placed in d1, King is placed in e1 and King bishop is placed in f1 – all for the white pieces. You should never move the bishop at f1 to d3 before the pawn at d2 is moved ahead to d4.

Again, as a general rule, in an open game, be careful not to move your Queen’s pawn at d2 one step forward to d3 before the King’s Bishop is brought out. If you do so, you are restricting the movement of the King’s Bishop at f1 to only e2 in the diagonat f1-a6, where the Bishop will act only as a defensive piece.

The ideal position for the King’s bishop is c4, the fourth square from the Queen’s bishop, because from that square, the King’s bishop threatens the pawn in front of the black King Bishop at f7. If the opponent threatens the King’s Bishop at c4 by placing his Queen’s bishop at f6, then it is advisable not to exchange the opponent’s Queen bishop with your King’s bishop and instead move to safety at b3. If you prefer to exchange the Queen’s bishop at f6 using your King’s bishop, then you will be allowing doubled pawns in the King file and also allow an open “f” file for the rook in case the opponent castles in the King side.

Do not indiscriminately exchange your bishops for the sake of knights or vice versa. In the end games, having two bishops will be more advantageous than two knights. However, one knight at the end game is more beneficial than one bishop, especially at the end games where there will be more empty squares and less number of pieces.

In the end game, if you have one bishop and two or three pawns left in the board, it is often proper to keep your pawns on squares of a different color to those on which your bishop travels, as the bishop can prevent the opposing King from approaching the pawns.

The above mentioned are some of the ideas that one need to have in mind for effectively using the two bishops bestowed to him. Practising the game with these points in mind will ensure a speedy path towards expertise in the game.

If you are passionate about the game and wish to learn the game at a relatively quicker time, then it is better that you take recourse to the technological advancement in the form of computers and the Internet. Using the computer and the Internet, you can play the game and practise more as and when you feel like playing a game, without searching for a partner. Online Chess is, beyond doubt, a boon for players in their early stages.

If driven by passion, you can find partners round the clock in virtual chess rooms in online chess websites. You choose the partner and can start playing instantly, whether it is 12 noon at midnight or 5 am in the morning.

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Middle game tactics: Mere control over d5 square will not ensure success

November 6th, 2009

In our series of articles on middle game strategy, we have been discussing about the isolated queen pawn and the importance of the two central squares – d4 and d5 – to have effective control over the game.

The d5 square which a black pawn usually occupies in an isolated queen pawn structure in some of the openings and the square before the d5 square, the d4 square, if effectively controlled, can provide immense opportunities for either of the pieces to gain a hold on the game and dictate the terms. It is not the prerogative of the black pieces to have advantage of controlling the important d4 and d5 squares. The same principle applies to white pieces as well, but the key or very important point, is that the central squares of d4 and d5 should be used effectively. Not only one should have effective control over the pieces, but at the same time, take care to develop the other pieces such that they revolve around the important d4 and d5 squares, so that a firm grip on the game can be had. If, as a novice or a skilled chess player, you were to presume that mere control or occupation of the central squares of d4 and d5 would be a passport to success, then you need to have a rethink again. Mere possession or control over the central squares will not ensure success, but, to the contrary, it might be a hindrance to your prospects.

This point is explained in the following game, played between two grandmasters, where control over the d5 square by black without any development of other squares had ultimately led to his loss of the game.

A cursory look at the position indicates that the vital d5 square is occupied by black’s Knight and with the support from the knight at f6, black has firm control over the d5 square. On the other hand, white’s isolated queen pawn is located at d4. Using the d4 square effectively, white has posted its knight at c5.

The game continued as follows :
18. Ne5 …… White now uses the d4 pawn to support its other knight
18. …. Qb6
19. Qf3 Rf8
20. g4 Qd8
21. g5 Ne8 Black is clearly giving back the control it had on d5
square, and steadily falling in to the hands of White

22. h4 g6

The position after 22 moves is given hereunder:

White continues to exert pressure and develop the pieces effectively, exploiting the inability of black to effectively deploy the pieces and use the d5 square. You may also recall that the square in front of the d5 square has unique properties. White effectively uses this point to his advantage as his pawn at d4 is providing able support to the two knights at c5 and e5.

