Chess strategy. Chess tactics: basic concepts for beginners Chess strategies and tactics training


Mastering chess is a long process that can take several years, but you don't have to be a great chess player to win almost every game, you just need to understand the mechanics of the game. By learning to recognize some moves and read your opponent, you can effectively defend your king, attack your opponent's king, and come out victorious in almost every game.


It is assumed that you are already familiar with the basic rules of chess. If you are just getting started with the game,

Steps

Part 1

Game level: beginner

    Understand the value of each piece and protect them accordingly. It is clear that the king is the most important piece on the board, because its loss leads to defeat in the game. Despite this, you should not consider the remaining figures to be useless cannon fodder. According to the mathematics and geometry of the chessboard, some pieces are much more valuable than others. Remember this when you take other people's pieces. For example, you shouldn’t put your most valuable rook at risk just to get rid of your opponent’s knight.

    Understand the goals of a good debut. The opening is the first few moves in the game, which determine your overall strategy and placement of pieces for the entire game. The goal of the initial moves is to deploy (move away from the initial fields) as many strong pieces as possible. There are a few key points to consider to get you off to a good start:

    • Move pawns to the center of the board to open the way for stronger pieces.
    • Your opening will also depend on whether you are playing with black or white pieces. Since White goes first, you should play aggressively and not let the initiative go to your opponent. Black should organize a defense, waiting for White to expose himself to attack.
    • Never move the same piece two moves in a row unless it is in danger of being swept off the board. The more pieces you can move, the more moves your opponent will need to counter.
    • With all this in mind, check out the list of openings that grandmasters make in chess tournaments.
  1. Think through your strategy 4-5 moves ahead, making each move part of a more sophisticated attack. To win at chess, you must constantly think several steps ahead, preparing extensive and complex attacks to outsmart your opponent. Your first move determines the entire subsequent game and leads to the first attack or control of certain areas of the board. The best way to learn to plan ahead is to practice a few common openings:

    Perform a 4-move "Children's Checkmate" to instantly win the game. The problem is that this strategy will only work once, as an experienced player will see through your plan and take the king away from the attack. Regardless, the baby checkmate is a great way to catch a newbie off guard and quickly win the game.

    Control the center of the board to control the game. During a game of chess, your main task is to control the center of the board, especially the four squares in the middle. This is because from there you can attack in any direction, allowing you to control the pace and flow of the game. A knight, for example, has 8 potential moves from the center of the board, but only 1-2 from the edges of the board. There are two main ways to achieve control over the center:

    • You can gain a foothold in the center of the board by slowly moving several pieces there. Let the knights and bishops stand on the edges and play the role of support, there they will be able to attack the enemy pieces in the event of an attack. This kind of leisurely development of events is used most often.
    • But flanking is a more modern style of play, according to which control of the center is exercised along the edges of the board. Your rooks, queen and knights rise along the edges of the board, thereby preventing the enemy from capturing the center for free.
  2. Develop one figure at a time. Having finished the opening, we move on to the deployment of battle formations. You must remove all your pieces from the initial squares, moving them to places that are more effective for them.

    • If you can, move the pieces one at a time. Do not move the same piece twice in a row, unless, of course, you need to take it away from attack or wear out the enemy’s forces.
    • It is also not necessary to move all the figures. Advancing all the pawns will not help you win, as it will break the key line of defense protecting your king.
  3. Learn castling. Castling is a special move in which the king “jumps” over the rook, which acts as a wall against an upcoming attack and is protected by pawns placed above it. This is an extremely effective defensive tactic, especially for chess beginners. You will need to do the following:

    Don't neglect exchanging pieces. Feel free to trade pieces if you end up with a material advantage, such as sacrificing a knight to gain the enemy queen. When the pieces are more or less equal, the exchange process becomes quite confusing. In short, you should not make an exchange when:

    Think over your strategy 5-6 moves ahead. It may be difficult, but to win games regularly, you must make long-term plans. Each move of the pieces must pursue three main goals. Keeping these points in mind, you will soon be able to calculate multi-move moves on the go to win the game:

    Use your advantage to the maximum, do not rush headlong into the attack. Rhythm of the game is what chess is all about, so keep it there as long as possible. If your opponent only reacts to your actions and constantly removes pieces from attack without being able to counterattack, continue to slowly reduce the number of his pieces. Remember that winning a battle does not guarantee you will win the war. Don't let your opponent make counterattacks in response to your moves. Instead, take out his defensive pieces, capture the center of the board, and then wait for the moment to launch a crushing attack.

