Ampang Aidilfitri Open Chess Championship 2010

Ampang Aidilfitri Open Chess Championship
Date: 2 October 2010 (Saturday)
Venue:Galeri Tingkat 4, Menara MPAJ, Jalan Pandan Utama, Pandan Indah Kuala Lumpur

Please come for register before 9 am

visit www.stonemaster.info or www.cerdikcatur.blogspot.com

Free Jamuan Raya
Lots of prizes
Lot of fun
See you there! 

Speed Chess - Tournament

Playing tournament chess - Speed chess

In speed chess the players might be required to make all their moves in anywhere from three minutes to five minutes. At these fast rates of play an exciting game of chess can be played.





If you decide to play in tournaments there are certain formalities that you'll have to observe. Tournaments are run by arbor tours or controllers. These officials are always ready to advise new players about the rules and regulations of the game. Although it is against the rules to ask anyone For advice about which move to play on the board when the game is in progress.

Playing tournament chess - tips

If you decide to play in tournaments there are certain for maladies that you'll have to observe. Tournaments are run by arbor tours or controllers. These officials are always ready to advise new players about the rules and regulations of the game. Although it is against the rules to ask anyone Ford vice about which move to play on the board when I game is in progress.

Playing tournament chess - Keeping score

When you enter a tournament you will be expected to keep an accurate record of all the moves of the game. You can keep an accurate record on that score sheet. You will keep this record just in case a dispute arises.

To keep score he will need to be familiar with algebraic notation.

Playing tournament chess - Clocks

At the tournament level you will be expected to use a chess clock. The chess clock is a device with two clock faces. One face will show the amount of time used by white in the other side will show the amount of time used by black. The clocks can be started by using a button or a switch. While you are thinking about a move your clock will be running.
Once you've made your move you press your button to stop your side of the clock and start your opponent's clock. The clocks in sure that games proceed on schedule and that each player has the same amount of time as the other. Before the clocks were used games could last a very very long time.

Playing tournament chess - Time limit

When using a chess clock you will be expected to make a certain amount of moves in a certain amount of time. In international play 40 moves within 2 1/2 hours would be considered typical. Meaning that the first session lasts a maximum of five hours and during that time each player has to make 40 moves.
More moves can be played, but many players prefer to stop at the 40th move so that they can think about their position during a break.

Playing tournament chess - The sealed move

If the game is unfinished at the end of a session 1 of the players will seal a move. One of player seals the move this means that the player decided on their next move and wrote it down on the score sheet but the move is not played on the chess board. At the beginning of the next session is when the seal the move is revealed.

Playing tournament chess - Adjudication

If for some reason you have a fixed amount of time to play in the game is unfinished a judge can be called then to determine the winner of the game. Obviously the judge must be someone who is a very very strong player, he or she must assess what the result of the game would be if both players were to continue in the correct way.

If you decide to play in tournaments there are certain formalities that you'll have to observe. Tournaments are run by arbor tours or controllers. These officials are always ready to advise new players about the rules and regulations of the game. Although it is against the rules to ask anyone For advice about which move to play on the board when the game is in progress.

Back To Basic Part 3

The opening of the game in chess

The opening is the first part of the game of chess. This is weighing each player brings out their pieces and raised them for battle.
The principles of the opening

Gain control of the center of the board when you began the game of chess you'll want to put your pieces in the center of the board and the reason why is because the center of the board offers you the most opportunities of movement you could consider the middle of the board has a high ground.

Don't move the same piece twice in the opening of the game.

Don't bring out the clean early in the game.

Make moves that she multiple goals

Castle early in the game.

The middle game in chess

The middle game is weighing a most of the chess pieces have been developed.

Mobility. Mobility means a better position for you. The more mobility earpiece is half the more flexible you can be with you or chess piece movements. And remember the center of the board offers the most mobility.

King safety. Guard a you're king, this is always important, but especially important during the middle part of the game.

Pawn structure. You will want to have a strong pawn structure. You will want to defend your chest army with your least valuable pieces. This means the pawns. Use your ponds to defend the stronger pieces on the board in this way you'll be better able to attack with your strong pieces rather than having to constantly defend the strong pieces.

The ending of the game in chess

When most of the chess pieces have been exchanged between the two players the final part of the game has started. When you play the endgame it requires great focus because a single move can remove a winning strategy.