The game continued as follows:

23. g6 h6
24. Nf7 Rxf7
25. gxf7 Kxf7+
26. Nxe6 Bxe6
27. Rxe6 Kxe6
28. Qe4+ Kf7
29. Bxd5+ 1-0

Black’s inability to exploit the control of the d5 square to his advantage by not developing his other pieces and white’s advantage of occupying the d4 square is better explained in this game. The isolated queen pawn as well as control of the vital squares d4 and d5 in the middle game is very important to have an upper hand over the opponent.

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Endings With several Pawns

November 6th, 2009

Calculating the positions when there is only one pawn and king vs king is quite easy, but it will get more complicated to know if your king is able to stop a pawn before it queens if there are more pawns in the game. The attacking side must try to block the way of the king and will do very good if he can use its own pieces to do so. For example in the below game there is a way for the black pawn to promote to queen.

l.Ke5
Looks like white can stop the passed pawn because, after all, the king is within the square. However, Black has a way to trick and block the White king’s path. Then:

1…. c3! 2. dxc3 a4 3. Kd4 a3

After that series of moves, the board will look like the below:

Too bad for the white player, the black pawn will queen for sure. This is where the importance of blocking the way is noticed. The more you can block the way for the king, the easier for you to move your pieces. Of course it is easier to block the way with its own pieces as it is not able to capture them.

There are also some rules for you to win a pawn up. If the defending king plays efficiently, the game will end up in a draw, unless the pawn is a rook’s pawn. To avoid this, the attacking player must bear in mind 3 techniques:

1: If you can choose, you must move the king in front of your own pawn, once you have done it you will win the game as it is impossible for the enemy king to block the way to your king.

2: If you got your king in front of your pawn (no matter if it is directly in front or diagonally) you always win unless the defending king has opposition. To have opposition means to stand in the path of the other king with just one square of difference and it is the counterpart’s turn to move. This position is called direct or close opposition

3; If you got your king on the sixth rank and you are in front of your pawn, there is no opposition possible and you will win the game no matter who is going to move next. It is wise to try to get to this position if you are the attacking player and to avoid it if you are the defending player.

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Chess – A Good Tool to Develop Our Children’s Minds

November 1st, 2009

One of the most mighty educational tools available to beef up a child’s mind is Chess.  Learning how to play chess is really easy. It is as easy as a six or seven year old can follow its basic rules.  Even younger kids aged four or five can also play. A child can become more proficient if he starts learning chess at an early stage as if learning a language or music.

However, learning chess can increase the concentration, patience, and perseverance, develop the creativity, intuition, memory, most importantly, the capacity to analyze and deduce a whole of general principles, in learning how to make difficult decisions and to solve problems with flexibility.

Concentration, patience, and perseverance:

Playing chess requires well intense of concentration. Some of the best players of the world can unquestionably seem inattentive, sometimes upwards jumping between the movements to go around. A more attentive aspect, however, indicates that the majority of these players are really in the major concentration, being based on the visual recall extremely to envisage and calculate even they are starting from their play. For young people who are inexperienced, chess teaches the rewards of the concentration as well as provides immediate penalties for faults. Few tools of teaching provide such a fast feedback. A slip in the concentration can direct to a simple mistake, perhaps even finishing the play. For young players of chess who are focused, patient and persistent will maintain the results regular. For younger kids, the characteristics which are valuable are doing well at school at school and especially in examinations at school.

Analysis, Logic, and Problem Solving

The play of chess comprises a combination of the aptitudes. A study in 1973-74 in Zaire by Dr. Albert Frank noted that the good players of chess who are teenagers (16-18 years) had numerical, administrative-directional, and the capacities of writings. Dr. Robert Ferguson, note that “this find tends to prove that the capacity in the chess is not due to the presence of an individual of only one or two capacities but a great number of aptitudes all function together in the Chess. The study of Frank found that more significantly learning chess, even while teenagers, improves the reinforcement of numerical and verbal aptitudes. This is found in majority of the students (not only strong players) who took with a course of chess during two hours each week during one school year.