    Learn how to bind. Pinning is an attack in which an enemy piece is cornered or taken hostage, deterring the opponent from using it effectively at the risk of losing it. This passive type of combat is great for controlling the flow of the game and defeating the enemy. First, analyze the options for moving the figure. Pay special attention to pieces with a limited number of moves. Then position your pieces to attack the connected piece wherever it moves, effectively rendering it useless for a while.

    Evaluate each move objectively. You must think in terms of the entire board, analyzing every move available to you. Don't make a move just because it's your turn, take your time and try to find the best move available. Of course, it all depends on the situation, but you can ask yourself a couple of questions before each move to understand whether you are doing the right thing:

    Get rid of enemy pieces as a united front. You need to maintain control of the center while attacking as a unit. Your pieces are like pieces in an orchestra - they all serve a unique purpose, but work best together. By eliminating your opponent's pieces, you will increase your chances of bypassing the king's defense, and by organizing 2-3 support groups, you will provide a material advantage.

    Protect your queen at all stages of the game with the help of your bishop and rook. The queen is considered the strongest piece on the board for a reason, so do not rush to exchange it for another enemy piece, even for another queen, such a move is rarely justified. The queen is your most versatile attacking piece, use it for its intended purpose. Always protect and support your queen, as most players are willing to sacrifice almost any piece (except their own queen) to get rid of it.

    Don't surround your bishops with pawns. Bishops attack from long distances, and to control the board, especially in the early stages of the game, it is extremely important to use both of them. There are many opening moves you can learn, but their main purpose is to expose your strong pieces.

Part 3

Game level: advanced

    Think through the course of the game from beginning to end. A game of chess basically has three stages, which are closely related to each other. The best chess players in the world plan their game 10-12 moves ahead while simultaneously developing 3-4 strategies based on their opponent's moves. They know that moves and pieces spent early on will greatly affect the final stage of the game and plan their actions accordingly.

    • Debut: This is where the tone of the game is set. In the first 4–5 moves, an accelerated mobilization of many pieces occurs and the fight for the center of the board begins. You can go on the offensive, transferring the battle to the enemy’s side, or go on the defensive, waiting for the enemy to make the first move.
    • Middlegame: its only purpose is to prepare for the endgame. At this stage, there is an exchange of pieces, seizure of control over the center of the board and the installation of 1-2 lines of attack, which can move at any moment. Trading, of course, can be beneficial, but you must understand that with each lost piece, your chances of winning decrease.
    • Endgame: the stage when very few pieces remain on the board, and their value increases noticeably. You might think that the endgame will be where the main showdown will take place, but in fact, most of the work has already been done. The player who “wins” the middlegame and is left with the best material will easily end the game with checkmate.
  1. Bishops are much more useful than horses at the end of the game. At the beginning of the game, bishops and knights are approximately equal in strength. However, by the end of the game, bishops will move across the empty board many times faster than the still slow knights. Remember this when exchanging pieces - even if in the short term the bishop is not very useful, then already at the last stage of the game it becomes one of the most valuable pieces.

    Take advantage of the numerical advantage of pawns on an empty board. Pawns only seem useless, but by the end of the game they become key figures. They can support strong pieces, advance along the board, unnerving the opponent, and are also an ideal shield for the king. However, this advantage can be lost if you start doubling them at the beginning of the game (two pawns on the same vertical line). Keep your pawns close so they can cover each other. When there are very few pieces left on the board, a swift attack to promote a pawn to a queen can decide the outcome of the game.

