Categories

Chess: Patience, Intelligence and Dedication

“Checkmate”…If you play chess then it has to be your favorite word. I was asked by a friend of mine; can normal boy play chess? Or it’s the game of gifted once? Huh! Kidding? But wait a minute…most of them are follower of this misconception. Every one can play chess…to become a good player though you need to work hard, you got to have dedication…but is it the only thing necessary with chess? To rise to a definite height needs dedication.

Now if someone asks you, what is chess? You can smartly answer, it’s a game…but you can also give some details…Chess is a board game between two players; a chess board is a square checkered board with 64 squares arranged in an 8 by 8 grid. 2 players can play the game and it starts with 16 pieces for each one…one king, one queen, two rooks, two knights, two bishops, and eight pawns. The objective is to checkmate the other person’s king…this arises when the king is under attack and has no further moves.

Chess is a game of ultimate patience, sheer dedication and wit. You have to over think your opponent by at least 3 to 4 moves. You should consider all his options and how you will cope with them…you have to create a strategy to finish your opponent. While giving a move do consider all the effects that you may face in the next few moves…take your time and think clearly.

You can improve your skills by using the computer chess game…Over years it has become more and more intelligent and user friendly…You can develop your strategy your skills and of course you can practice with it…as they say “Practice makes a man perfect”. The world of chess was moved when Deep Blue, a computer beat the reigning world champion, Garry Kasparov in a match.

The game of chess is played according to the official rules of chess maintained by World Chess Federation. According to the rule, the white moves first. The players alternately move one piece at a time. The pieces can be moved to either a square which is unoccupied, or to one which is occupied by opponent’s piece, capturing it and removing it from play. When the King is at attack it is called ‘Check’. The response to a check can only be protecting the king either by moving it to some other place…or protecting it with some other piece. If every possible move of the king produces a check, then it’s Checkmate and the opponent wins.

Chess is a wonderful game and it helps to improve a child ability to think. And so some schools teach it. It has been shown that, this game can improve a child’s ability to do math. So if you haven’t tried you hand still then just go for it. You will really enjoy it.

Tools in Learning Online Chess

Chess is an old board game developed and played during the ancient years. A challenging game makes players to love healthy things and wise decision making to win over his or her opponent. If you want to learn how to play online chess, you need to refer to any reference such as computer chess manuals, books and even in the internet.

Learning the chess is the same as with other subjects where in you need to know first the basic rules of the game, the different moves from opening middle and end game as well as the effective techniques and strategies. It is important to any player to know the rules of the game before starting to play computer chess. Although almost all the rules is the same with the traditional chess but there is slight difference. Consequently, if do not know the rules, you might possibly in a mess.

The next important aspect that included in the computer chess manual is the different moves in the online game. Playing chess either traditionally or online has three parts of the game such as the opening, middle and end game. These three parts are equally important to consider but has its own significance in the game. Some chess player gives more time in the opening. However, it should not be the right attitude. Keep in mind that the game does not entirely rely on the opening. This means that no matter how good and effective your opening is, there might be the possibility that you find trouble in the middle of the game and break down in the and game. In this sense, it is ideal to pay attention and focus on the entire game instead of focusing in the certain part of the game. In addition, there are different types of openings that you can do. The name of the opening depends on the name of the person who makes the move popular. Likewise, the effective techniques and strategies can also be found in chess manuals.

Aside from chess manuals, you can also found important details about chess from books and over an electronic book. There are many sites in the internet that discus all the details that are included in the game by watching videos of previous game played by professional chess players and chess masters. Others learn the game all by themselves through the help of computer chess. They search for chess sites that offer downloadable software that teaches about the game and at the same time going on in the game.

This software is a great tool not only for beginners, but also for advanced players. It does not only allow you to learn the game but also to practice what you have learned constantly. However, no matter what kind of method or tool you adapt in order to learn the game, what matters most is that you should give enough concentration of what you are studying. This would help you to understand well the content and what the manuals taught about the game.

Starting out on chess

Chess has been played for ages but it is thought to have been played in India in 5A.D.Numerous legends exist about chess but no one really knows who invented it. It is an intellectual competition between two players. Chess is played on a square board and is divided into 64 equal squares that are alternately white and dark.

