Experience has shown that if you go into a match with a plan, however much you have to change it, you have an advantage. From the following guide lines, I am giving you a plan that is followed by players of the game in tournaments all over the world today.
Squares (d4,d5,e4,e5)
If you have control of the center
of the board then your opponent
will have to move along the sides
of the board. This will not only
cost your opponent extra moves
but it will also result in your
enemy's pieces getting in the way
of each other. Count the squares
that you are attacking, then count the
squares that your opponent is attacking.
Push a pawn to the center of the board
(d4,e4). I say this because it is the
quickest way to gain space in the
center. Again, count the squares that
you attack, then count the squares
that your opponent attacks. In the diagram,
White controls 5 squares on the opponent's side
of the board. All this is because White made a center pawn
move (e4). In the opening, attacking the center gains space for
your pieces. Controlling more space can give you mobility
and more attacking chances.
Move all your pieces off of the
back row without touching a piece
a second time. When you are
doing this, make sure that each
piece is attacking at least one of
the four squares in the middle of
the board.
In the diagram, all the pieces
are attacking the center squares and have moved
only once. It is important to note that this is only
an ideal position. You, most likely, will have to give and
take squares depending on how your opponent moves. But, the point
is to move a piece only once in the opening. If you waste time
moving it a second time, you can lose the ability to capture a needed file,
rank, diagonal, or an important strategic square. This is how games
are won and lost.
Castle either king side or queen side to connect your rooks. Try to keep three pawns in front of your king.
Make the enemy pawns move forward by attacking with pieces. This causes holes to form where your army can camp.
If you can, with a pawn, open a file, rank, or
diagonal for your rooks, bishops, and queen to move freely onto your
opponent's half of the board. Try to control these open files,
ranks, and diagonals.
For instance: if your opponent has a rook on a center file then
you should put a rook on the same center file protected by another
piece like another rook. If you can not do that then try to guard
the squares along this file where the opponent's pieces can come
into your camp. This deserves a diagram.
Stay with me now because this is very important to understand. I am
going to explain an endgame so you can understand forceful play in
the opening. In the diagram, it is White's turn to move. The Black
rook can move down the (e) file to the (e2) square and enter into the White camp.
How can White stop this? Well ideally White should put a rook
on the same file to combat the opponent's rook. But if White moves
his rook to e1, it will simply be captured by the Black rook because the White
rook will have no one to protect it when it is sitting on the (e1) square.
So White does the next best thing. He moves his king over to the
(f1) square to protect the entry point (e2) against the hostile
invasion of the Black Rook and White also makes it possible to
bring his rook over to (e1) and contest the Black rook.
If you don't occupy these files, ranks, and diagonals and guard
these entry squares, you can get beaten quickly in the first 10
moves of the game.
I want you to become a very strong player so please remember:
If your opponent has a rook on a file, you put a rook on the
same file. If your opponent has a bishop on a diagonal, you put
a bishop on the same diagonal. Make very sure that you have these pieces
protected by your other pieces. If you can't do this then guard the entry points
along those hostile files, ranks, and diagonals.
In diagram #2, the white pieces
have all moved only once and are
all off the back row. This is the
developing stage of the game and
one must strive to get their pieces
out as quickly as possible and to
get the king to safety. One of the
early 20th century World
Champions, Jose Capablanca
(1888 - 1942), believed that one
should control at least two squares
in the center, before launching an
attack. This slows down any of
your opponents counter attacking
chances.
When you attack, try to get all of your pieces
involved in the fight. At the beginning of the
game, the object of attack is the center...
that is why every piece in the diagram
is attacking at least one square in the center.
In the diagram, the knight on
the f3 square can move to the square g5!
This attacks the f7 pawn with two pieces
(bishop and knight) and threatens a quick
checkmate with the bishop
taking the pawn on the f7 square!
The bishop is protected by the knight on g5.
Another way, is for the knight to take the pawn
on the f7 square attacking the queen! The
knight is protected by the bishop on c4.
See how quickly the attack for the center turns
into an attack on the king!
However, I recommend not attacking,
especially for beginners, until you have castled
for safety.
When your opponent is attacking one of your pieces,
always ask yourself:
Should I Take it!, Block it!, or Run away!
If the opponent's piece is not protected then Take it...
Make them prove that they didn't make a mistake.
You might also Block the attacking piece. ie. Put one of
your pieces in front of the piece you want to protect.
If you are really scared of the attacker then... when all else
fails...Run away! (move your piece to a safer square)
Remember...Take it!, Block it!, or Run away!.
A Pawn is worth 1 point at the beginning of the game. However,
when it moves to the last rank on the other side of the board it can be a
rook, knight, bishop, or queen...pretty good isn't it.
A Rook is worth 5 points
A Knight is worth 3 points
A Bishop is worth 3 points
A Queen is worth 9 points
Never lose points in the chess game unless you have a plan!
Copyright © Manus Patrick Fealy 1994-2002
I truly want you to become a better player.