Tips & Tricks to Win!                                              ----- also see how improve?
Tournament Tips

  • Checkmate with king and queen against a lone king -- be VERY CAREFUL NOT TO STALEMATE because you are moving too fast.
  • Corner the king. Don't repeatedly check.
  • Checkmate with king and rook against a lone king --- Corner the king. Don't repeatedly check.
  • King and pawn against a lone king --- Remember opposition.
  • Look for forks -- how to make them and how not to get forked.
  • Try to pin your opponents pieces. Try to attack pin pieces with pawns. Otherwise, just attack them.
  • If your opponent's king and queen are in a line, look for ways to pin the queen against the king or skewer the king forcing the king to move and then taking the queen. Remember you don't want to just trade queens here. You want to get your opponent's queen for your knight, bishop or rook. Watch that your opponent doesn't do this to you.
  • When you're at least 3 points ahead, do your best to trade pieces. If you're 3 or more points behind, try to avoid trading.
  • When it's about even and you're attacking, don't trade pieces! It just gets rid of your attack. If it's about even and you're being heavily attacked, try to trade pieces to get rid of your opponent's attack.
  • Don't sacrifice pieces unless you're sure your opponent must do what you need him to do --> he is forced to move where you want him to move.
  • Don't resign, forfeit, or otherwise give up in a game, even if you're losing badly. Don't even think that you have got to lose.

    • (Players have won trophies at championship tournaments because their opponent eventually stalemated them and they got a draw instead of a loss. Sometimes, the opponent makes a big mistake and actually ends up losing. If the player had given up instead, the player wouldn't have got the trophy)

    Try these challenges

    Remember these 5...
  • Fast movers make fast losers. Take your time, unless you have less than 5 minutes left. Take at least 15 seconds per move, even if the move looks obvious!
  • Castle early -- plan to do it by the 10th move.
  • It is better to attack than defend. When possible, ATTACK!
  • Develop your pieces -- get your pieces out and in the center, where possible.
  • Notice the effect of your opponent's move -- don't just concentrate on what you're doing.

    •  Tournament Tips for kids
  • Watch carefully not to put your pieces so they are freely taken on the very next move. That happened a lot more than should happen. Nobody's perfect, but before moving a piece, be sure that it can't just be taken for free the next turn.
  • Watch to see if someone can eat a piece on the next move. Watch what your opponent is doing to see, if a piece can be taken on the very next move. Don't start getting tired and phasing out.
  • To avoid phasing out - bring food to the tournament and no chess between games. Good concentration burns up a lot of energy and without good food to back it up, people start to phase out and have a hard time concentrating. Then they start to lose pieces. Don't play chess between games....it burns you out.

    • If you start running out of ideas on what to do next try to do the following:
    --look for free pieces or free pawns to eat
    --castle
    --get out your pieces - try to move them close to the center of the board
    --get the rooks to an open file. If no open files, move them to the king file and the queen file.
    --get a rook to the seventh rank. We may call a rook in that situation the "pig" because it can start gobbling up pawns. Two rooks to the seventh rank is really great! Obviously don't move them there if they can be eaten or if you can be checkmated.
    --Get your pieces pointed towards your opponent's king.
    --Attack a piece (the king and queen are the best targets). Attacking is much more fun than defending.
    --Try to set up a fork - remember NOT to ignore your opponent's moves that may spoil your trap.

  • Unless really necessary, don't move bishop out and block other bishop from moving out. If your king pawn hasn't moved yet, don't just put your queen's bishop right in front of the king pawn blocking the king's bishop from coming out. That really slows down development of your pieces.
  • If bishop pins knight to queen in front of castled position, don't just move queen. The bishop will eat the knight. So as to not lose the knight for free, the pawn in front of the king in the castled position will eat the bishop leaving a big hole in the castled position. Lots of people get checkmated this way. If the bishop pins the knight, usually push up the rook pawn one square to get it to move one square back. If there are further problems, you could always push the knight pawn up 2 squares to eliminate the pin altogether. It's not the best thing to do unless you're under pressure because the king has less protection.
  • Make sure you know the basic endgame moves
  • Know how to checkmate with king and queen against lone king without stalemating or endless checks. It's not at simple as it sounds. In general, if you're really up at the end of the game, be very careful not to stalemate.
  • Know how to checkmate with king and rook against lone king without stalemating or endless checks.
  • Know how to win with king and pawn against king -- get your king to protect the queening square.
  • Know what to do when white tries to do the four move checkmate quickly
  • Don't give up the center easily. Don't try to run and hide. Some people try to keep their pieces away from their opponent's pieces. Don't do that! Remember that your opponent is just like you. Get your pieces in the center. That's the best way to attack your opponent's pieces.
    •
    Related Links:
    World chess federation
    US Chess Federation
    British Chess Federation
      Quick Fire Tricks
    The Fried Liver Attack
    This is a classic and runs as follows. 1. e4 e5, 2. Nf3 Nc6, 3. Bc4 Nf6, 4. Ng5 d5, 5. ed NxP?!, 6. Nxf7!? KxN, 7. Qf3+ Ke6, 8. Nc3. The position is unclear after 8. ... Nb4. However, white can improve with the line 6. d4 ed, 7. 0-0 when he threatens 8. Nxf7 and is probably winning.
    From's gambit
    Bird's opening is rarely played but the clever gambit with e5 is worth knowing as it is a very playable and tricky response. After 1. f4 black plays 1. ... e5?! with the idea of 2. fe d6, 3. ed Bxd6, theatening Qh4+ winning. After 4. Nf3 (other moves lose) Black replies with 4. ... Bg4, with the threat of BxN and then Qh4+ winning. Although white can escape with 5. e3, (other moves are inferior and most lose), black's position is fun to play and probably only slightly worse. White has to play accurately on moves 4 and 5 and in blitz games this gambit is definitely worth a go.

