1. As you have so few pieces, see that you make the most of each one. For this purpose try to avoid having to use a piece for a defensive task, especially a rook It is only when aggressively posited that a piece pulls it full weight
2. Remember that in the end-game the King is a fighting piece. Make use of it.
3. A Rook’s goal is the seventh rank. Here is attacks pawns which cannot possibly call other pawns to their support. A Rook is here particulary strong if at the same time it confines the enemy king to his bank rank.
4. If you have a bishop, whether the enemy has one or not, place your pawns on the opposite colour to that occupied by your own bishop.
To Beginners this rule for bishops and pawns sound silly, because deprives the pawn of the bishop’s support. However, on opposite colours the bishop and pawns together command more squares, they do not overlap. It is the same reason that makes two bishops so strong.
5. Always remember : the passed pawn is the soul of the end-game. A passed pawn advanced to the sixth or seventh rank is often worth a piece
6. With the advantage, keep pawns on both wings. This helps to avoid a draw. If there are pawns on one wing only, the advantage of one pawn extra is more often than not, insufficient to win.
7. Reuben Fine’s excellent rules: For winning, exchange pieces; For Drawing, exchange pawns.

About the author
Site admin of www.Chess-Learning.com, the place to learn more about the game of chess.

Incoming search terms:

• chess guidelines
• chess endgame rules
• in the end gameof chess what is the rule of seven
• chess end game rules
• pawn endgames rules & guidelines
• chess endgame guideline
• guidelines in chess
• chess com-end game
• Reuben Fine\s Endgame guidelines
• guidelines for learning chess

Rooks should be left on the back rank, at the end of effective files.

The most effective files are “open” files(fires free of pawns); next come openable files (files that can at any time be cleared of pawns by an exchange); then come semi-open files (files that are clear of pawns at least half-way along or can be so cleared)

If there are two effective files, place a Rook in each as soon as possible. If there is only one, place at least one rook on it (if the fileis open, one should, if possible “double rooks” on it, one behind the other. If there are no effective files, asi in diagram 1, defer the development of the rook until an effective file is made.

Diagram 2

The diagram above shows a position of complete “development” on both sides, there are two openable filesat both these files could be cleared of pawns by exchanges at least half-way along.

Seize any open file with a rook as soon as possible but note that the rook commands the file just as well from the first square in the file as from any other square. Therefore, as a rule, keep it there as long as the board remains crowded. If moved out it is exposed to attack.

Time Factor : Try to get most out of each move. Therefore prefer to bring fresh force into play rather than move a piece that is already is play. This principle applies right through the game. The player who completes the development first has the initiative, which is a real advantage.

The Centre : The problem of where to put your pieces when you develop them is centralized by the maxim:

Centralise, Let every piece have some bearing on the centre.

Incoming search terms:

• developing rooks
• how to develop rooks
• develop rooks in chess
• developing the rook
• chess develop rook
• chess rook develop
• develping rooks chess
• Chess rook development
• develop rooks
• developing rook

Remember that the object of the opening is to array your army in the position of maximum readiness. This process is called developmet. To develop a piece is to bring it into play.

You would notice, at the start, the Pawns are already ‘in play’. None of them is obstructed. It is the pieces that are obstructed by the Pawns.

Only two Pawns need be moved to free the Pieces: the two centre Pawns, that is the e-Pawn and the d-Pawn(or King’s and Queen’s Pawns). The moves if these Pawns (at least one of which should be moved two squares) also help to control some of the important central squares. When you cannot or donot play e2-e4, play c2-c4, for subsequent rook development. So with e2-e4 unplayed, dont block your c2 pawn by Nb1-c3.

At the same time , observe that the moves of the centre pawns tend to expose the king. Therefore aim at castling as early as possible (usually on the king’s side, as the King is the further from the center and therefore safer)

            The diagram below shows a position in which both sides have developed their knights, bishops, and queens, and have castled;their back line are now clear for the rooks. This position can be reached by the following eight moves on each side, which constitue a variation of the Giuoco Piano(Quiet Opening). A flaw is that there is no pawn-exchange to open a file for rooks.

            1. e2-e4           e7-e5

            2. Ng1-f3         Nb8-c6

            3. Bf1-c4         Bf8-c5

            4. d2-d3           d7-d6

            5. Nb1-c3        Ng8-f6

            6. Bc1-e3         Bc8-e6

            7. 0-0               0-0

            8. Qd1-d2        Qd8-d7

Diagram 1

You have now played upto the position shown in the diagram 1. Here try

            9. Bc4xe6        f7xe6

            10. Be3xc5      d6xc5

 

Black’s c-pawn and e-pawn are now ‘doubled’ (two on the same file). Doubled pawns are considered weak, especially if ‘isolated’ like black’s e-pawns, that is, the cannot be guarded by another pawn. But here white cannot get at them, and black has effective files for its rook.