A lot of endings are drawn because neither opponent has enough material to win the game. Draws can be achieved in different ways.
The game can end by agreement.

By perpetual check. If the position is repeated three times with the same player having the right to move in then game is drawn. An example of this is when one of the players can get checked move after move and at the same time the opponent can move out though of the check.

A draw can be achieved by the 50 move rule. The 50 move rule is when both sides have played 50 successes moves without advancing upon or making a capture.

A draw can be achieved by stalemate.


A check is in move that threatens an opponent's king with capture. If you're king is threatened with a check you must make a move so that the King is saved.

A check can lead to checkmate. A checkmate is weighing the caning is in check and cannot escape. Obviously this is the object of every chess game. To get checkmate use moves that both attack the enemy king and prevents your opponent from making any countermoves to get away from attack. If you checkmate your opponent again and again - the game is over and you have won because the king can not get out of check.

How To Play Chess (Back To Basic) - Part 2

 Chess Board

Good manners: chess

In chess there are things called good etiquette. Good etiquette is like good manners in chess to move the peace once you have touched it is considered good etiquette. This is often known as the touch move rule. In competition is rule is strictly enforced.

If one of your pieces is not squarely positioned in its square UK and adjust its if you first say "I adjust". Although most traditionalists will say it in French "j adoube".

How the pieces of chess move

 

I'm the first move of the game for the pawn it is allowed to move forward one or two squares. After this though a pawn and can only move one square at a time.

The pawn can move forward but not backwards. Paul's are the least powerful pieces on board name because they are restricted in their movements. 

Pawn promotion: chess

We know pawns are not as powerful as other pieces, but they can have a great influence on again. A pawn and can be promoted to a queen, rook, bishop, or knight or whatever the player who owns it chooses to make it. The only exception is it cannot be a King. It can be promoted once it reaches its eighth route which is the very end of the opposite side of the board. A player can promote more than one pawn. You can even make all of your pawns a queen.

Since the queen is the most powerful piece on the chess board a player who promotes a pawn and usually chooses to make it a queen.

The knights in chess

The night is considered one of the minor pieces of the chess sets. The other being the bishop. The bishop and the night are roughly equal in strength in each of them is worth about three pardons. The night and the bishop are not as powerful and therefore less valuable thing rooks and queens.

A night moves and Anne L. shaped pattern. This L-shaped can be made in any direction it can travel to squares and a one square or it can move one square and then to squares. The night is the own chess piece that can jump over other pieces on the chess board. Then I can capture a piece so long as it lands I this way or that piece is occupying.

The bishop in chess

A bishop can move diagonally and can move along and number of squares until it is blocked by another piece. Each player will have two bishops. You will have a bishop on a light-colored square any other bishop will be on a dark colored square. The move diagonally odd in that color square a start on.

The rook in chess

The rook is considered a stronger piece compared to the night or bishop. A rook is worth about the same as the bishop and to pawns. Chess the rooks and Queens are considered the major pieces on the board. The rook like the bishop can move in any amount of squares in a straight line until it is blocked by his way or that is occupied by another piece.

The queen in chess

The queen is considered the most powerful piece on the chess board. The queen is the most powerful piece on the board because it can move will move amount of squares 80 to all eight different directions. The queen can move forwards, backwards, and move left or right and along all diagonals.

The value of the pieces in chess

In a chess set, the clean and of the rook are the major pieces since they have the most power on the board. The less invaluable pieces on the board that are considered minor pieces all the night's and the bishops. Each piece has an approximate value.

A pawn is considered one unit of strength

A queen is worth nine pawns

A rook is worth five pawns

A bishop is worth three pawns

Knights are worth three pawns

These are rough values but they can help you decide what pieces to capture if you have two options and are not certain which of your opponent's piece is you should capture. Giving the pieces values can also help you determine which person is ahead in the game.

The King in chess

The king is the most important piece of the game. He must be guarded very carefully. Because if you're king is checked Mated then the game is over and you will have lost.

The king can move in any direction one square at a time. The king can also capture other pieces just like all the other pieces. You can not make them move that places you're king and check.

