Chess is one of the oldest games being played in this planet. The game of chess derives its popularity from the fact that it is a mind game and requires serious thinking. Chess is the only game where luck or chance has no place. If you deem the other person's blunder as your luck, then i cannot say anything about that - you will be a novice.
I think Chess lures and fascinates people because it improves a person's character and life style. By understanding the elements of chess, one can easily get an idea of the game. Not only playing chess is fun, but it is a worthy exercise that stimulates your mind. Given below are some of the benefits of playing chess, which, i think is the reason for the popularity of this game.
1. Playing chess builds and helps to maintain intellectual abilities. When children who are in inner-city at risk schools are involved in a chess program either through the school, or another local organization they not only learn how to play chess, they also improve their math and reading skills as well. Test scores of children who learned to play chess showed an amazing improvement over the course of just a year’s time. Even kids who were not the best chess players still showed improvement. Meanwhile, at the other end of the spectrum, adults who play chess also improve their brain function and it helps their memory and may delay or diminish the effects of Alzheimer’s disease.
2. Chess has social and emotional benefits as well. Children who are involved in playing chess either at school or in some other group can build skills such as learning about how to be a good winner and loser. They learn about fairness and not cheating. They also learn confidence and self-esteem as they improve their skills. Communication is improved as the children communicate with other children and adults while they play the game and discuss strategies and moves.
3. When you play chess you develop more creativity, problem solving skills, and long term strategy planning. As a child or adult first starts learning the game of chess, they may just be planning one move at a time. They do not have the skills to think ahead. But as they improve, they get better at thinking more moves in the future and planning strategies and counter strategies to defend their pieces as well as capture their opponent’s pieces. These are skills that can be used in real life as well.
Chess has been around in one form or another for over 2,000 years. The appeal of this game lies in its ability to challenge player’s intellect and strategy.
Thursday, April 16, 2009
Chess Basics : What you need to play chess?
Chess is a mind game, that calls for serious thinking on behalf of the players, apart from the basic elements of chess, to become victorious by saying Checkmate.
Anybody and everybody having an attitude towards the game of chess can learn the game and start playing as a novice. But a person with some specific character or attitude will always do well in the game, research has found.
To become a good chess player, you need understand yourself. Understanding how you make your decisions and how you go forth to achieve your goals.
If you are one of those people who take every step with caution, avoid taking risks and not ready to lose anything you have to gain something new, then play defensively. Playing defensive has its advantages especially if your opponent is someone who plays very aggressive. What you need to concentrate on is you pawn positioning. Play defensive and avoid exchanging pieces, keep blocking the opponent from breaking through and wait for a mistake or opening to go on the attack.
If you believe in taking risks without losing too much, then play aggressive by reinforcing all your pieces by one another. The key pieces for you in this kind of strategy are the knights. Position your bishops and queen to target an area on the board and then use your knights to create an opening for them. Use your pawns as distractions by attacking with them the area you do not plan to exploit. Most expert chess players use this strategy.
If you are an adventurous and aggressive personality, who lives dangerously and loves taking risks, then play exactly the way your personality is. Make an aggressive opening and try to reinforce the center of the board. Do not mind exchanging pieces but save your rooks and queen for the later game. This strategy of exchanging pieces mercilessly is called the 'Butcher method'. Force the opponent to move his king and then capitalize on it by attacking the area where his king is.
Learn the basics of chess to perfection then improve your game by playing more often and better players. See the famous games played by the grandmasters of chess and learn to think how they think. However, once you have become good enough by learning from others, then its time to get even better by making your own moves and strategies. Keep in mind, self belief and knowing who your opponent is, is the key to victory in chess.
Anybody and everybody having an attitude towards the game of chess can learn the game and start playing as a novice. But a person with some specific character or attitude will always do well in the game, research has found.
To become a good chess player, you need understand yourself. Understanding how you make your decisions and how you go forth to achieve your goals.