    Try these challenges
    The Staunton Gambit
    This is in some sense similar to From's gambit running as it does 1. d4 f5, 2. e4 fe. Now the move 3. Nc3 has the idea of 3. ... d5?, 4. Qh5+ g6, 5. Qxd5 (and if 5. ... Qxd5, 6. Nxd5 Kd8, 7. Bf4 black has no good way to defend the c7 pawn) when white is clearly better. If black plays 3. ... Nf6, then white can play 4. Bg5 with the idea that if 4. ... d5?, then 5. BxN ef, (Not 5. ... gf, 6. Qh5+-) 6. Qh5+ g6, 7. Qxd5 QxQ, 8. NxQ when white wins the f6 pawn and has a winning advantage. If black plays the correct 4. Nc6 then white simply regains his pawn with 5. BxN ef, (not 5. ... gf, 6. Qh5++) 6. Nxe4 with an equal position.
    A pretty trap
    There is a very pretty but rare trap which runs as follows. 1. e4 e5, 2. Nf3 d6, 3. Bc4 Bg4, 4. Nc3 g6?, 5. Nxe5! BxQ, 6. Bxf7 Ke7, 7. Nd5++
    Owen's defence
    This is a system which is rarely played which runs 1. e4 b6, 2. d4 Bb7, 3. Bd3. The 'original' move here was 3. ... f5, with the idea that if white play 4. ef then black wins the rook on h1 with 4. ... Bxg2. However, this is tactically flawed after 5. Qh5 g6, 6. fg Nf6, 7. gh NxQ, 8. Bg6++
    The Budapest
    There is an odd variation of the Budapest which runs 1. d4 Nf6, 2. c4 e5, 3. de Ne4?!, 4. Nf3 d6?!, 5. ed Bxd6, 6. g3?? (Oh dear!) 6. ... Nxf2! 7. Kxf2 (7. Qa4 Bd7, doesn't help white) 7. ... Bxg3+ and black wins the white queen on d1. The sequence 1. d4 Nf6, 2. Nd2 e5, is a lot like the true budapest and the continuation 3. dxe5 Ng4, 4. h3 Ne3, winning, illustrates a theme which comes up in other positions. If 5. fe then of course 5. ... Qh4 6. g3 Qxg3++ and if white doesn't take the knight then he loses his queen.
    The Modern Defence
    A similar queen trap is seen after the moves 1. e4 g6, 2. d4 Bg7, 3. Nf3 d6, 4. Bc4 Nd7??, when white wins with 5. Bxf7! If black takes it with 5. ... KxB?? (which looks superficially correct) then after 6. Ng5 he faces an unpleasant choice. If Kf6 then Qf3++, if Qf8 then Ne6+ wins black's queen, and if Ke8 then Ne6 still wins black's queen!
    The Traxler counter attack
    This is one of the most outrageous openings. It runs as follows; 1. e4 e5, 2. Nf3 Nc6, 3. Bc4 Nf6, (the two knights defence which you should recognise from an earlier trick), 4. Ng5 Bc5!?. Black completely ignores the threats against f7! The idea is that after 5. Nxf7 Bxf2!?, 6. KxB Nxe4+ whites king will be in more danger than black's. There have been whole monographs written on this system and some of the complications are barely comprehensible. Basically black can bring his queen to h4 and will threaten all sorts of terrible things against white's king.
    The Albin Counter Gambit
    Another well known trap runs as follows. 1. d4 d5, 2. c4 e5, 3. de d4, 4. e3? (4. a3 is better) 4. ... Bb4+, 5. Bd2 dxe3, 6. Bxb4? (6. Qa4+ is possible although the complications that arise after 6. ... Nc6, 7. Bxb4 [7. fe Qh4+, 8. Kd1 {Not 8. g3? Qe4!} 8. ... Qf2! is better for black] 8. ... ef+, 9. KxP Qd4+ probably favour black, especially over the board.) 6. ... ef+ 7. Ke2 fxg1=N+!!, 8. RxN Bg4+ and Black wins white's queen on d1.
    The English Defence
    Some players, when faced with the English defence, try to steer the game into calmer waters. The sequence 1. c4 b6,2. Nc3 Bb7, 3. e4 e6, 4. Nf3 Bb4 5. Qb3 is not uncommon. Black may set a trap here with 5. ... Na6, 6. a3 Nc5! when 7. QxB? loses the queen to 7. ... a5!, 8. Qb5 c6!. (7. Qc2 is better but doesn't promise white much. Note that black doesn't (immediately) win a pawn after 7. ... BxN 8. QxB Nxe4 because white can play 9. Qxg7 and after 9. ... Qf6, the position is probably slightly better for black. Things would be different if white could find a way to play Bh6! [ie by having moved his d pawn earlier]).
    The Grob
    The 'Grob gambit' loses after 1. g4 e5, 2. f4?? Qh4++,
    The Fred
    This (gambit) is dubious. 1. e4 f5?!, 2. ef Nf6, 3. Bg5 (threatening BxN and Qh5) +-.
    Scholar's mate
    For the sake of sakeness (which is also why the last two are here) I should mention fool's mate, also known as scholar's mate. 1. e4 e5, 2. Qh5 Nc6, 3. Bc4 threatening Qxf7++. If 3. ... g6 then 4. Qf3 threatening Qxf7++. If 4. ... Nf6 then 5. g4?! threatening 6. g5 and if the knight on f6 moves then, (you guessed it), Qxf7++. Of course, this is a rubbish opening but it is surprising how many people fall for this trap, especially on internet chess servers.
    With grateful thanks to Angelfire Chess
    Other Related Links
    World chess ranking
    Canada Chess Federation
    Official Chess News

