Chess: A Beautiful Game

Chess is a beautiful game of infinite possibilities. In fact, according to the Shannon Number, there are more possible chess games than there are atoms in observable universe. Chess is a game that never gets old. Most chess rule books in the average chess set will teach you how to move the pieces and perhaps explain castling for king safety, en passant and pawn promotion, as well as offering some basic checkmating patterns, but few actually teach you how to play properly.

I thought it would be a good idea to outline some of the basic principles of chess to help improve my own thoughts on the game and encourage others to play and appreciate the beauty of chess. Chess is a game of three parts. As with every good story, chess has a beginning, a middle, and an end. Understanding the opening principles of chess, midgame tactics and strategy, and the patterns of the endgame will deepen your appreciation for the subtle art of the game. 

Opening Principles

When it comes to opening a chess game, understanding the principles is more important than memorising various set moves or established openings. It is more important to understand why certain openings are used than to simply know certain opening variations from memory. The opening of a chess game usually takes place within the first 10 to 15 moves as pieces are developed. The following principles should generally be observed:  

1] Develop all of your minor pieces first (knights before bishops). This brings your army out onto the battlefield. The more pieces developed the more possible moves and opportunities to attack or defend. Try not to block your own pieces when developing. Give yourself some space.  

2] Develop pieces as soon as possible for a time advantage. Never move a piece twice unless absolutely necessary. There is an element of time in chess and white obviously has the time advantage by moving first. It is important to avoid wasting time by moving too many pawns or moving the same piece multiple times. A time advantage allows you to put more pressure on your opponent and may often be the difference between winning and losing a game. 

3] Control the centre (e.g. a pawn duo in the centre protected by knights). Controlling the centre is a key principle of classical chess theory. Developing your pieces toward the centre allows them the maximum number of possible moves than if they were developed to the side of the board. For example, a knight in the centre of the board will control up to eight squares, whereas a knight on the sides will control much less space. 

4] Castle within the first 5 to 10 moves for king safety. Castling is absolutely essential to protect your king from being threatened in the opening and midgame. Given that most of the action will take place in the centre of the board, it is a good idea to get your king out of the way and keep him protected as soon as possible. Castling also brings one of your rooks into play sooner. Rooks are powerful pieces, but only when they are brought into play.

5] Connect the rooks and move them to control open/semi-open files. Once you’ve developed all your pieces and castled for king safety, the rooks should be connected along the first rank from whichever side of the board you are playing. Connected rooks protect each other and should always work in tandem. Moving your rooks to an open or semi-open file (where one or more pawns have been taken from either side) allows the player to threaten the enemy from a distance. 

6] Avoid using your queen aggressively in the opening and early midgame. Although the queen is the most powerful piece on the board, she is particularly vulnerable to being overwhelmed by minor pieces during the opening and early midgame. She should be developed carefully during the opening, perhaps only one square forward, and used to protect other minor pieces. Be careful not to have her protecting too many pieces at once as she may easily be overwhelmed. The queen is a very powerful asset. She’s too valuable to lose early in the game. 

  

N.B. Watch out for hypermodern chess openings. The hypermodern school of thought argues for indirect control of the centre in the opening with the intent to win material and control the centre directly at a later point in the game. For example, rather than marching pawns to centre at the beginning, the player might move his knights first to control the centre indirectly and fianchetto the bishops thereby controlling both the long diagonal and attacking the central squares. This method invites the opponent to control the centre at first, only to make his pieces vulnerable to attack from a distance.

Midgame Strategy & Tactics

The midgame in classical chess theory is often thought of in terms of strategy and tactics. Strategy refers to the long-term plan and ethos of play, whereas tactics refers to methods of attack. Knowledge of both will equip you with the tools to dominate both midgame and endgame. The midgame commences after both side have fully developed their pieces and castled for king safety.  

A] Strategy

1] Understand the relative value of pieces. Each piece on the chess board may be assigned a value. Pawns are worth 1 point. Knights and bishops are worth 3 points each. Rooks are worth five points. The queen is worth 9 points and the king is priceless. Knowing the value of the pieces allows the player to see what exchanges are reasonable, what pieces need the most defending, and which side has the material advantage. However, the game of chess may not be reduced to the value of material exchange alone. In some sense, these values are relative to the position of the piece on the board. A knight in the centre of the board is more valuable than a knight in the corner as it controls more squares. A rook in play on an open file is more valuable that a rook trapped in a corner by its own pieces. A pawn on verge of promotion is practically as valuable as a queen.  

2] Knights or bishops? The value of knights and bishops is a point of controversy among chess players. Some say the bishop is worth a little more than the knight as it is able to control more squares with greater speed, though it is limited to squares of one colour. The bishop could therefore be valued at 3 ½ points, but there is always a subjective element of preference. Knights are particularly powerful during the opening and early midgame as they work well on a crowded board by being able to jump over other pieces. Bishops are powerful when controlling long diagonals and become more useful as the board opens up over time; whereas Knights may be vulnerable on an open board.  