Castling in chess

 Castling is a special move that involves both the king and the rook. It is the only time that a player can move to pieces on the same turn. Castling was invented during the 16th century as a way of making the game faster. But in order to use this technique the king and the rook must still be in their starting positions. Castling can only be done by each player once during the game. Castling is when the king and the rook move side by side.

Check and checkmate in chess

Check

A check is in move that threatens an opponent's king with capture. If you're king is threatened with a check you must make a move so that the King is saved.

Checkmate

A check can lead to checkmate. A checkmate is weighing the caning is in check and cannot escape. Obviously this is the object of every chess game
Castling is a special move that involves both the king and the rook. It is the only time that a player can move to pieces on the same turn. Castling was invented during the 16th century as a way of making the game faster. But in order to use this technique the king and the rook must still be in their starting positions. Castling can only be done by each player once during the game. Castling is when the king and the rook move side by side.

Back To Basic - Part 1

Playing the game: chess

The purpose to the game of chess is to trap your opponents can also known as checkmate or check. To get checkmate use a snaking move that both attacks the enemy king and prevents your opponent from making a countermove to get away from attack. If you checkmate your opponent again is over and you have won because the king can not get out of check.

You can also win if your opponent decides to resign, or forfeit from the gain. And point me resign if he or she feels that their position is hopeless and that it is only a matter of time before you deliver the checkmate.

If neither person enforce the checkmate again is consider a draw. A draw would happen if each player has only came remaining on the board or if both players think that neither of them has much of a chance of winning. Or again can be draw on my stalemate, and stalemate is win the player whose turn it is to move cannot make any legal moves but is not in check. Again this only happens when there are very few pieces left on the board.

The start of the game: chess

At the beginning of a game white is always the first person to move. A player must take his or her turn to move they cannot refuse to do a move. Each person is only allowed to move their own chess pieces and not their opponents. Only in one piece can occupy one square at a time.

Every piece died in the chess board is allowed to move only in a certain way.

To take a piece off the board from your opponent which is also known as to capture, you must move one of your pieces so that it will's I square that has one of your opponents pieces. You can then remove that piece from the chess board removing it from the game. Although there is a way of capturing your opponent's piece without landing on a square but this is called the en passant move, which we will explain later on.

World Chess Champion 2010!!!

The World Chess Championship 2010 match pitted the defending world champion, Viswanathan Anand, against challenger Veselin Topalov, for the title of World Chess Champion. The match took place in Sofia, Bulgaria from April 24 to May 13, 2010, with a prize fund of 2 million euros (60% to the winner). In a dramatic finish, Anand won the match 6½–5½ to retain the title.
The match was to be twelve games, with tie-breaks if necessary, the same format and length as the 2006 and 2008 matches.

The start of the match ended up being delayed by one day, due to air travel disruptions caused by the volcanic ash emissions from Eyjafjallajökull. Anand was booked on a flight from Frankfurt to Sofia on April 16, and was stranded due to disruption of all air travel. He asked for a three day postponement, which was refused by the organizers on April 19. Anand finally reached Sofia on April 20, after a 40-hour road journey. The first game was consequently delayed by one day.

Source : http://www.anand-topalov.com/

Chess Tips by a Grandmaster...

 

Are Chess Tips Useful?

Of course they are!  Like in any other game, tips can be very helpful for rapid improvement.  Unfortunately, chess is such a complex game that just a few tips are not enough to allow you to jump to the next level.

Here are some very general tips that you will hopefully find helpful. Lets have a look :)

General Chess Tips - Openings

Chess Tip #1: Opening Choice

Make sure you choose openings that fit your style.  If you are a tactical player, do not choose the English opening with white, and the French Defense with black, for instance.

Chess Tip #2: Time to Learn

When you select an opening, make sure you have the time necessary to master it.  Some openings, like the Sicilian Defense, are incredibly vast and complex and require countless hours to learn and understand.  If you do not have the time, pick openings that are more "compact."

Chess Tip #3: Develop First

Do not succumb to the temptation of going after your opponent right away.  Remember, the opening is the phase of the game where you are trying to deploy your forces.  Whenever you are getting ready to make a move in the opening, ask yourself if it fulfills the goal of development.

Chess Tip #4: Fight for the Center

Do not give up the center!  Always remember the importance of the center of the chess board.  Make sure your pieces are developed in such a way that they can contribute to the fight for the center which is almost sure to occur later on.