If you are one of those people who take every step with caution, avoid taking risks and not ready to lose anything you have to gain something new, then play defensively. Playing defensive has its advantages especially if your opponent is someone who plays very aggressive. What you need to concentrate on is you pawn positioning. Play defensive and avoid exchanging pieces, keep blocking the opponent from breaking through and wait for a mistake or opening to go on the attack.
If you believe in taking risks without losing too much, then play aggressive by reinforcing all your pieces by one another. The key pieces for you in this kind of strategy are the knights. Position your bishops and queen to target an area on the board and then use your knights to create an opening for them. Use your pawns as distractions by attacking with them the area you do not plan to exploit. Most expert chess players use this strategy.
If you are an adventurous and aggressive personality, who lives dangerously and loves taking risks, then play exactly the way your personality is. Make an aggressive opening and try to reinforce the center of the board. Do not mind exchanging pieces but save your rooks and queen for the later game. This strategy of exchanging pieces mercilessly is called the 'Butcher method'. Force the opponent to move his king and then capitalize on it by attacking the area where his king is.
Learn the basics of chess to perfection then improve your game by playing more often and better players. See the famous games played by the grandmasters of chess and learn to think how they think. However, once you have become good enough by learning from others, then its time to get even better by making your own moves and strategies. Keep in mind, self belief and knowing who your opponent is, is the key to victory in chess.
Chess Basics: Common words in chess and their meanings
Chess is one of the oldest and the most fascinating board games ever invented and played with such passion and involvement. Yes - this is the most passionate game because you have to give your best to say checkmate and win over your opponent. Because, chess is one game where there is no room for luck or chance. You are the master of the game and you decide the fate of your prospects.
So, apart from the basic elements of chess, one should be aware of the many common terms used in the game of chess such as pin, castling, development, opening, fork, etc.,
This article is an attempt to help you understand these common terms.
An opening is simply the first moves of the game. You are free to move any pawn or piece you like, so long as the move is legal, but chess has been studied for thousands of years, and many openings have been developed that are known to lead to good possibilities.
Development means bringing your pieces (the ones on the back row, such as knights and bishops) out from their starting positions so they can be used to take part in attacks on the opponent or to defend your own pieces. Many openings begin by bringing out the knights and/or bishops out within the first half-dozen moves.
Castling can only be done once by each player, and is designed to protect the king. You must have cleared a path between the king and one of the rooks before you can castle, and neither the king nor the rook must have moved. To castle, move the king two squares towards the rook, and then move the rook to one square past the king (so the rook jumps' over the king to land on the square next to it). It is called castling, because the other name for a rook is a castle.
Pins, forks and skewers are terms for some particularly useful moves. A pin is a move that prevents another piece from moving (often because moving the piece would place the king in check). A fork is a move in which a single piece attacks two pieces simultaneously. A skewer is a move that puts the king in check and forces it to move on a line or diagonal also occupied by another piece. So when the king moves, the other piece is captured.
En prise is the term used for a piece that is undefended and can be captured. En passant is a special move in which a pawn captures another which has just made its first move. A pawn, on its first move, moves two squares forward, bringing it next to an opposing pawn. Moving only one square forward would have put it in a position where it could be captured, but the opponent can capture the pawn anyway en passant (in passing). The pawn moves into the square it would have captured in anyway.
A gambit is a sacrifice (usually of a pawn) during the opening moves, usually to give an advantage of some kind, such as more space, less cramping, or to double' the opponent's pawns (meaning two pawns are now on the same column).
So, apart from the basic elements of chess, one should be aware of the many common terms used in the game of chess such as pin, castling, development, opening, fork, etc.,
This article is an attempt to help you understand these common terms.
An opening is simply the first moves of the game. You are free to move any pawn or piece you like, so long as the move is legal, but chess has been studied for thousands of years, and many openings have been developed that are known to lead to good possibilities.
Development means bringing your pieces (the ones on the back row, such as knights and bishops) out from their starting positions so they can be used to take part in attacks on the opponent or to defend your own pieces. Many openings begin by bringing out the knights and/or bishops out within the first half-dozen moves.
