Notes for blundering beginners like me
“We learn by chess the habit of not being discouraged by present bad appearances in the state of our affairs, the habit of fighting for a favorable change, and that of persevering in the search of resources.” (Benjamin Franklin)
The Checklist
- Checks
- Captures
- Threaten
- Thwart
Calculation Principles
- Determine all meaningful options before going deep.
- Consider forcing moves first.
- Calculate maximum 3 moves ahead.
- Calculate for both sides.
- If a combination fails, try reordering the moves.
Gameplay
We can understand gameplay within chess as a broad distribution across the following axes.
- Dynamics v/s Statics: Attacking and positional play. Note that positional doesn't necessarily mean defense.
- Intuition v/s Calculation: Intuition is based on good understanding of the game - both positional and attacking - whereas calculation is just calculation!
Statics involve all positional aspects of the game such as pawn structures, king safety, and development or activation of present pieces. Strictly positional or static players try to avoid unfamiliar positions, or positions in which they are being attacked.
Dynamics involve building up an attack and fighting (constantly) for a significant advantage towards victory. Attack initiatives rely on tactics and strategies. Tactics are simpler and almost always some form of double attack. They are the result of geometric patterns which occur again and again. After you have played for a while, you will recognize these patterns without thinking.
Strategies are knottier. They require long range plans that you need to think deeply about. And therein lies the beauty of chess, for without plans, chess becomes an "empty move-by-move threat-by-threat affair".
- Tactics is seeing, strategy is thinking. Attention and courage is all you need.
- Look for tactics during your turn. Think about strategy during your opponent's turn.
- If you see an opponent's piece on your half of the board, you're gonna need to neurtralize.
- Always defend your pieces adequately. This will help you sustain a strong position and not blunder easily.
Opening Principles
- The chessboard is a hill. The center is the most important space.
- Castling must be done early.
- First we can move pawns but then we must defend them.
- Try to go towards the PERFECT setup (see board below).
- Knights love the center.
- Bishops love open diagonals.
Endgame Principles
- King stuck in last rank: Make sure that the King always has a way to escape and avoid last rank mates.
- Trapped queen: Knight and Bishop can checkmate you, if your development is bad.
- Scholar's mate: Thwart with Pawns and then with Knight.
- Basic mating strategies:
- 2 Rooks, at initial/last rank/file.
- Queen and King, at corners.
- Rook and King, its a long one.
- 2 Bishops, at board end-corners.
