Monday, April 13, 2009

Chess Strategy: The Beginners guide to improve chess skills

Many people, fascinated by the game of chess, start to play chess having understood the basic elements of chess and understood the rules of the game. But as they start playing games, they find themselves in the wrong side of the board hearing checkmate from the opponent quite frequently and thus losing interest to pursue the game further.

Dont lose heart when you cannot win over the opponent or say checkmate. It is in your hands and only in your hands. Remember that chess is a game of the minds, and there is no place for luck or chance in this board game.

The following tips or suggestions will help a novice in chess to improve his skills and say checkmate frequently over his or her opponent.

1. Studying the games of the grandmasters is a best way to improve the skills. But, for a novice, it might look greek and latin in the early stages. One may even go to the extent of commenting on grandmaster's moves and may also suggest a better move. This is nothing but childishness or their inability to understand the moves. Trying to understand the moves of grandmasters will always help to understand and basic rules much better.

2. It is advisable that, having understood the rules and notation of the games, the moves made by you in a game are recorded in a paper. Subsequently analyse your moves and those of the opponent to find out where you went wrong and what could have been done instead of what you actually did. This is the best way to eliminate or reduce the mistakes and will help a long way in improving the game.

3. Before making a move on the board, think twice and do not move in a haste. Also, analyse what would be best possible response to your move from the opponent. You should also think a couple of moves ahead and plan your best response to the move of the opponent. By constantly keeping a watch on the moves of the opponent as well as your moves, you can avoid making any moves in haste and thus provide an opportunity for the opponent to latch on your blunders.

4. Do not consider pawns to be inferior ones. Give importance to each and every piece depending upon their utility. Remember that every pawn in the chess board can become a possible queen or any other piece of your choice on promotion. No other piece has the capability. So view pawns as potential queens and use them effectively.

5. Try to protect your queen during the game. If, by chance, you were to lose the queen, do not think that the game is over and you have lost the game. Many beginners give more preference or importance to queen and if they lose that one, start playing carelessly or throw away the game. This is not correct.

Remember clearly that losing or winning a game of chess depends only on your hands and nothing can prevent you from winning if you apply your mind, focus and clearly planned chess strategies.

2 comments:

  1. The part that I have always struggled with is thinking moves ahead. I can plan out my moves but once my opponent makes his moves I almost always have to change my plan.
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