Castling can only be done once by each player, and is designed to protect the king. You must have cleared a path between the king and one of the rooks before you can castle, and neither the king nor the rook must have moved. To castle, move the king two squares towards the rook, and then move the rook to one square past the king (so the rook jumps' over the king to land on the square next to it). It is called castling, because the other name for a rook is a castle.
Pins, forks and skewers are terms for some particularly useful moves. A pin is a move that prevents another piece from moving (often because moving the piece would place the king in check). A fork is a move in which a single piece attacks two pieces simultaneously. A skewer is a move that puts the king in check and forces it to move on a line or diagonal also occupied by another piece. So when the king moves, the other piece is captured.
En prise is the term used for a piece that is undefended and can be captured. En passant is a special move in which a pawn captures another which has just made its first move. A pawn, on its first move, moves two squares forward, bringing it next to an opposing pawn. Moving only one square forward would have put it in a position where it could be captured, but the opponent can capture the pawn anyway en passant (in passing). The pawn moves into the square it would have captured in anyway.
A gambit is a sacrifice (usually of a pawn) during the opening moves, usually to give an advantage of some kind, such as more space, less cramping, or to double' the opponent's pawns (meaning two pawns are now on the same column).
Chess Basics : SWOT Analysis of Chess Pieces
Chess is a game between two players played across a chessboard having 16 pieces each in black and white color. One set of 16 pieces includes 1 King, 1 Queen, 2 Bishops, 2 Knights, 2 rooks and 8 pawns. Each and every piece has its own significance, value and specific movement in the board. Any person aspiring to learn chess can do so by just knowing the basic elements of chess, the relative values and how to make the moves. After knowing about the pieces and before learning how to use them in the game, one should know the relative strengths and weaknesses of these pieces.
This article is an attempt towards that end.
The King is the most important piece on a Chessboard. It is around this figure that this entire game revolves and the loss of a King means defeat for any player. The King is one of the weaker Chess pieces on the board, with the ability to move only one square at a time in any direction, with the exception of Castling. It can never come into danger from any other piece and if it is placed into a position where danger may ensue, the King must either be moved to safety, the piece placing the King in danger must be captured, or something must be moved, blocking the path.
The Queen, however, is the most powerful piece available on the board. It may move as many spaces as is possible either horizontally, vertically, or diagonally. The only restrictions placed upon it are those of the Knight's movements: in an irregular shape or jumping over other pieces. With this vast power of the Queen, it is often a priority for players to remove another player's Queen from the game, as the endgame can be notoriously difficult to win with one or more Queens in play.
Bishops are allowed to move as many spaces as they wish, but only ever in a diagonal position. Because of this, Bishops have their limitations as they will always rest on a square of the same color on which they began the game. Their range, however, often proves to be an asset. Knights have the most unusual movement requirements out of any Chess piece. They are restricted to move either two spaces vertically and one horizontally, or one space vertically and two spaces horizontally, making their finished move look like an "L." This unique movement pattern is both an advantage and a disadvantage for a player, as it allows unique striking patterns that cannot always be avoided, but it can also provide more problems when it comes to making a retreat.
Rooks move as many spaces as is possible in either a horizontal or vertical direction. They are generally considered to be stronger pieces than Bishops or Knights, placing them just lower in power than the Queen. Rooks are one of the most advantageous pieces to hold in an endgame, often helping to quickly bring about a victory.
Pawns, on the other hand, are the weakest pieces of the game. They can only move forward one space at a time, with exception of their first move, and they can only capture diagonally. The advantage about Pawns, however, if if a player can make one reach the other side of the board, the Pawn may be promoted into another piece of greater value, making them dangerous, the closer they get to the other side. With this basic knowledge, Chess can become a greater game of long-term planning and execution.
This article is an attempt towards that end.
The King is the most important piece on a Chessboard. It is around this figure that this entire game revolves and the loss of a King means defeat for any player. The King is one of the weaker Chess pieces on the board, with the ability to move only one square at a time in any direction, with the exception of Castling. It can never come into danger from any other piece and if it is placed into a position where danger may ensue, the King must either be moved to safety, the piece placing the King in danger must be captured, or something must be moved, blocking the path.