    Chess Trap!
    1. This trap is grounded by white in setting up the rook, bishop and queen on the D plane as shown below. The power unleashed by the movement of the bishop may result in many sorts of collateral loss. Analyze the board, with black to move.
      
    Which is the best next play for black? Let's narrow it down to a choice of two. Be7 or Nxe4? White has cleverly manouvered himself to a situation that has his rook easily uncovered along the depth of the board by a movement of the covering bishop on d2. Although white also has some power of position, if he doesn't play defensively, quickly, he's toast. He must be tempted to play for the knight by Nxe4 which then allows a possible fork for the knight on f2. Initially it looks like white could face some difficulties in defending the fork attack which threatens the white queen too. White's response to this attack is straight out of a Kasparov sytle Queen sacrifice. Consider how black's euphoria evaporates with whites Qd8+. Black can only take the Queen with his King, which white responds to by the double check of Bg5+. Think carefully, don't rush. Blacks only move out of check to C7 results in mate by Bd8++. Aren't those Queen sacrifices are the best wins?!
    2. Consider the following layout, with white to move. The sequence is known as the Noahs Ark trap. The piece waiting to be boxed in? White's Bishop on b3.
      
    The clear temptation for white is for her to take the tempting little morsal on d4. This she does. But black has her eye on the bigger fry(er) on b3. Blacks response is pawn to c5. White attacks by moving one square forward to d5. Good move huh? No, bad move. Blacks bishop to e6 nicely turns the tables. White sees the fork possibility for her by moving to c6. Black 'bishops' back to d7. White doesn't have many places to go, but can retreat back to d5, seeing the possibility of some repetitions of this sequence. But black has other ideas. That pawn now on c5 - can now box the white bish in with a move to c4. The captured bishop should have been more highly regarded by its monarchy.
    3. Queen trapping is a noble sport. If a player can get into this position, the trap is difficult for white not to be tempted into. Here's the layout.
      
