Archive for December, 2006

Understanding Chess Move By Move

It is so much to learn when you first started playing chess. These includes understanding the chess board, understanding chess move by move and so on. No doubt the more you take time to learn and apply the strategies you learnt, the better you would be in the long run.With that said, it is worthwhile to understand chess move by move, both basic and special moves. In a game of chess, each piece moves in a different way. Normally, a piece can not pass through squares occupied by other piece. However, it can move to a square occupied by the opponent’s piece. When a piece moves to a square occupied by the opponent, it is said to ‘capture’ the opponent. Hence, the piece which is captured is eliminated from the board for the remainder of the game.

There are six different pieces in a chess game, namely – King, Queen, Rook, Bishop, Knight and Pawn. The King moves orthogonally and diagonally across only one square at a time. The Queen moves orthogonally or diagonally across any number of squares. The Rook moves forward, backward, left or right across any number of squares. Bishop moves diagonally across any number of squares. The Knight moves in two squares in one direction and one space orthogonal to it. It is the only piece which jumps over other pieces, the rest cannot jump over a square occupied by a piece. The Pawn can move only one square at a time backward or forward. However, if the Pawn is the first piece moved at the start of a game, i.e. if it is the opening move of the game, it can move two squares forward. The Pawn can move one square diagonally in front to capture an opponent piece. It cannot capture an opponent piece by moving forward straight.

Apart from the basic moves, it is also important to understand special chess moves as well. One such move is called ‘Castling’. This involves the King and the Rook. If the King and the Rook have not moved yet and all the squares between them are blank, then the King moves two squares forward, towards the Rook. At the same time the Rook moves the two spaces the King has just jumped over. However, this move cannot happen if the King is threatened or has to move through a danger square.

Another special chess move involves the Pawn. If the Pawn moves two squares forward on its first move, it can be captured on the square it has jumped over, as if it had moved only one square only, during the turn immediately after its two-square move. This can be done only by another Pawn.

Remember, the more you increase your undestanding of chess move by move, the better chess player, you will become.

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Choosing A Perfect Opening Theory

A number of theories are available for opening of chess. These recommended theories are practiced almost everywhere although there are a number of other variations are also available. A large number of variations just prove the complexity of the game! Some variations are considered equally good for both the White and the Black. However you don’t need to learn these openings, they come through experience. You must use your logical and healthy thinking to play chess.Each opening has a name of its own so to classify a game one needs to know the move which characterizes an opening. Each of the openings also has a number of variations and these variations also have different names! Openings which are similar lead to positions which have similar features.

The classification of the openings depends mainly on the first move. An opening can be an open opening, a semi- open opening or a closed opening. An opening is called Open if White starts the move with 1.e4 and Black responds with 1.e5. It is called semi-open if White starts with 1.e4 but Black does not respond with 1.e5. An opening is called closed if White does not start with 1.e4.

Some of the most common open openings are described below:

Italian game- [1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4] White castles while making the most of the piece’s mobility. d5 square is controlled by 3.Bc4 move. The free move d7-d5 is thus inhibited. It also keeps a check on a weaker square f7 and also on the square which is immediately related to the safety of the Black King.

Spanish Game- [1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5] The black pawn is threatened by White with 2.Nf3. Black also supports it with 2.Nc6. White now moves 3.Bb5 which threatens the pawn as he may capture c6 and e5.

Scotch game- [1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4] White opens the lines for the pieces quickly. The answer that one gets is 3.exd4. White may either play 4.c3 or take the pawn back with 4.Nxd4. The former is a variation which is known as Scotch Gambit.

Four Knights Game- [1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Nc3 Nf6] This non demanding opening is stable for White. 3.Nc3 faces no threats and the opening is thus non-demanding.

Phillidor’s Defence- [1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 d6] The opening results in closed positions though the plans are still open.

Russian Game- [1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nf6] It is an interesting opening theory though it’s not used much now.

Bishop’s Opening- [1.e4 e5 2.Bc4] It is an extremely old opening which is rarely used nowadays.

King’s Gambit- [1.e4 e5 2.f4] White captures the f pawn later on after 2.exf4. To keep the material advantage Black will like to settle for cover.

Some of the most common semi-open openings are described below:

French Defence- [1.e4 e6] Black prepares to play the freeing move which is d7-d5.

Caro-Cann Defence- [1.e4 c6] Black plays d7-d5. Bc8 develops easily which is a major difference from the French Defence.

Scandinavian Game- [1.e4 d5] Black opens the position on its own and tries to play actively.

Alechkin’s Defence- [1.e4 Nf6] If White moves 2.e5, Black does not move the same piece again. Black weakens its centers with the side thrusts like d7-d6, c7-c5 if White moves his centre pawns.

Sicilian Defence- [1.e4 c5] Many possibilities are available for both and hence it is the most commonly used opening. It also leads to wild strategies.

