How to Win Chess: Essential Tips and Strategies

According to a recent study, 600 million people across the world play chess regularly. And, whether they’re playing online or participating in a tournament, it's easy to see why. A game of strategy and precision, Chess is the perfect way to challenge yourself (and your opponent) and has even been linked to improved cognitive function.

However, it’s also a game that many people find difficult to understand, especially beginners. After all, while you may understand the concept of the game or your goals as an individual player, there are thousands of potential moves. What's more, you’re responding just as much to the player opposite you as your own intuition as you work to secure a victory for yourself.

Fortunately, there are many steps that you can take to increase your chances of winning. Read on to find out more!

Master the Opening Moves

The opening moves in a chess game can set you up for both success and failure, which is why you must ensure you give yourself the best possible chance of winning against your opponent.

In this regard, there are a few common opening moves that you may want to try out.

King’s Gambit.

The King’s Gambit is an aggressive opening move played by the player in charge of the white pieces, during which time they will aim to take control of the center of the board by sacrificing a pawn (typically the f2 pawn). By taking control of the center, they are able to limit their opponent's movements and improve the mobility of their own pieces. In the long run, this is an attempt to target their opponent’s King.

The Queen’s Gambit.

The Queen’s Gambit has the same purpose as the King’s Gambit: to allow the instigating player to take control of the center of the board by sacrificing a pawn (in this case, the c-pawn). This is a less aggressive tactic, though when deployed correctly, it can also help in terms of limiting the opponent’s options and gaining control of the center of the board.

French Defence.

The French Defence is a chess move played by the Black player, which is played if the White player moves a pawn to E4 during their own opening move. The Black player responds by moving their pawn to E6, therefore claiming a central space within the board. This can be continued moving forward, with the aim of giving the Black player more control over the board by limiting the options of the White player.

Sicilian Defence.

The French Defence is not the only way in which a Black player can respond to the White player claiming E4. They can also use the Sicilian Defence, which begins by moving their pawn to C5. This is a maneuver that is designed to limit the White player's options moving forward, allowing the Black player to take control.

Italian Game.

The Italian Game is an opening strategy that the White player can use if the Black player has moved their first peice to E5. The White player will respond by moving pieces to E4, E5, and so on in an attempt to gain greater control of the center of the board.

Key Strategies to Dominate

Whether you’re playing online or in person, there are numerous strategies that you can employ to ensure that you dominate in a game of chess.

Make sure you know and understand the basic rules of chess. Familarizing yourself with the basic rules of chess is a great way to set yourself up for success. After all, this means that you’ll better understand the different strategies that you can employ in order to get ahead of your opponent while also knowing what moves are considered ‘illegal.’ The more you understand the rules, the more competent of a player you’ll become, especially when you consider the fact that you’re far less likely to make mistakes as a result of this.

Ensure your opening moves are strategic. A game of chest can stretch for several hours. However, the trajectory of your game is often dictated by the first few moves you play, which is why you should think strategically before moving in a single peice. As such, it is useful to familarize yourself with the strategies outlined above so that you can use them to your advantage moving forward.

Avoid giving pieces away for free. By now, you’re likely aware of the fact that every chess peice is worth a different number of points. As this affects your scoring, you should avoid giving away or sacrificing pieces if you will not gain an obvious advantage for doing so. This will increase your chances of winning the game quite considerably, while also encouraging you to be more strategic as you move around the board.

Pay attention. While this peice of advice may seem a little obvious, a game of chess requires a great deal of focus and attention. After all, if you are distracted, you are far less likely to take a strategic approach to gameplay, which is necessary when you’re looking to win. Remember, not only should you be thinking about your next move when looking at the board - but you should also watch what your opponent is doing, too. This will allow you to anticipate their next move(s) so that you can put plans in place to block them or claim chess pieces.

Avoid Common Mistakes

Chess is a complex game with thousands of potential move variations. This means that it's normal to make mistakes, especially when you are playing for the first time. However, as a single mistake can trigger an opponent’s victory, familiarizing yourself with common mistakes made during chess can help you secure a win.