    Black sees the potential of the move Qa5. White responds by the suprising axb4, exposing the rook to the hungry queen. But what about that d4 knight? Not seen. Queen takes the rook and is challenged by white moving his knight to b3. The black queen is trapped. Any square he can move to is covered by white's next punishing execution.
    Submit other traps.
    The Middlegame
    After all the pieces have been developed, the main objective is a direct attack on the opponent’s king. There are different ways in which this may take place.
  • ATTACKING THE KING Middlegame attacks can be divided into 3 main types: (1) Attack on the uncastled king (2) Attack on the same side castled king (3) Attack on the opposite side castled king
  • UNCASTLED KING This is a king that has not yet castled, or can never castle, because it has moved (or both rooks have moved). It is often less safe than a castled king. A king sometimes cannot castle as it will move through or into check. A sacrifice may cause the uncastled king to move.
  • UNCASTLED KING TIED A king may be tied to pinned or attacked piece on K2 or Q2 and hence prevented from castling.
  • EXPOSED KING A king with insufficient, sometimes no, pawn protection, usually in the middlegame. ATTACKING KING SAME SIDE Pawn storms sometimes happen, but the attacks tend to be piece only. ATTACKING KING OPPOSITE SIDE Castling on opposite sides often leads to mutual pawn storms.
  • PAWN STORM A pawn storm is a pawn advance with the object of opening up the opponents king. Advancing pawns in front of your own king position, tends to open up your own king, so it tends to happen more often with opposite sides castling. Sometimes a pawn storm with doubled or isolated can be more effective than with good pawns. There are various types of defensive blocking pawn moves. Exposed pieces can accelerate the pawn storm.
  • MATE THREATS Threats on a castled king position often form an important part of the attack. Sometimes they can force the defender to weaken his position with a pawn move. Threats on R2 or N2 are common.
  • SACRIFICE TO EXPOSE KING There are many ways in which a piece sacrifice may be used to break up a castled king position.
  • SACRIFICE ON R7 When a bishop sacrifices on this square it is known as Greek gift or classic bishop sacrifice. DECLINING THE GREEK GIFT Declining the Greek gift usually leads to a strong attack as the rook pawn is missing. In a few cases, declining the sacrifice will refute it, especially if the bishop cannot retreat.
  • GREEK GIFT: HELPFUL FACTORS Factors that make a Greek gift more likely to work include a bishop on the c1 -h6 diagonal (makes it less likely for the king to escape to h6) ,a pawn on K5 (stops a knight from going to f6) and on rook on K1 which may later join the attack.
  • GREEK GIFT: DEFENCES AFTER NN5+ After NN5+, the defender has several defensive tries. Moving to h8 usually loses quickly. Running back with the king to g8 can be good if h7 can later be defended. Escaping to h6 is often impossible if there is a white bishop on the c1 -h6 diagonal, because of a powerful discovery. Moving to h6 can sometimes be O.K., especially if there is no bishop. Moving to g6 can sometimes be the only move, but can sometimes escape.
  • Other common sacrifices include GRECOS mate which involves a sacrifice on h7, followed by a queen check on h5. Sacrifices on g7 can be dangerous, as the N pawn is the worst pawn to be missing. Sacrifices on f7 can be dangerous, especially with a bishop on the long diagonal. Sometimes the capture of a pawn that has moved to KR3 is possible, especially if 2 pieces are attacking that square. A sacrifice sometimes happens after the defender has played P-KN3 , usually when it is defended only once. If it defended twice, sometimes a double sacrifice on that square may be possible. An exchange sac on B3 is a possibility on this square. A knight sacrifice may happen here.
  • EXCHANGE SAC An exchange sac will sometimes weaken the defender's king position and lead to a dangerous attack. If the attacker can keep the initiative, then it may well be worth the exchange.
  • BACK RANK CHECKMATE A castled king may be vulnerable to a back rank attack. A back rank attack may involve a sacrificial capture or a decoy. Having an entire rook tied to the back rank is quite a handicap.
  • OPENING LINES The attacker open benefits by opening ranks, files and diagonals against the king. It is sometimes worth sacrificing pawns and/or pieces to do this.
  • EXCHANGING DEFENDING PIECES Eliminating the last defending pieces can be useful, for example a fianchettoed bishop on N2.
    • KEEPING THE KING CONFINED Creating a net around the king is sometimes more useful than immediate checks.
  • UNSTOPPABLE MATE If mate is threatened, you must either stop the mate or check.
  • MATE THREAT ON BACK RANK A mate threat on the back rank can tie down a rook.
  • CHECKMATE To initiate a successful middlegame mating attack, you usually need a minimum of queen plus 2 other pieces.
  • If the king is very exposed a queen plus one piece often mates easily. One or two rooks plus one or more minor pieces can often be successful against a fairly exposed king.
  • Minors pieces alone rarely mate, except as an endpoint of a queen or rook sacrifice.
  • DEFENDING THE KING Some methods of defending against an attack on the king, include piece exchanges, sacrificing material, running away with the king ,keeping lines closed and direct defence.
  • EXCHANGING PIECES Exchanging off the attacking pieces ,especially the queen, is one of the most effective ways of meeting an attack. Exchanging queens when your king is less safe, is often advisable.
  • RETURNING MATERIAL Sacrificing material to break the attack, particularly if the attacker has already sacrificed, can be an effective way of regaining the initiative.
  • RUNNING WITH THE KING Fleeing with the king to a safer part of the board is more effective than generally realised.