Chess Tip #5: Be Aware of Gambits

Gambits are quite common in the opening phase of the game.  When you are tempted to take the pawn you are being offered, always make sure that you know what your opponent's ulterior motive is!   

 General Chess Tips - Middle Game

Chess Tip #6: Make the Transition

Your goals during the middle game are very different from those in the opening.  When the time comes, make sure you take a moment to acknowledge the end of the opening phase, and set your strategy for the next phase.

Chess Tip #7: What is He Doing?

Remember, the game of chess involves two players, not just you.  No matter how enamored you are with your own plans, make sure you always ask yourself about your opponent's intentions.

Chess Tip #8: Know When to Calculate

You are not a computer.  You can not calculate countless moves ahead on every single move.  Develop a sense as to when you should spend a lot of thinking time calculating, and when you can get away with using your intuition.

Chess Tip #9: Don't Stop

If you are in the middle of calculating a combination, make sure you don't stop too early.  Analyze in your head the final position and assure yourself that you have gone deep enough.

Chess Tip #10: Have a Plan

As obvious as this sounds, the fact is that players often forget to look at the big picture and make sure the moves they are making are part of a bigger plan.  Do not make this mistake!

General Chess Tips - Endgame

Chess Tip #11: Role of the King

Remember that in the endgame the king is not a liability anymore.  Instead of having to protect him, you can actually use him as a very dangerous weapon!

Chess Tip #12: Calculate More

Now that so many pieces are off the board, you can take the time to calculate more often and deeper than before.  Do not let your opponent surprise you with a move you haven't thought of!

Chess Tip #13: Study Endgames

There are many endgames that you can just not win during the game if you don't already know how.  So dedicate some of your preparation to the endgame, and focus on those you are most likely to encounter.

Chess Tip #14: Avoid Time Pressure

Tournament chess revolves around time controls, and the last thing you want is to lose a game because of time.  Pace yourself to make sure you will have enough time left when nearing the time control.

Chess Tip #15: Analyze Your Games

No matter what the result of the game was, make sure you take the time to carefully go over it.  Nothing helps you learn better than your own mistakes!

Hope you enjoyed these tips.  To see more please visit here.

Thank You. See You~~~

Three Types of Draws

Stalemate is not the only draw that can be achieved in the game of chess, although it is the most well known. The other two types of draws include the fifty-move rule and the three-fold repetition. If you are looking for the win then you want to avoid draws as much as possible and have the game result in a checkmate instead of a draw.
A stalemate is when it is your opponent's turn, but they have no legal moves that they can make. This means that the king is the only piece that can be moved, but it cannot be moved into check. Remember that it is illegal for a king to place himself in check. This results in the draw by way of stalemate. Neither player wins the game.
The fifty move rule is when there are no pawn movements and no captures for fifty consecutive moves. If a pawn move or a capture takes place, then the count resets to zero and begins again. Upon reaching fifty moves either player may claim a draw and again no one wins the game. Typically this happens when both players only have one or two pieces left on the board.
The three-fold repetition says that if the exact same position occurs on the board three times during a game, either player may claim a draw. Sometimes this is done on accident, other times it is forced by placing an opponent in check over and over again. Think of being able to take a picture of the board three different times during a game and the pictures come out identical to each other.
Try to avoid these draws so that you are able to come away with an official win. Avoid these by watching out for them and being sure to look for every opportunity to place your opponent in checkmate.

Uptown Shah Alam Chess Tournament 2010

Uptown Shah Alam Chess Tournament 2010

Seksyen 24.

Objective : Promote Chess, Uptown Shah Alam ( Berbumbung )

Places limited

Rating below 1800.

Limited to 64 players only. Hurry up

6 or 7 rounds

Fees : RM 20. U 17 : RM 15. Sijil akan diberikan kepada setiap pemain 17 tahun dan ke bawah.

Minuman ringan akan disediakan oleh pihak penganjur.

Closing date : 18 February 2010. Will start sharp 9 pm. no late registration.

*.- Only those who pay can play in that tournament.

