Chess

[Panter]

I've recently started playing a bit of Chess.

Thing is, I'm complete carp at it and keep getting thrashed

Are there any rough 'n' ready strategies?

i.e is it best to keep pieces around the King, or it better to open up the board as quickly as possible?

Should I be "marking" my own pieces?

That sort of thing really.....


Any rough advice would be appreciated

 

[cisamcgu]

Sorry, can't really help - I play it occasionally but pretty much move my pieces at random. I do know that you should always try and support your pawns, but exactly how one does that is beyond me

 

[Panter]

There you go, I'm learning already

I always though the pawns were pretty much just sacrificial

 

[Twenty Inch]

Take note of what the people who are thrashing you are doing. Seriously.

 

[XmisterIS]

There are several important things to note when playing chess, these are (a) the opening, ( the attack, (c) the defense, (d) defense of the King.

There are various standard opening moves that you can find by googling "chess openings" (it's too complicated to explain in words, you're better off seeing it on a chess board). The aim in the opening is to use your pawns defensively so as to open up an area in front of your King and Queen where you can get your powerful pieces into play. Note that a game is often won or lost on the opening. It is also possible to check-mate an opponent in two moves following a bad opening.

When you advance pieces, you should ALWAYS make sure they are "covered" (i.e. so that if the piece gets taken you can take back the taker with a defending piece). Bear in mind what it is that you are advancing and into what threat you are advancing. E.g. if you advance a Queen such that it can be taken by my Pawn, I am probably going to take your Queen even if it is covered, because a pawn is worth less than a Queen. An exception to this could occur if you are trying to lure me into a trap - e.g. if by taking your Queen with my Pawn I open myself up to a potential Check Mate).

Your advance must be co-ordinated - if not, you will end up randomly moving peices round the board, not really sure of what to do next! A good strategy is to pick one square on the opponent's back line and try to get a piece onto it. Once you have a piece there, go for another back line square. That strategy keeps your attack well-coordinated and you will normally end up getting Check Mate before you need two back line squares.

The defense of the King is super-important! Not so much at the start of the game when it is surrounded by your other peices, but as the game goes on, if you are not carefull you may find yourself in a position where you are thrashing the other player, all your peices are covered, you've advanced well into their back line ... but you forgot the King and suddenly you loose the game because you get check-mated because you forgot to defend your king!

Anyway, I hope that helps!

 

[Mr Pig]

I used to play every day but I haven't played for ages, years, as I can never find anyone to play with. I wish there was a club or something nearby.

General rules. Defense is everything, until you get a chance to attack. Get it the wrong way around and you'll soon be on the back foot and heading out the door. Keep things tight and strong and wait for your opponent to open up.

Never move a piece without a reason. You really do need to think about what each piece is doing and what it can do from where you could put it.

The value of pieces shifts as the game progresses. When the board is busy, knights are good but on an empty board they're much more limited. Conversely, your rooks need space to move so become more valuable. Think about how each piece moves and where it can work well.

Think the whole time. Who's move it is doesn't matter, you're just thinking about what could happen the whole time. Don't rush. If you can't see a plan just keep thinking till you do.

I can only plan so far in advance, so I would never be a brilliant chess player, but I like to see the board in broad, sweeping terms. In areas of attack and defence. People often get preoccupied by what they're doing in one part of the board and neglect to consider others properly. I've beaten a few supposedly good players that way, they were just too complacent. Look for back doors and be sneaky about how you open them, building up your plan over time.

 

[Steve Austin]

just try to take their king quickly

 

[byegad]

Chess is 'That sort' of game. You win by taking every advantage and a strong player will be seeing many moves ahead of the present one.

You can buy some good books on the game with lots of examples of good 'Gambits'. I'd suggest you get hold of one and study it, a lot. The best give games move by move and playing them through, looking at what you would do as against what the players did to highlight your weaknesses, pays off.

One consolation is that once you get over the 'blinding mistake' level of the game, losing to a slightly better player is the very best way of improving your game.

 

[XmisterIS]

I I like to see the board in broad, sweeping terms. In areas of attack and defence. People often get preoccupied by what they're doing in one part of the board and neglect to consider others properly.

Ah! You'd be the kind of player who sneaks in a crafty little move and leaves me thinking, "git!".

So there you go, Panter, there's now at least two opposing ways of playing in this thread already! That'll confuse you!

 

[NickM]

Ensure that the board is set up on a very wobbly table. Then if you're losing badly you can always accidentally knock it over.

Or get a computer program to practice against - most of them can be set to play at a beginner's level so that you can improve rather than get repeatedly thrashed and disheartened.

 

[montage]

I'' be modest here....


I'm amazing at chess .... rarely play it now though. We should start a CC online chess tournement?



Oh and chess is all about planning ahead, luring them into "traps" and planning for their possible moves. Try and play their side aswell....what woul dyou do if you were them?

 

[Panter]

Thanks all, much appreciated

I love the wobbly table idea but unfortunately i've been playing over my iphone so it just doesn't work
I'm in the middle of taking another thrashing at the moment so I'll get reading and practising, thanks all

Mr Pig, have you though about playing online instead?

 

[Twenty Inch]

I used to play every day but I haven't played for ages, years, as I can never find anyone to play with. I wish there was a club or something nearby.

I've played by text before. Is that a possibility? I'd offer you a game but it wouldn't be very interesting for you, I'm not very good.

 

[Crankarm]

I love using 'en passant' and castling one's King out of any threat if your opponent has concentrated an attack only one side of the board. You can learn basic tricks to surprise and trap less experienced players. The Fisher opening gambit. IIRC the quickest to check mate can be 7 or 8 moves if the opponent is unaware of the strategy. Bluffs and sacrifices to win a game. One of the most satisfying moves is getting a check mate using a knight, bishop or pawn when the opponent's King is trapped. The classic is a rook down the flank to the oppontent's back row check mate!

 

[Mr Pig]

Mr Pig, have you though about playing online instead?

No I haven't. I did try a chess board computer game once but I didn't like it much. It was too easy to beat on the low levels and took too long to move on the higher ones, really boring. Chess is very much about physiology, you don't get that with a machine, and I like to be able to chat whilst playing.

Must be about fifteen years since I played regularly! None of my kids are interested and my wife stop playing me because I beat her all the time. Her lawyer said that that was an unacceptable reaction to loosing a board game! ;0)