  • CLOSING LINES The attacker tries very hard to open lines against the king, while the defender tries to keep these same lines blocked. CENTRAL THRUST A central thrust may be a good way of meeting an attack on the flank. COUNTERPLAY When the opponent is attacking, counterplay on another part of the board can be very useful.
  • MIDDLEGAME PAWN MOVES Every individual pawn move is described in its own section, except pawn moves to the 7th or 8th ranks which are handled in the queening section, as this is the most important issue in those cases.
  • Sometimes only queenside moves are done, (mirror the board to get the kingside pattern).
  • P-R3 Creates a retreat for bishop. Prevents P-N5 attacking knight. Prevent BN5 (pin) or NN5. Guards a pawn in case of Queenside castling Prepares P-N4 advance Can biff a bishop on N5, which allows: (1) A later unpin with P-N4. (2) May give a back rank escape (3) Drives a bishop to a less mobile square.
  • P-R4 Allows rook development via R3. Restrains P-N4. Guards piece on N5 Creates a retreat for a bishop. Breaks up the black b pawn. Supports knight or bishop on c4 by deterring b5 by the opponent. May prepare h5.
  • P-R5 Restrains the N pawn. Drives bishop or knight to a worse square. May open the rook file
  • P-R6 Can drive bishop on N2 away. Can make pawn on R2 a target. Can weaken opponent’s Bishop3. May threatens mate on N7. Can drive a bishop to h8 Can force a king to block a rook. P-N3
  • pa7 White prepares to advance with a3 and b4, but if rushed, black can reply with a4, holding 2 pawns with 1. Prepares P-QR3 and P-QN4 Holds p on half open b file Guards c4 a4 Can create a back rank escape.
  • P-N4 Can harass pinning bishop Prepares f5 or h5
  • P-N5 Drives knight from Bishop 3 Prepares attack on h7
  • P-N6 Can be an attacking move
  • P-B3 Supports e4 or g4 Keeps piece from g4 Dissolves opponent pawn on e4 Allows 2nd rank defence Defends long diagonal Weakens diagonal to g1 Weakens e3 King development in endgame
  • P-B4 Opens file for castled rook
  • P-B5 Gains space on the wing. Threatens f6 with attack. Cuts the queen bishop’s retreat. Blocks queen bishop. Keeps king bishop blocked.
  • P-B6 The defending pawn structure is broken up. The bishop is driven to a bad square.
  • P-Q3 Can exchange off a cramping pawn on K5.
  • P-Q4 May begin an advance in the centre.
  • P-Q5 Gains space in the centre.
  • E5 Opens b1 -h7 diagonal versus king Drives knight from f6
  • D6 May create a wedge in the opponents position.
  • E6 May force doubled e pawns. Opens a2 -g8 or h5 -e8 diagonal.
  • CASTLED POSITION 3 PAWNS (ADD PIECES in brackets) Most flexible formation, but there is no back rank flight square. Good, provided there is no sac on rook 3. The pawn on h4 is loose.
  • DOUBLED The defender has doubled pawns in front of his king. The front doubled pawn may be a strength, but there may be open lines against the king.
  • 2 PAWNS The defender has a pawn missing. Missing the N-pawn tends to be the most serious, especially if the remaining pawns are split. Missing the R-pawn makes the R1 square vulnerable, while missing the B-pawn is the least serious as the king can hide on R1.
  • 1 PAWN The defender has one pawn left. Additional defence with pieces is probably needed. The rook pawn may be best to have left.
  • NO PAWNS The defender must be shielded by pieces, else risk a serious attack.
  • CASTLED QUEENSIDE The queen rook pawn is initially undefended and the consolidating KN1 may be useful. A moved or missing bishop pawn may leave the king weak.
  • MIDDLEGAME PRINCIPLES Keep your king safe In every middlegame position evaluate the safety of both kings. An attack on the kings may be very sudden. Open lines against the king Expose the king by pawn exchanges and demolition sacrifices. Don't attack unless you have the advantage. An equal of equal of inferior strength (in position) will fail against correct defence. If an attack fails, the counterattack will succeed. A failed attack will leave the attacker overextended. Meet an attack on the flank with a thrust in the centre. If you are not strong in the centre , then a flank attack may fail. Return the sacrificed material to break the attack. Sometimes the defender should consider sacrificing to reach a favourable endgame. Examine all forcing moves. combinations are at their richest when the pieces are at their most active. A decisive blow may rapidly change the course of the game.
  • Advance pawns to gain space. gaining space may give you more room to move and your opponent less and may pave the way for an attack. Don't play weakening pawn moves.
  • Avoid exchanges when you have more space. The corollary is exchange to free a cramped position. (Priority is important in determining exceptions here.) Exchange when under attack. This is one of the best ways of defending the king, queen exchanges are particularly important.
  • Improve the position of your worst placed piece. When you don't know what to do, quietly build up your position. Move pieces to their best squares. Minor pieces in particular, can be moved to string outposts where they can’t be driven away. Prepare for the endgame. Anticipate what exchanges are likely to happen and aim for the type of endgame you want. 20% of moves are captures and knowing what and what not to exchange is very important.
    • International Grandmaster Arthur Bisguier
    Ten Tips to Win!
  • Look at your opponent's move!
    Every time your opponent makes a move, you should stop and think: Why was that move chosen? Is a piece in danger? Are there any other threats I should watch out for? What sort of plan does my opponent have in mind?
    Only by defending against your opponent's threats will you be able to successfully carry out your own strategies. Once you figure out what your opponent is attempting to do, you can play to nip those plans in the bud.

