5 Tips on How to Win in Chess

Chess is one of the world’s oldest and most popular games. It has many rules, and once you have a grip of these, you will be ready to play. But still, just because you know how to play doesn’t mean that you know how to win. There are many different strategies that people employ, but there are simple rules for beginners that will help you win.

1. Choose Your First Moves Wisely

Chess is a game of strategy, but for the first couple of moves it can seem to not make any difference which pieces you move. This is not true. Your first moves should be to set up your wall of pawns while simultaneously opening up your stronger pieces. Even at this early stage you should be thinking about how to begin your attack based on which pieces your opponent moves and how strong his pawn defense is. Remember that pawns need to be protected to be a good defense.

2. Take Your Time

In tournament play there is an allotted amount of time given for each turn, but when playing with your friends there is no time limit. Take advantage of this with some serious consideration before you move. Try to imagine what your opponent’s plan is and look on the board for all possible moves you can make. By taking your time and thinking out of the box, you can really make much better moves that maybe wouldn’t occur to you otherwise. Likewise, if you are about to lose a piece and are trying to avoid it, then some careful thinking could find you a way out.

3. When You Have To, Sacrifice

One of the most common ideas of Chess is the sacrifice, but it is very difficult to do properly. The most common circumstance you’ll be in where sacrifice is necessary is when your opponent has the chance to take one of your pieces of the same type, for example a Queen about to take another Queen. Sometimes it’s a better idea to simply sacrifice your own Queen to get rid of his. Another common situation is when your opponent has the opportunity to take one of two of your pieces and you can only move one. Choosing which to save and which to let be taken is tough, and it often is based on your preference as a player and which pieces are most important for you plan.

4. Get Behind Enemy Lines

A good way to decimate your enemy’s troops is to get a strong unit behind their defense of pawns. If you can manage to do this, attack the pieces that have no way to attack back–especially pawns from behind. Though they may seem to be the weakest pieces, by the end of the game they will all be potential Queens and hiding spots for the enemy King. Also, with an ally behind enemy lines, in the corner for example, you can put extra pressure on the King. The piece that is often best for this job is the Knight, which can move over other pieces easily.

5. Checkmate, Don’t Just Decimate

When playing, some people can work more towards capturing their opponent’s pieces than checkmating. This is a simple mistake because checkmating is many times much easier when the King is surrounded by your opponent’s pieces and unable to move very far. Take every chance you can to check the King because it takes time away from your enemy’s plan and it can give you the opportunity to take his pieces and set up the checkmate.

Follow these simple steps and you’ll soon be on your way to great chess playing