The Queen, however, is the most powerful piece available on the board. It may move as many spaces as is possible either horizontally, vertically, or diagonally. The only restrictions placed upon it are those of the Knight's movements: in an irregular shape or jumping over other pieces. With this vast power of the Queen, it is often a priority for players to remove another player's Queen from the game, as the endgame can be notoriously difficult to win with one or more Queens in play.
Bishops are allowed to move as many spaces as they wish, but only ever in a diagonal position. Because of this, Bishops have their limitations as they will always rest on a square of the same color on which they began the game. Their range, however, often proves to be an asset. Knights have the most unusual movement requirements out of any Chess piece. They are restricted to move either two spaces vertically and one horizontally, or one space vertically and two spaces horizontally, making their finished move look like an "L." This unique movement pattern is both an advantage and a disadvantage for a player, as it allows unique striking patterns that cannot always be avoided, but it can also provide more problems when it comes to making a retreat.
Rooks move as many spaces as is possible in either a horizontal or vertical direction. They are generally considered to be stronger pieces than Bishops or Knights, placing them just lower in power than the Queen. Rooks are one of the most advantageous pieces to hold in an endgame, often helping to quickly bring about a victory.
Pawns, on the other hand, are the weakest pieces of the game. They can only move forward one space at a time, with exception of their first move, and they can only capture diagonally. The advantage about Pawns, however, if if a player can make one reach the other side of the board, the Pawn may be promoted into another piece of greater value, making them dangerous, the closer they get to the other side. With this basic knowledge, Chess can become a greater game of long-term planning and execution.
General Chess: Chess pieces and their symbolic importance
Chess is a very old game, said to have been played since 600 BC. Invented in India during that period, the game of chess or Chaturang as it is then called in India has withstood the test of time and technology to such a great extent that it is as fascinating now as it was when played in good old days.
Another interesting aspect of the game of chess is that no special efforts need to be made to learn the game of chess. Anybody can quickly and easily learn the game of chess by understanding basic elements of chess. The interesting part is only when you practise and start cultivating the habit of saying checkmate quite often that you will start understanding the beauty and challenge this game offers to your thinking brain.
Before plunging into the ocean of chess, let us try to understand the true meaning of the pieces in the chessboard and why such names as king, queen, bishop, knight,etc are given to chess pieces than any other name. Knowing about these common aspects will help you understand more about the concept of the game. An interesting hint for you - Chess is often referred to as a War Game - and you as a player is the Commander in chief of one of the two forces.
The Chess pieces, when the game was originally conceived in India, were all based on war elements. Infantry and calvary, elephants and chariots were all represented by pieces much like Pawns, Knights, Bishops, and Rooks. These pieces played out the game, trying to gain dominance over the other player's army. As the game spread to Eastern Asia, the pieces changed somewhat but still kept a military theme. The most importance piece at this stage, instead of being called the King, was usually referred to as the General. Even when the game eventually moved to Europe, the game did not catch on until the pieces were redesigned with a court-like theme instead of the popular military one.
Pawns kept the idea of the infantry and grew to represent the peasants from a court. They were considered expendable pieces, as the entire game was built around protecting the court. During the phase of Medieval Chess, however, these pieces were given a little more substance, and each particular Pawn was generally given a name relating to a certain commoner's occupation. Some Pawns were considered to be city guards, farmers, merchants, doctors, and innkeepers. While these special ranks did not denote anything special upon the Pawns, it attempted to give a little more story to the game of Chess and make things a little more diverse.
The Rook was originally symbolizing of a chariot and the word itself sounds remarkably familiar to the Persian word for "chariot." These Persian war chariots were often heavily armored with fortified stone work, giving the Chess piece the image of a mobile building. The design eventually reshaped itself into a turret and the modern Rook was born. Knights are usually represented by horses and are rather straightforward in their history and appearance. They never have had drastic meaning changes or appearance.
