Smartyy wrote:
-Learn basic rules -Study basic checkmates -Study basic combinations and tactics -Learn basic openings -Study endgames
That's good advice.
How and where do I go to learn openings, endgames, checkmates, tactics, etc?
There are lots of books and other resources available. Don't try to learn everything all at once. Many of us here have been studying and practicing chess for years, and still aren't nearly as good as we'd like to be. Chess takes a long time to master - but we can help you get pointed in the right direction!
And what am I looking for?
To start with, you're looking for the main ideas. In the opening for example: don't move any piece more than once unless you have to, control the center, develop your pieces, castle your king to safety, don't bring your queen out early. Learn these ideas and apply them to your own games.
When watching old grandmaster games, what do you look for that you can elarn from?
You can see how the world's best players play the game! Continuing with my example about openings, you can see how they follow the "rules" I listed in the above paragraph. Don't worry too much about studying grandmaster games for now, though.
So I guess what I question is here, how do I begin mastering chess? How do I get as good as you guys, and good enough to have some sort of chance at a tournament?
Buy and read: 1. Bobby Fischer Teaches Chess; 2. Logical Chess Move by Move, by Irvng Chernev; 3. Winning Chess Tactics, by Yasser Seirawan. Once you've done that, you have started to really learn chess.
and, just for the sake of asking (since the person on the episode of Monk was this type of player) do 'Behaviouralists' really exist, and how would one go about doing such a thing as crawling into the other person's head and knowing what they are doing?
No idea, I don't watch the show. TV is fiction though - don't pay too much attention to it. Chess isn't about "crawling into the other person's head" or any pseudo-psychological nonsense like that.
Hey everyone,
I'm Smartyy, and I'm (obviously) brand new here to chess.com, and also new to Chess in general.
I've known how to play chess since I was 7, my uncle taught me how to play and is a really good player, so I've played with him when he comes to visit, and always lost 'cause I'm no good.
Last Christmas he got me this really cool chess board called the "Mephisto" and is this computer chess board that you can play by yourself (well vs. the computer but you dont' need anyone else to play with) and is endorsed by 'Kasperov'. You can set levels of difficulty and such so I've gotten sligtly better at my chess game playing the computer, I think I can consistantly beat him on lvl 4.. nothing special (considering there are 8 levels and then 8 more levels of greater difficulty and 8 levels beyound that) but at least I'm getting better.
Recently I was watching my favorite show- Monk. The episode was about this chess player and after watching it it inspired me to play chess again. I got out my board and could still beat him on elvel 4, but never 5 (rarely, at least). I did a search on wikihow.com on "how to begin masterin chess" and the article said a few things:
-Learn basic rules
-Study basic checkmates
-Study basic combinations and tactics
-Learn basic openings
-Study endgames
then went on about playing 100 games after learning that, entering tournaments etc.
I understand what it's telling me to do, I just don't know how to go about doing it. How and where do I go to learn openings, endgames, checkmates, tactics, etc? And what am I looking for? When watching old grandmaster games, what do you look for that you can elarn from? To me it's just another game, but I know that I know nothing about the game itself except how to play it. I have no tactics, no strategy, I just play and hope to win. I mean sure I put I little thought into some planned ahead moves but they never work out right and I can't guess and anticipate what the opponent is doing.
So I guess what I question is here, how do I begin mastering chess? How do I get as good as you guys, and good enough to have some sort of chance at a tournament?
and, just for the sake of asking (since the person on the episode of Monk was this type of player) do 'Behaviouralists' really exist, and how would one go about doing such a thing as crawling into the other person's head and knowing what they are doing?
Thanks so much for you help, and I hope to be on these forums for a while.
-Smartyy!