How to Win Chess in 5 Moves: Quick Guide

Whether you’re an experienced chess player or are just starting out, researching different strategies and tricks can help you improve your gameplay, ensuring that you can call ‘checkmate’ as quickly as possible.

Furthermore, while a game of Chess can stretch out for several hours, it does not necessarily have to. In fact, the shortest game recorded between two grandmasters was completed in just four moves. There are also numerous instances in which players have won in just five moves through strategies known as the Hopton Attack and Caro-Kann Trap. Read on to find out more!

Understand Chess Basics

Before you can begin to deploy the strategies referenced above, you need to ensure that you learn the basic rules of chess.

The Fundamentals of Chess.

Chess is a strategy-based game during which two players attempt to capture the other opponent's pieces, with the primary goal being to capture or ‘check’ their King. However, each peice has specific restrictions regarding how it can move across the board.

PAWNS. Each player has eight pawns. They are the lowest-value peice on the board and can move one square forward or two squares on their first ‘turn’. They can capture pieces that are diagonally adjacent to them.

ROOKS. Each player has two Rooks, which are sometimes referred to as castles. They can move any number of squares, though they must travel vertically or horizontally.

KNIGHTS. Each player has two Knights. They move in an L shape, meaning they must move three squares each time. For example, this could mean that the King moves two squares vertically and then one horizontally. They are the only peice on the board that can “jump” over others.

BISHOPS. Each player has two Bishops. They can move any number of squares during their turn but can only travel diagonally.

QUEEN. Each player has one Queen. A Queen is arguably the most powerful peice on the board due to the fact that it can move any number of squares during its turn in any direction.

KING. Each player has one King. A King peice can move one square in any direction. However, this peice must be protected at all costs.

How to play chess.

Whether you’re playing chess online or in person, each player takes turns to move their pieces across the board, with the light/white player going first. When an opponent’s peice is captured, it is removed from the board. The game ends when a King is checked, a player resigns, or as a draw if neither player can move.

Generally speaking, the more time you spend playing Chess, the easier it will be to wrap your head around these rules. Playing online is useful, as whenever you select a peice on Chess 24/7, potential moves will be highlighted in green.

Key Opening Moves.

The opening move(s) of a chess game often have a profound impact on the outcome (i.e., your chances of winning). As such, understanding key opening moves is critical to winning a game of Chess as quickly as possible, as the right moves can set you up for success.

White Opening Moves.

The White player always opens a game of chess. This often gives them a distinct advantage over Black. The most common opening move in a game of Chess is moving a Pawn to e4 or d4, both of which provide White with the opportunity to control the center of the board. However, they may also want to try out “The English Opening,” which means placing the pawn in c4.

Black Opening Moves.

As mentioned above, Black may be at a disadvantage as their first move is often dictated by Whites' move. Fortunately, however, there are a wide range of famous opening chess moves that you can deploy during this time. This includes the Sicilian Defense (moving their pawn to c5) or the French Defense (moving their pawn to e6).

Strategies for Quick Wins

While it is never guaranteed that you’ll be able to win a game of chess in a specific number of moves, strategies that you could utilize during this time include the Hopton Attack and Caro-Kann Trap.

Hopton Attack.

The Hopton Attack is a response to a move known as the Dutch Defence.

A Dutch defense takes place when White moves the Queen’s Pawn (d2) to D4, which gives them some control of the center of the board. To counter this, Black moves their f2 Pawn to f5 in an attempt to stop White from remaining in control of this space.

The Hopton Attack provides White with a chance to counter Black’s defense, and their second move is to move their Bishop to g5 to attack Black’s Pawn and remove it from gameplay.

Caro-Kann Trap.

The Caro-Kann Trap is an opening move in Chess that gives Black a chance to control the center of the board. Though this can play out in a few ways, imagine that White starts the game by moving a pawn to e4. Instead of challenging this immediately and moving to a more predictable position, Black then moves their pawn to c6. This provides Black with plenty of opportunity to ‘trick’ White and capture their pieces.

Other Ways to Win Quickly.

While the moves outlined above can help players win in as few moves as possible, they are not your only opportunities to do so. In fact, the easiest way to speed up your gameplay is to play as much chess as possible. After all, this allows you to familarize yourself with the rules of Chess so that you can start to use strategy to your advantage.