    Know when you can break a draw. If you have wasted most of the material and are sure that you do not have the slightest chance of checkmate with the remaining pieces, you should think about recognizing a draw. In official chess matches, it is important not to miss the moment when you lost the chance to win (you still have a king, a pawn, and perhaps 1-2 other pieces, you are being driven into a corner, and so on), and bring the game to a draw. There are several ways to close the difference in power and snatch a draw, even when the matter seems hopeless:

  2. Practice solving chess problems in your spare time. You can significantly improve your skills without playing a single game. Chess problems are situations where you are required to checkmate in 1 or 2 moves. Practice with hundreds of these problems from books or on the Internet, and over time you will master excellent formations of pieces and unexpectedly sneaky types of attack. Even though you're unlikely to ever see a similar arrangement of forces on the board, chess problems develop your ability to see all potential angles of attack and how to place pieces effectively.

    • Look for problem sets on the Internet or grab a book on chess strategies from the library; they will certainly contain example problems.
  • Play confidently with a winning mindset.
  • Don't stop practicing and don't give away pieces foolishly.
  • Go on the offensive in groups. If you have to move away from the group to attack, make a plan to regroup your forces.
  • Some computer chess games have hints that you can use. These tips may be useful to you in official matches.
  • When you're ready, take part in a tournament or play in a chess club. This can improve your skills and provide an official chess rating.
  • Keep in mind the meaning of each piece and plan your game accordingly. For example, a rook is worth five points, while a bishop is only three. You can gain an advantage if you sacrifice your bishop to neutralize your opponent's rook.
  • Before moving a piece, think through your move in detail.

Warnings

  • Don't use cheap tricks like four-way checkmate. If your opponent knows about them, you are almost guaranteed to lose.
  • It's okay if you don't win! It takes a lot of practice to become a pro!
  • Do not rush to take away the “free” pieces. Perhaps your opponent sacrificed this piece in order to exchange it for a stronger piece of yours or to carry out a diversionary maneuver.
  • Don't risk the queen - it's the most valuable piece on the board!

What you will need

  • People to play with or computer program
  • Chessboard and pieces
  • Remote or local tutor to hone your skills (optional)
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What do you need to do to win?

The goal of a chess game is to checkmate your opponent.

Checkmate occurs when the king is attacked by another piece and he has no way to avoid the attack. This is where the game ends. However, mating requires preparation.

To win a game of chess, you must follow the following six rules:

1. Make the Right Moves in the Opening
The goal of your first moves is to establish control over the board. The most important part of the board is the center. If your pieces and pawns control the center, you will be able to dictate the direction of the game. In the position below, White's two pawns perfectly control the center of the board, while Black has no influence.

2. Don’t Give Pieces Just Like That

Trading pieces is common in chess, but you should only exchange pieces of equal value. Many players lose because they simply give away their pieces and pawns for nothing. In this case, you need to take all the pieces that your opponent gives you for free (just beware of the traps).

3. Bring Figures to Active Positions
Before you can get to the king, you need to get your pieces into attack positions. This means that when attacking you will need active pieces that have many possibilities.

Pawns control the squares. Horses like to stand in the center. Bishops like long diagonals. Rooks like to roll into the center or occupy open lines. Your queen must be ready to join the fight.

4. Coordinate an Attack on the King
Usually you can't checkmate with just one piece. This requires the joint work of several figures. Most often, you will need a piece that will check the king, and at least one piece that will protect your attacking piece so that the king cannot take it. Sometimes you even need to sacrifice a few pieces to break your opponent's defenses.


5. Keep Your King Safe

Sometimes players are so focused on their opponent's king that they simply forget about their own king. Remember that your opponent is also playing and will also attack your king. Be sure to keep an eye on the threats that your opponent creates when making his next move. One of the best ways to protect your king is to place it behind a row of several pawns that will protect it. In the position below, the white king is cozy and safe, and the black king can be easily attacked.


6. Always Be Polite

Regardless of whether you win or lose, always congratulate or thank your opponent for playing. Victories, like losses, are part of the game. Even the best players in the world lose often.

So be kind and grateful even when you play poorly, and after the game just think about how you could play better next time.

To get even more tips and learn about how to win at chess, register for the site. It's easy and free!

Hi all! Today I solved problems on tactics on one of the most popular sites - lichess.org. On Lichess, all positions are taken from blitz games that were played on this service. You can see your opponents' nicknames and the development of the game right up to the move before the combination.