Bishops seem to generate from the Staunton Chess set. They are given a tall hat, much like a Bishop's mitre. This form, however, also pays homage to the original form of the Bishop, with the traditional deep groove also symbolizing the tusks of the elephant that the piece initially represented. The Queen, however, has had the most transformation over time. Originally only being allowed to move one space diagonally and to make a jump like a Knight only once in a game, by 1600, the piece was given the powers it is granted today. Additionally, the King was changed from a General to keep with the modern court theme. Just as with a General leading a war, a country is powerless without its King, making it be the most important piece of a Chess game.
Another interesting aspect of the game of chess is that no special efforts need to be made to learn the game of chess. Anybody can quickly and easily learn the game of chess by understanding basic elements of chess. The interesting part is only when you practise and start cultivating the habit of saying checkmate quite often that you will start understanding the beauty and challenge this game offers to your thinking brain.
Before plunging into the ocean of chess, let us try to understand the true meaning of the pieces in the chessboard and why such names as king, queen, bishop, knight,etc are given to chess pieces than any other name. Knowing about these common aspects will help you understand more about the concept of the game. An interesting hint for you - Chess is often referred to as a War Game - and you as a player is the Commander in chief of one of the two forces.
The Chess pieces, when the game was originally conceived in India, were all based on war elements. Infantry and calvary, elephants and chariots were all represented by pieces much like Pawns, Knights, Bishops, and Rooks. These pieces played out the game, trying to gain dominance over the other player's army. As the game spread to Eastern Asia, the pieces changed somewhat but still kept a military theme. The most importance piece at this stage, instead of being called the King, was usually referred to as the General. Even when the game eventually moved to Europe, the game did not catch on until the pieces were redesigned with a court-like theme instead of the popular military one.
Pawns kept the idea of the infantry and grew to represent the peasants from a court. They were considered expendable pieces, as the entire game was built around protecting the court. During the phase of Medieval Chess, however, these pieces were given a little more substance, and each particular Pawn was generally given a name relating to a certain commoner's occupation. Some Pawns were considered to be city guards, farmers, merchants, doctors, and innkeepers. While these special ranks did not denote anything special upon the Pawns, it attempted to give a little more story to the game of Chess and make things a little more diverse.
The Rook was originally symbolizing of a chariot and the word itself sounds remarkably familiar to the Persian word for "chariot." These Persian war chariots were often heavily armored with fortified stone work, giving the Chess piece the image of a mobile building. The design eventually reshaped itself into a turret and the modern Rook was born. Knights are usually represented by horses and are rather straightforward in their history and appearance. They never have had drastic meaning changes or appearance.
Bishops seem to generate from the Staunton Chess set. They are given a tall hat, much like a Bishop's mitre. This form, however, also pays homage to the original form of the Bishop, with the traditional deep groove also symbolizing the tusks of the elephant that the piece initially represented. The Queen, however, has had the most transformation over time. Originally only being allowed to move one space diagonally and to make a jump like a Knight only once in a game, by 1600, the piece was given the powers it is granted today. Additionally, the King was changed from a General to keep with the modern court theme. Just as with a General leading a war, a country is powerless without its King, making it be the most important piece of a Chess game.
Chess Basics: What is a fianchetto in chess?
In order to become a skillful chess player, one should learn all the tricks of the trade and should be well versed in the chess strategies, openings, tactics, formations and what not. But one need not memorize all these things to become an effective and skillful chess player. All he or she must have a thorough understanding of the basic elements of chess and the chess strategies will come naturally to you.
One of the many concepts in chess one should be aware of, if not familiarize himself or herself, is fianchetto.
I will try to explain the term and its relevance in chess here.
The word "Fianchetto" is an Italian word meaning "flanking" . In the game of chess, when the Knight's pawn advances one or two squares and the Bishop moves in front of the Knight, this is called The Fianchetto.
The aim is to counteract your opponents advances on the centre squares. It gives your bishop a long diagonal right across the board and dissects the centre squares which as we know are vital to any chess attack. You can play it either Queen's or King's side. It allows you to be more aggressive with your Bishop right from the very start of the game. It can also provide you with an escape route for your Bishop if it gets blocked by your centre pawns.