    Example A

    Black to move
    Pretend you're playing black in this position. White has just moved his queen to f3. What's the threat? How should you move to meet his threat?

    Solution: White is threatening to play Qxf7 checkmate! Black defends best by moving 1. . . . Nf6. This move meets the threat and develops the knight to a good square.

  • Make the best possible move.
    When you are considering a move, ask yourself these questions:
    --Will the piece I'm moving go to a better square than the one it's on now?
    --Can I improve my position even more by increasing the effectiveness of a different piece?
    --Does this move help to defend against my opponent's threats?
    --Will the piece I move be safe on its new square?
    --If it's a pawn, consider: Can I keep it protected from attack?
    --If it's another piece, consider: Can the enemy drive itaway, thus making me lose valuable time?
    --Even if your intended move has good points, it may not be the best move at that moment. Emanuel Lasker, a former world champion, said: "When you see a good move, wait, look for a better one!" Following this advice is bound to improve your chess.

    Example B

    White to move
    You're white in this position. Black has just played cxd4 and is temporarily a pawn ahead. What's the best move you can make? Don't be too hasty!

    Solution: White can win his pawn back immediately with a move like 1. Nbxd4. But did you look for a better move? By playing 1. Nc7+, you can win black's queen!

  • Have a plan.
    If you threaten something here in one move, something over there in the next move, and so forth, your opponent will have an easy time defending. Your pieces have to work together to be effective. Just imagine each instrument in an orchestra playing a different tune!
    When you develop a plan, your men can work in harmony. For example, you might plan to attack your opponent's king; one piece alone probably wouldn't be able to do much, but the combined strength of several pieces makes a powerful attacking force. Another plan could be taking control of all the squares in a particular area of the board.
    The chess men are your "team"; to be a good "coach," you have to use all of their strengths together.

    Example C

    White to move
    Look at this position carefully. What would be a good plan for white? What moves would be involved in carrying out this plan?

    Solution: One good plan for white here would be an attack on black's king. Once he has decided to do this, white should figure out how to bring his pieces to that area of the board. After 1. f4, for example, white can bring his rook to f3 and then to g3 or h3, where it would exert pressure around black's king.

  • Know what the pieces are worth.
    When you are considering giving up some of your pieces for some of your opponent's, you should think about the values of the men, and not just how many each player possesses. The player whose men add up to a greater value will usually have the advantage. So a crucial step in making decisions is to add up the material, or value, of each player's men.
    The pawn is the least valuable piece, so it is a convenient unit of measure. It moves slowly, and can never go backward.
    Knights and bishops are approximately equal, worth about three pawns each. The knight is the only piece that can jump over other men. The bishops are speedier, but each one can reach only half the squares.
    A rook moves quickly and can reach every square; its value is five pawns. A combination of two minor pieces (knights and bishops) can often subdue a rook.
    A queen is worth nine pawns, almost as much as two rooks. It can move to the greatest number of squares in most positions. The king can be a valuable fighter, too, but we do not evaluate its strength because it cannot be traded.

    Example D

    Black to move
    Here's a harder problem that requires you to use several of the tips you've read about so far. Pretend you're playing black in this position. First of all, what is white's threat? Second, what move should you make to meet this threat? Finally, if white went ahead with his "threat" even after you move, what would be the result?

    Solution: White's threat here is to play Nxf7, with a double attack on black's queen and rook. Black should simply castle (0-0). Now if white continues with his "threat," black merely captures the knight and the bishop. That continuation would be 1. . . . 0-0 2. Nxf7 Rxf7 3. Bxf7+ Kxf7
    You can see that white has traded bishop and knight for black's rook and pawn. That's about an even exchange, except---in the early part of the game especially---these two pieces are often handier than the rook. Note that white has exchanged his only developed pieces, while black has a bishop and two knights ready to attack.

    Example E

    We know that a knight and a bishop are usually worth about the same. Which would you say is stronger in this position?

    Solution: Here is an example where a knight is better than a bishop. The bishop is trapped behind its own pawns, while the knight is free to hop in and out of black's position. It will be easy to maneuver the knight to f6, and if black defends the pawn at h7 with his king, white's king will enter black's position by way of c5 or e5, with decisive effect.

    Example F

    White to move
    White is about to make a move here. Is the black knight strong or weak? Would it be better or worse to have a bishop on that square?

