The game of chess is considered one of the world’s most popular games. Chess can be played online, in clubs, tournaments, in parks, or just in the comfort of your own living room. Chess consists of 64 squares with one player controlling black pieces and the other controlling white pieces. You have sixteen pieces made up of pawns, bishops, knights, rooks, a queen and a king. Let’s focus on how you can effectively use your knights in the game of chess.
The knight is often considered one of the most difficult chess pieces for a beginner. The knight has an odd moving pattern. The knight is the only non-linear piece on the chessboard and is the only chess piece that is allowed to jump over other pieces when moving. Also, the knight is the only piece on the chessboard that a player may make their opening move to their game besides using a pawn.
Let’s discuss some basic knight strategy to start using next time you play chess. First, knights belong in the center of the board. This way, a knight has access to eight squares. You may hear a few popular phrases about your knights; such as “a knight on the rim is dim ” or ” a knight in the corner is a mourner “. These phrases are referring to a knight on the side as being dim because you are trapped to four squares. Same goes for being in a corner, you only have access to two squares and can easily be overtaken.
Another popular strategy to use when playing chess is the “knight fork “. A knight can attack two or more pieces at the same time. When a knight attacks two pieces at the same time, it is referred to as a “knight fork “. If you attack more than two of your opponent’s pieces at once, it is called a “family fork “.
A knight is best utilized when placed in your opponents “holes “. A hole is an area on the chessboard of your opponent’s pawn structure. For example, your opponent has two pawns placed on the black squares on different rows, your best placement for your knight is to place them on the white square next to the pawn, that way the pawn is not able to attack or capture the knight and you are in control of eight squares.
If you are playing against an opponent who is utilizing their knights in these manners, do the opposite. Trap their knight to a wall or into a corner, thereby disabling them from the game. Always remember that a knight can jump over your pieces so pay close attention to what pieces you are using. A knight and a king against a lone king will always win the game of chess, so try to knock out your opponents knights quickly.
Now that you know a few basic knight strategies, start practicing. Practicing against a computer chess opponent is a great way to get ready for when you are playing your friends or you are competing in a chess tournament.
So let’s review what we know about the knight. The knight moves two squares horizontally and one square vertically, or two squares vertically and one square horizontally. Therefore, the knight’s movements are a ‘L’ shape. The knight’s main advantage is that he can jump over all other pawns and pieces to his destination square.
A knight is more powerful if placed in the center of the board or in an area where he has control of eight squares. A knight is the only chess piece that you can use to start the game besides a pawn. And lastly, a knight is the only piece that can be in position to attack a queen, bishop, or rook without being reciprocally attacked by that piece. So try out your new knight moves on your opponents next time you play!
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