SL Chess Games with 2-4 Kids - Free Classroom Lesson

The whole class can make the figures/players with paper clay and chess boards with paper squares or ink. Paper clay is cheap and dries in a few days and then kids can paint it.

The game of chess is old and like the deck of 52 playing cards goes back to feudal times and the competitive wars between monarchs.

This game motivates the kids. I especially like four children playing (2 on each team) as the team members talk strategy and bicker in English so much. They can be very ammusing. The teacher acts as both English coach, peace and rule keeper and can be the 4th player if only 3 children are present.

KIDS LEARN:

1. Clay, modeling, drying, painting, etc. King, queen, bishop, knight (or horse), rook (castle is better) and pawn (peasant foot-soldier). Kids also learn check, checkmate, strategy and many small sentences of direction (Take the castle. Ah, you killed by bishop! etc.).

2. Teach and ask the kids about the roles/duties of each segment of society. Where are the women and children and grandparents?

3. Tell them this is a rigid rule-bound game. Real life is not played by rules. Some people use poison or marriage, alliances and ninja and traps to reach their goals. Some flee their kingdoms or get help from overseas. Sometimes plague breaks out. Life has random events.

4. Show them the moves of each class of warrior/player. Often the best way to show the moves is to dive in and play. Kids catch on quickly especially when the teacher starts killing/taking their main players. Stress helps them learn.

5. Emphasize the power of each player. Example: "The queen is very powerful. She can go anywhere, in any direction and sweep across the board, but only the Knight can jump over others. The pawn is a poor peasant/farmer, a foot soldier. He is fed poorly, can't move quickly, has little of no armour, poor weapons, no horse and is easily killed.

6. I show kids my own main strategy, which is to move a pawn and get the queen out quickly across the board (with the bishops) and to attack, attach, attack. Kids soon see that this often works well.

7. I show the kids that chess can be played solo, by changing seats, or by turning the board around (no ESL learning in this, however), and with an internet partner (little ESL value). I also show them some variations we sometimes play:
A. Lead with castles (not the queen). B. Lead with bishops. C. Remove both queens.

Kids need to be monitored so they use English and not their native language. Enjoy!

The Wonder Of Online Chess

The internet has effected us all, the whole world is changed by the internet and its power of communication, one of the most amazing examples of the power of the internet is the change it has brought to the game of chess, and the changes that are about to shake the old world traditional games is just beginning to emerge out of the turmoil that the internet gaming culture has created.

Chess has always been known to be a game of minds, the power of mathematical thinking and the understanding of the enemy strategy and future moves was in the heart of the game that was invents in ancient Persia and played by millions of people around the world for centuries. In modern times society has decided to promote chess as a game for the masses and not as it was portrayed for many year as a game for the high society and intellectual elite, this has created an overwhelming passion for chess and has indeed made chess a global game that can be played by all without relation to social standings and educational pedigree. The same technique was used for promoting tennis and later golf to the weaker levels of society, as a way of distancing the stigma that an activity acquires and making it possible for all to enjoy and compete equally.

The game of chess however is very different to other sports and activities, it can be played over long periods of time and playing partners can play against others while their board at home still holds a very delicate chess situation with a completely different competitor. There was a time in which it was very popular for movies to show how friends play chess one against the other on the phone, when they are actually miles away or even in different continents, and the reality today is that the same thing has actually happened, now people can play against anyone, anyone in the whole world.

By logging into mass chess playing rooms in the internet one can find competitors and play against them, learn new tactics and make friends from all over the world, what was once done only in chess conventions and meetings is being done right now all over the world, by using the internet as a immediate chess playing tool. This new opportunity for the ancient game is another landmark on its ever-growing popularity in the world, now chess is heading for a completely impersonal era where players will compete without shaking each others hands before the game, they will be physically apart.

Visiting the chess rooms online will reveals a whole new chess community that is thriving in the cyber world, one should experience the passion of online chess if only to whiteness players playing around the clock with others like them on different time zones around the world. Like the legendary sand bird the game of chess rises to the technological challenges over and over again, making chess played over and over again in different centuries by different people in all so many different ways, chess is truly the king of games.

Chess in the Arts and Literature

Chess is a board game that has been played for many centuries. It originated in Europe and is a very popular game still today. There are national tournaments held all over the world for all age groups from young children to adults. It is also a popular game to be played in nursing homes or elderly care communities as it offers mind stimulation for the elderly.

Chess is a game that is also very popular in arts and literature. It can be seen in books, magazines, articles, newspapers, arts, ballets, or music. There have been many very well known books that are sometimes based around the game of chess or that use the game at some point in the literature. It also can be used as a metaphor for something else.

There are various chess magazines and publications that you can find in bookstores, libraries or online. Some offers subscriptions to chess enthusiasts, while others do not. Chess can also be found in many online venues.

For the chess enthusiast, there are books that are centered on chess. Sometimes this can include the actual game being some sort of central part of the book. Other times authors may be less obvious and use the chess game as metaphors, chapter titles or other various ways of intertwining the chess game into the book without the actual game being the main focus.

Chess is a game of critical thinking and strategy so many avid chess players find these types of books and articles very interesting as it is clear the author has had to use some thought to strategically position the chess analogies.

Chess can also be used in literature to dictate how the book or publications course goes. For example, a story may be based around a person and different "chess moves" they make in their life and how it affects their surroundings. It is a great way to depict struggles or battles that may be going on in a book or publication.

Chess is also found in arts, most commonly in paintings where the game of chess if being depicted being played by a group of individuals. Usually chess is played with two people. They have a board that they place the chess pieces on to. The pieces are two colors, usually black and white, and have varying shapes mostly based on medieval times. This includes kings, queens, knights, bishops and pawns.

Each player is allowed to make one move of their pieces before the other player gets to move again. The king piece is being protected by all the other chess pieces. The object of the game is to checkmate, or block the other player's king so that he has nowhere to move the king.

Also, in arts you actually see the game of chess depicted through ballet, musicals or interpretive dance moves. Again, the chess game may be more literal or the dancers may be recreating the battle or games being played as chess pieces are moved up and across a board.

How To Play Better Chess - Start Improving Chess Playing Skills NOW With This IMPORTANT Tip!

How to play better chess?

The answers to that question would be so varied:

- Some would recommend drilling those basic tactical motifs in yours head day in and day out.

- Other would say start with chess endgames...claiming that doing so will help you realize the pieces' full potential and how to coordinate them.

- Some chess coaches believe that the key to play better chess is to master the positional side of the game and develop your eye for plans and long term strategies.

- There are players, mostly amateurs, that believe that it all boils down to your opening choices and chess opening repertoire. Pick the right openings and you should be on your way to playing better chess and even mastery.

- And there are some who don't really care about what you read and insist on playing more games and analyzing those to help you improve chess playing skills.

And we haven't touched even the tip of the iceberg fellas!

All are valid points. You can't take that away from them. HOWEVER, these solutions to the question: "How to play better chess?" forget to tackle one important factor: that chess is a thinking game.

And if you want to succeed in chess, you should know how to think properly - whether you are facing a position that requires long term planning, one that needs forcing moves to be resolved, or a combination of both.

Surprisingly, the subject of having a good chess thought process is hardly tackled in today's chess books and resources.

You will find a wealth of books on chess combinations, on basic endgames, on how to play the Sicilian Dragon or some obscure and tactical 1.e4 opening...BUT you will have a hard time finding a good book on how to think in chess!

BUT don't worry: there are a couple of guidelines that you can use to help you device a good chess thought process. One that you can practice over and over again in your training sessions and games until it becomes automated. And one that allows you to understand the position in front of you.

How To Play Better Chess - Thought Process Guideline 1

Always take a closer look at your opponent's moves and opportunities. The primary reason why chess amateurs blunder away pieces, allow back rank mates, allow double attacks (and basically, remain amateurs) is that they don't consider the possibilities that the opponent has.

Get this: you and your opponent has an equal 'say' in the game. Appreciate your trumps but learn to respect what your opponent have at his disposal. Be aware of what moves he may be threatening and that should help you eliminate blunders and play batter chess.

How To Play Better Chess - Thought Process Guideline 2

There are many factors in chess - development, initiative, open files for your rooks, diagonals for your bishops, outposts for your knights, paths for your queen, king safety, pawn structures, and those are just to name a few.

We are NOT even discussing the MORE advanced factors in chess success that are common in top level play like psychological motives, maximum resistance and defense, etc. I hope you see the point by now. It is impossible to cover all of these with your chess thought process. If only it was, then we would all be masters by now.

HOWEVER, to improve chess playing skills, you need to consider the main driving forces...the primary principles in a chess game when you are thinking of a move or a plan.

Why Kids Should Learn and Play Chess?

Chess is a game played by everyone including kids, adults, old age people, men, and women. There is no age barrier or physical strength required to play the game of chess. There are numerous individual's who have written about the advantages and disadvantages of playing chess. Some individuals tend to think that chess improves analytical thinking or aptitude whereas other thinks it is just a waste of time or people who don't have social life play chess.