Common mistakes made during chess include:

• Neglecting your king's safety. Failing to take the relevant action to protect your king is one of the biggest mistakes you can make during a game of chess. This is because it makes it easier for your opponent to checkmate the king, therefore ending the game. As such, you should be sure to move your pieces around the board in a way that protects your king as much as possible.
• Not understanding the rules. When you do not properly understand the rules of the game that you are playing, it can be harder than ever to play strategically. After all, it means that you are far more likely to move your pieces randomly or on a whim, as opposed to making the more calculated decisions that are necessary when it comes to actually winning. For example, it could mean that you are moving pieces in such a way that neglects your king’s safety or makes it easy for opponents to take the lead.

  Furthermore, when you do not know the exact rules, you may be more prone to attempting to make illegal moves. For example, as each peice must be moved around the board in a specific way, you may attempt to move a specific peice, such as the bishop, in a way that is not allowed during traditional gameplay.

• Not paying attention to your opponent. As mentioned above, a good chess player will not only be trying to figure out their next move, but their opponent’s too. As such, mistakes are made when you become too absorbed in your own gameplay and forget to pay attention to what your opponent is doing. This means that strategies you could have otherwise worked to block allow them to take the lead.

Endgame Techniques to Secure Victory

The strategies you should employ toward the end of gameplay in order to secure your victory and defeat your opponent depend largely on the pieces that remain in play when this time rolls around.

For example, if you’re feeling bold, you may want to make for the Centralized King Endgame. Here, as the name suggests, you’ll move your King into the central position on the board, as opposed to attempting to use any other remaining pieces to shield it. There are many benefits associated with this strategy. For example, it makes it easier to promote pawns so that you’ve got more valuable pieces to use to your advantage.

Generally speaking, experts and more experienced players will argue that pure pawn endings are the easiest and should, therefore, be the aim for beginner players. A pure pawn ending refers to a game where the only pieces remaining on the chessboard during the endgame phase are pawns and kings. This creates a level playing field for both players, as neither is at a specific advantage when it comes to the pieces on the table. Here, you can attempt to win by utilizing connected pawns or maintaining control of the center of the board (among other strategies).

Practice Drills for Improvement

They say practice makes perfect, and this is definitely the case when it comes to playing chess. After all, the more experienced you are as a player, the more you’ll be able to apply this experience and knowledge to your gameplay. You’ll also be able to expand upon your knowledge of specific strategies and maneuvers that you can use to your advantage moving forward.

In chess, practice drills refer to a series of exercises that players use to improve their performance when playing chess, each focusing on a different aspect of gameplay. Therefore, it is hardly surprising that there is a wide range of options to choose from in this regard.

For example, some of the most obvious chess drills lie around studying both opening moves and endgame tactics and attempting to utilize them during gameplay. This will allow you to become gradually more confident when employing the strategies, ensuring that you can use them in a competitive environment. One of the easiest ways to practice this kind of drill is by playing online. This way, you know the best way to execute each method when playing against a face-to-face opponent.

Chess is a game of strategy. As such, any games that help you to sharpen your cognitive abilities and strategic thinking skills could also be considered chess drills. For example, this could include pattern recognition games and puzzles.

While this is not technically a drill when playing chess on 247 Chess. you can click the Question Mark simply on the upper left-hand side of the screen, which will provide you with guidance on how to make your next move. When selected, a tile on the screen will turn green, often indicating the optimal move you can make from your current position. Utilizing this feature when first starting out will allow you to further your understanding of the game and how it works so that you’re later able to make these decisions entirely independently.

Analyzing Famous Chess Games

Learning from the experts by analyzing famous chess games can also prove useful. As Chess has been played for centuries, this means that you are somewhat spoilt for choice in this regard.

Game of the Century.

The famous chess game known as the “Game of the Century” was played between Donald Byrne and Robert James Fischer in 1956, when Fischer was just 13 years old. Though Fischer would later become a world champion, his legacy was cemented during this game, during which he deployed an aggressive style of gameplay to keep ahead of his opponent, which included sacrificing the Queen peice.

Chess is often considered to be a psychological game, and the Game of the Century is a clear example of this.

The Immortal Game.

The Immortal Game was played between Adolf Anderssen and Lionel Kieseritzky in 1851. While both players were in London to participate in a chess tournament, this game was a casual game. This means that the results were not included in the tournament itself.

This game has gone down in history due to Anderssen’s strategic gameplay, which includes a double rook sacrifice and a mating attack performed using minor pieces. This is often known as a romantic style of play.

21st-century Immortal.