Playing chess is not only good to develop the skills in gifted children but also benefits the average and below average children. If offline is a time issue play online chess it helps as well.

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Playing Online Chess in your Roll up Computer Chessboard

October 16th, 2009

In this modern age, technology has gone far in making breakthroughs in almost all things that man could be utilized. This is true with the traditional way of playing chess on chessboard. Because of the technology, chess can now be played using electronic chessboards and high-powered computers. Playing online chess will spare you from bringing along your regular chessboard anywhere you go. As you know, there are lots of options and venues where you can play computer chess. One is by using software in your computer; the other is by downloading chess game from game server and installs it in your computer. However, one of the greatest breakthroughs in the computerized chess is the portable chessboard. You see how brilliant is the mind of human beings in creating things that would ease the life even in playing chess.

Chess lovers will surely love to have the roll up computer chessboard. This computer chessboard is very convenient to use as you can just plug it into your computer. You can bring along the cool computer chessboard anywhere you go because it is handy in such a way that you can roll it like a newspaper and about of its size. You can use the USB port to plug the board and instantly you can start the game. Software is included in the roll up computer chessboard. Though you abruptly stop the game because of unavoidable circumstances, as you restart it the software will remember the location of each piece before you stop the game.

The portable chessboard does much more than just excitement because while playing the game you could be able to receive hints. In addition, you can save pictures of the game that you can use if you play chess by email games. The software also allows you to replay the game you had played on the computer screen. By plugging the chessboard into your computer, you can now play chess against computer or play against another player. There are different levels of tutorials for beginners and challenging levels for intermediate and advanced player. You can use the roll up chessboard if your computer is run by Windows XP and has a USB port. Children age 12 and up could use and play computer using this chessboard.

Indeed, man is created with intelligent mind and in return, man developed a machine that is as intelligent as humans are. However, it is also a fact that machines are not as equally as intelligent as humans are because machines have no ability to make its own decision. This fact is true in playing computer chess. No matter how powerful the features of the chess computer, its efficiency depends on the ability of human player to play the game. The match between the international chess master Gary Kasparov and IBM’s Blue Deep prove this. It was really a tough match that beat the human player. However, for the next match between Gary Kasparov and Deep Junior, the ability of human mind prevails over the game.

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Role of chess in a child’s development

October 14th, 2009

Chess is not just a thinking game. It provides more fun and excitement to a person, and at the same time, teaches invaluable lessons of life to the person. When we think of chess, the first thing that comes to mind is that it is a sport or a leisure activity taken up to relax, and have fun and excitement. The fact that chess calls for thinking, exercises your brain and stimulates your mind and such other things are not given due consideration though they are the chief benefits of the game.

It is for this reason chess is still considered as a game or a professional sport and not as an activity for teaching the traits of life or as a specialized subject in the school academics such as mathematics or science.

In many countries, the importance of chess has been realized and, as such, teaching chess and encouraging children to play the game regularly has been made a part of the school academic curriculum.

How the game of chess helps a child in his or her career development?

The salient feature of the game of chess is its fairness. There is no room for luck or chance in the game. No special rules or concessions are there for the different sets of players. Just because you are a child or a novice learning the game, you will not be provided with two kings. Similarly, the world champion in the tournament will not be asked to play the game without any pawns in the board. The pieces, the board, and the rules are the same for all types of players.

Chess is a game that punishes a player as soon as he makes a mistake. One cannot get away from this mistake in the normal course of the game. That can happen only if the opponent does not take notice of your mistake and do not realize that a mistake is done by you.

As such, while learning the game, the child learns to think and make wise moves. The seed for thinking is sown in the child’s mind at the tender age. When the child gets punished for a couple of mistakes in the initial stages, he will start to think before moving fearing punishment. This aspect of thinking makes his mind stimulate and the brain gets a tonic of exercise.