In this article I am going to discuss why parents should teach their kids to play chess based on different surveys and research carried out across the world. Several researchers have studied the importance of chess since early 1950's till date globally. Below, I discuss some of the important studies that were conducted to validate the significance of chess in kid's thinking, analyzing, and intellectual development.

A four-year study conducted in early 1980's in Pennsylvania, USA showed that chess-playing group, time and again surpassed the control group, and also betrothed in other thinking development programs. In a survey carried out by New Jersey State Department of Education in 1990's, found that chess constantly advances self-esteem after a year of exposure. The results also show that many students' self-images improved significantly. In a study carried out in New York City school, results showed that chess playing improved reading performance of students. In an another study carried out in New Brunswick, Canada, using fifth grade students divided into three groups, testing with the inclusion of chess to the math syllabus, showed increased gains in math problem-solving and knowledge balance to the amount of chess in the syllabus.

In a study carried out Dr. Albert Frank in Zaire (Africa), which involved 92 students from an age of 16-18, showed that the chess-playing children group showed significant (based on statistical analysis) development in numerical, spatial, and administrative-directional abilities compared to control group (non-chess playing). The chess playing group also showed high verbal aptitudes compared to the control group. The enhancements were true in spite of the absolute chess skill level achieved.

In a study conducted by Dr. Yee Wang Fung (Chinese University) in Hong Kong showed that kids who played chess have 15% improvement in their test scores for math and science.

In a study carried out by Dr. Adriaan de Groot in Belgium with the fifth grade students playing chess to the control group, results showed that the chess playing group had significant cognitive advancement in comparison to the control.

Based on the research studies and survey from above it can be concluded that playing chess in kids can; i) improve thinking development, ii) enhance self-esteem and self-image, iii) improve reading performance, iv) improve math problem solving, v) boost logical and analytical thinking, and vi) accelerate IQ.

Researchers have tried to find out what are the reasons that cause the above mentioned development and enhancement in children. I will discuss the same in my next article.

You can click on the links below to learn the basics of chess, learn advance strategies, watch videos, and find exclusive collection of books, games, and chess sets.

Chess Sets Online: The Long History Of Chess

In the novel Through The Looking Glass, the author, Lewis Carroll, depicts much of his heroine's adventures taking place in a dream world based on chess set pieces. This story, published in 1871, reflects the interest in the game of chess that has existed for hundreds of years. This has led not only to many people being motivated to buy chess sets but also a fascination with the game, it's strategies and traditions.

Some research indicates a version of chess may have existed in China in the second century AD but the first records of the game exist in India where the game was played prior to the sixth century. From here, the game seemed to have spread to Persia and then across the Muslim world before reaching Europe. The game was originally known as 'chaturanga' in India and the chess set pieces were divided into four military divisions: cavalry, elephantry, chariotry and infantry. These four divisions became the knight, rook, bishop and pawn in the modern game.

Chess was mentioned in a Persian poem written in the seventh century and in several subsequent poems and essays soon after. Known as Shatrang, the game had mystical connotations in India and Persia at this time.

It is sobering to understand just how global the game of chess really is: it has individual names in most languages, including Sanskrit, Chinese, Japanese, Greek, Latin, Catalan, Italian, French, Dutch, Mongol and Arabic. It was carried across the known world into Spain by the Moors and spread into the corners of Europe by the year 1000 and Buddhist pilgrims and Silk Road traders spread the game to the Far East.

Interestingly, the chess set pieces were often individually prized as gifts and ornaments in their own right. The modern trend to buy a carved chess set as a present and room feature as well as part of a game to play seems to continue this tradition.

It seems likely the game of chess reached Britain with the Norman conquest of 1066 and, as in the rest of Europe, chess became a game associated with culture and nobility but as time moved on the intensity sometimes created by playing chess could create violence. This was a problem that seemed to worry the Church and in 1061 Saint Peter Damian even criticized the Bishop of Florence for playing chess. Perhaps inevitably the game became the focus of prize money and gambling during medieval times and as a result Louis IX of France banned gambling in 1254. Nonetheless the French people ignored him and continued to wager money on chess games.

It was at the start of the sixteenth century that chess began to assume its modern form. Prior to that time, the rules varied and the chess set pieces could move in ways that would surprise us now. A Russian version gave the queen the ability to move like a knight.

Chess was played in the London coffee houses during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, indeed around 1840, as Britain formed its vast empire, London became the focus of the growth of the game. The first organized chess tournament seems to have taken place in London in 1851 and the winner was a German professor of Mathematics, Adolf Andersson. By 1990 there were more than one thousand international tournaments.

Russian chess players tend to dominate the game but that is not surprising when you consider chess is the national sport of that country, where it is more popular than football.

Whole books have been written about the history of the game of chess and indeed about the individual pieces and the stories and variations of the game are many and fascinating. Whenever you buy a chess set and pick up one of the chess set pieces, it is very easy to feel a connection to all those people throughout history who have done the same thing.

Chess and Risk Management

One of the most obvious features of financial markets is that prices move up and down unpredictably. This has led to random walk models that, in turn, suggest that practitioners should look for insight to games based on randomization: e.g., coin flips, dice rolls and card shuffles. In this article, I'd like to look at risk analysis from a chess master's perspective. I'll try to compare chess analysis to risk analysis and explain what risk management might learn from chess. Although chess has no randomness or concealed information, it is nonetheless unpredictable. If two players sit down to play a game of chess, neither the game nor the result is the same as the game the same two players played yesterday. Imagine a risk manager and a hedge fund manager trying to decide an appropriate leverage level for a portfolio and two opposing chess masters trying to decide how complicated they want their positions to be. Are there no similarities?

Let's see.

Just as higher leverage may enhance return or cause bigger loss for a risk manager or a hedge fund manager, a more complicated chess position may open unexpected variations that will lead to first-prize money or leave a player without a prize at all. Each chess move has advantages and disadvantages. While each move's advantages include creating the possibility of a certain desirable future line of play, there is a risk that each move will open up possibilities for (perhaps unforeseen) lines of play that are desirable for the other side. Weighing the risks of this play and counter play is the key to good judgment in chess and is really a type of risk management. Before moving forward, let me dispel a myth that chess is a deterministic game with full information available to both players. In theory, this is true. However, in practice, it is hardly ever the case that a player sees all possibilities at once. And even if he or she actually sees them, it's hard to predict how well an opponent will react to them. So, it comes down to probabilities: i.e., how likely is the opponent to know a certain opening or a certain type of a position? For example, I am a 2200-rated chess player. Against someone rated below 2000, I definitely prefer to reach a simple position as soon as possible. Against someone rated above 2400, I want to keep the position very complicated for as long as possible. As more pieces come off the board, the less room there is for calculations. Why does it matter? A simple position doesn't require deep calculations but does require a deep understanding of strategy. Chess players, as their strength grows, learn to calculate first and understand later. In risk management, an analyst takes a first look at a fund's portfolio (chess position) and has to make a first move (approve for leverage). Once a certain level of leverage is approved (the first move is made), we have to consider how the portfolio manager will respond - as well as what factors will cause the trader to complicate the position (increase risk in the portfolio) and, when that happens, how the risk manager should respond. There are other similarities between chess strategy and risk analysis. Under time pressure in a tough position, a chess player has to choose a move, while a risk manager has to choose a position in the portfolio to liquidate to meet a margin call when a portfolio is tanking. Chess players also study opponents' games trying to anticipate how the next game will develop, while risk analysts study clients' portfolios trying to anticipate how the next trade will affect the portfolio.

Humans vs. Computers

A complicated chess position requires deep calculations and is more likely to cause a human player to make an error. The players understand this general guideline, but also study their future opponents' games and try to pick a style that is least familiar to their opponent. In 1997, for example, while Garry Kasparov was preparing to play a computer, IBM programmers and chess advisers had adjusted Deep Blue to better analyze Kasparov's previous games. The styles that are most effective for Kasparov are known in the chess world, so the computer program was fine-tuned to avoid playing such styles. By analogy, a computer risk model needs to be fine-tuned to better analyze styles a fund manager is more likely to use. Deep Blue didn't just play a game. It played against a specific opponent's style, and Kasparov was embarrassingly crushed in the last game as a result. Similarly, a computer program may not treat a leverage request as too high without human understanding of the investment style behind the leverage request.

Now let's discuss a "stress test." It's important to understand what happens when a chess player decides to sacrifice some pieces. The sacrifice is intended not to gain specific advantage but to create certain weaknesses in the position that the player will try to exploit later. A computer will accept the sacrifice and evaluate the current position in its favor, rather than considering the intent of the sacrifice. As the game progresses, the computer will treat an extra piece as a positive, even as its position deteriorates. Consequently, the computer will not only miss the unexpected sacrifice but will also be unable to determine where the sacrifice would lead. Moreover, it certainly doesn't give any thought as to why a human player would want to sacrifice at all. A human player, in contrast, might not accept sacrifice in the first place, in order not to be exposed to the opponent's well-developed strategy. Despite the fact that the world's best chess players could barely manage to draw their matches against the best computer programs, average players are able to achieve decent results against the same programs by selecting inferior openings that would be ridiculed if played against other humans. The sole purpose of such openings is to create positions that rely more on deep comprehension of positional nuances than on the rough calculating power of computers. A human player knows that opening moves made are inferior, and it's generally just a matter of time until he or she will eventually take advantage of them. A computer doesn't recognize inferiority and has to prove errors by calculating. If calculations don't reach far enough, the computer won't select the correct strategy. Based on recent events, computer risk models, just like computer chess models, tend to ignore a piece of analysis that is not readily calculable - the piece that requires human understanding. Keep in mind that all scenarios, at least in theory and no matter how improbable, are available on the chess board. Nevertheless, despite having superior quantitative ability, computers can't pick them all. So, then, how can they account for all stress scenarios and calculate probabilities of events that never happened in finance? On the other hand, world champion chess players are known to make simple errors late in games because of fatigue and/or mental lapses, and computers do an excellent job in avoiding such errors.

