A game of chess is a battle of two minds, fighting for

control over the 64 squares that make the playing

board. This article is aimed at sharing some insight

into chess strategy and tactics that can give you an

edge over your opponent. Mastering this game is an

art and there are no beaten paths or tricks here. The

strategy that I expounded here, is by no means, the

only way to play the game. However, they certainly

are sound ideas, that have been tested over time,

perfected and wielded by masters of the game. Read

them, but don't follow them blindly. Take these tips as

suggestions, test them in your own games and then

follow, if you find them to be useful. I say this because

learning to think on your own is important in chess, as

in life.

If you look into the history of this board game, you will

know that its origins can be traced back to the game of

'Chaturanga', played in India. This ancient game was

developed with the intention of teaching use of battle

strategies and tactics to Indian princes of those times.

The modern game of chess, though largely changed in

form over the centuries, still remains a training ground

for mastering the deployment of strategy. Playing this

game is a way of channelizing our aggressive instincts

and learning to take control. Mastering it is all about

learning to take control over the three elements

important in warfare and chess, which are:

Control over Pieces

Control over Tempo/Time

Control over Position/Space

Chess lessons can only be gleaned from playing it and

gaining experience through play. It is your own

understanding that will ultimately guide you.

Chess Strategy and Tactics for Beginners

The objective of any game of chess is, capturing the

opponent's king. The beauty lies in how creatively and

simply you can do that. I assume here that you know

setting up of a chess board and are familiar with basic

rules. A game can be broadly divided into three stages:

Opening

Middle Game

End Game

Strategy can be divided according to their application

in these three stages. Though they are divided broadly

for ease of understanding, the strategies in each stage

follow or flow out from previous stages. Sound

execution in each stage, makes the next one easier.

Strategy is a long term plan of action and tactics are

applied strategy.

Opening Strategy

Volumes could be written on strategy for opening

moves. Here I give you some very basic strategy

gleaned from my limited experience. Here are some

tips on opening strategy.

Center Control

Whatever be your opening moves, let your focus

always be on controlling the center. If you control the

four center squares, you gain tempo and space over

your opponent.

Develop Knights and Bishops to Strategic Positions

Developing the knights and the bishops at the start, is

of paramount importance. If you bring them into play

earlier, you can get a better hold over the game.

Knights and bishops can exert control over the center

without occupying it. They help in protecting the

forwarded pawns. A knight developed to the central

squares is most potent in that position.

Compact and Strong Pawn Structure

The amateurs squander their pawns, while the masters

look at them as potential queens! Focus on creating a

strong pawn structure which acts as a bulwark and an

effective offensive mechanism.

Castle and Safeguard King

Castling is an effective way of taking the King out from

the vulnerable position at center, to the more

protected position in flanks. An early castling on the

king's side or queen's side is a good precautionary

move. It also brings the rook from the last file, to a

more central file, where it can play a more active role.

Middle Game Tactics and Strategy

Here are some tips to improve your middle game play.

Exchange Wisely

Opportunities for exchange arise quite frequently in

the middle game. If you cannot gain advantage

through an exchange, avoid making one. The

advantage through an exchange might be a material

one, a positional one or it might gain tempo for you.

Bring Rooks and Queen into Action

Middle game is more spread out than the opening

game. This is the best time for the development of the

queen and the rooks as they have a long attacking

range. Rooks doubling up on a file backed by the

queen on the same file can be a deadly force. Attack

the opponent's king aggressively.

Look for Combinations!

This is a time which is ripe for springing combinations.

Identifying combinations and pulling them off is

something which requires a trained eye. Combinations

make the game interesting and make it beautiful. A lot

of tactical maneuvers can help you trigger a

combination. Have a look at the important tactical

maneuvers that I have listed at the end. For

combinations to happen, you need to place your pieces

in strategic positions!

Protect Pawn Structures

As mentioned before, protect pawns as every one of

them is a potential queen. Keep the pawns connected

in the middle game. Guard isolated pawns.

End Game Strategy and Tactics

Here are some tips to gain greater control during the

end game.

Promote and Protect Pawns!

The end game is all about promoting pawns. This is the

time to press your material, temporal and spatial

advantage. If you have worked hard in the middle

game and have a rich stock of connected pawns, your

chances of winning are certainly brighter. Start

promoting your pawns with king's backing. King plays

a stronger role in the end game and actually becomes

a fighting force. Create as many 'Passed Pawns' as

possible.

Ensnare Opponent's Pawns

Gobble the opponent's pawns at the slightest

opportunity. Each pawn taken, hurts, even greater at

the end of the game, as it is losing a potential queen!

Beware of Stalemate!