Maybank Azwan Abdul Rahman. 164249001447.

do contact Saleh – 0196061948

Azwan – 0192788471

Suhairi – 0123631591

R1 – 9 pm – 9.30pm
R2 – 9.35 pm – 10.05 pm
R3 – 10.10 pm – 10.40 pm
R4 – 10.45 pm – 11.15 pm
R5 – 11.20 pm – 11.50 pm
R6 – 11.55 pm – 12.25 am
R7 – 12.25 am – 12.55 am
1.10 am prize giving.

1st – RM 300 and hamper
2nd – RM 150 and hamper
3rd – RM 100 n hamper
4th – RM 90 n hamper
5th – RM 80 n hamper
6th – RM 70 n hamper
7th – RM 60 n hamper
8- 10th – RM 50 n hamper

Best lady – must be above 12 years old.
Best Veteran – above 40 years old
Best U12 g, Best U 12 b, Best U 18,
Best U 1200, Best U 1400 and Best U 1600 – all hampers.
So RM 1000 and 18 hampers .

Sumber: http://stonemaster.info/2010/02/09/uptown-shah-alam-chess-20-feb-2010/

Strategy?

Meaning of Chess Strategy

The word strategy is often synonymous with chess. Almost every time someone wants to describe an activity that involves strategy, chess is used as a metaphor. Take American football for instance. Whether it is college football on Saturdays or the NFL on Sundays, you can rarely go through a whole game without hearing the TV commentators make some reference to chess.

When it comes to chess players though, the words 'strategy' or 'strategies' invoke different meanings. Players think of strategy as being the opposite of tactics. While tactics involve combinations and sacrifices, so-called "fireworks", strategic play is much calmer and involves long term positional planning aimed at achieving overall superiority.

Do you Need Chess Strategy?

The first question you might ask is do you really need to become better at chess strategy? Isn't tactics enough? As it turns out, strategy is incredibly important. I am not denying that you will always have a favorite. Even world champions are known for one or the other. When you think of Kasparov or Alekhine for instance, the words "tactical genius" immediately come to mind. Karpov or Capablanca on the other hand were famous for their positional play. Nevertheless, if you go over the games of these great players, you will quickly realize that they were incredibly adept at the other part of the game too.
How to Become Better at Chess Strategy

Improving your strategic play is much harder than working on your tactics. It is much more time consuming and many find it to be a whole lot less fun. The way to do it is relatively similar though: lots of practice, which in this case means going over dozens and hundreds of positions where the players had to make a choice of strategy.

Solving chess puzzles or problems is a whole lot of fun, isn't it? As all of us are well aware, we put a lot of effort into keeping our bodies fit. Gyms and hundreds of magazines and videos tell us how to do it. But what keeps our brains fit?

Well, the chess puzzles and problems that you will find in the Academy are a good start. As long as you have the discipline to try to find the solution yourself before jumping to the lesson, you should derive great enjoyment and benefits out of them.

As you will see, they vary between combinations, openings, middle games, endgames, and everything else there is. One of the more intriguing features about them is that you won't know in advance what you are looking for. All you will know is whose move it is. The rest is up to you!

The idea is for these chess puzzles and problems to simulate as well as possible a real life situation. During a real game nobody notifies you that you should be looking for a queen sacrifice or a great positional maneuver, right? It is up to you to study the position and decide what the best move would be right there.

In the Academy's training environment your task is very similar. The only advantage you have over a real game is that by showing you the position I am letting you know that something special is about to happen. Figuring out what exactly is your job!

Two knights opening

Attack from the very beginning. Advantage for WHITE. Lets have a look at the Video Tutorial. Watch and learn!!!

Tips: Mengawal "Emosi"

Assalamualaikum...

Catur. Bukanlah sekadar permainan minda. Ia menuntut ketelitian kita dalam mentafsir dan meramal setiap pergerakan bidak. Sabar itu amat perlu. Diakui, kadangkala kita akan merasa tertekan menunggu pihak lawan menggerakkan bidaknya. Tetapi itulah permainan psikologi yang harus diatasi dari awal permainan hingga akhirnya.

