Chess Secrets?

Question

I need some secrets to win at chess. I have to beat my friend. I suck so bad, when i play MSN chess, the computer ON EASY! beats me! Any secrets you have. plz tell!

Answer 1

Hi. Here are a few tips from my bag-o-tricks (from books I've read) and then I have some great resource recommendations for you:

In the opening, avoid moving the same piece twice.
This will help you get your pieces activated quicker. Clear out the area between your king and rook as soon as possible so you can castle early.
Move pawn to e4 on your first move.
Then focus on controlling the center of the board.
Always capture towards the center whenever possible.
Avoid placing knights and bishops on the edge of the board.
Use pawns to support bigger pieces, never have bigger pieces support other big pieces or pawns. This will keep stronger pieces available for attacks.
Always ask yourself, "If I were my opponent, what would be my next best move?" Then find a way to either prevent that move or plan a counter move that will make your opponent sorry for making his.
If you are even in material or slightly ahead, don't be afraid to trade off pieces evenly including queens. This will clear the board of clutter and make your lead more obvious. It will also make for a quicker game.
*Remember that a lone bishop can only capture on 50% of the board. (White squares only, or black only depending on the bishop). But a lone knight can capture on 100% of the board. (Both colored squares as he alternates on each move.) This may be important if you have to decide which one to sacrifice or trade off near the end game.
*Pawns are insignificant at first, but they become mightier as they move forward towards the eighth rank and become queens! Don't underestimate them!
Seek out a target and hit it! Whenever your opponent leaves a piece unprotected, make that your target!
Most pieces work better as a team closer together than they do apart.
Don't just watch for opportunities for forks, pins and skewers. Look for ways to create them! Entice your opponent into those situations with small sacrifices.

Write down or record all of your games (even with computers). Then go back and review that game and find the turning point (the first move you made that was a mistake). Identify what move that was and LEARN why it was a mistake. Don't be discouraged when you lose. Losses make great chess lessons on what not to do. Learn from your own mistakes. If you lose a game and never know why, then you're not committed enough to ever become a good chess player. Make it a point to learn exactly which move lost the game for you. You can also apply this to your wins as well. When you win, study those games too. Learn where your exceptionally good moves were and use them in future games.

One of my own personal ideas is, never move a piece unless it accomplishes a twofold purpose. For example, move a pawn not only to gain control of the center, but move it because it also opens up a diagonal for bishop movement. The key to a strong middle game is MOBILITY!!! Get your bishops and knights out early and you will benefit from their mobility and you will be able to get them where you want faster.

One concept in chess is that it really isn't about the pieces; it's about real estate. In other words, it's about controlling key squares such as the center.

Also, instead of just moving a piece to a certain square, cover that square with a protecting piece first (if it is not already protected), then move the piece you want to that square so it will be protected ahead of time. So, in a sense, most of your moves should involve two pieces, not just one.

Attack two pieces at once with one piece whenever possible. That is known as a "fork".

RESOURCES:

Bruce Pandolfini's book, Beginning Chess is the best book by far that I've seen which will train your eye to see golden opportunities that are regularly overlooked. It's a fun way to learn because it gives you chess drills and scores your perfomance. That way, you can always go through the book again and try to beat your previous best score!

Also, Susan Polgar's book, Chess Tactics For Champions ($17 at Barnes & Noble) is a great way to learn how to create forks, pins and skewers. My game improved greatly after reading just the first 10 pages! A very exciting book! After spending a little time with it you can't wait to play a game and try out what she shows you! A really great book!!You would probably enjoy her website, too: Polgarchess.com.

For $10 at Staples you can get the PC software called Majestic Chess. I highly recommend it for this reason...It has a very unique "story mode" which is the most entertaining way to develop your chess skills that I've ever seen! In the story mode, you are riding a horse to progressive locations. At the first location, you are taught chess basics (you may skip any location at any time if you feel already know that particular lesson.) Then, after it teaches you, you are challenged to a drill (a test on what you've learned.) If you pass the test you are given a chess piece to play with in the next challenge. You are given additional pieces as you pass the tests along the journey and you will need them to win the challenges that lie ahead. So, you are being trained piece by piece until you have built an entire chess set to play with. The challenges are excellent and really make you think. The training really does develop your ability to recognize opportunities and pitfalls that you wouldn't have seen before playing this excellent chess game. And a word should be said about the magnificent environments in which you play your games. Very soothing and pleasing visuals and music make this game a joy to play. And of course, you can just play a regular chess game against the computer at any time as well...so you have the nice story mode, or you have the computer opponent ready to play a regular game at any time. So it is a well rounded chess tool.

Good luck! I hope this helped!

Castle early!

Answer 2

There are no secrets, just practice and patience. Unless your friend wants to play fast, you should try to slow the game down and think through all the possible moves. Anticipating what each move would do and how the board is going to change then pick the best move, and readjusting your strategy as the game goes on.

Also, for regular chess, opening moves are critically important. You can try to study up on those and get a better advantage early on.


XR

Answer 3

The only secret isn't really a secret. Russians were encouraged to learn chess at an early age, and to maintain an interest. During the Cold War, as a propaganda tool, those who did very well at it were mentored by experts and encouraged to become professional. Propaganda aside, chess is a very good tool for developing concentration, discipline, and foresight.

Answer 4

Get the book,

Bobby Fisher Teachers Chess. It may be out of print but it is one of the best books for beginners around.

For a personal tip, if your friend keeps doing king pawn or queen pawn openings, read up on Queen Bishop Pawn openings. I find a lot of people are unfamiliar with them and I can usually win a few games off them before they figure out how to counter.

Answer 5

Matrix chess and master chess player bernard parham.Do google search for both.Using math to play chess.

Answer 6

There is no magic bullet.

Quick hints:
Control the center early. Knights before Bishops. Castle early.

Answer 7

there is a mostly useless move that when your opponent sends a pawn 2 spaces forward and your pawn was to the side of where it moved. this is called en passant.

if you haven't moved your king and one of your rooks and no pieces are between them you may use a castling maneuver

Answer 8

there is really no secret, it is only if you train or study hard or if you are really that gifted in the game. otherwise you will be just average

Answer 9

wow what a nerd... lol its okay my brother's a nerd too.