The Art of the Sacrifice

One last strategy that is worthy of consideration is why a player is more likely to sacrifice at the opening of a match with black pieces rather than with white pieces. It is important to remember that with white pieces, he or she already has the advantage of the first move, and the goal is to keep that advantage and try to increase it. On the other hand, with black pieces, he or she is already behind, so why not sacrifice? It might help eliminate the first-move advantage. Thinking about this from a risk management perspective, if a fund is outperforming its benchmark, why use more leverage? But if it's underperforming, why not use more leverage?

A player may resort to sacrifices in time pressure, hoping that an opponent will make a mistake by calculating. The best way to avoid this is to exchange pieces. In the last game of the 1985 world championship, the world champion had to win to tie the match. From the first move, he launched an all-out attack. His opponent, Garry Kasparov, expected the attack and prepared in advance. Kasparov won the game and the title. In the last game of the 1987 world championship, roles were reversed. Kasparov, as the world champion, had to win to keep the title. Not only did he not attack, he took a while to cross the middle of the board and stayed away from exchanging the pieces. His opponent was consequently forced to spend time calculating. Whenever he tried to simplify the position, Kasparov stayed back. As time began to run out, Kasparov's opponent committed a few small errors that Kasparov was able to capitalize on, converting tiny positives into a decisive advantage. Thus, using very little leverage, the world champion retained the crown. This game turned into a very valuable lesson for many players on how to approach must-win situations.

The main lesson is that knowledge of an opponent's strategy before the game can be crucial to the end result. This type of knowledge can also prove to be quite useful in risk management. If we can determine, for example, what strategy a portfolio manager will choose next, proactive steps can be taken to keep a firm's current portfolio exposure reasonable (even when current exposure does not seem excessive) and to avoid unnecessary calculations.

When models are insufficient, this knowledge can prove particularly helpful. Say, for example, a fund sells deep OTM naked puts. A stress-testing model would assign a value to a downside move and compare it to a fund's equity. However, it wouldn't know that the probability of the move changes daily, and it also wouldn't take into account that something will always happen in the human world.

Bobby Fischer was perhaps the best chess player ever, but not the greatest tactician. He proposed FischerRandom chess, which reduces computer knowledge and calculating power in general by selecting starting setups at random. Under such conditions, each human player will have more and less favorable starting setups. A computer won't make such a distinction. Computer programs are blind to human intentions and may not evaluate them correctly but do a great job in avoiding simple human blunders. Humans must specify opponents' intentions correctly and base computer calculations on those intentions, regardless of whether the opponent is a chess grandmaster or a hedge fund manager.

Different Responses to Different Strategies

In many ways, risks arising from randomness are the easiest to manage. If we flip a fair coin 100 times, for a $1 million bet each time, we know the distribution of outcomes and can plan accordingly. With financial markets, it's more difficult, because the parameters of the distribution have to be estimated. Risks arising from complex strategic interactions amongcompeting (and in finance, but not chess, cooperating) entities require more subtle management. It is tempting to treat everything as random and then set a powerful computer to crank through all the calculations. This can work, as computer chess programs and successful program traders demonstrate. But it doesn't always work. Sometimes you have to consider the intentions of other entities and their responses to your moves. Sometimes the strategy that can be proven to be optimal with infinite computing resources (or perfect information) is a terrible strategy in practice. In these situations, a chess master may have better insights than a poker, bridge, backgammon or gin rummy champion.

Best PC Chess Games Review - Computer Chess Simulators to Boost Your Game

One of the finest means of training in chess is with the application of a PC chess game, specifically for most beginners. Simply an electronic representation, a chess PC game can just be played in the computer, unlike typical or large chess sets. Irrespective however, for beginners, it is an excellent way to start learning chess, or for amateurs and professionals, it is a great way to enhance strategizing skills. Also called chess simulators, there are many kinds of PC chess games readily available in the web now.

These chess simulators help a player learn how to play chess and its strategies and most, if not all, have changing difficulties that will offer an appropriate test for numerous kinds of players. So, which one is best for you?

An ideal game for the beginner is the Personal Chess Trainer 3.36 because it gives beneficial key chess concepts and positions. This program primarily focuses on enhancing a player's tactic, strategy and endgame making skills. For simply $49.90, the Personal Chess Trainer can be yours.

The Opening Trainer 1.1 is another useful game for both beginners and amateurs. A player's move-making and opening skills can be developed with this game. It can help cope with various kinds of difficulties for your present needs, though it doesn't randomly select positions and training moves. Designed by Chess Technologies, it is presently on sale for $39.95.

By far the best PC chess game for all chess players is the Shredder Classic 3. Made by a world computer chess champion, this game has multiple functions, which can examine and correct the player's moves. The game also adapts to a player's skill and learning curve when simulating a game. On sale for $35.99, this fancy game can be yours.

The adjustable theme of the chess pieces is one cool feature encountered in many PC chess games. For example, people who enjoy Harry Potter will certainly enjoy the Harry Potter PC Chess Game, which features many of the loved characters from the novel and movie. Many of the film's animation effects have also been incorporated into the game. As a way to make the game more realistic and intriguing, the material of the pieces and board may even be changed, like pewter, plastic, stone, glass, onyx, and so on.

There are many online PC chess games you can come across today, with the simplicity of accessibility of the web. You'll surely be up to your neck in free chess games, by simply looking for "free pc games chess" in search engine internet sites, such as Google and Yahoo. However, compared to licensed games, these free games are not as easy to customize or useful.

There are many PC chess games out there today, with some being free of charge, while others are offered for a price. With the attractiveness of chess, this isn't surprising. However, there are a few chess simulators on the market that are superior to most others.

Why You Must Have a Trading Strategy When It Comes to the Forex Market

Having a Forex trading strategy is absolutely imperative if you are to be successful in the Forex market. Forex trading strategies are viewed in two different ways. Some traders see strategies as complete trading plans which may include several different Forex trading systems. For many traders, however, the word "strategies" is used synonymously with the word "systems".

Whether you call a strategy a system is completely up to you. The most important thing is that it is a set of rules or methods that are researched prior to actually trading. The strategy can simply start off as the basic idea of how you think the market should be traded. This would include step-by-step instructions of what to do during every phase of the trade. Some people think of it the same as a strategy for playing chess. Chess players don't just react to the moves of their opponents, they anticipate them. In fact, a chess player will anticipate many possible different moves from an opponent and will include ways to counteract those moves in their chess playing strategy.

Much like a chess player above, the trader needs to anticipate what may happen during each phase of the trade. This is where a strategy is particularly important, because it has measures in place that are activated based upon how the market moves. For instance, if a trader buys the EURUSD they already know ahead of time that the price will go in their direction, go in the opposite direction, or basically stay the same. As the foreign exchange markets are known for moving it is unlikely that the price will stay the same for very long. This means that in basically every trade the market will move either with you or against you.

In our EURUSD example above the prepared trader already knows what to do because of their trading strategy. If the market moves against them they have risk control measures in place to prevent any catastrophic loss which may jeopardize the equity in the account. If the market moves with them then they have profit taking measures in place to either take profit and a predetermined price point, protect their profits with a trailing stop, or let the momentum of the market determine their exit point.

As you can see you absolutely, positively must have a trading strategy to be successful in the Forex market. The last thing you want is to have to guess and hope once you are in a trade. Strategies help you keep focused, confident, and ultimately disciplined enough to be a consistently profitable Forex trader.

Winning at the Game of Chess Every Time

Are you trying to figure out how you can win at chess every time you play? There are a lot of different strategies that can be used to play chess and win, but if you do not know any of the strategies that you can use then you will be left guessing what the right moves to make are. There are certain opening moves that you will want to learn and there are other strategies that you must employ if you are going to be a chess grandmaster one day.

Learning how to make the right opening moves in chess can make the difference between you winning and you losing. Chess is a game of strategy so if you do not have the right strategy in the beginning of the game then it could have an effect on the way the game ends. You do not want to move just any piece that you feel like moving. Every piece that you move should have a purpose for being moved to the location that you move it to. This is a hard concept for some new chess players to grasp and they usually end up losing a lot of games as a result.

