Congratulations for clicking your way to this webpage. Now you'll be trapped here for eternity.

Here's the link for Lesson #1 if you missed it:

http://www.chess.com/forum/view/scholastic-chess/basic-chess-for-beginners-lesson-1

Now, onto the drop-dead-sexy Lesson #2!

Lesson #2: Importance of the Center

In the first highly aclaimmed lesson (I wish), I discussed the basic principles of chess, all the real nooby stuff. Now, I'll expand on one of the concepts: the importance of keeping your pieces near the center of the board (otherwise known as the 4 squares of God: d4, d5, e4, and e5).

Mathematically (don't shiver in fear, people!), those 4 center squares are furthest from each of the corners and each of the sides of the chessboard, hence they are the CENTER MOTHER-FRICKIN' SQUARES!!! Common sense (which is commonly uncommon among the common people) should tell you that the most mobility of pieces will occur from those squares!

Now, how to prove this? Simple: let's use chessboards! Woohoo!

Look carefully at the centered knight on d5 - so carefully that you feel your eyes falling out of your head (if they do fall out, then send them to New York State - I'll collect them and sell them to blind folks). Next, look at the knights surrounding the d5 knight. Those other 8 knights represent the places where the d5 knight can go.

Now, let's go a little bit further and see where those crazy 8 knights surrounding the central knight can go!

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 13

 9

 4

Dr. Doc Md sez: "don't ask me to show the places a knight can go in 3 moves - I'm not THAT insane!!!"

There are only 4 places it can't go in 3 moves. That should make it easier on you. Actually, for knight mobility purposes, these are good squares to know. A player can sometimes get trapped thinking their knight is "close" to a certain square that will take 4 moves to get to!

The only reason I didn't want to show the 3-move knight board was because it would take too long to put all those knights - and my computer is slow! =D

Now, if I get another request like Loomis', then I swear, I will... satisfy that request by adding another board with the knights after 3 moves. =D

Keep commenting, peeps! Thanks, Loomis!

Hey, doesn't anyone else want the 3rd move knight places? Well then, less work for me, I suppose!

#3 should be out in about a week. Meanwhile, keep the insults coming, people!

No more positive or negative criticism? Is that it? Have I reached teaching perfection?

Seriously, is there anything I may have missed in this explanation of the center? (That's a question for snobby "professionals" =D)

Haha, "teaching perfection"...now that's a good one Doc

I didn't check how long it took me to write that - I don't have that kind of time! ;D

So, any criticism besides Loomis'? Should I include the 3-move knight thing? Should I add an actual game to show the importance of the center? Help me help you, people!!!

If this forum dies, then I'll take you all with it!!! (And leave myself alive =P)

Come on, peeps, say "Good" or "Bad" as a post - just keep this going so the beginners can find this!!! That's the whole point of this, after all!!!

I will hunt all of you beginners down and beat you in a game of chess!!!

Almost no one has seen this - what have I done it for??? If only 1 person winds up reading my stuff, I'd might as well ask them to pay me!!! Come on my peeps, keep this thread alive!!! Even half-alive!!!

MY PEOPLE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

WHY DO YOU NOT

RESPOND?????

For this horrible occurence of my wonderful thread not being responed to, I may have to renew my formerly famous thread about banning Erik. In addition, for making this happen, I will try to get Erik banned. ;D

Seriously people, say something!!! "Something" will be sufficient! =D Keep this thread alive, it's painfully dying without you!!!

I suggest making these things articles or blog posts. Then you can have a forum topic that you post updates re:lesson plans and links to the new lessons and what not. 

That way your lessons are where they belong, and you still have the advantage of people seeing them from your forum topic being bumped.  Also your forum topic will get bumped more often because it is linking to ALL of your articles.  Just a thought.

I'm pretty tired so this may not make any sense.  BTW post the 3 move board.

Thanks erik and exiledcanuck!

First to Erik: looking forward to another game - this time I'll play like a human.

Second to exiledcanuck: nice name =P, I will post the 3-move board (if my computer survives, anyways), and about the blog thing... what I'm not sure how to do is post all of this on the blog without having to remake the boards. A bit of a hassle, if you understand, to remake 20 trillion boards that ultimately destroy the small bit of power that's left in my humble computer. So, if you, or anyone, have ANY idea(s) on how to "recopy" the boards onto a blog, please DO TELL!

Thanks, keep the comments coming, keep this thread alive! The more, the merrier (as the drunks say)!

I have been looking for this for two days.  If I am tracking it will it come to my personal e-mail or do I have to find it here on chess.com?  I want to keep all of the is a folder so I can refer to them when ever I need to.  Once again I am so new at this I feel totaly incompentant in trying to play at this time.  In the opening I have no idea of what to do. 

I will get better.  I just got the book The Beginner's Game by Pafu.  I plan to set up a board and try to follow the examples in the book.  I really do not have a live person to play against at this time.