Posts Tagged ‘chess games’

Chess tips: Useful points every chess player should try to follow

Friday, November 6th, 2009

It is a well-known fact that the game of chess is a thinking game, and calls for deep and logical thinking on the part of the players.

Chess is no doubt a very easy game to learn, and any person can get an idea about the game, the pieces, the unique movements and the simple rules in not more than a couple of hours. But the real challenge lies in playing the game well, gaining expertise and saying “checkmate” as frequently as possible or at least not hearing that golden word of “checkmate” from the opponent.

Why is it so difficult to win in a chess game? The answer is simple. It is not in your hands, however skilled and expert you may be. A victory in a game of chess is only an accident and not the logical end result. The logical result in the game of chess played between two players of even capability is nothing but a draw.

Thus, one can say with confidence that as long as you, as a player, is determined not to gift the game to the opponent by ensuring that you do not make any mistakes, the opponent cannot claim victory over you. Hence, it is apt that we call victory in the game of chess an accident, than a logical outcome.

This unique feature of chess makes it so fascinating and challenging that even after 1500 years, the game is still popular and reaching out to the masses, thanks to the contribution of the Internet in the form of Online Chess.

How can one avoid making mistakes in the game?

Well. It needs a thorough understanding of the game and application of serious and logical thinking. One should think the pros and cons of each and every move, visualize the move, and finally take a decision.

One of the foremost things one should bear in mind while playing chess is to ensure that all of your pieces are well protected and are safe from the attack of the opponent. A loose piece, for example a pawn, left unguarded in the fourth rank and beyond (for white pieces) is an invitation for trouble, unless it is not a part of the tactic or trap to make the opponent make a mistake.

A golden rule, which is often not followed, is that every player should move each of his pieces at least once in the early part of the game before moving that piece for the second time. This is easier to say but very difficult, if not impossible, to put it in action. One should be aware of this golden rule and should always strive to put this rule into practice without neglecting the positional impact of the pieces in the board.

Having a fair, if not full, control over the center of the board should be one of the targets for any player. If one were to have some sort of control over the typical squares of e4, e5, d4 and d5, then it would make it easy for him to have better advantage over the board, as he can easily switch the line of attack from the king-side to the queen-side or vice versa. Without control over the center of the board, movement from one side to the other might not be feasible.

It would always be advantageous to use the castling option and move the king to safety. Not only will the King be at a safer place, the rook will get activated and can play an active role in planning an attack over the opponent. Thus, one should take advantage of the feature of castling as early as he can in the initial stages of the game.

By ensuring that these tips are followed and also thinking more than once before making a move, one can eliminate the possibility of making mistakes and in the process, do not allow an opportunity for the opponent to say “checkmate” to you.

Online Chess – First Move Advantage

Sunday, November 1st, 2009

Our beloved “King of Pop” Michael Jackson said that “It doesn’t matter if you’re black or white”. These lines were recognized around the world. But most of the time, we heard these lines in the game of chess. There are a lot of old folks in chess and moving first is one of these. Many players said that moving first is an advantage in the game. But for some, it remains a BIG question mark. As a follow up question, is it true that moving first is an advantage? Well, let’s find out in this article.

Chess is indeed the game of smarts. For over 1500 years, it’s really good to know that chess was then played all over the world up to now. The game involves mental concentration and serious thinking. However “first move advantage” in the game remain unchanged. Traditionally, chess is being played by two opposing humans. Regardless of skill, the first move advantage plays an important role in the game but not all the time.

As a player who enjoys being on the attack position, white is always be the best choice. Obviously, he has the queen’s pawn openings so he can launch a powerful attack against black as he wishes. Besides, the white can easily dictate and control the game easily. Let’s say for instance, you have the idea that you opponent mostly play using the Sicilian Defense which is usually on P-K4. Instead of using his favorite move, he will be forced to shift with other moves because you’ve did a counter attack against him.

Statistics shows that white more often wins against black. There are also online chess game reviews stating that white has an estimated 2% advantage over black. As expected, many chess players argue in this fact as this is just a so small that can’t even affects the game. Likewise, most players do not worry about the first move advantage as both sides have equal number of chances in moving chess pieces.

Apart from statistics, there are individuals who protest that present of the first move advantage in the game. One is Andreas Adorhan. He’s a grandmaster and an author of several books regarding first move advantage. Actually, his book entitled “Black is ok” The black pieces play more aggressive than white pieces. This book concluded that first move advantage does not totally affect the flow of the game. Whether you are playing black of white, it depends on how you manipulate your armies. Besides, even you’re playing using the first move advantage psychological factors still affect the flow of the game.

Bottom line, it doesn’t matter whether you play black of white. As long as you know how to deal with your moves and your opponent, first move advantage is regardless. Chess is a complex game. Every move has a vital role to play in order to get an excellent end result. But then, there are also moves that dictate the flow of the game. There are few chess openings that may result to similar end game but it is impossible to have similar middle game. As long as you are an expert player, it’s ok to be black. And whether what color of chess pieces you choose, your game depends on how you play.

Why chess is still the best game in the world?