Another thing that is important to know about is how to get your way out of a sticky situation that you have either been put in or gotten yourself in. By sticky situation I mean checkmate. A lot of players do not take the time to learn ways that they can avoid being put in checkmate and usually end up losing very quickly as a result. You do not want to try to play with your back against the wall or you will be limited in the moves that you are able to make, and you will start losing valuable pieces that you will need if you stand any chance of winning the game.

There are a lot of different things that you will want to take the time to learn if you are going to win at chess every time. You definitely want to spend some time learning the right opening moves to make as well as how to get your way out of being put in checkmate. By taking the time to learn the different chess strategies that you can use you will have all of the skill necessary to win every time you sit down for a chess match.

Chess Glossary - Today's 10 Chess Terms (Collection 2)

Today's collection of 10 Chess Terms are as follows...

#1 Kingside

When looking at the chessboard, you can visualize it in terms of Zones, rather than a mass of 64 squares.

If you imagine the board being split in half, from top to bottom, the Kingside includes all 32 squares on the right-hand side. It's called the "Kingside" because that's the half where both player's Kings start each game of Chess.

For precisely the same reasons, the opposite side of 32 squares is referred to as the Queenside.

#2 Long Diagonal

There are two Long Diagonals on the chessboard and they each run from one respective corner to the other.

Using Algebraic Chess Notation, one of the Long Diagonals runs from a1-h8 (that is, from the square referenced as 'a1', diagonally up to the 'h8' square). The other Long Diagonal runs from a8-h1.

#3 Middlegame

The majority of chess games can be split into three distinct sections, or phases. After the Opening phase, when the players develop their Pawns and Pieces, comes the Middlegame phase, which is when the main battle takes place. Finally, there's the Endgame phase, which is the final stage of the game, which leads either to Checkmate (a Win/Loss) or Stalemate (a Draw).

#4 Odds

This refers to a type of chess game between a strong player and a significantly weaker player. The stronger player will be given a handicap of some description - could be less time to complete their moves; or removal of material.

For instance, a game played with "Queen Odds" means the stronger player will have to do battle without their Queen (that's their handicap), while the weaker player gets to play with their full army. "Knight Odds", "Bishop Odds", etc. all work under the same principle.

#5 Pawn

This is the name of the least maneuverable unit on the board. Each player gets 8 Pawns at the start of a game of chess.

Pawns can only move forwards; they cannot move backwards, or step left or right. Only when capturing can they change direction slightly, as Pawns capture diagonally, one square forwards, to the left or right.

It's tempting, to dismiss Pawns as being weak and unworthy of respect. However, while they may be vulnerable to attack from behind, Pawns have a hidden strength in their ability to restrict an opponent's space and, when they work together, they can prevent an enemy Piece from landing on a critical square.

Pawns also have a special trick: "Pawn Promotion". When a Pawn manages to land on any square on the enemy's Back-rank, they can be exchanged for either a Knight, Bishop, Rook, or a Queen.

#6 Queen

From the least maneuverable to the most maneuverable...

The Queen can move in any direction and, providing her path is clear, she can move from one side of the board, to the other, in a single turn.

Ironically, her power can also become her weakness. Because the Queen is the single most-valuable unit on the board, less-valuable Pawns and Pieces working together can bully the Queen away.

A player can be so obsessed with protecting their Queen, that their opponent manages to steal a lead in development, which can prove decisive during the later stages of the game.

#7 Relative Pin

A Pin is a Chess Tactic. It involves attacking a less-valuable enemy Pawn or Piece, which happens to be sitting in front of a more-valuable Piece.

Basically, the less-valuable Pawn or Piece is either unable or unwilling to move out of danger, as it must remain, "Pinned" in place, protecting their more-valuable comrade.

A Relative Pin attack is one where the more valuable Piece, behind, is either a Knight, Bishop, Rook, or Queen, but NOT the enemy King.

#8 Tactics

Often confused with Strategies, but there are distinct differences.

Tactics are maneuvers that take advantage of short-term opportunities. A good example is the Pin attack, where a player spots the short-term position of a less-valuable enemy Pawn or Piece, which is sitting in front of a more-valuable Piece.

The player takes advantage of this position, by Pinning the less-valuable unit, in order to prevent it from moving. The player will then be able to benefit, either by capturing other material, or by being able to move another Pawn or Piece to a critical square, which supports their plans.

Strategies give you an idea of what to do over the long-term duration of the game.

#9 Underpromotion

Promotion occurs when a player manages to get one of their Pawns to a square on the enemy's Back-rank. At that point, because Pawns cannot move backwards, they're rewarded with the choice of becoming either a Knight, Bishop, Rook, or Queen.

Promotion usually results in a Pawn being substituted for a Queen.

Underpromotion is when a player chooses to replace the Pawn with a Knight, Bishop, or Rook.

#10 Variation

Refers to an Opening sequence which is different from the Main Line.

The Main Line is the Opening sequence which is most commonly played. If a player chooses a different move, anywhere in the sequence, it no longer remains the Main Line, but a "Variation".

And that concludes this collection (#2) of 10 Chess Glossary terms.

How to Fight the Winter Blues by Playing Chess

If you do find the winter blues creeping in your life this season, why not take up an activity to help beat it, like Playing Chess.

When I was a young person, it seemed the game of the whiz kids, or the brainy ones, was Chess. I used to watch a couple of the other guys, play chess on our way home from School on the School bus, they had a magnetic chess set, so the pieces wouldn't slide off the game board when the bus hit a bump, or drove onto a back road. My favorite board game was checkers, I just never got into Chess back then.

Chess is a two player board game, like checkers in that it's played on a checkered board of squares, the squares are light and dark colored, that's about it when it comes to being similar to checkers. The chess pieces are often made in different colors, but the player with the lighter colored pieces goes first. Each player begins with sixteen pieces, as follows: one king, one queen, two rooks, two knights, two bishops, and eight pawns. The goal of the game is to capture the opponents king, which is called checkmate, if neither player has any legal moves, the game is also over, this is called stalemate.

To become an expert at playing chess, you must practice and play for many years, but to become good at it, where you can play and compete with skill against most players, you can just practice over winter, when your stuck inside with nothing to do, playing chess is a great game to learn, and it's also perfect to help fight the winter blues. If you don't have another person to play against, there are lots of great low cost and even free versions of chess you can buy to learn, and play against a computer opponent with different skill ratings.

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Highly Detailed Civil War Chess Set

"Chess is war over the board. The object is to crush the opponent's mind." - Bobby Fischer.

The Great War between the Northern and Southern states of the "United States" possess a peculiar interest for civil war chess set enthusiasts, not only because it was a struggle between two sections of people akin to us, but because of the epic courage with which the weaker party with ill-fed, ill-clad and ill-equipped troops, for four year sustained the contest with an opponent not only possessed of immense numerical superiority, but having the command of the sea, and being able to draw its arms and munitions of war from all manufactures of Europe. In many aspects, the American Civil War was a turning point in the history of warfare, as it ultimately took shape as a modern-day war. Like Chess, the warring sides voiced the rhetoric of ideology and cause, simplified strategies and tactics to build forces of unparallel size, and used these forces to strike and capture enemy positions.

"I had lunch with a chess champion the other day. I knew he was a chess champion because it took him 20 minutes to pass the salt." - Eric Sykes. Chess is one of the most popular board games in the world, and possibly the most time consuming. Because chess players spend hours staring at the pieces contemplating their next move, it is small wonder they are willing to invest large sums procuring a civil war chess set. The civil war chess set reminds them of the Great War that ravaged the American landscape for four years, and instead of conversing the old America it gradually and profoundly reshaped the political, financial, and social contours of the nation. This sounds a lot like playing Chess without a board!

Furthermore, just as the larger army usually has the advantage in a battle, so in Chess the player on the table with extra forces is more likely than his adversary to win the battle. Albeit much of the fun lies in finding the exceptions to this rule, and therefore the civil war chess set is hugely popular as they are reminiscent of the dogged stand taken by the Confederates. The civil war chess set is also a very considerate gift for collectors of commemorative items. These meticulous and intricate chess pieces provide exceptional artifact value about the various facets of American civil war. Try a search with Google in order to locate these chess sets for sale. eBay is another choice and you would be wise to search there also.

How To Play Chess

Chess as a game has been around for centuries. The ultimate game of strategy and tactics, chess is favored the world over as a challenging pastime which requires discipline and dedication to improve. Chess has its roots in Asia as far back as two thousand years ago. Since then, the game has kept a relatively fixed format, and has grown to international status with many hundreds of thousands of players the world over.

There are a variety of books written on the subject of chess, from strategy guides to simple starting guides. If you're a beginner at the game, you might find the variety of different pieces on the board confusing, and to find out they all move in different combinations can also further add to the problem. However, when taken one step at a time, the game of chess can be explained fairly simply, thus building a comprehensive understanding of the technicalities of the game.

The idea behind the game is to effectively trap the opponents King, which will ultimately render them unable to move and consequently win the game. This is achieved by moving pieces in their various patterns and consequently 'taking' opposing pieces that fall at the end of their path.

The most numerous piece on the chess board is the pawn. Also viewed as the weakest piece, the pawn has a range of one position in a forward direction under most circumstances. However, when taking a piece, the pawn can move diagonally by one position, and in its first move, a pawn can advance two positions.

