With millions of people learning the game of chess, there are millions of different strategies out there to choose from. Strategies that have been thought of, tested, and used over the years; ones that have worked well, and ones that have not. Effective chess strategies are an asset to any chess player as it puts them in a better position of winning the game. After all what good is a strategy if it doesn’t give you the advantage over your opponent? Effective chess strategies can make the difference between winning and losing. We will take a look at some effective strategies for beginner chess players and intermediate chess players.
Beginner’s Chess Strategy
There are a few good tactics that beginner chess players can use in their games with other beginner players. It should be said now though, that these tactics are for beginners only, as using them on more advanced chess players will usually not work. Advanced chess players will almost always look for and see these coming; some might be offended that you have even tried it on them. With that in mind, the three most widely known and used chess strategies among beginner players are the Four move checkmate, and a good opening move (which is a great strategy for any chess player).
The four move checkmate is a strategic technique of increased speed. The best way of knowing if someone is going to use the four move checkmate is to watch the queen and the bishop. If your opponent moves those pieces early in the game they are most likely going to try the four move checkmate. If you want to defend yourself against the four move checkmate try moving your knight in front of the king’s bishop pawn, or move your king’s pawn forward one spot. It is called the four move checkmate because it can be done in four moves, however don’t be fooled by that. Many players have taken more than four moves to use this strategy:
Step 1: move your king’s pawn forward one or two spaces
Step 2: move your king’s bishop up three squares diagonally
Step 3: move your queen diagonally two squares
Step 4: move your queen up vertically and take the pawn in front of your opponent’s bishop.
A good beginning opening move is also an effective chess strategy. A good opening move can give you the advantage for the rest of the game. A great first move is by moving your king’s pawn in front of the king. By moving the pawn forward you free up more space for the queen and the bishop to move where you want or need them to.
Intermediate Chess Strategy
There are a number of different strategies an intermediate chess player can employ to increase their chances of winning. Let’s look at some possible strategies intermediate chess players can use.
Controlling the board center is a great tactic that allows you to control more squares; preventing your opponent from making more moves. It’s not always easy to employ this strategy, but is usually where most of the war takes place.
Sacrificing chess pieces is also a chess strategy to increase your chances of winning. Make sure you look for all possible moves that lead to your end goal. Don’t sacrifice pieces for nothing; good planning is the secret to sacrificing chess pieces.
Holding pieces hostage is a great strategy for getting out of a sticky situation. Your opponent will be attacking your pieces throughout the game, but instead of throwing the towel in try attacking another of your opponent’s pieces on the board. This may deter your opponent from taking the piece at risk.
These are only a few of the effective chess strategies out there for beginners and intermediate chess players. There are many more out there you just need to look for them.
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