Chess Glossary – 10 Chess Terms

Part of learning and improving in chess is familiarizing yourself with the most common terms used by players. Referring to a chess glossary is a good start, but you might be surprised to find that there are more than 250 terms to learn. The good news is that you do not have to memorize all them. You can learn them as you play, or you can start by learning the most commonly used chess terms. Whether you are a beginner or an average player, it may help you master the game better by knowing the 10 most commonly used chess terms:

1.  Tiebreak – The method for differentiating the places between two players who have the same score. It is typically based on how well opponents did in the event.

2.  Sudden death – This is the time control period where all moves must be played within a given amount of time on a player’s clock.

3.  Pin – The attack of a Queen, Bishop, or Rook on a piece that should not or cannot move because a worthier piece behind it is along the line of attack.

4.  Touch Chess move – This is a rule that states three points: (1) You touch a piece, you move it, (2) you let go of that piece, you leave it, and (3) you displace the opponent’s piece, you take it.

5.  Doubled pawns – Two pawns in the same color in one file as a result of capture.

6.  Annotation – To show the moves of the game and provide extra moves and text describing the detail of what could have or what has happened.

7.  Attack – Moving a piece to the square to capture the opponent’s piece next move. It may describe having the initiative and placing pressure on a specific square, such as when you intend to attack the kingside.

8.  Blitz – Fast chess, which is typically five minutes per player in the entire game.

9.  Desperado – A piece that will be captured anyway, so it can be sacrificed at a high cost.

10.  Double attack – Attacking two or more pieces with a single move.

Once you familiarize yourself with these 10 chess terms, you can visualize better and imagine your sequences of actions before executing them. Likewise, knowing the terms from a reliable chess glossary may help increase your cognitive skills, boost your memory, and enable you to communicate better with teammates, coaches, and rivals.

Blog Source URL: http://www.chesscoachonline.com/chess-glossary-10-chess-terms

Alternate Rules for Chess Game

Chess has certain rules and standards that players must follow to ensure a smooth gameplay that makes sense. However, some chess games can be played using alternative rules that may involve removing certain pieces or adding more pieces, and various time limits. Knowing these alternate rules can help you become a more versatile player while expanding your knowledge and ability. It can also make playing chess with your friends more fun.

Odd chess is one of the alternate ways to play chess. It lets unevenly matched players enjoy a fair game. Hence, it does not matter if you are playing an amateur player with a master and vice-versa. In odd chess, the more experienced or skilled player receives a handicap, which can vary from minimal (i.e. the less skilled player going first) to extreme (i.e. experienced player eliminates his pieces in the queen’s side). Some players add other chess rules. For instance, the strong player delivers mate on a particular square or piece.

Los Alamos is another alternate version of chess, and it is played on a six by six square board without the bishops. This type of chess game was invented for early computers, back when they lacked computing power for a full game. Capablanca chess is a game that is played on a 10 by 10 or 10 by eight board with additional pieces, such as an archbishop that can move like a knight and a bishop, and a chancellor that can move like a knight and rook. Blitz chess is a form of orthodox chess but considered a variant due to its rule, where you are allowed to play at different time limits (usually five minutes for every game). Some orthodox chess games may require you to be blindfolded. It can be a test of how much you know the board and the pieces.

Blog Source URL: http://www.chesscoachonline.com/alternate-rules-for-chess-game

4 Tips for Selecting the Best Chess Classes Online

One of the great challenges people face is to be able to adapt. Yet, change is the one constant in a world that is always evolving. This applies to people as much as it does to technology. We live in a world that would have been the envy of visionaries of the past – any information we seek is always at our fingertips. How we use this resource is up to us. Among other things, it provides a novel approach to pursue a desire or improve your skill. Online chess lessons is a bit of both, and then some more.

If you are a beginner and want to take chess lessons, then you do not have to hire a personal coach. You can easily learn chess by studying it online. Many professional players and institutions share various strategies and tactics of chess on their websites or other online forums that you can access through your laptop or phone from the comfort of your home.

But in the abundance of choices, it is not easy to choose the right institution or coach, especially online. It is not easy to trust someone you have not met in life. When it comes to teaching, the skills and services offered by the person or institution become a serious matter. You must invest time in learning only from the best.

You should consider these pointers before choosing the best chess classes for you online:

Take the Free Trial: Many online institutes and coaches offer a free trial period in which you can join the classes for free for a certain period of time and see if you are comfortable with the information provided by them. Then you can sign up with them and pay the cost of the course. In that trial period, you can evaluate their approach towards the game and their students. If you find them considerable, enough you can move ahead in the process of selection.

Take Them into Consideration: When you are satisfied with the teachings of an online coach or institute in the trial period, you can look for their credentials and see how they are treating their students. If they are attending to their students and properly addressing their issues, you can keep them on your list. Do not forget to ask for the complete information related to their charges, timings, schedule, and other small things. It will help you find out if their services will suit your schedule and preference or not.

Perform a Background Check: You should do a proper check on your online coach or institution regarding their experience, course structure, and qualification. Not every grandmaster is a good teacher, but they certainly carry a lot of experience with them that can be useful to you. Also, ask from their students for their experiences with them, it will give you a clear idea about whether to choose them or not.

Charges: The price charged by any coach or institute can be a deciding factor in your selection process. Before paying upfront, try making a budget for your training and proceed accordingly. It will help you save some money and to help you choose better.