Incoming search terms:

• chess opening development

As a chess player, you lose games from time to time—like all chess players.Naturally you want to improve your play. Is there something special or unique about your problem? I don’t think so. Only a few of us can become masters; yet the rest of us can achieve respectable playing strength with a reasonable amount of application.

The first big step ”an enormous step” in improving our play is to become aware of the things we do wrong, the bad moves we make. Many of us could never reach that point without personal lessons because we could not previously find in books the kind of material that would enable us to spot our own weaknesses.

Read the rest of this entry

There are no shortages of chess sets for you to choose from out there. As a result BraRoe Chess would like to provide you this service to help make you experience the best that it can be.When you look to purchase a chess set, you two different options in front of you:

• Choose a combination of pieces and a board that has been pre-selected for you

• Individually choose the chess pieces and the chess board for you own chess set

With both options, there are a couple of things that you want to keep in mind. The first is price. Choose a chess set that is built to last. You are going to have many memories attached to your set, and one of the best things that you can do is to keep the set around for generation to enjoy. Always buy the highest quality set that you can afford.

Second is quality. The quality is something that you will be able to both see and feel. The pieces should have a good solid feel to them every time you pick one up. Next, pay attention to the crown of the King, the finer the details, then the higher the quality. Lastly, the knight is the most noticeable piece that you will have on your board. Study it curves and details. True quality sets will have a finely, hand-carved knight.

Now keeping this in mind, choosing an existing Chess Set is much simpler. You take the time to choose between the Classic Staunton Chess Set or a theme that you like (i.e. Civil War, Mythology, etc.); purchase the set, and wait for it to arrive.

The second option, takes a little more thought.

Matching wood types:

Wood Chess Sets:

Ebony pieces match well with basic Black and White boards or with Ebony/Madrona Board

Rosewood pieces look great with boards that are also rosewood or those made from Mahogany

Sheesham woods fit best with Walnut boards as well as with Bubinga or Hazelnut Boards

Metal Chess Sets:

Metal Sets match with wood boards, but also go well with brass boards as well as leatherette boards

Matching Size

The size of the chess board square is determined from the diameter of the chess pieces’ King. Take the diameter and multiply it by 1.33 (4/3). If need be, you can go a little bigger, but you really don’t want to go smaller. Example a 1.25 diameter base x 1.33 is 1.66 inch board. Boards with 1.75-inch boards would be perfect.

After that, all you need is to order the chess pieces and board and start creating your own chess memories.

by: Bradford Roegner

It stands to reason that leaving the King in the center often means exposing the King to a dangerous, very possibly fatal, attack. This leads us to the conclusion that castling is the best way to safeguard the King.

The castled position, then, is the King’s safeguard. But, though the King is better protected when castled than when in the center, that does not mean that castling alone assures you complete immunity from attack. If your opponent has an overwhelmingly superior development, he can concentrate more forces for attack than you can supply for defense. Sometimes brilliant sacrifices are made to smash down a defender’s barriers.

But we are now concerned mainly with Pawn weaknesses in the castled position. In the case of castling on the King-side, three Pawns are involved: the King Rook Pawn, the King Knight Pawn, and the King Bishop Pawn. As long as all three Pawns are still on their original squares, the castled position remains strong and difficult to take by storm.

Yet once a single member of the trio advances, the defender is headed for trouble. For example, suppose the King Knight Pawn advances one square. Then immediately the squares it formerly protected–KR3 and KB3–must receive protection from pieces. Worse yet, these squares become targets for enemy occupation. Let a hostile Queen and Knight, or Queen and Bishop, occupy these squares, and you will see the castled position totter and crumble.

The advance of the King Rook Pawn is also dangerously weakening. Very often the attacker is able to sacrifice a piece for the Pawn on KR3, in this way ripping up the castled position and leaving it wide open for large-scale invasion. The advance of the King Bishop Pawn creates similar problems, and very often opens up a vital diagonal for the hostile Bishop.

Another serious consequence of any of these Pawn advances is that they enable the attacker to open lines by advancing his own Pawns and forcing Pawn exchanges. Thus, after Blacks plays . . . P–KN3, White may reply P–KR4 and P–KR5, exchanging Pawns and thus opening the King Rook file for attack. Or, after White plays P–KR3, Black may react with . . . P–KN4 and . . . P–KN5, likewise obtaining an open file for attack.