Arguably the most important piece on the board is the Queen, which can move in any direction, and in any number of positions. This effectively means the Queen has the furthest reach of any piece, and she should be guarded in order to protect her for as long as practically possible.

Additionally, there's the King, which must be guarded to keep the game alive. The King has very little scope for movement, but this is primarily because the King is the game piece, which must be effectively 'captured' by the other side.

There are several other pieces on the chessboard, which have varying degrees of scope, although the pawn, Queen and King are most notable. It is hoped that a firm understanding of the behavior of these pieces will aid a better overall understanding of the way in which the game works, which will ultimately lead help you on your way to learning the game of chess.

How To Improve Chess Playing Skills - 2 ESSENTIAL Training Tips To Help You Improve In Chess

"How to improve chess playing skills?" Whether he's eating, watching chess games online, doing his daily chores, and everything else in between, this question is lingering at the back of a chess amateur's head...eagerly waiting for answers.

Unfortunately, the RIGHT answer doesn't come by. Well, if that describes your situation, READ ON! I will show you 2 training tips that will help you improve in chess SIGNIFICANTLY. While these chess improvement and training tips won't magically make you a master-level player, it will make your current training regimen twice or even three times MORE effective!

Check these out:

How To Improve Chess Skills Tip 1 - Don't Just Be A Spectator!

When we are reading annotated game collections, studying openings, learning chess strategies, etc., we tend to...well, just read! This is a perfect example of being a spectator. Many chess amateurs are just spectators of the variations.

If that's describes how you train, get this: chess is NOT a spectator sport! If you want to improve in chess, you better learn how to get your hands dirty and participate. You better learn how to make your training active NOT passive as I have described above.

"How exactly do I do that?" you might ask.

Let me show you some examples:

Passive Chess Improvement Training: Reading annotated games - you are just simply playing through the moves on the board and the variations. And when there are verbal comments, you stop for a while and read it.

Active Chess Improvement Training: Reading and learning from annotated chess games the ACTIVE way (a.k.a. Solitaire Chess) - play through the opening moves. After that, cover the moves and try to predict the moves of the winner. Along with that, write down your train of thought as well as the lines you have seen. When you're done, compare it with the annotator's analysis.

And that's just one EXAMPLE! You can do the same for studying openings. Instead of just memorizing variations and evaluations of different opening lines, comment on the opening moves.

Why is this move better and why is that move worse?

Why is this move made instead of the other?

After forming your own 'opinions', check the notes and see how close or far your assessment is.

Active chess improvement training means involving YOURSELF, doing the thinking and the analysis yourself before checking the notes. This makes it easier for you to remember ESSENTIAL chess lessons and makes it easier for you to apply these ideas in your games.

GM Smirnov says in his course The Grandmaster's Secrets - "With passive learning, you only retain 10-20 percent of what you have read. With active learning, though, you get to retain 70-90 percent."

I don't know about you BUT I'm going for better retention!

How To Improve Chess Skills Tip 2 - Think RIGHT And You Will Play Chess RIGHT!
This is another essential chess improvement tip! Being a thinking man's game, it's NOT your hand speed that counts in chess (which is what blitz denizens probably believe). It's how you think.

Learn how to think like a strong chess player - see your opponent's threats and parry them, look for moves that activate your whole army, find the weaknesses in your opponent's camp and more importantly, realize how you are going to pounce them.

Learning Chess at an Early Age

There are just some things that are easier to learn when you are young. Learning the rules of chess when you are young will ensure that you will be able to enjoy this game of strategy for the rest of your life. The longer that you play the easier it will become over time.

Knowing how to play the game can prove to invaluable for a child. No video game can teach the same level of patience and attention that is required to play this timeless game. Even a young child can begin to learn the basic system involved, and then build upon it over time. As with any good skill, forming the foundation comes first, and in this case a young child is the perfect age to begin constructing it.

Given the high level of strategy involved, to get young minds working on it will prime them for other similar activities and keep them sharp academically. This often proves to be great way to build problem solving skills that will no doubt transfer to other subject matter. Children good at this often excel in one or more scholastic endeavors.

As they grow older, into high school, there are venues in which kids can compete in this. In some cases the stakes grow high, and even college scholarships are awarded to winners. There is of course a certain degree of pressure that goes along with this. This affords a new opportunity to learn coping strategies.

Learning the rules of chess can begin when young, and then progress over time. It becomes a study after a while. This is more than just a game or pastime, it is something that is worked at with care and devotion. With attention, that same devotion will spill over into other areas of life, such as school or work. When cultivated, this is something that a child can carry for life.

The Mad Queen Chess Moves

Modern chess is named after the Queen piece. Chess is sometimes referred to as Queens Chess or Mad Queen Chess due to the fact she has so much power. Chess did not begin with the Queen having so much power as a chess piece but she did have the role of adviser or counselor in early games. She developed into a powerful chess piece because of her ability to basically control the game because she could be anywhere in an instant.

The Queen piece can travel any length as far in one direction as she is able. She is stopped only by other chess pieces. She does have to protect herself from being attacked and captured. Hopefully if she is captured a pawn will rescue her. So maybe the pawn has more power than it appears. But no chess piece is any match for her chess moves.

Straight, diagonal, backward, forward are her chess moves. She can be as aggressive as she wants or as careful as she wants. It takes much wisdom to move a Queen and not let her get captured. It is not very easy to capture a queen. She can move away quickly from other chess pieces.

There are some things the queen cannot do. She cannot leap over another chess piece like the Knight can. Her strategy is more direct. She cannot skip over another space like the Knight can. Even with all the power the Queen has, it seems that she may need the Knight to help her in those situations. She needs to use every piece on her side to her advantage. She is quick but not foolish in her moves.

A Queens attack can happen quickly in any space provided she has a straight line. She is straightforward and her attacks, just like any piece that can capture, are deadly. An opponent will want to limit her power early, or try using her to their advantage.

As a concluding thought, the queen has been proven to be one of the most favored pieces in the game. But it may be wise not to count on her too much in the game, in the event she is taken by her enemies. That way you will not have to worry about losing. Just because your queen is gone, it is not necessarily a problem. Some players will try to get both queens captured early to make the game more competitive.

Magnetic Chess - A Different Way of Playing

The magnetic variant of chess was invented by Jao Pedro Neto and Claude Chaunier in 1996, making it relatively new in the long history of the game. It has its own rules that vary slightly from the regular rules. The FIDE rules apply and there is no checking of the King, no stalemates, and no checkmates. There is also no en-passant rule. Castling is still allowed, and a white pawn in the 1st or 2nd rank, or the 7th or 8th rank can move 2 squares ahead even if it has been played before.

The objective of the game is to physically capture the king as you would any other king. Once you have done that, you have won the game.

Each piece in the set has a positive or negative 'charge' that allows them to generate a magnetic field. The pieces that have a positive charge are on the white side, and the pieces that have a negative charge are on the black side. The only exception to this rule is the kings, which have a neutral charge, and are neither repelled nor attracted, nor do they repel or attract others.

When a player moves a piece to an occupied space, the closest chess pieces in the same column and off the same rank are repelled. They will not be repelled if they are diagonally placed from the chess piece. If the piece closest to the chess piece is on the other side and of the other color, they will be attracted to the piece.

The king, because it is neutral, neither attracts nor repels nor is attracted or repelled by any other piece. It can also be used as a buffer because it creates a 'shield' in the magnetic field. This leads to a multitude of new strategies that don't apply in the normal game.

Magnetic chess is more than a game in chess strategy and mathematics because it incorporates aspects of physics as well. It forces a player to strategize on yet another platform and challenges them to use a different part of their brain to think in a different way.

There are even variants of this particular variant of chess, such as anti-magnetic chess, where the same rules as above apply with the exception that the enemy pieces are repelled like the friend pieces, and no position can be repeated.

Chess Openings - Indian Systems

Indian Systems were first introduced in the 1920s, but were never used as openings in tournaments until the 1940s when Soviet Union chess players began using them. Many current World champion players now use them. Indian Systems are very unique and very important. The theory behind them is simply this: instead of attacking the center with pawns, one attacks the center with the pieces that are on the wings, i.e. fianchettos.

There are many move sequences that can produce an Indian System arrangement, and, just like Closed Games, Indian Systems often change into other openings as the game moves along. All of them are categorized as Semi-Closed Games and all of them begin with 1.d4 Nf6. This unbalanced opening arrangement helps give both players an equal opportunity to advance.

Usually, in reply to that the opening move of 1.d4 Nf6, White will move 2.c4 in order to secure more space in the middle of the board. This also gives Knight a chance to possibly move to c3 and gives the pawn a chance to possibly move to e4. Now Black has several options of how to respond to 2.c4

2 ... e6

Black may play 2...e6, which allows more development of the Bishop. Black then has the choice of entering into several Indian variations-Nimzo-Indian Defense, Queen's Indian Defense, Bogo-Indian Defense, Modern Benoni Defense, or even a transposition to Queen's Gambit Declined.