If you’re feeling a little short on time but still want to become a better Chess player, playing online is key. This is because you do not need to spend time setting up the board or finding an opponent; you can start playing with just a few clicks. Not only that, but you can also set yourself a time limit for how long you have to make each move, which encourages you to act as quickly as possible.

Chess 24/7 also provides you with ample opportunity to improve your skills over time in a low-pressure environment, as you feel free to make mistakes or try out new strategies without feeling as though you are making a fool of yourself in front of other players. Not only that, but you can also choose between four difficulty levels: easy, medium, hard, and expert. If you’re feeling particularly bold, you can participate in our daily challenge.

Sometimes, you may find it useful to watch or read out previous chess games, particularly those by experts in the field (referred to as Grandmasters). This is a great way to see how strategies play out during gameplay.

Finally, you can also become a more competent and skillful player by paying as close attention to your opponent as possible so that you can predict their next move or figure out the strategies they are using. This way, you can plan your own moves accordingly and increase your chances of winning.

Playing as Black: Tips & Tricks

Many people consider playing as Black in a game of Chess to be a disadvantage due to the fact that White always kicks off the game. However, it does not have to be! With that in mind, here are some tips and tricks that you can use to your advantage when playing as Black.

Pay close attention to your opponent.

Going ‘second’ means that you can begin to analyze your opponent right away, as their opening move will tell you a lot about them, both as a player and a strategist. You can use this to your advantage moving forward, as you can quickly think of the different counter-tactics or tricks you can deploy to capture their pieces. However, it is important to note that you need to maintain this level of focus throughout the game. Otherwise, you may not notice when your opponent is trying to back you into a corner, making it easier for them to take control of the board and capture your pieces.

Try out different opening strategies.

As outlined above, there is a wide range of opening strategies that you can utilize when playing as Black. This includes:

• French Defense. Moving the pawn to e6.
• Sicilian Defense. Moving the pawn to c5.
• Scandinavian Defense. Moving the pawn to d5.

However, it is important to remember that the decision as to which is the best opening move is based on the action that your opponent takes first. As such, it is advisable to have a few potential ideas in mind when sitting down to play.

Try to control the center of the board.

While there are many different ways to ensure your success when playing Chess, trying to control the center of the board is key. This will allow you to protect critical or vulnerable pieces, such as your King, by reducing the number of potential moves that your opponent can make.

Make use of guidance when playing online.

As mentioned above, when playing online on Chess 247, you’ll receive guidance in relation to which moves you can make. For example, clicking on a peice will highlight any potential moves in green. If you are unsure which move to make, clicking through your options can prove useful for refining your strategy and gameplay. This is particularly beneficial for first-time players, especially if you don’t yet understand the limitations of each individual peice on the board.

Remember that practice makes perfect.

The more time you spend playing Chess, the better player you’ll become. This is because it will provide you with ample opportunity to refine your skills, familiarize yourself with the rules, and even work on your game face. As such, if you are attempting to win a game of chess in five moves (or even less), then you need to get serious about practicing as often as you can.

Again, playing online is a great way to achieve this goal. This is because you can fit in a quick game of chess during your lunch break or whenever you have a little free time - without having to seek out an opponent or set up the board.

At Chess 247, you have two options when it comes to playing online: you can play against the computer or find a virtual opponent. Playing against the computer means that your opponent's move will be made within just a few seconds, which means that you don’t have to wait around for them to figure out their next move - saving you a great deal of time!

If you’re looking to improve your skills, try adjusting the difficulty level of the game that you are playing. This will provide you with a suitable challenge so that you do not feel as though you are coasting when you are playing chess.

Final Thoughts.

Whether you’ve been playing Chess for years, or are about to play your very first game, you’ll be pleased to hear that there are plenty of ways in which you can speed up your gameplay. For example, some strategies, such as the Hopton Attack or Caro-Kann Trap could help you to win a game in as little as five moves.

However, it is important to remember that a ‘quick’ game does not necessarily mean a skillful game, especially as some of the more advanced strategies require some set-up in order to be executed correctly. As such, instead of focusing on winning in as few moves as possible, try to focus on simply improving your outcome and winning as often as you can.

In both cases, you can improve your skillset by trying out new strategies and tricks (as listed above), paying close attention to your opponent and their actions, and playing as often as you can. This means that Chess 247 is the perfect tool through which you can win in as few moves as possible.

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.