The total number of chessmen is 32, with 16 being white and the other 16 being black. If one of the players decides to use the white men then the other has to take the Black men. You may be wondering what a chessman refers to. It’s really quite simple. A chessman refers to either a pawn or a piece. Therefore at the start of a game there are eight pawns and eight pieces for each side. Each player has the following types of pieces: King, Queen, Rook, Bishop, Knight and pawn. Usually the player with the white men is referred to as “white “whereas the player with the black men is referred to as “Black”. Therefore the side of the board which contains the White men is referred to the “white side “whereas the side of the body with the Black men is called the “Black side”.

If the board is now divided equally, vertically, the Queens would appear on one side whereas the Kings would be stationed on the other side. The side that contains the Queens is called the “Queenside “whereas the side that contains the Kings is called the “Kingside”. The white’s Kingside is always situated in the right side and the Black’s is situated in the left. This never changes, no matter the movements of the Kings and the Queens.

As a matter of fact, each player moves in turn. The white is usually the one obliged to start. Two consecutive moves by the same player is not allowed as it goes against the rules of the game. A move is referred to as a transfer of a man from the square on which it is located to another one in which it is allowed to move to.Consequently, if an opposite man is on the square to which one intends to move to, it is removed from the board and it cannot be permitted to take part in the game any more. Therefore the number of men in a game can only decrease and not increase. Another important concept is that a square cannot be simultaneously occupied by the two men, and a player is never allowed to capture his own men. Each type of chessmen moves in his own way, and also all men of the same type move in the same way.

The ultimate aim of the game is to make sure that the opponent’s men are captured. The person who succeeds in doing so will emerge the winner. If none of the players succeeds in doing so, then the game will end in a draw.

The above rules are just a snapshot of the whole process. As you advance in the game, more rules will be learnt and this will make you even a greater player. However remember to always practice as learning in theory never amounts to much without real practical experience.

Playing chess helps students perform well academically

The most fascinating and intriguing sport that stimulates the mind is the game of chess. It is this unique feature of this board game that makes it stand apart among the many types of games that had vanished after a brief period. Not only is the game vey challenging, it is also the most ancient one, being played since the 6th Century A.D. An analysis of the game, its features, rules, approach and the objective reveals that there are a lot of similarities between the game and the real life and this is one primary reason for patronizing this game.

Research has proved that children who were taught chess at their schools and encouraged to play chess regularly, have performed much better than others in their academic career.

How is it possible for a game to enhance the academic performance of a child? Well – that is the highpoint of this King of Games.

In the first instance, chess is a board game that requires serious thinking and application of tactics and strategies. The second and the most important aspect of chess is that it is a very fair game with no room for third-party influence – in other words, there is no room for luck or chance to prevail over a player. That means the game and the result are entirely in the hands of the player. If he makes a mistake, he is gone. If he induces the other person to make a mistake, he wins over the opponent.

In a nutshell, the game of chess is all about chalking out a plan of action aimed at cornering the opponent’s King and executing the plan overcoming the many obstacles. The beauty of the plan is that only the plan is yours but the execution depends on the response of the opponent. The plan, in that context, needs to be a dynamic one capable of being changed at every single move or a series of moves.

The game of chess, as such, requires concentration, attention, planning, decision-making and execution, overcoming the deft responses of the opponent.

Students learning the game of chess and playing regularly are bound to learn the following aspects – Focusing, Visualizing, Thinking ahead, Weighing options, analyzing concretely, planning and choosing the best alternative.

Each of the traits mentioned above, which are required in the game of chess, not only helps a student gain an upper hand over the opponent in the game. These traits help in nurturing his character as well. The virtue of focusing needs no explanation when it comes to learning mathematics in the school. Focusing, also referred to as attention or concentration, is very essential for solving mathematical problems.

The virtue of Visualizing teaches the student to not act in haste and instead foresee the possible responses or imagine the outcome in advance. This trait teaches the student to think before acting – a very important virtue that is essential as many people acting in haste ruined their lives or great opportunities.

The other traits of analyzing, planning, selecting the best option and executing play a vital role in the character and attitude of a student’s life that, once developed, stay along and guide him in his future life.

Most importantly, children develop a sense of self-confidence, which is very essential in life. Self-confidence, armed with these important traits, help students perform much better than others and outshine in their academic career.

Now, with the advent of the Internet, online chess makes it much easier for students to gain and sharpen these virtues. Meeting new opponents, who are separated by distance, through Internet and exchanging ideas will further expand their knowledge on chess, and this knowledge helps in gaining more self-confidence.

Let us, as parents, help our children learn the game of chess, develop a passion for the game, and encourage them to play chess online that will make a change in his life for the better.