It’s been some time since I last posted, haven’t had that much time lately. This is my blog post for the second round of the Daily Chess Championship. Reflection time is 1 day/move, and 22 simultaneous games. I am playing in group numb...
When I was around 11 or 12, I went to a chess camp during the summer, and on the last day, our teacher made us do a knight's tour. Every time I tried, I failed it. I kept getting my knight trapped, and no one could do it. My best try was my first ...
One of the most important concepts in chess are weaknesses and understanding how to identify them and use them to your advantage. You also need to try and create as little as possible in your own position and to get rid of them if you have any.&nb...
If you have never heard of the Trojan Horse, then you should definitely learn it. So, let me begin with a "short" history lesson . There was a city in Turkey called Troy, and across Aegean Sea lied the city of Sparta, Greece. Both cities h...
Former US Chess Champion Frank Marshall once said,"Winning a won game is the hardest thing in chess." So if you blunder away your advantage often, you're in good company. Here are some mistakes you might have if you throw away games often: P...
Imagining that the pieces have stable values which are written in stone is an oversimplification of chess. One of the ways to become a better player is to develop a more subtle understanding of the relative values of the pieces. Often a piece ga...
The 1930 San Remo International was not at all a notable tournament, as the world champion Alexander Alekhine finished with 13 wins, 2 draws, and no losses. But the tournament is not known for Alekhine's performance - it is known for his 3rd round...
The English Opening starting with 1. c4 is a modern way to handle the opening phase of the game. This opening is a "flank" opening since it starts with a side pawn rather than the central 1. e4 or 1. d4 moves. Many players from chess history and t...
First of all, in chess.com, it will not auto-draw the game until 75 moves have been made without a pawn move or capture. Next we should be clear what "move" means in chess. A "move" is 1 move by white plus one move by black. So for example, at th...
It’s generally considered advisable to cover your king behind a row of pawns, such as the following: How do you go about attacking such a castled position? A solid barricade of pawns prevents the pieces from coming into direct contact with ...
Chess960, or Fischer Random, is a variant invented by the late World Champion Bobby Fischer. The rules of the game are the same as standard chess, but in an effort to reduce the impact of opening theory, the pieces have been randomly shuffled on e...
The endgame is the final stage of a chess game. There are rules and principles for each stage, but the focus of this article is to improve your endgame skills. Master the Basic Checkmates There isn't really much to say here. Your ability to wi...
"Great. Tactics. So boring." Exactly. I know how much everyone hates tactics. But they are a very crucial part of the game. In fact, there is a saying: “Chess is 99% tactics.” How to Spot Tactics If you see a tactic, take time to do the tactic...