The most common fianchetto can be seen in the Sicilian Dragon and the Benoni defence amongst others. The Fianchetto played on the Queens side is usually stronger than the Fianchetto played on the King's side as the Kings defences would be weakened by the the pawn structure. If you do both it is called The double Fianchetto) The theory of the experts about this generally warn against a double Fianchetto as you are better to have one Bishop attacking and one defending if you are to use this tactic.
Another benefit of the Queen's side Fianchetto is that if your opponents castle on his King's side then your Bishop is pointing straight at the King's defence like an Exocet missile. Your opponent has to continually be wary and guard against a surprise attack. Nevertheless, there is a school of thought which says castling into the fianchetto is very strong defensivley unless your opponent has castled on the opposite corner. The choice is yours.
So how would you counteract this tactic. The easiest way is to cram your pawns into the centre squares and stifle his attack. This would usually do the trick but if he did the same a battle would result in the middle of the board and the centre squares could open up again and his Fianchetto attack would be still on. You should try and cover the centre squares with your pawns before you even consider the Fianchetto so you have control as to when you want to move them and allow your Bishop into the attack.
I have personally found that attacking the side the Fianchetto has taken place on with your pawns (as long as you have not castled on the same side of course) can work. It can leave the Bishop vulnerable and open to attack. Attacking the pawns around the Fianchettoed Bishop will wreck and weaken the whole structure. Also remember at the beginning of the game if you use this strategy, your knight can end up being left in it's starting position as if it moves in front of the Bishop it will block the bishops attack. It is therefore dangerous to exchange your Fianchettoed Bishop for another piece and leave your opponents same coloured bishop on the board. If it moves on to that same diagonal your Rook could be trapped by your Knight and have no escape.
One of the many concepts in chess one should be aware of, if not familiarize himself or herself, is fianchetto.
I will try to explain the term and its relevance in chess here.
The word "Fianchetto" is an Italian word meaning "flanking" . In the game of chess, when the Knight's pawn advances one or two squares and the Bishop moves in front of the Knight, this is called The Fianchetto.
The aim is to counteract your opponents advances on the centre squares. It gives your bishop a long diagonal right across the board and dissects the centre squares which as we know are vital to any chess attack. You can play it either Queen's or King's side. It allows you to be more aggressive with your Bishop right from the very start of the game. It can also provide you with an escape route for your Bishop if it gets blocked by your centre pawns.
The most common fianchetto can be seen in the Sicilian Dragon and the Benoni defence amongst others. The Fianchetto played on the Queens side is usually stronger than the Fianchetto played on the King's side as the Kings defences would be weakened by the the pawn structure. If you do both it is called The double Fianchetto) The theory of the experts about this generally warn against a double Fianchetto as you are better to have one Bishop attacking and one defending if you are to use this tactic.
Another benefit of the Queen's side Fianchetto is that if your opponents castle on his King's side then your Bishop is pointing straight at the King's defence like an Exocet missile. Your opponent has to continually be wary and guard against a surprise attack. Nevertheless, there is a school of thought which says castling into the fianchetto is very strong defensivley unless your opponent has castled on the opposite corner. The choice is yours.
So how would you counteract this tactic. The easiest way is to cram your pawns into the centre squares and stifle his attack. This would usually do the trick but if he did the same a battle would result in the middle of the board and the centre squares could open up again and his Fianchetto attack would be still on. You should try and cover the centre squares with your pawns before you even consider the Fianchetto so you have control as to when you want to move them and allow your Bishop into the attack.
I have personally found that attacking the side the Fianchetto has taken place on with your pawns (as long as you have not castled on the same side of course) can work. It can leave the Bishop vulnerable and open to attack. Attacking the pawns around the Fianchettoed Bishop will wreck and weaken the whole structure. Also remember at the beginning of the game if you use this strategy, your knight can end up being left in it's starting position as if it moves in front of the Bishop it will block the bishops attack. It is therefore dangerous to exchange your Fianchettoed Bishop for another piece and leave your opponents same coloured bishop on the board. If it moves on to that same diagonal your Rook could be trapped by your Knight and have no escape.