The sequence 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Bb4 is called the Nimzo-Indian Defense, an old favorite Indian opening. In this opening, Black attacks the center squares with minor pieces, trying to swap a Bishop for a Knight in order to produce doubled pawns on White's Q-side. Sometimes White plays 2.Nf3 in order to avoid this whole conflict, which leads to the Queen's Indian Defense (1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 b6). This defense gives Black a solid position. One can use the Bogo-Indian Defense instead, but this approach is not as popular.

In the Catalan Opening (or Catalan System), after the movements of 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.g3, White's goal is to fianchetto the Bishop. This approach has features of both Queen's Gambit (1.d4 d5 2.c4) and Réti Opening (1 Nf3 followed by fianchettoing of both Bishops). There are a number of methods that allow a fianchetto to the Bishop.

2 ... g6

2...g6 aims to develop the Bishop through a fianchetto and leads to Indian variations called Grünfeld Defense and King's Indian Defense.

The King's Indian Defense (1 d4 Nf6 2 c4 g6 3 Nc3 Bg7) is another old favorite that is used even at the highest levels of chess competition because of how forceful, yet risky, it is. Grünfeld Defense (1 d4 Nf6 2 c4 g6 3 Nc3 d5) differs from King's Indian Defense only by the move d5. This defense is also very popular among World Champions.

2 ... c5

2...c5 produces an opening called the Modern Benoni Indian Defense (1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 c5).

In this movement, Black allows White to create a stronghold at d5 as well as gain control of the center with his pawns. It is risky business, but if Black moves his pieces wisely, it ends up making for a dramatic game. Some of the risk can be avoided by playing 2...e6 and then 2.c5.

Another variation is the Benko Gambit (or Volga Gambit), which is 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 c5 3.d5 b5. In this opening Black's gambit aims to open lines in the Q-side, and White usually does not accept the offer.

Others

Other Indian systems include Old Indian Defense, Black Knights' Tango (Mexican Defense), Blumenfeld Gambit, Döry Defense, Accelerated Queen's Indian Defense, and Slav-Indian Defense. Anti-Indian combinations for White include Budapest Defense, Neo-Indian Attack, Torre Attack, and Trompowski Attack.

Indian Systems are listed under a variety of ECO codes; A45 to A79, D70 to D99, and E00 to E99.

Learning the Game of Chess - Meet the Game Piece Players

This article covers the basics of an ancient and unique board game that has continued to challenge, amuse and confound many people over many centuries. It is the wonderfully archaic yet paradoxically modern game called chess.

The game of chess is one of strategy; it's a mind sharpening exercise, one where in order to beat your opponent, you need to be one step ahead all the time. As with everything else in life, know-how is the key to success. In order to win at chess, having a firm grasp of the essentials is vital. Therefore, you really need to know the usage and the names of each chess game piece to become a champion.

As you probably already know, the basics of the game start with 2 players who play alternately at the board. In this respect, chess is just like any other board game. One player will choose to play with the black chess pieces the other white pieces. Then, you "cut and thrust" like medieval knights; one game piece is moved at a time, with the sole intention of conquering the enemy King. He who does so is acclaimed the victor.

Now let us hone in on the specifics; the piece we will look at first is called a Bishop. This game piece is restricted to moving only in a straight line diagonally. This chess piece can be moved over as many squares as you would like across the squares. Next comes the Rook. This piece resembles a miniature tower, and can be moved in both a horizontal and a vertical direction. Again, like the Bishop game piece, the Rook has no limit on the number of squares it can be moved.

We come now to the piece to be reckoned with, in the enemy of many, the most potent of all...the Queen. The Queen has established quite a high reputation simply because this game piece has unbounded choices in that she can be moved in any direction at all, and across any amount of squares too. This is in stark contrast to the next 'royal'; the King. Although the King is the key piece in the game, it is restricted to one square at a time. The only benefit the King has is that it can be moved in any direction.

Next up is the Knight chess piece. As you would expect, the Knight is distinguishable by sitting atop a horse, or perhaps "morphed" is a better description! He moves in an erratic way; an L shape. This game piece is unique in that it can leap over all other pieces. Well... horses do that sort of thing!

Finally, let me introduce you to the humble Pawn. I say humble, but "weak" may be more appropriate. In the game of chess, Pawns have limited movement in that you can move them only in a forward direction. Although the pawns are little workers, they play a very important role when manipulating the chessboard. If a pawn manages to reach the other side of the board, this will enable the owner/player to get back one of the pieces that were taken during the game.

Play Chess on the Go With a Magnetic Chess Set

Learning to play chess is one thing, being very good at it is another. Nobody became great at chess overnight! There are several things that set chess masters apart from great chess players.

Aside from getting a good grasp at the difference chess pieces' capacity, becoming a great player takes practice and perseverance. That's why magnetic chess sets are so advantageous...you can easily play chess anytime and anywhere.

Magnetic fields, created by small magnets inside the bottom of chess pieces and a thin metal plate under the board, are used to keep the chess pieces in place, allowing you to play while riding in any moving vehicle, like a car or plane.

On the other hand, there will be times when you should set your chess set aside and focus on other aspects of the game. You should find time to analyze different game plays and the mistakes you tend to make. Unlike chess masters who are said to have the ability to recall various games and patterns, many of us find it difficult to remember even the last game.

It is very important that you write everything down so that you won't have a hard time recalling the exact details of the game. This will greatly help you when you do your self-analysis.

Aside from having great recall, chess masters can also play chess by just using their mind, they don't need to have a chess board in front of them. You can load up your mind with different game plays and strategies from different chess masters. You can do this by buying good books about chess.

Remember that there are various patterns in chess and you can hardly recreate an exact same pattern. You can familiarize yourself with the things you can do when a similar situation arises. Try recreating the different game plays explained in different books. Do this alone so that you can easily internalize the essence of those moves.

Try to apply your newly acquired knowledge in your next game. It's better to have different opponents while playing because playing with the same person over and over again will breed familiarity. This means that you'll teach him/her all your chess tricks and visa versa. Or boredom could set in, and neither of you will become better players.

Allow yourself to grow as a chess player by starting your own chess club or joining one. With a club, you can find like-minded people who love the game as much as you do. In addition to the social aspects of joining such a club, you will have an endless supply of different opponents to play against, some better than you and some not. You can learn from the better players and, in turn, teach the inferior players. Many friendships are started at chess clubs because people with common interests are naturally drawn to each other.

Remember, if you want to remove limitations on when or where you can play chess, your magnetic chess set will be one of the greatest tools that will help you achieve your goal of becoming a better chess player.

Comparing Abstract Strategy Board Games

Abstract strategy games are different types of board games which many of the world's favorite games classify as. They are games that are considered to have "perfect information," which means that everything that the other player does is instantly known. This allows for no misunderstandings due to a lack of communication and assures that every action will have a reaction. No parts of these games are left up to chance, meaning that no part of the game will rely on the effect of rolling dice or flipping a coin. Every action that is done is chosen by the player according to the circumstances and the player is in charge of every single action that takes place.

The games usually have either two players or two teams and are considered to be a head to head challenge. Checkers, Chess, Go, and Mancala are all considered to be great examples of abstract strategy games.

Some of the best abstract strategy games work as a series of puzzles that one player poses to the other. In a game that doesn't have random elements or hidden information, all there is to play off of is the direct opposition that one player presents to another. For this reason, some abstract strategy games are considered superior to others for the simple fact that they present more opportunity for opposition than others.

Tic-Tac-Toe could technically be considered as an abstract strategy game, but it's value is placed rather low for it does not present much difficulty during game play. Others, such as Chess, are considered to be some of the highest quality abstract strategy games available. Chess, with a clearly defined set of rules, a number of pieces to manipulate, and a rather large playing space, allows for nearly endless possibilities when playing a match against another player.

Othello, also called Reversi by some, is a game that brings two forces, black and white, into a battle of wits and strategy to find a victor. Played on an 8 by 8 grid, players either play as the black or the white tiles and try to change the face of their opponent's tiles by strategic placement. The game starts with two tiles of each color being placed in the 4 central squares, each token being directly diagonal to the match.

The first player to move will then take a token of their own color and place it on the board next to a token of the opposite color, trapping the opponent's colored token between two pieces of the first player's color. When a colored game piece becomes trapped between two opposite colors, that player gets to flip the trapped piece and change it into their own color. By doing this, they start to claim game tokens for themselves. When the second player gets a chance to play, they place one of their own tokens onto the board, trapping one or more tokens of their opponent and therefore changing those colors to their own.

Game play continues in this fashion, changing as many of the opponent's colors as possible, until no possible moves are left on the board. When this happens, the game is over and the tokens on the board are counted. The player with more colored tokens on the board is declared as the winner of the match. It is another prime example of an abstract strategy game. Nothing happens that isn't immediately know and everything can be reacted to with ease.

Gaining a Psychological Advantage in a Blitz Chess Game

A blitz (or lightning/fast chess) is a type of chess game in which each side is given less time to make their moves than under normal tournament time controls of 60-150 minutes per player. This article will refer to gaining a psychological advantage in a blitz chess game, in witch each side is given between 3-5 minutes, usually without increasement (when a player gets extra seconds added to his clock after each move).

