#Basic chess tactics how to#

Please continue to give us your feedback and suggestions on how we can help make /r/chess better for everyone. Use the message the moderators link if your posts or comments don't appear, or for help with any administrative matters. Twitter/Facebook posts must contain a direct link to the tweet/post, and include the author's nameД¬hess Spoiler format for problem answers etc., Instructions for /r/chess PGN addon ( Chrome, Firefox)ДonвЂ™t engage in abusive, discriminatory, or bigoted behavior.Дon't ask for advice about ongoing games.ДonвЂ™t spoil tournament results in submission titlesДo not use /r/chess exclusively to promote your own content. The material disadvantage is not important since the attack leads to checkmate.News Puzzles Games Strategy Twitch Other Resources The example above shows the well-known 'Greek gift,' where one player sacrifices a bishop to expose the opponent's king.

It's not uncommon for players to sacrifice material to expose the enemy king. Having an unsafe king can be a losing disadvantage because it might cause you to get checkmated. King safety is one of the most critical strategic concepts in chess. Conversely, players who lack space might have a hard time moving their pieces to attack or defend. The player with a space advantage can control more squares and enjoy more freedom to move their pieces. For the moment, White controls more squares and has more freedom to move their pieces. A player might have more space on the queenside, kingside, center, or in all of those sections of the board. Space is related to the number of squares a player has behind their pawns where they can move their pieces. If you want to learn more about pawn structures, check out this interactive lesson by GM Aman Hambleton. Morphy won this game in just a few more moves: Black's kingside, on the other hand, is not in the game. White is down material, but almost all of his pieces are active. The image above comes from the famous Opera Game played between Paul Morphy and the duo Duke Karl and Count Isouard. White is down in material but has much more active pieces. A player can have less material than another yet have more active pieces, which can lead to a decisive advantage. Piece ActivityДifferent from material count, piece activity is more of an abstract concept. Another way to win is by using a material superiority to overwhelm the other player's defenses to checkmate the king. The player who has a material advantage can usually win the game by trading pieces to simplify the position and enter a winning endgame.

#Basic chess tactics how to#

If a player knows how to count the total piece value for each player, they can also determine who has a material advantage. Material count is the most straightforward strategic concept to understand since it's also the most concrete. Those are material count, piece activity, piece mobility, pawn structure, space, and king safety. However, learning a few principles can improve your play and help you win more games.

Basic Strategic ConceptsД¬hess strategy is a complex subject that requires many years of study and hard work to master. Karpov was one of the greatest strategic players in history. Playing against a strategically solid player is a difficulty that few players like to undertake. World champions like Jose Raul Capablanca, GM Tigran Petrosian, and GM Anatoly Karpov excelled at chess strategy. Tactics without strategy is the noise before defeat. Strategy without tactics is the slowest route to victory. Tactics without strategy is the noise before defeat.' Indeed, relying solely on your opponent falling for a tactical shot might work well for beginners but is a losing approach for more advanced players. You can look at strategy as the breeding ground for tactics.ДЄccording to the renowned Chinese general Sun Tzu, 'Strategy without tactics is the slowest route to victory. There is a famous saying that points out that 'chess is 99% tactics.' If that is true, why is studying strategy so important?ДЄlthough tactics can indeed define a game's outcome, good strategic play creates the opportunity for tactical shots in the first place. Karpov is strategically winning in this position, and Kasparov eventually resigned. Unlike tactics, chess strategy involves long-term goals, usually related to king safety, pawn structure, space, piece activity, etc. Would you like to have that same power? If you do, then you have to learn the concepts of chess strategy.Д¬hess strategy is the purposeful attempt to gain an advantage over your opponent. Do you know that great chess players can glance at a position and quickly assess which side is winning? Not only that, but they can also determine the best moves and ideas for each side.