Played between Hainan Danzhou and prodigy player Wei Yi–Bruzon, this 2015 game is often compared to both the game of the century and the immortal game. In fact, many experts consider this to be one of the best gameplays of all time, during which Yi-Bruzon played a rook sacrifice that meant Danzhou had to take a king walk.

However, it is important to note that the above list is by no means exhaustive. As mentioned above, there are hundreds of games that have gone down in history - whether this is due to psychological tactics deployed by the game’s underdog, or through making a series of impressive moves that force the opponent into accepting defeat.

Generally speaking, however, there’s something to learn from every game of chess you watch. This is because every minute spent watching a game is a minute dedicated to furthering your knowledge and insight. It also provides you with ample opportunity to pick up on different strategies that you may not have been aware of before, which you can then try out moving forward.

Using Chess Software to Train

There are plenty of ways in which you can use chess software to train. This will allow you to develop a wide range of skills that make you a more competent and, most importantly, confident player. As such, doing so is one of the most effective ways in which you can start to win more often!

At 247 Chess, our online platform is built with the intention of helping chess players of all experiences with the opportunity to develop their skills. For example, you can choose between four difficulty levels: Easy, Medium, Hard, and Expert.

This way, you can gradually increase the difficulty of the gameplay as your skills improve. This is also a great way to challenge yourself as opposed to playing it safe while also emulating the experience of playing against another (and sometimes more skilled) opponent.

Once you feel confident enough in your skills to play against others, you have two options available on the site: pass and play and online. With Pass and Play, you play a game of chess against an opponent who is using the same laptop/computer as you, passing the device after each turn. With Online play, we’ll source an opponent for you.

Both variations of this can also help you when it comes to chess training. This is particularly true when it comes to gaining experience when playing against others, as you can work on honing your ability to anticipate the other player's next move based on the strategies they are deploying. In addition to this, you also have ample opportunity to try out new strategies of your own, including some of the methods listed above this.

Beyond this, you can also play a wide range of online games designed to improve your cognitive reasoning and logical thinking skills, which will influence how you perform moving forward. This could include games such as:

• Solitaire
• Sudoku
• Hearts

Final Thoughts.

Whether you’re first starting out in the world of chess and don’t know your rooks from your pawns, or you’ve been playing competitively for several years, there are a wide range of strategies that you can deploy that will help you take your gameplay to the next level. In doing so, you increase your chances of winning quite considerably!

For example, you should start by familiarizing yourself with the rules of gameplay. This way, you know:

• The value of each piece
• The allowed movements for each peice
• Moves that are considered illegal
• The objective of the game (and the steps you can take to reach checkmate)

Once you’ve sharpened your knowledge in this regard, whether that be through reading online guides or watching tutorials, you should begin to complete Chess Drills and other similar training exercises. This is particularly crucial if you are struggling with a specific skill or aspect of gameplay, as you can target this weakness in your choice of drills. For example, it could be that you focus on your

Beyond this, the easiest way to become a better chess player, both online and in person, is simply by playing a lot of chess. After all, as with any skill, the more time you dedicate to your craft, the better you’ll become. While luck may not always be on your side, and even the most experienced players will be taken down from time to time, generally speaking, this is also a great way to increase your chances of winning.

This is because you’re able to learn something during each and every game you play. For example, you may learn new opening or endgame strategies from an opponent, which means that losses aren’t necessarily as bad thing, either. Alternatively, active gameplay could teach you more about the psychological aspect of playing chess, as you learn different ways in which you can attempt to intimate or throw your opponent off course (without breaking any rules).

However, it is important to note that confidence goes a long way in a game of stress. This is because when you’re feeling confident (no matter which opponent you are going up against), you’ll find it much easier to maintain the level of focus and tenacity that is required in a chess games. Nerves and other negative emotions are likely to rattle this, which means you began making mistakes that cost you the game.

As such, you should trust in yourself and your abilities each time you start a game, whether you’re entering a competition, playing socially, or even just playing a game online during your lunch break. Sometimes, you have to fake it till you make it - but adopting this mindset early on means that you’ll develop the skills you need to become a chess pro in no time!

Remember, you have plenty of options to choose from when it comes to playing chess online with 247 Chess. Not only can you play alone or against others, but you can control the difficulty, too!

DISCLAIMER: The games on this website are using PLAY (fake) money. No payouts will be awarded, there are no "winnings", as all games represented by 247 Games LLC are free to play. Play strictly for fun.