A psychological strategy to winning in a blitz chess game is based on the fact that statistically, a blitz game usually ends not by one of the sides checkmated, but rather by one of the players running out of time. There for, the supreme objective in a blitz chess game is in fact, to make the opponent lose valuable time thinkung of the next move, rather than gain the superior position on the board. This makes time pressure an advantage, and not an obstacle.
Here are a few ways to make the opponent lose as much time as possible:

1. Playing an unusual opening: Most average players play the kings pawn gambit (e4), witch they know best. Playing an unusual opening like the English opening (c4) or even the more known queen's gambit (d4) may be both confusing and demoralizing for the opponent. In fact, playing an inferior but little known opening may gain a critical advantage even against a better and more experienced player.

2. Complicate rather than simplify: Most beginner players will try to simplify the situation on the board by swapping as many pieces as possible, thus "opening" and simplifying the situation. In addition, a swap is an easy move to spot, and the decision is made fast. But in fact, rather than simplifying the situation, one would rather make obscure moves, thus complicating the situation and making the opponent think of an original move, rather than a fast response move to the swipe.

3. Threat to capture as much as possible. When a player threatens to capture an opponent piece, even when it is easily defended, the opponent must waste time to think of ways to protect it, thus losing precious seconds. A threat to capture is both a simple move that doesn't require much thought, and an aggressive move that pressurizes the opponent.

It is important to remember that chess strategy changes while playing a blitz game. The aim is not to win on the board (most players that try to achieve a supreme position on the board, tend to lose because of lack of time), but rather to complicate the position as much as possible, thus forcing the opponent to lose by running out of time.

Correspondence Chess - Chess Goes Online

'Online Chess' or 'Correspondence Chess' refers to playing chess on the Internet. This means that you can play chess with someone living on the other side of the world just by sitting in front of your computer. It is one of the most popular ways that people play the game of chess today. The Internet is all about networking and connectivity, and playing the game online enables players to widen the scope of interaction and competition. Through online chess, games are not limited to participation between local friends or a physical venue. Internet chess enables one to choose an opponent from any part of the world, thereby enabling international friendships.

It is easy to play online chess by visiting specific sites that host the game. These sites have chess playing servers, and there are many websites that provide access. Most of these sites require you to register with them as a member. Registration is usually free and is as simple as filling out an online form.

There are two ways to play online chess. You can play live with another opponent who is online at the same time, or you can play an opponent who is not online at the same time.

In the live version of online chess, you are limited to playing one game at a time. Games must be finished within a specific time frame. The player that loses the game must leave. A player must also leave if the time frame for completing the game is over.

A better way of playing is the second option. With this option, you need not finish a game at one sitting. You have control over how much time you spend on a game and how you play it. Another advantage of this method is that it gives you the ability to play multiple games simultaneously. You make a move on one game, then move on to the next game and make a move there. You do this until you cover all the games that you are playing. Your opponent can see you online as soon as your moves are made. You can chat with your opponent and decide on a time frame. You can agree to make a certain number of moves before logging off or when the game must be finished.

A third option is available on so-called hybrid sites. With hybrid sites, you have the opportunity to play both live and longer time limit chess. Most of these sites allow you to save your game and download it for review at a later time. Playing chess on a hybrid chess site lets you study a game in detail since there is no time limit.

Be A Better Chess Player Without Spending 8 Hours A Day On Chess Training

"How do I to train to be a better chess player?"

You can ask around and chess amateurs as well as experts would answer:

1. Study chess tactics 'round the clock.

2. Play through annotated games of your favorite Grandmaster.

3. Do it like Capablanca - sink your head in endgames.

And those are just to name a few.

True, such tips for chess improvement work eventually. BUT when you are working on endgames, tactics, strategy, and chess openings ONLY - you are missing one vital point.

Chess is a skills and thinking game!

When you are at the board, you won't have someone telling you "It's mate in 3"! If you don't have the skills to spot the opportunities available to you and your opponent, you won't see it. Period.

Many wood-pushers who want to be better chess players fail to realize that they need to piece their knowledge of chess openings, middlegame (tactics and strategy), and endgame together.

Sporadic learning brings sporadic results. You may win a chess game brilliantly in the first round of a tournament. BUT you may fall to a blistering attack and lose before move 20 in the next. Do you really want such irregular results?

I know I don't, and you shouldn't too.

Your chess thought process MUST be streamlined. It should be made of easy-to-remember rules and reminders that will allow you to use all of the skills and knowledge you've gathered through chess training. A good thought process should help you find the best move in all the time.

Do you know what the main idea of a chess game is?

Do you know what the 3 main tasks you should complete in the opening are?

How exactly do you compose an attacking plan?

What if the opponent has made aggressive gestures? What do you do?

If you don't know the answer to these questions, then your chess thought process could use some help. It's about time you set aside those chess tactics books and CDs, those reams of opening theory, etc. and work on your thought process that will bring these knowledge you have gained together.

Remember, when you get a better and more efficient chess thought process, you will be a better chess player.

Play Chess! Your Mind Will Thank You!

Have you ever seen a news story or magazine article about teaching inner city kids to play chess? While this may seem like just a feel good story, the benefits of playing chess are documented for children as well as adults of all ages. People who play chess experience intellectual benefits as well as social and emotional benefits. If you think that chess is boring, or that you are not smart enough to play chess or that you are too old, there are some things that you should know about chess.

1. Playing chess builds and helps to maintain intellectual abilities. When children who are in inner-city at risk schools are involved in a chess program either through the school, or another local organization they not only learn how to play chess, they also improve their math and reading skills as well. Test scores of children who learned to play chess showed an amazing improvement over the course of just a year's time. Even kids who were not the best chess players still showed improvement. Meanwhile, at the other end of the spectrum, adults who play chess also improve their brain function and it helps their memory and may delay or diminish the effects of Alzheimer's disease.

2. Chess has social and emotional benefits as well. Children who are involved in playing chess either at school or in some other group can build skills such as learning about how to be a good winner and loser. They learn about fairness and not cheating. They also learn confidence and self-esteem as they improve their skills. Communication is improved as the children communicate with other children and adults while they play the game and discuss strategies and moves.

3. When you play chess you develop more creativity, problem solving skills, and long term strategy planning. As a child or adult first starts learning the game of chess, they may just be planning one move at a time. They do not have the skills to think ahead. But as they improve, they get better at thinking more moves in the future and planning strategies and counter strategies to defend their pieces as well as capture their opponent's pieces. These are skills that can be used in real life as well.

Chess has been around in one form or another for over 2,000 years. The appeal of this game lies in its ability to challenge player's intellect and strategy.

5 Tips on How to Improve Your Chess Skills

One of the wonderful things about the game of chess is that there is always an opportunity for growth. No matter how many years you have been playing the game or how good you have already become, there will always be room for improvement. All you have to do is figure out how to constantly hone your skills and you will gradually be a better player with each passing day.

Professional players use all sorts of techniques and strategies to improve their game. Some spend several hours a week poring over various opening moves and figuring out how to best handle each of these moves. Others read as much as they can about the theory of chess, hoping to apply the concepts into their own game strategies. There are also those who try to squeeze in as many games as they can during their days, believing that old adage that practice does make perfect.

Without a doubt, all of these techniques do work; otherwise, people won't be using them at all. However, just because a particular strategy works for somebody doesn't necessarily mean that it will work for you as well. Each chess player has his own style of playing and will respond to different kinds of training. In order to find out which method will be most effective for you, it might be necessary to do a little bit of trial and error.

That said, we have compiled the most popular methods for game improvement that professional chess players have been using to enhance their skills. You can start boosting your own talent by trying the following methods and figuring out which will work best for you.

1. Learn from the experts. These days, it is not hard to find annotated games of the best chess players in the world. You can take your cue from these players by doing what they did and seeing where the moves will lead you. If you have a favorite chess player, you can do some research on his games and learn his techniques. There are many sources of such information on the Internet, as well as in dozens of chess books that you can easily find in your local library or bookstore.

2. Play as much as you can.It really is true that practice makes perfect. Besides, the more you play the game, the more scenarios you will be able to face, and the better you will be at solving the new problems that come your way. But it's not just all about playing more games - you should also try to play in different ways. For example, if you want to improve your analytical skills, an untimed game would provide more time for thinking. On the other hand, playing speed chess can improve your chess reflexes and enable you to think much more quickly.

3. Learn from your own mistakes.If you make a wrong move and later on realize the consequences of that move, it will be more likely that you will never repeat it again, compared to if you just read about that certain wrong move somewhere. So don't be afraid to make mistakes in the beginning. These mistakes will be your stepping stones to becoming the best chess player that you can be in the future.

4. Play against a better player.While it does feel good to win a lot when playing against a lesser skilled player, these kinds of games are not really very helpful for improving your skills. You are probably helping the other player a lot since they are benefiting from your "expertise" but if you want to hone your own skills, you should play more often with a better player than yourself. You may lose a lot but in the long run, it will be much more beneficial for you because you will be able to learn moves that you may not even witness if you keep playing against people you can easily beat.

