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10 Tips to Become a Chess Champ

chess player looking at board

If you want to be a chess champ, it’ll take lots of learning and lots of practicing. Here are 10 tips to get you started:

LEARN THE CHESS MOVES

Each chess piece can move only a certain way. For instance, a pawn moves straight ahead but can only attack on an angle, one square at a time. A knight’s move is L-shaped. The bishop moves at an angle but can move more than one square at a time. The rook (castle) can move only in a straight line but can go forward, back or to the side. The queen, the most powerful piece, can move in any direction for any number of squares, but not two directions in one move. And the king moves at a stately pace — as a king should — one square at a time in any direction on the chess board.

OPEN WITH A PAWN

Move the pawn in front of either the king or queen two squares forward. (Only on its opening move can a pawn move two squares.) This opens pathways for your bishops and queen to enter the game. They move on an angle and can’t get out onto the field of battle if pawns are in the way.

GET THE KNIGHTS AND BISHOPS OUT

Before you move your queen, rooks or king, move your knights and bishops toward the center of the chess board. You want to get these pieces out from behind the pawns so they can attack.

WATCH YOUR BACK!

And front! When it’s your turn, always think to yourself, “What did my opponent’s last move do? What is he up to?” Is he laying traps to capture your pieces? Then decide on your own plan. Always look at all your possibilities. Look at moves that would capture your opponent’s men or threaten his king first. But always double-check your moves before you play them. Ask yourself, “Does my move leave something unprotected?”

DON’T WASTE TIME

Don’t make too many moves with your pawns or try to pick off your opponent’s pawns.

“CASTLE” EARLY

Castling is a move that allows you to move your king to safety and bring your rook into play. Once all the squares between your rook and the king are unoccupied you can move the king two squares toward the rook while the rook moves to the square on the the king’s other side. If your opponent neglects to castle, you might be able to launch an attack on his king. This is the only chess move in which more than one piece may be moved in a turn.

ATTACK IN THE “MIDDLEGAME”

After you’ve brought all your knights and bishops into the game and castled (these moves are your “opening”), the middlegame begins. In the middlegame, always be on the lookout for ways to capture your opponent’s men. Take any chess piece that your opponent doesn’t protect. But look at what will happen to your piece if you take his — will you get picked off? Always be looking for ways to move lots of your men into position to attack the enemy king.

LOSE PIECES WISELY

You’ll take some of your opponent’s pieces. Some of your pieces will be taken. You must figure out what is and isn’t a good swap in chess. Use these points to figure out whether you’re making a good move if you’re going to lose one of them:

  • Queen: 9 points
  • Rook: 5 points
  • Bishop: 3 points
  • Knight: 3 points
  • Pawn: 1 point

So is it a good idea to lose a bishop to save a pawn? No!

DON’T PLAY TOO FAST

If you see a good move, sit on your hands and look for a better one. Patient thinking is the key to chess success.

WIN THE ENDGAME

After you and your opponent swap pieces and you’re down to just a few men, the endgame begins. Now the pawns become more important. If you can advance a pawn to the farthest row away from you, that pawn becomes a queen. A big success! Let your king attack, too, as long as he stays out of reach of your opponent’s remaining pieces — especially the queen — and does not let himself to be checked.

Your king is said to be in check when your opponent threatens to use one of his pieces to capture the king on his next move. If your king is checked and you have no way to remove the threat — it can’t run away, you can’t capture the opposing piece that has him in check and you can’t block the check by moving one of your own pieces — the game is lost. Checkmate! If you checkmate your opponent before he checkmates you, then you win!

70 Comments on 10 Tips to Become a Chess Champ

  1. these tips are useful

  2. these are very common.