A stalemate is a draw which arises when the

opponent's king has nowhere to go, neither in check,

nor does he have any other piece to move. It is a

disastrous ending and is very frustrating! Avoid it at all

costs. Learn to calculate future moves.

Important Tactical Maneuvers

Here are some important tactical maneuvers that you

can use throughout the game when opportunity

presents itself. You should practice all these tactics and

enrich your arsenal.

Discovered Attack

This is a move which unmasks an attacking piece. It

can be used as a doubly attacking move, whereby, the

moved piece can spring an attack as complementing

the attack from the unmasked piece!

Pin!

The Pin is a move whereby a piece of the opponent is

threatened and pinned to a position, as moving it is

either not allowed (as it could put the king in check) or

may cause ruinous loss of material. This is a frequently

used tactic throughout the game.

The Fork!

The fork is a move by which two pieces of the

opponent are simultaneously attacked by one piece of

yours. Usually, the knight does this job really well. The

fork could be executed well by the bishop or the queen

as well.

Skewer!

Skewer is similar to a pin maneuver, but here a piece

of higher value is pinned in front of a piece of relatively

lesser value.

Zugwang (Forced Move)!

Zugwang, which is German for forced move, is a great

tactic, whereby the opponent is forced to make an

undesirable move. This move commonly occurs in the

end game when few pieces are on the board.

The Toughest One: Sacrifice

Sacrifice is a tactical move which can trigger a

combination. It is giving up a piece of higher value for

a significantly lower one with the hope of getting

tactical advantage. Sacrifice is a calculated gamble and

is executed by the masters. Only masters can execute

a sacrifice because only they can see it! It takes years

of experience and a willingness to experiment, that can

lead you to see a combination, triggered by a sacrifice.

Chess is all about imagination, and sacrifice is a piece

of art.

If you do not know how to play this game, I suggest

you learn and discover a great and enriching pastime

activity. It will not only help you pass your time

happily, but also teach the value of patience and

planning.

Read more at

Buzzle: http://www.buzzle.com/articles/chess-

strategy-and-tactics.html

Chess is a brain stimulating game played between two

players on opposite sides of a board having 64 squares

of alternating white and black color. Each player

controls an army of 16 pieces which comprises: 1 king,

1 queen, 2 rooks, 2 bishops, 2 knights, and 8 pawns.

The two sides on which the armies are positioned are

denoted by letters (a-h) and the other two sides are

denoted by numbers (1-8). The ultimate aim of the

game is to checkmate the king by following basic rules

of chess and different chess techniques. Setting up the

chess board, evaluating chess positions, fixing goals

are some strategies that need to considered before

playing the game. But above all these, starting with

the best opening chess moves helps to mobilize the

pieces to the most useful squares, where they will

have maximum impact on the game.

Best Opening Moves in Chess

Since the first moves of a chess game or opening

moves are extremely important and should be taken

carefully, here are some common chess strategies that

are highly effective and will make winning the game

much easier.

Ruy Lopez Opening

The Ruy Lopez move is named after a Spanish priest

who introduced this move in 1561. It is considered to

be one of the most popular chess moves, which can be

used at all levels of the game. Its starting position is 1.

e4, e5, 2. Nf3, Nc6 and 3. Bb5, in which white creates

a pin of d-pawn or the Knight and attacks while trying

to castle. Then it focuses pressure on the black e-pawn

and prepares for a pawn on d4. In response, black will

reply with a6 and attack the white bishop, as a result

white will have to back up or exchange pieces.

Giuoco Piano Opening

The move starts as 1. e4 e5, 2. Nf3 Nc6, 3. Bc4 Bc5 in

which the white plans a silent and unexpected attack

on the black bishop. Also known as a quiet game, in

this the opponent plays d3 after you start or will play

b4 by offering a pawn in exchange for the powerful

center.

Sicilian Defense

This is most powerful black defense move in which e4

is played. When the white plays c5, black will defend

for the center and attack d4. As a result, an

asymmetrical position is formed which may lead to

many complicated positions, hence this move should

only be used by experts in the game. In this any side

can win, therefore both the players have to be careful.

The Dutch Defense

This move is easiest to learn and starts as 1. d5 f5. It

is considered to be an aggressive counter play by black

in which it moves toward the white's kingside with the

objective of crushing the white. Even though it is a

good move, it weakens the black's defenses and does

not help in developing pieces.

The Caro-Kann Defense

The move starts as 1. e4 c6 in which d5 is prepared to

challenge the white e4 pawn. It is a solid move in

which black avoids to block his King's bishop but has to

play c5 i.e. black will allow white to control the center

while it tries to get a pawn at d5. The sequence goes

as 1. e4 c6, 2. d4 d5, 3. Nc3 dxe4 in which black

eliminates white's central pawns and develops his own

pieces.