5. Join tournaments.There are always amateur chess tournaments being held practically anywhere in the world. You should join these games not always with the intention to win but instead, to broaden your skills. You can also attend these events in order to meet people who share your interest in the game with whom you can exchange strategies and tips so that you can all improve your chess-playing skills.

In addition to these very helpful tips, you might also want to invest in a good chess set. Some say it doesn't matter what kind of chess set you play with but there are people who are actually inspired to play more and to play better if they have a nice set to play on in the first place. You don't need to spend thousands of dollars because there are plenty of high quality chess sets these days that you can get for very affordable prices.

Chess For Kids and When to Teach Them

Chess teaches strategy and thinking skills your child can use for the rest of their lives. These tips on chess for kids will help you to determine when the right time to teach them the game is.

First you will need to decide if your child is ready to learn this game. It is very complex with a lot of pieces and all for the pieces are important to the game. You should always remember that each child is different. My son learned at age 4 but my nephew is 6 and I don't think he would be able to learn yet. Younger children can learn to play but you will need to be very patient.

Even with the most patient teacher kids can get discouraged very easily. If your child has a limited attention span this should be taken into consideration. Chess can be a long game and if the child doesn't want to sit still or would rather go and play with other toys then you may want to wait until they are a bit older.

Children also get confused quite easily when learning complex games. If you don't know how to play yourself then it may be a good idea to learn before teaching a child. This will also help keep the child from getting board while you look up answers to question. If you don't know how to play yourself then you may even find you don't like the game much and decide that this isn't a very good idea.

Chess boards come in a wide selection. You can get a cheap board for a few dollars or you may decide to go with an electronic chess board or even a computer game version. The electronic games are more expensive but will help to teach your child the game. They have different level settings and they can be played with one player against the computer.

Once your child learns the basics then it will require a lot of practice to learn how to play well. There are books that help to teach strategy if your child is old enough. Also they can play online against other people from around the world. This will give them a chance to practice with someone else and see how others play. Of course you should always be cautious with allowing your child on the internet and be prepared to supervise them.

Chess is a game that will allow many hours of enjoyment for you and your child. These tips on chess for kids can make learning the game fun.

The Modernization of Chess

Chess has not always looked like it does today. Over time the pieces and the rules have changed drastically. The modern game did not even emerge until the 1400's at least a millennium after it had been invented.

Chess is believed to have been invented in India, sometime before 500 AD. It quickly spread to Persia where it was called Shatranj, a Persian version of a Sanscrit word. It was adopted by the Muslims who retained the Persian name when they invaded. By 700 AD a version of the game had also reached mainland china where it was called Xiangqi, another modification of an Indian word.

In Europe, the game started to take on its current form around 1200 AD, and by 1475 it looked very much like the modern game we play. These standard rules developed in southern Italy, or possibly in Spain, but they spread throughout Europe rather quickly.

The standardization of this game which had for centuries given rise to variations was due to a number of factors. First, these rules were developed during the renaissance, a time of unprecedented learning and sharing of information. In this climate, the philosophy of chess developed, with strategies and mathematical analysis of the game becoming relatively widespread. In order to be sure that someone in England was theorizing about the same game as someone in Germany, a standard set of rules had to be agreed upon. In this way the development of the standard chess set is due largely to the development of chess theory.

This effect was furthered by the fact that the printing press was invented in the 1430's. With printing now easy and affordable treatises on chess and strategy could be easily spread throughout Europe. This led to the development of tournaments and eventually rankings, which also helped to solidify chess.

When Europe began to colonize large parts of the rest of the world, they brought their version of chess with them. In this way they took a game which was invented in India, and which had been played in china and the Middle East for hundreds of years, and reintroduced a new version to these cultures.

Today there are many different types of chess sets, but in general the rules are the same throughout the world. There are some variations such as Chinese checkers, but in general these are designated under different names, and chess means a game played by a standard set of rules.

Chess Moves to Win, Not Lose

Strategy is the one constant that saves time, money and lives. The best method to learn strategy to overcome the impossible in daily life situations is to learn chess game strategy. For centuries chess has been that tool for teaching strategy. Strategy teaches how to think in a way to find the best move or plan, to overcome impossible odds. It can be entertaining, predictable and useful in daily decisions.

Find the best moves or strategy, to overcome impossible odds. This skill is so important that the nobility of many countries have taught their children chess strategy to train them how to think in warfare. Originally used in the training for war, the Chess game is a very good tool to teach strategy for saving lives, seeing the way out of difficult situations and using strategy in the placement of money, people or resources.

Critical to life itself, strategy can also be entertaining. The chess game is not for dull, unsociable people, who have nothing better to do. The adventure, risk and critical thinking moments that chess gives is invigorating and motivating. Using the challenge to outwit someone has positive uplifting effects and proves that one is smart and intelligent.

Pit your mind up against the greatest thinkers and strategists of all times. Once you learn a strategy well enough you can take it to chess competition and pit your strategy up against the greatest thinkers of all times. Remember you can use your chess strategy in everything you do. Essentially you are playing chess every moment of your day, every time you make a decision. Enjoy it. If something turns out bad, do not do it again, learn from it. It is fun making decisions, and you do not have to stress out about it. Learn strategy continually. You may have a strategy that the best chess player does not know how to beat.

People are predictable, their actions are automatic. If you make certain moves at certain times, you may be able to put your opponent on the defensive, causing them to make a rash move and thus giving you the edge. Memorize the moves of each piece and anticipate the next move your opponent will make. We will discuss this further, in a later article.

Do Smart People Play Chess? Or Does Playing Chess Make People Smart?

Mastering the moves of the chess pieces is only a small part of the game. Children as young as five have the cognitive development, the eye-hand coordination and the dexterity to be able to move the six different pieces around the chess board properly. However, becoming skilled at the strategies for winning at chess requires a great deal more.

Certainly, the first capabilities tested are the abilities to concentrate and analyze. Any lapse in concentration or failure to correctly analyze the situation on the chess board will most likely result in a loss. All chess players experience losses, even the grandmasters of the game, so players also learn about the consequences of their decisions, and how to win and lose gracefully.

There are more abilities exercised through playing chess than just these first obvious few. Studies conducted over the past thirty years have been discovering that playing chess affects a number of aptitudes; from spatial relationships to persistence and focus, exercising both numerical and verbal skills, all working together when playing chess. A 1992 study in New Brunswick, Canada found that primary school children showed significant improvement in their problem solving skills when chess was added to their regular mathematics curriculum. Other studies, from Venezuela to Zaire, have found improvements in students' memories and increased IQ scores among teenagers who play chess regularly.

The benefits of playing chess are not confined to school age children only. In this Information Age, we are all bombarded continuously with incoming information of all types from many sources, some more credible than others. Data that used to take substantial commitments of time and specialized skill to dig out are now available in a fraction of a second from an Internet search on a home computer. The ability to analyze and manage multiple considerations is a skill that can make the difference between responding with agility to new situations and becoming hopelessly mired in information overload. These torrents of information, whether the subject is managing your business or monitoring family health options, must be met with critical thinking to sort out the useful information from the spurious. Then, the new data needs to be adapted into our current plans, as appropriate. Nowhere are these skills (critical thinking, analysis, managing multiple considerations, adapting to new data, decision making, and planning / thinking ahead) better honed than from engaging in regular games of chess.

After all is said, chess is a game. In addition to exercising these many abilities and skills, chess is still a moment of sportsmanship and recreation. Playing games with people provides opportunities to develop social bonds and offers a diversion from the stresses of the day. With so many benefits, it's easy to understand why chess is increasing in popularity. For years, people have associated playing chess with smart people. Now, the evidence is suggesting that playing the game of chess is not attracting smart people so much as it is contributing significantly to the abilities and skills of the people who participate in playing chess on a regular basis.

3 Steps to Improving Your Chess Game

Chess is a historical, complex, and entertaining pastime, game, and sport. There are three key things you can do to improve your game: play, study, and get involved in chess. If you're having a hard time enjoying the game, it's most likely because you're not doing one of these three things.

If you are to improve your chess skills you will need to play a lot. This means winning losing games. Just keep in mind that the important thing is to learn something from every win and every loss. There are lots of places to play. You can play at your local club, online, through email, through regular mail, with friends and family - you can play chess anytime, anywhere, with anyone.

In addition to playing, you need to study if you really want to improve. Start by learning the rules and the basic principles of the game such as controlling the center, developing your pieces, attacking and defending pieces, and the piece values. You can continue your education with detailed tactics and strategies. Save the openings until after you've taken the time to fully understand all of the elementary tactics and strategies. Learn to play sound and solid chess, and ignore cheap tricks or easy traps. Once you understand tactics and strategies, start learning some opening systems and endgames as well. Make sure you study master and grandmaster games so that you can learn what the best players are thinking and doing when they play.

Playing online and reading books by yourself will quickly become mundane and lack the excitement and joy the chess is all about. Get involved! Teach a friend how to play chess. Go to your local club and play. Play in over-the-board tournaments. Teach chess at a school. Get involved somehow and you will see that chess is more than a game - it is a great community as well!