Chess Basics : Simple tips to use your bishops effectively
In the game of chess, one of the two minor pieces is the Bishop, the other being the Knight. Two bishops for each player, one each flanking the queen and the king respectively are unique in their own. As you may be aware, the bishops move only in diagonals, either forward or backward in any direction.
Effective utilization of the bishops should be a part of any successful chess strategy. In order that you should learn and appreciate the importance of the bishop in your game plan, i would like to place before you some simple tips.
The bishop pair is very powerful, it wins against two knights in most positions that one of the knights cannot be exchanged for one of the bishops. A drawback to the bishop is it is always on the same color. Games with bishops of opposite color are drawish.
A bishop can only stop a pawn that is on the seventh rank and about to queen if it controls the same color as the queening square. This is important to keep in mind when we are exchanging bishops or a knight for a bishop. Although the knight is slightly less powerful than the bishop, if we are sure not to trade both knights for our opponent's bishops, then we can arrive at a knight versus bishop ending.
One important aspect of the bishop is that it is powerful against connected pawns. The knight is also powerful against connected pawns. In some endings the bishop will be a better piece than the rook. Steinitz won many games using this principle. But if the pawns are far apart, then the rook is much more powerful. Especially the knight cannot handle pawns that are
far apart because it can only move about two squares each time it moves. For this reason the bishop will be better than the knight in positions where we have to cover two parts of the board.
On the defensive side, the bishops can only guard pawns that are on its color. We need to take this into account when we exchange pawns. Also when we exchange bishops or knight for bishop, we must look at our pawn structure. Be sure not to trap your bishops behind pawns.
The fianchetto is a popular way to move the bishop on its first move. Openings with fianchettoed bishops include the King's Indian, Queen's Indian, and Dragon Variation of the Sicilian Defence. You can control the same squares as the fianchetto by moving the bishop to the bishop 3 square of either the king or the queen. You can do this by moving the bishop first to the king 2 square or queen 2 square, then the king bishop 3 or queen bishop 3 square. This will not be quite as defensive, however.
Effective utilization of the bishops should be a part of any successful chess strategy. In order that you should learn and appreciate the importance of the bishop in your game plan, i would like to place before you some simple tips.
The bishop pair is very powerful, it wins against two knights in most positions that one of the knights cannot be exchanged for one of the bishops. A drawback to the bishop is it is always on the same color. Games with bishops of opposite color are drawish.
A bishop can only stop a pawn that is on the seventh rank and about to queen if it controls the same color as the queening square. This is important to keep in mind when we are exchanging bishops or a knight for a bishop. Although the knight is slightly less powerful than the bishop, if we are sure not to trade both knights for our opponent's bishops, then we can arrive at a knight versus bishop ending.
One important aspect of the bishop is that it is powerful against connected pawns. The knight is also powerful against connected pawns. In some endings the bishop will be a better piece than the rook. Steinitz won many games using this principle. But if the pawns are far apart, then the rook is much more powerful. Especially the knight cannot handle pawns that are
far apart because it can only move about two squares each time it moves. For this reason the bishop will be better than the knight in positions where we have to cover two parts of the board.
On the defensive side, the bishops can only guard pawns that are on its color. We need to take this into account when we exchange pawns. Also when we exchange bishops or knight for bishop, we must look at our pawn structure. Be sure not to trap your bishops behind pawns.
The fianchetto is a popular way to move the bishop on its first move. Openings with fianchettoed bishops include the King's Indian, Queen's Indian, and Dragon Variation of the Sicilian Defence. You can control the same squares as the fianchetto by moving the bishop to the bishop 3 square of either the king or the queen. You can do this by moving the bishop first to the king 2 square or queen 2 square, then the king bishop 3 or queen bishop 3 square. This will not be quite as defensive, however.
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