Once the attacker succeeds in forcing open a line leading to the castled position, he has enormously improved his prospects of taking the hostile King by storm. As long as the Pawns remain on their original squares, they form a road block for the attacking pieces. After one of the Pawns has advanced, the barrier is much more likely to be breached –by exchanges, by sacrifices, by violent line-opening.

To sum up: you have seen that Pawn advances in front of the castled King can be weakening–even dangerous. You should therefore avoid such advances. Sometimes you are forced to make such advances–but at least you can avoid making them needlessly. Avoid such Pawn moves if it is at all possible to avoid them!

Queen-side castling, which we rarely encounter, presents difficulties for the inexperienced player. The castled King has a wider area to guard than on the King-side. Hence the temptation to meet threats with Pawn advances is much stronger in the case of Queen-side castling. This makes it more likely for the defense on this broader front to be upset by violent sacrifices.

by: James Wilson

Chess is widely considered to be the oldest of all board games as it is a sport in more than a few countries, and a test of skill played by millions the world over and it is gaining popularity day by day. The Modern chess sets have 32 pieces, 16 black and 16 white, on a board comprised of 64 squares and with this finite arrangement of figurines and playing surfaces has led to a wide variety of chess sets over the years.

Chess and history:

The history helps one to learn the history and mythology of the Vikings as you sail your ship to far-off lands, conquering countries and winning treasures. Due to its historical significance it is seen that there are a lot of historical attributes that add to the kind of quality it has with a different set of rules and the game is played differently. In the western countries the extension of the powers of the queen made it easier to enforce checkmate in the endgame and the set of rules differ from place to place and so does the history.

Chess sets and cartoon characters:

The best example is the hand painted and that gives it an artistic look to it with features all of the endearing characters from the wonderful world of Winnie the Pooh. It is a great opportunity to Capture memories of childhood or introduce your children or grand children to these timeless characters as the children are fond of them. The fine details such as noses, horses ear’s, swords, daggers and flag staffs could be snapped of if treated too roughly. There is a great variety of other themes chess page where there is a great collection of marble, onyx, fossil coral and soapstone chess sets together to create an interest for chess among the players who intend to play chess.

by: Lisa Sparillo

Improving your Chess Strategy 

Chess is a game about strategy and tactics above all. Each player commands an army of 16 chess pieces. In the opening, the players bring up their forces as they prepare for battle. Players maneuver for strategic positions and carry out attacks and counterattacks in the middle game. During the endgame is when, with fewer pawns and pieces left on the board, it’s finally safe for kings to come out and join the combat. Here are some ways to improve your chess strategy.

1. Plan. Your chess pieces need to work in harmony as a team with you as a coach. You need to work all your pieces together so that their strengths support one another. Your opponent will have an easy time defending themselves if your strategy appears to be haphazard.

2. Know what each piece is worth. Consider the value of your pieces when thinking about giving up pieces for some of your opponents. The player who has the most pieces of great value usually has a significant advantage.

3. Consider your opponents move. Every time your opponent moves stop to consider what might be their strategy. Ask yourself why that move was chosen. Are one of your pieces in danger?

4. Develop quickly and well. One most important elements of chassis timing. Your pieces should be ready for action and then they will be able to quickly control the course of the game. You need to be able to get your pieces into key strategic positions as quickly as possible.

5. Keep your king save at all times. The object of this game is to capture the opponent’s king. If you forget this you have lost.

6. Make the best possible move by asking yourself a few questions. Will I improve my position by making this move? Will this move put my pieces in danger?

7. If it is a pawn you are about to move consider if you can keep it protected from attack.

8. If it is another piece consider whether the enemy can drive it away.

9. Be alert. Once you’ve reached a good strategic position in the game do not relax. Be on the lookout for your opponents threats.

10. Know when to trade pieces. The best time to trade pieces is when you can capture pieces that are worth more than the one you will be giving up.

11. Think about the endgame. You should remember that every time you make a move it might affect your chances in the endgame.

12. Control the center. The player who controls the four squares that are in the middle of the board will have a better game in many cases the victory.

Use these tips to help you improve your chess strategy. Now go practice and have fun.

by: Robert Michael

Incoming search terms:

• chess pieces and pawns together safe learn
• 10 endgame tactics you should remember
• basic chess rss feeds
• basic chess strategies and tactics
• basic chess tactic
• basic tactics on chess
• learning basic chess statigies
• learning chess strategies and tatics