For beginners or people new to the game, these moves

might seem to be intimidating. To best utilize these

moves, you will need to learn to play chess proficiently.

To this end, one can opt for undergoing chess lessons,

which will teach you more than just the basics of the

game. Since these common chess opening moves are

time tested and proven to be successful, mastering

them will increase your confidence in the early phases

of the game. They are the best opening moves for

chess which gives a better protection of the King,

control over an area of the board (specifically the

center), greater mobility for pieces, and possibly

opportunities to capture opposing pawns and pieces.

Read more at

Buzzle: http://www.buzzle.com/articles/chess-

opening-moves.html

How to Win at Chess

Following are step-by-step instructions to execute 3

short moves that will help you to defeat your opponent

with such an ease that they won't know what has

actually hit them.

In your first step, move your pawn forward right in

front of the king by either one or two blocks. Though,

you can choose any, it is better to take one block,

especially if you are playing against an experienced

player, because he might try to reverse this strategy

on you. If your opponent in his turn leads out with

queen's knight, move your queen three blocks

diagonally towards right, next to your pawn. By this

your opponent will not be able to anticipate your next

move.

Now if your opponent moves his pawn forward by two

blocks in order to apply pressure to your queen, and

would expect you to get worried about your queen,

move your king's bishop four blocks forward.

As your opponent in his turn moves the pawn in hopes

of taking your queen, you should move your queen by

taking the opponent's pawn and placing the queen in

front of the opponent's queen bishop. By this step you

will checkmate your opponent.

Chess is believed to be an ultimate game that needs

skill, strategy, and an ability to think smartly before

taking the next move. Being alert, following the basic

rules of chess, knowing your position, taking

possession of maximum blocks, protecting your king,

avoiding time pressures, eliminating chess blunders,

and confidence, are some basic chess strategies or tips

that will help you to win the game. I hope by knowing

the above mentioned steps, or 3 move win in chess as

it is also called, you will be having a fair idea now of

how to win at chess.

Read more at

Buzzle: http://www.buzzle.com/articles/chess-

strategies-how-to-win-at-chess.html

Chess Openings: The Bishop’s Opening

There are many different possible chess openings,

some more popular than others. The Bishop’s Opening

is one of the less popular openings, particularly among

very experienced chess players and enthusiasts.

However, it is an interesting opening to study and can

have advantages in certain situations.

Each game of chess is complex and unique, and

between two evenly matched players it is often very

difficult to predict who will be victorious until the very

end. Players can attempt to take the lead early in the

game by choosing how they play the opening, or the

first few moves of the game. Chess enthusiasts study

the theory of different possible openings, but which

openings are the best is largely a matter of personal

style and interpretation. One of the more controversial

chess opening strategies is called the Bishop’s Opening.

The Bishop’s Opening

The Bishop’s Opening is an uncommon opening ,

particularly among novice players, but has been used

successfully by chess grandmasters and has even been

championed by several chess theorists as the best

opening for white. In algebraic chess notation, the

Bishop’s Opening is as follows: 1.e4 e5 2. Bc4. In case

you don’t understand this notation, here’s a short

description of the opening: First, white moves its king

pawn forward two spaces. Then, black moves its king

pawn forward two spaces. Then white moves its

kingside bishop to c4 (the file occupied by the

queenside bishops). Those three moves, and only

those three moves, constitute the Bishop’s Opening.

Advantages of the Bishop’s Opening

For white, there are some advantages to playing the

Bishop’s opening. First, and most immediately, the

bishop attacks black’s f7 pawn. Although the bishop

can’t immediately capture that pawn, the pawn is only

defended by the black king, which makes it a weak

square. Later, if white can attack the pawn with

another piece in addition to the bishop, white can

safely capture the pawn without being recaptured. For

example, depending on black’s next move, white could

move its queen to h5, creating a potentially powerful

attack. White gains an advantage with the Bishop’s

Opening because black is forced to deal with this

threat.

The Berlin Defense

Despite the small advantage for white, the Bishop’s

Opening is easy to respond to, and black has several

good options. The most common response is 2. ...Nf6.

This move has two advantages. First, it prevents white

from moving its queen to h5 and attacking the f7 pawn,

because h5 is now guarded by the knight. Second, it

attacks white’s pawn at e4. This is a good move for

black because it prevents the main threat created by

the Bishop’s Opening and forces white to respond to

the attack on the pawn, which gives black the initiative

and thereby, the advantage. Traditionally, this

response is called the Berlin Defense.

Other Responses

Another popular response to the Bishop’s Opening is

called the Classical Defense. In this defense, black

mirrors white by moving its bishop: 2. ...Bc5. This

does not directly respond to the threat that white will

move its queen to h5, but because that queen move is

often considered a bad move by experienced players,

the Classical Defense is commonly used. The Calabrian

Countergambit involves 2. ...f5 is occasionally played,

but it is commonly thought to be a mistake because it

can easily result in giving white the advantage.