Thursday, September 10th, 2009

Chess is one of the ancient games, said to have been originated in India in the 6th Century A.D and spread to other countries. The game got professional recognition in the 1900s and since then world championships are regularly held across the world. In this modern age where technology has advanced so fast and the World Wide Web or the Internet has become a household necessity in many advanced countries, the ancient game of chess has not lost its charm. Instead, the technology lapped the game and took it to the masses. Analyzing the game of chess and creating the software and hardware to compete with the human brain has become the major challenge for the computer engineers. The Deep Blue Computer and the game between the computer and World Champion Garry Kasparov are memorable events in the history of chess.

Online chess has taken the world by storm and more people across the world are resorting to this game through the means of Internet, to have fun, get relaxation and in the process learn invaluable skills that will nurture and organize their life. Playing chess online eliminates the need for a partner and also gives an opportunity to play the game either with a partner in virtual chess room or with the computer at any point of time.

What is in this game that makes it the best in the world?

The game of chess is nothing but an end result of attention, concentration, focus as well as tactics and strategy. The game, played between two people either in person or through the Internet in the form of online chess, is nothing but a challenge between two brains and two minds.

In the game, there is no provision for luck or chance whatsoever. The game calls for serious thinking and analytical abilities on the part of the players. If, as a player, if you make a mistake, then it is your fault and nobody or nothing can be blamed for the mistake. You should own the responsibility for the mistake and face the consequences. This calls for application of chess strategies. How well you adopt and implement a chess strategy determines your chance for victory in the game. If your chess strategy is faulty, then you will make a mistake. In other words, the more effective your chess strategy in the game, the more the possibility of your achieving success over the opponent and utter the favorite word of “checkmate” quite often.

Learning chess strategies and deploying them effectively over the opponent in the game of chess will ensure success. For devising an effective strategy, one has to think deeply, logically, analyze the positions, assess the pros and cons, visualize the game, plan a series of moves, decide the optimal move and then execute it effectively.

This skill of devising strategies and executing it effectively can be used not just for the game of chess but also in real life when faced with problems or when faced with the task of taking decisions. The game of chess has more affinity and relationship with the life and it is this reason that this noble game has often been referred to as a “Miniature of Life”.

A person, who is an expert in the game of chess, can undoubtedly lead a perfect and organized life in which he thinks and evaluates all the pros and cons before acting.

It may not be an exaggeration to say that this ancient game will be the evergreen and everlasting game in the world as long as the humanity exists in this universe.

Tips to master problem-solving skills – play chess

Thursday, September 3rd, 2009

One of the important skills taught in management courses is problem-solving skill. The skill of problem-solving is essential not only for management students, but for every one of us. It is one of the traits that every person should be aware of and master the same. Its use will be felt when faced with unforeseen problems at life, where a person will not take any rash decision and will apply logic and reasoning before acting on the problem.

How can one learn this invaluable trait of problem-solving skill? It is simple. Just learn the game of chess and play it regularly.

Do you think I am kidding? – Read on.

Understanding the problem is half solution to the problem – is an old adage. Before acting on the problem, one should try to understand what the problem is and what the options available for dealing with the problem are. If you do not understand the problem or make a wrong decision, then it will be your responsibility to face the consequences of the decision.

Now, coming to the game of chess, it is a fair game with no provision for any luck or chance. The game starts at equilibrium with both the players having same set of pieces, albeit of different color, same space and same capability. The objective of the game is to corner the opponent’s King and say, “checkmate”. You are not allowed to make any random moves without any forethought or analysis. If you make a wrong move, then you will be punished for the same. The punishment may be either loss of advantage, loss of an important piece or losing the game itself.

Can you visualize the similarities between the game of chess and the life where we come across many problems?

Learning the game of chess, mastering the game and playing regularly stimulates the mind, exercises your brain and teaches invaluable skills including the problem-solving skills. A chess player will have better mental strength, confidence and character than other persons and as such can be in a better position to tackle problems and take meaningful solutions.

It is for this very reason that the game of chess is recommended for children at their young age. Research has proved beyond doubt that children learning the game of chess and playing it regularly have outperformed other children in the academic career.

When the children are taught the game of chess, they turn out to be smarter, filled with self-confidence. This confidence in them will motivate them to perform better in their academics and come out with flying colors.

As part of problem solving, one has to understand the problem, assess the pros and cons of the problem, analyze the possible options for the problem, weigh the problems and visualize the consequences of each option, and then finally take a decision, which will turn out to be the most optimal and appropriate one.

A chess player does all these activities in a game of chess before deciding to make a move or implement a tactic or strategy aimed at cornering the opponent’s King. Is it not?

The beauty is that the chess player does not do this activity as a one-off affair but at the end of every move and counter move of the opponent. So, not only will he be moving the right pieces to the right squares at a time, but during the entire course of the game, which may last anywhere between 10 minutes to 5 hours, depending upon the skill of the opponent.

A game of chess or regular chess games with skilled players will definitely impart this important skill of problem-solving to the people.

Now, with online chess, anybody with knowledge of chess and having a passion to learn these invaluable traits can play chess online at any time whenever he wants to play and enrich his quality of life.