The idea of thinking and focusing on the pieces and the moves helps a child develop the trait of concentration as he plays the game and tries to learn the tricks of the game. This focusing or concentration makes him work better and solve mathematical problems, which require more attention and focus. More attention and focus on the subjects leads to better performance and higher scores in the classes for students. Higher marks and recognition among the classmates helps a child feel more confident about himself. This self-confidence, if developed to a child in his or her early age, will do wonders for his future career not just to play chess but face the real life challenges with courage and confidence.

As a chess player, not only will the child be thinking about the game before making the move. He is also exposed to yet another important trait. He has to be alert enough to watch the opponent’s move and take appropriate steps to either defend his pieces or exploit the mistake of the opponent. He should not be careless or allow his thought to wander while waiting for the opponent to make a move.

This alertness and instant reaction to the move of the opponent helps a player gain an upper hand in the game. Not only will it help in learning the tricks of chess, being alert at all times will be very useful. He can react to things as they happen and taken suitable actions.

Thinking and remaining alert are the vital components of confidence and playing chess regularly especially in the early age will help children cultivate this habit that will finally shape their life.

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Merits of playing chess online

October 4th, 2009

Online Chess, the mode of playing chess over Internet, is a boon for chess lovers and chess players. Playing chess online is a simple thing where one can learn, play and master the skills of Chess in a relatively quicker way. The one and only requirement, apart from the personal computer and Internet connection, for any player to learn this wonderful King of games online is nothing but the passion for the game.

The usage of the Computer and the Internet is growing at an astronomical pace across the world and more and more people have access to this wonderful technology of late. The game of chess is one of the chief beneficiaries of this technological development. Now a large number of websites are springing up everyday taking this game to the masses and stimulating their minds.

Chess is one game that serves as a mental exercise for a person, similar to the physical exercise to the body.

What are the merits of playing chess online?

Chess is one of the effective ways of relaxation

If you are feeling overworked and suffering from stress, relaxation of the mind is of utmost importance. There are many ways to get relaxed – something like going for a long walk, watching a movie or hanging around with friends. These things will definitely help you relieve the tension or stress to some extent. Stress and tension arise due to excessive strain on the mind. The above-mentioned means of relaxation do help in providing you the much-needed relief temporarily but fail to exercise the mind which is the cause for the stress or tension.

Playing chess online is one of the better ways of relaxation than other ways. How?

Chess is a thinking game and calls for serious concentration and thinking on the part of the player. While playing chess, the player forgets all about his tension and stress from the other works, and tries to divert his concentration towards the game of chess. He starts thinking more about the moves, the tactics, strategies and such other things related to chess.

His mind is not only relaxed from the routine stress and tension, but also tuned and exercised mentally by a game of chess. The traits of deep thinking, concentration and analysis gets developed from this game of chess, which will help him not only win the game on hand, but also teach invaluable traits that will go a long way in shaping his character and life.

Online chess expands the ideas and knowledge

Chess can be played online in two ways – either you can look out for a partner to play the game or instead play with the computer. In both ways, it would be useful. The thought process of the other partner, the invisible partner, in Online Chess might be different from what you were thinking. While your style of play would be more classical in nature with control over centerboard gaining importance, the other invisible player might be using modern principles or some innovative ways of dealing in a given situation. This line of play will open up your knowledge about the game and helps you learn the skill in a better and quicker way.

This exchange of ideas from different types of players and gaining from their line of thinking is one chief advantage of online chess.

If you were playing with the computer, then it is still more beneficial. The computer provides with different sets of moves for a single situation depending upon the level of skill set. For example, in a normal game, assuming that you are playing white and have to start the game, you have been provided with 20 different alternative options to make one single move – the first move. As the game proceeds the number of possibilities will increase. Computer can provide you with all these possible alternatives, which, if understood precisely, will make you a master of the game in the shortest possible time.

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