Blog Source URL: http://www.chesscoachonline.com/4-tips-for-selecting-the-best-chess-classes-online

Chess Learning Software: Enjoyable Way to Improve Your Chess Skills

No matter if you are looking to improve your chess playing skills or want a professional to teach your children about chess due to the incredible mental benefits that the game offers, chess learning software is for everyone.

The traditional method of looking for an institute that is close to your home is time-consuming and training at such institutes can also be very expensive. A better alternative is to use chess learning software that is not just affordable, but you can learn and play chess anytime and anywhere.

Chess learning software come with an abundance of advantages and some of the most beneficial ones are mentioned below-

Live Expert Help: Some of the best of chess learning software can connect you to expert tutors who will guide you through live video chat. You can play with them, and while playing, they will provide you with all the expert advice that you need to improve your skills. You can learn advanced strategies to open or end a game, get answers to your queries, etc. just like you’d do it in an actual institute.

Learning at your Pace: If you are just starting with chess, things can be a little confusing. But with easy access to databases filled with useful knowledge about the game and step-by-step tutorials, you are sure to learn the nuances of the game as well as enjoy the whole experience. Moreover, you can go back to previous tutorials whenever you want or can also ask questions to the tutors to make sure that every concept is clear right from the beginning.

24 x 7 Availability: While you will not be able to play and learn from experts at any time of the day, the software has practice game which you can play to improve your skills. The games are divided as per the skill levels and no matter if you are a beginner or a professional, you are sure to find practice games that will challenge your skills.

And the best thing is adults as well as children can easily use the chess learning software with utmost ease. Everything around us is getting digital, and it is time to switch to a more convenient and simpler way to learn chess.

Blog Source URL: http://www.chesscoachonline.com/chess-learning-software-enjoyable-way-to-improve-your-chess-skills

Challenge Your Brain Efficiency by Learning Chess Openings Online

The game of Chess used to be known as the ’Game of Kings’ and not without good reason. It was regarded as a test of intellectual gifts and a person’s ability to outsmart their opponents using them. But modern studies show that chess develops and enhances intellectual capacity, and is not a prerequisite as is commonly believed. In a recent study, it was found that playing chess is an ‘exercise’ for every part of the brain. It develops mental abilities used throughout one’s life – concentration, analytical thinking, and abstract reasoning, puzzle solving, pattern recognition, strategic planning and foresight, creativity, analysis, synthesis, and evaluation.

The first few moves in the game of chess lay the foundation for the rest of it. Practicing for the opening moves helps the player strategize even before a game actually starts. If the opening gambit pays off, they can go on to dictate how the game unfolds. The game can move in various directions immediately after, and innumerable permutations and combinations can arise. To stick to a game plan and follow a strategy is an acquired skill and a test of the brain’s efficiency in organizing thoughts. This is more than just a metaphor as the brain cells do, in fact, create stronger bonds with adjoining neurons, raising the efficiency of the neural pathways.

It is important for the beginners to understand the important moves and theories behind the opening of a game of chess. One not only needs to memorize the strategies but also know the logical reason behind the same. It is important for any chess player to figure out what type of strategy they like to play as each opening has a different style. Once they are familiar with what they like, it is time to move ahead and master other strategies as well.

Every opening gives a different direction to the game. For the beginners, it becomes challenging to understand how to head the game. So, it is advised to learn the game and related theories from an expert. Online chess coaching centers are one of the best places to find such a tutor. The importance of understanding the concepts and their application is more important than just memorizing moves. Even one careless move nullifies a winning streak.

Learning chess online also includes a range of activities like interactive games, brainstorming exercises, and feedback sessions that encourage logical thinking. Moreover, you learn how to start the game, anticipate what opponent tends to move and strategize the game accordingly.

Blog Source URL: http://www.chesscoachonline.com/challenge-your-brain-efficiency-by-learning-chess-openings-online

Chess Strategies for Beginners: Develop Problem-Solving Skills

Chess is a game where the continuously evolving strategy helps players to develop their problem solving skills. These skills develop over the course of learning how to play the game. The natural progression in improvement of these abilities can be witnessed in the way a player learns to adapt and change as he or she moves on from being a beginner to an expert. 

Here’s how chess helps enhance a player’s problem-solving skills.

Learn the basic moves

As a new learner starts to understand the basic moves of the game, he or she slowly realizes the potential of each piece. From the lowly Pawn to the might Queen, each piece has its own role to play in the game. They learn to negotiate through the various problems that surface when they encounter the opponent’s plays and make use of the pieces to learn to win the game. This helps the player to understand the importance of small steps and how they can help them achieve success in life.

Understand the strategies

There are numerous strategies in chess that a beginner has to learn to become a great player. These can range from simple ones like castling and how to avoid a stalemate to more complex ones like how to control the center and how to successfully execute a game play. In addition, there are many innumerable moves for opening, closing, controlling the center and so on, that help a player to win a game.

Understanding these strategies and moves help the beginner to understand how to get out of any problem through focused plans and putting them into action. They also understand how the same strategy can be applied to life and ensure the person can avoid any of life’s problems with careful planning.

Focusing on the goal

Learning the various opening moves such as Flank openings, playing open, semi-open or closed games, the Indian defense, etc. help the beginner to understand how a series of simple moves can help achieve a win. They understand that whatever move they make, the focus on the final goal can help them get to the finish line. This learning also translates to lessons in life as the learners plough through the various challenges life throws their way without losing sight of the final goal.

Blog Source URL: http://www.chesscoachonline.com/chess-strategies-for-beginners-develop-problem-solving-skills