    Solution: The tables turn; black's knight moves so slowly that after 1. h6, the pawn cannot be prevented from reaching the eighth rank and being promoted. If black has a bishop on b6 instead of the knight, he could answer 1. h6 with 1. . . . Bd4+, when the bishopwould control the crucial square h8.

  • Develop quickly and well.
    Time is a very important element of chess. The player whose men are ready for action sooner will be able to control the course of the game. If you want to be that player, you have to develop your men efficiently to powerful posts.
    Many inexperienced players like to move a lot of pawns at the beginning of the game to control space on the chessboard. But you can't win with pawns alone! Since knights, bishops, rooks, and queens can move farther than pawns and threaten more distant targets, it's a good idea to bring them out soon, after you've moved enough pawns to guarantee that your stronger pieces won't be chased back by your opponent's pawns. After all the other pieces are developed, it's easier to see what pawns you should move to fit in with your plans.
    It's tempting to bring the queen out very early, because it's the most powerful piece. But your opponent can chase your queen back by threatening it with less valuable pieces. Look at Example A: after 1. . . . Nf6, black threatens to drive the white queen away with either 2. . . . Nd4 or 2. . . . d6 and 3. . . . Bg4.
    Instead of just moving pieces out, try to determine the best square for each piece and bring it there in as few moves as possible. This may save you from wasting moves later in the game.

  • Control the center.
    In many cases, the person who controls the four squares at the center of the board will have the better game. There are simple reasons for this.
    First, a piece in the center controls more of the board than one that is somewhere else. As an example, place one knight on a center square and another in one of the corners of the board. The knight in the center can move to eight different squares, while the "cornered" one only has two possible moves!
    Second, control of the center provides an avenue for your pieces to travel from one side of the board to the other. To move a piece across the board, you will often have to take it through the center. If your pieces can get to the other side faster than your opponent's pieces, you will often be able to mount a successful attack there before he can bring over enough pieces to defend.

    Example G

    Each player has moved two knights and two pawns. Which side has better control of the center?

    Solution: It is easy to see that white has control of the center in this position.His pawns occupy center squares, while black's pawns are not yet involved in the struggle. Note how easy it will be for white to develop his bishops to squares that help control the center, while black's bishops are hemmed in by his own pawns.

    Example H

    Once again, think carefully: Which side stands better in the center? Why?

    Solution: There, too, white has more central control and a freer game. The pawn at e4 attacks two squares on black's half of the board and helps control d5, preventing the pawn on d6 from advancing while providing protection in the event that white plays Nd5. White can put a rook on d1 later to put pressure on the d-file.

  • Keep your king safe.
    Everyone knows that the object of the game is to checkmate the opponent's king. But sometimes a player thinks about his own plans so much that he forgets that his opponent is also king hunting!
    It's generally a good idea to place your king in a safe place by castling early in the game. Once you've castled, you should be very careful about advancing the pawns near your king. They are like bodyguards; the farther away they go, the easier it is for your opponent's pieces to get close to your king. (For this reason, it's often good to try to force your opponent to move the pawns near his king.)

    Example I

    We've learned many important objectives: advantage in material, better development, control of the center, and now king safety. Which of these is the most important?

    Solution: This example shows why king safety is the most important factor. Black is ahead in material by a bishop and a pawn, has control of the center, and has more pieces developed, but this is all worthless because he is unable to prevent white from playing Qxh7, checkmate!

  • Know when to trade pieces.
    The best time to trade men is when you can capture men worth more than the ones you will be giving up, which is called "winning material" (see tip 4, "Know what the men are worth"). But the opportunity to do this may not arise if your opponent is very careful.
    Since you will probably have many chances to exchange men on an "even" basis, it's useful to know when you should or shouldn't do this. There are several important considerations.
    As a general rule, if you have the initiative (your pieces are better developed, and you're controlling the game), try not to exchange men unless it increases your advantage in some clear way. The fewer men each player has, the weaker the attacking player's threats become, and the easier it is for the defending side to meet these threats.
    Another time not to trade pieces is when your opponent has a cramped position with little space for the pieces to maneuver. It's tough to move a lot of pieces around in a cramped position, but easier to move just a few.
    One sort of advantage you can often gain by trading pieces is a weakening of your opponent's pawn structure. If, for example, you can capture with a piece that your opponent can only recapture in a way that will give him "doubled pawns". it will often be to your advantage to make that trade.
    The player who is ahead in material will usually benefit from trades. It's sort of like basketball or soccer; five players will sometimes have trouble scoring against four opposing players, but take away three from each side and the stronger team will find it easier to score with two players against one.
    So, to summarize: It's usually good to trade pieces if your opponent has the initiative, if you have a cramped position, if you can weaken your opponent's pawn structure, or if you are ahead in material. There are exceptions, of course, but following these rules should bring you considerable success.