Setiap pergerakan mewakili emosi kita dalam mengatur strategi. Setiap langkah diatur dengan penuh waspada dan teliti. Dalam permainan catur, kita bukan hanya perlu memikirkan corak serangan semata-mata. Membina sebuah benteng yang kukuh juga perlu dititik beratkan. Kita harus pandai mengawal perasaan semasa menghadapi pihak lawan. Tidak boleh terlalu teruja untuk menggapai sesuatu. Seharusnya kita perlu bijak memanipulasi setiap pergerakan bidak dengan mengambil kira tindakan pihak lawan. Sikap berhati-hati mengatur gerak harus dipegang sepanjang permainan. Ini adalah kerana, pihak lawan sentiasa menanti kesilapan kecil yang akan kita lakukan. Begitu juga sebaliknya. Kita harus peka untuk mengambil kesempatan ke atas pihak lawan.

Sebaik sahaja kita berjaya menguasai permainan, momentum ini mestilah dikekalkan sehingga kita berjaya memerangkap pihak lawan. Tetapi kita harus berja-jaga, kerana walau tersilap satu langkah nescaya pihak lawan akan memanipulasi penguasaan pula.

Dalam permainan catur, kita tidak boleh mengambil mudah setiap pergerakan pihak lawan. Setiap bidak yang digerakkan akan membawa pelbagai maksud yang tersirat. Oleh yang demikian, kita harus cuba untuk membuat ramalan. Meramal apakah tindakan selanjutnya yang bakal dilakukan oleh pihak lawan. Di sinilah bermulanya kebijaksanaan kita untuk mengatur strategi memerangkap pihak lawan. Mengatur langkah dengan maksud yang tersirat untuk mengelirukan pihak lawan adalah amat perlu. Ini bertujuan untuk mempengaruhi emosi dan psikologi lawan kita.

Tidak dinafikan, saat melakukan sesuatu pergerakan kita akan berasa sangsi dengan pergerakan itu. Ini adalah kerana kita terlalu memikirkan tindakan pihak lawan kita yang selanjutnya. Namun yang demikian, kita harus bijak mengawal emosi kesangsian itu. Kita perlu berfikiran positif terhadap kesan dari setiap tindakan yang telah dilakukan. Yakin dengan setiap langkah yang telah kita rancang untuk mematikan langkah pihak lawan.

Sekian untuk kali ini. Jika ada salah dan silap, harap dimaafkan. Kerana gua bukanlah seorang jaguh mahupun handalan, tetapi sekadar berkongsi idea dari sudut psikologi melalui pandangan seorang amatur...

Berilusi sejenak~~~

Sedang gua sibukkan diri mencari bahan untuk dimuatkan dalam blog gua ni, gua terjumpa dengan satu imej yang membuatkan gua termenung sejenak. Terpana gua melihat sebuah lukisan bercorak ilusi ini.

Bagaimanakah agaknya si pelukis mendapat idea melakar sebuah imej yamg logik tapi tidak masuk akal ini???
Adakah ini yang dinamakan "GENIUS"???
Atau mungkin si pelukis berimaginasi melalui kaedah halusinasi???
Apakah perasaan pelukis melihat hasil lukisannya sendiri???
Adakah terpana juga seperti kita-kita yang sedang menyaksikannya???
Apakah maksud yang tersirat di sebalik yang tersurat???

Hahaha~~~ Persoalan demi persoalan... Mungkinkah akan berkesudahan dengan sebuah jawapan???

Renung-renungkan...(-_-")









 

Bengkel Catur Bersama Coach Fadli @ 18 Mac 2010

Ini merupakan peluang keemasan bagi sesiapa sahaja yang ingin meningkatkan pengetahuan dan menajamkan mutu kemahiran dalam permainan catur. Sebuah bengkel Catur “How to improve your Chess” telah dianjurkan oleh Kompleks 3C, Taman Bandar Sunway, Petaling Jaya di mana bengkel catur ini akan dikendalikan oleh Coach Fadli a.k.a StoneMaster. Kepada sesiapa yang berminat bolehlah menyertai program ini untuk bersama-sama berkongsi ilmu dan pengalaman bagi meningkatkan kemahiran sedia ada serta mempelajari taktik-taktik dalam permainan catur.
Borang penyertaan boleh dimuat turun melalui LINK di bahagian bawah info ini.

Bengkel Catur ini akan diadakan di Kompleks 3C, MPSJ.