3] Think about position and space. It is important to develop your pieces onto squares where they are most useful. Developing a knight to the corner of the board will make it less effective than a knight controlling the centre. As bishops are powerful on long diagonals, you may consider developing the Bishop into a fianchetto in the opening to control the centre indirectly. As a rule, however, most pieces are at their best in the centre of the board from where they can make the most possible moves. The queen is especially powerful in the centre, controlling up to 28 squares at one time. However, she is also most vulnerable to attack in the centre, especially from minor pieces in the opening and early midgame. Rooks are powerful when controlling open and semi-open files and supported by another rook or the queen. Even though pieces are generally most powerful in the centre, you should make sure your pieces are defended by others – there are no lone rangers in chess.

4] Beware of pawn weaknesses. A number of pawn structures should be avoided where possible:

ii] Avoid creating doubled pawns (where two pawns of the same colour sit together on the same file). Doubled pawns are considered to be a weakness because they are unable to defend each other and create difficulties with moving pawns up the board for promotion. 

ii]Beware of isolated pawns. A lone pawn is weak pawn. Where possible pawns should always have the potential to be defended by another pawn on the diagonal. Lone pawns may need the protection of a major or minor piece, potentially restricting your pieces to babysitting pawns. 

iii] Look out for holes. A hole in chess is a gap in the pawn structure that can never be protected by another pawn. This happens because pawns can only move forwards. When you move a pawn, you may create a weakness on the board. This cannot always be helped and is sometimes necessary to develop the game by marching the pawns forwards. However, holes make excellent outposts for an enemy piece, especially knights. It is important to spot holes in your own position to know your weaknesses and in your enemy’s position to seize the advantage. 

5] Think carefully. Whenever you move a piece ask yourself: is it safe to move this piece here? Is it protected and/or protecting another piece? What weaknesses does moving this piece create? Think about your pieces working together in harmony – pieces protecting each other and working together to attack the enemy. Just because you can take a piece, doesn’t mean you should. Think about the consequences of taking. It might be better to keep the tension for a while or increase the attack on a particular square/piece to put more pressure on your opponent. It also very important to think about and anticipate your opponents’ potential moves: is he attacking a piece? Does he threaten check or mate? What might he be planning in the next several moves? Stop. Think. Respond carefully.

6] Plan ahead. Don’t just move pieces randomly. Consider how the board unfolds over time and what goals you would like to achieve to put pressure on your opponent, gain material, and ultimately checkmate the enemy king. Think about the value of your pieces, the importance of material and time advantage, king safety, pawn structure, the positioning of your pieces, and control of key squares (usually in the centre of the board). Try to anticipate your opponents’ moves as far as possible and think about what you might do to counteract them or undermine his potential plans. 

  

B] Tactics

1] The Pin. A pin occurs when a long-range piece (queen, rook, or bishop) targets one of the opponent’s valuable pieces (such has the queen) when there is another piece such as a knight blocking in front. The knight is said to be ‘pinned’ because if it moves, the queen is vulnerable to be taken.

2] The Fork. A fork occurs when a single piece attacks two or more pieces at the same time. For example, a knight might fork the enemy rook and the queen; or a pawn might fork two rooks. If one piece is moved from danger, the other may be taken and material gained.

 

3] The Skewer. The skewer, sometimes known as the ‘reverse pin’, occurs when two pieces are attacked by a long-range piece on the same line. The more valuable piece is pinned with the less valuable piece standing behind. The opponent is forced to move the valuable piece and forfeit the other. An absolute skewer occurs when the valuable piece is the king as the king is obliged to move out of check according to the laws of chess; leaving the less valuable piece vulnerable to be taken. 

4] Double Attack. The double attack is similar to the fork. It occurs when two attacks are made with one move either by a single piece (as with the fork) or by difference pieces (as in a discovered attack). 

5] Check. You may check the king in a fork or double attack, forcing the king to move, allowing you to gain material by taking the other piece. If the enemy king is exposed, there is a possibility that this may be repeated over and over in a windmill attack. This would be a very powerful move as the king is obliged to flee again and again for safety. Check may also be used to regain a time advantage by forcing the enemy king to move, delaying your opponent from carrying out his plans.    

6] Double Check. A double check occurs when the king is attack by two pieces simultaneously. This involves what is known as a discovered check. For example, if your bishop was in front of your rook, you move the bishop to check the king while simultaneously exposing the enemy king to another check from your rook. The enemy king will be forced to move. 
 

7] Discovered Check. A discovered check occurs when you move one piece, allowing a piece behind such as a rook, queen, or bishop to check the enemy king. 

8] Battery. The battery in chess occurs when two rooks (or the rook(s) and a queen) attack the enemy’s side of the board from the same file – something like a battering ram. This may be used to break down enemy defences and exchange material, usually to remove protection from the opponent’s king. A battery may also be formed on a diagonal line with the queen and a bishop.  