Also, a clear advantage of the lychess site is that it is free, and there are a very large number of tactical tasks here, enough, in fact, for your entire chess career. Plus, the archive of combinations is constantly updated.

However, licess tactics problems also have disadvantages, the main one being incorrect problems, in which there are often 2 or more winning moves. I think this is wrong and there should only be one way to win in a combination.

In general, I can recommend other sites for solving tactics, for example -.

Hi all! In today's video I will talk about such an important and basic topic in chess as zugzwang. But first of all, a little theory.

Zugzwang (forced to move) is a position in chess where any move by the opponent will lead to a worse position. Usually, after tsutswang, a light or even heavy piece is lost, and in rare cases, even checkmate on the weaker side is possible.

Almost always, the zugzwang position occurs at the end of the game (endgame), because in principle, there are few possible moves, so it is easier to deprive the opponent of useful moves. However, sometimes zugzwang is possible even in the middle game (middlegame).

One of the most famous examples on this topic is the 16th game between Karpov and Kasparov from the match for the world chess champion title, played in 1985.

In this video I will look at an example of zugzwang in the endgame, and I hope that you will like it. Enjoy watching!

Hi all! Today I want to look at an example of defensive tactics, because playing on defense, as you know, is more difficult than playing on offense.

However, if you are attacked and your opponent creates threats, you do not have to go on the defensive. Very often the best solution in such a situation is to play a counterattack and create counter threats.

This principle is not only found in chess, it is also very good in other sports (football, boxing, tennis, etc.), and even in life.

Watch this video about counterattack, I hope you like it😃.

Playing chess for beginners is not an easy task. Most often, chess for beginners is presented as entertainment and a pleasant pastime. To learn to play really well, you need to take it seriously. It is necessary to spend a lot of time both studying theory and consolidating knowledge in practice.

One way or another, every person who respects this game should know the general concepts of strategy, tactics and basic combinations.

Strategy and tactics in chess

When playing chess, tactics for beginners are key. Basic techniques: double strike, fork, link, exchange, sacrifice. It is worth saying that attack, defense and even moves are also tactical techniques.

Let's look at the least obvious of them.

This is a project for beginners, approved by our readers, in which you or your child can improve their playing skills, complete a chess level, and in a short time grow to a prize-winner of regional tournaments. The teachers are FIDE masters, online training.

Double punch.

A situation when one figure is attacked by several enemy units.
Example:

Starting position. White's rook is under attack from a pawn.

White's move. The black pawn is under attack from White's rook and bishop.

So, a double strike occurs when a piece makes another attack as well. In this case, the rook made the bishop an attacking piece.

Fork.

It is a type of double strike. The difference is that forks guarantee the loss of at least one enemy piece.

Black's knight forked. White is guaranteed to lose his rook.

Bunch.

A situation in which one or more pieces are in a disadvantageous position to attack.

The white king is attacked by a rook. At the same time, White’s knight cannot take the rook, because the king will be under attack by the bishop: such a move is prohibited by the rules. White's knight is tied.

Exchange. A move in which both players lose one piece: exchange.

Victim. A situation where a player deliberately gives up one or more of his pieces. A very important technique, used as a distraction maneuver.

Basic combinations and traps in chess

Successful play of chess for beginners requires knowledge of the basic types of combinations: overlap and blocking. Such traps will allow you to defeat many opponents at the initial stage.

Overlap.

The essence of this winning combination is to interrupt the connection and deprive the opponent's pieces of maneuver.
Consider the situation:

Black's king is under reliable protection of the queen and bishop.

White makes an unexpected move:

At this stage, Black resigns. Why? The fact is that moving the rook completely limited the capabilities of the enemy queen and bishop.

There are two possible cases:
1. Black takes the rook with the queen.

2. Black takes the rook with the bishop.

In both cases, the enemy queen was blocked and stopped protecting the king.

Blocking.

The essence of this combination: attracting an enemy piece in order to deprive it of space. With this combination it is easy to checkmate.

Everything will become clear with an example:

The black king is backed into a corner. White's goal: to deprive him of square a7 and checkmate with his knight.