Some of the most common closed openings are described below:

Queen’s Gambit- [1.d4 d5 2.c4] White captures c4 later on if Black captures c4.

English Game- [1.c4 e5] It almost always leads to closed positions.

King’s Indian Defence- [1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 d6] This opening has gained popularity due to its rich strategies and tactics. It is used in games of top class.

Dutch Defence- [1.d4 f5] This opening usually leads to closed tactical positions.

Slav Defence- [1.c4 c6] Tactical considerations play a very important role here. It leads to drawish and balanced positions.

A good player should know about all the openings and then play accordingly. One should try to gain experience and knowledge about these openings. Each opening possesses a key idea, which becomes easier to implement once it is perceived.

By George Wood

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The Basic Details Of The Game Of Chess

The Chess Game was invented thousands of years ago and right throughout its history it has become known as the king of board games. Such people as Napoleon, Charlie Chaplin, Einstein and Nikola Tesla where renowned for their chess skills.Not only can the game of chess provide you with hours of pleasure it is great for exercising the intellect and the game is known to be able to improve someone’s analytical thinking their creativity and judgment.

Although during the past Chess was mainly played by those of a high standing such as courtiers etc., today you will find that the game attracts people of all ages and all works of life from around the world. Not only do many people find chess intriguing, but it also gives them a chance to pit their wits and skills against another.

All that anyone requires to be able to play chess is a chessboard and chess pieces, you can even play online if you want (all you need then is a computer). A normal chessboard is 8″x 8″ with alternating black and white squares.

There are a total of 32 chess pieces, 16 white and 16 black. One player will play with the white pieces (WHITE player) and their opponent gets the black (BLACK player). The 16 pieces are made up of the King, Queen, 2 Rooks, 2 Bishops, 2 Knights and 8 Pawns.

At the start of any game the pieces are placed in their initial places as follows:

1. The player places each of his pieces along two rows of the board (ranks) closest to him. 2. The 8 pawns are placed in the front rank with the rest of the pieces placed behind them closest to the player. 3. Starting from the outside of the board and working into the middle the pieces closest to the player should be placed in the following order Rook, Knight, Bishop, Queen, King, Bishop, Knight, Rook. The order they are placed in for the WHITE player is from left to right on the board and for the BLACK player from right to left. Thus you end up with the opponents same piece in each column (file) facing each other on the board.

To help describe the chess positions an “algebraic chess notation” was invented and is easy to learn as it helps the players to identify squares and pieces that are on the board during a game. Below we describe how it works.

When viewing from the WHITE player’s point of view the left most file (column) is known as “A” and the next one “B” and so on until we reach the right most file (column) known as “H”. The rank (row) which is closest to the WHITE player is then called “Rank 1″ or the “First Rank” and then comes “Rank 2 (Second Rank)” and so on until we reach the 8th Rank which is the rank (row) closest to the BLACK player’s pieces.

Chess play can be complicated as each piece moves in a different manner. The object is to take the oponnents king, but this piece itself is fairly liminted in movement and can only move to an adjacent square. The Queen is the most versatile piece and can move any number of squares in any direction. The bishop can move any number of squares on the diagonal. The knight is the most interesting and moves in an “L” shape – up 2 squares and over 1 (or up 1 and over 2) in any direction. The rook can move any number of squares forward, backward, left or right. The pawn can advance only 1 square unless it is his first move then he can move two sqaures forward provided no other pieces are in the way.

By Lee Dobbins

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Playing With The Perfect Chess Board

Owning your own chess set comes along with many benefits that you may not even be aware of. The fact of the matter is that chess sets have a lot to offer the user. Even if you do not like to play the game of chess on a regular basis, you may find out that a high quality chess set is something that fits in nicely with your overall life style. But before you buy a chess set, take the time to look at what is available and what you are actually buying for the money.

Obviously, the number one reason to buy a chess set is if you like to play the game. After all, if you do not have a chess set you will never be able to hone your skills and experience the exhilaration of a long, strategic game. Believe it or not, chess sets are not quite as expensive as you may think. Many people are under this impression, and it in turn scares them away from making a purchase. But if you search around there is no reason that you should not be able to find a chess set that suits your needs.

Have you ever thought about buying a chess set as a simple decoration? There are many people who do this, and it can be a great addition to any room of your home. Chances are that you have probably been to a home where a chess set is the centerpiece of a coffee table or dining room. And guess what? A lot of the people who use a chess set as a decoration have never even played the game before. They simply like the way that it looks, and/or the way that it makes them appear to guests.

Finally, since chess sets come in so many different varieties finding one that matches your home is never a difficult task. The most common are the basic wood or metal sets, but the options do not end there. You can also find themed sets, or ones that are of higher quality such as marble or maple.

Not only can you buy a chess set for yourself, but these can make for great gifts as well. If you have a friend or a player in the family, buying them a quality chess set will set their world on fire! As you can see, chess sets have a lot to offer. If you have never looked into what they have to offer you should do so today.

by Kevin Hall