  3. Chess game requires a very big amount of Patience. Think positive is an advantage.

  4. Majay wa nare // February 24, 2019 at 1:26 pm // Reply

    Thanks i really appreciate from now on im gonna be a chese champ

  5. i cant win at tournament in computer can you teach me how

  6. I liked the tricks you used.I will win with my friends.

  7. I won every game I played after I read these amazing tips

  8. I won every game I played after I read these amazing tips

  9. All great tactics but you need to know your opponent.

  10. IM BAD AT CHESS AND CURRENTLY HAVE THE LOWEST SCORE WHICH IS SAD BECAUSE YOUNGER KIDS ARE BEATING ME, HELP IS NEEDED AND FAST!!!!!!!

  11. Perfect I Really Believe I’d Win This Year’s Contest

  12. I liked the advice’s which u gave me. Thnx a lot.I hope I would win the match tommorow which I m going to play

  13. These are only 9 tips

  14. Great

  15. Excellent, invaluable for the beginner, and a great perspective for the experienced player, it’s always good to listen to others, never know what you might learn!

  16. It really good moves

  17. thank you so much

  18. we should also have a will power test on the board.

  19. The chess cavalier // December 13, 2018 at 4:07 am // Reply

    I wish to one day rule the chess scene, chess is my life and i have devoted every inch of my body to it. I play chess religiously and believe that a person’s value isn’t based on wealth, status, gender, ethnicity, etc – it’s by their skill in chess.

  20. human vs computer is also a good way to become chess champ

  21. im always careful while playing a chess game but they still win me at last….anything else am still missing ???
    Advice please 😓

  22. Great

  23. Thank you for making this organization.This will help me in next year’s contest!!!😃😃😃😃😃Nice work!👍👍👍

  24. I am a chess champion

  25. A Very very thanks to u

  26. Nice tips .I can use it to my advantage

  27. Good tips. Tips needs to trap opponent without his knowledge

  28. This all is known. Improve the stuff.
    Seems insifficient to win games.What i think if i know three potential steps its always easy to win.

  29. this might help for playing this game

  30. THANKS

  31. I dont believe in castling😂

  32. These tips might help me to improve so thanks

  33. I have a high IQ than my junior brother, but he always beats me in the game…. WHY?

  34. Very nice tips to become a winner in the game

  35. santhanaselvam // July 24, 2018 at 1:03 am // Reply

    my santhanm

  36. that is how a computer plays but just noticed it now after u have mentioned it, it always makes those castling moves n checking it’s king becomes a hustle

  37. This is not tactics it is basics of the chess

  38. Nice and good ideas

    Thank-you!

  39. Chess champ // June 10, 2018 at 7:40 am // Reply

    These are basics

  40. Chess_learner // June 1, 2018 at 5:04 am // Reply

    Nice

  41. How can i make a trap that they can’t see

  42. Anonymous // May 23, 2018 at 3:12 am // Reply

    Thanks

  43. What happens if a you cant move any of your pieces?

  44. I just start learning chess but i think i learned alot so farr..

  45. youngstoney // April 24, 2018 at 8:24 am // Reply

    …good advice

  46. I am not the attacker i am defender i always defend the opponent attack but i always checkmate from the opponet so what should i do please tell me. any one.??😦😦

    • someonefrom496 // August 4, 2018 at 3:48 pm // Reply

      Try using a different tactic, and look for openings to attack without a risk – that should fit a defender’s tastes.

  47. Good adviee

    Add…….AFTER determining that none of your pieces are at risk o being taken, don’t make a move umtil you have considered at least 3 moved

    • Flyingcupid // April 25, 2018 at 7:08 am // Reply

      Defending is one of the knowledge you must have, but also you must know how to plan on checkmating your opponent. Think before you move some pieces and block your opponent where u think he plans to do.

    • Anonymous // May 2, 2018 at 1:33 pm // Reply

      use attacking as a defense

    • decent chess player // May 26, 2018 at 4:44 pm // Reply

      Practice attacking. use forks pins and skewers

  48. SO NICE

  49. good

  50. I’m already good at chess, but these tips might help me improve.

    • BOSS_ENDERMAN21 // July 1, 2018 at 1:49 pm // Reply

      i guess i am good too, but i always loose. although, i doo beat my friends now and then with an okay strategy.

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