Top Ten Tips to Winning Chess (Tip 2)

 Make the best possible move:

When you are considering a move, ask yourself these questions:

1. Will the piece I'm moving go to a better square than the one it's on now?
2. Can I improve my position even more by increasing the effectiveness of a different piece?
3. Does this move help to defend against my opponent's threats?
4. Will the piece I move be safe on its new square?
1. If it's a pawn, consider: Can I keep it protected from attack?
2. 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.

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!

Answer:

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!

by International Grandmaster Arthur Bisguier

Top Ten Tips to Winning Chess

Chess is a game of strategy and tactics. Each player commands an army of 16 chessmen --- pawns and other pieces (the king, queen, bishops, knights, and rooks).

A well-played chess game has three stages. In the opening, the players bring out their forces in preparation for combat. The middlegame begins as the players maneuver for position and carry out attacks and counterattacks. The final stage is the endgame when, with fewer pawns and pieces left on the board, it is safer for the kings to come out and join the final battle.

As play proceeds, each player will capture some of the opponent's men; often, the capturing pieces are immediately recaptured. As long as the piece a player gives up is generally equal to the piece he gets in return, we say the players are exchanging. If you unintentionally place a piece where it can be captured without getting a piece of equal value in return, we say that you put that piece en prise. (This is a French term that literally means "in take.") Sometimes a player may place a piece en prise in order to trick an opponent. If the opponent captures the offered man, it may leave him open to attack.

You're Ready to Go!

It's time for you to take a look at these ten tips to help you learn some simple ways to win more games:

1. Look at your opponent's move.
2. Make the best possible move.
3. Have a plan.
4. Know what the pieces are worth.
5. Develop quickly and well.
6. Control the center.
7. Keep your king safe.
8. Know when to trade pieces.
9. Think about the endgame.
10. Always be alert.

Don't rush. Take your time and be sure to study the examples carefully. Then go out and practice - and have some fun! 

1. 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.

                                                                      

                                                                    

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?

Answer:

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.

Keep checking our blog for remaining tips... 

                                                                         

Author

International Grandmaster

Arthur Bisguier

How to convert “a better position” into a WIN?

Google+

While playing a chess game, quite often you can obtain a SUPERIOR position.

• It could happen thanks to your good opening preparation.
• Sometimes your opponent plays badly.

After that you face the famous question in chess: “How to win a won game?”

This is not as simple as it seems. An opponent gets tricky and tries to mix the things up. Often you have to play precise moves under time pressure. Then you can spoil a good game, not getting a well-deserved win.

Of course you can blame “that lucky guy” (your opponent) for that, or grieve for“an oversight in time trouble”. That’s what most players do in such cases 

However, obviously there’s a better option. You can learn appropriate techniques and always finish your opponents off! Look at “chess killers” like Topalov, Carlsen, Adams etc. In a worse position, nobody can escape from them.

If your wish to acquire those skills of “a chess killer” – you are welcome to join my webinar on Saturday 27 September (4p.m., BST). You can get all the details and sign up for the webinar here:

<< Sign up for GM Smirnov’s webinar >>

Good News: join the webinar for FREE!

The webinar’s price is really small compared to the skills and results you’ll obtain. However, I know that some of the students live in developing countries and can’t afford any additional expenses.

I’ve thought about what I can do for such students and have come up with a good idea! Help us spread the word about Remote Chess Academy, and you’ll get your ticket FOR FREE.

That’s really easy, and I hope that this time everyone will be happy! 

<< Join GM Smirnov’s webinar FOR FREE >>

Now let’s check how you should NOT play in won positions 

Caruana – NakamuraWhite’s turn

White is a pawn up and is pressuring Black’s position hardly. It’s almost winning.How to turn that “almost winning” into a real full score? What would you play as White?

Actually there are even a few ways for a quick win. You might be surprised to know that Caruana (rated 2801!) – managed to drew it!

After you came up with your own solution, please, check the actual game here:LINK

P.S. This time I allow FREE entry for my webinar, while there are only 100 seats available. It’s not that much compared to around 25,000 of my subscribers  Hurry up!

Disaster in the Opening

IM Alex Kundin has prepared a new lesson for you: “Disaster in the Opening”. You’ll learn useful opening concepts while enjoying a really nice attacking game!

Have you enjoyed the final position of the game from the video? It’s really cool, doesn’t it? 

Have YOU ever experienced huge troubles right in an opening? That’s quite normal actually, even strong players fall into opening traps from time to time. Club players fall apart in an opening on a regular basis 

In this lesson you’ve observed 1 interesting example of an opening catastrophe. If you wish to train and improve your practical skills in this area, you are welcome to join Alex Kundin’s webinar “Chess Opening Disasters and Traps”on Sunday, 21 September at 4pm BST.

In this training session you will improve your opening skills, preventing opening disasters in your games. In addition to that, Alex will reveal the most effectiveopening traps beginners always fall for!

click here to know more