These days, these are so many ways to learn to play chess. Players can choose a technique according to their learning style. Some of them stick to the old technique of face-to-face instruction and memorizing. Others have moved towards online chess, which is more convenient and more interactive way of learning.
What Every Beginner Must Know Before Playing
Whether you prefer the former or the latter doesn’t matter. The delivery method is not a huge issue for someone with zero knowledge and wants to learn to play chess. After all, beginners always follow the same steps:
- Set up a chessboard
This involves placing the pieces in their right positions. All pawns are on the second row or ranks, creating a wall or barrier between you and the opponent. Each rook is on both ends of the first row. Next to them are the knights, which are the horse-shaped pieces. Beside them are the bishops. As for the queen, it should always be on a square that matches her color. This is how all chess games should begin.
- Learn how to move each piece
Each piece moves differently over the board. You cannot move a piece through or jump over other pieces except for the knight. You cannot also move onto a square where one of its own pieces occupies it. You can only take the place of an opponent piece if you are going to capture it.
- Understand how to win a chess game
Chess is a game of intelligence and strategy. If you want to learn to play chess ,well, you need to understand those strategies to win. Two of them are to checkmate the king and to drive your opponent to resign. Your first goal is to checkmate the opponent’s king or to trap him so that he doesn’t have safe spaces to go. If you are a strong opponent, the other player may raise the white flag and resign, which is unlikely to happen in a match between beginners.
Basic Principles for Beginners
Basic chess principles are important to learn as they serve as guidelines as you go through your games. Learning online chess for beginners is an excellent way to get your fundamentals down. If you are only starting to pick-up chess as a hobby or sport, learning about the principal ideas behind the different phases of the game is crucial so as to have a more rewarding gaming experience.
One of the most basic principles that you should learn about chess is that a match consists of three major stages the opening phase, the middlegame, and the endgame. Each of these stages are distinct in that they require attention to different game aspects.
The opening stage, for instance, is the time to develop your pieces, put them into position, and secure your king’s safety. During the opening phase of the game, it is important not to waste turns on unnecessary moves, as this will put you at a disadvantage and allow your opponent to take critical spots on the board. The opening stage is also the chance for you to take control of the center of the board, where the most powerful squares are.
The middlegame is another crucial stage that every chess player should master. When learning online chess for beginners, it is important to remember critical principles like enhancing positional tactics or looking for better squares to take so you can execute your strategy, controlling your pawn chains, and looking for or creating weaknesses in your opponent’s strategy. These will help you usher in the endgame phase of the match.
The end game, on the other hand, is the time to show the strength of your remaining pieces and outposts. The king becomes a stronghold that can help you attack pawns and add pressure on your rival’s position. In many cases, the player with the stronger king wins the endgame. During the end game, the side with more active pieces is also stronger than one with more material.
Do Chess Lessons Help
Whether you are a beginner who finally has time for chess lessons or an experienced player who is looking forward to upgrade your skills, IchessU is the best place to learn online chess. Not only will you be tutored by the best coaches and mentors in the field, you will be coached live online and will get to choose between one-on-one classes and interactive lessons with other students in a virtual classroom. Concerned about your age? Don’t worry. IchessU is an international professional chess school with coaches for every age group and skill level.
Chess lessons are known to be expensive, but this is not the case with IchessU. You’ll be glad to know that this online chess academy allows you to get affordable but quality chess lessons from the comfort of your home. By choosing IchessU, get the same quality coaching and instruction without the stress and the expense associated with physically attending chess lessons outside your home.
IchessU is the best place for chess enthusiasts as well as those who simply want to learn a new skill. Not only are we upholding the highest standards in chess coaching, we are also a passionate community of chess players of all levels. Are you a parent looking to show your child the joy of playing chess? Are you interested in learning chess yourself? We are more than happy to accommodate you. The cognitive skills honed in our chess classes are beneficial in real life decision making and everyday living.
Our school’s huge success has been proven by countless testimonies from the world over, from children and adult learners. We are also proud of the IchessU students who have entered chess tournaments and bagged awards. Join us for your first online assessment lesson! Contact us for more details.