BORANG BENGKEL CATUR

 

Famous Games: The Evergreen Game

A chess series "Famous Chess Games Ever Played". See the Evergreen Game, which was played between Adolf Anderssen and Jean Dufresne in 1852. This Chess Game was named the Evergreen Game by Wilhelm Steinitz. White won, 24 moves, Evans Gambit, powerful attack, Queen sacrifice, checkmate... To see and enjoy the Evergreen Game, click the Play button below:

The Trade Off

Trading pieces of equal value in chess is a normal during the progression of the game. Sometimes though a chess player wonders when it is appropriate to trade off pieces and what pieces are relatively equal. The obvious trade off would be a bishop for a bishop, a rook for a rook, but what about a bishop for a knight? Is this a good trade off? To answer this lets look at the values of the pieces. Typically the pieces are ranked from highest to lowest as follows: queen, rook, bishop, knight, and pawn.

The relative value of the knight and bishop can change during the games progression. In the beginning of the game the knight is more valuable than the bishop due to the knight's ability to jump over a crowd. Towards the middle game the bishop becomes more important due to his ability to cover the board. A rook is generally not much of a threat in the beginning of the game, but is often critical to the end game since is can attack open files quite easily. Keep in mind that the value of a piece will change with the progression of the game.

Deciding whether or not to complete the available trade off is not always an easy question to answer. The final answer is that it depends on the game situation that you are in Trading off pieces with your opponent should add to your overall strategy instead of being done just for the sake of clearing spaces on the board. The only general rule in regards to trading pieces is to always trade up. If you can sacrifice a bishop for a rook, do it. Sacrificing a knight for a queen is always a good idea. Think out the benefits that the trade off will provide then decide whether or not to do it.

Join a Chess Club.

Joining a chess club can offer a tremendous amount of help in improving your chess game. Joining a chess club allows you to compete with many different players who are at a variety of skill levels in their chess game. Joining a chess club also allows you to discuss the dynamics of the game with an opponent's after a match and hopefully learn from your mistakes and to continue to improve your strengths. This benefit can be fully utilized by using chess notation during your game so that you and your opponent can recreate the moves and learn from them afterwards.
Another benefit to joining a chess club is that you get to practice frequently. Practicing and then practicing some more is probably the best way to improve your chess game. Players in your chess club can educate you about various strategies such as gambits and end game ideas. Fellow chess club members can also help you keep up to date with the latest news in the world of chess and tournaments.
Finding a chess club is as easy as looking one up on the Internet. Many communities have chess clubs; even the smaller communities often have chess clubs. There are also on line chess clubs that you could join. Try to find a friendly, not overly competitive, chess club so that you can enjoy yourself and learn at the same time. Remember, the game of chess is supposed to be fun. Chess clubs often times compete in tournaments as well. These can be a great deal of fun as you advance your chess skills.
Go find yourself a chess club today and begin enjoying the socializing and other benefits that are offered by joining a chess club.

End Games Idea

Once most pieces have been exchanged off the board and the end game is reached it becomes impossible to mount direct attacks on the king. When this happens the focus of the game switches to attempting to bring a pawn to the eighth rank and promote it to a queen and at the same time preventing your opponent from doing so. The promoted queen, provided the opponent does not immediately capture it, is enough to bring victory.

If only one pawn is left then both players should attempt to direct their kings in front of the pawn in order to keep the other king away and ensure, or prevent, the pawn's promotion.

In endgames that involve only kings and pawns, the concept of opposition is important. By moving to a square which is horizontally, vertically or diagonally two squares away from your opponents king, you gain an advantage because it forces your opponents king to give way.

A king and one minor piece is never enough to force a win and thus the game will be a draw. A king with two knights against a king is also insufficient to force a win; however, since this inability is partly a result of poor timing inherent in the knight's awkward moves there are circumstances where a win can be forced if the opponent also has a pawn. Although a king and three knights versus king is also sufficient for a win, such a situation rarely occurs because, for such a position to arise, a pawn must have been promoted to become the third knight whereas most players would usually choose to promote the pawn to become a queen to quickly end the game.

Famous Games | The Immortal

Famous Chess Games: The Immortal Game. This game was played between Adolf Anderssen and Lionel Kieseritzky in London in 1851. 23 moves: White won, King's Gambit, Queen sacrifice, 2-Rook sacrifice, checkmate... To see this famous Chess Game, click the Play button below:



• If the chess video stops, drag a little right the play ruler handle with your mouse.