Give it a Try

The Bishop’s Opening is unpopular for several reasons,

already noted. It is easy for black to respond in one or

two established ways, sometimes resulting in black

taking the advantage. Additionally, it is rarely used by

beginning chess players because the rule of thumb for

beginners is to move knights before bishops. However,

some professional chess players have pointed out that

the Bishop’s Opening can be a surprising move and can

present an alternative to certain undesirable scenarios

early in the game. The best way to understand the

Bishop’s Opening, as with any chess move, is to try it

out yourself.

Read more at

Buzzle: http://www.buzzle.com/articles/chess-

openings-the-bishops-opening.html

A chess game is a bloodless battle on the chessboard,

between two minds. To win at chess, you need to

concentrate and think ahead. If you are looking for

easy chess moves to win, look else where, as winning

is never easy and if it is easy, it is not satisfying!

In this article, I haven't made a listing of chess moves

that let win fast. The first reason for absence of such a

listing is, that there are no sure fire moves, that work

all the time. Second reason is my belief that chess

moves should not be mugged up, but understood.

Chess has been played for over hundreds of years now

and millions of games have been played and analyzed

world over. You might think that by now, they must

have come up with one perfect combination of moves,

which is an inescapable trap of moves, that will

guarantee winning. No, nobody has come up with a

surefire winning combination of moves, not even

supercomputers. Why is it so? That is because, the

complexity of the problem is so high, that total number

of permutations and combinations of moves, coupled

with the typical rules of chess, make it an impossible

task. That is why, chess is such a beautiful game,

because it is full of possibilities and is unpredictable,

like life.

Tips on Playing Moves To Win Fast

A chess game is divided into roughly three stages,

which are, 'opening', 'middle game' and 'end game'.

Here are some tips on identifying and playing moves to

win fast, in every stage of the game. To win fast in

chess, ideally, the game should be in your pocket by

the middle of the game. Play aggressively and take no

prisoners. Hope these chess lessons help you out.

Opening

The opening is the beginning of the battle and every

move made here is crucial. It will set the tone for the

rest of the game. Here are some tips garnered from

my own experience. The guy playing with white pieces

has the choice to decide what kind of game it'll be, as

he plays first.

Look for Forks and Pin Pieces!

The knight fork is always something you should look

out for and if you find a piece standing in front of the

king, pin it!

Take Hold of the Central Squares!

The age-old edict which still works is, center control!

Take control of the center and the game is yours.

Spot Holes in Defense and Exploit!

The opening starts with pawn moves and with every

move, a defensive pawn structure is created, which

acts as a bulwark and launching pad for future attack.

If your opponent is not careful, he'll leave holes in the

pawn structure which should be exploited with the help

of jumping knights, which can hop over the defenses

and cause serious trouble!

If Queen's out in Opening, Trap Her!

If your opponent is naive enough to get his prime

warrior, the Queen, out in the opening itself, tail her,

trap her and kill her!

Make the Opponent Pay For Every Mistake!

Never let go of the opponent when he makes a

mistake, make him pay for it!

Middle Game

There is no fixed number of moves, after which the

middle game is set to begin.

To Win Fast, One Must Sacrifice!

Sacrifices are tough to spot. Sacrifices bamboozle an

opponent and confuse him. Sacrifice a piece and

trigger a winning combination!

Spot and Work Out Combination!

Middle game is the time for combination. Try and spot

winning combination. Always think two moves ahead

and explore all possibilities before going ahead.

Remember the Ultimate Objective is To Check Mate the

King!

Do not forget, that to win the chess game, all you need

to do is get the opponent's king and check mate him.

You do not need to conquer all his or her pieces to win!

Attack the king aggressively!

End Game

End game is the most difficult part of the game in my

experience. The course of the endgame will be decided

by how your middle game has gone and what is your

material, temporal and positional advantage of your

opponent.

Keep promoting Pawns!

Pawns are future Queens. Keep promoting and

protecting pawns.

Never Let the Opponent Off the Hook!

Once you get an advantage, press it till the end. Do

not let your opponent off the hook. Always have a plan!

Gobble As many of Your Enemy's Pawns As Possible!

Take as many of the opponent's pawns as you can,

that reduces his bargaining power in the game.

Chess is a game of patience to be played with a cool

mind. Methodical and clinical demolition of your

opponent is possible, if you plan it out and anticipate

your opponent's moves. You set a trap and let him

walk in to it. Best moves to win fast cannot be listed or

learned, they have to be acquired only through

experience.

Read more at

Buzzle: http://www.buzzle.com/articles/chess-moves-

to-win-fast.html