White's move:

Black has no other options but to take the knight with the bishop.

Having deprived the king of the move to a7, White easily checkmate with his knight:

Bottom line

We looked at basic chess combinations and tactics. As a bonus, we suggest watching a video on the topic.

It is also known that information does not stay in the head without practice. It's time to play chess, consolidating the acquired knowledge in a real game!

Below you can watch a video lesson of playing chess

Chess for beginners video

Agree, not all of us can say with confidence that we know how to play chess well. Most people are only familiar with how the pieces move, their names, and the order in which they appear. But chess is one of the most interesting games. It’s quite difficult to guess where this or that move might lead you, and who will win. Many of those who are far from this fascinating game, and even novice players, ask: “Is it true that professional chess players know almost all of other people’s moves and can predict their opponent’s actions?” You shouldn't be surprised, but this is truly true. In chess, openings are tactics and strategies in which you can predict your opponent's actions in advance.

General information

Openings appeared in chess more than two hundred years ago. And in the 19th century they already became high art. At that time, chess was a very popular game; it took pride of place among other competitions. A large number of championships were held then, and they received much more attention than in our time. And grandmasters devoted a lot of time to creating strategies that allowed them to win with a minimum number of losses. Imagine, long before computers appeared, it was possible to calculate a game for five, or a maximum of ten moves! You are probably wondering how the invention of the computer affected the game of chess. A huge breakthrough was made, as it became possible to calculate the most complex algorithms and tasks. It was with the help of a computer that openings in chess helped calculate moves even for twenty transitions. This makes the game predictable, doesn't it? Unfortunately, the use of these automatic calculations has done its job, turning the mind game into a mechanical one - you can foresee what your opponent will do, and you will always know the best way to go.

Opening strategies

The main principles of openings.

  • Develop your figures as soon as possible.
  • Be sure to control the center.
  • Provide security for the king.
  • Counteract the enemy in every possible way.
  • Link your game plan to the middlegame and endgame.

There are openings in chess for white and black - for example, the "Scottish Game". This option attracts the player because he himself chooses the direction of the fight. At the same time, the black pieces have to adapt to tactics. What kind of debuts are there? We list it.

  • Open.
  • Half open.
  • Semi-closed.
  • Closed.
  • Flanking.

Quite often they do not distinguish between a half-closed and closed opening, combining them into one - closed. Flank can also be included in this category. In addition, all openings are divided according to correctness. So, they can be right and wrong. We should also not forget that openings in chess for the 1st category are somewhat different from others.

Tactics today

It was in the twentieth century that the most active development of openings began, and completely new beginnings were created. In the second half of this century, the study of tactics essentially came down to thinking about some options that arose in already familiar principles. At the end of the century he said: “... chess theory develops in half steps somewhere between 20 and 25 moves. No new strategy, no new ideas, no new systems...” Due to the fact that openings in chess have evolved over several centuries, as well as the advent of powerful computers and high-quality programs, unfortunately, tactics themselves have ceased to be the most creative part of the game. Almost all existing options have undergone thorough analysis. Today, as already mentioned, the miscalculation reaches 15-20 moves, and maybe even further.

Chess openings for beginners

Because of such elaboration, the requirements for the game become very serious. Therefore, all novice players must know the basic opening options. And these days it’s impossible for a professional to play without them. He must have a huge set of openings, plus he must work them out carefully. Because of this, most chess players are critical of openings. They believe that the initial stage of the party is "monstrously computerized." The indignation is caused by the fact that in the opening stage there is almost no place for the art of chess. It is believed that tactics and strategies are not the most difficult thing in chess. Most players, even beginners, thanks to their knowledge of the basic openings, can fight an opponent stronger than them at the same level. Fischer chess is called a way to avoid the problems of learning tactics, since it is impossible to memorize variations due to the random position of the pieces at the beginning of the game.

Conclusion

But all beginning players should definitely learn openings. Without them, they will not be of any interest to the enemy, even if they have certain skills. Nowadays, openings are very popular in chess, and therefore there is no point in thinking about their meaning and advantages. That is why in order to learn how to play, you just need to study them. And some of them should even be memorized - there is a high probability that you will need them on the game board.

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