  • Think about the endgame.
    From the time the game begins, you should remember that every move you make may affect your chances in the endgame. For instance, in the earlier parts of the game, a knight and a bishop are about equally powerful. Toward the end of the game, though, when there are fewer men in the way, the bishop can exert its influence in all parts of the board at once, while the knight still takes a long time to get anywhere. So before you trade a bishop for a knight, think not just about the next few moves but also about the endgame.
    Pawn structure is crucial in the endgame. When you capture one of your opponent's men with a pawn, you'll often create an open file that will help your rooks and queen to reach your opponent's side of the board, but you may also get doubled pawns. Since doubled pawns cannot defend each other, they are liability in the endgame. If your opponent survives the middlegame, you may have an uphill fight later.
    Concentrate on your immediate plans, as well as your opponent's---but always keep the endgame in mind!

    Example J

    From the very first moves of the game, it's important to have a good pawn formation. How would you assess white's pawn structure in this position?

    Solution: White has doubled pawns on the e-file, normally a disadvantage. Here, though, the pawn on e3 controls the vital squares d4 and f4. Also, white can mount an attack by putting his rooks and queen on the f-file, which is no longer blocked by one of his pawns.
    These doubled pawns could turn out to be weak in the endgame. Therefore, white should avoid unnecessary exchanges and concentrate on winning in the middlegame.

    Example K

    In the endgame, it's common to see a pawn run to the end of the board and promoted to a queen. So, pawns are a great thing to hang on to. Study this diagram. Who has the "healthier" pawns, white or black?

    Solution: Black has the "healthier" set of pawns here, since white has doubled pawns on both the a- and c-files. Such pawns cannot protect each other. Also, notice that the trailing or "caboose" pawn must stay forever behind his leader. A set of doubled pawns are worth little more than one pawn.

  • Always be alert.
    There is a tendency for people to relax once they have reached a good position or to give up hope if their position is very bad. These attitudes are natural, but both lead to bad results.
    Many players---even world champions---have achieved winning positions, only to lose because they relaxed too soon. Even the best position won't win by itself; you have to give it some help! In almost any position, the "losing" player will still be able to make threats. The "winning" player has to be alert enough to prevent these positions.
    Advice: If you have a better position, watch out! One careless move could throw away your hard-won advantage. Even as you're carrying out your winning plans, you must watch out for your opponent's threats. Conversely, if you have a worse position, don't give up! Keep making strong moves, and try to complicate the position as much as possible. If your opponent slips, you may get the chance to make a comeback. Remember: Where there's life, there's hope.
    So be alert all the time, no matter what the position is like. A little bit of extra care can pay off in a big way.

    Example L

    Black to move
    Pretend that you're the general of the black army in the position shown above. You have, as you can see, an easily won game---since you are four pawns ahead. But white has just moved his knight to e5. This looks like a silly move, since you could capture this knight with your own knight or with your queen.
    But look again. Don't relax because you're winning too easily! If you captured white's knight with your knight, what would be his best (and surprising) move?

    Solution: Did you get this one? It's a toughy. As black in this superior position, if you capture white's knight on e5 with your knight (1. . . . Nxe5) instead of your queen (1. . . . Qxe5), then white should move 2. Qf2+!
    As you can see, this forces black's queen to capture white's queen, placing the white king in stalemate. The game would be a draw!
    So stay alert. This type of surprising sacrifice can happen surprisingly often!
    		•
    Mating Examples
     There is no shortcut to depth of analysis. Look carefully at these examples of moves forcing checkmate and try to see the winning moves. Checkmate can be accomplished in max. 3 moves, most are in 2 moves.

  • Solution
    (#151 1.Nb6+ axb6 2.Ra3#)


  • Solution
    (#152 1...Qxf4+ 2.Kxf4 Bh6#)


  • Solution
    (#153 1.Bg5+ Kg8 (or ...Kg7) 2.Qh7#)


  • Solution
    (#154 1.Qxe6+ fxe6 (1...Be7 2.Qxe7#) 2.Bg6#)


  • Solution
    (#155 1...Qf3+ 2.Kh4 Qg3# Or 2.Kh2 Qg2#)


  • Solution
    (#156 1.Qxh7+ Nxh7 2.Kf7# Or 1.Nf7+ Nxf7 2.Qxh7#)


  • Solution
    (#157 1.Kf4 g5+ 2.Kf3 and 3.Ng6#)


  • Solution
    (#158 1...Qxf2+ 2.Rxf2 Re1+ 3.Rf1 Rxf1#)


  • Solution
    (#159 Rg7+ Kf2 2.Rf7+ Kg1 3.Re1#)


  • Solution
    (#160 1.Rd8+ Rxd8 2.Qf8+ Rxf8 3.Ne7#)


  • Solution
    (#161 1...Qxb2+ 2.Rxb2 Re1+ 3.Qd1 Rxd1#)


  • Solution
    (#162 1.Rxg7+ Kxg7 2.Qf7+ Kh8 3.Qh7#)
    •