9] Pawn Duos. Not a tactic per se, but a useful way to control or attack a number of squares on the board is by forming a pawn duo (i.e. two pawns side by side). A pawn duo will control the four squares in front of the duo – something especially valuable in the centre of the board. These pawn duos are worth protecting with other pawns or knights for centre control. 

10] Sacrifices. Chess is a game of sacrifice. You may need to forsake a piece to gain the advantage. Some spectacular checkmates have been played by using costly sacrifices. As a rule, it is a good idea to remember the relative value of pieces before exchanging material, but if checkmate is possible through the sacrifice of a valuable piece, then it is worth the expense. 

  

Endgame Patterns and Principles

Sometimes checkmate will occur before the endgame – it is possible to be checkmated in the opening sequence and midgame, but less likely to occur among experienced players who develop their pieces properly. Rushing to checkmate your opponent is not necessarily the best idea, especially if it backfires and allows your opponent to gain a time advantage and material. The endgame occurs when a considerable amount of material has been taken, perhaps when both queens have been exchanged, and when either side has the potential to promote a passed pawn. 

A] Principles

1] The King reigns. Many players forget the value of the King in the endgame. He is both priceless and powerful. He is able to move and capture pieces in any direction by one square. It is therefore important to ensure the king has space to manoeuvre in the endgame, and especially to ensure the king has a flight square if he resides behind a pawn wall from castling earlier in the game. If there are only one or two minor pieces and pawns left on the board and no major pieces, it is a good idea to centralise the king both for control of the board and to attack unprotected pawns.  

2] Pawn power. It is important to recognise the potential of a pawn majority during the endgame. The more pawns you have on the board, the more likely you are to obtain a second queen. Pawns are the soul of chess. Wasting their lives randomly earlier in the game could make your life difficult in the end game. Even though a pawn is only worth 1 point, every pawn has the potential to become a queen and becomes more valuable as it marches up the board. Treat them with respect and push your passed pawns forward to victory. If possible protect them from behind with a rook. 

3] Pieces or pawns? If you have the material advantage, it is a good idea to exchange pieces on the board. The less pieces on the board, the easier it becomes to push your pawn advantage for promotion to a queen. The less pawns you have, the less likely you are to win promotion. If you have less material than your opponent, you should try to capture as many of his pawns as possible.

4] Beware of “Bad Bishops”. When both your bishop and pawns are on the same colour squares, this is said to be a “bad bishop”. If you only have one bishop left, you should try to place your pawns on squares of the opposite colour to control both black and white squares as much as possible. 

5] Rooks rule. In the endgame, rooks may be used to great effect in several ways: protecting passed pawns advancing for promotion, preventing the enemy’s passed pawns from obtaining queens, and for forcing the enemy King to the edge of the board. With two rooks, checkmate is easily delivered.

B] Patterns

Checkmate occurs when a player’s king is in check and there is no way for him to escape or remove the threat. The game ends as soon as the king is checkmated. Equally matched players may consider a draw together; it is considered polite for a player who will certainly lose to voluntarily resign the game. If the king is not put into check but has no legal move then the game will end in a draw or stalemate. The are many different kinds of checkmate. Some of the most common are explained below:

1] Two Major Pieces. Any two major pieces (queens or rooks) are able to gradually force the enemy king into checkmate on the edge of the board.

2] King & Queen. Using the king and queen, it is possible to force the enemy king to the edges of the board. Your king will prevent the enemy king from moving away and the queen will deliver mate. 

 

3] King & Rook. Similarly, it is possible to force the enemy king to the edge of the board using your king and rook. Checkmate is delivered by boxing your opponent’s king with the rook.

4] Back-rank Mate. This occurs when a major piece (queen or rook) mates the enemy king who is trapped on the back rank behind his own pieces (usually pawns).

5] Smothered Mate. A smothered mate occurs when the knight delivers checkmate to the enemy king who is smothered or restricted by his own pieces, usually in the corner of the board.

N.B. Many other kinds of checkmate are possible during the endgame such as mate using the king and two bishops or even using the king, bishop, and knight. Some of the most common are listed above. In a real game, it is important to remember that your opponent’s pieces may restrict his own king, allowing a greater variety of ways to deliver checkmate. 

     

Useful Websites & Books

www.chess.com Arguably the best free to play chess app available. Allows for play against random folk and friends alike at whatever pace you choose. Uses a ranked play system to match against players of a similar skill. Offers a useful analysis board for correspondence chess. See their YouTube page for helpful chess tutorials.  

ChessNetwork A national chess master from the US who offers outstanding free tuition videos on his YouTube channel (See the playlist ‘Beginner to Chess Master’) as well analysis of historic and contemporary chess games. His videos have helped me to improve my own game exponentially. 

James Eade, Chess for Dummies (2016). Deals with the basic rules of chess, opening principles, midgame strategy and tactics, and endgame patterns. An easy to read chess book by a US Chess Federation Chess Master.

James Eade, Chess Openings for Dummies (2010). Explains many of the most important chess openings and the ideas behind them.