chess puzzles

I don't understand how to do these?

Chess puzzles is essentially finding the absolute BEST move in a particular position. For example, in Tic Tac Toe, if you want to make 3 in a row in a particular position, you place your X or O in the absolute BEST square. Same thing with connect 4, if you put your piece in the wrong place, you will miss 4 in a row. In chess, it's very similar in that you have to figure out which move wins, either by material advantage or positional advantage.

1. Material advantage

- There are 8 pawns for each player, but pawns are not as valuable as knights or bishops. Also the knights or bishops are not as valuable as rooks. Also, rooks are not as valuable as the Queen. And finally, the Queen is not as valuable as the KING. 

- The knight, the bishop, the rook, and the queen are considered "pieces"

-The pawns are not as valuable but they can promote to a queen.

-In a puzzle, if you can take MORE pieces without any risks or drawbacks, you beat the puzzle. For example you take your opponent's pieces and then you're left with 3 pieces and your opponent only has 2 pieces while your king is still safe, you probably solved the puzzle.

2. Positional advantage.

-Since the king always stays on the board, it cannot be captured, only checked and checkmated. If you solve a puzzle with checkmate, you beat the puzzle. The only way to checkmate the opponent's king is to make sure you are in the absolute BEST position to do it.

-If not, you could still cause a draw, stalemate, or lose even if you have more pieces than your opponent. 

-If your opponent's king can somehow block, move, or escape from checkmate, you didn't position your pieces correctly and therefore did not solve the puzzle.

Thanks so much for that explanation.

However, are there different categories of puzzles for beginners vs. more experienced players?

Where did my message go?

No problem, as far as I know, puzzles don't have a beginning or expert, they all seem random to me, they do get harder though...your rating either goes up or down depending on how many puzzles you solve.

Ok thank you and I appreciate your prompt response.

Puzzles keep track of your rating. Once you lose enough times and your rating gets low enough you will get easier puzzles you can solve.

Thanks Nilslngemar-I didn't see this until today.

However, that sounds about right.  I already did one and lost.  I expect to lose many more!